Cars in field: 38
Pole: Tyler Reddick (45)
Outside Pole: Kyle Larson (5)
Stages: 80-85-102
Weather: Partly sunny, 82°F, Feels like (sun) 81°, Wind NNE 18 mph, Wind Gusts 18 mph, Feels like(shade) 78°
Caution on lap 1 of 267 for a spin by Justin Haley (7). He tried to drop down in front of Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47) before he (Haley) was clear and spun himself off Ricky’s bumper.
You can tell the television broadcast is proud to have finally caught some on-track action live for a change. They have shown the replay an insane number of times for something that didn’t involve multiple cars. They missed the actual race restart showing the replay of Haley’s spin again.
Restarting on lap 5 of 267 with Tyler ‘TyRed’ Reddick (45), Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20), Kyle Larson (5), ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11), Martin ‘MTJ’ Truex Jr. (19), Ricky ‘WreckySpinhouseJr’ Stenhouse Jr. (47), Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace (23), Chase Elliott (9) up front.
Time to watch something else on lap 10 of 267 as they are showing that weird shot that looks like a shot from the ‘trunk’ of the side of the window or a fender or something – it’s never clear exactly what – and it’s always hazy/fuzzy/dirty looking and doesn’t show anything that seems relevant to the race in progress.
MRN says on lap 13 of 267 there’s good racing throughout the field. Since I’m unable to see anything that looks like racing, I’m watching a home renovation show instead. At least they actually show people renovating a home, rather than a close-up of a nail or blades of grass or something equally asinine.
Green flag pit stops are underway on lap 32 of 267.
On lap 46 of 267 Kyle Larson hits the fence according to MRN. His right rear is down. Caution comes out for debris on lap 47 of 267. MRN reports Larson said he had a vibration shortly before the contact with the wall. Television is in a full-screen commercial break. The replay they have looks like he was up in the marbles and the car just got sucked into the wall.
Chase Elliott (9), Bubba Wallace (23), Reddick (45), Ryan Blaney (12), and CBell (20) win the race off pit road.
Four cars stay on-track, Kyle Busch (8), Joey Logano (22), Austin Dillon (3), and Todd Gilliland (38) stay out.
Restarting on lap 52 of 267 with Kyle Busch (8), and Joey Logano (22) up front.
Tyler Reddick (45) takes the lead on lap 55 of 267.
wins stage one 4.167 seconds ahead of teammate Bubba Wallace (23) in second place.
Restarting on lap of 267 with Ryan Blaney (12) up front followed by Bubba Wallace (23), Carson Hocevar (77), Chase Elliott (9), Christopher Bell (20), Denny Hamlin (11), Tyler Reddick (45), Alex Bowman (48).
Chase Elliott (9) gets the early lead. Bubba Wallace (23) is on his bumper.
Green flag pit stops underway on lap 113 of 267 as Ryan Blaney (12) pits after brushing the outside wall.
NBC is showing the bees flying around the spotters’ stand as ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) catches up to leader Chase Elliott (9).
There’s a battle for the lead and NBC switches the shot from the two cars to a shot of the car’s wheels, back to the two cars, then to a bumper-cam shot as the battle continues. Seriously, just show the two cars racing each other. Stop breaking the rhythm of the battle, killing the drama of the event, with the idiotic camera shots that take the viewer completely out of the door-to-door battle for the race lead as the laps dwindle in stage two. On lap 159 of 267 Hamlin finally gets the lead.
‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) wins stage two.
Chase Elliott (9), Hamlin (11), Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20), Ryan Blaney (12), Tyler ‘TyRed’ Reddick (45), William ‘WilliB’ Byron (24), Carson Hocevar (77), Martin ‘MTJ’ Truex Jr (19) win the race off pit road.
Restarting on lap 172 of 267 with Chase Elliott (9) leading them to the green flag. CBell gets the early lead as Chase Elliott remains on his door. Chase Elliott takes the lead on lap 173 of 267.
Ryan Blaney (12) takes the lead from Elliott on lap 174 of 267.
Chase Elliott (9) takes the lead back on lap 176 of 267.
The battle for the lead between Elliott and Blaney continues lap after lap.
Caution on lap 185 of 267 for another spin by Justin Haley (7).
On lap 187 of 267 MRN reports Chase Elliott (9) has led 81 laps so far.
Ryan Blaney (12) wins the race off pit road, followed by Chase Elliott (9), Christopher Bell (20), Tyler Reddick (45), Kyle Larson (5), Carson Hocevar (77), Denny Hamlin (11), Alex Bowman (48), William Byron (24) and Ryan Preece (41).
Matt Mills will remain in the hospital overnight tonight as doctor’s monitor his oxygen level due to the smoke inhalation he suffered in yesterday’s Truck series crash.
Restarting on lap 191 of 267.
Blaney gets the early lead.
MRN reports we have now had 27 lead changes (a record for this track) – 11 different leaders (the record is 15) – on lap 194 of 267
On lap 204 of 267 they’ve gone back to that weird, blurry shot of a fender, or A-post, or something seemingly on the back of the car. Checking out the F1 race and a Christmas movie.
Green flag pit stops are underway on lap 217 of 267.
Tyler Reddick (45) is staying out hoping for a caution on lap 242 of 267. MRN and television have decided to follow the battle between Ryan Blaney (12) and Kyle Larson (5) for second. Larson tagged the outside wall again. Hamlin (11) also brushed the wall. CBell (20) and Chase Elliott (9) are battling for fifth.
MRN says Reddick last pitted on lap 188 of 267 and “is clearly one of the slowest, if not the slowest car on the track” on lap 247 of 267.
On lap 250 of 267 that weird bubble camera shot with the blurred video of some part of the car and the outside wall.
Reddick pits under green on lap 252 of 267.
Larson has caught up to Blaney again on lap 252 of 267.
Reddick merges back onto the track alongside Ryan Blaney. He quickly unlaps himself.
Larson brings out the caution with a spin on lap 254 of 267 as Larson tried to split Blaney (12) and Austin Dillon (3), tapped Blaney’s right rear, the rear end kicked out and he spun down to the inside of the track.
Everybody pits but Reddick.
Ryan Blaney (12), ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11), Chase Elliott (9), Alex Bowman (48), William Byron (24), and Christopher Bell (20) win the race off pit road
Restarting on lap 260 of 267 with Tyler ‘TyRed’ Reddick (45) and Ryan Blaney (12) on the front row, followed by Denny Hamlin (11), Chase Elliott (9), Alex Bowman (48), William Byron (24), Christopher Bell (20), AJ Allmendinger (16), Carson Hocevar (77), Kyle Larson (5), Chase Briscoe (14), and Preece (41).
Hamlin shoves Reddick to the lead then passes Reddick for the lead.
Blaney passes Hamlin for the lead, Hamlin comes back to pass Blaney.
Reddick has caught up to Blaney. Blaney blocks Reddick allowing Hamlin to get away. Blaney tries another pass on Hamlin. Doesn’t work on lap 264 of 267.
Blaney takes the lead on lap 265 of 267 and takes the white flag.
Tyler Reddick (45) passes Blaney coming out of turn four and clears him at the line for the win.
What a disappointing result, but an exciting handful of laps. The race was good overall. They raced frequently and the MRN call allowed me to ‘see’ it when NBC was busy showing useless crap. There was a lot more racing in this event than in all of yesterday’s Xfinity series race. The Cup race was better than the Truck series race and it was quite a good race.
MRN’s Jason Toy asked Denny Hamlin how did he feel as an owner and Hamlin said now is not the time for that. He’s not in the emotional place to think about that.
Chase Elliott (9) led 81 laps and finished fifth. Chase is 43 points below the cut-off line and Blaney is 28 points below the line. Larson is seven points below the line. CBell is 29 above and WilliB is 7 above the cut-off line.
It’s starting to look like I won’t be bothering with the Phoenix race at this moment. The downside of the Playoffs format is that only four drivers have a chance and if they are drivers I don’t want to win the championship I have no reason to watch since Phoenix has not put on a good race in years – probably more than a decade.
Blaney said he didn’t have a very good last lap. He is very disappointed in his television interview.
MRN says the Homestead race will be in March in 2025.
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