Cloudy in Dover at race time. Sixteen laps in and the sun is breaking through the clouds. Kevin Harvick is in the garage with a track bar mount replacement operation underway. Since he has a win it’s really no harm no foul for him if he doesn’t get back on the track – he’s going to the next round.
Caution on lap 105 of 400 for Ryan Blaney slamming the outside wall.
Dale Earnhardt Jr is sitting on the 88 pit box watching Jeff Gordon drive the 88 car. He’s said he feels so much better than he did five weeks ago and has spent time on the simulator, though he’s not ready to get back into a car yet. There are so many who should learn from Jr’s example. I was listening to Ben Kennedy last night and thinking he would greatly benefit from having Jr’s doctor and undergoing the concussion recovery protocol. He hasn’t been right since those hard hits he took earlier this year in the truck series.
On lap 169 of 400 Jamie McMurray has radioed in that he thinks his engine is going. The MRN guys are saying you can clearly hear that the Chip Ganassi-Felix Sabates #1 car is down a cylinder.
Since KHarv is in the garage and many laps down in the 39th position, but since he’s already won and will move to the next round that put Jamie McMurray at the cut off line. This issue has now put him on the ‘out’ side of the cut-off line.
Caution on lap 182 of 400 for an issue with Kyle Larson. Kyle hit the wall and has a wobbling right side tire.
Jamie Mc’s team had a look at his car. It appears to be an internal engine issue instead of a battery issue or a loose spark plug. Jamie’s still in the field.
Caution on lap 192 of 400 as Jamie Mc blowed up. Jamie says a drive shaft let go.
If Smoke doesn’t come back he will be eligible for the NASCAR Hall of Fame January 1 2020.
Disastrous pit stop for the 48 who goes from leading the race to one lap down. The jack-man was over the wall too early – Jimmie had to slam on brakes due to Kyle Busch coming out of his pit box after a stop, then the first fuel can got stuck, the crew members ran into each other due to the issue with the fuel can, so Jimmie had to serve a pass through penalty.
I find it so sad that Barney Visser and Martin Truex Jr have worked hard to get to where the 78 team is currently and they’re getting very little credit. All credit seems to be going to Joe Gibbs racing. To hear the media talk about it the only thing Barney and the team contribute to the car this season is buying chassis and engines from JGR and getting technology from them and attending the meetings. Seems as though the Furniture Row team didn’t really know anything about racing or race cars and had to buy it all from JGR. I’ve watched Barney steadily improve that team over the past few years and felt getting Martin as a driver would further improve things. It did. Then Barney makes the switch to Toyota and an alliance with JGR and all of his hard work is no longer recognized. Martin Truex Jr has been a very good driver for years. He just hadn’t had the equipment to prove it. Now that he does the team itself gets very little credit. They’re constantly just called another JGR team and JGR is given all the credit for the 78 team’s 2016 performance. Does this mean that JGR is flagrantly flouting the maximum four team rule – working they system? The fact that Erik Jones will be the teammate of the 78 next year kind of seems like it.
Jimmie Johnson caught up to Martin Truex Jr, but hasn’t been able to pass him to get back on the lead lap.
Martin Treux Jr wins.
What a boring race. After a few early cautions it was mostly follow the leader – not really much of a race.
Congratulations to Chase Elliott on his third place finish.
Jimmie finished seventh, Jeff Gordon finished eleventh, Kasey Kahne finished twelfth – not a bad day for Hendrick Motorsports.
This is the cut-off race, so four Chasers are out:
- Kyle Larson
- Jamie McMurray
- Tony Stewart
- Chris Buescher
The Round of 12 are:
- Martin Truex Jr
- Kevin Harvick
- Kyle Busch
- Matt Kenseth
- Joey Logano
- Chase Elliott
- Brad Keselowski
- Kurt Busch
- Denny Hamlin
- Carl Edwards
- Jimmie Johnson
- Austin Dillon
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