After a rainy day and no practice the 21 car field lines up for Can-Am Duel race number one. It’s 70 degrees, dark and breezy with a 17 mph wind. The Hendrick cars are split between the races.
KyBu is leading at the competition caution on lap 25.
Jamie McMurray has been all over the place – aggression in action.
Big save by Kyle Busch as Jamie Mc gave him a shove that got him very loose and resulted in some awesome driving as he saved the car and didn’t wreck anyone else though he lost momentum and his place in the field.
Corey LaJoie, Brendan Gaughan and Reed Sorenson are battling as unchartered teams trying to make it into the show. Only one of them will gain a position in the field.
Caution is out with 12 to go as Reed Sorenson hits the outside wall, then shoots into the inside wall hard. Paul Menard also got some damage in the incident. Looks like Corey LaJoie got into the left rear corner of Reed.
KyBu got into the wall and has some damage on the right side of the car.
On a side note, I don’t get that indeed commercial that begins with a close-up shot of someone’s eyelashes and they look dirty with chunks of gunk on them. It’s an icky commercial and what it has to do with getting a job is truly beyond me. Yuck.
Restarting with 8 to go as Chase Elliott leads the field to green.
I was thrilled that I hadn’t seen that stupid fish-eye shot – but I spoke too soon, because there it was with three to go.
Chase Elliott wins the first Duel.
Corey LaJoie was the highest finisher of the non-chartered teams.
The race set the inside lane for the Daytona 500.
Dale Jr will lead the field to green in the second race.
Jimmie, Kasey and Dale are all in this race. The field was JGR heavy in the last race, but more often than not they weren’t able to work together for a great finish. Hamlin, who re-upped with Joe Gibbs Racing for a multi-year deal, is the lone JGR car in this field.
There will also be a competition caution on lap 25 of this race.
Timmy Hill, DJ Kennington, and Elliott Sadler are battling for a spot in the 500.
I was hopeful last weekend that Jeff Gordon wouldn’t be as chatty this season – he was better during The Clash – but it seems the restraint has dissipated. He just won’t shut up. His mouth is three-wide by itself – he’s covering everything he sees.
Tony Raines is Kurt Busch’s new spotter.
Austin Dillon is screaming that he’s blowing up. They told him they can come in if they need to and get the lucky dog on the caution on lap 25.
Yaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy a Crank It Up! Loving the song of speed as those ponies run! Woohooo!!! The radio chatter is a little distracting though – not horrible, but it doesn’t enhance the audio.
Competition caution is out after 25 laps.
Ryan Blaney has to come into the pits due to a tire going down as a result of contact with the wall. The 77 of Erik Jones got into the back of AJ Allmendinger and got front end damage when the field slowed. The 48 has a tire rub from contact with the 21 during that incident.
With 14 to go the 48 brushes the wall and brings out the caution. The front right tire went down. They’re trying the fix the car on the five minute clock. The 38 of David Ragan got into the back of the 48 and the 21 of Ryan Blaney. Ragan is running as aggressively as Jamie McMurray raced in the first Duel.
Timmy Hill is out of the race with engine trouble. DJ Kennington is in the race-in position with 11 to go as some of the field head into the pits.
They will restart with 9 laps to go.
Denny Hamlin finishes first. DJ Kennington raced his way into the Daytona 500 and Elliott Sadler will get in on his qualifying speed.
Timmy Hill and Reed Sorenson are headed to the house.
NASCAR News:
- ‘Cars 3’ Teaming Up with NASCAR.
- Glen Wood Extends Speedweeks Streak.
- New Crew Chief for Stenhouse.
- Earnhardt’s Return Highlights Media Day.
- NASCAR Notebook: Pocono Weekend Changes.
- Bojangles’ Legends Breakfast Returns to Darlington.
- DIS President Honored by SBJ.
- Danica Patrick’s failure in ‘clutch moments’ to blame for NASCAR losses, says Kurt Busch .
- Danica Patrick estimates she’s had a dozen concussions in her career .
- Greg Biffle will not drive full NASCAR schedule in 2017.
- NASCAR fans upset over scantily-clad Monster Energy Girls.
- Three fans injured in Florida sprint-car crash involving Ryan Blaney’s uncle.
- Monster Energy NASCAR models will keep risqué outfits despite criticism.
- FedEx Extends Relationship with Hamlin, JGR.
- Can-Am Duel Starting Lineups .
- Back-to-Back Daytona 500 Poles for Elliott.
- Menards, RCR Renew XFINITY Partnership.
- Mears Joins Biagi-DenBeste.