Aric Almirola is up and walking. His doctors say he will be out 8 to 12 weeks and if he injures that again before it is healed he will be paralyzed from the belly-button down, so he’s taking his recovery very seriously since he is a husband and the father of two small children. Get well Afterburner. I’m glad he’s doing as well as he is and that he has hope of a full recovery.
So we start with the Open, a three stage race to get three more people into the All-Star Race field.
Clint Bowyer wins the first stage.
Lil Dude (Danica Patrick) got into Trevor Bayne and he did some awesome driving to save the car and keep on going.
Ryan Blaney wins the second stage.
Landon Cassill led them to the green flag for the third stage and got booted by Chase Elliott on the first lap which won’t count and sends Landon to the back of the field.
So far its seemed whomever is out front at the green flag stays there for the ten lap run. Boring.
The winner doesn’t have to do the rest of the stages.
Chase just booted Daniel Suarez to take the lead and Erik ‘Da Brat’ Jones passed him. Chase got back around him and Erik went into the grass to try to pass Chase got some damage and ended up spinning, bringing out the caution.
So there will be three laps to go once the caution period is up.
Daniel will lead the field to the green flag for the three lap shootout.
Daniel Suarez wins the third stage. Chase Elliott gave him a bit of competition in that stage at least.
Now the fan vote winner is announced who will get into the race. Chase Elliott won the fan vote so he still gets into the race.
More gimmicks, three twenty lap stages, then a final ten lap shootout and the average finish counts and there’s a second set of tires they’ll need to use. I don’t understand how that format will make it more exciting for the fans, but it does allow NASCAR to gimmick someone to a win. Apparently the determined top ten will only run the final ten lap run. Needlessly complicated.
As usual the reporters are talking on and on about a million dollars that will be given away. Sounds like the driver and a fan will each get a million. I still don’t understand why I’m supposed to be excited by drivers and teams with tons of money winning more money.
Oooh, they showed an awful crash in Indy Car by Sebastien Bourdais. Gotta find out more about that. Sebastian was qualifying for the Indy 500 and has the fastest lap when he lost it and hit the wall. The car flipped over and flamed out. He reached up for his helmet when the car came to a rest. He was awake and alert when he was taken to the hospital.
Kutey Kyle wins the first stage.
Kutey Kyle wins the second stage.
Jimmie Johnson wins the third stage.
‘It’ was trying to gimmick the gimmick by kinda using the option tires, taking them off, then deciding to use them later. NASCAR explained that the tires have to go on sticker, so since they had them on the car and went around a couple of caution laps the tires are no longer sticker and cannot be put back on the car. Paul Wolfe seems to have no faith in his driver’s ability at all. Guess he knows Keselowski better than I, so maybe he’s right.
Clint Bowyer’s team took two option tires and two ‘prime’ tires to fulfill the obligation of using both sets of tires.
KyBu wins This is Kyle Busch’s first Cup win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR seems obsessed with copying stick and ball sports these days – specifically the NFL. Well tonight we saw the NASCAR version of the NFL’s Pro Bowl. What a nothing race. All hype. The best that can be said about it was that it wasn’t a very long race.
Happy Birthday Tony Stewart.
Motorsports News:
- Bourdais fractures pelvis, hip during Indy qualifying crash.
- Almirola Gives Update, Out 8-12 Weeks.
- It’s time to ditch the $1 million prize as a marketing hook for the All-Star Race.
- After cancer diagnosis, NASCAR, IndyCar to honor John Andretti with #CheckIt4Andretti decals.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Nicky Hayden: ‘He’s an incredible person’.
- Kyle Busch wins bore of an All-Star Race.
- Carl Edwards declines invitation to be replacement driver for Aric Almirola.
- Kyle Busch Wins All-Star Race.
- Larson Wins All-Star Pole.
- Truex Rolls Into Charlotte Off Kansas Win.
- Smith Discusses Substituting for Almirola.
- Ernie Cope takes over as crew chief for A.J. Allmendinger.
- Two Options for One Million Dollars.
- NASCAR All-Star Race History.
- Earnhardt Started Something Special.
- Smith to Drive No. 43 Ford in Open.
- ‘One Hot Night’ at Charlotte.
- Notebook: NASCAR Addresses Inspection Issues.
- Two All-Star Events on Tap for Truex.
- Fourth Stage Added to Coca-Cola 600.
- Almirola Released from Hospital.
- Almirola Airlifted to Hospital.
- Truex Conquers Kansas.
- Blaney Captures First Pole.
- Tatum Named Coca-Cola 600 Grand Marshal.
- New Sponsor for Stenhouse Jr..
- Bowyer Hoping for Home Cooking.
- RFR Celebrates Talladega Victory.
- No. 43 Team Penalized.
- NASCAR Fines TBR Crew Chief.
- Grades Are In for First 10 Races.
- Penske Penalties Upheld In Final Appeal.
- Josh Turner to Perform at Chicagoland.
- Rookies Test at Darlington.
- XFINITY Drivers ‘Invade’ Philadelphia.
- Seventh Charlotte Truck Win for Busch.
- Busch Wins Kansas Truck Race.
- Moonshine and NASCAR: a history of speed.
- Kyle Busch considering driving full-time in Truck Series to attempt NASCAR championship trifecta.
- The souvenir haulers are back … and Landon Cassill’s name is misspelled.
- One NASCAR fan will be $1 million richer if Kevin Harvick wins All-Star race.
- NASCAR nixes marijuana-related sponsor for driver; company claims it was approved.
- Annual passes now available for both 2018 NASCAR Weekends at LVMS.
- Report: RIR to host NASCAR Cup playoff race in 2018.
- From cap and gown to helmet and firesuit, today will be memorable for Austin Cindric.
- Dale Earnhardt on All-Star race, 600, and what his Dad would think about today’s competitors.
- NASCAR on Fox to feature all-driver broadcast team for June Xfinity Series race Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer to call the shots from Pocono.
- Bidders, Start Your Engines! NASCAR Family’s Waterfront Estate Heads to Luxury Auction®.
- Furture Stars of Stock Car Racing to Showcase Their Skills at Bristol.
- Kyle Busch amazingly had Panthers’ Greg Olson hold his Cup trophy while driving him around.
- Toyota executive: Low downforce, not new car bodies, root of early season problems.
- Kligerman: Here’s an All-Star idea — go back to being truly stock and showcase the showroom.
- IMS plans a festival with the idea that electronic music and NASCAR will mix.