Denny Hamlin started on the pole. It was his fifth NSCS pole of 2013 after missing a few events with a back injury early in the season. The race went green and Hamlin came around to lead the first lap. It was only a short time into the race before Jimmie Johnson proved he was a force to be reckoned with as he took the lead from Hamlin on lap 3. The race would go a very short time after this before the first caution of the race waved on lap 7. Carl Edwards drove hard underneath Jeff Burton entering turn 3. The two made contact and Burton went for a spin. Burton spun up the track, but he was able to corral it and continue on after going to pit road. Dave Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Travis Kvapil also received damage in the pile up. No drivers received the lucky dog. None of the leaders came to pit road during the caution. The race went back green and Jimmie Johnson held onto the lead. He would only hold it for a short time before Kyle Busch took the lead on lap 25. Busch stretched out his lead a little bit before Matt Kenseth was able to sneak by on lap 37 due to lap traffic. Kenseth sneaked away a little bit and held the lead for a good little while. Kenseth would hold the lead until the second caution waved on lap 88. Carl Edwards drove hard into turn 3 and made contact with Travis Kvapil. Kvapil spun around at the top of the track. He was able to avoid the wall and continue on after getting his car straightened out. Paul Menard received the lucky dog. The first pit stops of the day happened. All of the drivers came down pit road for four tires and fuel with Matt Kenseth coming out as the leader. The first stops of the day had occurred and it was time for the battling to start.
The race went back green and Matt Kenseth held the lead. He would only hold the lead a short time before Jimmie Johnson took the lead away from him on lap 111 due to lap traffic. Johnson would hold the lead for a little while before the third caution waved on lap 140. Bobby Labonte made contact with David Reutimann in turn 3. Reutimann went around and spun towards the top of the track. He was able to get his car straightened out and get back going without damage. Paul Menard received the lucky dog. All the drivers came to pit road for four tires and fuel and Jimmie Johnson came out as the leader. The race went back green and Jimmie Johnson held onto the lead. Johnson held onto the lead well until the fourth caution waved on lap 166. Kyle Larson lost his engine on the backstretch. He made the move to pit road, but he went around at the entrance due to oil on his tires. He did not hit anything, but he dropped some oil on the track and he would not return due to an engine failure. Elliott Sadler received the lucky dog. The first strategy session of the race began. Jeff Burton stayed on track while Jamie McMurray and others took two tires and Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, and others took four tires. It would be interesting to see which strategy worked to give a driver a win.
The race went back green and Jimmie Johnson easily took the lead from Jeff Burton on his newer tires. Johnson would hold the lead until the fifth caution waved on lap 182. The field stacked up a few laps after the restart in turn 1. Martin Truex Jr. slammed into the back of another driver while Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin spun behind him. Kahne got stuck in the grass while Hamlin ended up sideways on the track. Ken Schrader and Aric Almirola also received damage in the stack up. David Reutimann received the lucky dog. None of the drivers came to pit road since it had been a short time since pit stops. The race went back green and Jimmie Johnson held onto the lead. Johnson held onto the lead until the sixth caution waved on lap 205. Kurt Busch got loose underneath Jamie McMurray in turn 3. Busch went around and the back end of his car whipped down the track. Mark Martin was coming at the same time and slammed into Busch. Both drivers were able to get back going, but they had a good bit of damage. Casey Mears received the lucky dog. The strategy session began during this caution. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and others stayed out while Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, and others came down pit road. It would be interesting to see which strategy worked to take a driver to victory lane.
The race went back green once again and Jimmie Johnson held the lead. Johnson would not hold the lead for long as Matt Kenseth took the lead on lap 217. The race would only go another lap before the seventh caution waved on lap 218. Travis Kvapil broke loose in turn 4 and went for a spin up the track. All the drivers behind him avoided and he was able to drive away with a little bit of damage from contact with the wall. Danica Patrick received the lucky dog. Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to come down pit road while the leaders stayed out. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth held the lead. At this point in the race, the action began to heat up and the cautions started to fly. This was obvious as the race only went a few laps before the eighth caution waved on lap 229. Martin Truex Jr. got loose in turn 3 underneath David Reutimann. The two made contact and Reutimann spun towards the bottom of the track. Somehow, all the drivers behind him were able to sneak by and avoid damage. Reutimann would continue on after getting his car straightened out. David Gilliland received the lucky dog. More strategy would occur under the caution. Jimmie Johnson and others came to pit road while Matt Kenseth and others stayed on the track. With all of the stops at this point of the race completed and most of the drivers on differing strategies, it would be interesting to see how the finish would work out.
The race went back green and Matt Kenseth was able to hold the lead after staying out. Kenseth's tires would slow down quickly as Clint Bowyer took the lead on lap 239. Bowyer, who had the oldest tires on track, began to pull away and held the lead well. The race went a good little while before Jeff Gordon was able to pass Bowyer on lap 282. The race would go a couple of laps before the ninth caution waved on lap 284. Reed Sorenson had an issue entering turn 3. The issue caused Sorenson to reach a stop on track in turn 4 and cause the caution flag to wave. Casey Mears received the lucky dog. Pit stops happened since it was a long time since most of the leaders pitted. All of the drivers came down and took tires and fuel with Jeff Gordon holding onto the lead. The race went back green and Gordon was able to hold onto the lead. The race would go a few laps before the tenth caution waved on lap 298. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1. Carl Edwards received the lucky dog. A little bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, and other drivers who were struggling decided to come down pit road. It would be interesting to see if fresh tires provided the break these drivers needed to get back in the race.
The race went back green and Jeff Gordon held the lead. The race would only go a few laps before the eleventh caution waved on lap 309. Kasey Kahne bumped Landon Cassill in turn 3. Cassill went around and made slight contact with the outside wall. He was able to continue on with only slight damage. Juan Pablo Montoya received the lucky dog. A little bit more strategy occurred during the caution. Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and others came to pit road for tires and fuel. Kenseth, who had just pitted on the previous caution, looked to be setting up his car for the end of the race. It would be interesting to see if their strategy call would work. The race went back green and Jeff Gordon held the lead. Behind him, the action started to pick up. Drivers started to beat and bang as the twelfth caution waved on lap 318. Ryan Newman thought he was clear of Kevin Harvick entering turn 1, but he wasn't. The two made contact and Newman slid up the track. Newman's rear end piled into the outside wall. He drove away from the scene, but he had heavy damage. Michael McDowell received the lucky dog. None of the leaders decided to come down pit road. The race went back green and Jeff Gordon held onto the lead. Behind him, the action was fierce and drivers made a lot of contact. The action was slowed down by the thirteenth caution on lap 327. Juan Pablo Montoya made a three wide move underneath Marcos Ambrose and Martin Truex Jr. entering turn 1. Ambrose and Truex made contact, which caused Truex to go around. Truex was able to keep his car off the wall and continue on. Michael McDowell received the lucky dog. Another bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and others came to pit road for tires and fuel while Jeff Gordon and some other leaders stayed out. It would be interesting to see when the other leaders had to make the move to pit road.
The race went green once again and Jeff Gordon held the lead after a battle with Denny Hamlin. The action raged behind these two before it once again was slowed by the fourteenth caution on lap 337. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track. Michael McDowell received the lucky dog for the third time in a row. A little bit more strategy occurred during the caution. Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, and others came down pit road. This handed the lead to Denny Hamlin and he would look to hold it. The race went green and Denny Hamlin was able to hold the lead. Hamlin would not hold the lead long before Clint Bowyer took it away on lap 350. Bowyer drove away as the action continued to rage behind the leaders. Bowyer held the lead until the fifteenth caution waved on lap 365. Cole Whitt lost a tire entering turn 3. Whitt spun around and slammed the outside wall. Whitt attempted to drive away, but the damage was too much and he would have to be towed away. Travis Kvapil received the lucky dog. A little bit of strategy would occur under the caution. Elliott Sadler stayed on track while the rest of the drivers came to pit road for four tires and fuel. Denny Hamlin was the first driver out of the pits after the stops. It would be interesting to see if Sadler could last with the leaders. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth, who had stopped a good many times earlier, took the lead from Sadler. Kenseth would hold the lead a few laps before the sixteenth caution waved on lap 380. Elliott Sadler bumped J.J. Yeley in turn 3. Yeley went around and made slight contact with the outside wall. Yeley drove away from the scene of the accident, but he had heavy damage. Travis Kvapil received the lucky dog. Greg Biffle was the only driver who came to pit road. Biffle came just to remove a bumper cover that had been popped off and was flopping behind his car. It would be interesting to see if the action would slow down and the cautions would slow as well.
The race went back green and Matt Kenseth held onto the lead. As Kenseth held the lead, the drivers behind him began to beat and bang as the laps wound down. It looked like the cautions had finished for the moment, but the seventeenth and final caution waved on lap 417. Debris was spotted in the entrance to turn 1. Michael McDowell received the lucky dog. The final pit stops of the race occurred. All the drivers came down pit road for four tires and fuel with Matt Kenseth coming out as the leader. The final run to the checkered flag was set up and Kenseth would be leading. The race went green and Kenseth was able to hold the lead. Kenseth streaked away and the laps started to click away. Fifty laps to go, forty laps to go, and thirty five laps to go clicked on the board as Kenseth cruised around the track, but it would get hard for him. As he hit lap traffic with thirty laps to go, Jeff Gordon was able to make it up to his back bumper. The two began to battle hard in the traffic, but Kenseth still held on. Kenseth tried as hard as he could to hold the lead, but Gordon was too much as he passed him on lap 479. Gordon continued to cruise around with the lead as ten laps remained. There was a ton of lap traffic in front of him, but they allowed him to pass easily. He took the white flag with no trouble around him. Gordon made it through all the turns as Clint Bowyer and Kenseth battled behind him. This would not affect Gordon as he crossed the finish line for the eighty eighth win in his storied career. It was a big win for Gordon and one that he needed desperately to help his title hopes.
It has been a pretty different season for Jeff Gordon. He was unable to win any races, but he made it into the Chase with a little bit of help. He was written off as a contender for the title, but now he is the closest competitor to Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth with three races left in the battle for a title. Do not count Jeff Gordon out of this title. As soon as he is written off by anybody, he will be a major threat for the title and it will be very interesting to see how he makes his way to the front. It was a definite struggle for some of the Chase drivers on the day. Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, and Kasey Kahne all had incidents in the race. Plus, many other drivers like Joey Logano were never a factor in the race. With only the three races left, these few drivers are probably too many points out to make a difference in the finishing of the Chase. Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson continued to prove they are willing to do anything for the title. The two made crazy pit calls throughout the race, but both ended up out front when it counted. Now, they are in a complete draw as the season nears a close. When will we know for sure which one is going to win the title? We will know when the checkered flag waves at Homestead in three weeks and that is all I can tell you. The series keeps rolling with a trip to Texas Motor Speedway next week where the action is sure to pick up. Will Kyle Busch double down at the track and move up in points, will Matt Kenseth or Jimmie Johnson take the hold on the standings, or will Jeff Gordon continue the momentum from his win? We will have to wait until next Sunday to find these questions out and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 7- Jeff Burton spun in turn 4 after contact with Carl Edwards. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Dave Blaney, and Travis Kvapil also received damage in the stack up.
2nd Caution: Lap 88- Travis Kvapil spun in turn 3 after contact with Carl Edwards.
3rd Caution: Lap 140- David Reutimann spun in turn 3 after contact with Bobby Labonte.
4th Caution: Lap 166- Kyle Larson lost an engine on the backstretch and went for a spin in his oil as he entered pit road.
5th Caution: Lap 182- Martin Truex Jr. slammed into the back of a driver in front of him while Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne spun behind him due to a stack up in turn 1. Ken Schrader and Aric Almirola also received damage in the stack up.
6th Caution: Lap 205- Kurt Busch spun around in turn 3 after getting lose underneath Jamie McMurray. Busch whipped around and hit Mark Martin as he was coming by.
7th Caution: Lap 218- Travis Kvapil got loose in turn 4 and went for a spin up the track.
8th Caution: Lap 229- David Reutimann went for a spin in turn 3 after Martin Truex Jr. got loose underneath him and the two made contact.
9th Caution: Lap 284- Reed Sorenson stopped on track in turn 4.
10th Caution: Lap 298- Debris was spotted in turn 1 of the track.
11th Caution: Lap 309- Landon Cassill went for a spin in turn 3 and made slight contact with the outside wall after contact with Kasey Kahne.
12th Caution: Lap 318- Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman made contact entering turn 1 after Newman came across Harvick's nose. Newman slammed the outside wall with his rear end after a spin.
13th Caution: Lap 327- Martin Truex Jr. went for a spin in turn 1 after contact with Marcos Ambrose.
14th Caution: Lap 337- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track.
15th Caution: Lap 365- Cole Whitt lost a tire entering turn 3 and went for a spin that caused him to hit the outside wall.
16th Caution: Lap 380- J.J. Yeley went for a spin in turn 3 and hit the outside wall after contact with Elliott Sadler.
17th Caution: Lap 417- Debris was spotted in the entrance to turn 1.
Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Paul Menard
3rd Caution: Paul Menard
4th Caution: Elliott Sadler
5th Caution: David Reutimann
6th Caution: Casey Mears
7th Caution: Danica Patrick
8th Caution: David Gilliland
9th Caution: Casey Mears
10th Caution: Carl Edwards
11th Caution: Juan Pablo Montoya
12th Caution: Michael McDowell
13th Caution: Michael McDowell
14th Caution: Michael McDowell
15th Caution: Travis Kvapil
16th Caution: Travis Kvapil
17th Caution: Michael McDowell
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Jeff Gordon
2nd: Matt Kenseth
3rd: Clint Bowyer
4th: Brad Keselowski
5th: Jimmie Johnson
Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Kevin Harvick
8th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9th: Greg Biffle
12th: Carl Edwards
14th: Joey Logano
15th: Kyle Busch
18th: Kurt Busch
27th: Kasey Kahne
38th: Ryan Newman
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/live-standings.html?intid=livestandings_livestandingsleaderboard_08292013
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Goodys_Headache_Relief_Shot_500/W
-Image:
http://media2.newsobserver.com/smedia/2013/10/27/17/59/pAQiA.AuSt.156.jpg
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