Jimmie Johnson Holds Off Dale Earnhardt Jr. Late to Break a Record at Dover

         Jimmie Johnson was able to hold off teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., on the final restart to take his unprecedented eighth victory at the “Monster Mile”. Johnson held the all time wins mark with Bobby Allison and Richard Petty since his win last year at the track, but he easily broke the tie with a dominating win at Dover on Sunday. Johnson also moved within eight points of Matt Kenseth's championship lead after Kenseth finished seventh in Sunday's third Chase race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a huge charge at Johnson late in the race. Earnhardt took four tires on the final pit stop while Johnson and others took two tires. Earnhardt was able to use the fresh rubber to move up to second after a few laps, but he could not get past Johnson for his first win in over a year. Even though he could not capture the victory, Junior still proved he is a definite threat in the title battle with seven races to go. A few Chase drivers struggled at the track. Kurt Busch went two laps down after a loose wheel and never recovered while Carl Edwards broke a tire hub and lost a lot of laps at the end of the race. Both of these drivers could be out of the title fight, but there is still a lot of racing to be done. Sunday's race at Dover had very little cautions, but it was still a very good race. The winner was never obvious and the strategy was about to make the race a fuel conservation race. All in all, it was a race that was filled with a lot of good racing and Chase implications that will be felt all the way until the last lap at Homestead.

        Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the pole. It was Junior's second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole of 2013. The race went green and he was able to come around and lead the first lap of the race. He held the lead well until he moved into lap traffic. On lap 26, Matt Kenseth was able to take the lead from Earnhardt, but Kenseth's lead would be short lived as Earnhardt passed him for the lead on lap 31. The lead did not change again before the first caution waved on lap 37. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track. David Reutimann received the lucky dog. Strategy became an important part of the race during the caution. Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, and Clint Bowyer took two tires while Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the other lead lap drivers took four tires. It would be interesting to see which strategy worked in the end.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch was able to hold the lead he had grabbed under the caution. Busch would hold the lead for a while before Ryan Newman took it away on lap 71. Newman would not hold it long before Dale Earnhardt Jr. used his four tires to take it away on lap 76. Earnhardt held onto the lead until the first round of green flag pit stops began on lap 111. Earnhardt stayed on track until he decided to make his stop on lap 117. He slowed down in turn 3, but he made a huge mistake. He had not slowed down enough and could not get all four tires under the commitment line. This meant that he could not come down pit road or he would receive a penalty. He stayed on track, but he had lost a lot of time because he had slowed down. He was able to come back around and make his stop, but Jimmie Johnson took the lead after Earnhardt's mistake. It would be interesting to see if his mistake kept him from winning the race in the end.

         Jimmie Johnson continued to hold the lead after the pit stops and the long green flag stretch continued. On lap 159, Kurt Busch interrupted the action by coming to pit road. It was an unscheduled stop for Busch because he had noticed a vibration. His team replaced all four tires and discovered that one of the wheels on the car was loose. Busch had avoided a lot of damage to his car by pitting, but he has lost a bunch of time to the leaders on track. Shortly after this, the second caution of the race waved on lap 165. Debris was spotted in turn 1 of the track. Jeff Burton received the lucky dog. Since the lead lap drivers had not pitted in a long time, all of them came down pit road for four tires with Matt Kenseth coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Kenseth was able to hold onto the lead. It looked like he was in position for a third straight victory, but Jimmie Johnson was able to pass him for the lead on lap 198. Johnson held the lead as the third caution waved on lap 227. Brad Keselowski went to the apron of the track because he was experiencing possible engine problems. He had not come down pit road in time as oil from his car went on the track. Keselowski did make it to the garage and his team diagnosed the problem as a broken rear seal. Keselowski returned to the race, but he was a good many laps down. Jeff Burton received the lucky dog. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road for four tires with Jimmie Johnson coming out as the leader. At this point, a few drivers began to think about the possibility of only making one more stop, but it would be interesting to see if they could save enough fuel to make it.

        The race went back green and Jimmie Johnson held onto the lead. Not much happened for a while as Johnson continued to lead. Finally, the second and final round of green flag pit stops interrupted the race on lap 308. All the drivers came to pit road in the span of a few laps and it was crucial for the gas man to get the car full of as much fuel as possible. After all the stops concluded, Jimmie Johnson cycled around to the lead once again as Dale Earnhardt Jr. had entrance problems again. Still, Junior was in the race and one mistake could give him the lead or even the win. The race began to transition into fuel conservation mode. Many of the lead drivers had already been told they could not make it to the finish and started to pick up speed in hopes of getting far enough away that they could get a splash of fuel late and still win. Drivers like Clint Bowyer began to save as much as possible in hopes of grabbing an easy victory. All these talks would be destroyed as the fourth and final caution waved on lap 370. Debris was spotted in turn 3 of the track. Brian Vickers received the lucky dog. Now, all of the leaders would have a chance to stop and the winner would be the driver who had the best car.

        The leaders made the move to pit road. The ESPN announcers were calling two tires and Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Matt Kenseth decided to make this move. Unluckily for the them, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and all the other lead lap drivers decided to take four tires. Now, the top 3 did not have the fresh rubber that the drivers behind them had. The race went green for the final time and Jimmie Johnson was able to hold onto the lead. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a hard charge to the front and was in second in only a few laps. He was able to get right to Johnson's bumper, but he couldn't make the move. With twenty three laps to go, Carl Edwards, a Chase driver, reported to pit road. One of the hubs that holds the tires broke on his car. His team fixed it quick and he returned to the race, but his chances for a good finish were over. This did not affect Earnhardt and Johnson as they continued to race around the track. With fifteen laps to go, Johnson still held a nice advantage, but Junior was still there. The race moved on and before long, only two laps remained. Junior was there, but he wasn't able to get close enough as Johnson ran into some lap traffic taking the white flag. Junior made it extremely close because of the traffic, but Johnson held the lead and took his unprecedented eighth win at Dover. Johnson solidified that he was a threat once again for the title, but Kenseth still holds the advantage.

        What a turn around it has been for Johnson since the start of the Chase. After having four terrible races before the start of the Chase, Johnson once again grabbed his Chase magic and is in the thick of the title hunt. It is not a surprise to the fans since Johnson is a five time champion in the sport. With Kenseth running as good as he has been, it good be an amazing battle for the title heading into the final races of the season. Kyle Busch also continued his contending ways as he held station in third place in the points. Busch has been just as consistent as the two championship leaders of late and could be the third piece in the title battle as the final race at Homestead comes ever closer. All this is not to say that the title battle is only between three drivers as Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon sit waiting for the championship leaders to make a mistake. With Talladega and Martinsville coming back to back, even Kasey Kahne could make his way back into the title hunt with a couple of wins. It will be interesting to see where the series sits in a few weeks. Before the madness begins at Talladega, Kansas Speedway will see if it can mess with the championship leaders next week. Will Matt Kenseth double down at Kansas on the year, will Kasey Kahne avenge his second place at Kansas earlier this year with a win, or will another Chase driver take advantage of the mile and a half track? We will have to wait until next Sunday to find this out and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 37- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track. 

2nd Caution: Lap 165- Debris was spotted in turn 1 of the track.

3rd Caution: Lap 227- Brad Keselowski had a rear seal problem and left oil on the track.

4th Caution: Lap 370- Debris was spotted in turn 3 of the track.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: David Reutimann
2nd Caution: Jeff Burton
3rd Caution: Jeff Burton
4th Caution: Brian Vickers

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Jimmie Johnson
2nd: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3rd: Joey Logano
4th: Jeff Gordon
5th: Kyle Busch

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Kevin Harvick
7th: Matt Kenseth
8th: Ryan Newman
9th: Greg Biffle
10th: Clint Bowyer
13th: Kasey Kahne
21st: Kurt Busch
35th: Carl Edwards




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_AAA_400/W
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/live-standings.html?intid=livestandings_livestandingsleaderboard_08292013
-Image:
http://media.thenewstribune.com/smedia/2013/09/29/18/46/508-15KyvT.AuSt.138.jpeg

My Thoughts: Dover

         As the Cup series heads to Dover International Speedway for the third race of the Chase, we know a good many things. For one, Matt Kenseth is on a roll to start the Chase. He won the first two events to start the Chase and is sitting in prime position to take the championship with some of his good tracks  coming up. The second thing we know is this could very well be a three man race for the title. Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch have distanced themselves from the rest of the Chase drivers and could be the favorites, but we still have a good many races left to go. Finally, we know that the Chase is still full of races that could change the complete landscape of the battle for the title. Dover, Talladega, Martinsville, and even Phoenix are potential races left that could cause a major points shuffle. What all do these things mean? We may think we know the answers, but we won't know for sure until the checkered flag waves at Homestead. I have a few interesting topics to talk about today including a possible elimination from the championship battle, a few drivers chances to win the championship, a driver planning on making his Cup debut, a broadcaster who needs our prayers because of an illness, and the feature of my thoughts: my pick to win. That is enough of an introduction for today. Let us go ahead and get started.

1. Is Kasey Kahne Eliminated From the Chase After His Wreck at New Hampshire?
        Last week, Kasey Kahne suffered a devastating blow at New Hampshire. With only about fifty laps to go, Kahne got loose exiting turn 4 and slammed he inside wall. He would return, but he ended up finishing thirty seventh after all was said and done. This put him back to last in the Chase standings with only seven events left to go. Immediately when his wreck happened, everybody eliminated him from the championship picture except his fans. I am one such fan who has not eliminated him yet. Even though I do have fan bias, I still have two reasons I believe he is still in contention. The first is the tracks left in the Chase. When I think about Kasey Kahne, I always picture him winning and running up front at mile and a half tracks. The Chase still has a good many of those races left and they are at tracks Kahne has been successful at this year including Charlotte and Kansas. If he gets on a roll and wins any of the upcoming races, he could be back in it just like that. The final reason is because of how many events are left. We have a good many events left before the champion is decided. There is still a chance that Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Kyle Busch could have a bad race and open up the battle. If it does happen, drivers like Kasey Kahne could take full advantage of it. If you have eliminated Kahne already, I think it could come back to haunt you.

2. Is Matt Kenseth Going to Win the Championship? 
        After the first two races in the Chase, we have a good picture of what the championship looks like. First off, Matt Kenseth is in prime position to take the championship with two wins in the first two Chase races. Even with all this momentum, I don't think Kenseth has locked up the championship just yet. For one, Kenseth has had some moments this year where he didn't run good. Mostly this year, he has won the race or finished way back. Because of this, Kenseth was never really a favorite for the championship other than with his five wins heading to the playoffs. With a lot of tracks where drivers can mess up left on the circuit, Kenseth could have some problems and it would be someone else's chance. A final reason is the competitors behind him. If you are not going to pick Jimmie Johnson to win the championship, I personally think you are pretty crazy. When the championship is on the line, Johnson is going to be there and usually he is going to take it. If Kenseth struggles at any track, Johnson and even Kyle Busch will be there to take the points lead. I'm not saying Kenseth is not a front runner, but he needs to show the consistency that he has started early in the Chase if he wants to hoist the trophy in Homestead.

3. Is It a Three Man Race For the Championship?
        In the first two races, we have also figured out who the main front runners are for the championship. Right now, they are Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch. Kenseth and Busch started off the Chase with 1-2 finishes and are running really well. Jimmie Johnson is his usual self with consistent finishes in the Chase. I don't think it is too much of a shock right now that these three are the main front runners for the Chase, but I am shocked by a couple things. I am shocked that Busch is running as well as he is. I mean, he has been a very good driver in the past, but usually that is before the Chase. When you take a look at his record, he has never won a race during the Chase and hasn't really been the main figure when it comes Chase time. To me, I think he has turned a complete corner. After missing the Chase last year, Busch worked his life back in order and is now a very competitive driver. If he keeps working like he does now, he could be a Champion this year. Matt Kenseth has also surprised me a good bit this year. After making the move from Roush-Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth has won seven races and has a nice cushion at the top of the points standings. Kenseth is a former champion, but it is just really surprising. I know he can win races, but he just has never been the guy at the top of the standings or even a constant threat. I think Kenseth has also turned a corner and looks very good right now. With him and Busch battling hard for the title, this could be a good battle for the championship that comes down to the final race of the year at Homestead.

4. Brian Scott to Make His Cup Debut at Charlotte; Will Run Partial Schedule Next Season 
         Some good news came out this week for Brian Scott. It was announced that he would make his Sprint Cup debut at Charlotte for RCR and he would run a partial schedule next year with the team. In case you aren't familiar with Scott, I will give you some background. Scott began running full time with Joe Gibbs Racing a few years ago. Scott was pretty good with the team, but he never grabbed any wins for them. This year, he moved over to Richard Childress Racing where he has had two races that he could have captured the checkered flag. He did not take the victory, but the team was proud of his good runs and decided he should get a Cup opportunity. I am very glad for Scott. One reason is that he is going to be a good driver in Cup. When you look at his record, there aren't any wins, but if you watch the races you see that he has a lot of promise. He doesn't wreck people, he can finish consistently at the front, and he has that natural ability as a race car driver. Now, you might not feel the same way, but based on what I have seen from him in Nationwide, he shows these qualities to me. I mean, he has had some moments where I and many others questioned if he would be the future of the sport, but I think he answered the call this year. With a team of Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Austin Dillon, and Brian Scott for some races, Richard Childress Racing is looking very formidable heading into next season. 

5. Steve Byrnes Diagnosed With Cancer; Taking a Medical Leave of Absence From Broadcasting
        This week, we received some sad news in the world of NASCAR broadcasting. Steve Byrnes announced that he would have to take a medical leave of absence from broadcasting because of cancer. Byrnes has been a mainstay in NASCAR for a long time. He was a part time pit reporter in the late 1990s and early 2000s before becoming a full time pit reporter with FOX in 2001. Byrnes has been with FOX since then and is one of the hosts of NASCAR Race Hub on FOX Sports 1. Byrnes has always been one of my favorite pit reporters and I hope he makes a speedy recovery. If you read this Byrnes, I hope to see you at the track very soon and I hope you defeat that cancer as quick as possible.

6. My Pick to Win
        Last week, Matt Kenseth continued his winning ways with another victory in the Chase. Earlier this year at Dover, Tony Stewart took the win after Jimmie Johnson jumped the final restart of the race. Today, I think this race is going to be one of the wild card races in the Chase and the points are going to shake up. I think Dale Earnhardt Jr. (What!?!?), Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Kevin Harvick are good picks to win the race today at the “Monster Mile”. Another thing is that this race could have a very different winner compared to the rest of the races this year and it should be a very good race. Once again, I thank you guys for reading through my opinions. If you guys have differing opinions on any of the issues I have discussed, please let me know in the comments down below. I hope you guys enjoy the race at Dover today and until we meet again.




Credits:
-Image:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ac1394dbdcca6a36cbf486633b129cd813095ac3/r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/06/02/1370211354000-c08-doverjimmie-03-1306021817_4_3.jpg

Joey Logano Wins His Fourth Straight NNS Race at Dover

         Joey Logano used the right strategy and a fast race car to win his fourth straight NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover. It is an interesting statistic for Logano. With drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jimmie Johnson, and Richard Petty, winning a lot of races at Dover, it would seem like they had done it before, right? That is actually incorrect. Logano became the first driver to ever win four races in a row at Dover in any of NASCAR's top 3 series. That is a very successful feat considering the craziness at Dover and the amount of contenders for the race wins. Kyle Busch looked like he would take the win from Logano early, but Busch's team did not work the strategy right and Busch ended up eighth. Most drivers would be satisfied with an eighth place finish after messing up the strategy, but Busch was very dissatisfied after having a car that could win the race. A lot of the points contenders struggled in the event. Sam Hornish Jr. had a bad car all day and a speeding penalty put him deep in the field and Regan Smith did not work the strategy right at the end of the race. Austin Dillon and Elliott Sadler had pretty good days and moved up in the points, but Hornish still holds the lead by a few points. With only five races left, the championship fight should be one of the best. When a race only has two cautions, it is usually considered to be pretty boring, but this one wasn't. It was a constant battle of strategy and the winner was never completely obvious. All in all, it was a very good race and one that could decide the champion in a few weeks.

        Joey Logano started on the pole. It was his first NASCAR Nationwide Series pole of 2013. The race went green and Logano was able to lead the first lap. Logano held onto the lead well in the early stages, but Kyle Busch was able to pass him for the lead on lap 19 in lap traffic. The race would go a short time after this before the first caution waved on lap 25. Brian Scott got loose in turn 1. Scott began to slide through turns 1 and 2 before getting to the apron. He stopped on the apron and was able to get back going. Scott had avoided damage, but he had lost a few positions on track. T.J. Bell received the lucky dog. The strategy session began at this point in the race. The top 8 drivers stayed on track while Kevin Harvick and the drivers behind him came to pit road. There were a lot of different strategies on the stops including fuel only, two tires, and four tires. It would be interesting to see which strategy went on to win the race.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch was able to hold onto the lead. The race went a short time before the second and final caution waved on lap 36. Donnie Neuenberger got loose exiting turn 2 and went down the track. Neuenberger was able to slow down, but he still made contact with the inside wall. Neuenberger went to the garage with a good bit of damage and would not return to the race. Ryan Ellis received the lucky dog. The strategy that decided that race happened under this caution. Kyle Busch, Regan Smith, and others stayed on track while Justin Allgaier came down just for fuel, Brian Vickers and Sam Hornish Jr. came down for two tires, and Austin Dillon, Joey Logano, and others took four tires during the pit stops. It would be interesting to see who took the win with their strategy.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch was able to hold onto the lead. Busch still had not made a pit stop, but his car was still extremely fast. Busch held the lead for a long time before he finally had to make his way to pit road on lap 87. Joey Logano was able to take the lead back. Logano continued to lead as the first round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 109. Logano could go a lot longer than the drivers who pitted on lap 109, but Logano decided to come down on lap 116. During the stops, a championship contender had trouble that impacted not only his race, but the championship standings.

        Sam Hornish Jr. came to pit road under green for a routine stop. His team did a good job on the stop and Hornish returned to the track. His race would quickly go down hill. Hornish was caught speeding on pit road. He would have to make a pass through penalty on pit road. He would make the pass through and return to the race, but he lost a good many laps and his race was pretty much finished. After the rest of the drivers came down pit road, Kyle Busch was able to inherit the lead. Busch would hold the lead for a good many laps, but Joey Logano was able to pass him on lap 141 for the lead. Busch continued to ride around on track, but he did not have enough fuel to finish the race and had to come to pit road on lap 175. This left only twenty five laps to go and a lot of drivers up at the front of the field not knowing if they had enough fuel to finish the race.

        Logano continued to lead as Busch made the move to pit road. Most of the drivers had started to save fuel, but Logano still ran as hard as possible. Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, and Brian Vickers were saving fuel and hoping Logano would run out. Regan Smith and others came to pit road with fifteen laps to go, but the four drivers on the lead lap continued to save fuel and move around the “Monster Mile”. With ten laps to go, Logano still held a healthy advantage over Kyle Larson, but he began to save fuel. The laps clicked off and only five remained. Logano still ran hard and hoped the caution would not wave. Logano finally made it to the white flag and all he had to do was make it around the four turns of the one mile oval. He made it smoothly through turns 1 and 2 and made it to the backstretch. With a healthy advantage, Logano was able to coast through turns 3 and 4 and take his third NASCAR Nationwide Series win of 2013. It was a dominating performance for the Sprint Cup regular, but strategy left a few drivers out of contention.

         Joey Logano has had a turn around year. After struggling at Joe Gibbs Racing early in his Cup career, Logano moved to Penske Racing and made the Chase for the first time in his short career. Logano continues his domination of the Nationwide Series even though he is in a different car for a different manufacturer and a different team. At only twenty three years old, Logano still has a lot of greatness left in his career and he could become a first time Cup champion very soon. Kyle Busch once again missed the strategy at Dover. While leading at Dover in June, Busch took four tires while the rest of the leaders took two tires. This put Busch back in the pack with Logano taking the lead. Busch tried to make his way through the field, but he couldn't and Logano would take the win. The same happened today at Dover as Logano took the win after Busch missed the strategy once again. It is hard to believe Busch can't win at Dover after his domination this year and the past few years, but every driver has a track that he can't tame. Kyle Larson continues to impress. He finished second for the third time of the year. With this continuing momentum, Larson could have a very good move to Cup next year. Once again, the points battle began to heat up. Austin Dillon moved within four points of the lead after the struggles of points leader, Sam Hornish Jr., in the race. With only a handful of races remaining, Hornish needs to stay on his game if he is going to win the championship. The series heads to Kansas Speedway next week with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tagging along. Will Austin Dillon continue to move in on Sam Hornish Jr. for the points lead, will Sam Hornish Jr. extend his points lead, or will another driver move into the championship picture? We will have to wait until next Saturday to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 25- Brian Scott got loose in turn 1 and went for a slide across turn 2.

2nd Caution: Lap 36- Donnie Neuenberger got loose exiting turn 2 and made slight contact with the inside wall.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: T.J. Bell
2nd Caution: Ryan Ellis

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Joey Logano
2nd: Kyle Larson
3rd: Kevin Harvick
4th: Brian Vickers
5th: Elliott Sadler

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Austin Dillon
8th: Kyle Busch
15th: Regan Smith
17th: Sam Hornish Jr.
22nd: Travis Pastrana




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Thanks once again to Besweeet. Since I do not have ESPN Classic, I was able to watch the first few laps on his stream. Continue to be awesome, Brian. If you guys want a link to his stream, here it is:
http://hashd.tv/besweeet53
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_5-Hour_Energy_200_(September)/B
-Image:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/384074126572261376/photo/1/large

Matt Kenseth Goes Back to Back to Start the Chase With a Win at New Hampshire

          Matt Kenseth was able to hold the lead on the final restart and take the lead to his second straight win. Kenseth's teammate, Kyle Busch, gave it all he had in the final few laps, but it was not enough to overtake Kenseth. It was a very historic day for Kenseth. He took his seventh win of the season, which continues to break his record for most wins in a season at five that he set back in 2002. Plus, Kenseth became only the second driver to win a race in his five hundredth start along with “The King”, Richard Petty. Not to mention, Kenseth still held onto his fourteen point advantage over Kyle Busch in the points. The race also held some difficulties for Chase drivers. Kasey Kahne wrecked late in the race and finished thirty seventh, Kevin Harvick began to have engine troubles late and finished twentieth, and a few others never had good set ups or track position and finished between thirteenth and seventeenth positions. These problems for some drivers only tightened Kenseth's hold on the Chase field. Like I said earlier today in my thoughts, this race would cause the points to shake up a good bit and it definitely did. All in all, it was a very competitive race and one that could have a lot of affects on the Chase in the long run.

       Ryan Newman started on the pole. It was Newman's second pole of 2013. The race went green and he was able to come around and lead the first lap. He would not stay the leader long as Kasey Kahne was able to get past him on lap 3 to take the lead. Kahne streaked away from the field and held the lead until the first caution on lap 30. Michael McDowell made contact with Josh Wise in turn 4. Wise went for a spin and slid the car down the track. Wise ended up stopped on the apron, but he was able to continue on without damage. Since Wise was in the lucky dog position, no drivers received the lucky dog. This began the strategy in the race. The lead lap drivers came to pit road and most took two tires and fuel with Kasey Kahne coming out as the leader. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a bit of trouble on his stop. The team planned on changing two tires, but the right rear tire changer had trouble and missed some lug nuts. The team found out the mistake and brought Junior back in and replaced the other two tires. It was early in the race, but he was stuck back in traffic at a track that it is almost impossible to pass at. The race went back green and Martin Truex Jr. was able to beat Kasey Kahne on the restart and take the lead. The race would only go a short time before the second caution waved on lap 37. Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray made contact in turn 4. McMurray slid around and made slight contact with the outside wall. McMurray had a good bit of rear end damage, but he would continue on in the race. Kevin Swindell also received damage in the accident when he hit McMurray while trying to avoid him. Michael McDowell received the lucky dog. The leaders stayed out and the accident was cleaned up before the restart.

        The race went back green and Martin Truex Jr. was able to hold onto the lead he had grabbed on the previous restart. The race went a short time again before the third caution on lap 51. Bobby Labonte had a tire go down on the frontstretch in front of Casey Mears and David Gilliland. Mears bumped Labonte and caused him to go across the hood of Gilliland. Labonte slammed the outside wall and slid around to the inside of the track as Gilliland went by with heavy hood damage. Nobody hit Labonte while he slid around, but he had a good bit of damage. Josh Wise received the lucky dog. None of the leaders came down pit road and the wreck was cleaned up. The race went back green and Martin Truex Jr. was able to hold onto his lead once again. This time, the race would go a good bit longer and continue on until the first round of green flag pit stops on lap 110. The pit stops finished pretty quick for the leaders, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going to stay out and see if he could make it into a one stop race. He made it to lap 130, but this would not allow him to make it on one more stop. This allowed Martin Truex Jr. to cycle back around to the lead.

        The race continued on until Matt Kenseth took the lead away from Martin Truex Jr. on lap 153. It was the first time Kenseth had led in the race and it surely wouldn't be the last. The race went a few more laps before the fourth caution of the race waved on lap 163. Debris was spotted in turn 1 due to a driver hitting the outside wall. Marcos Ambrose received the lucky dog. A good bit of strategy was used during the caution. Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, and Joey Logano took two tires while Martin Truex Jr. and the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. This allowed Gordon to become the leader of the race. On the restart, Jeff Gordon was able to hold the lead. The race continued on for a good bit before the fifth caution waved on lap 200. Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track. Mark Martin received the lucky dog. More strategy was used during the caution. Clint Bowyer and Marcos Ambrose stayed out with Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, and others taking two tires while Jeff Gordon and two others took four tires. Because of this move, Gordon was mired deep in traffic. It would be interesting to see if he could make it back to the front of the field.

        The race went back green and Clint Bowyer was able to use his strategy to hold onto the lead. His lead would be short lived as Matt Kenseth took it from him on lap 208. The race would go a little while before the sixth caution waved on lap 246. David Gilliland's car began to smoke in turn 2 due to a busted oil cooler. The damage was too much to fix and Gilliland would not return to the race. Clint Bowyer received the lucky dog. Bowyer, who had been up front, decided to come down pit road a lap before the caution waved. Bowyer had four tires and fuel, but he would have to start at the back of the  pack and would need a caution to get back up front. The caution also held the final pit stops of the race. Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, and the rest of the drivers who pitted took two tires. It would be interesting to see if this move would work. The race went green and Matt Kenseth was able to hold the lead. The race went a few laps before the seventh and final caution of the race waved on lap 252. Kasey Kahne got loose exiting turn 4 while trying to pass Brian Vickers. Kahne went for a slide and made slight contact with the inside wall. The contact with the wall caused Kahne to have something break in his steering. He would return to the event, but he fell into a deep hole concerning the Chase for the championship. Travis Kvapil received the lucky dog. None of the drivers came to pit road and the final run to the finish was set up. 

        The race went green for the final time and Matt Kenseth held onto the lead. Kyle Busch fell into second place with about fifty laps to go. While the field raced behind him, Kenseth ran away and built a one and a half second lead over Busch. With thirty laps to go, Kenseth still held the lead, but the advantage had stabilized. With twenty laps to go, lap traffic had allowed Busch to close a little bit, but Kenseth still held the advantage. With ten laps to go, Kenseth still held the advantage, but Busch was coming. Busch made it really close in the final laps and had one final chance on the last lap. He could not capitalize and Kenseth took the checkered flag. Kenseth became the third driver in the Chase era to win back-to-back races to start the Chase and he still holds the momentum. If he gets a chance, he could take his second Sprint Cup title.

        What can you say about Matt Kenseth this year? If he hasn't been leading or winning this year, something was terribly wrong. He has went toe to toe with Jimmie Johnson and, so far, he is beating him. We don't know what the five time champion will do in the last eight races, but Kenseth could be looking to take his second championship. Kasey Kahne could be another driver eliminated thus far. As much as I hate to say it, he needs to win some races to get back in contention. With a few good races for Kahne coming up, he could very well do that. The performance of some Chase drivers really surprised me today. I was expecting all of them to run up front, but only six of thirteen ended up finishing in the top 10. With Kenseth running extremely well and showing no signs of stopping now, the championship could be well in his hands. Granted, we still have eight races to go and as we well know, the Chase will not be decided until the final laps at Homestead. The series heads to the high banked “Monster Mile” in Dover, Delaware next week. Will Jimmie Johnson redeem himself after a restart penalty left him without the win last time at Dover, will Matt Kenseth continue his dominance, or will another driver move into contention for the championship lead? We will have to wait until next Sunday to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 30- Josh Wise went for a spin in turn 4 after contact with Michael McDowell.

2nd Caution: Lap 37- Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray made contact in turn 4, which caused McMurray to spin out and back into the outside wall. Kevin Swindell also received some damage while  trying to avoid McMurray.

3rd Caution: Lap 51- Casey Mears bumped Bobby Labonte on the frontstretch and sent Labonte across David Gilliland's hood. Labonte slammed the outside wall and stopped on the inside of the track.

4th Caution: Lap 163- Debris was spotted in turn 1 due to a driver hitting the wall.

5th Caution: Lap 200- Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track.

6th Caution: Lap 246- David Gilliland's car began to smoke in turn 2 due to a busted oil cooler.

7th Caution: Lap 252- Kasey Kahne got loose exiting turn 4 and went for a slide. Kahne made slight contact with the inside wall on the frontstretch.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None 
2nd Caution: Michael McDowell
3rd Caution: Josh Wise
4th Caution: Marcos Ambrose
5th Caution: Mark Martin
6th Caution: Clint Bowyer
7th Caution: Travis Kvapil

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Matt Kenseth
2nd: Kyle Busch
3rd: Greg Biffle
4th: Jimmie Johnson
5th: Jamie McMurray

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9th: Carl Edwards
13th: Kurt Busch
14th: Joey Logano
15th: Jeff Gordon
16th: Ryan Newman
17th: Clint Bowyer
20th: Kevin Harvick
37th: Kasey Kahne




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/live-standings.html?intid=livestandings_livestandingsleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Sylvania_300/W
-Image:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/rf/image_r/Boston/2011-2020/2013/09/22/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/bc9dc691c3ae432a9e9496d7a961330d-bc9dc691c3ae432a9e9496d7a961330d-0.r.jpg

My Thoughts: New Hampshire

          The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire for the second Chase race of the year. After an all day affair at Chicagoland one week ago, Matt Kenseth stood on top in victory lane and in the points. New Hampshire, though, is a much different monster than Chicagoland. Chicago is a one and a half mile oval while New Hampshire is a flat one mile oval. This contrast could either help some of the drivers or make it even harder for some. One thing is for sure: the points are definitely going to shake up by the end of the event. I have few important topics to discuss. Two of them still have implications of the controversy at Richmond, one involves a driver's future, and the other talks about the slim chances for a championship of two drivers who struggled at Chicago. Finally, we continue to talk about my pick to win the event every week. Wow, I built all these things up pretty good. Let's go ahead and get these opinions started.

1. How Do I Think the Restart Rule Worked at Chicagoland? 
        One of the new major rules due to the Richmond race was the new restart rule. To explain, I will give some back story. On the final restart at Richmond, people, including myself, felt that Carl Edwards, who was second, should have been penalized for beating the leader, Paul Menard, to the line. Edwards was not penalized and went on to win the race. To me, this was not exactly fair considering the penalties Jimmie Johnson and others had received on restarts earlier this year. No, I am not a Johnson fan, but I am a fan of fairness. Because of the questions around the restart, NASCAR decided to shake up the rules. Starting with the first Chase race at Chicago, the leader had to restart the race in the restart box, but once he did, second place could beat him to the line. Wow, NASCAR finally got something right heading to Chicago. This was a much needed move to even out the sport. I mean, if you were running second on a restart prior to Chicago, you could not do anything. If the leader blew his engine, you would get a penalty for beating him to the line. I applaud NASCAR for making the rule change that we so desperately needed. I also feel that the move worked out well, too. On the second restart during the Chicago race, Jimmie Johnson lined up first with Kyle Busch second. Johnson restarted the race and Busch had a better car that allowed him to beat Johnson to the line. The two battled it out and no penalties were given. It was so much better because NASCAR did not have to slow down the race with a stupid penalty anyway. In my opinion, this rule change could become a factor in the Chase and one I am really excited about.

2. Juan Pablo Montoya Headed Back to IndyCar With Roger Penske
         A little bit of surprising, yet unsurprising news came out of the Penske camp during the week. It was announced that Juan Pablo Montoya would make his return to IndyCar behind the wheel of a car owned by Roger Penske. In case you did not know, Montoya was previously released by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to allow Kyle Larson to become a Sprint Cup driver next year. Montoya had talks with Andretti Autosport about a ride in IndyCar for next season and he had been in talks with Furniture Row Racing to remain behind the wheel of a Cup car. Ultimately, Montoya signed a deal with Penske to drive along side Will Power and Helio Castroneves next year. To me, this is the best possible move for Montoya. One reason is that Montoya is a proven winner in IndyCar. In his first Indianapolis 500, Montoya took the win. If that isn't enough credibility, I don't know what is. The second reason is his ability at road courses. In his tenure in the Cup Series, Montoya has been a consistent front runner when we start taking some right and left turns. With the IndyCar schedule bolstered with road courses, Montoya could be a quick winner and could grab a championship very soon. Finally, Montoya also has some new oval experience. One thing that Montoya was unfamiliar with heading to Cup was ovals. Even though he was never a huge factor at the ovals, Montoya probably has as much experience as any other IndyCar driver now. Granted, his experience is in a thirty five hundred pound stock car, but he still has experience. All things considering, Juan Pablo Montoya could be a huge factor next year in a different seat and I am looking forward to seeing it.

3. Are Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Out of the Battle For the Championship After Engine Failures at Chicagoland?
        In the turn from a daytime to a nighttime race at Chicagoland, a lot of drivers ended up having engine failures due to the higher RPMs at night compared to the day. The engine failures actually bit two of the Chase contenders in Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Both ended up finishing deep in the field and are now in big holes compared to the other drivers in the Chase. To me, it is going to be really hard for these two to make it to the front of the points. The first reason is that both of these drivers are not built for the tracks within the Chase. Joey Logano has done very well this year at the two mile tracks, but there aren't any in the Chase this year. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the same way and he still hasn't been consistent at all this year. The second reason is the drivers up at the top of the standings are so good. Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Jimmie Johnson have had very good finishes this year at every track including the mile and a half ovals, which are the most prolific track type in the Chase. If Logano and Earnhardt don't pick it up, it could be a long Chase for them. Finally, I just don't know if the two have the drive to get back up the points. Logano is brand new to the Chase and I feel like you have to know the Chase to win it. Earnhardt has been in the Chase a good bit, but he still hasn't shown that he wants to win a championship, in my opinion. I could be wrong, but I just don't see it. To end it off, Logano and Earnhardt are going to have a tough nine races left and if they don't pick it up, they could be out very soon.

4. NAPA Auto Parts Not Sponsoring Michael Waltrip Racing and Martin Truex Jr. Next Year
         Some more fall out from the final regular season race of the year at Richmond came out during the week. NAPA Auto Parts announced that they would not return as full time sponsor of Martin Truex Jr. and Michael Waltrip Racing next year. I will give you guys the back story to the sponsorship ending. At Richmond two weeks ago, Michael Waltrip's team made sure that Truex would make the Chase. Clint Bowyer went for a spin that allowed the caution to come and get Truex an extra point while Ty Norris told Brian Vickers to come down pit road to make sure they also had an extra point on the final restart. Because of this, NASCAR decided to penalize the team heavily with a three hundred thousand dollar fine, probation for all three crew chiefs, and fifty point penalties for each driver, which resulted in Truex being knocked out of the Chase. Because of the controversy around the situation and the credibility issues with Michael Waltrip Racing, NAPA Auto Parts decided not to renew their sponsorship with the team. To me, I just think this is a lot of stupid stuff over nothing. Yes, I know the controversy was a horrible thing for the sport, but come on? Why would a sponsor leave a winning team who I think hasn't reached its full potential yet? I wouldn't. I mean, there is a huge controversy surrounding the team, but it doesn't really affect the performance of the team. If Michael Waltrip Racing still has a team that will race, then why wouldn't you sponsor the team? Plus, this could cause Truex to lose a ride. Truex is a very good driver and he deserves a ride to prove this. Hopefully, if MWR doesn't keep him around, Furniture Row Racing would pick him up and give him a shot. Either way, this was an unnecessary sponsor move and I hope it comes back to haunt NAPA.

5. My Pick to Win
        Last week, Matt Kenseth made the transition from day to night to take his sixth win of the season. With the win, Kenseth still sits in prime position to take the Sprint Cup Series championship. Earlier this year at New Hampshire, Brian Vickers deified all the odds and took the win at New Hampshire. Today, I am going to give you a few drivers I think have a chance to win. Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski stand out as drivers that have a legitimate shot at taking the win at New Hampshire in the second Chase race of the year. I thank you guys once again for reading my opinions. If you think they aren't quite right, let me know in the comments down below. I will continue to write for you guys including the race this afternoon. Here is to hope that the race is awesome and until we meet again.




Credits:
-Image:
http://brightcove.meta.nascar.com.edgesuite.net/meta/1677257476001/201307/2377/1677257476001_2545080655001_nascar-nscs-lou-high-five922.jpg?pubId=1677257476001

Corey LaJoie Continues His Amazing Record in the ARCA Racing Series This Year With His Third Win at Kentucky

         Corey LaJoie used a final restart pass for the lead to take his third ARCA win of the season in only four events. LaJoie became a part of the series only two months ago with his first win in his first start of the season at Chicagoland. Two weeks later, he took his second win of his career in his second start of the season at Pocono. After having a fourth place finish in his third start of the season two weeks ago at Iowa, LaJoie came back strong with his third win in four starts on the season at Kentucky. LaJoie, who is the son of former Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, has had the help of Richard Petty Motorsports, but he has used cars that he tuned himself. If you ask me, that is a great accomplishment considering all the huge teams with huge budgets in the sport. Frank Kimmel continued his dominance of the series with another top ten finish. As long he makes the trip to Kansas in two weeks, he will be crowned the 2013 ARCA Racing Series Champion. Mason Mingus did a good job in his first year to fight with the veteran, but he will come up just short. All in all, it was a good race with a few contenders having trouble during the race that allowed others to have a chance at the victory.

         Frank Kimmel started on the pole. Qualifying had been rained out on Friday and the lineup was set based on owners points. Because of this, drivers like Chase Elliott, Chad Boat, and Grant Enfinger had to start deep in the field with good cars. The race had also been rained out on Friday and was forced to be run on Saturday afternoon. This meant that cars that were set up for a night race would have to compete during the day. The race went green and it only went one corner before the first caution waved on lap 1. Milka Duno got loose in turn 2 underneath Chase Elliott. Duno slid around and backed into the outside wall. She had a good bit of damage, but she would be able to continue on in the race even though she wasn't a factor. After seventeen hours after the scheduled start of the race and a caution the first lap of the race, Frank Kimmel was able to cross the line to lead the first lap.

        The race went back green and Erik Jones was able to take the lead from Frank Kimmel entering turn 1. Jones held onto the lead until Corey LaJoie was able to take the lead from him on lap 31. Shortly after this, the second caution of the race waved on lap 34. Josh Williams got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin. Williams did a good job to keep his car off the inside wall and get stopped. He was able to stop on the apron of the track and continue on without damage. The lead lap drivers decided to come down pit road for their first stops. Chase Elliott, Corey LaJoie, and others took four tires while Grant Enfinger and Mason Mitchell took two tires. This allowed Enfinger and Mitchell to restart second and fourth, respectively. The pit stops were not without incident. Erik Jones's team had some trouble. The team did a good job to get all four tires on the car and the jackman dropped the jack, which signaled to Jones that he could take off. When he did, the left rear tire popped off the housing holding it into place. Jones did not realize it and started to pull off without a left rear. His team stopped him and the crew had to lift the car up with their bare hands to get jacks underneath it. After a struggle, they did and they were able to replace the tire, but Jones had received some damage and he had lost a lot of time. It would be interesting to see if Jones, who had led earlier, would be able to get back to the front.

       The race went back green and Chase Elliott was able to hold onto the lead he took during the stops. The race would soon turn from good to bad for Elliott. On lap 41, Elliott began to slow down on track. He made it to the apron and made the move to pit road. He reported to his team that something was wrong with the engine and the car had shut off on the way to pit road. He made it to his stall and the team checked underneath the hood. Later on, the team would find out that water had somehow made its way into their fuel and had caused the fuel pump to go bad. It was a tough break for Elliott and his team and he would not return to the race. This left a really nice battle for the lead between Mason Mitchell and Corey LaJoie. After riding side by side for a good bit, Mitchell was able to take the lead from LaJoie. The race went a short while before the third caution waved on lap 54. Erik Jones got loose underneath Grant Enfinger in turn 4. Jones went for a slide down the frontstretch and stopped on the grass. Jones was able to keep going without damage after replacing his tires. A little bit of strategy occurred during the caution. The top 7 drivers stayed out along with Frank Kimmel and others while Grant Enfinger, Mason Mingus, Erik Jones, and others came to pit road. It would be interesting to see if  tires propelled a driver farther in the field to the win.

        The race went back green and Mason Mitchell was able to hold onto the lead. He would only hold it for a short time until a great move was made on lap 62. Corey LaJoie went underneath Mason Mitchell in turn 2. Chad Boat, who was running third, got a huge run exiting turn 2 and was able to make a three wide move underneath the two leaders on the backstretch. Boat was able to pass both LaJoie and Mitchell and take the lead. Immediately after this, the fourth and final caution of the race waved on lap 63. Garrett Smithley got loose in turn 2 and went up the track. He made slight contact with the outside wall and it looked like he had the car saved, but it snapped to the left and slammed the inside wall. Smithley ended up stopped on the apron and he tried to get back going, but the damage was too much and he wouldn't return to the race. The lead lap drivers stayed on track and the final green flag run of the race was set up.

       The race went green for the final time and Corey LaJoie and Chad Boat began to battle. In turn 2, the two drivers made contact and LaJoie was able to jump out to the lead while Boat started to fall back. LaJoie began to move away from the field and he held a comfortable lead, but there were a good many laps to go. With twenty laps to go, LaJoie still held a comfortable lead, but Mason Mitchell and Spencer Gallagher were there waiting for a mistake. With ten laps to go, LaJoie's lead almost completely went away. On lap 90, Steven Mathews went up the track in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. Tire smoke poured out of Mathews car and he was barely able to make it to the apron. He came down pit road and his race was finished. ARCA decided not to wave the caution since debris had not been put on the track and LaJoie still held the lead. LaJoie would hold the lead and cruise to his third career win in the ARCA Racing Series. It has been a very good four races this year for LaJoie and he should only get better.

        I remember that just two months ago I was asking myself  what had happened to Corey LaJoie. He had only been in two K&N races before June. I was wondering if maybe his career was nearing its end before it had even begun. Now, LaJoie is a three time winner in the ARCA Racing Series this year and is on the radar of many of the teams across all series in NASCAR. It is a great turn around and one that is needed for a very promising driver. With his ninth place finish, Frank Kimmel has practically guaranteed himself his tenth ARCA Racing Series championship. With still a few years left in the tank, Frank Kimmel could grab the title of being one of the best to ever drive a stock car. I want to bring up a driver who is retiring at the end of this year. James Hylton, a seventy nine year old who is in his final ARCA season, finished twenty first in the penultimate round of his storied career. With only one event left, I hope he can grab at least a top twenty finish to end off a great career. The race also held a tough break for Chase Elliott. Elliott, who was running up front, had a weird occurrence of water in his fuel. It is a tough way to end his ARCA season, but he should come on strong next year in whatever he gets behind the wheel of. The ARCA Racing Series takes a week off before heading to the Kansas Speedway for the final race of the season. Will Frank Kimmel win a record eightieth race along with his tenth championship, will Mason Mitchell, Mason Mingus, or Justin Boston grab their first win in the final race of the season, or will another driver come out with the victory? We will have to wait two weeks to find this out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 1- Milka Duno got loose underneath Chase Elliott in turn 2 and went for a spin that ultimately caused her to slam the outside wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 34- Josh Williams got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin.

3rd Caution: Lap 54- Erik Jones got loose underneath Grant Enfinger in turn 4 and went for a spin down the frontstretch.

4th Caution: Lap 63- Garrett Smithley got loose in turn 2 and barely hit the outside wall, but he slid down the track and slammed the inside wall.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Corey LaJoie
2nd: Mason Mitchell
3rd: Spencer Gallagher
4th: Grant Enfinger
5th: Chad Boat

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Erik Jones
9th: Frank Kimmel
10th: Mason Mingus
13th: Bobby Gerhart
21st: James Hylton
23rd: Milka Duno
27th: Chase Elliott




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_ZLOOP_150/A
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
-Special thanks to Besweeet53 on justin.tv. My stupid cable provider does not provide FOX Sports 2, but I was able to watch it on his stream. If you guys want to check out any of the races during the weekend, he is the guy to go to. Here is his channel link:
http://www.justin.tv/besweeet53#/w/6916888832/6
-Image:
http://arcaracing.com/

Ryan Newman Blisters the Track Record En Route to the Pole at New Hampshire

         With a time of 27.904 seconds (136.497 mph), Ryan Newman blistered the track record to grab the pole at New Hampshire. It was Newman's second pole of the season after grabbing the pole at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this year. Kasey Kahne held the provisional pole for most of the session, but Newman took it away with seven drivers left. After outlasting runs from Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle, Newman was on point for Sunday's all important Chase race. Newman has had a definite whirlwind throughout the season. He was let go by Stewart-Haas Racing, he was signed by Richard Childress Racing, and he was added to the Chase due to the controversy surrounding Michael Waltrip Racing at Richmond. Now, Newman is taking complete advantage of being added to the Chase with good starts and good finishes. The session was not without its usual craziness and speed. Chase drivers battled for spots throughout the session and some have good starts for Sunday, but others are pretty deep in the field for a track that is not good for passing.


         Kyle Busch was the first driver on the track. Typically, the first driver out in a session is pretty slow, but this session was different. The temperature and track stayed the same throughout the session and this allowed drivers with early draws to have good runs. Busch's was no different as he would end up twelfth at the end of the session. Busch's provisional pole lap was quickly bested by Joey Logano, but Logano would not stay on the provisional pole long. Kasey Kahne went out two drivers later and laid down a lap that bested the track record, which allowed him to take the provisional pole. The first change in qualifying order was with Paul Menard. Menard was put on the five minute clock because his car did not get through inspection easily, but he was able to go out a few drivers later and lay down a pretty quick lap. Kasey Kahne continued to hold the provisional pole when Josh Wise became the first driver to have trouble with the track. While exiting turn 4 to get the green flag, Wise slammed the outside wall. Upon further inspection, the shock absorber had popped out of the right side and caused the car to slam the outside wall. Wise brought his car to a stop on the apron of the track with huge damage. He will have to use a back up car, but he will still be in the race because only forty three cars attempted. The wreck was cleaned up and the session continued on. Four drivers later, the name at the top of the leaderboard would change. Ryan Newman went out and completely demolished Kasey Kahne's new track record lap, which gave Newman the provisional pole and a new track record. The second change in qualifying order would occur after this with Johnny Sauter. Sauter's team had a tough time getting the car through inspection and they were put on the five minute clock. The car finally passed through inspection and Sauter was able to run a lap. After this, only two final bullets remained. Greg Biffle could not best Newman and it was up to Jeff Gordon to take the pole from Newman. Gordon came so close to taking the pole, but he came just short. With David Gilliland's run, the session was over and Newman was a two time pole winner in 2013.

         “The Rocket Man", as Newman is called, has always been a wonderful qualifier throughout his career. In fact, with this pole at New Hampshire, he is now ninth on the all-time list of pole winners with fifty one in his career. To add to that, his most recent pole led him to a win that helped him become a legitimate contender for the Chase and even a championship. Kasey Kahne once again came up short during qualifying. He does not have a pole this year and he is looking for one to make it into the Sprint Unlimited next year. With a lot of good tracks for Kahne coming up, he could take the pole easily at any of the remaining tracks, but his main focus is going to be winning and moving up the standings to take a championship. Jeff Gordon continues to have good starts over the past few weeks. He took his first pole of the season two weeks ago at Richmond. He started sixth last week at Chicago and now he starts third for the second Chase race at New Hampshire. If he grabs some wins in the Chase, he could be a definite factor coming down the stretch. Most of the other Chase drivers are starting near the back end of the top 10 or just outside of the top 10 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. starting seventeenth and Carl Edwards starting twenty sixth. It should be interesting to see if some new faces join the battle for the championship and if some fall out of the battle for the championship. Make sure you check out the race on Sunday because it should tell who is real and who is a joke.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Finishers (With Times):
1st: Ryan Newman     27.904 (136.497 mph)
2nd: Kasey Kahne     27.989 (136.082 mph)
3rd: Jeff Gordon     27.995 (136.053 mph)
4th: Kurt Busch     28.033 (135.868 mph)
5th: Martin Truex Jr.     28.081 (135.636 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Joey Logano     28.104 (135.525 mph)
8th: Kevin Harvick     28.128 (135.410 mph)
9th: Matt Kenseth     28.136 (135.371 mph)
10th: Greg Biffle     28.170 (135.208 mph)
11th: Jimmie Johnson     28.187 (135.126 mph)
12th: Kyle Busch     28.193 (135.097 mph)
16th: Clint Bowyer     28.236 (134.892 mph)
17th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.     28.323 (134.477 mph)
26th: Carl Edwards      28.501 (133.637 mph)

DNQs: None




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2013-28/W
-Image:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/381171501132558336/photo/1

Matt Kenseth Uses a Late Race Restart to Take the Win at Chicago and the Momentum in the Chase

         Matt Kenseth was able to pass his teammate, Kyle Busch, on the final restart at Chicagoland to take the win in the first Chase race of the season. Kenseth stayed on track on the final caution along with the first few drivers. On the restart, Kevin Harvick gave Kenseth a huge push and this allowed Kenseth to take the advantage. The race ended on Monday morning after a few rain delays, including one that lasted five hours and fifteen minutes, halted the first Chase race of the year. Nonetheless, NASCAR was able to get the race finished in the scheduled distance. Kenseth has been a very consistent driver throughout the season, especially at mile and a half tracks. He took the win at four of the seven races at mile and a half tracks this year. Plus, Kyle Busch, his teammate, was able to take two of the other three races held at mile and a half tracks this year. With four of the ten races in the Chase at mile and a half tracks, Kenseth and Busch could be two of the front runners for the Chase. The race was not bad for most of the drivers in the Chase, but some did have terrible finishes. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano both had engine troubles in the race and finished way back. It will be a tough road ahead for them throughout the rest of the playoffs. The race was not easy sailing for the other Chase drivers either. Jimmie Johnson had a few pit problems, Kurt Busch received a speeding penalty on pit road, Jeff Gordon had a tire go out and went a lap down, and Kasey Kahne received damage due to a stack up on pit road. In the end, these drivers were able to overcome their mistakes and accidents to pull out decent finishes. All in all, it was a great race to watch transition from day to an unscheduled period of night.

        Joey Logano started on the pole. It was his second pole of 2013. Before Logano could lead the field to the line, Mother Nature would intervene. Rain began to come down before the race started. The rain stopped fairly quick and NASCAR was able to get the track dried. After a delay of one hour and thirty minutes, the race went green. Logano was able to come around and lead the first lap. Logano held the lead until the first caution of the race waved on lap 31. NASCAR waved a competition caution due to the rain that delayed the race previously. Timmy Hill received the lucky dog. The strategy session began early in the race. Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Aric Almirola took only two tires while Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. The race went back green and Jimmie Johnson was able to hold the lead after a short battle with Kyle Busch. Johnson held onto the lead until his team decided to use a little strategy. Johnson came to pit road on lap 74, which was a few laps before schedule. The strategy would not work out for the team. The rear tire changer had trouble on the right rear, but he was able to get all the lug nuts tightened. The NASCAR official did not see him get them all tightened and signaled for the team to come back around and fix it. They did, but the NASCAR official waved them off because he had not realized the lug nut was already tightened. After sitting on pit road for a few seconds, Johnson was able to leave, but he had lost a lot of time. Plus, the rest of the lead lap drivers followed Johnson's  move by coming to pit road on lap 75. Another Chase driver would have trouble during the stops.

        Kurt Busch came down pit road and his team did a good job on the stop. Busch left his box and made a huge mistake. He was caught speeding on the exit of pit road. He made a pass through penalty on pit road and returned to the track, but he had lost a lot of time. After the stops, Matt Kenseth cycled around to the lead after Jimmie Johnson's struggles on pit road. Kenseth led the race until the second caution waved on lap 108. Rain began to fall on the track in turns 3 and 4. Cole Whitt lost traction in turn 4 due to the rain and made contact with Juan Pablo Montoya, causing Whitt to slide down the frontstretch. He ended up in the grass with a few blown tires, but he could continue on in the race. Montoya had a cut tire, but would continue after replacing the tire. Jeff Burton received the lucky dog. The rain became too heavy and NASCAR pulled the cars down pit road and the red flag was waved. The teams covered the cars and the wait was on. The rain stopped pretty quickly and the jet dryers went on track, but the rain came back and set in for a little bit. Hour after hour passed and the rain still continued to come down. After a few hours of rain, it finally quit and the jet dryers returned to the track. After five hours and ten minutes, the race coverage returned to ESPN2 and the race was ready to get back going. Before the race would get back going, pit stops would occur from the second caution five hours ago. Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, and others took two tires while the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. After five hours and fifteen minutes, Matt Kenseth was able to take the green flag and get the race back going.

        The race went a short time before the third caution on lap 122. Juan Pablo Montoya lost a left rear due to the previous caution and left debris on the track. His damage was pretty significant, but he would be able to return to the race. A.J. Allmendinger received the lucky dog. Another strategy session occurred during the caution. Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, and others decided to come down pit road. The caution was actually a break for Busch because he was able to make his way onto the lead lap after his speeding penalty. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth was able to take control of the field once again. The race went another short amount of time before the fourth caution of the race waved on lap 148. Justin Allgaier, who was making his Sprint Cup debut, was bumped by Landon Cassill on the backstretch. The bump from Cassill caused Allgaier to spin down the backstretch of the track. He made slight contact with the inside wall, but there was little damage and he was able to continue on. Danica Patrick received the lucky dog. At the same time, a Chase driver was having huge problems.

        Joey Logano, who was running well, began to slow on track. When the caution came out, Logano was able to stay on track with the field, but his car was smoking pretty bad. When pit stops arrived, Logano came down pit road and his team checked under the hood and they reported to Logano's crew chief that the engine was down two cylinders. All Logano could do for the rest of the race was ride around and hope to finish, but this significantly impacted his hopes for the championship. The lead lap drivers also came to pit road with Logano. Jeff Gordon, Aric Almirola, and others took two tires while Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and others took four tires. Johnson would have another problem during pit stops. His team did a good job on the right side and they went around to the left side. The jackman went to jack up the car and it wouldn't budge. The jack had broken and another team member had to hand him the spare jack. The team completed the pit stop, but the problem had caused Johnson to lose a lot of spots. It would be interesting to see if Johnson could once again overcome a pit problem.

        The race went back green and Jeff Gordon was able to use his pit strategy to hold onto the lead after a battle with Carl Edwards. The race would only go two turns before the fifth caution waved on lap 154. Cole Whitt lost an engine in turn 2 and his car started smoking heavily down the backstretch. His car erupted into flames after exiting the backstretch. He came to a stop and was able to get out safely, but his engine was gone and he would not return to the race. Casey Mears received the lucky dog. None of the drivers came to pit road and the race went back green. Jeff Gordon was able to hold the lead on the restart. It was a short time after this that another driver had engine troubles. On lap 163, Brian Vickers began to slow down on track. He reported to pit road and informed his team that all his pressures were gone. This was a good indication that the engine was gone and he would not return to the race. This led to the sixth caution of the race on lap 168. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track. Joey Logano received the lucky dog. Greg Biffle stayed out on the track while all the lead lap drivers came to pit road. Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, and others took just fuel while everybody else took either two or four tires. The pit stops also had a stack up that involved a couple of Chase drivers.

        Dale Earnhardt Jr. was riding behind his teammate, Kasey Kahne, exiting pit road. The two came up on Dave Blaney, who had slowed to allow a driver to get into their stall. Kahne came up on Blaney quick and was able to stop and only hit Blaney slightly. Earnhardt was not as quick to react and made heavier contact with the rear of Kahne's car. Both drivers had to come back to pit road and repair the damage, but they were able to return to the race. The race went green and Kyle Busch was able to take the lead from Greg Biffle as Jeff Gordon began to have a problem. Gordon had a tire go down once the restart occurred. He was forced to come down pit road and his team replaced the tire. Gordon was able to get back on track without damage, but he had lost a lot of time and his championship chances looked like they were in jeopardy. Shortly after this, the seventh caution of the race waved on lap 176. Joey Logano finally lost his engine in turn 2 of the track. His car began to smoke heavily and he would be forced to retire from the race. His championship hopes seemed dashed, but he still has nine races to go. David Gilliland received the lucky dog. Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and others decided to come down pit road since they were pretty far back in traffic. The race went back green and Kyle Busch held onto the lead. The longest green flag run since the rain delay began and Greg Biffle finally made the move to pit road on lap 212. It was a scheduled move to pit road for Biffle, but he told his team he thought the motor was going sour. All he could do was ride it out and see if it was gone.  Only time would tell if  it survived until the end of the race. Biffle's stop led the field to pit road beginning on lap 216. Most of the stops were completed when the eighth caution of the race waved on lap 226. Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost an engine entering turn 1. He went for a slide after smoke had poured out of the back of his car and oil had landed on his tires. Earnhardt ended up stopped in the grass with a few flames coming out. He was able to get out of the car safely, but his night was finished. Danica Patrick received the lucky dog. With this caution, Jeff Gordon was able to get back on the lead lap after his earlier tire problem. It would be interesting to see if Gordon could make the move by NASCAR to put him in the Chase pay off.

          The race went back green and Kyle Busch was able to hold onto the lead. The race went a short time before the ninth and final caution of the race waved. Justin Allgaier got loose underneath Paul Menard in turn 3. Allgaier drifted up the track and almost made contact with Menard, but the contact did not occur. Nonetheless, Allgaier went for a spin and came to a stop on the apron of the track, but he was able to continue on without damage. Dave Blaney received the lucky dog. The final bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, and others decided to stay out on track to stay up front while Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, and others came down pit road for the benefit of either two or four tires. The race went green for the final time and Matt Kenseth received a huge push from Kevin Harvick. The push propelled Kenseth to the lead and all he had to do was hold on. Kenseth did this very well and he took his sixth win of 2013. Kenseth has been dominating this year and his performance at Chicago was no different.

        I have a statistic for you guys to ponder. In the past two seasons, Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski, the two most recent champions, won the first race of the Chase en route to their championship victories. This year, Matt Kenseth took the opening race of the Chase in a season that has been a break out one to say the least for the former champion. It is just a stat, but Kenseth could be a huge threat for the championship if he doesn't have anything major happen to him over the rest of the Chase. With the Chase, drivers get eliminated fairly quick. With engine failures to open the playoffs, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano are really deep in points and are pretty much out. I have seen miracles, but I believe they don't have a chance at this point. Kyle Busch was also impressive during the event. If he had gotten ahead of Kenseth on the final restart, he might have taken the win in the first race of the Chase. It did not work out for Busch and he settled for second place. The win bolstered Kenseth's championship lead that he held coming into the Chase with Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson sitting second and third, respectively. With the series heading to New Hampshire this weekend, the points could shake up a good bit. Will Matt Kenseth continue to bolster his points lead, will Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch make a charge, or will another driver deeper in the points move himself up? We will have to wait until Sunday to find this out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 31- Competition caution waved by NASCAR due to earlier rain.

2nd Caution: Lap 108- Rain began to fall down on the track. Cole Whitt also spun on track exiting turn 4 due to the rain. Juan Pablo Montoya also received damage.

3rd Caution: Lap 122- Juan Pablo Montoya lost a tire and left debris on track.

4th Caution: Lap 148- Justin Allgaier was bumped by Landon Cassill on the backstretch, which caused Allgaier to spin out.

5th Caution: Lap 154- Cole Whitt lost an engine in turn 2 and dropped oil on the backstretch of the track. Whitt's car erupted in flames, but he was able to get out safely.

6th Caution: Lap 168- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track.

7th Caution: Lap 176- Joey Logano lost an engine in turn 2 of the track.

8th Caution: Lap 226- Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost an engine in turn 1 and went for a slide down the track.

9th Caution: Lap 240- Justin Allgaier got loose underneath Paul Menard in turn 3 and Allgaier went for a spin.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Timmy Hill
2nd Caution: Jeff Burton
3rd Caution: A.J. Allmendinger
4th Caution: Danica Patrick
5th Caution: Casey Mears
6th Caution: Joey Logano
7tht Caution: David Gilliland
8th Caution: Danica Patrick
9th Caution: Dave Blaney

Top 5 Finishers: 
1st: Matt Kenseth
2nd: Kyle Busch
3rd: Kevin Harvick
4th: Kurt Busch
5th: Jimmie Johnson

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Jeff Gordon
9th: Clint Bowyer
10th: Ryan Newman
11th: Carl Edwards
12th: Kasey Kahne
16th: Greg Biffle
35th: Joey Logano 
37th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_GEICO_400/W
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/live-standings.html?intid=livestandings_livestandingsleaderboard_08292013
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
-Special thanks to a full race uploader. I am not going to give his link or information because he has been hit hard a lot for copyright complaints and he is a good source for races so I want him to be able to do it for a good while.
-Image:
http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20130919&Category=SPORTS16&ArtNo=309190176&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&NASCAR-Chase-leader-Matt-Kenseth-turns-attention-New-Hampshire