5 Stages of Analysis: Larson Leads the Most Laps in Second Consecutive Victory at Michigan

        After starting on the pole and leading 96 of the 200 laps in today’s FireKeepers Casino 400, Kyle Larson took his Chevrolet to victory lane in thrilling fashion at Michigan. While he was near the front for the entire race, it looked like his chances to win were slipping away in the second half of the race. On the restart after the fourth caution on lap 121, Larson fell back to sixth due to restarting on the inside line. It looked like he was stuck there until the fifth caution came out on lap 150 and allowed strategy to take shape for the entire field. Four drivers, including Kyle Busch, took two tires while Larson and the leaders decided to take four tires. While he lost a little track position, Larson restarted as the fourth car in the outside line, which gave him a distinct advantage to move to the front. On the restart, he moved into fourth place thanks to the strength of the outside line with Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Busch in front of him. Larson moved past Elliott early in the run and then quickly passed Blaney for second with the leader in his sights. Before he could make the move by Busch for the lead, the sixth caution waved on lap 180 and the subsequent restart meant Larson would start on the inside line since he was second. However, even after restarting on the inside, Larson fought his way past Busch and grabbed the outright lead in a remarkable showing of his talent. A caution on lap 187 meant another restart, but the 2014 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Rookie of the Year held strong before another caution waved on the backstretch. On the final restart of the race, Larson held off all challengers and cruised to his second consecutive victory at Michigan after he won last August for his first NMECS win. Today's win was his third career Cup victory and, ironically, all three have come at Auto Club Speedway and MIS, which share a very similar track layout. Today’s race in the Irish Hills was a mixture of calculated strategy and high-speed racing, but it ultimately came down to three crucial restarts to not only decide the winner, but all the finishing positions as the playoffs draw closer. As these five stages of analysis display, Michigan International Speedway always puts on an action-packed show from start to finish and the winner of the race is not always assured until the checkered flag waves.


Stage 1:
Driver of the Day: Larson Dominates and Manages Late Restarts to Win

  2017 has been a proving year for Kyle Larson and his Chip Ganassi Racing team. In the fourteen races leading up to today’s event, he had a win, five second place finishes, and only one DNF after a crash in the Coca-Cola 600. Plus, Larson found himself sitting second in points behind Martin Truex Jr., who has had an equally impressive year. Today’s race was just another powerful indicator of how competitive Larson will be when it comes championship time. He started the race on the pole after a blazing fast lap and in the early run of the race, he was running away from the field. However, a two-tire gamble during pit stops after the competition caution on lap 26 made his car tight as Truex Jr. grabbed the lead on lap 35. Larson dropped another spot and Truex Jr. ultimately took his ninth stage win of the year. Yet, Larson was not going to settle for running in second for another run. His team’s fast pit work allowed him to win the race off pit road and he drove away on the restart. The green flag stayed out for an entire fuel run and when pit stops happened under the green flag, Larson maintained the lead after the stops cycled through. However, Truex Jr. took the lead thanks to great pit work on lap 116 and he drove to a sweep of the stage victories. After stage two ended, the leaders stayed on track and the subsequent restart dropped Larson to sixth after starting on the inside line. A caution thirty laps later created more strategy, but the restart put Larson on the outside line and he maneuvered his way into second place. The sixth caution on lap 180 proved pivotal for the young driver. Starting on the inside line on the restart, he outbattled Kyle Busch into turn 1 and took the lead and never relinquished it through two more hotly contested restarts as he took his third career NMECS victory. Overall, Larson led nearly half the race and despite not winning a stage, he grabbed five playoff points and the points lead thanks to the win. While today was another successful run, this coming Sunday could prove to be a challenge as Larson has yet to finish inside the Top 10 at Sonoma, but he has proven this year that no track can set him back. 

Stage 2:
Move of the Race: Logano Pits Late and Grabs Impressive Top 5

  The last five races have not been very kind to Joey Logano and his team. Since winning at Richmond in April, Logano has yet to finish inside the Top 20 in any race and with his race win not locking him in the playoffs due to a penalty, he is in desperate need of a playoff clinching victory. Today at Michigan went much better for him from the start. Logano rolled off from seventh place and after an uneventful first stage, he was in ninth with a decently fast racecar. Stage two continued smoothly for the Team Penske driver and after dropping a couple of positions, he ended up just outside the Top 10 to finish the second stage. While Logano was consistent, he was not moving up and his crew chief, Todd Gordon, decided to begin working some late race strategy. During the caution to end stage two, Logano pitted for four tires and the restart went well as he had fresh tires. However, he continued to remain near the back half of the Top 10 and it looked like the team still lacked speed compared to the field. Another pit stop came and after taking four tires, Logano still appeared to be unable to move through the field. When the sixth caution waved on lap 180, Gordon used another strategy move. He brought his driver down for two tires and he restarted fourteenth, which was the highest of all the drivers who pitted during the caution. On the next restart, Logano finally began moving to the front. He gained a couple of positions before the seventh caution waved on lap 187 and on the next restart, he gained even more spots as he restarted sixth. When the eighth and final caution waved on lap 191, Logano found himself sitting fourth in an excellent position to work his way around Kyle Larson in the outside line. On the final restart, he made a good move, but Denny Hamlin broke loose on the inside line and slowed his progress. Chase Elliott moved into second and Logano managed to grab third place. He maintained the spot and when the checkered flag waved, he grabbed his first Top 5 finish in a little over a month. Thanks to a bold two-tire strategy call from Todd Gordon, Logano grabbed a much-needed momentum boost heading towards the playoffs. Plus, after the race, Logano and his wife, Brittany, announced that they are expecting their first child next January. It was a great Father’s Day for the young driver and this boost of confidence could lead to a dramatic championship run.



Stage 3:
Wild Wreck: Patrick Slams the Inside Wall Hard After Restart Stack-Up

  After the first half of today’s race went clean with no cautions involving crashes or spins, the second half of the race went much differently. Ryan Sieg spun to bring out the fifth caution on lap 150 and Clint Bowyer slammed the outside wall on lap 187 to bring out the seventh caution. However, those two incidents were just the beginning of the action-packed racing that was to come in the last ten laps of the event. With the win and great finishing positions on the line, the intensity surrounding the restart following the eighth caution was evident. As Kyle Larson took the green flag with Chase Elliott to his inside on lap 191, the field raced off into turn 1 for what could possibly be the final side by side restart of the race. As they went into turn 1, Ryan Blaney, who was sitting in fifth, broke loose and began to slide up the track. Since it could be the last restart, Blaney blocked drivers trying to pass as the rest of the field behind him had much more momentum. Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez managed to drive underneath him heading towards the backstretch and all three drivers were unwilling to back out. All three made contact and Suarez began to slide down the track. Drivers behind them had gained speed and Darrell Wallace Jr. was there to make a pass for position. Wallace Jr. and Suarez made contact, which sent Wallace Jr. into Danica Patrick. Patrick was also trying to advance her position in the late restart and she had decided to make a move to the inside of the three wide battle. However, it turned out to be the wrong move as the contact sent her spinning down the inside of the track. She slid all the way to the inside wall and slammed it hard as the rest of the field managed to keep going. Her car was heavily damage and a Top 15 run turned into a last place finish. After such a clean start, it was a wild wreck for the lead lap drivers. For Patrick, it continues her disappointing season after luck hasn’t seemed to be on her side. Her hard Kansas incident with Joey Logano and Aric Almirola ended a great run and left Almriola hurt after the crash. With her job possibly on the line, she needs to finish her great runs. Other drivers involved in today’s accident continued, but they were left with poor finishes for their runs. Ultimately, Michigan showed how high speeds and tight quarters can cause large accidents, just like the one today. 

Stage 4:
Underdog of the Race: Wallace Jr. Takes Top 20 Finish in Second Cup Start

  After his first NMECS start last Sunday, Darrell Wallace Jr. was frustrated with the finishing result after several pit road speeding penalties cost him a chance at a Top 20. Today at Michigan, he redeemed himself from all of last week’s rookie mistakes. Throughout the early and middle part of the event, Wallace Jr. kept his nose clean and battled around the Top 20 in the event after starting 26th. As the race neared the final hundred miles, it looked like he was on the verge of completing the entire race and gaining much needed experience. Finally, after pitting during the sixth caution, he looked to be prepared to grab a Top 20. However, the restart after the seventh caution almost unraveled his race. Wallace Jr. attempted to make a move underneath the three wide battle between Blaney, Harvick, and Suarez, in hopes of moving up to the Top 15. As he made the move, Suarez slid down the track and the two drivers made contact, which careened Wallace Jr. into Danica Patrick. Yet, after the two hard hits, Wallace Jr. pitted for a few repairs and returned to the race with fresh tires, which gave him the ability to move back towards the Top 20. On the final restart, he maneuvered his way into the Top 20 and took the checkered flag in an impressive nineteenth place in only his second Cup Series start. Of course, Richard Petty Motorsports and Wallace Jr. aren’t usually considered underdogs, but the combination of a rookie and the lack of speed the team has showed the past couple of years make the young driver’s nineteenth place finish a remarkable run for the entire organization.

Stage 5:
Terrible Luck: Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch Run Well, But Can’t Capitalize on Victory

  Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch led 102 of the 200 laps in today’s race and took both stage wins, but neither one finished inside the Top 5 as their luck ran out at the end. Truex Jr. started second and the inside line proved to be tough for him on the initial start as he began to drop back. However, the subsequent restarts allowed him to catch up to Kyle Larson and take the lead on lap 35. Busch rolled off fourth and he ended up third at the end of stage one as Truex Jr. took the stage win. Through the next stage and green flag run, both drivers stayed consistent and when the green checkered flag waved to end stage two, Truex Jr. took the stage win after taking the lead from Larson following stops and Busch took second as well. With only one stage left, the two Toyota drivers looked to be in control. On the pit stops following the conclusion of stage two, Truex Jr. won the race off and ran away from the field. He led until the fifth caution on lap 150 and dodged a massive problem when Ryan Sieg spun. Truex Jr. was coming along in the smoke and began to slide, but he controlled his car and held onto the lead without damage. However, during the pit stops after the caution, Kyle Busch took two tires and inherited the lead while Truex Jr. came out fifth after he took four tires. Busch drove away on the restart, but his fellow Toyota driver dropped back due to the challenge of restarting on the inside line. When the sixth caution waved on lap 180, Busch was still leading with questions over his ability to finish the race on fuel without stopping again. The caution brought much needed fuel saving for him and it allowed Truex Jr. another opportunity to battle for the lead, but he was again on the inside. On the restart, Truex Jr. dropped back while Busch lost the lead to Larson. On the final two restarts, neither driver could move back towards the front and Truex Jr. finished sixth with Busch behind him in seventh place. While Truex Jr. has two wins on the year and is in a good place in the playoffs despite not winning today, Busch is in desperate need of a win to make the playoffs and losing out on a win today means another opportunity is lost for the 2015 NMECS champion to find victory lane.

  After running at a high banked two-mile track in the Irish Hills of Michigan today, the NMECS heads to a much different race track next Sunday. While the track is close to two-miles in length, it has right turns and more than four turns to challenge NASCAR’s best drivers and it is known as Sonoma Raceway. For the first time this year, a road course will impact the battle towards the playoffs and a variety of storylines will greet the field as they compete in California. A.J. Allmendinger is a full-time driver in the NMECS, but he can be considered a road course ringer and with only a few opportunities left for him to win before the playoffs, he will be focused to win his second career race. Kyle Larson might not be as experienced on road courses as his fellow competitors, but he has the momentum this year and he could use another solid run to boost his championship caliber statistics. Kyle Busch might be winless this year, but he has a previous win in 2015 at Sonoma and it sparked his first championship run. Finally, several competitive drivers remain winless and the unpredictability of a road course could open the door for someone to clinch their spot in the playoffs. Today’s race at Michigan proved to be a late race duel for the victory as late restarts and strategy culminated in a hard-fought win for Kyle Larson. Yet, next Sunday’s race presents an even greater strategy challenge and the tight road course racing could lead to increased shake-ups in the points standings in NASCAR’s highest series at Sonoma Raceway.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 7- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track.

2nd Caution: Lap 26- NASCAR waved a competition caution due to rain at the track early in the morning. 

3rd Caution: Lap 61- NASCAR waved the caution to signal the end of stage one.

4th Caution: Lap 121- NASCAR waved the caution to signal the end of stage two.

5th Caution: Lap 150- Ryan Sieg broke loose in turn 4 and spun into the infield grass right in front of leader, Martin Truex Jr.

6th Caution: Lap 180- Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track.

7th Caution: Lap 187- Clint Bowyer broke loose trying to pass between Jamie McMurray and Joey Logano entering turn 1. He slid up the track and slammed into the outside wall, causing him significant damage to the right side of his car.

8th Caution: Lap 191- Ryan Blaney broke loose entering turn 1 and created a stack-up behind him. Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez tried to pass him on the backstretch, but the three drivers made contact and Suarez slammed into Darrell Wallace Jr. Wallace Jr. slammed into Danica Patrick, who slid down the track and slammed the inside wall hard.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: None
3rd Caution: Matt DiBenedetto
4th Caution: A.J. Allmendinger
5th Caution: Danica Patrick
6th Caution: Ty Dillon
7th Caution: Paul Menard
8th Caution: Michael McDowell

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Larson
2nd: Chase Elliott
3rd: Joey Logano
4th: Denny Hamlin
5th: Jamie McMurray

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Martin Truex Jr.
7th: Kyle Busch
9th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10th: Jimmie Johnson
11th: Matt Kenseth
14th: Kevin Harvick
16th: Brad Keselowski
19th: Darrell Wallace Jr.
21st: Kasey Kahne
25th: Ryan Blaney
37th: Danica Patrick




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2017_FireKeepers_Casino_400/W
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/race-center/2017/monster-energy-nascar-cup-series/firekeepers-casino-400.race.html
-Image:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2716380-kyle-larson-edges-out-chase-elliott-wins-nascar-at-michigan-2017

Kyle Larson Holds Off Fellow Cup Regulars to Take the NASCAR Nationwide Series Win at Charlotte

         After a final restart and a shorter green flag run to end the race, Kyle Larson was standing on top in victory lane in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Charlotte after holding off Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Larson was one of the better drivers throughout the weekend, but he seemed to be a little bit behind most of the drivers in the early part of the race. His team, finally, made some nice adjustments and he took the lead for the first time in the race on lap 118. Larson surrendered the lead just one more time during green flag pit stops en route to taking the win in style. It was Larson's second win in the Nationwide Series for his career and both wins have come this year. Along with that, both of Larson's wins have come while holding off great drivers like Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and others. Larson has looked great this year in the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series and he has looked to be a driver that will be around for a long while. Brad Keselowski battled hard for the entire race and led a lot of laps, but he was forced to settle with a second place finish. Kyle Busch started on the pole and ran well in the early part of the race, but mistimed adjustments and a lack of track position led to a third place finish for Busch. Kevin Harvick seemed to be a contender for the entire race, but he settled with a fourth place finish. Brian Scott had one of the fastest cars all afternoon and took a fifth place finish. Regan Smith, Trevor Bayne, Elliott Sadler, and other Nationwide championship contenders finished behind them, but one contender finished badly: Chase Elliott. Elliott, who came in as the points leader, was running well early in the event, but a suspension problem just after the first round of green flag pit stops put him behind the wall and a thirty seventh place finish was the result. The annual spring race at Charlotte for the Nationwide Series was an event without a lot of cautions, but lap traffic, battles for the lead, hard fought positions battles, and competitive drivers made this race one worth watching.

        Kyle Busch started on the pole. It was his second NASCAR Nationwide Series pole of 2014 and he was looking to take his third Nationwide Series win of the year. The race went green and Busch took  a huge jump on the field to lead the first lap. Busch began to cruise away as Brad Keselowski fell into second place and Matt Kenseth fell into third. Keselowski began to pull in on Busch as the leader began to lap cars. The laps began to click away as Busch still was on point. On lap 20, though, Busch's early lead almost came to a halt. He reached a huge knot of traffic and Keselowski and Kenseth began to fly up to him. Keselowski managed to run right behind his fellow competitor for a few turns, but Busch pulled away once again. Just a few short laps after this battle, the first caution of the race waved on lap 24. Ryan Sieg clipped the apron in turn 2. He began to break loose and he went for a slide down the backstretch. He managed to corral his car before hitting the inside wall. He continued on without damage, but he would need some fresh tires. Tanner Berryhill 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 Kyle Busch once again coming out as the leader. After a short opening green flag run, the field would have to wait and see how long the next green flag run would go. 

        The race went back green and Matt Kenseth was able to blister past Kyle Busch after Busch decided to use the outside line. Busch began to fall back rapidly as Brad Keselowski moved into the second place spot. Kenseth remained pretty far out front as Keselowski looked to chase him down. The laps began to click by through the green flag run and Kenseth looked to be the guy to beat. He was fast around the track and he was negotiating traffic well. The fifty lap marked passed and Kenseth was still the guy to beat. A few positions were swapping in the top ten, but everything was very calm for most of the leaders. Green flag pit stops began to approach and these stops looked to be very important considering the long green flag run. The first round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 80. Drivers began to hit pit road quickly and Matt Kenseth finally came down. He returned to the track and remained the leader after pit stops cycled through. Just a couple of laps after the stops cycled through, the second caution waved on lap 87. Chase Elliott, who had just pitted a few laps before, had a suspension problem entering turn 3. He went up the track and slammed the outside wall hard. He ran slowly down the frontstretch with rather heavy damage to the side of his car. He made it to pit road, but his team sent him to the garage to fix the suspension part and he would lose a good many laps. Mike Bliss received the lucky dog. Due to the recent green flag stops, only a few drivers decided to come down pit road. Kyle Busch, Elliott Sadler, Ty Dillon, and others came down while the leaders stayed on track. After the Nationwide points leader had trouble, a good many championship contenders looked to make their way to the front of the field to gain some points.

        The race went back green and Matt Kenseth was once again able to hold onto the lead. He looked to run away again, but Brad Keselowski fell into second and remained close. Keselowski was able to make his way around Kenseth on lap 97 to take the lead. Keselowski had been a front runner all day, but now he was out front and looking to run away. Kenseth began to fall back and Kyle Larson made his first move to second place in the race. He kept a stable margin behind Keselowski as the race went a few laps past halfway. Larson looked to be stable in second, but the leader was running into lap traffic. Lap traffic had cost some drivers the lead early and it would happen again on lap 118. Keselowski approached a group of lapped cars in turn 3 and Larson was right there. Larson hit the outside line above the first car while Keselowski settled for the low line. They cleared the first lapped car easily and moved to the second one. The two held the same lines and Larson took the edge slightly around the second car. They made it to the frontstretch and they took the same lines around another driver. Larson was able to take the advantage and he began to run away from Keselowski. Shortly after Larson took the lead, green flag pit stops began to approach. On lap 134, Kevin Harvick hit the pit road a little early and took four tires before the stops began. Harvick's stop led the second round of green flag pit stops of the race to begin on lap 139. The pit stops began to cycle through and Kyle Larson returned to the lead after his stop. Now, most of the leaders could most likely make it the rest of the race, but strategy and cautions could still affect the race.

       Larson continued to hold the advantage out front as the field battled behind him. As the race passed the lap 150 mark, it looked like the drivers would have to survive the race without pitting again. The green looked to be set in and Larson would just have to hold off the field. As the race approached thirty five laps to go, the action started to increase a little bit. Drivers were looking to advance their position in hopes of moving up to the lead. The idea of the race going green for the rest of the way was quickly thrown out the window as the third and final caution waved on lap 170. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3 and NASCAR was forced to throw the caution. Ty Dillon received the lucky dog. The caution brought the final and most important pit stops of the race. All the lead lap drivers came down pit road and Kyle Larson returned to the lead, but the running order was shaken up behind him. Kevin Harvick moved into second place ahead of Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch was able to move into fourth for the restart. The race would restart one final time and the battle would begin again.

        Kyle Larson lined up to the inside with Kevin Harvick above him and Brad Keselowski following Larson with Kyle Busch above him. The race went green and Larson took the advantage as the field battled behind him. Keselowski moved into second and Busch moved into third with Harvick falling back on the restart. After things sorted out, only twenty five laps remained. Larson began to pull away from the drivers behind him and he looked to be in cruise mode. Twenty laps to go flashed on the board and Larson has once again lengthened his advantage slightly. Keselowski and Busch raced behind the young driver in hopes of making the most of a mistake. Ten laps to go flashed on the board and no mistake looked to be in Larson's mind set as he passed through lap traffic quickly. His two fellow Sprint Cup competitors weren't making any ground and only a caution could help them take the win. Larson continued to fly out front as the five lap to go mark came and went. Larson was in complete control and a second Nationwide win looked to be sure. He hit his marks well in the final laps to take the white flag. He ran through the first two turns cleanly and made his way down the backstretch. He made it through turn 3 and then out of turn 4 with no trouble in sight and the two drivers still far behind him. He crossed the finish line with a second win in his hands. Larson has been a good racer this season and his future looks great.

        Kyle Larson ran his rookie campaign in the Nationwide Series a year ago. Even though he looked pretty good in most races, he still seemed a little immature out on track. He made some rookie mistakes and all those mistakes made it very surprising when Chip Ganassi tabbed him as Juan Pablo Montoya's Cup replacement. Questions were raised about his abilities at the next level, but Larson took them all in stride. Already this year in both of NASCAR's higher series, he has proved why he was given that opportunity. He has taken two wins in the Nationwide Series and he followed up an Auto Club win two months ago in the series with a hard fought second place finish in the Cup race at the same track. It seems like Larson is a cut above of the future drivers in the sport and he will be a force to reckon with for years to come. Brad Keselowski fought extremely hard all afternoon and he walked away with a respectable second place finish. After struggles all weekend at Charlotte and then a pole, Kyle Busch could only muster a third place finish. Kevin Harvick was in position on the final restart, but he did not take advantage and he was forced to settle with a fourth place finish. Brian Scott was a major factor for the entire weekend and he walked away with a top five finish for his efforts. A few other Nationwide contenders, like Regan Smith, followed behind these drivers, but Chase Elliott finished deep in the order with a thirty seventh place finish. It was Elliott's worst career finish in the series and he lost his points lead to teammate, Regan Smith, in the process. Elliott and the rest of the Nationwide Series contenders will have another chance in just a week at Dover. Dover is known as a one mile track with some short track tendencies. Wrecks will surely happen and drivers will have to fight all afternoon to take a win at “The  Monster Mile.” Will Joey Logano take his fifth straight Nationwide win at Dover, will Kyle Busch redeem himself after a bad strategy call last year, or will another driver head to victory lane after a two hundred mile event? We will have to wait one week to find out these answers and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 24- Ryan Sieg went for a slide down the backstretch after clipping the apron in turn 2.

2nd Caution: Lap 87- Chase Elliott slammed the outside wall in turn 3 after a suspension part failed.

3rd Caution: Lap 170- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Tanner Berryhill
2nd Caution: Mike Bliss 
3rd Caution: Ty Dillon

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Larson
2nd: Brad Keselowski
3rd: Kyle Busch
4th: Kevin Harvick
5th: Brian Scott

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Matt Kenseth
7th: Regan Smith
8th: Trevor Bayne
10th: Ty Dillon
12th: Elliott Sadler
17th: Brendan Gaughan
37th: Chase Elliott




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_History_300/B
-Image:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/491925e7cbaa379c099dcd4538242228b69704e0/c=517-158-3352-2293&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/05/24//1400967078000-5-24-14-larson-nationwide-win.jpg

2014 Toyota Owners 400 Qualifying Canceled; Kyle Larson Will Start Out Front

         After a week off, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was looking to come back strong with a tense and exciting group qualifying session at Richmond. Well, Mother Nature had other ideas. Just as the NASCAR Nationwide Series finished their session of qualifying, the rain began to pour on track. The downpour was enough to cancel Sprint Cup qualifying before the time had even come for it to begin. Like always, the canceled qualifying session led to the starting line-up being set based on first practice speeds. Because of this, Kyle Larson will start out front for the first time in his young Sprint Cup Series career. Brad Keselowski will start second, Clint Bowyer will start third, Kasey Kahne will start fourth, and Kevin Harvick rounds out the top five in the fifth starting spot. Behind them, the diversity of the field begins. Ryan Truex, who is a rookie this year and had a previous best start of thirty fourth this season, will roll off eighth. Yes, he will roll off eighth after missing two races this season and not starting inside the top 30. Behind him, a good many veteran drivers will be forced to start deep in the field. Carl Edwards will start sixteenth, Joey Logano will start seventeenth, Ryan Newman will start eighteenth, Kyle Busch will start nineteenth, Tony Stewart will roll off twentieth, Kurt Busch will follow his teammate from the twenty first spot, Jeff Gordon will start twenty fifth, and Denny Hamlin, who is one of the best at Richmond recently, will start twenty eighth. Like I always say, it is going to be very interesting to see if these veteran drivers came maneuver their way to the front of the field. Plus, when you add in the fact that Richmond is a tough short track, the action will surely pick up very soon into the event. Tomorrow night's annual Saturday night race at Richmond will definitely be a good one after a week off. Will Kevin Harvick win a second straight spring race at Richmond and repeat after winning at Darlington, will Carl Edwards repeat at Richmond, or will another driver take the win and secure their shot at the Chase in just a few months? We will have to wait only one day to find these answers out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Starters:
1st: Kyle Larson
2nd: Brad Keselowski
3rd: Clint Bowyer
4th: Kasey Kahne
5th: Kevin Harvick

Notables Not in Top 5:
10th: Jimmie Johnson
12th: Matt Kenseth
13th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
16th: Carl Edwards
17th: Joey Logano
18th: Ryan Newman
19th: Kyle Busch
20th: Tony Stewart
21st: Kurt Busch
25th: Jeff Gordon
28th: Denny Hamlin

DNQs: Michael McDowell and Dave Blaney




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-09/W
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2014/pdfs/09rir2014qualresults.pdf
-Image:
http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20140324/NASCAR01/140329930/AR/0/Larson-Nationwide-Sprint-Cup.jpg

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

Kyle Larson Steals the Pole at Bristol Away From Kyle Busch

         With a time of 15.415 seconds (124.476 mph), Kyle Larson was able to take the pole away from one of the fastest guys in the series, Kyle Busch. Larson was definitely on his game in the second round, but the first was a struggle. He finished the first round tenth and he was very unhappy with the car. He came out in the second round and his car was yards better, which allowed him to take the pole from Kyle Busch and the other drivers who moved onto the second round of qualifying. Still, Larson won't be too far ahead of Kyle Busch. Busch qualified second and he was very fast in both qualifying rounds. He will definitely be a threat in just a few minutes when the race starts. The rookies were also well represented at the front. Ryan Blaney starts fifth and Ty Dillon will start ninth as Chase Elliott rolls off fifteenth with Dylan Kwasniewski four spots in front of Elliott, but he had a problem in qualifying that could force him to move to a back-up car. That incident was the first indication of a great qualifying session. The others were great racing, great battles, and hard fought laps laid down on track. It was definitely one of the best group qualifying sessions we have seen this year and it will definitely decide a winner today.

        Kyle Larson was one of the first drivers to head on track to begin the first round of qualifying at Bristol. He ran a decent lap that put him at the top of the board early on in the first round. About two minutes later, Matt Kenseth was able to go out and blister Larson's lap to take the top spot on the board.  Behind Kenseth, the battle was beginning to rage for twelfth. Still, a lot of time was left and the spot would definitely start to change. Nine minutes into the session, Kyle Busch went out and jumped to the top of the board with a single lap. He came in and he was ready to move onto the next session. Around this time, the battle for twelfth began to pick up. Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Elliott Sadler, Trevor Bayne, and others were battling to move onto the second round. Soon, only ten minutes remained. Kyle Larson was on the outside looking in, but with a few minutes left he jumped to the tenth position and into the top twelve. This put Chris Buescher just on the outside with about five minutes left to go. Teams on the outside began to thrash to make it into the top twelve, but they all fell short of Brian Scott's twelfth place time in the final minutes. The red and black flag waved and the field was set for the second and final round of qualifying. Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Dylan Kwasniewski, Mike Bliss, Kevin Harvick, James Buescher, Ryan Blaney, Regan Smith, Ty Dillon, Kyle Larson, Cale Conley, and Brian Scott moved on while Chris Buescher, Trevor Bayne, Chase Elliott, Elliott Sadler, and others barely missed the top twelve. Now, the twelve fastest drivers from the first round would fight for the pole in a ten minute battle.

        Matt Kenseth was the first driver on track in the second round. He ran a good lap and jumped to the provisional pole spot. All the cars began to file onto the track and Kenseth looked to be in good shape on the point. Three minutes into the session, though, Kyle Larson propelled himself to the top of the board after a struggling first round. He was on top, but Kyle Busch was on track. Busch fell just short of Larson and it looked like Larson was in control, but six minutes remained. With about four minutes left, the field began to file back on track for their second runs. On his second run, Dylan Kwasniewski had trouble. His car began to break loose in turn 1 and he began to slide up the track. He almost saved the car, but he backed into the outside wall. He was able to drive away, but he had significant damage. This brought out the red flag with only two minutes left. The wreckage was quickly cleaned up and some of the drivers went on track for their final runs of the session. Some improved their laps slightly, but the red and black flag waved with Kyle Larson still sitting on provisional pole. This gave him his first career pole in the Nationwide Series at the track he almost took his first win at one year ago.

        This qualifying session ended pretty much the same as the Spring race at Bristol did one year ago. Last year in the race, Kyle Larson came up just short of Kyle Busch in attempting to take his first win in the series. After today's session, the only difference was Larson came out on top of Busch, but it was still a very close margin. Trends would show that this race might end up the same as it did one year ago. Both Larson and Busch are extremely fast and they will both be at the front to start the event. This year, though, the running order might end up flipped. Matt Kenseth also had a very clean session today. He wasn't mentioned much, but he was in the top three at the end of both rounds of qualifying. He seems fast and he could be a part of the battle between the two Kyle's. Kevin Harvick also has to be counted in this battle as he rolls of sixth this weekend. Plus, don't count out the Nationwide Series regulars. Brian Scott, Regan Smith, Trevor Bayne, and others look fast and they could very well take a win today at Bristol. Even the rookies have a chance. Ryan Blaney has been consistent all weekend and Chase Elliott was fastest in one of the practice sessions. Everything is unknown when we head to Bristol. One thing is for sure: the action will be amazing. The 2014 Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 starts in just a few short moments. Will Kyle Busch repeat at the track, will Kyle Larson redeem himself after coming so close last season, will a series regular take a victory, or will a rookie show all the veterans how it is done? We don't have to wait too long to find these questions out and more. 
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Kyle Larson      15.415 (124.476 mph)
2nd: Kyle Busch     15.436 (124.307 mph)
3rd: Matt Kenseth     15.451 (124.186 mph)
4th: Brian Scott     15.525 (123.594 mph)
5th: Ryan Blaney     15.561 (123.308 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Kevin Harvick     15.575 (123.197 mph)
7th: Regan Smith      15.579 (123.166 mph)
9th: Ty Dillon     15.748 (121.844 mph)
11th: Dylan Kwasniewski      15.828 (121.228 mph)
14th: Trevor Bayne     15.543 (123.451 mph)*
15th: Chase Elliott      15.561 (123.308 mph)*
18th: Elliott Sadler      15.609 (122.929 mph)*
20th: Brendan Gaughan      15.637 (122.709 mph)*
(*: These four drivers were faster than some of the drivers in the top twelve, but they all missed the second round of qualifying.)

DNQ:
41st: Willie Allen     16.387 (117.093 mph)




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-04/B
-Image:
https://twitter.com/pixelcrisp/status/444855780383424512/photo/1