Sam Hornish Jr. Makes the Most of His Opportunity By Taking the Win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Iowa

         Making his second start of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Sam Hornish Jr. was able to take his first win for Joe Gibbs Racing in the series at Iowa. Hornish, who was a championship contender a season ago in the series at Penske Racing, was without a ride at the end of the season. Joe Gibbs decided to give him a part-time job to drive the number 54 whenever Kyle Busch wasn't behind the wheel. Well, Hornish has made the most of his opportunity at Joe Gibbs Racing. He took a fifth place finish last time out at Talladega and he walked away on Sunday with a win at Iowa. Hornish definitely looked good in his first two starts of the season and a full time ride for next year in any of NASCAR's top three series seems very likely. Ryan Blaney battled hard in another one of his infrequent NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and walked away with a second place finish. Regan Smith continued his success to start the Nationwide season with a very hard fought third place finish. Chase Elliott battled bad pit stops for most of the race and a lack of track position to take a fourth place finish and hold onto the points lead. Elliott Sadler rode the momentum wave from his Talladega win to take a fifth place finish and remain close in the points battle. One major key for this race was the lack of Cup ringers. The annual spring race at Iowa remained a stand alone event and the field was full of young drivers looking to make great runs and grab great finishes. Most of them did, but there were a few who left Iowa with bad finishes compared to what they were looking for. The race ended up lacking big wrecks and a large amount of cautions, but Ryan Blaney and Sam Hornish Jr.'s battle for the win and the battling on track made it a race worth watching from start to finish.


        Ryan Blaney started on the pole. It was his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole in one of his infrequent starts in the series. The race went green and Sam Hornish Jr. quickly flexed his muscles as he took the lead in the first turn and led the first lap of the event. Hornish began to run away from the field as Blaney settled into second place and the rest of the field chased behind them. The laps began to click by quickly through the Sunday afternoon and the race was looking to be entering a long green flag run. The run ended before it became too long with the first caution of the race on lap 40. Cale Conley had a right front tire problem in turn 2. He slowed down and moved to the apron due to the flat tire. Conley made it to pit road without damage, but his sway bar was broken, which caused the flat tire, and he would need lengthy repairs. Chad Boat received the lucky dog. The caution brought the first pit stops of the race and they were without strategy. All the lead lap drivers took four tires with Sam Hornish Jr. coming out as the leader. Hornish remained the only leader of the race and he looked to keep it that way, but the field was ready to battle behind him.

        The race went back green and Hornish managed to hold onto the lead. Once again, Ryan Blaney maneuvered into second place as the field raced behind the two leaders. Blaney made a few charges up to Hornish in the laps immediately after the restart, but Hornish remained the leader. Hornish began to streak away just a little bit as the field looked for an answer to his domination. The laps began to click by really quick through the afternoon as Hornish remained out front. He was lapping cars left and right and lap traffic began to cause him some problems. Blaney was able to move up to Hornish and as the two leaders came to lap 90, the lap traffic would cost the leader the lead. Hornish ran up on Dakoda Armstrong entering turn 3 and Armstrong took the outside line, which Hornish inhabited. Blaney shot to the inside line and passed Hornish in taking the lead for the first time in the race. He began to cruise as the run began to become the longest of the race. Blaney clicked some laps down out front and the field was looking towards green flag pit stops as the second caution of the event waved on lap 105. A piece of track banner had started to peel off on the frontstretch of the track. NASCAR threw a caution to allow the track officials to pick up the banner. J.J. Yeley received the lucky dog. The caution brought some more pit stops. All the lead lap drivers took four tires with Ryan Blaney coming out first and returning to the lead. The race was approaching the halfway point and the win looked to be up for grabs.

        The green flag waved once again and Ryan Blaney was able to hold onto the lead. Blaney streaked away from the field as Sam Hornish Jr. fell into second. The laps continued to click away as Blaney remained fast at the front of the field. The race crossed the halfway mark and Blaney had checked out as he continued to lap the field. He looked to keep the field behind him until green flag pit stops or a caution came, but he wouldn't have to wait long before the third caution waved on lap 143. Carlos Contreras's car began to smoke heavily heading down the frontstretch. He hit the apron heading down the backstretch with a blown engine. He made it to pit road, but his race was finished. J.J. Yeley received the lucky dog. The caution brought some more pit stops and the first strategy of the afternoon. Landon Cassill, who had been running great just around the top ten, took two tires while the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. Even with Cassill's strategy call, Blaney came off of pit road first. With only about one hundred laps to go, the action would surely heat up and the battle for the lead would become very intense. 

        The race went back green and Sam Hornish Jr. managed to take the lead away from Ryan Blaney once again. Hornish began to check out as Blaney looked for a chance to take the lead away. The field raced behind the two leaders, but it was still their race to decide. Hornish continued to stay out front as drivers started to really jostle positions in the top ten. The run was beginning to lengthen and the move to pit road under green was approaching. Hornish continued to lead as the fifty lap to go mark passed, but Blaney was coming. Blaney made his way up to Hornish and on lap 208, he was through for the lead. In a couple of laps, green flag stops looked like a must. On lap 213, Dylan Kwasniewski made the first move to pit road. He hit the pit lane and made it to his box. He took four tires and left, but he lost a lap and his race would take a turn as the fourth caution waved on lap 213. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1. Ryan Sieg received the lucky dog. Kwasniewski was stuck a lap down, but he was able to take the wave around and he would just have to gain the positions he lost back. The caution brought what turned out to be the final pit stops of the race and a little strategy. Michael McDowell took two tires while Ryan Blaney and the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. McDowell managed to come off pit road first, but he was off sequence and he would have to battle hard. Now, the race was within thirty five laps of completion and it would be an all-out brawl.

        The race went back green and McDowell's two tires could not hold off Blaney's four as he took the lead. Blaney looked to run away from his closest competitor, Sam Hornish Jr., but the fifth and final caution waved on lap 221. Mike Bliss had a tire problem entering turn 3. Bliss shot up the track and piled hard into the outside wall. He kept his car running, but he came to a stop on the frontstretch. His car had a good bit of damage and his race was over. James Buescher received the lucky dog. The wreck was cleaned up and the field was ready to restart for what would be the final time. The race went back green and Blaney tried extremely hard to hold onto the lead, but Sam Hornish Jr. was able to fly past him. Hornish began to look to run away as only twenty or so laps remained. Hornish was running away and Blaney was thrashing to make his way to the front. Regan Smith made his way into third and he was also looking to move into the battle. Hornish was still out front by a decent margin with ten laps to go and the field raced behind him. He continued to hit his marks like he had all race and he was running a torrid pace. Five laps to go flashed on the board and Blaney and Smith were thrashing to try and close the advantage, but Hornish seemed out of reach. Hornish, meanwhile, kept the pressure behind him and he took the white flag with absolute ease. Hornish looked like he had been doing it every single week this year and he crossed the finish line to take the win in his second opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing. Hornish proved he still has it and he was definitely worth signing.

        A key word for Sam Hornish Jr. throughout the race on Sunday was opportunity. Hornish's opportunities in NASCAR have been well documented. Roger Penske gave him a shot in the Cup Series in 2008 and Hornish held the ride until 2010 when he was let go after a less than stellar  performance in three seasons. He took, basically, the season off from NASCAR and Penske gave him a shot again in a few races in the Nationwide Series in 2011. Hornish won a race and came back for 2012 and 2013 to run full seasons, but he fell a few points short of a championship in 2013 and his opportunity ended. Now, he has another opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing. He did not miss out on this opportunity early as he took the win at Iowa in only his second start behind the wheel of the Monster Energy Toyota. When he is able to win a race in a car that is usually piloted by the winningest driver in the history of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, heads turn and Hornish will have more opportunities in the very near future. Ryan Blaney battled hard all day in Roger Penske's usual Nationwide entry to take a second place finish. Regan Smith continued his momentum to start the season with a very nice third place finish. Chase Elliott barely missed a step in his Iowa Nationwide Series debut as he took a fourth place finish. Elliott Sadler rode the Talladega momentum train to a well deserved fifth place finish. The rest of the Nationwide regulars followed behind Sadler and the usual culprits could be found in the top ten. It was definitely a great show of young drivers in the Nationwide Series at Iowa, but the Cup regulars will be back next week at Charlotte. Charlotte has been home to some very good Nationwide races and Saturday afternoon's event will be one to watch. Will Kyle Busch take his third straight win at Charlotte, will Regan Smith or Chase Elliott take another win for JR Motorsports, or will another Nationwide driver shine at home in Charlotte? We only have to wait a few days to find out these answers and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 40- Cale Conley had a tire problem in turn 2, but he did not hit the wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 105- A track banner was spotted on the frontstretch of the track.

3rd Caution: Lap 143- Carlos Contreras lost an engine heading down the frontstretch and left some oil on track.

4th Caution: Lap 213- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1.

5th Caution: Lap 221- Mike Bliss had tire problems in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall hard.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Chad Boat
2nd Caution: J.J. Yeley
3rd Caution: J.J. Yeley
4th Caution: Ryan Sieg
5th Caution: James Buescher

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Sam Hornish Jr.
2nd: Ryan Blaney
3rd: Regan Smith
4th: Chase Elliott
5th: Elliott Sadler

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Brian Scott
8th: Ty Dillon
9th: Trevor Bayne
11th: Dylan Kwasniewski 
12th: Brendan Gaughan
19th: James Buescher
30th: Cale Conley





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/standings.live.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_Get_To_Know_Newton_250/B
-Image:
http://cmsimg.detnews.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C3&Date=20140518&Category=SPORTS03&ArtNo=305180047&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Sam-Hornish-Jr-wins-Nationwide-race-Iowa

Sam Hornish Jr. Makes His Return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a Pole at Talladega

         With a time of 51.268 seconds (186.783 mph), Sam Hornish Jr. grabbed his sixth NASCAR Nationwide Series pole in his first start in the series on the year. Hornish, who was a mainstay in the Nationwide Series for a few years, was a championship contender a year ago for Roger Penske. He came home second in the points in 2013 and he was out of a ride after the season. Now, he is running for Joe Gibbs Racing part time and he looked to be in good form today as he took the pole. Hornish led the trio of Joe Gibbs Racing drivers at the front. Elliott Sadler followed close behind him in second starting spot and Darrell Wallace Jr. will roll off third after having speed the entire session. Two Ford rookies followed behind the Toyota drivers. Ryan Reed and Dakoda Armstrong will roll off fourth and fifth, respectively, which is the best starting spots for both of the drivers in their Nationwide careers. Behind the top five drivers, it was a mixed bag of surprises and disappointments. Some of the surprises include Landon Cassill, Blake Koch, David Starr, Jamie Dick, and Eric McClure, who all roll off in the top twenty. Some of the disappointments include Kyle Larson, Trevor Bayne, Dylan Kwasniewski, Kasey Kahne, Regan Smith, and Chase Elliott, who all start twentieth or worse. Like always at Talladega, we were left with a good many qualifying surprises due to the shear speeds, but this session was different. The Nationwide Series used the brand new group qualifying system for the first time at Talladega. To say it was action packed would definitely be an understatement. Battling all around the track, a qualifying wreck due to contact, and huge, dangerous moves all made this session one of the best of the year so far. After all was said and done in qualifying, though, a comeback driver was on top of the board. 

         Mike Bliss was the first driver to head on track for the first round of qualifying at Talladega. A group of drivers followed behind him and we immediately figured out how the session would go. It looked like getting into a pack would be key for running a quick lap. Strategy would also play a part. Bliss and his group mates decided to come down pit road without completing a lap to fake out all the rest of the drivers looking to qualify. Just a minute or two after this move, the first huge group of drivers went out on the speedway. After a warm up lap, the group was screaming around Talladega, making crazy moves. Ryan Reed jumped to the top of the board first after the warm up lap was completed and the shuffle at the top began. Ty Dillon and others moved to the top of the board, but Brendan Gaughan took the top spot and remained steady at the top as time clicked down. Behind Gaughan, the battle was on for the twenty fourth and final transfer spot. Kasey Kahne, Regan Smith, Chase Elliott, and others were all on the outside looking in. Fifteen minutes into the session, though, it would reach a halt for the moment. In turn 4, Kyle Larson was carrying a lot of momentum behind Tanner Berryhill and Regan Smith. Larson shot between the two and there wasn't enough room. He made contact with the other two drivers and Berryhill pointed towards the bottom of the track. He made contact with Derrike Cope and Berryhill slid back up the track. He piled into the outside wall and slid to a stop at the entrance of pit road. No other drivers hit him, but his car was damaged a good bit. The drivers pulled down pit road and the accident was quickly cleaned up. The clock started back and all the drivers looking to move into the second round returned to the track. The JR Motorsports teammates and Dylan Kwasniewski were all looking to move on along with a few others. Groups continued to look for speed on track, but as time expired on the first round, the same guys were still on the outside as Brendan Gaughan was on top of the board. Darrell Wallace Jr. took the twenty fourth and final transfer spot while drivers like Ty Dillon, Brian Scott, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney, Sam Hornish Jr., Elliott Sadler, Ryan Reed, and others moved on. Now, twenty four remained and it would be a two round shootout for the pole.

       The clock started the ten minute second round and the chess match began. All the drivers lined up on the edge of pit road and no one was moving as the time started to click down. As the round reached the halfway mark, Mike Bliss led a group of drivers onto the track to start the second round. Once again, they played the strategy move and pulled down pit road before their laps began. The rest of the drivers pulled onto the speedway in bigger packs. After the groups ran warm up laps, Darrell Wallace Jr. was the first to jump to the top of the board. The packs quickly began to jostle positions looking to run the fastest lap of the round. As the seconds wound down, drivers like Trevor Bayne and Kyle Larson were battling to move on. They couldn't get the momentum from the draft and as time ran out, the two were still on the outside of the top twelve. Darrell Wallace Jr. remained at the top of the board at the end of the session and Ryan Blaney took the twelfth and final transfer spot. Sam Hornish Jr., Elliott Sadler, Brian Scott, Ty Dillon, James Buescher, Landon Cassill, Brendan Gaughan, Dakoda Armstrong, Chris Buescher, and Ryan Reed moved on while David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, and others missed the final round. Twelve drivers remained and one of the most action packed five minutes of the season were about to begin. 

        The five minute final round began like the second round. All twelve drivers lined up at the edge of pit road, just waiting for one driver to make the move. After two minutes passed, Brian Scott led a charge of Richard Childress Racing cars onto the speedway. At the back of the pack, all three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers knew what to do. Scott and the rest of his teammates were the first to run a timed lap, but it wouldn't be the fastest times. The Joe Gibbs Racing team took that honor as Darrell Wallace Jr. took the provisional pole, but a final lap would be coming. As others scrambled in front of them, the trio of Wallace, Elliott Sadler, and Sam Hornish Jr. remained calm. They came back towards the finish line with a head of steam. Wallace looked to be in control of the provisional pole, but Hornish had other ideas. With about a minute left, Hornish jumped to the top of the board and it seemed like he would stay there. All of the guys looked to run another lap, but it wouldn't be enough. The Joe Gibbs Racing drivers had secured the top three spots easily and Sam Hornish Jr. would be on the pole in his return to NASCAR's secondary series. After a qualifying session where breathing was rare, some drivers will breathe easily heading into tomorrow.

        Sam Hornish Jr. not having a full time ride this year in NASCAR was one of the most puzzling offseason stories. Hornish absolutely drove the wheels off his race car the entire year in 2013 and he came up just a few points short of winning the Nationwide Series championship. For him to not have a ride is actually quite preposterous. Well, Hornish hasn't become angry about it. He took his part time opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing and now, he is going to make everyone wish he was driving for them. Elliott Sadler continued to look good to start the season as he walked away with a second place starting spot. Darrell Wallace Jr. will also make his NASCAR Nationwide Series season debut as he will roll off third after practically dominating the session. Ryan Reed looks to be on the rise the past few weeks after a struggling start as he will roll off fourth at a tough track. Dakoda Armstrong is in the same position as Reed and he will start fifth. Ryan Blaney will roll off sixth in another part time opportunity in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The rest of the series regulars and drivers follow behind these six drivers. Some, though, will have work to do. Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne, and Regan Smith, all of the JR Motorsports drivers, could not work out their plan correctly and each one of them will roll off outside the top thirty. We will see if these three can make their way to the front and battle for the win tomorrow. Plus, we have to watch out for the many underdogs scattered throughout the field to see if they are able to take the win. It looks like a great Aaron's 312 is building up for tomorrow and I will guarantee it will be one to watch on the year. Will Regan Smith repeat at Talladega, will Kasey Kahne redeem himself after crossing the finish line first last year, but having the win taken away due to a race ending caution just before the finish line, will an underdog battle to the win, or will another driver take the win? We will have to wait only one day to find this out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Sam Hornish Jr.    51.268 (186.783 mph)
2nd: Elliott Sadler     51.270 (186.776 mph)
3rd: Darrell Wallace Jr.     51.283 (186.729 mph)
4th: Ryan Reed     52.021 (184.080 mph)
5th: Dakoda Armstrong     52.044 (183.998 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Ryan Blaney     52.202 (183.441 mph)
7th: Ty Dillon     52.253 (183.262 mph)
9th: James Buescher     52.369 (182.856 mph)
10th: Brian Scott     52.400 (182.748 mph)
11th: Brendan Gaughan     52.524 (182.317 mph)
20th: Kyle Larson     51.914 (184.459 mph)*
21st: Trevor Bayne     51.929 (184.406 mph)*
28th: Dylan Kwasniewski     51.345 (186.503 mph)#
31st: Kasey Kahne      51.680 (185.294 mph)#
32nd: Regan Smith     51.695 (185.240 mph)#
37th: Chase Elliott     52.666 (181.825 mph)
(*: These drivers were fast enough to be in the top twelve, but they did not move to the final round.)
(#: These drivers were fast enough to be in the top twenty four, but they did not move to the second round.)

DNQs:
41st: Chad Boat     51.696 (185.237 mph)
42nd: Derrike Cope      51.941 (184.363 mph)





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-09/B
Image:
http://www.foxsports.com.br/noticias/153110-sam-hornish-jr-faz-a-pole-em-talladega-na-nationwide-series

Sam Hornish Jr. Dominates the 2013 Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas

       Sam Hornish Jr. was the class of the field in the 2013 Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas. He was able to dominate and out run everybody in the field. Not only was he able to stay at the front, but he was able to move back into the lead when he lost it on a round of pit stops. In the end, Sam Hornish Jr. was unable to be beaten. But he did have to fight some burdens to win the race.


       Qualifying that had been scheduled for right before the race was canceled due to rain that had taken away practice time from the drivers on Friday. This meant that the line-up would be based on 2012 Owner Points. Because of this, Brian Vickers started on the pole. He was able to lead the first few laps before the first caution of the day came out on lap 4. Coming into turn 2, Eric McClure's car began to pour out smoke and he had, for sure, blown an engine. No drivers received the lucky dog. The race went back green and continued until the second caution of the day on lap 36. Because the drivers had limited practice due to the rain, NASCAR decided to throw a competition caution for teams to check their tires. Scott Lagasse Jr. received the lucky dog. After the confirmation that everything seemed all right with the tires, the drivers pulled their belts tight and got ready for the rest of the race.

        The race went green and it continued until the third caution of the race on lap 54. In turn 2, Mike Wallace got loose and went up the track. Joe Nemechek was above him and could not avoid. Nemechek spun down the backstretch, but he was able to keep it off the wall and avoid any damage. Mike Bliss, who was in Eric McClure's back-up car due to a practice crash, received the lucky dog. The race went back green once again. The longest green flag run to that point ended on lap 81 due to the fourth caution of the day. Robert Richardson Jr. got loose in turn 2 and went spinning down the backstretch. Somehow, he was able to keep it off of the wall and receive no damage. Ryan Sieg, who was filling in for the suspended Jeremy Clements, received the lucky dog. But one major thing happened during this caution.

         To gain track position, Trevor Bayne and Kyle Larson decided to only take two tires. Because of this, both of them ended up being at the front of the pack. The race went back green and the two of them raced around the track. The second time they went around the track was when it got ugly. In turn 4, Kyle Larson got loose and went up on Trevor Bayne, possibly due to bad tires. Larson hooked Bayne and they both went into the wall. Luckily for Bayne, Larson took the blunt of the incident and received the most damage. This caused the fifth caution of the day to come out on lap 87. Hal Martin received the lucky dog. The green flag went out once again and right after that, one of the contenders in the race would fall out of the picture. 

         For most of the day, Brad Keselowski had been experiencing a vibration. On lap 117, it came to a point where it was absolutely unbearable. Plus, Keselowski's car had been overheating. Because of this, he was forced to to come to pit road. He lost a couple of laps, but his trouble was far from over. On lap 135, he was forced to pit once again. The shocks on his car had allowed the splitter to drag the ground and it had broken off. Now, Brad Keselowski was in a deep hole. Right after this, the sixth caution of the day came out on lap 138. Parker Kligerman had just pulled into the garage because he thought his engine was gone. Actually, he had blown a left front tire. His blown tire left some debris on the track and NASCAR was forced to throw a caution. Travis Pastrana received the lucky dog. This caution allowed the leaders to pit, but it caused the race to switch to thoughts of fuel mileage and saving fuel.

        The race went back green and went fairly smoothly. Most of the thoughts were surrounded by thoughts of saving fuel and staying out front. Sam Hornish Jr. was leading and he was saving fuel, but it was nearly impossible with Kyle Busch right in his tracks. Luckily for the leaders, they wouldn't have to worry because the seventh caution of the day came out on lap 182. Scott Lagasse Jr. became the third victim of turn 2. He got loose coming out of the turn and spun out. He was able to avoid the wall and keep going with no damage. Brad Sweet received the lucky dog. The drivers got buckled in for the end of the race and hoped that the caution laps had saved them enough fuel.

       The race went back green and it was a short time before the eighth caution of the day came out on lap 187. Joey Gase, who was running slow coming out of turn 2, got ran over by Ryan Sieg. Gase went up the track and piled into Kyle Larson, with both drivers plowing into the wall. Larson rode down the backstretch, pouring out smoke and a small fire. He would turn out to be okay. Dale Earnhardt Jr. received the lucky dog. The weird part of this was what Kyle Larson did before his car reached a stop. Coming to the inside wall, ESPN caught a video of Kyle Larson pulling off his steering wheel before the car had even come to a halt. Definitely not a smart thing to do with the car on fire and heading to the wall. Nonetheless, Kyle Larson was all right and it was time for the final restart of the race. 

       The green flag waved for the final time and Sam Hornish Jr. and Kyle Busch were ready for a fight. They ran next to each for the next couple of laps, but Kyle could not out-do Sam Hornish. Hornish was able to cruise across the line and grab his second career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory. What a race it was and what a win for Sam Hornish Jr.

      The first installment of Las Vegas action of the weekend was great. The cars were able to run well and we saw somebody new solidify his standing as a championship contender. Not only that, but  Hornish is still points leader after three races. In the end, Hornish also led the most laps, 114 to be exact, gaining him even more points. Now the NASCAR Nationwide Series will head to Bristol Motor Speedway for what should be a race full of fast speeds, beat-up race cars, and, of course, hotter drivers than their cars can ever dream of. In case you don't know what that means, some drivers are going to pretty angry. I hope you get a chance to catch it because it will be one for the ages.
(More Stats Down Below!)



Cautions:
1st Caution: Eric McClure blew an engine in turn 2.

2nd Caution: Competition caution waved by NASCAR.

3rd Caution: Mike Wallace got loose in turn 2 and spun Joe Nemechek.

4th Caution: Robert Richardson Jr. got loose in turn 2 and spun.

5th Caution: Kyle Larson went down on Trevor Bayne in turn 4 and both drivers went into the wall with Larson receiving most of the damage.

6th Caution: Debris from Parker Kligerman's tire was spotted on the track.

7th Caution: Scott Lagasse Jr. got loose in turn 2 and spun.

8th Caution: Joey Gase got spun from behind by Ryan Sieg. Gase went up into Kyle Larson and both drivers piled into the outside wall with major damage.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None 
2nd Caution: Scott Lagasse Jr.
3rd Caution: Mike Bliss 
4th Caution: Ryan Sieg 
5th Caution: Hal Martin 
6th Caution: Travis Pastrana 
7th Caution: Brad Sweet
8th Caution: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Sam Hornish Jr. 
2nd: Kyle Busch
3rd: Brian Vickers
4th: Trevor Bayne
5th: Elliott Sadler

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Austin Dillon
7th: Regan Smith
10th: Travis Pastrana
11th: Ty Dillon
14th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
37th: Brad Keselowski

Credits:
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Sams_Town_300/B
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
-Image:
http://mng-lang.smugmug.com/02-SPORTS/Sam-Hornish-Jr-wins-NASCAR/i-5gzWrHV/0/L/BS10-NASCARNATIONWIDE-37-WL-L.jpg