Race 15 - Citizens Bank 400

3 laps left. 3 stinkin' laps. And the game crashes. In the middle of a thrilling battle that looked like it might come down to fuel mileage. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Good point. I shouldn't really be surprised considering I'm trying run an 11-year old game on a Windows 8 laptop. At least the game and the computer both still work.

Citizens Bank 400
Cookie-cutter racing. What many fans call the downfall of NASCAR. "Boring". "Snoozefest". "Freight-train". "No passing". These are all words that have been used to describe most of NASCAR's tracks in the 1.5 - 2.0 mile range, which often share similar characteristics.

However, the 15th race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season didn't fall under the boring category. Despite the event being held at Michigan International Speedway, a track noted for its wide racing groove, lack of crashes, and typical long green-flag runs, every fan that stayed for the duration of the race was treated to a spectacular duel for the win in the closing laps.

The green flag flew at 1:17 pm as Jeff Gordon led the field to the green flag. He would not lead for long, however, and eventually he would spend many laps sitting on pit road with mechanical issues (ooc: he couldn't get out of pit road every time he made a green flag stop - never using this track again). Kevin Harvick was the driver who took over following the lap 3 caution flag for a vicious crash involving Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Bobby Labonte, after staying out along with Jamie McMurray and Martin Truex Jr.

The race soon entered one of MIS' patented long green flag runs. However, one aspect of the racing was notably different in this year's version of the event. Drivers throughout the afternoon found that pulling away from another driver hurt them in the end, as the field formed multiple small packs spread throughout the track, as drafting was key. Fans saw blazing fast speeds, as drivers eclipsed the 213-mph mark several times entering turn 1.

Despite the swarm of cars on his tail, however, Harvick wouldn't be passed until lap 48, when he made his first scheduled pit stop of the day, handing the lead to teammate Jeff Burton. Burton soon relinquished the lead to Gordon and then back to Harvick when stops cycled through on lap 56, but Burton was back in front by lap 64. He led until the second caution of the day for a turn 1 incident that eliminated Casey Mears and McMurray.

Carl Edwards was in front for the lap 79 restart after having stayed out, but was swarmed by the field during the frenzied 4-wide restarts also typical at MIS. Burton led by lap 81, and held it until Harvick got by on lap 94. The field stayed green during that stretch, despite contender Ryan Newman spinning and clipping the inside SAFER barrier on the backstretch on lap 85. Harvick briefly allowed another RCR driver, Clint Bowyer, to lead, and the led until a vicious wreck on lap 125 put the field back under the yellow. Upon exiting pit road following a green flag pit stop, Derrike Cope slid across Michael Waltrip's nose and out of the apron and onto the speedway. Steven Wallace, making just his third career start, was the first unfortunate victim, and slammed the #74 Dodge, and was promptly followed by Paul Menard. All three cars were brutally damaged and were thus knocked out of the race for good.

Jeff Burton led at the restart for 4 laps until Harvick took over once more, but only briefly. Penske's Travis Kvapil, in the midst of a disappointing season after a breakout 2006 campaign, took over on lap 137 and led through the lap 143 caution for debris. The restart saw another contender crash and not receive a caution flag, as Kyle Petty was pinned against the wall by Matt Kenseth on lap 149. The field raced on all the while, and Kvapil maintained control of the race lead until making his final planned pit stop on lap 173. Kyle Busch briefly took over, until Joe Nemechek and Tony Stewart remained the only cars that hadn't stopped on lap 175.

Both made their dive down onto pit road at the same time, but stunned pit road reporters with gutsy calls for just 2 tire pit stops, while the remainder of the field took 4. Nemechek emerged with the largest lead of the day, and Stewart held steady in second, but with drafting help from the lapped car of Greg Biffle and fellow top 5 cars of Kvapil and rookie Todd Kluever. Stewart was able to draft his way up to Nemechek's bumper, but wasn't able to squeeze into the lead until lap 188. Nemechek took it right back, however, and Stewart was left to fall back and plot another attempt. On lap 193, as opposed to using the inside line, Stewart made a bold attempt through turns 1 and 2 to use the high line to snare the top spot, and succeeded, motoring past Nemechek. From that point on, Stewart protected both the high line and the inside line, and was able to capitalize on a bold pit strategy to earn his series-leading 4th victory of 2007!

Pictures:

Jeff Gordon leads the 42-car field to the green flag.


Bobby Hamilton Jr.'s #34 Toyota gets air after a mechanical failure sent him into the path of Bobby Labonte.


Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray crash in turns 1 and 2 after Mears spun out.


Ryan Newman hits the inside wall after contact between Travis Kvapil and Jimmie Johnson sent him spinning on lap 85.


Steven Wallace, Paul Menard, and Derrike Cope spin wildly at the entrance to turn 1 on lap 125.


Matt Kenseth's top 10 hopes end after a brush with the wall caused him to slide into Kyle Petty in turn 1.


Tony Stewart holds off Joe Nemechek to earn a surprise victory at the Citizens Bank 400.