Cars in field: 40
Pole: Michael McDowell (34)
Outside Pole: Austin Cindric (2)
Stages: 60-60-68
Weather: Partly sunny, 84°F, Feels like (sun) 92°, Wind E 4 mph, Gusts 7 mph
Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20) and Daniel Suarez (99) will start at the back of the field for unapproved adjustments. Suarez’s team did something to the roof after qualifying yesterday. Suarez will also have to serve a pass-thru adjustment and his crew-chief was ejected. Bell’s team reported a missing bolt on the rear window of the car.
In turn three on lap 1 of 188 the television coverage has resorted to the idiot shots showing a badly shaking camera shot of tires and bumpers. Pole-sitter Michael McDowell (38) gets the early lead.
On lap 2 of 188 television was showing a split-screen of the race from a distance and Daniel Suarez (99) driving down pit road serving his penalty. The television crew apparently got bored before the event started. The coverage is awful much earlier than it was for the Xfinity series race. Without MRN I believe I would no longer follow NASCAR. The television coverage is not worth watching more often than not.
Caution on lap 11 of 188 for a spin by Daniel Suarez (99) after contact with BJ McLeod (78). Daniel tried to get into line in front of McLeod, but wasn’t clear, clipping McLeod with the right rear of his car into the left front of the 78 car.
Restarting on lap 16 of 188 with Brad ‘It’ Keselowski (6), Michael McDowell (34), Austin Cindric (2), Austin Dillon (3), Noah Gragson (10), Chris Buescher (17), Ryan Blaney (12), Martin Truex Jr (19), Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47), and Ryan Preece (41) up front. ‘It’ gets the early lead.
Of all the idiot ideas on lap 20 of 188 NBCSports is showing a very distant shot of the track – you see more infield than anything else, the cars are hidden, and in the other frame two spotters watching the race with binoculars in front of their faces. Ludicrous.
On lap 29 of 188 the split-screens get stupider. An eight panel split-screen, one panel of the field racing and seven panels of the view of the bumper of the car in front of some car. That’s followed by the field racing and a helmeted driver with his hands on the steering wheel and his feet. Totally useless television.
MRN is calling a very exciting race amazed that they continue to race three-wide throughout the field. Now on lap 43 of 188 the field is four-wide. We’re looking at the track surface and the tires and bumpers of cars.
They’re in fuel-saving mode, trying to reach the end of the stage on the current fuel. MRN’s Steve Post reports Kyle Larson (5) said on the radio they should try to control the lines when they were four-wide with Chevrolets leading each lane.
Chris Buescher (17) wins stage one.
The four-wide parade was impressive to see – when the television broadcast would bother to show it. That they were simply logging laps four-wide is a little disappointing, but since it looked so good and is so very difficult it made that section of the event better than the typical single-file or two-wide lap logging.
MRN’s Alex Hayden reports no one will get the free pass because Anthony Alfredo was in position to get it, then pitted within two laps of the end of the stage while the pits were closed so no one will receive the free pass. Daniel Suarez (99) remains two laps down. NASCAR digital reports Daniel Suarez gets the free pass.
Alex Hayden updates after a commercial break, saying upon further review NASCAR has said Daniel Suarez (99) will get the free pass making up one of the two laps he is down.
Restarting on lap 66 of 188 with Chris Buescher (17), Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20, Tyler ‘TyRed’ Reddick (45), Ricky ‘Wrecky Spinhouse’ Stenhouse Jr (47), Chase Briscoe (14), Ryan Blaney (12), Austin Cindric (2) Ty Gibbs (54), Joey Logano (22), Ryan Preece (41) up front. Several cars pitted again to top off fuel.
On lap 67 of 188 the field has become three-wide again. Television is showing a spotter and the field racing zooming in on a single car, then going to a blimp shot high over the field. Terrible visuals. Their fascination with showing anything but on-track action is beyond me. They spend so much time showing the track surface and outside wall, tires and bumpers you would think they’re getting paid to show those things. Obviously they’re not getting paid to show racing action. Maybe they are and they’re simply so unfamiliar with what constitutes good, exciting, engaging racing they don’t recognize it when they see it and instead show front and back bumpers thinking that is remotely interesting. I would be very pleased if someone informed them that video of bumpers, track surface, the outside wall, the side of random cars, drivers’ feet, drivers helmets and gloves and steering wheels, the post on the passenger side of the car, the view out the front, back and side windows, the tires, the undercarriages of cars, the hoods, and the rear-decks of the cars are all very boring shots that completely eliminates the opportunity for the viewer to get into the rhythm of the race.
Corey LaJoie (51), driving for his new team Rick Ware Racing, leads on lap 77 of 188. Last week Spire Motorsports agreed to swap drivers with RWR, letting LaJoie go to the 51 car and putting Justin Haley in the 7 car LaJoie has driven for the past several years.
Green flag pit stops are underway on lap 83 of 188 for some Fords.
On lap 93 of 188 Martin ‘MTJ’ Truex Jr (19) spins onto pit road as the Toyotas make their green flag stops. The race stays green.
On lap 98 of 188 Chevrolets pit for fuel.
On lap 99 of 188 the remaining Fords pit along with a couple of Chevys mixed in. In three seconds they dump cans can add five to six gallons of fuel in that time according to former crew chief Todd Gordon on MRN.
On lap 102 of 188 the field is single-file as they pass leader Justin Haley (7) who has not yet made a green flag pit stop.
On lap 104 of 188 a couple of additional lanes are forming. The middle lane looks solid. The outside lane only have a half-dozen cars.
On lap 109 of 188 the field is two-wide.
On lap 111 of 188 a third lane has formed on the outside toward the back of the field.
Michael McDowell (34) makes a scheduled pit stop on lap 116 of 188.
Ryan Blaney hits the outside wall as they reach the line. Ross Chastain (1) also has heavy damage. Blaney was turns off Alex Bowman’s (48) front bumper in front of Chastain and Joey Logano (22). Bowman was being pushed by teammate Kyle Larson (5).
Austin Cindric (2) wins stage two.
Chastain’s car is pouring black smoke. Safety crew members pull him from the car.
On lap 124 of 188 Ryan Blaney (12) has stopped the car and the safety crew is there to take him to the Infield Care Center.
Restarting on lap 127 of 188 with Kyle Busch (8), Austin Cindric (2), Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace (23), Chase Elliott (9), William ‘WilliB’ Byron (24), Kyle Larson (5), Shane ‘SVG’ Van Gisbergen (16) up front.
A half-dozen cars form a lane up top. They are joined by several more cars, but are a bit unorganized with spaces between some of the cars on lap 129 of 188. NBC decided it was time to show the hood of a car and a driver driving once the outside lane began to advance toward the front of the field.
Chastain said on his MRN radio interview that was a big hit.
On his MRN interview Blaney said, “He (Alex Bowman) drilled me from about three cars back at the worst possible spot. No surprise he gets away without damage as usual”.
On lap 141 of 188 MRN reports the fuel window is somewhere in the range of 45 laps according to MRN’s Steve ‘Postman/Postie’ Post.
On lap 149 of 188 the field is three-wide throughout.
On lap 154 of 188 a fourth lane has formed on the outside wall and is advancing according to MRN. We’re stuck looking at the bumper of a car and the doors of other cars.
A couple of cars, including leader AJ Allmendinger (), are on pit road on lap 167 of 188 under green. The other car is AJ’s teammate Shane ‘SVG’ Van Gisbergen (16).
Three cars pit under green on lap 169 of 188 – Bubba (23), Buescher (17) and Erik Jones (43).
On lap 170 of 188 some Chevrolets, Hendrick, RCR, and others pit under green.
On lap 171 of 188 The Fords pit along with the Toyotas.
Todd Gilliland (38) busted for speeding on pit road. Gilliland was leading when he went to pit road.
The field is forming back into two lanes on lap 174 of 188.
Caution on lap 183 of 188 for a huge crash as leader Austin Cindric spins in front of the field. Only six cars cross the line after the crash. Bubba is rolling down the apron backward. Josh Berry (4), Joey Logano (22), Alex Bowman (48), Tyler Reddick (45), Michael McDowell (34), Harrison Burton (21), Chase Elliott (9), Daniel Suarez (99), Corey LaJoie (51), Martin ‘MTJ’ Truex Jr (19), Cody Ware (15), Shane Van Gisbergen (16), Noah Gragson (10), Chris Buescher (17), Todd Gilliland (38), John Hunter ‘JHN’ Nemechek (42), Justin Haley (7), Daniel Hemric (31), Anthony ‘FastPasta’ Alfredo (62), AJ Allmendinger (13), Zane Smith (71), Carson Hocevar (77), Chase Briscoe (14) involved.
MRN reports the following cars crossed the line after the crash – Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47), Brad ‘It’ Keselowski (6), William Byron (24), Kyle Larson (5), Kyle Busch (8), Christopher Bell (20), Austin Dillon (3).
Red flag 1735 eastern.
Caution is out 1746 eastern.
Chase Briscoe (14) is being told by his crew-chief not to allow them to tow the car and to stay in the car, to insist on a push. They are backing up to the 14 car to tow it because they say the back end is buried in the grass and can’t be pushed.
MRN reports 28 cars have been involved.
On lap 184 of 188 MRN reports the cars that crossed the line are rolling.
Austin Cindric (2) said, “It was an off-center push from the 6 that ended [our] day”.
The 14 (Chase Briscoe) and the 3 (Austin Dillon) are both on the hook.
MRN says that is the Biggest Big One on record at Talladega with 28 cars.
MRN’s Alex Hayden said we will be going to overtime.
The 4 is on the hook. The 9 is on the hook. The 42 is getting a push. He couldn’t get going and was towed away. A flat-bed tow truck (roll back) is backed up to the 22.
Elliott (9) was towed to his pit. Harrison Burton was towed to his pit stall.
Chase Elliott is rolling along the apron as the field comes by under caution.
MRN questions the fuel in Brad Keselowski’s car.
Restarting with 31 cars in overtime on lap 193 of 195 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), Brad ‘It’ Keselowski (6), William ‘WilliB’ Byron (24), Kyle Larson (5), Kyle ‘KyBu’ Busch (8), Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20), Erik ‘EJ’ Jones (43), Austin Dillon (3), Justin Haley (7), ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11), MTJ (19), Alex Bowman (48) Zane Smith (71), Carson Hocevar (77), Corey LaJoie (51), Tyler Reddick (45), Chris Buescher (17), Cody Ware (15), Ty Gibbs (54), Shane Van Gisbergen (16), and BJ McLeod (78).
White flag is out for leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47) wins by 0.006!
That was a decent race. The lap logging was made more interesting by the four-wide formation throughout the field. The Biggest Big One was dramatic. The finish was competitive. The winner is very satisfying.
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