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Post by thefallen365 on Oct 13, 2019 18:43:20 GMT -5
BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT
Tony Stewart won last year's Budweiser Shootout, holding off the late Dale Earnhardt to take the checkered flag. Earnhardt will be on all our minds today, as it's nearly a year since his passing at this very track, Daytona International Speedway. The starting order looks like this:
6 Martin
28 Rudd
20 Stewart
97 Busch
2 R Wallace
12 Newman
24 J Gordon
30 J Green
9 Elliott
8 Earnhardt Jr.
18 B Labonte
5 T Labonte
88 Jarrett
40 Marlin
32 Craven
19 Atwood
41 Spencer
14 Compton
66 T Bodine
1 K Wallace
36 Schrader
09 G Bodine
As you can see, Casey Atwood is making his last run for Ray Evernham, as he's signed on to drive the 7 car for Ultra Motorsports this year. Just as well, we have Kenny Wallace still sitting in for Steve Park in the 1 car. We should have word from DEI, as well as NASCAR, on what his condition is and how soon he'll be back in the driver's seat. We'll also learn what kind of deal they've worked out as far as his playoff eligibility for the year. For now though, IT'S TIME TO GO RACING.
Green Flag, L1
Clean racing to start the day as everyone shakes off the rust. Multiple lead changes early as the deck gets shuffled. Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett, and the rookie Ryan Newman trade the lead for the opening twenty or so laps.
Yellow Flag, L24
Ricky Craven pushes Terry Labonte a little too hard and the 5 catches the apron to spin through the infield on the backstretch out of turn 2. Damage to the back of the 5, but otherwise, just a solo spin.
Yellow Flag, L47
The 28 of Ricky Rudd goes hard into the wall out of turn 4 with a flat tire. This round of pit stops puts Tony Stewart at the back after a mistake from the crew.
Yellow Flag, L59
A piece of debris from the fender of the 32 car winds up on the track with ten laps to go. This comes during a heated battle for the lead between Mark Martin and Ryan Newman.
3 Laps Remaining - Finish
Dale Jarrett holds off Bobby Labonte as they head down the backstretch. The tandem of Rusty Wallace and Dale Jr. have a run and duck underneath Labonte. Just behind them is Jimmy Spencer. This holds until Turn three on the final lap, as Rusty Wallace goes low with Jimmy Spencer and Jr. stays high to pick up Dale Jarrett. Rusty Wallace just edges out Jarrett on the low side by half a car length to take home the Shootout crown for the second time in his career!
Here's the final results:
1. 2 R. Wallace
2. 88 Jarrett
3. 41 Spencer
4. 8 Earnhardt jr.
5. 20 Stewart
6. 18 B. Labonte
7. 9 Elliott
8. 30 J. Green
9. 97 Busch
10. 6 Martin
11. 36 Schrader
12. 40 Marlin
13. 12 Newman
14. 19 Atwood
15. 14 Compton
16. 09 G. Bodine
17. 1 K. Wallace
18. 32 Craven
19. 66 T. Bodine
20. 24 J. Gordon
21. 5 T. Labonte
22. 28 Rudd -24L (Tire)
Join us next time for a preview of the upcoming season!
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Post by thefallen365 on Oct 21, 2019 2:35:53 GMT -5
Season Preview
Hendrick Motorsports
Jeff Gordon returns to the rainbow 24 after a fourth championship campaign. We'll see how he fares in this new championship format where everything will be up in the air until Homestead. Hendrick will field a fourth car yet again as rookie Jimmie Johnson makes the jump to Winston Cup competition this year. While things are looking up for Hendrick in that regard, Johnson may have to pick up the slack for Jeff Gordon's other two teammates. Terry Labonte hasn't taken the 5 car to victory lane in two years and only racked up one top 5 last year, but, as a proven champion, his head probably won't be on the chopping block for a couple years. The same can't be said for Jerry Nadeau. The 25 reached victory lane to end the 2000 season, but a winless 2001 and a new addition to the team could mean a short leash for the Danbury native.
Richard Childress Racing
With the death of Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick was thrown into RCR's primary car last year. He turned in a Rookie of the Year campaign, picking up two wins in the process. A win to end the season at New Hampshire last year was enough to get Robby Gordon a full time cup ride for the first time in his career. Look for him to show his worth at Sonoma and Watkins Glen this year. Meanwhile, Jeff Green, who finished runner-up to Kevin Harvick in the Busch Series last year, gets the call up to drive the 30 car. Two of the hottest prospects in NASCAR plus a threat to win at the road courses means that RCR could put three cars in the playoffs this year.
Roush Racing
Mark Martin comes into his fourteenth season with Jack Roush off the back of his first winless season in five years. It's the first time he's finished outside the Top 10 in points since that first season in the 6 car. There's been questions about when he'll hang up the gloves, but in his eyes, he can keep going for another decade. Jeff Burton was the only Roush driver to find victory lane last year, which Roush will have to have in mind with four drivers who all want the best car each week. Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch come off of their sophomore and rookie seasons, respectively, with chips on their shoulders. The weight will fall mostly on Kurt Busch though, as Kenseth topped his rookie season in the standings, despite not picking up a win. Busch's rookie campaign was mostly spent running in the mid-20s. He only picked up three top fives. He'll need to vastly improve on that if he wants to continue with the top Ford team in NASCAR.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Tony Stewart comes into the season off a runner-up performance in 2001. Longtime Gibbs driver Bobby Labonte's sixth place effort after his 2000 championship run means both guys should be sticking around for the foreseeable future and both will be favorites to race for the title at Homestead come November.
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi's first season of NASCAR ownership was marked by Sterling Marlin bringing home the bronze medal in the championship standings. This year, they field a second team with journeyman Jimmy Spencer at the helm.
Rookie Report
The only full-time competition for Jimmie Johnson this year will be Ryan Newman, who gets the call to drive Roger Penske's second car. Both guys will be in top tier rides, so despite the lack of other competition, these two may put on enough of a show by themselves.
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Post by thefallen365 on Oct 21, 2019 16:07:22 GMT -5
First practice at Daytona has concluded, so here's the top 10:
1. 19 Mayfield
2. 32 Craven
3. 21 Sadler
4. 2 R Wallace
5. 43 Andretti
6. 18 B Labonte
7. 88 Jarrett
8. 1 K Wallace
9. 99 J Burton
10. 29 Harvick
Jeff Burton winds up in the top 10 after fixing an engine issue. Kenny Wallace is still subbing for Steve Park. With a new rule added this year, Steve Park will remain playoff eligible as long as DEI waives all owner points for the starts Kenny Wallace makes on his behalf. Jeremy Mayfield tops the grid in his first run with Evernham. On to qualifying.
Starting Grid
20 Stewart
6 Martin
48 Johnson
17 Kenseth
99 J Burton
12 Newman
9 Elliott
28 Rudd
97 Busch
32 Craven
15 Waltrip
88 Jarrett
24 J Gordon
30 J Green
2 R Wallace
31 R Gordon
19 Mayfield
8 Earnhardt jr.
22 W Burton
29 Harvick
5 T Labonte
45 Petty
40 Marlin
43 Andretti
18 B Labonte
21 E Sadler
55 Hamilton
4 Skinner
41 Spencer
36 Schrader
1 K Wallace
25 Nadeau
10 Benson
26 Nemechek
23 Stricklin
7 Atwood
11 Br Bodine
14 Compton
49 Robinson
44 B Jones
77 Blaney
DNQs : 00 Kirk Shelmerdine, 09 Geoff Bodine, 16 Greg Biffle, 71 Dave Marcis, 75 Morgan Shepherd, 02 Hermie Sadler, 66 Todd Bodine
Tony Stewart is on the pole looking for his first Daytona 500 victory here this weekend. He finished 2nd in the truck race a couple days ago. Meanwhile, the winner of last year's 500 and yesterday's Busch Series race, Michael Waltrip, will be 11th on the grid.
The quickest during final practice were as follows:
1. 19 Mayfield
2. 45 Petty
3. 8 Earnhardt jr
4. 77 Blaney
5. 5 T Labonte
6. 12 Newman
7. 41 Spencer
8. 32 Craven
9. 97 Busch
10. 30 J Green
Once again, Jeremy Mayfield shows just how good his car is in the draft, as he sweeps both practices.
We'll be back when the green flag drops for the Daytona 500!
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Post by thefallen365 on Oct 21, 2019 18:10:27 GMT -5
Daytona 500 - Daytona
As the green flag flies, the racing stays pretty close, as expected at Daytona. Tony Stewart and Mark Martin, the two drivers on the front row, trade the lead a few times. Unlike the other races this weekend, we actually get a solid green flag run to start the race until Jeff Burton had an ignition issue on lap 18 in front of a large portion of the field.
Burton had engine issues in practice as well and it seems that those issues followed him into the race. This also led to contact between Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson, who would both have minor issues of their own. The racing would continue to be close right up until the end of the stage.
Stage 1
10 Stewart
9 Spencer
8 Earnhardt Jr
7 Busch
6 Schrader
5 R Wallace
4 Atwood
3 Nemechek
2 T Labonte
1 Craven
So Tony Stewart continues to dominate this one and earns the first playoff point of the season. Jimmy Spencer moves from the back to the front to bring the 41 from 29th up into second place. Earnhardt Jr. would need those stage points, as he'd be taken out by a spinning Dave Blaney. Despite the fact that more drivers were involved in that wreck, Jr. would be the only one to have to wheel it to the garage. A few laps later, Casey Atwood would have to head off with a mechanical issue. Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson would also succumb to their own issues and head to the garage close to the end of stage 2. As the stage came to an end, Tony Stewart would try to duck low on leader Ryan Newman to sweep the stages, but he wouldn't quite get there.
Stage 2
10 Newman
9 Stewart
8 Spencer
7 Nemechek
6 Craven
5 Busch
4 Jarrett
3 Schrader
2 Rudd
1 R Wallace
The rookie, Ryan Newman, holds off the field to take the second stage at Daytona. Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, and Jimmy Spencer continue to battle for the lead in the last 80 laps. A wreck with 15 to go, which collected Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Robby Gordon, Elliott Sadler, and Sterling Marlin, would lead to a ten lap shootout to end the Daytona 500.
Down the backstretch on the final lap, Ryan Newman chose to overtake Ricky Craven for second place, rather than trying to push him by Tony Stewart for the lead. Down into frontstretch, there was no doubt.
Tony Stewart wins his first Daytona 500! The second for Joe Gibbs! The folks at Ford might not be too happy with Ryan Newman's decision on the last lap. Here's the final results:
Official Results
1 Stewart 20
2 Newman 12
3 Craven 32
4 Spencer 41
5 Schrader 36
6 Waltrip 15
7 Elliott 9
8 Mayfield 19
9 Nemechek 26
10 R Wallace 2
11 Busch 97
12 T Labonte 5
13 J Gordon 24
14 J Green 30
15 Nadeau 25 -1
16 Skinner 4 -1
17 B Jones 44 -1
18 Blaney 77 -1
19 Martin 6 -1
20 Compton 14 -1
21 Petty 45 -1
22 W Burton 22 -1
23 Stricklin 23 -2
24 Benson 10 -2
25 Hamilton 55 -2
26 Robinson 49 -2
27 Andretti 43 -2
28 B Bodine 11 -2
29 K Wallace 1 -3
30 Harvick 29 -5
31 Rudd 28 -6
32 Jarrett 88 - retired L185
33 B Labonte 18 - retired L185
34 R Gordon 31 - retired L185
35 E Sadler 21 - retired L184
36 Marlin 40 - retired L180
37 Johnson 48 - valve L103
38 Kenseth 17 - gearbox L93
39 Atwood 7 - valve L69
40 Earnhardt jr 8 - retired L66
41 J Burton 99 - ignition L19
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Post by thefallen365 on Nov 8, 2019 5:46:53 GMT -5
Rockingham, Race #2
Pre-Race News
Greg Biffle was scheduled to qualify Jack Roush's fifth car this weekend. After a hard crash in yesterday's Busch Series race, the team is playing it safe. They put their 22 year old truck series driver, Jon Wood, behind the wheel as his replacement.
The big rumor swirling around this weekend is that Ford brass isn't happy with Ryan Newman's decision not to push Ricky Craven at Daytona. He had this to say:
RN: "I don't know what they have to be mad about. We put three Fords in the top 5. I stand by my decision. I gotta race for the name on the side of the car before the one on the front of the hood."
Interviewers also caught up with Ricky Craven:
RC: "Personally, I can't be mad at him. We just ran outta time to get past the 20 and he saw a way around me. It was a clean move in the end. If anything I just shoulda made my move sooner."
With the conclusion of first practice at Rockingham, here's the top 10:
1. 48 Johnson
2. 20 Stewart
3. 21 Sadler
4. 28 Rudd
5. 88 Jarrett
6. 24 Gordon
7. 12 Newman
8.17 Kenseth
9. 18 B Labonte
10. 29 Harvick
Jimmie Johnson tops the leaderboard. He'll be looking for a better showing this week after a dismal Daytona showing.
Starting Grid
99 J Burton
20 Stewart
12 Newman
24 J Gordon
18 B Labonte
97 Busch
48 Johnson
2 R Wallace
9 Elliott
77 Blaney
45 Petty
8 Earnhardt jr
17 Kenseth
6 Martin
43 Andretti
41 Spencer
36 Schrader
15 Waltrip
32 Craven
10 Benson
30 J Green
19 Mayfield
29 Harvick
40 Marlin
88 Jarrett
22 W Burton
55 Hamilton
1 K Wallace
4 Skinner
5 T Labonte
7 Atwood
26 Nemechek
28 Rudd
31 R Gordon
11 B Bodine
14 Compton
25 Nadeau
23 Stricklin
21 Sadler
16 Wood
44 Jones
DNQ: 49 Shawna Robinson, 66 Todd Bodine, 01 Ted Musgrave
Jeff Burton will be the pole Sitter for this one. He'll also be looking for redemption early on after not even making it 20 laps at Daytona. Meanwhile, Jon Wood makes the cut for the race, meaning he'll be making his Winston Cup debut.
Let's see how final practice turned out.
1. 24 Gordon
2. 17 Kenseth
3. 48 Johnson
4. 97 Busch
5. 20 Stewart
6. 31 R Gordon
7. 88 Jarrett
8. 12 Newman
9. 2 Wallace
10. 9 Elliott
No surprise to see Jeff Gordon on top here. He's won at this track four times, but it's been three and a half years since he did it last. Can he return to victory lane?
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Post by thefallen365 on Nov 9, 2019 16:49:20 GMT -5
Subway 400 - RockinghamJeff Burton jumps out to the early lead for the first ten laps before Ryan Newman runs him down.  Kurt Busch would stay off pit road during a debris caution to take the lead, only to be passed by Jimmie Johnson a lap into the next green flag run.  After another caution, it would be Dave Blaney assuming the lead. He would hold it for ten laps before being passed by Matt Kenseth.  On Lap 75, Dale Jr. and Kyle Petty would get tangled up to bring out another caution.  Just twelve laps later, Jon Wood's first Wiston Cup start would come to a disappointing end after hard contact with the wall.  A familiar scenario would then play out, as Dave Blaney would once again take the lead off pit road, only to be passed by Matt Kenseth.  Just a few laps later, it would be Tony Stewart taking the lead with only 25 laps left in the stage.  Ken Schrader would spin and make contact with Brett Bodine with only ten laps left in Stage 1.  Rusty Wallace would make a move down the backstretch on the last lap of the stage to steal the playoff point from Tony Stewart! Stage 1 10 R Wallace 9 Stewart 8 Kenseth 7 Jarrett 6 Elliott 5 Johnson 4 J Gordon 3 T Labonte 2 Waltrip 1 J Burton  Tony Stewart wasted no time jumping back into the lead to start stage 2.  Buckshot Jones would get loose and spin out of turn 4 to bring out another caution. Stewart maintains the lead.  Nothing eventful occurs for the rest of the stage. Tony Stewart dominates. Stage 2 10 Stewart 9 R Wallace 8 Johnson 7 Rudd 6 Kenseth 5 Jarrett 4 Elliott 3 Waltrip 2 R Gordon 1 J Burton  Tony Stewart continues to pull away to start the final stage. Meanwhile, a battle for second forms between Johnson, Jarrett, and Wallace.  During green flag pit stops, disaster strikes as Robby Gordon, Stacy Compton, Kyle Petty, and Kenny Wallace all get caught up at the entrance of pit road. This puts a few of the leaders, including Tony Stewart, a lap down.  It would be Rusty Wallace out front for the next 55 laps. Unexpectedly, Michael Waltrip would jump into the lead after taking only right side tires on the next round of pit stops.  An unlucky debris caution would bring Rusty Wallace even closer to running Waltrip down. As the green flag waved, it would be two lapped cars, Kevin Harvick and Ward Burton, between Waltrip and Wallace. Wallace would get around them, but it would be too late, even with a late move down the front stretch.  Michael Waltrip won the Busch Series race at Daytona last week and just a week later, he visits victory lane once again! Official Results1 Waltrip 15 2 R Wallace 2 3 J Burton 99 4 Kenseth 17 5 Rudd 28 6 Jarrett 88 7 Stewart 20 -1 8 Labonte 18 -1 9 Newman 12 -1 10 Hamilton 55 -1 11 Benson 10 -1 12 Johnson 48 -1 13 Marlin 40 -1 14 W Burton 22 -2 15 Earnhardt jr 8 -2 16 Mayfield 19 -2 17 Harvick 29 -3 18 Atwood 7 -4 19 Spencer 41 -4 20 Andretti 43 -5 21 Nadeau 25 -6 22 Nemechek 26 -7 23 Martin 6 -8 24 T Labonte 5 - Ignition L383 25 Elliott 9 - Retired L351 26 Petty 45 - Piston L298 27 K Wallace 1 - Retired L297 28 R Gordon 31 - Accident L296 29 Compton 14 - Tire L294 30 Sadler 21 - Retired L291 31 J Gordon 24 - Ignition L257 32 Busch 97 - Gearbox L255 33 Craven 32 - Valve L247 34 Jones 44 - Piston L204 35 J Green 30 - Clutch L179 36 Schrader 36 - Retired L176 37 Skinner 4 - Valve L141 38 B Bodine 11 - Accident L141 39 Blaney 77 - Retired L110 40 Wood 16 - Accident L84 41 Stricklin 23 - Ignition L51
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Post by thefallen365 on Dec 1, 2019 14:44:49 GMT -5
Las Vegas - Race #3
Pre-Race News
Rusty Wallace isn't happy with Kevin Harvick after being held up in the closing moments at Rockingham.
RW: "I don't know, I think we had it in another half a lap and half a lap is what we were stuck behind the 29. I know he's used to having the fastest car on Saturday, but he's gotta know when to move over on Sunday."
We reached Kevin Harvick for comment later.
KH: "It's a race. I know he's fast, but if he can't pass me, he's obviously not as fast as he thinks he is."
At the track this weekend, Rusty was asked about the state of the situation.
RW: "I said what I said. No chance he was catching the next guy he could pass for position. What he did wasn't racing. He's just inexperienced. Once I got past him, Ward (Burton) let me by easy. It's an awareness issue, I think."
We'll see if this turns into something more, but for now, first practice has concluded.
1. 2 R Wallace
2. 20 Stewart
3. 88 Jarrett
4. 6 Martin
5. 17 Kenseth
6. 97 Busch
7. 19 Mayfield
8. 9 Elliott
9. 15 Waltrip
10. 40 Marlin
Rusty Wallace went out with something to prove and put up the best practice time. We also see three Roush cars and both Evernham cars in the top 10.
Here's how they qualified:
Starting Grid
20 Stewart
2 R Wallace
28 Rudd
48 Johnson
17 Kenseth
97 Busch
88 Jarrett
29 Harvick
24 J Gordon
43 Andretti
15 Waltrip
40 Marlin
30 J Green
22 W Burton
6 Martin
31 R Gordon
8 Earnhardt jr
1 K Wallace
9 Elliott
41 Spencer
32 Craven
55 Hamilton
12 Newman
21 Sadler
36 Schrader
5 T Labonte
18 B Labonte
45 Petty
4 Skinner
19 Mayfield
25 Nadeau
10 Benson
99 J Burton
7 Atwood
26 Nemechek
14 Compton
16 Biffle
77 Blaney
44 Grissom
23 Stricklin
49 Robinson
DNQs: 11 Brett Bodine
For the third time this year, Tony Stewart will be on the front row. Kevin Harvick puts himself in the top ten. He's certainly got a lot of momentum this weekend. Brett Bodine misses his first race of the year as Greg Biffle makes his first career start.
Here's the results from final practice.
1. 6 Martin
2. 99 Burton
3. 17 Kenseth
4. 9 Elliott
5. 48 Johnson
6. 20 Stewart
7. 28 Rudd
8. 40 Marlin
9. 15 Waltrip
10. 88 Jarrett
Roush sweeps the top three spots and Elliott, Marlin, Stewart, & Waltrip remain consistent.
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Post by thefallen365 on Dec 1, 2019 16:04:36 GMT -5
UAW-Diamler Chrysler 400 - VegasPolesitter Tony Stewart would jump out to the lead early, putting some distance between himself and the rest of the field. It would be Kurt Busch carving up the top 5 on his way to take the lead from Tony Stewart on lap 23.  Mark Martin would eventually take second place from Tony Stewart and track down his Roush teammate, but he wouldn't be able to assume the lead until the first round of pit stops on Lap 66. The stage win seemed well at hand for Martin, but the engine would blow, as the crew decided on too much grille tape during the pit stop. Kurt Busch would take the lead for the remaining ten laps of the stage. Stage 1 10 Busch 9 Newman 8 R Wallace 7 Earnhardt jr 6 Jarrett 5 Johnson 4 Rudd 3 Stewart 2 Elliott 1 J Gordon  Twenty laps into the second stage, we'd see our first wreck, which would collect Casey Atwood, Jimmy Spencer, Steve Grissom, Jeremy Mayfield, Stacy Compton, and Shawna Robinson. Kurt Busch remains in the lead.  As the stage continues, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman battle for the lead, but Newman can't quite get by. It isn't until another rookie, Jimmie Johnson, catches up that Kurt Busch is finally unseated from the lead.  Jimmie Johnson would hold the lead for the remaining fifteen laps of Stage 2 and take the playoff point. Ryan Newman would finally get by Kurt Busch for second as they came to the line for the green-checkered. Stage 2 10 Johnson 9 Newman 8 Busch 7 J Burton 6 Stewart 5 Elliott 4 Craven 3 J Gordon 2 Jarrett 1 Earnhardt jr  The final stage was all about the battle between Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson. It was an intense battle with both men looking for their first career win. Kurt Busch would take the lead back with seventy to go to the roar of his hometown crowd. The battle would be enough to bring Tony Stewart and Bill Elliott within a few seconds of the two. Bill Elliott, to this point, was consistently running the fastest laps on the track.  As the pit stops cycle through, Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, and Kurt Busch wind up as the top three with Jimmie Johnson falling back after being one of the last cars down pit road. Bill Elliott and Tony Stewart would easily overtake the incumbent leader, Kurt Busch.  Jimmie Johnson worked his way up through to the top five on the freshest tires, but he was only able to get to third place. Bill Elliott would pull away from Tony Stewart to capture his second win for Ray Evernham!  So, Bill Elliott becomes the third driver to (most likely) punch their ticket to the playoffs. Here's the final results: 1 Elliott 9 2 Stewart 20 3 Johnson 48 4 Busch 97 5 Craven 32 6 Newman 12 7 J Burton 99 8 R Wallace 2 9 Jarrett 88 10 J Gordon 24 11 Rudd 28 12 Blaney 77 13 Earnhardt jr 8 14 J Green 30 15 R Gordon 31 16 Harvick 29 17 Petty 45 -1 18 T Labonte 5 -1 19 Marlin 40 -1 20 Hamilton 55 -1 21 B Labonte 18 -1 22 Andretti 43 -2 23 Benson 10 -2 24 Skinner 4 -2 25 Schrader 36 -2 26 Nadeau 25 -2 27 W Burton 22 -3 28 Kenseth 17 -3 29 Stricklin 23 -3 30 E Sadler 21 -6 31 Biffle 16 -6 32 Nemechek 26 valve L162 33 Waltrip 15 piston L131 34 Spencer 41 camshaft L98 35 Mayfield 19 accident L97 36 Atwood 7 accident L97 37 Compton 14 accident L97 38 Grissom 44 retired L97 39 Robinson 49 accident L96 40 Martin 6 header L72 41 K Wallace 1 piston L39
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Post by thefallen365 on Dec 14, 2019 1:48:43 GMT -5
Atlanta - Race #4Pre-Race News
Reporters caught up with Bill Elliott, last week's race winner, who is still riding the high of last week's win.
BE: "Those kinds of races are always the most fun. When (crew chief) Mike (Ford) said we were the fastest car with about fifty left, I knew we had it. The folks watching at home might not have figured it out 'til after the last stop, but I been doin' this a long time and when I got it, I know. I noticed a lot more folks in victory lane with me than usual, so I reckon they're thinkin' it might be the last time they see me there. I don't think it is. Hell, I feel like I could do it a dozen more times."
When asked how many wins he thinks he'll wind up with this season, the multiple-time most popular driver chuckled.
"Just what I said! A dozen!"
Riding the fine line between cocky and sarcastic.
Let's see how first practice turned out:
1. 8 Earnhardt jr
2. 77 Blaney
3. 48 Johnson
4. 31 R Gordon
5. 24 J Gordon
6. 9 Elliott
7. 88 Jarrett
8. 20 Stewart
9. 45 Petty
10. 2 R Wallace
It's Dale Jr. topping the leaderboard. He hopes to win, but he'll at the very least want to find the top ten for the first time this season.
Let's check the starting grid:
88 Jarrett
20 Stewart
2 R Wallace
18 B Labonte
12 Newman
5 T Labonte
28 Rudd
48 Johnson
29 Harvick
9 Elliott
8 Earnhardt jr
24 J Gordon
32 Craven
99 J Burton
40 Marlin
10 Benson
15 Waltrip
17 Kenseth
22 W Burton
19 Mayfield
77 Blaney
30 J Green
21 E Sadler
55 Hamilton
45 Petty
31 R Gordon
41 Spencer
23 Stricklin
1 K Wallace
26 Nemechek
6 Martin
11 B Bodine
36 Schrader
25 Nadeau
4 Skinner
7 Atwood
43 Andretti
14 Compton
44 Grissom
97 Busch
16 Biffle
DNQs: 49 Shawna Robinson, 00 Mike Wallace
Dale Jarrett takes his first pole of the year and Tony Stewart will be on the front row a remarkable fourth time in as many starts.
Let's see the results of final practice:
1. 2 R Wallace
2. 6 Martin
3. 77 Blaney
4. 48 Johnson
5. 12 Newman
6. 9 Elliott
7. 5 T Labonte
8. 88 Jarrett
9. 30 J Green
10. 19 Mayfield
Rusty Wallace appears to have the fastest car coming into the race. He's been close this year, but hasn't been able to finish. Among the cars to watch will be Jimmie Johnson and Dave Blaney, the only two drivers to put up a top five lap time in both practices.
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Post by thefallen365 on Dec 16, 2019 21:41:44 GMT -5
MBNA America 500 - AtlantaDale Jarrett, the polesitter, would take off into the lead to start the race with the advantage of the bottom line and clean air in front of him. Simultaneously, Jeff Gordon, who encountered a malfunction just before the green flag flew, would go a lap down after pitting to start the race. Tony Stewart would run down Jarrett after taking second place back from Rusty Wallace, taking the lead on lap 10.
Dale Jarrett and Tony Stewart would trade the lead back and forth for the next fifteen or so laps.
Eventually, it would be Jarrett coming out on top.
After taking the lead on lap 24, Jarrett would not give it up, earning his first playoff point of the year to end stage 1.
Stage 1
10 Jarrett
9 Elliott
8 Busch
7 Waltrip
6 Kenseth
5 Martin
4 Stewart
3 Rudd
2 Earnhardt jr
1 J Burton
Mark Martin's pit road adjustment was enough to propel him through the top 5 and into the lead on lap 94
But it wasn't enough to keep him there all through the stage, as Tony Stewart would wind up back in front on lap 128 with just over 40 to go in the stage.
A caution with eight to go in the stage would shake things up, as most of the leaders pit. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Dave Blaney, and Matt Kenseth would roll the dice and stay out. As the green flag flew with five to go, no one would catch Junior as he went on to take his first stage win of the year.
Stage 2
10 Earnhardt jr
9 Blaney
8 Kenseth
7 Stewart
6 J Burton
5 Elliott
4 R Wallace
3 Martin
2 Newman
1 Jarrett
Mark Martin and Bill Elliott would win the race off pit road and they would battle for the lead to start the final stage.
Jeff Burton would run both men down to take the lead on lap 195.
On lap 217, the only major wreck occurred when Elliott Sadler spun across the nose of Terry Labonte, collecting Ryan Newman and Jeff Green in the process.
The restart would lead to a back and forth battle between Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton for the lead with Stewart eventually coming out on top.
The last round of green flag pit stops came with 35 laps left in the race and in a shocking turn of events, Dave Blaney wound up with a lead as long as the backstretch! This would be the first win for not only Dave Blaney, but for Jasper Motorsports as well!
Mark Martin is gaining and gaining fast. Blaney has to put lap traffic in between himself and Martin. Unfortunately for Blaney, Martin is able to slice through the pack of lapped cars and bring the margin down to a couple car lengths with just ten laps to go! Martin makes his move with seven to go and overtakes Blaney!
The crowd has just as much reason to cheer for Mark Martin here though as he takes the white flag. After nearly two years, Mark Martin returns to victory lane, snapping his longest winless streak since he started driving for Jack Roush! Dave Blaney gets edged at the line by Tony Stewart.
With that, Mark Martin all but clinches a spot in the playoffs to continue chasing that elusive first championship!
1 Martin 6
2 Stewart 20
3 Blaney 77
4 J Burton 99
5 R Wallace 2
6 Earnhardt jr 8
7 Elliott 9
8 Jarrett 88
9 Marlin 40
10 Busch 97
11 Rudd 28
12 Johnson 48 -1
13 Petty 45 -1
14 B Labonte 18 -1
15 Harvick 29 -2
16 T Labonte 5 -2
17 Schrader 36 -2
18 Andretti 43 -2
19 Hamilton 55 -2
20 Craven 32 -2
21 Benson 10 -3
22 K Wallace 1 -3
23 Nadeau 25 - 3
24 Nemechek 26 -3
25 Compton 14 -4
26 Stricklin 23 -4
27 R Gordon 31 -4
28 W Burton 22 -4
29 B Bodine 11 -4
30 Biffle 16 -6
31 Grissom 44 -6
32 Kenseth 17 gearbox L280
33 Spencer 41 clutch L270
34 Newman 12 retired L221
35 E Sadler 21 accident L217
36 J Green 30 accident L217
37 J Gordon 24 accident L113
38 Mayfield 19 camshaft L98
39 Waltrip 15 gearbox L89
40 Skinner 4 engine L65
41 Atwood 7 accident L43
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