Dale Earnhardt Jr’s final Spring Talladega race as a full-time Cup driver is a blue sky beauty. Temperatures will be in the 70s at race time according to Myers – warmer there than here in the Atlanta metro area apparently. Jr will start the race on outside pole beside Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chris Myers was on the desk with ‘Big Daddy’ Jeff Gordon and ‘DW’ Darrell Waltrip. Hooray!!! I finally got to see most of the pre-race show for a change. There was still entirely too much Larry McReynolds and Michael Waltrip, but things seem to be moving in the right direction getting them out of the seats at the desk. Now if we could limit them to 1 minute or less until their contracts expire the broadcast would improve dramatically. Yowsah what a command from Frank Pickering – a suit for GEICO. He brought the enthusiasm. Stages are 55-55-78 for this race.<\/p>\n
I love watching that tractor rolling around Talladega. Too bad I was stuck watching the drivers stand with their hands on the hearts – inappropriately – instead. Are the folks who call the shots for NASCAR familiar with NASCAR races, NASCAR traditions, and\/or NASCAR fans? I’m frequently astounded by how often the camera shot is the wrong one for the sport.<\/p>\n
Mike Joy’s hair looks wonderful. Actually seeing them – Mike, Big Daddy, and DW – in the sun is really nice, though I’m sure the sun in their eyes is driving them bananas. It looks like it might be fun standing outside – though that only works until it’s too hot, too cold, too windy, too rainy, too stormy, or any of the thousands of other reasons having the hosts outside is a better idea usually than reality. Very nice today though.<\/p>\n
I predicted there would be a big crowd once JR announced his retirement. There were ads for tickets for a couple weeks before his announcement and I stopped seeing them the week after he announced. I considered buying a ticket myself to see Dale Jr at Talladega at least once.<\/p>\n
Caution on lap 17 of 188 for Kutey Kyle Larson getting into the wall again. The first time he and Trevor Bayne scraped the wall, but this time Kutey Kyle got a big chunk and lost a tire.<\/p>\n
Newman stayed out on this caution and is therefore at the front of the field. Newman came in a bit later leaving Clint Bowyer in the lead.<\/p>\n
I kinda think they might want to rethink the stripper bump. I looked up after a commercial break and saw what appeared to be either porn stars or strippers leering into the camera. Ick. Not really what I tune in to NASCAR to see.<\/p>\n
MRN has the broadcast this week and Rusty is hyped like he chase a few bottles of 5-hour Energy with Monster.<\/p>\n
Restarting on lap 22.<\/p>\n
Jimmie Johnson – sixty miles in the morning – forty-five miles after qualifying. He’s got a race on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Stage ends. ‘It’ in front.<\/p>\n
Daniel Suarez and Matt Kenseth pitted after pit road closed. Matt had a tire going down. Denny got onto pit road the final lap before it closed.<\/p>\n
They will be restarting on lap 63 of 188. Denny will be leading since he stayed out.<\/p>\n
I hoped for a bit more action from the Cup race. So far its been quite orderly – like the ARCA race.<\/p>\n
I imagine myself behind the wheel and understand that would be an incredibly nerve-wracking drive – but – as a viewer it looks like a speedy Sunday afternoon drive in too much traffic. Those drivers are so very talented!<\/p>\n
Caution on lap 82 of 188 for debris due to Reed Sorenson hitting the wall.<\/p>\n
They will restart with 23 left in stage 2.<\/p>\n
Reed Sorenson checked and released at the infield care center – so apparently something happened to him while I was out of the room.<\/p>\n
A little bit into the run it seems virtually impossible for anyone to pass the leader. I don’t know if that’s due to the drivers riding, or if the package causes that.<\/p>\n
Denny Hamlin wins the stage.<\/p>\n
Ryan Blaney provided a little excitement during that run with some gutsy moves. I hope he realizes that when the chips are down the other 37 drivers in the field would be better options to count on than his so-called teammates. He might not want to completely alienate them. He might need them later. The Penske guys have proven to him time-and-again that they will dump him in a heartbeat and use him up any way they can.<\/p>\n
They will restart on lap 119 of 188.<\/p>\n
Martin Truex Jr was quite unhappy on the radio with Ryan Blaney at the end of that stage. He said if Blaney tried that again he’s going around.<\/p>\n
Green flag pit stops underway with 44 to go.<\/p>\n
Ryan Blaney brings out the caution with 28 to go as he spins. He has a bit of left rear damage. He hits the wall also so he has quite a bit of damage.<\/p>\n
Blaney has gone to the garage. Stinkhouse got some damage in that. He’s back up to speed so he’s off the clock.<\/p>\n
Bad wreck with 20 to go.<\/p>\n
The 47 is on his roof. Once car was on th fence a while. Chase was involed. Danica was involved. Chase Elliott was involved. They’re going to roll the car over before AJ gets out. He’s been told to stay strapped in. Michael McDowell climbs out. Austin Dillon is involved. He’s out of the car. Trevor Bayne has damage.<\/p>\n
The red flag is out (1718). lap 169<\/p>\n
AJ climbed out of his car and walked unassisted to the ambulance. AJ was pushing the 24 and got into his left rear and turned him across the field chase was one the fence. Danica hit the inside wall hard. Logano hit Chase and sent him up the fence. Keselowski got a little bit of it. Erik Jones ran under the back of Logano . Truex got some of that. Harvick got damage. Kenseth got damage. Corey Lajoie, Cole Whitt, David Ragan, Gray Gaulding, also got some of this. 16 cars involved.<\/p>\n
Austin Dillon has been treated and released. Joey Logano has been treated and released.<\/p>\n
Chase Elliott and Erik Jones have been eliminated from competition because they continued to drive their cars after the red flag was out.<\/p>\n
AJ has been treated and released. Chase has been treated and released. Danica has been treated and released.<\/p>\n
AJ is trying to blame it on the 4 of Kevin Harvick and just Talladega racing as opposed to him hitting Chase hard, getting him loose, then pushing in his left rear corner and turning him.<\/p>\n
Chase was actually on the wall instead of the fence – looking at it from a different angle.<\/p>\n
Trevor had an oil leak and they told him to take it back to the garage.<\/p>\n
Michael McDowell is also out of the race.<\/p>\n
Erik Jones has been treated and released. He’s got a burned heel from the race which had him limping out of the care center.<\/p>\n
The 41 also has some right front damage as the red flag continues(1743).<\/p>\n
Kyle Busch is going to restart in the lead.<\/p>\n
Official NASCAR timing & scoring list of cars involved: 47 24 22 77 4 38 75 83 2 23 20 78 6 95 3 10, 32.<\/p>\n
Caution is out. (1745)<\/p>\n
The red flag lasted 28 minutes 51 seconds.<\/p>\n
Looks like Truex is getting sent to the garage. His team was pushing the car with a NASCAR official waving them on.<\/p>\n
Since the high line is 260 feet longer if you run the high line you will go an extra 2.2 miles in 45 laps according to tv.<\/p>\n
Truex has been treated and released. He believes a broken oil line is why they said he couldn’t continue.<\/p>\n
Mike Joy says nine drivers are out due to the wreck.<\/p>\n
So as of now the official involved list includes: 47 24 22 77 4 38 75 83 2 23 20 78 6 95 3 10 32 41.<\/p>\n
They will restart with 15 to go.<\/p>\n
Landon Cassil pulled off to the inside on the start smoking. His car is slow on the inside.<\/p>\n
Dale Jr is having some issue and is dropping back. He said he’s coming in becaus ehe has a wheel coming off with 14 to go.<\/p>\n
Dale Jr made it to his pit and will go a lap down. Landon Cassill believes they’ve broken a drive shaft.<\/p>\n
Denny Hamlin has dropped back toward tenth or so from contending with KyBu for the lead.<\/p>\n
Caution is out with 10 to go. Landon could not make it all the way off the race track – his car quit at the turn in. Dale Jr gets the free pass. It was a loose left rear and he will get a wheel spacer added. He’s going to restart 23rd.<\/p>\n
They will restart with seven laps to go.<\/p>\n
Caution with three to go for Newman crashing. Bowyer and Buescher had contact which sent Buescher into the left rear of the 31. Dale Jr barely missed Newman when he came across.<\/p>\n
Bowyer has some damage from that incident. Someone got into him turning him into Buescher turning him into Newman.<\/p>\n
Overtime.<\/p>\n
Lights are out on the pace car.<\/p>\n
KyBu will lead them to the green flag. Stenhouse is beside him.<\/p>\n
Stenhouse wins!!! <\/p>\n
Congrats to Kasey Kahne on a fifth place finish.<\/p>\n
This is Ricky’s first win in 158 starts in the Cup series.<\/p>\n
So that’s the Skittles American Mix car KyBu is driving. Gorgeous car.<\/p>\n
Jimmie finishes eighth. He says he doesn’t think there’s a scratch on the car.<\/p>\n
Danica was the second person to Ricky’s car in victory lane after Jack Roush.<\/p>\n
Ricky says it was for Bryan Claussen – said he was with him on the last lap. He said he had to ask ‘It’ how to start a race from the pole because its been so long since he started on the pole.<\/p>\n
That Jamie McMurray!!! That was a crazy move he made splitting the needle. Cost Jimmie some spots, but was impressive to watch.<\/p>\n
Michael Waltrip just can’t see that AJ Allmendinger’s actions were in any way responsible for that big wreck. I guess that alliance with JTG Daugherty is neverending. Trashy. He needs to take his bias elsewhere. It’s pathetic.<\/p>\n
NASCAR News:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Dale Earnhardt Jr’s final Spring Talladega race as a full-time Cup driver is a blue sky beauty. Temperatures will be in the 70s at race time according to Myers – warmer there than here in the Atlanta metro area apparently. Jr will start the race on outside pole beside Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chris Myers was … <\/p>\n\n
Next Race: Kansas<\/h3>\n
GO 48!!!!<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"