Race Review: Sharpie 500

Welcome race fans to Thunder Valley, home of the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN. This is the 24th race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The Sharpie 500 takes place at the World’s Fastest Half Mile, and being that this race is held at night, it’s one of the most exciting races of the year. Qualifying took place on Friday, with 5 Mark Martin grabbing the pole with a speed of 124.484. 16 Greg Biffle sits next to him on the front row.

08 past Champion Terry Labonte got in on speed. The 4 car is back with Scott Wimmer driving. Failing to make the race were 36 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Mike skinner, 13 Max Papis, 64 Mike Wallace (no Wallace will be in this race!) and 09 Aric Almirola. He did, however race on Wednesday in his 15 truck. The children of the track Outreach sang the National Anthem. I always love it when they sing. They know all the words and sing the song like it was written. Most entertainers who sing it never looked at the words or notes.

A few years ago, they repaved this .533 mile track. And made it concrete, and put in progressive banking. There is now more room to race and more grip to stay on the track. Some say they ruined it. I say they made it more raceable. You can now get by another car without crashing them out of the way. And I really don’t like all that follow the pace car racing after all the many caution flags. I like to watch racing, not bumping and crashing. So, for me, the track is better. They go around the track in less than 16 seconds. That’s “racing the way it ought’a be”.

So, here we go. 16 Biffle leads the first lap. 82 Scott Speed goes with him past 5 Martin who was on the pole. 5 and 82 battle again, and 5 takes second. The first caution comes out on lap 3 when 20 Joey Logano gets into the wall. 43 Reed Sorenson was there, where 20 wanted to be. 99 Carl Edwards battles with 24 Jeff Gordon. 11 Denny Hamlin battles 99. 00 David Reutimann and 07 Casey Mears get together. 48 Jimmy Johnson and 29 Kevin Harvick race side by side for position. 48 takes it. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gets by 07. 17 Matt Kenseth battles with 5 for second.

The second caution comes out when 11 gets a flat tire. 5 led a lap on pit road. 14 Tony Stewart stays out in front of the leader and gets waved around. However, he may not pit this caution. 16 comes out of the pits first to lead. 5 and 16 battle side by side for the lead. 2 Kurt Busch and 33 Clint Bowyer trade places. 5 takes the lead. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya and 48 get by 33. 17 and 00 battle, with 18 Kyle Busch trying to make it three wide. 24 gets by 7 Robby Gordon. 00 and 18 get by 17. 42 and 48 battle for fourth. 5 puts points leader 14 a lap down. 1 Martin Truex, Jr. is really fast on the top of the track. 5 laps 99.

The third caution comes out on lap 135 for debris. A brake rotor from 44 A. J. Allmendinger. 19 Elliott Sadler is the Lucky Dog, and gets his lap back. 14 gets held back so he can go to the back of the field for the restart. 5 chooses the outside. 48 and 2 battle for second. 48 takes the spot, and 2 takes it back.

The fourth caution comes out during the commercial. 96 Bobby Labonte spins in front of 11. 11 Denny Hamlin is the Lucky Dog and stays on the lead lap. 24 is too tight and pits. Stewart is having trouble communicating with his crew. 18 gets by brother 2 for second. 2 gets back by him by getting into him. 24 gets into 31 Jeff Burton. They are racing three wide around this tiny track! 42 and 00 battle side by side. 47 Marcos Ambrose gets by 48 for fourth. 47 gets by 18 for third. 31 battles to stay on the lead lap. 34 John Andretti gets into the wall. He broke something, and pits. Which brings on the fifth caution for debris.

5 is out of the pits first again. As the pole sitter, he had his choice of pits. And the choice is working for him. 14 still has radio problems. The crew of 2 didn’t get the tear away completely off the windshield. 1 takes second from 48. 2 and 47 battle for fourth. 2 takes it. The tear off flies off 2’s car and it goes up and up and into the fence. 48 takes the lead. 5 takes it back. He really didn’t want to let him lead because Jimmy didn’t really need the points. 24 and 11 get together. 88 gets by 24. 48 takes the lead in traffic. 83 Brian Vickers who won the last race battles to stay on the lead lap. 2 and 18 battle for third. 18 gets the spot.

The sixth caution comes out when something breaks on 71 David Gilliland’s car and he gets into the wall. 83 Brian Vickers is the Lucky Dog and is back on the lead lap. 78 Regan Smith gets waved around before the restart. 48 chooses the outside. 18 takes second from 5. 1 and 11 battle for fifth. 18 and 5 battle for second. 5 takes the spot. 39 Ryan Newman and 16 race side by side, with 39 taking the spot. 48 puts 83 back a lap down.

The seventh caution comes out for rain drops on the track with 79 to go. 83 Brian Vickers is again the Lucky Dog. 48 has lug nut issues and has to come back in to get rid of the loose tire. 55 Michael Waltrip stays out to lead. 18 goes through the middle of 55 and 39 to take the lead. 2 is having troubles.

The eighth caution comes out when 2 gets spun while racing three wide. 33 and 29 got together. 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. got into 07, when he was slowing for 33 and 29. 07 turns 2 and he spins. But there’s not too much damage. 14 is stalled on the track and the wrecker has to push him to the pits. 99 Carl Edwards is the Lucky Dog this time. 33 is pitting for repairs each time they go around. 42 is falling back.

The ninth caution comes out because 77 was spouting water from overheating, the water gets on the tires and he spins into the wall. 42 has a flat and falls way back. 17, 48 and 00 battle for seventh, eighth and ninth. The tenth caution comes out during the commercial with 20 to go. They went to a commercial with 28 to go!!! At Bristol. They couldn’t wait for the caution to come out. 1 cut a tire and got into the wall. 31 Jeff Burton is the Lucky Dog. 55 and 00, team mates, get together.

The eleventh caution comes out with 8 to go. 55 (who didn’t take tires) cuts a tire and takes 33 with him. There is a Red Flag for the clean up so they don’t run off all the laps under caution. When they get back to racing, 18 chooses the outside. 5 isn’t letting 18 run away. 5 and 18 battle for the lead.

And Kyle Busch wins the Sharpie 500. He does his donuts, gets the Checker Flag from the official, and gives it to his fan. He then gets back into the car and drives a lap backward like his brother did at Atlanta. The kid has no imagination. He copied Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s bow and now this.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Race Review: Carfax 400

Welcome race fans to the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI. This is the twenty-third race of the season. There’s plenty of room on this wide 2 mile track for lots of racing. And, better still, there was no rain, so qualifying took place on Friday. One driver had to go home, which makes me wonder why this track couldn’t hold one more car. But I don’t make the rules. Tony Raines in the #37 car had to go home.

Former Cup Champion Bill Elliott is in the #21 Woods Brother’s car. He got in on speed, qualifying ninth. In the #25 is Brad Keselowski, who won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race here the day before, beating points leader Kyle Busch and pole sitter, Brian Vickers. Michigan is Brad’s home track. In the 36 this week, is NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular, Mike Skinner. NASCAR racing came to MIS in 1969 and this race is the eighty-first race. 9 Kasey Kahne had to change the engine in his car, and will start from the rear, with the one-engine rule. He says if points leader, Tony Stewart can  do it, so can he. 36 Skinner and 66 Dave Blaney also changed engines.

On the pole for this race, as well as for the Nationwide race is 83 Brian Vickers with a speed of 187.242. 5 Mark Martin shares the front row with Brian, starting second. The weather man said there is 0% chance of rain. So, here we go. 5 Martin leads the first lap. 2 Kurt Busch takes second from 83. 48 Jimmy Johnson and 83 battle for third. 48 takes the spot. Rain is falling on pit road! 83 gets back by 48.

The first caution comes out on lap 7 for rain! And they said there would be no rain. On lap 8, the pace car leads them down pit road, and the Red Flag comes out to wait out the rain and dry the track. It was a short shower and they get back to Yellow in nineteen minutes. 96 Bobby Labonte stays in the pits with the hood up. The top eleven cars stay out, while the back of the pack pit for tires and fuel.

5 chooses the outside for the restart, since he started the race there and took the lead. 96 goes to the garage. 71 David Gilliland also goes to the garage. The Green Flag drops on lap 12. 11 Denny Hamlin gets by 83 for fifth. 48 takes second from 2. 7 Robby Gordon makes it four-wide to get by all three cars. 48 is catching the leader 5. They battle, but 5 stays in the lead. They battle again and 48 takes the lead. 71 is back out on the track, nine laps down.

2 nearly brushes the wall. 17 Matt Kenseth is hearing something he doesn’t like. 17 and 42 Juan Pablo Montoya battle, 17 low and 42 high. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gets by 00 David Reutimann and 18 Kyle Busch. 39 Ryan Newman pits to start Green Flag Pitting on lap 40. 24 Jeff Gordon gets by 42 for eighth. He started twenty-first. 17 leads when 48 pits. 24 leads when 17 pits. 33 Clint Bowyer leads a lap and then pits. 6 David Ragan leads when 33 pits. 99 Carl Edwards leads, then pits. When the pitting is all over, 11 leads the way. 11 and 48 battle for the lead, and 48 takes it.

The second caution comes out during the commercial when 7 gets into the wall on lap 53. 11 had trouble getting out  of the pits. 98 Paul Menard stays out to lead and chooses the outside. 39 comes back into the pits. At the restart, they are 3, 4 and 5 wide around leader 98. 17 takes the lead. 48 gets around 24 for second. 5 and 83 battle for fifth. 48 catches the leader 17 and takes the lead. 18 nearly gets into 88 and 31 Jeff Burton.

5 gets by 17 for second. 11 gets by 42 for tenth, then battles 99 for ninth. 88 has a vibration and pits. 83 drives by 24 for sixth. 83 gets by 33 for fifth. 5 is catching leader 48. 17 and 18 pit to start Green Flag Pitting again on lap 95. 5 and 48 battle for the lead, and 5 takes the lead. 39 Newman says his car is driving like a school bus. 83 leads when 5 and 48 pit. 48 gets back into the lead. 14 Tony Stewart and 99 get by 88. 24 gets by 33 for fourth. 09 Mike Bliss, 87 Joe Nemechek, 71 Gilliland, 36 Skinner, 66 Blaney and 96 Labonte are all out of the race.

The third caution again comes out during the commercials. This time  for debris. 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. is the Lucky Dog and gets his lap back. However, he goes back into the pits for fuel a second time and they take the lap back from him. 14 comes out of the pits first with only two tires to lead. He chooses the outside when they go Green on lap 121. 48 takes the lead. And the fourth caution comes out a lap later. 6 and 2 got together and they both spin. 2 hits the inside wall and they go to the garage. 6 heads for the pits before pit road is open so he can change tires before they blow. 99 gets by with slight damage. 98 Paul Menard is the lucky Dog.

48 chooses the outside for the restart on lap 125. 48 spins the tires on the restart and 14 takes the lead. 48 takes it back. 5 gets by 14 for second.17 and 14 battle for third. 83 and 99 get by 14. 83 and 99 get by 17. 24 gets by 14 for sixth. The fifth caution comes out for spinning 6. 77 got loose and into 6. The top ten stay out. 2 is getting a new nose on his car. 99 fakes pitting and has to blend back in, loosing a spot. There is some rain again.

They go back to Green on lap 147. 17 gets by 5 for second. 9 and 42 get together and 42 gets his tire cut. He has to pit, but they stay Green. 24 gets by 5 for third. 24 and 5 get by 17. The sixth caution comes out for rain. The top ten pit, but those that just pitted stay out. 00 Reutimann leads. 88 takes the lead.

The seventh caution comes out for spinning 12 David Stremme. 42 Montoya is the Lucky Dog and is back on the lead lap. 88 and 20 Joey Logano pit, putting 83 in the lead. He chooses the outside. 29 Kevin Harvick and 5 get by 17. 5 and 29 battle for third. 5 gets by. 48 and 83 battle for the lead. 48 takes the lead. 33 and 17 battle for sixth. 99 goes between 33 and 17 to take sixth. 88 and 07 Casey Mears get by 17. 88 gets by 77 for sixth. 48, 83, 24, 99 and 5 are in danger of running out of fuel. 88 can make it. 88 gets by 99 for fourth. 99 doesn’t have the fuel to battle with 88. 33 and 20 get by 5, who runs out of fuel. 48 pits for fuel with two laps to go, and can’t get the car started.

5 finishes thirty-first and 48 finishes thirty-third. And 83 Brian Vickers has enough fuel to finish the race as the winner. Barely. He runs out before getting to Victory Lane. 24 has enough fuel to finish second. 88 finishes third with plenty of fuel. He was just too far behind to catch them for the lead and they didn’t run out. When they were here in June, Jimmy ran out of fuel leading and Martin won the race. This time he did it again. And pole sitter Vickers wins. This is the first time a Toyota has gone to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway. And Brian’s first win since 2006 at Talladega. 9 finishes eleventh. Not bad for starting from the rear.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Race Review: Watkins Glen

Welcome race fans to the 22nd race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. This is the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips At The Glen. The Watkins Glen International is in the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York. In beautiful wine country. A 2.45 mile road course with eleven turns, the racing is 90 laps. As a reminder, 48 Jimmy Johnson is on the pole with a lap of 123.619. And 2 Kurt Busch is with him on the front row. Road race ringers run through the line-up.  The race was scheduled to start on Sunday, but was rained out before the command to “start your engines”. This is the second consecutive weekend where the race had to be raced on Monday. 47 Marcos Ambrose is the in-car reporter.

Some keys to the race and finishing well: Know your pit window and where to pit to make it to the end, take the last stop early, stay on  the course and take care of the brakes. The pit stops are backwards here at Watkins Glen. They go around the track clockwise, instead of counter-clockwise. And they work on the car starting with the left side instead of the right first. So the pitting takes longer because they only do this twice a year.

So, here we go! 2 Kurt Busch jumps out to lead the first lap. 11 Denny Hamlin challenges 48 for second, racing side by side for quite some time. 48 finally gives the spot to 11. Jimmy says he’s loose. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya gets by 39 Ryan Newman for sixth. 08 Boris Said, one of the road course ringers, gets by 39 for seventh. 96 Bobby Labonte spins off the track on Turn 1. 31 Jeff Burton was already in the spot. 42 gets by 18 Kyle Busch for fifth. 47 Marcos Ambrose is pressuring 48 for third. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is up eight positions. 47 gets by 48 for third. 34 John Andretti is loosing spots and pits. 42 challenges 48 for fourth.

The first caution comes out for debris. With one to go, most of the field pits. 47, 9 Kasey Kahne and 43 Reed Sorenson stay out, with 47 leading. 42 runs into one of the over the wall crew of the 6 David Ragan team when 42 gets out of his stall. 11  and 88 are too fast and will have to start at the end of the line. 47 picks the inside for the restart. 55 Patrick Carpentier gets spun by 12 David Stremme. They are both able to go on and there is no caution. 18 gets by 43 for fourth. 98 Paul Menard gets into 24 Jeff Gordon. 48 gets by 43.

The second caution comes out on lap 23 when 12 is too fast in the inner loop and spins himself out. He is going backwards while everyone else is getting out of the loop and 29 Kevin Harvick and 24 get collected. He was trying to get by 83 Brian Vickers and lost it.

47 stays out again, still leading. 7 Robby Gordon is in the pits with the hood up. 39 is having alternator problems and is changing the battery. 2 takes the lad on fresher tires. 09 road course ringer Ron Fellows goes to the garage with a broken starter. 2 pits for fuel only, leaving 47 back in the lead. He leads and them pits the next time around. So that when he gets out of the pits, he has the whole track ahead of him with no one to have to race with. 48 leads. 17 Matt Kenseth is up thirty-one spots in eleventh.

18 takes the lead from 48. 20 Joey Logano spins after contact with 00 David Reutimann. 77 is overheating. He got into the grass. 26 Jamie McMurray goes to the garage with transmission issues. 14 Tony Stewart gets by 48 for second. 99 Carl Edwards gets by 18. 42 and 83 battle and 42 takes the spot. 11 gets by 83.

The third caution comes out when 88 looses his brakes while trying to get by 43. 88 crashes into the gravel pit and into the tires. 43 goes around the gravel pit to get out. 18 chooses the outside. 14 takes the lead in the esses. 42 and 07 Casey Mears battle. 42 gets the spot. 13 Max Papis gets by 08 08 gets to the pits, overheating. 55 and 39 get together. 48 spins off Turn 1. 43 gets into the gravel pit again. 14 pits and 2 leads. 2 pits and 12 leads. 7 drives by leader 12 to get one lap back. 12 pits and 82 Scott Speed leads.

The fourth caution comes out during the commercial for the big one. 9 gets loose next to 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. 77 gets knocked into the tires and launches himself off of them into 24. 31 Jeff Burton doesn’t slow fast enough and gets into them. 20  and 71 Andy Lally, a road course ringer, get some damage getting around them. Jeff, Jeff and Sam get out of their cars. We get a Red Flag for over nineteen minutes. 47 snuck into the pits before the caution for fuel only. 7 Robby Gordon is the Lucky Dog and is now on the lead lap, so he makes a pit stop.

34 and 09 are ahead of the leader and get waved around. Rain is seventeen miles away. 18 chooses the outside for the restart. 14 takes the lead. 16 Greg Biffle can’t get by 47. 47 and 16 get by 18. 18 missed his braking point!

The fifth caution comes out during the commercial for debris on the track. The debris was the tire from 19 Elliott Sadler who was spun by 6. 19 spins out 55. And the tire shreds off the car.

14 chooses the inside for the restart. They go Green with sixteen to go. 18 and 99 get by 16, but he blocks 42. 11 and 83 battle side by side. 83 forces 11 off the track. 08 blows up. 9 and 17 battle. 17 gets by. 96 gets loose. 2 gets by 13 who got into the grass. 99 gets by 18 for third. 26 is smoking.

And Tony Stewart wins his fifth win at Watkins Glen, making him the first to do so. This is his third win of the season. 13 runs out of gas 300 feet past the Finish Line.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

NASCAR Racing: Watkins Glen

Welcome race fans! This week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, NY. In most years, when they come to Watkins Glen, there is rain some time during the weekend. This year is no exception.

They did have qualifying on Friday. 48 Jimmy Johnson will start the race on the pole with a speed of 123.633 with 2 Kurt Busch with him on the front row. But rain is here the day of the race. And the race is postponed until Monday, for the second consecutive week. So I will take the time to tell you about Watkins Glen and some of the cast of characters.

Watkins Glen International is the second and final road course of the year. This is a 2.45 mile track, and they will complete 90 laps. At these road course races, some drivers, who are road course aces, try to qualify for the two races each time. So, let me tell you who is in which car and who had to go home.

Starting in ninth is the 08 of Boris Said. Starting fifteenth in the 71 is Andy Lally. In the 13 car is Max Papis, starting sixteenth. In the MWR car #55 is Patrick Carpentier, replacing owner Michael Waltrip. He starts seventeenth. In the 09 is Ron Fellows, who qualified thirty-seventh. The #04, a Robby Gordon second car is, P. J. Jones, starting thirty-ninth. And in the #37 is Tony Ave.

Three cars and drivers had to go home. 87 Joe Nemechek, 36 (road racer) Brian Simo and 70 David Gilliland. The three-time defending Champion, 48 Jimmy Johnson, is on the pole, but has never won at a road course. Let’s see if he can win on Monday.This is his first pole of the year. The group Telluride sings the National Anthem, pretty good, I might add. But they get out of their cars before Start Your Engines because there is lightening. Later NASCAR officials postpone the race because even if the rain stops, they wouldn’t be able to dry the track and run the whole race before sunset. And Watkins Glen International does not have lights. The Rolex Series ran into the twilight on Friday, but they have headlights.

That’s all for now. I’ll tell you all about the race tomorrow after the race.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Race Review: Pennsylvania 500

Hello, race fans. Actually, the race was called the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 Presented by Old Spice Swagger. But that wouldn’t fit in my title space. This is the twenty-first race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. And the second visit to Pocono this year. Usually, when they go to Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. it rains at least some of the weekend. This visit was no exception. Qualifying was rained out on Friday. So the field was set by owner points, with Tony Stewart and Jimmy Johnson on the front row. This time, not only was qualifying rained out, the race was rained out. The race was run on Monday, under sunny skies. There will be a competition caution on lap 20 so everyone can see what the green track is doing to the tires. They can pit before lap 20, but may not add fuel.

Tony Stewart crashed his car into the wall during practice on Saturday, so he will start from the rear in his back-up car. He did that the last time we came to Pa. and won the race. Can he do it again? We’ll see. 09 this time is veteran Sterling Marlin. 36 is Patrick Carpentier. And 64 is Mike Wallace. With 14 Tony Stewart, starting from the rear, 24 Jeff Gordon will start from the pole.

So, here we go! 48 Jimmy Johnson leads and sets sail. 14 thinks he has a flat tire and pits. He goes a lap down, but will get it back when the competition caution comes out in six more laps. And the car is easier to drive. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya and 39 Ryan Newman battle for ninth. 42 keeps the spot.

The competition caution comes out on lap twenty-one. 14 Tony Stewart is the Lucky Dog and gets his lap back. 11 Denny Hamlin comes out of the pits first. 71 David Gilliland stays out a lap to lead, then pits. 7 Robby Gordon was too fast on pit road. 11 chooses the outside for the restart. 39 and 18 Kyle Busch battle. 5 Mark Martin pushes 39 past 18. 18 gets by 5, and they battle some more. 42 bumps 18 ahead of 5, and gets by 5. 42 gets by 18 for eighth.

The second caution comes out when 98 Paul Menard cuts a tire. 14 goes into the pits for more adjustments. 11, the leader pulls ahead. 42 and 18 battle again and 39 and 9 Kasey Kahne battle. 11 gets warned not to change lanes before the Finish Line at the restart. 9, 39 and 5 get by 18. 5 catches and passes 39.

The third caution comes out when they blow the cover off the caution light. 98 Paul Menard gets his lap back. 14 is now too tight, after being too loose. 20 Joey Logano and 31 Jeff Burton battle for position. 6 David Ragan gets by 31 for twenty-third. 47 Marcos Ambrose gets by 31. And Green Flag Pitting begins. 00 David Reutimann leads. 17 Matt Kenseth leads when 00 pits. 6 leads when 17 pits. 47 leads when 6 pits. 47 pits and 11 is back in the lead. 14 hasn’t pitted yet. He’s in third. 99 Carl Edwards on four new tires, drives by 14 for third.

The fourth caution comes out during the commercial, while 14 is in the pits. So, he stays on the lead lap. 96 Bobby Labonte was sent spinning. 9, 00, 17, 6, 47, 26 Jamie McMurray, 14 and 19 Elliott Sadler stay out, as they had just pitted. 48 takes four tires and finds himself in nineteenth. 18 pushes 99 past 19. 48 is falling back on the straight-away. He decides something is wrong with the engine and pits. Maybe a plug wire. He comes back out in front of the leader 9. After a few laps, 9 puts 48 a lap down. But he is the only car not on the lead lap. 48 gets warned about not keeping the minimum speed. 14 and 99 get by 6. 18 and 29 Kevin Harvick battle. 12 David Stremme gets by 18. 42 gets by 18 for twenty-first. 42 gets by 12.

On lap 126, 26 starts another round of Green Flag Pitting. 9 heads for the pits, and 11 takes the lead. 29 leads when 11 pits. 9 leads when 29 pits. 48 is now two laps down in thirty-sixth. 11 catches 9 and takes the lead. 99 gets by 17 for sixth. 5 and 47 battle for eighth.

The fifth caution comes out on lap 142, when 6 gets into the wall. 48 pits early and has the hood up. He leaves the pits as the leaders enter pit road. They changed the carburetor. 5, as the leader, chooses the outside for the restart, when 5, 83 Brian Vickers, 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. and 31 stay out. 1 Martim Truex, Jr. and 34 John Andretti stay out and get the wave around. 42 drives through the middle to get by both cars. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gets by 18. 9 goes through the middle for fifth.

The sixth caution comes out for spinning 7 Robby Gordon. 12 got into him. 48 gets one of his two laps back. The leaders stay out. 48 pits to change spark plugs. And he has to come back in for the hood pin. 2 Kurt Busch takes the lead from 5. 42 gets by 20 Joey Logano for fifteenth. 48 is now three laps down.

The seventh caution comes out when 7 and 12 get racing each other. 7 bumps 12 and gets by. 12 retaliates and sends 7 spinning. They both get docked 5 laps. Gordon, for hitting Stremme during the last caution. Stremme for rough driving. 48 is now two laps down. 18 and 29 battle. 20 gets by 96 Bobby Labonte.

The eighth caution comes out during the commercial for debris.42, 77 and 82 Scott Speed were in the pits when the caution came out. So they stay on the track. 88 gets fuel only to come out of the pits first. 33 Clint Bowyer already pit and is now leading. He chooses the outside. 82 gets waved around. 48 is now one lap down. They go Green with thirty laps to go. There is lots of three-wide out there. 18 gets into the wall. 5 gets by 99.

The ninth caution comes out when 11 knocks 00 into 47 and they both go off spinning. 39 gets by. The back half comes in for tires. 48 is now on the lead lap! 33 chooses the outside. 77 and 9 get by 42. The tenth caution comes out when 6 gets into 96, who spins into 20. They collect 43 Reed Sorenson and 55 Michael Waltrip. 96 was trying to be patient, but no one else was. 48 manages to get by it all.

9 and 42 get together, but they both recover. 39 and 88 get together. 11 and 33 battle for the lead. 11 takes the lead. 48 gets by 2 for tenth! 33 gets loose and 42 gets by for second. 44 AJ Allmendinger gets by 99 for nineteenth. 2 and 48 battle again. 24  gets by 48. And they battle again. 14 gets by 17. 9 and 77 battle for fourth. 9 finally gets by. 77 gets back by 9. 83 is all over 9. 5 and 83 battle for sixth. 83 keeps the spot.

And 11 Denny Hamlin wins the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. His Grandmother has just died, so it is a very emotional win for him. And pretty quiet in Victory Lane. What a great race! So much racing going on. And they said Pocono was a boring race. Wrong!

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley