My Thoughts: 2014 Martinsville

        Short track racing is some of the greatest we see in NASCAR. Bristol and Richmond are great tracks to watch short track racing, but Martinsville is hard to compete with. The speedway provides some great racing action every single time NASCAR heads there. Just think of the many battles we have seen in the past. In 2012, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Clint Bowyer wrecked on a green-white-checkered and Ryan Newman was able to take the win on the final restart. In 2010, Denny Hamlin was able to take the win after Matt Kenseth drove wide and allowed Hamlin to sneak through. Not only were there battles for the win, but battles in the pits due to on track incidents. Last year in the fall race, Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson had an argument on pit road after Biffle felt Johnson didn't compete fairly in the final part of the event. Just a day before in the Truck race, Ty Dillon and Kevin Harvick had a very personal altercation that still leaves the air tense between Harvick and Richard Childress Racing. Plus, the racing in every single event can't be compared to any other track on the circuit. One thing is for sure when we come to Martinsville: nothing is guaranteed. Today's Martinsville race gives a lot of topics for very interesting discussions. Today's topics include a discussion of Denny Hamlin, a discussion of Martin Truex Jr., a discussion of Kyle Busch, how many winners we will see this year, and, finally, my pick to win a surely chaotic race at Martinsville. Let us go ahead and jump right into these topics as we get ready for a doubleheader this afternoon.

1. Denny Hamlin: Should He Be Concerned About Missing Last Week's Race?
        Listen, if you haven't realized it yet, the words Denny Hamlin and Auto Club Speedway do not mix together well at all. If you recall, Hamlin wrecked at Auto Club in 2013 with Joey Logano and Hamlin slammed the wall hard. The contact resulted in a compression fracture in Hamlin's back and he was forced to miss a few weeks of racing action. Last week, Hamlin was pulled out of the race about thirty minutes before the scheduled start due to what was called a sinus infection that was affecting his vision. It turned out that Hamlin had a piece of metal in his eye and it was causing the vision problems. Missing the race resulted in Hamlin losing a ton of points, but still being in the competition for a Chase bid. Now, here is my question for Hamlin. Should he be concerned about missing the Auto Club race? I, honestly, say not. The first reason is what happened to Hamlin at Auto Club a year ago. Listen, chances are Hamlin wouldn't end two straight races at Auto Club in the hospital with an injury. But you can't rule that out. Him missing that race at Auto Club might have actually resulted in him missing a very bad incident. The second and final reason he shouldn't be concerned is today's race. Hamlin has been one of the best drivers in recent years at Martinsville. He has won four races at Martinsville and he has been up front in most of the races recently. This is the perfect place for Hamlin to grab his win and, possibly, ensure himself a Chase spot. This speed bump for Hamlin at Auto Club likely won't hurt his season, but he will have to fight a battle these next few weeks to return to form.

2. Martin Truex Jr.: What Is Wrong Early This Year?
         In only five races this season, the biggest disappointment thus far in NASCAR's highest series has been Martin Truex Jr. If you recall, Truex lost his ride at Michael Waltrip Racing after the Richmond scandal caused NAPA to leave the team. Furniture Row Racing, who experienced a rebirth in 2013 with Kurt Busch behind the wheel, tabbed Truex to drive the Chevrolet for the team in 2014. To say the season has been miserable for the team is an understatement. Truex finished last in the Daytona 500 and four of the five races on the season ended with Truex outside the top twenty. His only finish in the top twenty all season long was a fourteenth place finish at Las Vegas three weeks ago. He sits thirtieth in points now and a long uphill battle awaits him. I only have one question for the whole team. What has been wrong with Truex and the team early this season? The first reason for me is growing pains for a new combination of crew and driver. Listen, every single new team must grow together and build up a nice notebook of great finishes. It doesn't matter who the driver is. To me, Truex just has to figure out his new role. The second and final reason for Furniture Row Racing's early season struggles is outlandishly high expectations. Listen, most of us can say we felt like this team would come out guns blazing to start the season. Kurt Busch had put them on the map last year and Martin Truex Jr. has looked better than Busch recently. That is where the problem started. We shouldn't have expected Busch's season to be bested by Truex. We should have decided to let Truex make his own season in the car. I mean, I thought they would come out great, but things don't always work out. I do believe the team will straighten everything out as we head down the stretch and Truex will most likely be a contender late in the year.

3. Kyle Busch: Is This Finally His Year For a Cup Title?
       This question has been floating in my mind since the end of the Auto Club race last Sunday. Is Kyle Busch finally on the verge of his first Sprint Cup title? If you recall, Busch won last week's race at Auto Club thanks to a pass on a green-white-checkered on the final restart of the race. The move was a very bold and daring move for Busch, but he made it in style and held off the other Kyle, Kyle Larson. This win is just one of the many reasons why I think Busch is ready for a Cup title. Another is that I have seen Busch have a complete attitude change in recent years. I had been picking up on this attitude change near the end of 2013, but it was really obvious after the Nationwide race at Auto Club one week ago. Kyle Larson was able to hold off Busch in a thrilling finish to take the victory. Larson did his burnouts and made it to victory lane with his first win in NASCAR's Nationwide Series. Normally, when Busch finishes second like that, he would be pretty ticked off and would mostly walk away from the media. But he did something different last Saturday. After the race, he came to victory lane and gave Larson a handshake. I mean, it was a really class move for Busch. Larson fought hard for that win and Busch knew he deserved it. I think that speaks volumes to Busch's new character. A final reason is that Busch has been fast the entire year. His team has given him fast cars and he has taken them to some pretty good finishes. All in all, I see Kyle Busch as a changed competitor and he is definitely going to be a contender for the championship this season.

4. Will We See Sixteen Drivers Win This Year?
        Well, NASCAR made this brand new Chase system for 2014 and it has promoted winning for sure. It contains sixteen spots and each spot is filled with a 2014 winner, depending on how many drivers win in a season. Most likely, less than sixteen will win and the rest of the spots will be filled based on points. Well, NASCAR might have run into a dilemma. In five races, five different drivers have went to victory lane. This brings one single question in my mind. Will we see sixteen different drivers go to victory lane in 2014? I don't believe we will. The first reason is just prior trends. If you take a look through the Chase era, the most winners ever in a season was 2011 with fifteen, but Trevor Bayne, who won the Daytona 500, was not running for the championship, so it was only fourteen championship contending drivers who won. Long story short, we most likely won't see sixteen different drivers win this year. The second and final reason is just the small amount of drivers who haven't won yet this season. I mean, let's be honest. There are only a few drivers left who haven't won yet and should. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, and others haven't won, but, when they start winning, they will win several races. That takes away chances for drivers to take a win. I mean, sixteen drivers winning isn't out of the question. In 2000, ten different drivers won in the first ten races. I mean, things could change and we could end up with a variety of different winners, but trends are trends and they usually come out to be true. We will have to wait and see as the season progresses along.

5. My Pick to Win
        Martinsville is not the unpredictable track we have had in recent weeks. Martinsville has its certain drivers that succeed every single race and I don't see it changing for today's race. Last year, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon took the wins at Martinsville last year and it seems highly likely they will be contenders today. But consider this for a moment. When the guys up front get to battling late in the event, they are surely going to wreck. This will allow some guys we don't expect to make it to the lead and possibly take the win. Along with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, I think Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, and Kasey Kahne are guys to watch in today's race when the laps start to click down. Today's race is definitely going to be a rough and tumble Martinsville race for the Sprint Cup guys and I am excited to write about it. Don't forget the Trucks will follow the Cup race with a another interesting battle. Unfortunately, I won't be able to write about it, but I am excited to see who comes out on top of the event. Well, that is all for me today and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/12/43/24/2766084/3/628x471.jpg

2014 Kroger 250 Qualifying Canceled; Darrell Wallace Jr. Inherits the Pole

         After working almost all morning to get Martinsville Speedway dried, NASCAR was forced to cancel qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Again, the much awaited group qualifying session for the Trucks will have to wait. NASCAR set the line-up for the race based on first practice speeds. Darrell Wallace Jr. was fastest in the first session and he will bring the field to green. Wallace, who already has a win at Martinsville, has looked good the entire weekend and he has a good chance to go back-to-back at Martinsville. Ryan Blaney, the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, will start behind him in second and he has looked fast all weekend. Timothy Peters, who is fresh off a close second place finish at Daytona, will roll off third just in front of Erik Jones, who jumps in the truck that beat Peters at Daytona. Ben Kennedy, the Daytona polesitter, rolls off fifth to round out the top five of the field. The rest of the field is scattered behind these few drivers. Like usual, rained out qualifying leads to a lot of good experienced drivers in the front and a good many rolling off from the back. Drivers like Ron Hornaday Jr., Brian Ickler, Matt Crafton, German Quiroga, and others will roll off from the front part of the field. Drivers like Johnny Sauter, John Wes Townley, Joey Coulter, Jeb Burton, and others will start at the back of the starting order. The rookies are also sprinkled in the field. Cole Custer, Gray Gaulding, Ben Rhodes, and many others with little to no experience are sprinkled throughout the field. Today's Kroger 250 should definitely be a battle with the amount of story lines created by the rained out qualifying session. Will Johnny Sauter win his second straight Kroger 250, will Darrell Wallace Jr. repeat at Martinsville, or will another driver take the win in a chaotic race at Martinsville? Depending on the rain, we only have to wait a short time to find out these answers and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Top 5 Starters:
1st: Darrell Wallace Jr.
2nd: Ryan Blaney
3rd: Timothy Peters
4th: Erik Jones
5th: Ben Kennedy

Notables Not in Top 5:
8th: Ron Hornaday Jr.
10th: Matt Crafton
13th: Ross Chastain
14th: Johnny Sauter
16th: John Wes Townley
18th: Joey Coulter
22nd: Jeb Burton

DNQs: None




Credits:
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-02/C
http://www.jayski.com/cts/next/2014/pdfs/cts_02martinsville2014prac1.pdf
-Image:
http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20131108/NASCAR03/131109838/AR/0/Wallace-NASCAR-Trucks.jpg

Kyle Busch Surpasses Teammate, Denny Hamlin, to Take the Pole at Martinsville

         With a time of 18.998 seconds (99.674 mph), Kyle Busch was able to best his teammate, Denny Hamlin, to take the pole at Martinsville. Denny Hamlin was fast for the entire session and he was leading early on in the second round of qualifying. Kyle Busch came out halfway through the second and final round and blistered Hamlin's time to easily take the pole away from the rest of the twelve drivers who moved on. Joey Logano followed behind the two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates with another high starting position for Sunday. Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, will start fourth and fifth, respectively. Danica Patrick also grabbed her first top ten starting spot on a track other than a superspeedway as she will start tenth on Sunday. Many people were looking forward to NASCAR's first attempt at group qualifying at Martinsville. Chaos was expected with forty three drivers looking for the fastest lap possible on a half mile stretch of asphalt and concrete. There was a good bit of chaos, but most of the chaos was for the pole position and to be in the top twelve when the second round began. All in all, NASCAR's experiment with group qualifying at Martinsville was a sight to see.

        Carl Edwards was the first driver on track to start the session. He made it on track and he ran a decent lap that put him on top of the board to begin the first round. Two minutes into the session, Denny Hamlin made his way onto the race track and he blistered Edwards lap to jump to the top of the board. Drivers began to enter the track and the battle to make it in the top twelve started to heat up. Guys like Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Tony Stewart were waiting until near the end of the round to head on track. They eventually did and Joey Logano was able to jump to the top of the board with only nine minutes left. Behind him, the battle was really heating up for the twelfth spot. Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers, A.J. Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, and others were battling for the spot hard. Drivers began to head on track for second runs with Tony Stewart holding the final transfer spot. The seconds began to click down and each driver outside looking in failed to advance their positions. The red and black flag waved and Tony Stewart barely made it into the second round. Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, Greg Biffle, and Clint Bowyer also moved on while Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers, A.J. Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and others missed the second round. Now, the only battle remaining was for the pole position for Sunday's five hundred mile battle.

       Carl Edwards was once again the first driver to make it on track for the start of the second round. He ran a very good lap and he was sitting on the provisional pole spot early in the round. Few drivers made it on track as the round neared halfway. With six minutes left, Denny Hamlin went out and blistered Edwards lap to take the provisional pole. Others came out and fell short, but Kyle Busch wouldn't. With five minutes left, Busch dipped below the nineteen second mark and took the provisional pole. A few drivers remained in the pits and they began to trickle onto the speedway as the minutes began to click down. Each one fell short and all had made it on track with a minute remaining. Some came out for a second run, but it was no use. The red and black flag waved with Kyle Busch still sitting on top and he was given the pole. Busch will now have the preferred first pit box on Sunday and he could very well take his first win at the chaotic Martinsville Speedway. 

        Yes, Kyle Busch starts on the pole and is in prime position for the win, but look at the Martinsville greatness that will start behind him. Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon start in the four spots behind him and the numbers for these drivers at Martinsville are absolutely staggering. Between the four drivers, there are twenty wins at Martinsville. Even more compelling than that, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have combined to win the last three consecutive races at Martinsville. Yes, any driver in the race pretty much has a chance to win the race, but the top five is a probable place to expect a winner. Matt Kenseth starts sixth and he has looked really good at Martinsville in Joe Gibbs Racing equipment. Tony Stewart starts seventh and he very well could take a win Sunday. Carl Edwards, who is leading the points, starts eighth and he has the momentum with a win at Bristol two weeks ago. Danica Patrick rolls of tenth and she has looked very formidable in her attempts at Martinsville. Behind those drivers, there are even more possible contenders like Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., and so many others. Plus, the rookies might surprise in an event where experience is usually key. All I can say is that we are in for a sure fire gladiator like battle on Sunday in Martinsville with the STP 500. Will Jeff Gordon take two consecutive wins at Martinsville, will Jimmie Johnson continue his domination, will Denny Hamlin return after missing last week's race due to an eye problem, or will we see another driver in victory lane? We only have to wait two short days to find these answers out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Kyle Busch      18.998 (99.674 mph)
2nd: Denny Hamlin      19.022 (99.548 mph)
3rd: Joey Logano      19.045 (99.428 mph)
4th: Jimmie Johnson      19.093 (99.178 mph)
5th: Jeff Gordon      19.118 (99.048 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Matt Kenseth      19.118 (99.048 mph)
7th: Tony Stewart       19.150 (98.883 mph)
8th: Carl Edwards      19.157 (98.846 mph)
10th: Danica Patrick       19.290 (98.165 mph)
14th: Brad Keselowski      19.141 (98.929 mph)*
18th: Kevin Harvick      19.184 (98.707 mph)*
22nd: Kurt Busch       19.203 (98.610 mph)*
26th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.      19.248 (98.379 mph)*
27th: Kasey Kahne      19.252 (98.359 mph)*
31st: Martin Truex Jr.      19.283 (98.200 mph)*
(*: Each of these drivers were faster than some in the top twelve, but they did not advance to the second round.)

DNQ:
44th: David Reutimann      19.370 (97.759 mph)





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-06/W
-Image:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2014/03/28/kyle-busch-wins-pole-at-martinsville-speedway/7030699/

My Thoughts: 2014 Auto Club

          When fans, like myself, consider tracks where racing is the greatest, the obvious choices are Daytona, Talladega, Darlington, Bristol, and Martinsville, but there is one that is forgotten: Auto Club Speedway. Believe it or not, the abrasive track in Fontana, California has held some great racing in recent years. In 2011, Kevin Harvick bumped Jimmie Johnson on the final lap to take the victory in style. Of course, you have last year. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano wrecked in turn 4 looking for the win and Kyle Busch was able to slip by for the win. Hamlin slid down the track and piled into the part of the track without a SAFER barrier. The contact resulted in a compression fracture in Hamlin's back and he missed the opportunity to race in a few races a season ago. The action wasn't finished for the race yet. Joey Logano and Tony Stewart had a pit road brawl after the event that is still one of the most remembered battles in recent memory. To say last year's race wasn't one of the best of the year, is an understatement. This year, Auto Club Speedway's track surface is another year older and a good bit more rougher. This slight difference could very well lead to a great race filled with side by side action, crashes, tempers flaring, and memories that will be remembered for years to come. Before we get to the action, I want to share some topics with you guys today. Topics today include a discussion of Denny Hamlin, a discussion of the rough Auto Club Speedway track surface, a discussion of Kyle Larson, a huge rule change made by NASCAR for 2015, and, finally, my pick to win at Auto Club. I am excited about today's race and I am ready to talk about these very interesting topics.

1. Denny Hamlin: Is Retribution Coming?
As we return to Auto Club this year, one driver is looking for retribution for what happened here one season ago: Denny Hamlin. If you recall, Hamlin was battling with Joey Logano on the final lap for the win when the two made contact in turn 4. Logano went up and slammed the wall while Hamlin pointed straight down the track. He slammed a concrete piece of the wall and the result for Hamlin was a compression fracture in his back. The fracture resulted in Hamlin missing a few races and his season completely derailing. Now, there is one question for Hamlin. Is retribution coming for the Toyota driver at Auto Club Speedway? For sure, retribution is coming for Hamlin today. The main reason is that Hamlin has been fast the entire weekend. In practice and qualifying, Hamlin was one of the fastest drivers in each and every session. Plus, you have to consider where he was running a season ago. He was running at the front last year when, essentially, his season ended with the back fracture. It just seems like, to me, Denny Hamlin is fast again and when the laps start to wind down in today's race, we could very well see Hamlin running at the front of the field and looking for a win to continue his season.

2. Should Auto Club Speedway Be Paved?
This question has been building in my mind for the entire weekend. If you recall, Auto Club Speedway has the original surface on the track since it opened in 1997. Now, that is a long time if you consider it. I mean, that is close to seventeen years and that means I am almost as old as the track surface at Auto Club. Now, this has posed one question in my mind. Should Auto Club Speedway be paved any time soon? I say a definite no to that question. The only reason I could see them paving it is the recent tire problems we had in practice the past few days. A lot of guys have lost left side tires and that could very well affect the race. But I don't really care about that. The main reason they shouldn't pave it is the recent great racing we have seen in California. I mean, last year's race was stellar. There was side by side racing the entire day, tempers flaring in the end, and a heated battle for the win that was one of the best we saw last season. I mean, you can't deny the results an abrasive track surface gives to all of the races at the track. Now, odds are, Auto Club Speedway officials will have to pave the track in the near future. If they let it sit too much longer, pieces of the track could come up during the race and we don't want that to delay an event. Still, they need to let it stay unpaved for as long as possible and, hopefully, the race continues to pick up in action.

3. Kyle Larson: Is He Finally Considered a Legitimate Contender in NASCAR?
Yesterday, we finally saw a driver's ability come to fruition. Kyle Larson held off two of the best today in Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick to take his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series win. This raises one single question in my mind. Is Larson finally considered a legitimate contender in NASCAR? If you recall, Larson was tabbed to drive the number 42 for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Cup Series after only a single year in Nationwide Series competition. I was pretty questioning about this move for Chip Ganassi for a couple of reasons. For one, Larson wasn't able to win in Nationwide competition in his lone season and he seemed to lack some maturity. Larson did show some spurts last year when he raced in the Nationwide Series that he could win a race, but he never did achieve it. Also, Larson just didn't have the stock car experience. He made the move to stock cars in 2012 with a K&N East Series championship and then made the jump to the Nationwide Series in 2013. For you guys counting at home, that is only two years of stock car experience while he had a few years of sprint car experience when he made the move to Cup. Some guys have a few years of stock car experience before they even think about heading to Cup. Now, all that stuff I just mentioned means absolutely nothing to Larson's career anymore. What he did yesterday to hold two of the best in the sport to win his first Nationwide race was the most impressive thing I have seen in a while. I mean, he battled Harvick and Busch to take his first win and he did it without wrecking into the wall and in absolute style. Plus, he has run great in all the Cup races he has been a part of this year. Whenever somebody asks me if Kyle Larson is now a legitimate contender in NASCAR, I won't hesitate to say an affirmative yes.

4. NASCAR Making Significant Engine Changes in 2015: Good or Bad?
This move surprised me when I read it yesterday in the news. NASCAR made an announcement that they have decided to make significant engine changes in the Cup Series starting in 2015. If you recall, NASCAR made minor changes this year to improve cars on mile and a half tracks for the future. Now, I didn't read the entire article, but I got the major points of it. Basically, NASCAR is going to limit the horsepower on each engine among a few other things. I am actually mostly okay with the move, but I don't like the timing of it. I mean, we are only four races into the year with today being the fifth. NASCAR hasn't even really tried their new changes for this year and now they are making landmark changes on something that really shouldn't be touched. Now, I know NASCAR's major plan for this engine move. They want the cars to be closer on all types of tracks and, thus, closer at the finish. I mean, it will probably work. Like I have said before, though, I am not an engineer at all. I can't tell you how much this will change the racing or how much it will affect it, but I know for sure it will. Hopefully, NASCAR hasn't made too many changes and the changes continue to advance the racing in the sport.

5. My Pick to Win
After last week's unpredictable race at Bristol, we head to Auto Club Speedway where the winner is a bit easier to predict. I say a bit easier because last year it was definitely tough to pick. Drivers from all positions in the starting order were running near the front when the checkered flag was close to waving in the race. I feel like today's winner will surprise some people a little bit. We very well could see somebody from the back make their way to the front and we could see somebody outside the top 10 take the win. Some good picks I think for today's race are Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski. Hopefully, we end the day today with a great race and one that doesn't have too many ramifications for the rest of the year like last year's race. I won't be able to write about today's race today, but I will be writing about next Sunday's race at Martinsville. Well, that is all I have for today's edition of my thoughts and until we meet again.

UPDATE: As mentioned on Fox during the Pre Race Show today, Denny Hamlin developed a sinus infection over the weekend and he could not see as the race approached and he was feeling pretty bad. This put him out of the car and Sam Hornish Jr. was put in the car to drive.




Credits:
-Image:
http://www.racingnewsnetwork.com/files/2013/03/Joey-Logano-and-Denny-Hamlin-Crash-Auto-Club-Speedway-NASCAR-Cup-Series-A.jpeg

Kyle Larson Outlasts Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick at Auto Club to Take His First NASCAR Nationwide Series Victory

        After holding off Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick in the final run of the race at Auto Club Speedway, Kyle Larson was able to capture his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series win. Larson had to fight extremely hard for the win. Busch and Harvick pushed him to his limits in the final twenty laps, but Larson was standing on top at Auto Club. Larson really lacked speed in the early part of the event as he ran in the back part of the top ten for most of the day, but he really turned it on late. This win was something that has been brewing for Larson for over one year now. Larson had five second place finishes in his career in the Nationwide Series before taking his first win today. This very well could be the signature part of his early career behind the wheel of a stock car. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Elliott Sadler followed behind Larson in the finishing order. Most of the Nationwide regulars had great races today as they all followed behind the Sprint Cup guys in the field. The season is only five races old now, but this was definitely one of the best races so far. Constant side by side racing, slide jobs, bumping and banging, and a great finish made this race one of the most interesting in a while at Auto Club for the series and one that should last as a great one for the rest of the season.

        Elliott Sadler started on the pole. It was his first NASCAR Nationwide Series pole of 2014. A story line to follow in the race was with Kyle Busch. Busch missed qualifying because he failed inspection and he was forced to start in the back. It would be interesting to see if he could make it to the front. The race went green and the field immediately fanned out heading into turn 1. Sadler looked to be in control of the first lap heading down the backstretch, but Kevin Harvick made a daring outside move heading into turn 3 and he was able to lead the first lap. Before any of the drivers could get comfortable, the first caution of the race waved on lap 2. Jamie Dick broke loose in turn 3 due to a tire problem. His car slid up the track and piled into the outside wall. Jamie was able to drive away with minor damage after straightening out his car. None of the drivers received the lucky dog. The leaders decided to stay on track and the field was lined up. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth was able to take the lead from Kevin Harvick after the field fanned out on the restart. Just a few laps later on lap 6, Joey Logano was able to take the lead from Harvick. Logano began to stretch his lead away from the field just as Kyle Busch made his entrance into the top 10 on lap 7. It would be interesting to see if Busch could jump to the lead.

        Logano continued to move away from the field with quick times every lap. The laps clicked down and Kyle Busch continued to move through the field. Pretty soon, the first round of green flag pit stops of the race approached for the leaders on lap 39. Joey Logano came down from the lead position and his crew struggled a little on the stop. The team couldn't get his right front tire off and a slow stop occurred for Logano. The stops cycled through and Kyle Busch was able to take the lead after Logano's struggling stop. Busch drove away from the field, but his car didn't seem to be at its best. Logano began to close in on Busch after the stops and he was within reach in only about fifteen laps after returning to the track. On lap 61, Logano was able to fly by Busch and take the lead as the field raced behind them. The race went a few more laps before the second caution waved on lap 67. Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track. Regan Smith received the lucky dog. This caution brought the second set of stops of the race. All the lead lap drivers came down pit road for four tires with Joey Logano coming out as the leader. Now, only about half of the race remained and it would definitely be a battle.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch began to battle hard with Joey Logano for the lead. The two were running side by side around the track trying to decide who would hold the lead just as the third caution of the race waved on lap 73. Dylan Kwasniewski's car began to break loose underneath Chase Elliott in turn 1. Kwasniewski went up the track and the two made contact. Elliott bumped the wall while Kwasniewski drove away with slight damage. Elliott was able to drive away after touching the wall, but he had slight damage on his right side. Chris Buescher received the lucky dog. The drivers decided to stay on track and the field was lined back up. The race went back green and Brian Scott started flying. Scott took the lead from Kyle Busch on the backstretch thanks to an extremely daring three wide move around Busch. Scott tried to drive away and hold the lead, but Joey Logano was able to take the lead on lap 81. Logano began to drive away from the field as Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and the rest of the field was riding behind him, but one driver was coming up through the pack. As the laps began to click away, Kyle Larson made it into the top two around lap 100. It would be interesting to see if he could stay there as green flag stops began soon. 

       On lap 110, the second round of green flag pit stops of the race began. The stops cycled through cleanly for all the drivers with Joey Logano coming out as the leader once again. Logano was ahead by a nice amount, but Kyle Larson was coming. Larson began to gain tenths on Logano every lap and by lap 124, Larson was battling Logano for the lead. The two were beating and bumping off each other knowing this might be the final run of the race. The two were pretty aggravated with each other as Logano expressed his frustration with Larson over the radio during the battle. Finally, though, the two were able to catch their breath with the fourth and final caution of the race on lap 130. Josh Wise began to slow on track due to a possible engine problem and he left some fluid on the track. James Buescher received the lucky dog. The caution brought the final and most important pit stops of the race for the lead lap drivers. All of them made it down pit road cleanly and the stops went cleanly for each one. Kevin Harvick was able to come out first ahead of Kyle Larson and Joey Logano. Now, the final run of the race was set up and it was surely going to be a great one.

        The field lined up one final time and the race went back green one final time. Kevin Harvick jumped out to the advantage heading into turn 1 on the restart, but Kyle Larson was able to take the lead on the backstretch. Larson ran away slightly, but Kyle Busch began to charge up to the front of the field. With thirteen laps to go, Busch and Larson began to battle hard for the lead. Busch and Larson ran side by side in the corners and Busch was hoping to take the advantage, but Larson continued to hold on as Kevin Harvick jumped into the battle. With about ten laps to go, the three were running nose to tail around the huge speedway. Larson was holding onto the lead as Harvick looked to pass Busch. The two battled hard as Larson could not run away from two of the best. Harvick passed Busch with about five laps to go and Harvick started battling Larson. Every turn, Harvick dove to the bottom and looked to be ahead of Larson, but it was still Larson's lead as he pursued his first career win. Soon, only two laps remained and the three drivers were giving it all they had. Larson took the white flag with Harvick close to his back bumper. Larson made it cleanly through the first two turns as Harvick gave it a last few attempts. Larson drove down the backstretch and he tried to break up the draft with Harvick. Harvick made one last ditch effort in turns 3 and 4, but he couldn't do it. Larson was able to power away from him and take his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series win in a very tense showing of power. It was definitely a gratifying win for Kyle Larson and one that gives him a lot of momentum as he works to make the transition to the Cup Series a smooth one.

        Kyle Larson's jump to the Cup Series has been heavily scrutinized by everyone. I even scrutinized it. Larson didn't take a win in the Nationwide Series last year and he only had a lone truck win when Chip Ganassi tabbed him to take over the number 42 for 2014. Larson just didn't seem ready because he had almost no experience in full bodied stock cars. Well, it has all changed for mostly everybody and myself. Larson has a Nationwide win at a difficult Auto Club Speedway and he has run well in the Sprint Cup Series in his rookie year. We very well could be looking at one of the best drivers to make the jump in NASCAR in the past few seasons. Kevin Harvick came so close to his first NASCAR Nationwide Series win at his home track, but he still came home second. Kyle Busch can't frown on his performance today after driving from thirty ninth to take a third place finish. Joey Logano dominated the event, but he couldn't finish it off and walked away fourth. Elliott Sadler grabbed a much needed momentum boost as he walked home fifth. The rest of the Nationwide regulars followed behind him as Chase Elliott came home sixth after a problem with Dylan Kwasniewski during the event. Trevor Bayne finished ninth just one spot ahead of his fellow competitor for the Nationwide championship, Regan Smith. The points standings are now tied at the top, but Smith takes the advantage due to his win at Daytona. The standings are close, but the drivers have a lot of races to fight through. The Nationwide Series takes next week off before heading to the Texas Motor Speedway for a Friday night shootout on the mile and a half track. Will Kyle Larson repeat in the Nationwide Series, will Kyle Busch take his second straight win in the Spring race at Texas, will Trevor Bayne or Regan Smith take a win to move ahead in the title battle, or will another driver be able to take the win? We will have to wait two weeks to find out these things and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 2- Jamie Dick had a tire problem in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall after a spin.

2nd Caution: Lap 67- Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track.

3rd Caution: Lap 73- Dylan Kwasniewski made contact with Chase Elliott in turn 1 and Elliott made slight contact with the wall.

4th Caution: Lap 130- Josh Wise slowed on track and left some fluid on the speedway.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Regan Smith
3rd Caution: Chris Buescher
4th Caution: James Buescher

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

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Chase Elliott
7th: Matt Kenseth
8th: Ty Dillon
9th: Trevor Bayne
10th: Regan Smith
11th: Dylan Kwasniewski
12th: Brian Scott
16th: James Buescher
17th: Ryan Reed





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-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://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/live-standings.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_TreatMyClot.com_300/B
-Image:
http://www.trbimg.com/img-532e2254/turbine/la-kyle-larson-20140322/600

Matt Kenseth Outlasts the Field at Auto Club to Take the Pole

         With a time of 38.438 seconds (187.315 mph), Matt Kenseth was able to take the pole at Auto Club after holding off a last ditch run from Brad Keselowski. Kenseth went out early in the final round, which was five minutes, and he immediately jumped to the top of the board. Still, he would have to wait. Contenders failed to surpass him and only Brad Keselowski remained on track with a legitimate shot after the clock had ran out. He came across the line and he came within a few hundredths of the pole, but Matt Kenseth was able to hold on. Nonetheless, Brad Keselowski will roll off second on Sunday for the fourth straight week. Jimmie Johnson, who has shown speed the entire day, will roll off third followed by Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, respectively. A good many of the front running contenders on the year are starting outside of the top fifteen. Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne, and others will all be in deep holes when the race goes green on Sunday. Plus, the field with have to deal with tricky conditions on the old Auto Club Speedway track surface. With this qualifying session, we could see the winner come from any row of the starting order.

        Jeff Gordon was the first driver on track for the twenty five minute first round. He ran a decent lap that put him solidly in the top twenty four. Two minutes into the session, Kevin Harvick jumped to the top of the board with a fast lap. All the drivers began to flow out onto the massive speedway, but Kevin Harvick was still on top as the focus shifted to the drivers looking to make the top twenty four. With about ten minutes left, the battle was starting to heat up. Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, and others began to battle for the final transfer spot. The minutes began to click off on the first round and only one minute remained with Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. making their way into the second round. Jamie McMurray was on the bubble and Greg Biffle was looking to make his way into the second round. Biffle went out and laid down a lap fast enough to push him into the second round as McMurray fell out. The red and black flag waved and Kevin Harvick remained the fastest driver heading into the second round. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and others moved on while Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick, and others didn't move on to the second round. Now, twenty four drivers would fight for twelve spots and a chance to go to the five minute last round.

         Jeff Gordon was the first driver on track for the ten minute second round. He ran a very good lap that put him at the top of the board early in the session. All twenty four drivers began to trickle onto the track and Gordon was still ahead of the pack. The minutes began to click down and with about three minutes to go, the battle for twelfth was heating up. Martin Truex Jr., Marcos Ambrose, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, and others began to battle hard for the twelfth spot. A few drivers came on track for their second runs of the round as Martin Truex Jr. held the twelfth and final transfer spot. Each contender for the spot fell just short as the seconds clicked down. Eventually, the red and black flag waved with Jeff Gordon on top and Martin Truex Jr. barely moving on. Matt Kenseth, Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Marcos Ambrose, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, and Tony Stewart rounded out the final twelve while Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and others barely missed the third and final round of the session. This brought the final round of the session and it was certainly going to be a battle.

        Kevin Harvick was the first driver on track to start the five minute final round. He ran an extremely good lap and was on top of the board early on in the final round as the minutes began to click down quickly. A few drivers began to head on track and Matt Kenseth was one. With about two minutes left, Kenseth was able to best Harvick's lap and take the provisional pole. A short time remained, but a few drivers were still waiting to run. As time began to click down, the final drivers who hadn't ran flooded onto the track. The red and black flag waved, but a few drivers were still on hot laps. Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., and others weren't able to move up the board too high, but Brad Keselowski was the final driver on a timed lap. He came flying out of turn four on his lap and he began to come within hundredths of Kenseth's provisional pole speed. Keselowski hit the line and everybody was waiting for the times to update. Keselowski had fallen just five hundredths short and Kenseth was on the pole for the race at Auto Club Speedway. It was a nice momentum boost for Kenseth and one he will hope to take to a victory.

        Matt Kenseth's season last year is one of the most memorable in recent years. He rattled off seven wins to take a second place points finish as he made the move to Joe Gibbs Racing. Had he finished strong at Phoenix in the Fall, Jimmie Johnson might just have five titles still to Kenseth's two. Still, Kenseth's 2013 season wasn't one to frown at. This year has seemed to be different for Kenseth. By this time a season ago, Kenseth had a win already and had dominated the early part of the year. This year, he hasn't really dominated and he doesn't have a win yet. He has been consistent, but he hasn't seemed to be the same Kenseth. This pole could be a game changer. He could move to new heights and he could take a win in the next couple of weeks. One thing is definitely sure: don't sleep on Matt Kenseth yet. Brad Keselowski came so close to his second pole of the season, but he will settle into his fourth straight front row start. Jimmie Johnson continues to look good at his home track in California as he rolls off third. Kevin Harvick needs a momentum swing after several tough races and a fourth place starting spot will help. Clint Bowyer needs to get his season started for real and a fifth place starting spot will help. Jeff Gordon continues to run well this season as he qualifies sixth. Finally, the three drivers involved in so much controversy a season ago at this track will roll off close together. Joey Logano rolls off seventh, Tony Stewart rolls off tenth, and Denny Hamlin rolls off thirteenth. Don't be surprised if we find these three together again late in the race. It should be a fantastic show at Auto Club on Sunday just like it was last year. Will Kyle Busch steal another win away at the track, will Jimmie Johnson take another win at his home track, will Denny Hamlin find retribution after last year's problems at Auto Club, or will another story line play out before our very eyes? We will have to wait until Sunday to find this out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Matt Kenseth     38.438 (187.315 mph)
2nd: Brad Keselowski      38.481 (187.105 mph)
3rd: Jimmie Johnson      38.516 (186.935 mph)
4th: Kevin Harvick      38.523 (186.901 mph)
5th: Clint Bowyer      38.614 (186.461 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Jeff Gordon       38.630 (186.384 mph)
7th: Joey Logano      38.653 (186.273 mph)
10th: Tony Stewart     38.753 (185.792 mph)
13th: Denny Hamlin     38.851 (185.323 mph)
14th: Kyle Busch      38.853 (185.314 mph)
15th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.     38.858 (185.290 mph)
17th: Kurt Busch     38.884 (185.166 mph)
20th: Austin Dillon      39.139 (183.960 mph)
26th: Kasey Kahne      39.062 (184.322 mph)*
27th: Danica Patrick     39.067 (184.299 mph)*
(*: These two drivers were faster than some in the top twenty four, but they did not qualify fast enough for the second round of qualifying.)

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/2014-05/W
-Image:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/matt-kenseth-claims-nascar-pole-in-fontana/2014/03/21/e6ea0522-b15c-11e3-b8b3-44b1d1cd4c1f_story.html

Carl Edwards Takes the Victory at Bristol After a Questionable Finish and Wacky Race

        Rain delays, hard Bristol racing, tempers flaring, and an extremely questionable finish to the annual Bristol Spring race made this race the best so far this year. Carl Edwards walked away with the victory in the end, but it was almost taken away from him. He was leading with three laps to go and he was two seconds ahead of any other driver, but a few of the caution lights came on around the track. The field slowed down, but there wasn't a problem after all. Edwards was still in the lead, but he would have to survive a green-white-checkered restart to win the race. Well, the race was supposed to restart. As NASCAR began to line up the field, rain began to pour around the facility once again. The track was lost quickly and NASCAR waved the checkered flag along with the yellow flag on lap 503. This handed Carl Edwards his first win of the season in shocking fashion. Behind him, there were some other magnificent finishes for some of the drivers. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. walked away second for his best career finish, Aric Almirola walked away third with his best finish, Tony Stewart proved he is back with a fourth place finish, and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top five to give Richard Petty Motorsports two top five finishes in one single race. In the back of the field, a few of the notable drivers were stuck with bad finishes due to wrecks and terrible mistakes. Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, and many others finished outside the top fifteen  after their races were going well unto trouble hit them during the event. It was definitely an extremely wild race and one that will remain a key to the championship battle when we come to Richmond.

        Denny Hamlin started on the pole. It was his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole of the season as he looks to make a comeback this year. Before the race could even get started, the rains delayed the event. NASCAR's Air Titan went on track quickly after the scheduled start of the race and the track drying began. The track was quickly dried and the field was ready to go after an hour and a half delay. The cars finally made it onto the speedway and only time would tell if the race finished completely. The race went green and Hamlin was able to lead the first lap. He wouldn't hold it for long as Brad Keselowski took the lead on lap 2. Keselowski began to run away from the field quickly and he hit lap traffic early on in the run. Keselowski looked to be the man to beat, but lap traffic would slow him down. His teammate, Joey Logano, was able to catch him and pass him for the lead on lap 44. Logano held onto the lead until the first caution waved on lap 50. NASCAR waved a competition caution due to the rain before the race. Reed Sorenson received the lucky dog. The stops brought the first pit stops of the race and the first mistake.

        All the drivers hit pit road with Jimmie Johnson deciding to take two tires while the rest of the field took four tires. The first pit road mistake was made by a very good veteran driver. As Jeff Gordon was leaving his pit, David Ragan was making his way to pit right in front of him. Gordon was unaware of Ragan and he bumped into him. Ragan went for a slide and slid into his pit box. Gordon drove away, but both would have to come back in for damage repair. It would be interesting to see if they could make their way back into competition. The race went back green and Jimmie Johnson was able to hold onto the lead with two tires. After a short green flag run, the second caution of the race waved on lap 61. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 2. Michael Annett received the lucky dog. None of the drivers decided to come down pit road and the race went back green. Jimmie Johnson was able to hold onto the lead again, but the race went seconds before the third caution waved on lap 66. Parker Kligerman went into turn 3 and he couldn't get his car to stop. He slid to the apron and locked up his tires. He plowed back onto the race track and nobody hit him. Kligerman avoided the wall and was able to continue on. It turned out that Kligerman actually hit a battery pack that fell on the track out of Alex Bowman's car. The battery pack was supported by some type of battery related paper and the paper spread all over the track. The debris was cleaned up and Kligerman was good to continue on. Josh Wise received the lucky dog. After two quick cautions, the race went back green for a rather long run. 

       On the restart, Jimmie Johnson was able to hold onto the lead. Johnson began to drive away from the leaders, but he had only two fresh tires. He made it into lap traffic once again and the traffic would be a factor in his lead. He was able to negotiate it all right through the early part of the run, but he began to slow down. Matt Kenseth caught up and was able to pass Johnson on lap 98 for the lead. Kenseth began to run away while Johnson began to fall back on old tires. Eventually, the decision to take two tires would unravel literally and figuratively for Johnson. On lap 114, Johnson began to slow down on track. His right front tire was shredding and he was forced to make it down pit road. He made it down and the team worked on changing tires, but a small fire could be seen under Johnson's car. It was put out and Johnson went back on track several laps down just as the fourth caution of the race waved on lap 118. Rain began to drizzle on the track. Joey Logano received the lucky dog. The rain was light at first and this allowed the drivers to come down pit road. All of them came down with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. taking two tires and the rest of the drivers taking four tires. The drivers returned to the track, but the rain began to pour and NASCAR put out the red flag as the field was brought down pit road. Teams covered the cars and drivers headed to their motor coaches for a break. The rain continued to come down, but it stopped pretty quickly. The Air Titans went to drying the track and it was dried pretty quickly. At around five o'clock, the drivers were near their cars and ready to get back going. As drivers were in their cars to go back underway, rain began to pour again. The track became damp again and all the drivers dejectedly returned to another break. The rain lightened up after a short time and the Air Titans returned to the facility. Once again, at around seven fifteen at night, the drivers were back in their cars. This time, rain wouldn't come back for the moment.

       After a three and a half hour delay, drivers were ready to go back to racing. Things had changed, though. Now, the race would be a night race and each team would have to adjust their cars to night conditions. It would be a test, but each team was ready. The race finally went back green and Matt Kenseth was able to hold the lead he earned on the pit stops almost four hours before. Kenseth ran away slightly, but Kurt Busch came charging up to the front. Busch was able to take the lead from Kenseth on lap 153. Kenseth fell into second, but his day would take a turn with the fifth caution on lap 156.

        Cole Whitt and Danica Patrick made contact on the frontstretch. Both drivers hit the wall and Whitt went down the track in turn 1. The field slowed along with Matt Kenseth, who was running second at the time. Timmy Hill didn't slow down in time and he piled into Kenseth. Both had heavy damage along with Whitt, but Kenseth's team made decent repairs and he returned to the race with damage along the back of his car. Greg Biffle received the lucky dog. None of the leaders came in because a competition caution was approaching. The race went back green and Kurt Busch was able to hold onto the lead. Busch drove away slightly, but Jamie McMurray began to charge through the field. McMurray made it to Busch and he took the lead on lap 180. A few laps later, the sixth caution waved on lap 186. NASCAR waved a competition caution due to the rain throughout the afternoon. Josh Wise received the lucky dog. This brought stops for most of the drivers. Clint Bowyer stayed on track while Ryan Newman took fuel only and the rest of the field took four tires. It would be interesting to see how they stacked up against the field on the restart as Bowyer started on point.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch began to battle hard with Clint Bowyer for the lead. After a few laps, Busch took the lead and Bowyer began to fall back along with Ryan Newman. Busch began to run away and he quickly hit traffic. He negotiated it well as the racing behind him began to pick up. Busch eventually started to slow around the lap traffic as the race became official at halfway. Kasey Kahne began to make a charge through the field and he reached Busch quickly. On lap 269, Kahne took the lead for the first time in the race. Just three laps later on lap 272, Kyle Busch decided he wanted some fresh tires after a rather long green flag run. He came in and the team replaced all four tires. It turned out to be a bad mistake for Busch as the seventh caution waved on lap 275. Ryan Truex lost a tire in turn 1 and went up the track. He piled into the outside wall hard. He was able to pilot his car to pit road, but he had heavy damage on his machine. Greg Biffle received the lucky dog. Because he pitted, Busch was pinned a couple laps down. All the leaders decided to come down pit road. All drivers took four tires and Kasey Kahne returned to the lead. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth was able to take the lead from Kasey Kahne. Kenseth, who had extensive rear end damage, had powered his way back through the field and moved to the front of the field. It would be interesting to see if he could take a win in a beat up race car.

        Kenseth began to drive away early in the run and he hit lap traffic. The race only went a few laps after the restart before the eighth caution waved on lap 331. Michael McDowell bumped David Ragan exiting turn 4. Ragan went for a spin down the frontstretch. He was able to straighten out his car and keep going without damage. Kurt Busch received the lucky dog. The pit stops brought a little strategy. Matt Kenseth came out as the leader after taking two tires while the rest of the field took four tires. It would be interesting to see how Kenseth lasted on just two fresh tires. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth was able to hold onto the lead. Kenseth began to run away from the field even with his two tires. Kenseth hit lap traffic early and he was able to battle it easily. He held onto the lead as the ninth caution of the race waved on lap 394. Kyle Busch got loose in turn 4. His car began to spin and he slid up the track. He hit the wall and slid into the frontstretch. His brother, Kurt, hit him and pounded the outside wall due to the contact. Both Busch brothers had heavy damage and their chances for a win were pretty much gone. Marcos Ambrose received the lucky dog. The caution brought stops once again. All the drivers took four tires with Kevin Harvick coming out as the leader. It would be interesting to see how many more stops the drivers would have to make. 

        The race went back green and Kevin Harvick held onto the lead. He looked extremely fast and he blistered away from the field. Shortly after the restart on lap 408, Matt Kenseth began to have some problems. He picked up some rubber on his tires and he began to get pretty loose. He almost made contact with the outside wall, but he was able to keep his car steady. He fell back to thirteenth, but he still had a car intact and capable of winning. Shortly after Kenseth's troubles, the tenth caution waved on lap 422. Martin Truex Jr.'s tire, which had been rubbing the past few laps, flattened due to the tire rub. He went for a spin in turn 4 and he locked his car down, but it went up the track. He made contact with the wall and came to a stop. He was able to drive away, but he had a good bit of damage. Austin Dillon received the lucky dog. The caution brought the pit stops that changed the outcome of the finishing order.

        Carl Edwards, Aric Almirola, and others decided to stay out while Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, and others took two tires and the rest of the leaders took four tires. It would be interesting to see how this turned out for Edwards and the others. The race went back green and Carl Edwards was able to hold onto the lead. Edwards began to battle a little bit with Aric Almirola, but Edwards drove away as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Tony Stewart began to move towards the front. Edwards was in complete control as the eleventh caution waved on lap 451. Kevin Harvick's car began to smoke heavily as he was running near the front of the field. When he entered turn 1 with fifty to go, the car piled into the outside wall hard.  He left some oil on track and Jamie McMurray slowed behind him. Brad Keselowski piled into McMurray's back bumper due to the oil on track. They all drove away, but Harvick's car burst into flames as he reached the entrance to the garage. He came to a stop and the fire was put out as Harvick climbed out. Harvick was okay, but his night was over.  Keselowski, though, would make it back into the race. Clint Bowyer received the lucky dog. The race brought some drivers down pit road. Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, and others came down while Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the rest of the top six stayed on track. The race would have a final run and this run would decide a winner.

        The race went back green and Carl Edwards was able to hold onto the lead. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Aric Almirola began to battle with Edwards, but Edwards prevailed. Soon, Edwards was gone as the laps began to click down. Soon, only ten laps remained and Edwards was at the point of seeing the checkered flag. He hit the line for five laps to go and Stenhouse was nowhere near catching him. Edwards passed the line for two laps to go and the thing the team didn't want to see happened. The caution lights came on and NASCAR threw the twelfth and final caution of the race on lap 498. Oddly enough, NASCAR didn't call the caution. A flagman had accidentally mashed the button for the caution lights to come on. Because drivers rely on the lights, NASCAR had no choice, but to wave the caution even though nothing was wrong. Ryan Newman received the lucky dog. The field was lined up for the restart and Carl Edwards would have to fight to win a race he had already locked up. That was before Mother Nature jumped into the battle. As the field was riding around under caution, rain began to pour heavily around the facility. The track was quickly dampened and NASCAR decided they couldn't finish the race in the conditions. The flagman waved the checkered flag and yellow flag as Edwards came across the line on lap 503. This gave him the win in a very odd finish in a very crazy Bristol race. Edwards was happy with the victory and he did a rainy back flip on the frontstretch.

        I have been watching NASCAR for close to eleven years and I have never seen a finish like this. It seemed like Carl Edwards was going to have a sure win at Bristol when the caution flag accidentally waved. Then, Mother Nature saved him with rain that handed him the checkered flag. If I was Carl Edwards, I wouldn't complain about rain ever again. Unfortunately for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., he didn't get a chance to battle Carl Edwards for the win during the green-white-checkered. Still, Stenhouse walked away with a very respectable second place finish, which is his career best in NASCAR's highest series. He might build on his momentum from this race to do some great things in his sophomore season. Aric Almirola walked away third for his best finish of his career as well. Tony Stewart continued his comeback trail as he took a fantastic fourth place finish and it looks like Stewart is back after all. Marcos Ambrose walked away fifth to give Richard Petty Motorsports a top five sweep. Others won't hang their hat on this race. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had finished in the top two all three races before this one, finished twenty fourth after a bad strategy call. Jimmie Johnson walked away nineteenth after his tire failure early in the event. Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick also brought home some bad finishes for Stewart-Haas Racing. Others had bad finishes, but still more had some pretty good finishes. This was another wild card race on the season and it very well could change some things as the series heads to Auto Club Speedway next week for a high speed shootout. Will Kyle Busch repeat at the track, will Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano have another battle, will another fight erupt, or will another driver take the victory in what is sure to be a good race? We will have to wait until Sunday to find this out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 50- Competition caution due to rain throughout the morning.

2nd Caution: Lap 61- Debris was spotted on track in turn 2.

3rd Caution: Lap 66- Parker Kligerman went for a slide in turn 3 after hitting a piece of debris from Alex Bowman's car.

4th Caution: Lap 118- Rain began to drizzle on track.

5th Caution: Lap 156- Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt hit the wall on the frontstretch and Whitt spun in turn 1. Matt Kenseth and Timmy Hill also got involved.

6th Caution: Lap 186- Competition caution due to rain during a long red flag.

7th Caution: Lap 275- Ryan Truex lost a tire in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall hard.

8th Caution: Lap 331- Michael McDowell bumped David Ragan in turn 4 and Ragan went for a spin down the frontstretch.

9th Caution: Lap 394- Kyle Busch broke loose in turn 4 and went for a spin. Kurt Busch hit his brother and the wall while trying to avoid.

10th Caution: Lap 422- Martin Truex Jr.'s tire blew after a tire rub and he went for a spin in turn 4.

11th Caution: Lap 451- Kevin Harvick slammed the wall hard in turn 1 after an engine problem. Brad Keselowski hit Jamie McMurray in the back after not being able to slow down in the oil on track.

12th Caution: Lap 498- The flagman accidentally cut on the caution lights around the track.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Reed Sorenson
2nd Caution: Michael Annett
3rd Caution: Josh Wise
4th Caution: Joey Logano
5th Caution: Greg Biffle
6th Caution: Josh Wise
7th Caution: Greg Biffle
8th Caution: Kurt Busch
9th Caution: Marcos Ambrose
10th Caution: Austin Dillon
11th Caution: Clint Bowyer
12th Caution: Ryan Newman

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Carl Edwards
2nd: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
3rd: Aric Almirola
4th: Tony Stewart
5th: Marcos Ambrose

Notables Not in Top 5:
7th: Jeff Gordon 
8th: Kasey Kahne
13th: Matt Kenseth
14th: Brad Keselowski
18th: Danica Patrick
19th: Jimmie Johnson
24th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
35th: Kurt Busch
39th: Kevin Harvick




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?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_Food_City_500/W
-Image:
http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2014/03/16/22/11/kWoH4.AuSt.138.jpeg

My Thoughts: 2014 Bristol

        Bristol Motor Speedway. Those three words strike fear into the heart of the world's greatest race car drivers every time they are mentioned. Each race at Bristol is filled with crashes, carnage, fights, great finishes, and great action every single time. Some drivers are better here than others, but it is never easy for any of them. Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace were two of the greatest drivers at the track, but even they had to battle bad races at the track. Plus, Bristol is home to some of the greatest disagreements in the history of NASCAR. Just think about those two incidents Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Sr. had at the track in the late 90s. Think about the battles the NASCAR Busch Series had at the track in the early 00s including a scrum between Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle on pit road. Finally, think of the battle Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano had there just one season ago. The ramifications of that altercation changed the picture of 2013 for both of those drivers. Plus, we always see great finishes to add to great side by side Bristol racing. It is rough and tumble and some feathers will definitely get ruffled today after five hundred laps on the half mile track. I have a lot of interesting topics to talk about today concerning the Food City 500. Topics include a discussion of Kurt Busch, a discussion of Tony Stewart, a discussion of Dale Earnhardt Jr., a discussion on the qualifying changes, and my pick to win this weekend. Well, we shall go ahead and get started with all these great topics surrounding one of the most interesting races of the season.

1. Kurt Busch: Is This His Race to Improve?
        Stewart-Haas Racing has been struggling, to say the least, thus far this season. One of the major drivers struggling for the organization is Kurt Busch. Busch has a best finish of twenty first three races into the season and that was in the Daytona 500 where he spun in the late laps. He lost an engine at Phoenix and his car was lacking terribly at Las Vegas. I just have one single question for Kurt Busch and his team. Is this the race for them to improve? I firmly believe so. For one, Busch was fantastic in practice to start the weekend. He finished first in the first session of the weekend with a fast time, but that isn't the point I want to make. He struggled for the entire session, but his team put the car together and allowed him to run a fast lap. That shows to me they will be able to fix a car throughout a weekend and improve their times. Plus, he was in the top five in both sessions on Saturday with a bunch of other drivers around him. Second and finally, Busch has a great track record at Bristol. He has five Cup victories at the half mile speedway including his first ever win in Cup Series competition in 2002. It has seemed to be a place where he can run great and propel his season well. With a good run today, Busch could very well be on his way to turning his season completely around after a struggling first three races.

2. Tony Stewart: Did He Come Back Too Quickly?
        I was really hoping this topic didn't come up in my thoughts this year, but it unfortunately has. If you recall, Tony Stewart broke his right leg in two places in a sprint car crash in August of 2013 while racing in Iowa. The road to recovery was long for Stewart, but he made the decision to come back at the start of 2014. Well, it hasn't worked out well at all. Stewart had fuel problems at Daytona and he walked away with a terrible finish. Phoenix brought him a best finish of sixteenth on the season and his entire team struggled at Las Vegas along with Stewart. This weekend hasn't started well either. Stewart ended up qualifying a horrendous thirty seventh and numerous sources reported he was limping badly after qualifying. The question has to be posed by me. Did Stewart come back too quickly after a terrible injury? To me, it is too early to make the call. Yes, I provided all this rock solid evidence, but we haven't hit Tony Stewart's favorite part of the schedule. When we hit the summer months, expect smoke to start flying literally and figuratively. Plus, he has to get used to driving a car again. He went about six months without driving a race car and he really didn't have appropriate recovery time, in my opinion. In a couple more weeks, expect Tony Stewart to be looking back to form and running up at the front with the rest of his fellow competitors.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Is He Championship Ready?
        This topic is something that has been boiling for the entire year thus far. If you recall, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a masterful win in the Daytona 500 this year. Then, he went to Phoenix and came home second. Last week, he walked away second at Las Vegas after he was leading the white flag lap when the tank went empty on him. Those are extremely impressive statistics for Earnhardt especially this early in the year. It has raised a single question in my mind for Earnhardt. Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally championship ready? I fully believe he is. For one, I have seen a complete attitude change from Earnhardt this season. The past few years, he just hasn't acted like he was in the race at all. I mean, two years ago at Las Vegas if he had finished second, he probably would have sounded depressed because he didn't win the race. This year, he was completely ecstatic about finishing second and keeping his momentum wave going. At Daytona, when he won the 500, you could see it too. He was driving along the frontstretch waving to the fans and he was just happy to be there. That just speaks volumes about the meaning of this season to Junior and the rest of his team. Secondly and finally, Junior has been fast every single week. If there was one thing the team lacked the past few years, it was speed on all types of tracks. They seemed to be one of the worst Hendrick Motorsports teams on some tracks and they would be second or third on others. It just seemed like they were never the best. This year, it has been totally different. They have been the fastest Hendrick car in all three races this season and Junior has the best finish at all three tracks for the historic organization. Whatever it is, they have it figured out in Steve Letarte's last season on top of the box. With the same exact finishes they had to start the year, Junior could be the major contender for the championship come Homestead in a good many months.

4. Qualifying Changes: Did They Work?
        NASCAR made rather significant changes to their new qualifying system this week before the Bristol race. If you recall, NASCAR implemented a new qualifying system this year. The system consists of two or three rounds depending on the track and certain drivers move on after each round to decide who will win the pole. The system was providing a lot of action in qualifying, but it was actually very dangerous because NASCAR didn't let the teams cool the cars on pit road and, thus, drivers were riding slowly on the apron of the track to cool down. NASCAR decided to change that. They allowed two crew members over the wall for each team and each team can use a cooling system plugged into one of the cowl flaps to cool the car. They tried it at Bristol and the thing is this: did it work? It absolutely worked great. I'm going to be honest here. It was really dangerous at Las Vegas one week ago with the cars riding slowly on the apron. I mean, several times it looked like there would be a high speed crash. Luckily, there wasn't and NASCAR was able to fix the system. The main reason this worked is teams were able to make several runs at qualifying. Before hand, teams were making pretty much one run in every session and that was there best chance to make a fast lap. Now, they can make several runs and, depending on tire wear, they can pick up time on their laps. Hopefully, these changes continue to help the budding qualifying system and it still remains a very action packed part of the race weekend.

5. My Pick to Win
         Picking Bristol races is sometimes like picking restrictor plate races. It is nearly impossible to pinpoint one single driver at Bristol. Think about last year's Spring race. Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and others were in the battle for the win, but most of them had a problem on track and fell out. Kasey Kahne ended up walking away with the victory, but there were times when he wasn't the best driver on track. It just goes to show that Bristol races are unpredictable because of the amount of changing variables. Lap traffic, track conditions, strategy, restarts, and so many other things can change the absolute picture of a race. That is why today I am going to give you guys a few drivers to look at as possible winners. Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski look like drivers to watch today. There are also a few dark horses to look at today. Casey Mears, David Ragan, and David Gilliland have shown a lot of promise this weekend and if they have the opportunity, they could very well take the win. I plan on writing about today's Food City 500, but the weather might be a factor today. Hopefully, the weather stays away and we get another great Bristol race underway. Well, that is all I have for today and until we meet again.




Credits:
-Image:
http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/77/e8/77e83f51328bce4f32d87ad0ca78fdac.jpg?itok=mi4ftMzt

Kyle Busch Dominates the Second Half of the Race at Bristol to Take His Third Straight NASCAR Nationwide Series Win at the Track

        Kyle Busch walked away with his third straight NASCAR Nationwide Series win at Bristol after a dominating performance in the race. Busch ran well the entire time, but a final restart was the deciding factor whether he would win or not. He was able to hold off Kyle Larson and then run away to his second victory of the season in NASCAR's second tier series. The aforementioned Larson walked home second for the second straight NASCAR Nationwide Series Spring race at Bristol. This time, though, Larson wasn't as close to Busch, but he was still fast for the entire race after starting on the pole. Kevin Harvick was also fast for the entire day and he walked away third with Ryan Blaney and Matt Kenseth behind him. Today's race was actually pretty good even though Busch won the race. The leaders were constantly battling lap traffic to stay out front and they had to battle tons of strategy along with a few cautions. Plus, a lot of close calls were avoided and a few drivers ended up in trouble because of these moves. Finally, a late race restart gave some drivers a final chance to take the win from Busch. All in all, it was another great Bristol battle for NASCAR's second highest series.

       Kyle Larson started on the pole. It was his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole after running the full season last year and having a good many races planned for this year. The race went green and Larson was able to lead the first lap over the field. It wasn't long before Kyle Busch jumped to the lead on lap 3 with a superb run on the outside of the track. Just after Busch took the lead, the first  caution of the race waved on lap 5. Elliott Sadler bumped Jeffrey Earnhardt exiting turn 2. Earnhardt went up the track and slammed the outside wall hard. His back decklid popped off and Earnhardt drove away, but he had a lot of damage and a lot of repairs were needed. None of the drivers received the lucky dog. The drivers stayed on track and the race went back green. Kyle Busch was able to hold onto the lead. He began to run away from the field and he hit lap traffic pretty quickly. The lap traffic was a key factor for the leaders of the race. On lap 31, Matt Kenseth was able to catch Kyle Busch and take the lead from him thanks to the lap traffic. Kenseth began to be the class of the field and he ran away. Every lap, he clicked by cars and the laps passed through the afternoon. He had lapped all the way up into the top ten when the second caution of the race waved on lap 95.

        Debris was spotted on the race track in turn 2. Ryan Blaney received the lucky dog. The caution brought the first pit stops of the race. The six lead lap drivers came down pit road with all six taking four tires and Matt Kenseth coming out as the leader. Kyle Larson made a huge mistake during the stops. He was caught speeding on pit road and he would be forced to start back behind most of the cars on track. The debris was cleaned up and the race went back green. Matt Kenseth was able to hold onto the lead. Kenseth began to drive away just as teammate, Elliott Sadler, had trouble on lap 113. He came down pit road because he suspected he had a loose wheel. His team changed all four tires and Sadler returned to the track, but he had lost a ton of time. Kenseth continued to lead the field around the track as he lapped cars every single lap. Pretty soon, the third caution of the race waved on lap 135. Mike Bliss broke loose in turn 3. His car slid up the race track and piled into the outside wall. He came to a stop next to the wall and finally drove away, but he had a good bit of damage. Chase Elliott received the lucky dog. The seven lead lap drivers came down pit road for the second time on the race. All of them took four tires with Matt Kenseth returning to the lead. The track was cleaned up and the field was ready to get back going.

         On the restart, Matt Kenseth was able to hold onto the lead. Kenseth began to run away from the field once again and the laps clicked by. Kenseth began to lap cars in every corner quickly into the run. The lap traffic allowed Kyle Busch to move closer to Kenseth every single corner and lap. Finally, Busch made it up to Kenseth and he was able to take the lead on lap 212. Just as Busch took the lead, the fourth caution waved on lap 213. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3. Ty Dillon received the lucky dog. The eight lead lap drivers made their way onto pit road with all taking four tires and Kyle Busch returning to the track as the leader. The debris was picked up and the race went back green. Kyle Busch jumped out to the lead ahead of the field. Busch began to sneak away just as the fifth caution waved on lap 226. Ruben Garcia Jr. broke loose exiting turn 2. His car pointed straight towards the inside wall and he went for a slide. He slammed the inside wall hard and rolled to a stop. He had huge damage and he wouldn't return to the race. Trevor Bayne received the lucky dog. None of the leaders decided to come down pit road and the wreck was cleaned up. The race went back green and Kyle Busch was able to hold onto the lead. Busch began to pull away slightly, but Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, and others were right near him. Busch hit lap traffic and was lapping cars just as the sixth caution waved on lap 260. Ryan Reed made slight contact with James Buescher on the frontstretch. Reed slid down the track and plowed into the inside wall. He continued up track and piled into the outside wall. Reed drove his car to the bottom of the track, but he stopped with extremely heavy race ending damage. Cale Conley received the lucky dog. The caution brought a little bit of race strategy.

        Ryan Blaney, Regan Smith, and others decided to come down pit road for four tires while Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and the rest of the lead lap drivers stayed on track. The wreck was cleaned up and the race went back green. Kyle Busch held the lead on the restart as the rest of the lead lap drivers battled behind him. They knew laps were fleeting and they were battling hard to pass Busch for the lead. Unfortunately for Busch and fortunately for the rest of the lead lap drivers, the seventh and final caution waved on lap 286. Jeremy Clements made slight contact with the outside wall in turn 4. He left some debris on track, but he drove away with damage. Landon Cassill received the lucky dog. This put Kyle Busch at the front with Kevin Harvick below him and Kyle Larson immediately behind him. The race went back green one final time and Busch cleared the pack. Kyle Larson cleared Kevin Harvick and he went on the chase for Busch. Larson was running hard behind Busch, but the laps were clicking away. With about six to go, Larson went out of the racing groove and lost a lot of time. He began to battle hard with Kevin Harvick as Busch was clean to keep racing. Busch took the white flag quickly and he came back around to take the checkered flag with ease. It was another dominating run for Busch that he fought hard to turn into a win.

        Kyle Busch has been a beast in his time in NASCAR at Bristol. He holds the record for the most wins all time in the Nationwide Series at the track with seven total. Plus, he owns five Cup wins at the track and four wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in Bristol, Tennessee. To add to that, he has a three race sweep at Bristol across all three of NASCAR's divisions in one single weekend in 2010. It is just amazing what he can do at Bristol in a car and he has a chance to take a sweep this weekend. Sunday's race will decide that and it should be a good battle. Kyle Larson fell just short at Bristol for the second straight year. He did everything right this year, but he just didn't have the car to take it this go around. If he gets a chance later in the year, he could very well take his first victory in the series. Ryan Blaney battled hard all day long and he took a very respectable fourth place finish. Matt Kenseth led more laps than Kyle Busch, but he wasn't able to take the win after falling to fifth. Ty Dillon, Trevor Bayne, Chase Elliott, and Regan Smith also finished very well after a tough battle of a race. Dylan Kwasniewski even battled from the back of the field to take a fifteenth place finish in his first race in a Nationwide car at the track. The points battle for the Nationwide title remained very close. Trevor Bayne is only one point behind Regan Smith, but it is still extremely early in the year and time will tell who will win the title. Next week, the series heads to the massive Auto Club Speedway in California. Will Kyle Busch be able to go back to back along with repeating at California, will Kyle Larson finally take a Nationwide victory, will a rookie surprise everyone and take a victory, or will another series regular take the win at the track? We will have to wait one week to find this out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 5- Jeffrey Earnhardt slammed the outside wall in turn 2 after contact with Elliott Sadler.

2nd Caution: Lap 95- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 2.

3rd Caution: Lap 135- Mike Bliss broke loose in turn 3 and piled into the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 213- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3.

5th Caution: Lap 226- Ruben Garcia Jr. broke loose in turn 2 and slammed the inside wall hard.

6th Caution: Lap 260- Ryan Reed made contact with James Buescher on the frontstretch and piled into the inside wall and then into the outside wall.

7th Caution: Lap 286- Jeremy Clements made slight contact with the outside wall in turn 4 and left debris on track. 

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Ryan Blaney
3rd Caution: Chase Elliott
4th Caution: Ty Dillon
5th Caution: Trevor Bayne
6th Caution: Cale Conley
7th Caution: Landon Cassill

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Kyle Larson
3rd: Kevin Harvick
4th: Ryan Blaney
5th: Matt Kenseth

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Ty Dillon
8th: Trevor Bayne
9th: Chase Elliott
10th: Regan Smith
15th: Dylan Kwasniewski
17th: Elliott Sadler
31st: Ryan Reed




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-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/2014_Drive_to_Stop_Diabetes_300/B
-Image:
http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2014/3/15/5512880/nascar-bristol-2014-nationwide-series-results