Regan Smith Holds Off a Late Charge From Kyle Larson to Win at Michigan

        After taking the lead from Parker Kligerman with thirteen laps to go, Regan Smith held off a challenge from Kyle Larson to win his second race of the year. Smith started in the 20th position, which was the same place he started when he won the race at Talladega earlier this year. Early in the race, it seemed like the race was Austin Dillon's, but his day quickly spiraled out of control. A couple of story lines to follow are the struggles for Kyle Busch in the race, the amount of strategy calls due to the impending weather, and the amount of parts and pieces flying off the cars. This last thing will lead to some bad problems for some contenders in the race. It was a tense and thrilling race at Michigan that was worth watching.

       Austin Dillon started on the pole. Earlier in the day, he had become the first driver in the history of the Nationwide Series to win four consecutive poles. He was able to lead the first lap of the race, but it was not completed under green as the first caution of the race waved. Alex Bowman got loose underneath Brian Scott in turn 3 and he went for a spin. He saved it and avoided huge damage, but he still had a small amount. Behind them, Travis Pastrana got loose coming into turn 3 and went for a spin up the track. Jeffrey Earnhardt thought he could clear Pastrana before he moved all the way up the track, but he couldn't and Earnhardt slammed into Pastrana's side. Brian Vickers also spun and received some front end damage while the rest of the spins were going on. All five drivers had damage with Brian Vickers and Jeffrey Earnhardt's being the worst. No drivers received the lucky dog. The race went green and it was a short time after this that the second caution of the race waved on lap 7. Dexter Stacey blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall. He received heavy damage and did not continue.  No drivers received the lucky dog. Now, the race could finally begin without incident.

        The race went back green and it continued on until the first round of green flag pit stops of the race on lap 40. Brad Sweet ran out of gas, but he would later recover. Everything else went smoothly and Austin Dillon returned to the lead. These stops led to the third caution of the race on lap 64. Debris flew out from the back of Justin Allgaier's car and littered the backstretch. Subsequently, Allgaier received the lucky dog. Now, the strategy calls began to come out. Austin Dillon, Regan Smith, Brian Scott, and Chris Buescher decided to stay out. The race went back green and it was obvious that the move might have been a mistake for Dillon. He was freight trained and Joey Logano moved to the lead.  All the other drivers seemed to have made a mistake too, but Regan Smith held on for third spot. On lap 70, a caution was narrowly avoided. Mike Bliss, who was running sixteenth, got loose coming out of turn 2 and went for a spin down the backstretch. He saved the car and continued on while the race stayed green. This is where Austin Dillon's day started getting bad. He had to come down pit road on lap 71 because he had a flat left rear tire that was caused by debris from the previous caution. His team replaced it and he fell a lap down. Now, he had to fight his way back to the lead lap and it would not be easy.

       The race continued on until the fourth caution of the race on lap 80. Brian Scott littered debris on the frontstretch. This wasn't the only thing that happened. Sam Hornish Jr., who had been a contender the whole race, began pouring out smoke from the back of his car. He reported to pit road and his team sent him to the garage. The problem was a punctured oil pump caused by the debris from Justin Allgaier's car. Brad Sweet received the lucky dog. With this, Regan Smith was sure to gain a good many points to add to his large points lead. Even more strategy was used on this caution as Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Elliott Sadler, and Parker Kligerman did not pit. The race went green and Chris Buescher immediately dove to pit road since he had stayed out the last two cautions. He gave up second as the leaders took off. Joey Logano got away with the lead and held it until the fifth and final caution of the race on lap 98. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch. Even more strategy was used as Parker Kligerman was the only driver to stay on the track as others took two and four tires. It was sure to be a good finish and Austin Dillon also received the lucky dog. This put him back on the lead lap and put him in a good spot to battle for the win.

        The race went back green for the final time and Parker Kligerman jumped out to a quick lead. The battle was for second as Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, Kyle Larson, Paul Menard, and Kyle Busch contended for the spot. Since Kligerman would have to pit if the race went green the rest of the way, this would be the battle for the win. Things finally settled out and Regan Smith held second spot as Kyle Larson followed in third. Kligerman finally made his stop and Smith inherited the lead. All he had to do was hold off Larson, which wasn't an easy task. Larson gained on him every lap, but Smith gained back on the frontstretch. The good racing almost ended due to a caution. On lap 121, Austin Dillon's bad day became even worse. On lap 121, he was running ninth when he began to slow on the backstretch. By the time he reached turn 3, the car was smoking and he had to make his way to the apron. He had lost an engine and his chance at victory was finished. The caution did not wave and the racing continued. After a valiant battle, Larson came up a bit short and Smith went on to his third career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory.

       All things considered, it was an awesome day for Regan Smith. Not only did he win the race, but he also gained points on Sam Hornish Jr. and Austin Dillon after they had bad days. Plus, Smith further solidified that he is a contender for the championship. Also, Kyle Larson continued to perform. He grabbed his second runner up position of his Nationwide Series career and gained points on Alex Bowman in the rookie battle. If you are looking for a future favorite driver, Larson is one that definitely will not disappoint. Also, Kyle Busch finished an astonishing fourth and did not lead a lap. This could foretell the future of his season in the Nationwide Series or it could fuel the fire and make him strive for more wins. The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to the first road course race of the season at Road America. Will Nelson Piquet Jr. repeat at Road America, will a road course ringer grab the victory, or will a Nationwide regular shine at a road course event? We will have to wait until next week to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 1- Alex Bowman got loose underneath Brian Scott in turn 3 and went for a spin. Travis Pastrana went for a spin coming into turn 3 and Jeffrey Earnhardt slammed into his door. Brian Vickers also spun in turn 3 while the other drivers were spinning.

2nd Caution: Lap 7- Dexter Stacey blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall.

3rd Caution: Lap 64- Debris from Justin Allgaier's car was spotted on the backstretch.

4th Caution: Lap 80- Debris from Brian Scott's car was spotted on the frontstretch.

5th Caution: Lap 98- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: None
3rd Caution: Justin Allgaier
4th Caution: Brad Sweet
5th Caution: Austin Dillon

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Regan Smith
2nd: Kyle Larson
3rd: Paul Menard
4th: Kyle Busch
5th: Trevor Bayne

Notables Not in Top 5:
8th: Elliott Sadler
11th: Joey Logano
17th: Travis Pastrana
20th: Austin Dillon
32nd: Sam Hornish Jr.
33rd: Brian Vickers




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Alliance_Truck_Parts_250/B
-Image:
http://media.syracuse.com/motorsports/photo/12937127-standard.jpg

Regan Smith Goes From Seventh To First In One Lap To Win A Crazy Race at Talladega

        With the help of teammate Kasey Kahne, Regan Smith was able to maneuver his way through the field and win while cars wrecked behind him. Kasey Kahne was the first across the stripe, but NASCAR rules state that the driver that is leading when the next flag waves after the white flag is the winner of the race. This gave the win to Regan Smith. With the win, Smith was also able to move ahead of Sam Hornish Jr. to take the points lead. This was by far the craziest and most bizarre race of the year with a three hour delay before it even started and a change to only run one hundred and seven of the scheduled one hundred and seventeen due to incoming darkness. Plus, they had to run one hundred and ten in the end due to a green-white-checkered. If you aren't interested yet, check your pulse.

          Like previously stated, the race did not start on schedule due to rain. After a three hour delay, the command was given and the race was ready to begin. Travis Pastrana started on the pole. It was his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole and he certainly used the spot well. He was able to lead the first lap and Trevor Bayne pushed him out to a nice lead before the lead changes began to occur. It was a short time before the first caution of the race came out on lap 15. Kyle Larson was drafting with Danica Patrick coming into turn 3. Larson hooked Patrick into the outside wall and Patrick went spinning into the grass after a hard hit to the outside wall. She was able to drive away, but did not continue on in the race. No drivers received the lucky dog. NASCAR had planned a competition caution for lap 20, but this caution was used instead. Now, the drivers were ready to really begin the race.

         The race went back green and it was a short time before the second caution on lap 35. Kyle Larson blew a tire in turn 3 and went for a spin in the grass. Jeffrey Earnhardt also spun, but he did not receive any damage. Larson, though, received a huge amount of damage. Mike Wallace received the lucky dog. The race went back green and the longest green flag run of the day ended with the third caution of the race on lap 72. Brian Scott turned Reed Sorenson going down the backstretch. Sorenson hit the wall and went down the track. Travis Pastrana was there and slammed into Sorenson. Sorenson almost got airborne while Pastrana slammed hard into the outside wall. They both ended up in the grass with large amounts of damage. Morgan Shepherd received the lucky dog. The race went back green once  again and it continued on until the fourth caution on lap 88. Justin Allgaier turned Blake Koch into the wall and Koch received a lot of damage, which caused debris to fall on the track. Austin Dillon received the lucky dog. The race now had a mad dash set up and the Big One was waiting at every corner.

        The race went back green and there were moves made all over the track. Finally, the track could not hold the moves any more and this resulted in the fifth caution of the race on lap 94. Sam Hornish Jr. tried to thread the needle between Johanna Long and Eric McClure on the backstretch and the three made contact. They all went spinning and other drivers like Brian Scott, Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon, Robert Richardson Jr., Tim Andrews, Bobby Gerhart, Nelson Piquet Jr., Kyle Larson, Mike Harmon, and Donnie Neuenberger piled in and created a huge mess in turn 3 that we know as the Big One. No drivers received the lucky dog. Due to the incoming darkness over Talladega, NASCAR decided to shorten the event from one hundred and seventeen laps to only one hundred and seven laps. Now, the drivers only had about ten laps to get the job done and it would be a definite mad dash.

         The race went back green and drivers began to set up there two car tandems for the end. It looked like the drivers would wait until the white flag lap to make their great move, but the sixth caution of the race on lap 106 stopped them. Justin Allgaier turned Joey Coulter on the frontstretch and Coulter slammed into the outside wall.  Fortunately, no other cars were coming and Coulter was able to slide down the track safely. Now, the event would be extended to one hundred and ten laps and the drivers would have only one chance at a green-white-checkered to finish.

          The green flag waved and the tandems began to set up. Everybody got into line and the white flag waved. The mad dash was set up and the eventual winner, Regan Smith, was in seventh. Smith and his drafting partner, Kasey Kahne, made their way up through the pack and Smith made a huge move coming out of turn 4 and slid between Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, and Parker Kligerman and the mayhem began. Drivers started wrecking behind Kahne, Logano, and Smith as they made it three-wide going to the line. They crossed the line and Kahne had come across first and had the win. But before we talk about that we need to talk about the seventh caution on lap 110. Coming into the tri-oval, Elliott Sadler turned Brian Vickers into the outside wall. Vickers made contact with Alex Bowman and drivers like Landon Cassill, Mike Wallace, Jamie Dick, and Josh Wise piled in, causing a massive mess on the frontstretch. Since a caution had waved, NASCAR had to revert to the nearest scoring loop to decide the winner. Kahne was the first across the line, but Regan Smith was in first when the caution lights came on and he was awarded the win. It was by far the craziest finish I have seen in a while and it did not disappoint in the end. Well, it would have been better if Kahne won, but I won't complain.

          The race started with questions of rain and ended with thoughts of darkness, but the drivers did not care and fought for it all in the end. Regan Smith gained retribution from the win he lost at Talladega in 2008 and grabbed the points lead from Sam Hornish Jr. With this win, Smith hopes to take the championship and grab a couple more wins along the way and I will be backing him the entire way. The NASCAR Nationwide Series now heads to the always crazy and exciting Darlington Raceway. Will Elliott Sadler get retribution for his restart wreck last year that ended his chances to win or will a someone else possibly tame the beast. We will have to find out next Friday.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 15- Kyle Larson was drafting with Danica Patrick coming into turn 3 and Larson hooked Patrick into the wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 35- Kyle Larson blew a tire in turn 3 and went for a spin in the grass. Jeffrey Earnhardt also went for a spin.

3rd Caution: Lap 72- Brian Scott turned Reed Sorenson going down the backstretch. Sorenson slid down the track and Travis Pastrana was there and ran into Sorenson. Sorenson almost got airborne while Pastrana slammed into the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 88- Justin Allgaier turned Blake Koch into the outside wall on the backstretch.

5th Caution: Lap 94- Sam Hornish Jr. tried to thread the needle between Johanna Long and Eric McClure on the backstretch. The three made contact and drivers like Brian Scott, Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon, Robert Richardson Jr., Tim Andrews, Bobby Gerhart, Nelson Piquet Jr., Kyle Larson, Mike Harmon, and Donnie Neuenberger also got involved.

6th Caution: Lap 106- Justin Allgaier turned Joey Coulter on the frontstretch and Coulter slammed the wall.

7th Caution: Lap 110- Coming into the tri-oval, Elliott Sadler turned Brain Vickers into the wall. Drivers like Alex Bowman, Landon Cassill, Mike Wallace, Jamie Dick, and Josh Wise also got involved.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Mike Wallace
3rd Caution: Morgan Shepherd
4th Caution: Austin Dillon
5th Caution: None
6th Caution: Tim Andrews
7th Caution: None

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Regan Smith
2nd: Joey Logano
3rd: Kasey Kahne
4th: Kurt Busch
5th: Justin Allgaier

Notables Not in Top 5:
10th: Austin Dillon
11th: Elliott Sadler
15th: Brian Vickers
25th: Sam Hornish Jr.
28th: Trevor Bayne
36th: Travis Pastrana
39th: Danica Patrick




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Aarons_312/B
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
-Image:
http://mediacenter.smugmug.com/002-SPORTS/Motor-Sports/2013-05-04-Talladega-NASCAR/i-3qCtjNj/0/L/365266e516a1f10f300f6a7067002c24-L.jpg