It’s raining in Bristol. They’re doing a few features and driver interviews during the rain delay. The race was renamed in honor of Steve Byrnes to the “FOOD CITY 500 IN SUPPORT OF STEVE BYRNES AND STAND UP TO CANCER“. Get well Byrnesy!!! We miss you desperately. Your professionalism, talent, skills and fun are unmatched leaving NASCAR programming lacking. It was lovely to see all the crews holding up signs that read ‘I Stand Up For Steve‘.
The Gordon kids, Ella and Leo, gave the command to start engines standing next to their Papa’s car. It was sweet.
The race is red flagged for rain on lap 22 of 500. Keselowski got loose and spun in front of Joey Logano bringing out the first caution on lap 19.
Martin Truex Jr joins Myers and Mikey on the desk in the Hollywood Hotel.
Jeb Burton said his Mom Tabitha just got diagnosed with breast cancer. Get well Tabitha Burton. Jeb said he and Tommy Baldwin were selling autographs when they were kids – he was at the fence, a fan of a particular driver would want their favorite driver’s autograph, so Jeb and Tommy would go to a driver’s motor-home and get the autograph, then sell it. Jeb said he sold Dale Jr’s for $80 once. He said when he came home with all this money, like $200, his parents were asking what was he doing and he and Tommy got into trouble for it.
They talked to a lot of drivers during that rain delay, more than 30, though not Jimmie nor Jeff Gordon. It was nice to hear from many we don’t normally get to hear from these days.
If the race resumes tonight it will be on FS1. If the race is postponed until tomorrow it will be on FOX at 11am. Coverage of the rain delay ended at 4:30pm ET.
Watching the Indy Car race and they showed a picture of the Penske team holding up the I Stand Up for Steve signs at the Indy Car race in Long Beach. Nice.
6:30pm the drivers are getting into their cars. Denny Hamlin will be replaced by Erik Jones in the 11 car for the remainder of the race.
NASCAR says they think they have a window in the weather to get the race in now.
Coach says Denny had a neck spasm causing him to get out of the car.
There will be a competition caution on lap 60.
Denny said he pulled something in his upper back or neck around lap 12. He said the pain is just too bad to stay in the car. He said they worked on it, but the pain is just too much.
Caution is out on lap 62 of 500.
Tony Gibson is ill and did not come back out after the rain break, so the lead engineer John Klausmeier and Greg Zippadelli are tag teaming crew chiefing the race. Tony Gibson has a kidney stone. Old Man is in the motor-home watching the race just released from the hospital.
We’re under caution on lap 168 for a weeper coming from the SAFER barrier onto the track.
Martn Truex Jr and his crew chief have been invited to a chat at the NASCAR hauler after reporting fluid on the track.
According to Mike Joy at the halfway point everyone will Stand Up To Cancer.
On lap 250 – I Stand Up For Steve – Byrnes Strong!
Caution is out on lap 256 with a little rain falling.
Now the race is red flagged while the jet dryers are at work on the track.
On the restart on lap 278 a wreck occurs as Kurt Busch slides into Jimmie Johnson sending him against the wall. Kurt then turned sideways in front of the field. They were in third and fourth at the time. Collected cars including Danica, Hornish, the 7, Chris Buescher, though no one seemed to get huge damage in the incident. Jimmie is in for repairs. Kurt’s damage seems to be less than Jimmie and Danica’s damage.
People are complaining about where they’re lining up, as well as the Lucky Dog. Since Danica was in the incident she didn’t get the Lucky Dog. ‘Frankenstein’ Austin Dillon was complaining that he was lining up behind the 42. Petree reminded us that the field is frozen and the line-up is based on the last scoring loop.
Sparks are flying from underneath the 78 as he heads toward pit road with a flat left front tire. Truex is now five laps down.
Caution is out on lap 311 of 500. Jimmie tapped Jeb Burton’s bumper and Jeb spun into the fence. David Ragan plowed into Jimmie’s rear causing Jimmie to spin. Jeb spun back up the track in front or David Ragan which turned him across the field, then Kevin Harvick slid into David Ragan.
Caution out on lap 367 of 500. Kyle Larson hit Landon Cassill in the 40 and turned Landon and he went into the wall hard. Landon has been released from the infield care center. He was upset with himself for getting in front of the 42. He said he was trying to get out of the way, but saw the 26 of Jeb Burton and moved to try to get around him and got in front of ‘Kutey’ Kyle. He said he hoped Kyle didn’t have any damage. He doesn’t have much.
During the caution a piece of Danica’s car fell off extending the caution. It looked like the last piece of debris that was seen laying on the car.
Caution is out on lap 473 of 500. Apparently Jamie Mc blew a tire, hit the wall, stopped, then Josh Wise pounded into him and Clint Bowyer pounded into Josh. There was also an accordion effect tangle with Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse and Michael Annett. Danica also got spun in the process, but didn’t seem to get any damage.
Clint says he sprained his left wrist and it hurts pretty bad.
Kurt Busch is coming down pit road – from the lead – by himself.
Rain is imminent.
With 17 to go caution is out again for AJ Allmendinger and Kasey Kanne getting into the walls. Casey Mears got a piece of it when AJ Allmendinger’s car came back up the track. Smoke and Truex also got a piece of that. Smoke turned Kasey, he was headed toward the outside wall, turned it back inside and hit AJ sending them both into the inside wall, both bounced back up onto the track which is when Truex and Casey Mears got a piece of it.
Eight laps to go on the restart. Caution is out with 7 laps to go. Carl got loose and spun into the wall and Kurt Busch plowed into the back of him. Menard got collected by Allgaier who couldn’t check up in time and they both spun into the inside wall. ‘Sideways’ Sam (Hornish) lived up to his nickname and spun in the wake of that.
It is raining again.
If we restart it will be a green-white-checker with Matt Kenseth leading and Jeff Gordon in second.
Austin Dillon just came on pit road to get fuel. They decided to go ahead an put tires on.
The pace car has brought the cars down pit road. DW said he thinks he saw the sky light up over the grandstands. Fog keeps rolling in over turn two. The jet dryers are on the track working. The 23 has water blowing out the overflow. At this point we’ve run 505 laps. The rain has stopped, so the jet dryers are trying to get the track dried. The jet dryers are coming in, the drivers have restarted and the caution is back out. Byrnesy tweeted that its a remarkable day. His nephews and niece were presented with a replica of the winner’s trophy to take back home to him.
The pace car leads the field onto the track. 506 laps have been completed at this moment. There are fuel concerns for Kenseth and Gordon. Brett Moffitt in the 55 needed a push to get started. Newman is in third and Jimmie is in fourth for the restart.
Green glad. Newman didn’t get a good restart. Jimmie is following Matt in second.
Kenseth wins. Jimmie finishes second and Jeff Gordon finishes third.
In NASCAR news this week:
- Circle Sport Penalties Reduced.
- Busch Recalls Crash, Updates Recovery.
- RCR Penalty Upheld – Points and Fine Reduced.
- Parrott Steps In.
- RCR to Make Final Appeal.
- Ross Kenseth to Drive for JGR at Chicago.
- Logano Dominates at Bristol.
- Appeals panel rules RCR intentionally altered Newman’s tires.
- Title Busch has no timetable for return after Daytona wreck.
- Kasey Kahne to take part in military training for Coca-Cola 600 pre-race show.