My Thoughts: 2014 Daytona #2

         When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was at Daytona in February, the situation was different compared to tonight. It was the annual Daytona 500 for the Cup drivers and it was the first race of the 2014 season. Each driver was filled with hope and promise for the upcoming season and each driver wanted to get 2014 started off with a bang. Sixteen races after the Daytona 500, mindsets have changed. Ten drivers have already qualified for the Chase and only a few drivers seem to be on the verge of making the Chase as well. After tonight's race, the season will be halfway and only eight races will remain before we decide the sixteen drivers who will be battling for the championship in the final ten race Chase. Tonight's race is the final wild card before the Chase. A driver can come out of nowhere, win tonight, and be in the Chase after the Richmond race. It could be any number of drivers, but also consider some of the drivers who haven't won yet this year and want to race into the Chase. Drivers like Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, and Jamie McMurray have shown their abilities on restrictor plate tracks before and they will all be looking for their first win of 2014 and a Chase spot. But don't count out the underdogs. Drivers like David Ragan, David Gilliland, Landon Cassill, Reed Sorenson, and others could come out of nowhere to win the race. Plus, some drivers like Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danica Patrick, and Austin Dillon aren't underdogs, but they could steal an upset win. Tonight's race at Daytona is going to be unpredictable and that is just how we like it. With that introduction, I have a few topics to discuss with you guys. Topics include a discussion of victory lane injuries, a discussion of Tony Stewart, a discussion of Dale Earnhardt Jr., a discussion of those underdog drivers, and, of course, my pick to win the race. Well, let us jump into these topics as we prepare for a fireworks show at Daytona.

1. Brad Keselowski Injures Hand in Victory Lane at Kentucky: Should NASCAR and the Teams Be Concerned?
        Last Saturday night, Brad Keselowski utterly dominated the event at Kentucky. He pulled into victory lane for the typical celebration and it would turn out to be a bizarre celebration by the end of the night. As Keselowski and his team were going to shoot champagne around victory lane, Keselowski cut his hand wide open a bottle. He began to bleed and he ran towards the infield care center. He received four stitches and his hand was taped, but the stitches were removed in Daytona earlier on Friday. It was a scary situation and one that I want to talk about here. Here is my question. Should NASCAR and the teams be concerned about victory lane celebrations? I would say they should be pretty concerned. Let me say this before I begin. I believe every driver should be able to celebrate in victory lane after winning and they deserve to celebrate a win, but there needs to be some concern every time. I mean, I don't remember somebody ever getting hurt while celebrating a race win. I'm sure it has happened, but I don't remember it. That means, to me, that NASCAR and all the teams in victory lane should be very cautious. The situation at Kentucky didn't turn out too bad, but it could have. Keselowski could have injured himself bad enough to need surgery or need work done to his hand. That would have not been good for Team Penske and Keselowski in hopes of winning a championship. Still, it is a very rare thing. I don't think that will happen again for a while, but we need some more concern in victory lane and I hope NASCAR looks into this.

2. Tony Stewart: Does He Reach Victory Lane at One of His Favorite Tracks?
        Before I begin this topic, I want to give you guys some very compelling statistics. Stewart has won four of the last nine summer races at Daytona with two back-to-back wins in 2005 and 2006. Stewart has won seven races at Daytona in the Nationwide Series including four straight from 2008 to 2011. I can continue going, but it seems like these statistics speak for themselves and there is one single main idea: Tony Stewart is great at Daytona when it isn't the Daytona 500. He has never won the Daytona 500, but he has won in just about everything else. Stewart hasn't won yet this year, but here is my question as he looks for that first win. Will he reach victory lane at one of his favorite tracks? Of course, he has a chance like anybody, but he has a way better shot than most of the drivers. The main reason is the fact that Stewart is a good driver in the draft and he has good teammates in the field. Tony Stewart's wins at Daytona speak for themselves. He knows the draft well and he is a good driver to have near you during any part of a restrictor plate race. Plus, he has three teammates in Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Danica Patrick who are pretty good racers at the restrictor plate tracks. He can help them in the race and they can help him take the win. The final reason is the summer stretch we are in. I have mentioned this before, but the summer time is when Tony Stewart starts to click off wins and good finishes. Today's race will be no different and he will be a contender for probably the entire event. Hopefully, Tony Stewart runs well and he is able to move into the Chase.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Can He Sweep at Daytona in 2014?
        One of the major stories heading into this weekend's race was about Dale Earnhardt Jr. possibly sweeping the two races at Daytona in 2014. If you recall, Earnhardt outlasted a rain delay during the day and he was able to go out and win the race during the night in the Daytona 500. He battled hard all night and he deserved to win the race in the end. Since then, Earnhardt has proven he is a contender this year with another win at Pocono just a couple weeks ago and he is sitting second in the points due to his consistency. I have just a single question for Earnhardt and his team heading into the race. Can he win and sweep at Daytona in 2014? I certainly think he can. The main reason is how confident he has been acting recently. Earnhardt has not finished outside the top ten since Charlotte in May and he has looked very fast every week. In fact, some weeks, he has looked almost unstoppable. At Pocono a couple weeks ago, Earnhardt looked great and he ended up taking the win. A final reason he can win the race is his ability in the draft. Earnhardt is another driver who can go out in the draft and almost see the air as he is flying around the track. He has always been a great driver on the superspeedways and Daytona is probably his favorite. Plus, he is starting seventh and he will definitely be an early factor with all of his teammates close to him. If you don't think Earnhardt can win this race at Daytona, check your predictions again because he will be a factor for sure.

4. Underdog Drivers: Who Has the Best Chance to Win the Race?
         I mentioned in the introduction about underdog drivers and how they will have a chance to win this race at Daytona. We always talk about how the draft is the ultimate equalizer and this will be the case for drivers who don't have as much money in the bank. Along with that, I want to give you guys a driver who I think is the underdog with the best chance to win the event. There are a good many to choose from like David Gilliland, David Ragan, Landon Cassill, Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte, Josh Wise, Michael McDowell, Reed Sorenson, Michael Annett, and a good many others along with that. For the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, I picked Michael McDowell to have the best chance and he ran well, but wrecked during the event. Today, I thought about going with David Gilliland. He pushed teammate, David Ragan, to the win at Talladega last year and he is on the pole for this Daytona event, but I am going with a different driver. I am going with Landon Cassill as the underdog driver that I think can win the event. Why would I choose him? Well, listen to this. Cassill finished twelfth this year in the Daytona 500 and he finished a career best eleventh at Talladega in May. Cassill has been one of the least talked about underdogs in superspeedway races this year, but he has been legitimate at all those tracks this year and in the past few years. I would expect Cassill to be a factor all race long and he will certainly be there when the checkered flag is close to waving.

5. My Pick to Win
        Daytona is always known as a wild card and that has been the case many times in the past. Just look at the winners in 2011. Trevor Bayne came out of pretty much nowhere in 2011 to win the Daytona 500 just a day after his twentieth birthday. David Ragan, who was snubbed out of that Daytona 500 win after a penalty, used help from his teammate, Matt Kenseth, to win the 2011 Coke Zero 400 for the first time. Plus, the track holds some great finishes. Just think of the 2007 Daytona 500 where Kevin Harvick barely edged Mark Martin to win his first 500. It was an extremely close finish and one of the most memorable ones in recent memory. Also, in 2007, Jamie McMurray barely edged Kyle Busch at the line to win the summer race at Daytona. Let us summarize this. The finish in the annual Independence Day weekend race at Daytona will be great and it could hold an underdog winner after four hundred miles of Daytona racing. Now, I have to decide on a driver who will win the event. Like I usual do at restrictor plate races, I can't choose a winner because it is so tough to choose a guy to win the event. Everybody has a chance in this race and it will certainly be one of the best races of the season. Unfortunately, the race was rained out tonight and it will be moved to tomorrow morning. Depending on rain and other things, I don't know if I will be able to write about it or not. We will have to see, but it will definitely be a great race either way. I am excited for it and I am definitely not ready to wait for it. Well, that is all for me tonight and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/d841160ad1aef11bc8b030336d89ab891585d9f6/c=0-1081-2553-3000&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/07/05/1404582019000-IB05-NASCAR-09.jpg

Dakoda Armstrong Wins His First Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Pole After Rain and a Crash at Daytona

         With a time of 46.845 seconds (192.123 mph), Dakoda Armstrong was able to win his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole after rain ended qualifying at Daytona for the series after only one round. With threats of rain in the minds of all crews before the start of the session, each team was planning to run fast in the first round. That was definitely the case as drivers began to file onto track and run fast laps in the first minutes of the first round. Armstrong jumped to the top of the board with help from his Ford teammates with about fifteen minutes remaining in the round. With about seven minutes left, rain began to pour on a segment of the backstretch and a group of cars had a huge wreck that brought the round to a halt. NASCAR called the first round and looked to continue the session, but rain began to pour all around the track. NASCAR called the session after a single round and Dakoda Armstrong grabbed the pole as he was fastest after the first round. Trevor Bayne helped his fellow Ford driver to the pole and he was able to grab a second place starting spot after finishing third at Daytona in February in the series. Chris Buescher missed the Daytona Nationwide race in February, but he qualified third for tonight's race at the historic track. Ryan Reed has been consistent all year and he took a fourth place starting spot at Daytona. Kyle Busch was up to his usual ways as he took a fifth place starting spot for tonight's event. The second chance for the NASCAR Nationwide Series to perform knockout qualifying at Daytona was an unforgettable session. The huge crash in the rain mentioned above took out a good many drivers and left most of the fans and drivers shocked after the wreck. Dakoda Armstrong's upset pole win will be a moment that will be remembered for the rest of the year. After a very interesting session of qualifying, these starting spots for the drivers could lead to a win for one lucky driver.

        Joey Logano was the first driver on track at the start of the first round. A good many drivers waited two and a half minutes before heading out when Logano led a group out. He ran a rather slow lap compared to his pack because he was leading the draft. A good many other groups went out and early on, Matt DiBenedetto, who was driving an underfunded Chevrolet, jumped to the top of the board. Just a minute later, Scott Lagasse Jr. jumped to the top of the board as the shuffling of groups began. Drivers were moving all around the leaderboard as they passed the finish line each lap around. A minute later, Regan Smith jumped to the top of the board after help from his JR Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott. Just a lap later, Dakoda Armstrong flew to the top of the board with help from some of his other Ford teammates. As Armstrong moved to the top, the shuffle at the top of the board began to cease. The rest of the battles would be for the twenty fourth and final transfer spot to the next round. A good many drivers like Dylan Kwasniewski and David Ragan were on the outside and they were hoping to move their way in. A good many underdog drivers were also looking to make their way in. With about eight minutes left, those were the only drivers left on track. For those drivers, though, their session would take a turn for the worst. 

         As a group of drivers led by Mike Bliss started down the backstretch with eight minutes left, rain began to pour on track. Mike Bliss tried to pull off track as he hit the wet part of the track. He did, but his car began to spin due to the wet conditions. At the same time, Eric McClure and Robert Richardson Jr. began to spin. Drivers like Benny Gordon, Joe Nemechek, Matt DiBenedetto, Ross Chastain, Scott Lagasse Jr., and Blake Koch began to spin and pile into the wreck. Chastain had extremely heavy damage after hitting Bliss and Lagasse caught fire while leaving the scene. All the drivers had pretty heavy damage while the backstretch became soaked. NASCAR brought out the red flag immediately and they began to move the damaged cars. Drivers began to wait and NASCAR decided to end the first round since all drivers had run a lap during the round. This meant Tanner Berryhill took the final transfer spot while Dakoda Armstrong moved on as the fastest driver from the first round. Trevor Bayne, Kyle Busch, Elliott Sadler, Chase Elliott, Regan Smith, Darrell Wallace Jr., Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, and others moved on while Dylan Kwasniewski, David Ragan, John Wes Townley, and others missed the next round. As the drivers were looking forward to the second round, rain quickly began to fall all around the track. The track was quickly covered in rain and NASCAR decided to call qualifying after a single round. This put Dakoda Armstrong on the pole for the first time in his very young career. Armstrong hasn't been up front too much this year, but he will be at the front tonight and hoping for a win.

         When Richard Petty and his team pegged Dakoda Armstrong to drive their car before the beginning of this season, some people were left scratching their heads. Not many people had heard of Armstrong, but he has done pretty well in NASCAR and ARCA for a couple of years. He ran well in a full season for Stacy Compton in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2013 and he ran a few races for Richard Childress Racing in the Nationwide Series. Now, he is in his first full year of Nationwide competition for Richard Petty and he is in the spotlight with his first pole in the series at a very historic race track. If he could win tonight, it would be a win for Armstrong on the thirtieth anniversary of his boss's two hundredth win in NASCAR's highest series. It would mean a lot for the entire team and it would be a great win to see. Trevor Bayne starts second tonight and he will look to win at Daytona for the first time in the Nationwide Series. Chris Buescher will look to take a second place run at Talladega in May to a win at Daytona tonight and he will start from the third spot. Ryan Reed will look to take his first NASCAR win with a fourth place starting spot for this race tonight. Kyle Busch already has three wins this year in the series and he will look to take a fifth place starting spot to his fourth win. The rest of the Nationwide field follows with some very good underdogs mixed into the running order. Daytona is always a wild card and tonight's race will definitely be filled with action, wrecks, and, possibly, an underdog winner after two hundred and fifty miles. There are many things that can happen and they will all happen for sure. Will Dakoda Armstrong take his first pole to his first win, will Chase Elliott manage to take his first restrictor plate win, will an underdog head to victory lane, or will another driver head to the historic victory lane at Daytona? We only have to wait a couple of hours to find this out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Dakoda Armstrong     46.845 (192.123 mph)
2nd: Trevor Bayne     46.886 (191.955 mph)
3rd: Chris Buescher     46.915 (191.836 mph)
4th: Ryan Reed     46.979 (191.575 mph)
5th: Kyle Busch     47.053 (191.274 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Elliott Sadler     47.079 (191.168 mph)
7th: Chase Elliott     47.103 (191.071 mph)
8th: Regan Smith     47.115 (191.022 mph)    
10th: Kyle Larson      47.212 (190.630 mph)
11th: Joey Logano     47.261 (190.432 mph)
13th: Kasey Kahne     47.422 (189.785 mph)
16th: Ty Dillon     47.834 (188.151 mph)

DNQs:
41st: Benny Gordon      48.623 (185.098 mph)
42nd: Blake Koch     48.631 (185.067 mph)
43rd: Tommy Joe Martins     49.009 (183.640 mph)
44th: Matt DiBenedetto     49.172 (183.031 mph)
45th: Bobby Gerhart       49.242 (182.771 mph)





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-16/B
-Image:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKjlWUJDDnL6jaBa_gbltn6ZIDSg30S326BMLN_UzsVUqZs-LLyosR5zaZJuhRnpCfHz4oO1tk0KwqhaBuwFaA8hwndch7b-N9a0k1uonxWB7dpp2f-0SiHgTAsBkQTykfbuhSmkSSvP3/s1600/Dakoda+Armstrong+1-11-14+NASCAR+via+Getty.jpg

Kyle Busch Wins His Sixth Straight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Kentucky

          After leading ninety one of the one hundred and fifty laps in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky, Kyle Busch was able to take his sixth straight Truck win dating back to last season at Homestead. Busch was the dominant truck for the entire night, but a final restart with about ten laps to go would decide the winner of the event. Busch restarted with his teammate, Darrell Wallace  Jr., next to him and he managed to hold off Wallace and Ryan Blaney to take the win in pretty easy fashion. In only five truck starts this season, Busch has won every single start and won his final start of 2013 at Homestead. It seems like Busch is always on a constant roll and Kentucky was no different. It was his fortieth win in the Truck Series as well and he is within eleven victories of tying Ron Hornaday Jr.'s all time record of fifty one wins in the series. It seems within Busch's grasp and he has a chance to pass the number. Busch's teammate, Darrell Wallace Jr., ran well after his win at Gateway two weeks before and he took a second place finish. Ryan Blaney battled hard all night as well and he walked away with a third place finish. Timothy Peters stayed consistent all night and he was able to take a fourth place finish. Brad Keselowski had a pit road penalty after removing equipment form his box, but he was able to battle back to a fifth place finish in his attempt to win his first ever race in the series. The rest of the Truck Series racers followed behind this stacked top five. The annual race at Kentucky for the trucks was a race filled with strategy and unforgettable moments. Many drivers were able to play the right strategy call to take a good finish in the event. Brad Keselowski's pit road mistake turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of the race. Kyle Busch dominated the event and left his mark on the race. All in all, the Kentucky Truck race turned out to be a Kyle Busch dominated race, but one that could have taken a turn in the end.

         Kyle Busch started on the pole. It was his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole in only his fifth start of the season in the series. The race went green and Busch jumped out to the lead after a quick battle with Darrell Wallace Jr. Wallace wouldn't back down, though, as he took the lead on lap 2 of the event. Just as he jumped out to the lead for the first time in the event, the first caution of the event waved on lap 2. Debris from Matt Crafton's truck was spotted on the track in turn 2. Crafton wouldn't need any repair because the debris was just a side skirt and he would only be affected by down force. John Wes Townley also made slight contact with the wall in turn 2 after breaking loose, but he continued on with slight damage. None of the drivers received the lucky dog. The debris was quickly cleaned up and the field was lined back up. The race went green again and Darrell Wallace Jr. managed to hold onto the lead. The race looked to move into a green flag run, but the second caution of the event quickly waved on lap 8. Bryan Silas broke loose exiting turn 4 underneath Mason Mingus. Silas's truck immediately began to slide and he slid into the frontstretch grass. He spun back towards the asphalt and came to a slight stop on the apron. Silas continued on without damage, but he would need fresh tires. Adam Edwards received the lucky dog. The caution brought a little bit of strategy for some of the field. Brad Keselowski and Austin Dillon, who started in the back, decided to come down pit road and get tires to gain on the leaders. It would be interesting to see how this move worked for these two drivers throughout the rest of the race.

         The race went back green and Darrell Wallace Jr. once again held onto the lead ahead of his boss, Kyle Busch. Wallace began to run away as the race entered the beginning of a long green flag run. It looked like he would be the leader throughout the run, but Kyle Busch's truck began to pick up speed. Busch began to charge up to Wallace a few laps into the run and he took the lead with ease on lap 36. Busch began to set a torrid pace as the first pit stops of the event began to close in. Busch had run away as the first green flag pit stops of the event began on lap 49. All the lead lap drivers quickly began to file down pit road with the exception of Brad Keselowski and Austin Dillon. Keselowski and Dillon stayed on track a few more laps because they had pitted during the second caution. They finally came down pit road around lap 56 and Kyle Busch inherited the lead. Busch held the lead until the third caution waved on lap 60. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3. Austin Dillon, who had just pitted, received the lucky dog. Brad Keselowski had remained on the lead lap after his pit stop and both drivers were on the lead lap with similar strategy as the rest of the field. All the lead lap drivers remained on track and the field was lined back up after the debris was picked up. The race went green and Kyle Busch once again held onto the lead ahead of the field. Busch looked to run away as the field raced behind him. He was putting fast laps down every single lap and it looked like the race was in the middle of another long green flag run, but the fourth caution quickly waved on lap 76. 

         John Wes Townley broke loose in turn 4. His truck began to slide up the track and he tried to save it. He couldn't and backed into the outside wall hard. Townley drove away, but his back end was heavily damaged and he would need repairs. None of the drivers received the lucky dog because Townley was the first driver a lap down. Once again, strategy calls would be made during the pit stops under the caution. Brad Keselowski and Max Gresham decided to stay on track. Timothy Peters, Ryan Blaney, and others took two tires while Kyle Busch, Darrell Wallace Jr., and others took four tires. This left Keselowski out front for the first time in the event and Busch ended up in the back part of the top ten for the first time. It would be interesting to see how each driver handled a different situation. The race went green and Keselowski was able to hold onto the lead even with older tires. The drivers who took two and four tires looked to pass him, but Keselowski looked faster than all of them. He was putting down blistering laps out front, but Kyle Busch began to close. Busch was slicing through the pack and he was in second in about ten or fifteen laps after the restart. Busch began to move towards passing his foe at the front and within a few laps of taking second, he was on Keselowski's back bumper. Busch made quick work of the 2012 Cup champion and he took the lead on lap 96. Just as Busch began to move into a rhythm out front, the fifth caution of the event waved on lap 98. 

         Jeb Burton broke loose in turn 3. His truck began to slide and he almost saved it, but he broke loose. His truck pointed towards the outside wall and he pounded it hard. Burton drove away, but he had heavy damage to his truck. Joe Nemechek received the lucky dog. The caution brought what could be the final stops for the leaders if another caution didn't wave and the pit stops brought a little strategy.  Kyle Busch and a few of the other lead lap drivers took fuel only while Brad Keselowski and others took two tires under their stops. For Brad Keselowski, his race would take a turn. As his team changed two tires, one of the crew members added an adjustment to his truck on the decklid. The wrench became stuck as Keselowski went to leave and the crew member couldn't pull it out. Keselowski left pit road with the wrench still in his truck and he received a penalty for removing equipment from the box. This put him at the back of the lead lap with only fifty laps left to go. Keselowski would have to battle back while Kyle Busch would have to hold onto the lead. The race went back green and Busch immediately jumped ahead of the drivers behind him. He began to pull away as the field looked for a way to chase him down. Busch was setting a torrid pace and the laps began to click away in the race. Brad Keselowski was coming, but he would need a caution to even have a chance at Busch. With about fifteen laps to go, it looked like Busch was gone and the field could do nothing to prevent him from winning his fifth race of the season. All that changed, though, as the sixth caution waved on lap 139. 

        Caleb Holman began to slow on the backstretch. He looked to coast onto pit road using the turn 3 access road, but he was going way too slow. NASCAR was forced to wave a caution to help move Holman's truck. Bryan Silas received the lucky dog. The caution brought all the lead lap drivers back to Kyle Busch, but they would still have to battle him for the win. Along with that, there would be a final set of strategy stops for some drivers and a final run to battle for the win. Brad Keselowski and a few other drivers decided to come down pit road for two tires while Kyle Busch, Darrell Wallace Jr., Ryan Blaney, and others stayed on track. It would be interesting to see if Keselowski was able to run down the leaders and win the race. After a little bit of strategy, the truck drivers lined up for a final restart in the race. The race went green for the final time and Darrell Wallace Jr. began to battle Kyle Busch hard on the bottom of the track. The two battled side-by-side for a couple of corners before Busch finally took the lead away. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski shot through the field in the final few laps. He reached the top five and his progress stalled as Busch passed the line with two laps to go. Busch was hitting every corner perfectly and he took the white flag with ease. Busch passed through the first two turns and headed to the final two turns of the event. He crossed the finish line first and took his fifth win in the Truck Series in 2014 in only his fifth start. It was a dominating victory for Busch to add to his already great statistics in NASCAR.

        Kyle Busch has been, arguably, one of the best drivers in the two lower divisions of NASCAR for the past few years. He has won many races in the Truck Series and Nationwide Series. In fact, he has become the most winningest driver in Nationwide Series history at only twenty nine years of age. He has also taken his dominance in the lower series to a good many wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series along the way. He hasn't won a title in the series yet, but he has been on the verge for a good many years. It is only a matter of time before we call Busch one of the better drivers in NASCAR altogether. The time seems to be coming and it will only be a couple more years. Busch's driver, Darrell Wallace Jr., has been on a recent good streak as well and he took a second at Kentucky to follow up his Gateway win two weeks before. Ryan Blaney battled hard for the entire night at Kentucky and he was able to battle to a third place finish. Timothy Peters stayed consistent and played the right strategy to take a fourth place finish at Kentucky. Brad Keselowski battled back from numerous problems while looking to win his first Truck race and he took a fifth place finish even with penalties and tough strategy calls. Johnny Sauter came home ninth and was able to hold onto his points lead, but he lost a few points to his teammate, Matt Crafton. It will be interesting to see how the points change throughout the course of the season and who ends up champion after twenty two races. The Truck Series takes a week off before heading to Iowa Speedway for a stand alone event for the series. Will Timothy Peters be able to repeat at Iowa, will Darrell Wallace Jr. continue his recent string of good finishes, or will another driver stand tall in victory lane after a short track battle? We will have to wait a week to find this out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 2- Debris from Matt Crafton's truck was spotted on track in turn 2.

2nd Caution: Lap 8- Bryan Silas broke loose underneath Mason Mingus in turn 4 and went for a spin down the frontstretch.

3rd Caution: Lap 60- Debris was spotted on track in turn 3.

4th Caution: Lap 76- John Wes Townley broke loose in turn 4 and backed into the outside wall hard. 

5th Caution: Lap 98- Jeb Burton broke loose in turn 3 and almost saved his truck, but he slammed the outside wall hard.

6th Caution: Lap 139- Caleb Holman slowed on the backstretch of the track.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Adam Edwards
3rd Caution: Austin Dillon
4th Caution: None
5th Caution: Joe Nemechek
6th Caution: Bryan Silas

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Darrell Wallace Jr.
3rd: Ryan Blaney
4th: Timothy Peters
5th: Brad Keselowski

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Matt Crafton
7th: Austin Dillon
8th: Ron Hornaday Jr. 
9th: Johnny Sauter
14th: Joe Nemechek
15th: German Quiroga
27th: Jeb Burton





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_UNOH_225/C
-Image:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/311b93b848bb2bd6b99b4a750f21abc76b3ab512/c=312-194-2708-1995&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/06/26/1403837119000-2014-06-26-Kyle-Busch2.jpg