Comment: AAA 400

Hello, race fans. Welcome to my blog. I was watching the replay of the AAA 400, the second race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. And the big crash where 20 Joey Logano went tumbling down the track. And I noticed something I didn’t notice at the time, even with all the replays. Bobby Labonte came down on Logano. Logano checked up. Tony Stewart got into Logano and sent him into the inside wall and back up the track. He then slid into Reed Sorenson, who was already there. Martin Truex comes along, into Sorenson. And the three of them were wedged together. But what I didn’t notice, was that Robby Gordon got into Sorenson on the top, which sent Sorenson into Logano. And that’s when he started tumbling. When I saw it the first time, and the many replays, I didn’t notice that it was Robby who started Joey tumbling.

I had reported that Tony hit Joey when he checked up. And that Joey went back up the track, into Reed. And Martin got into Reed and Robby got into Reed. And Joey went tumbling. But when I  saw it today, Joey, Reed and Martin were tangled together until Robby got into Reed, who went forward into Joey and got him air born.

So, that’s the rest of the story. At least from my perspective. A tumble like that usually happens at Talladega or Daytona in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Not at Dover International Speedway. And I had to look again to see why this happened. And I found my answer. I’m not blaming Robby. How could he know? But, in my opinion, that’s why it happened the way it did. Thanks for listening.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Race Review: AAA 400

Welcome race fans to the 28th race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the second race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The AAA 400 takes place at the one mile concrete oval track of Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE., affectionately known as the “Monster Mile”. This is a high-banked roller-coaster of a track. I personally go to the Spring race here.

Friday’s Coors Light Pole award saw 48 Jimmy Johnson grab the pole with a speed of 157.356. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya starts next to him on the front row. 19 Elliott Sadler broke the crank in qualifying and will start the race from the rear. 33 Clint Bowyer had to change his engine and will also start from the rear.

71 again today is David Gilliland. 09 today is Mike Bliss. 36 today is Michael McDowell. 4 Scott Wimmer was the only team that had to go home. You know how I feel about that. They could have filled the 22nd row. There have been seven different winners here in the last seven races. Let’s see how this one plays out.

There was rain all night and into the morning, so they dry the track before the festivities. But Mother Nature co-operates and the race begins on time. There will be a competition caution at the end of the 25th lap so everyone can check the tires. If there is a caution before that, those choosing to pit will not be allowed to fuel.

So, here we go! 48 leads from the pole and pulls away. 37 Tony Raines heads for the garage. 2 Kurt Busch and 83 Brian Vickers  battle for ninth, with 2 making the pass. 9 Kasey Kahne gets by 16 Greg Biffle for fourth. On lap 22, as the competition caution is about to come out, we go to commercials. I guess so we can be treated to more when the caution gets here. We come back to the caution already out. 34 John Andretti is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap.

39 Ryan Newman takes two tires and comes out of the pits leading. He chooses the outside for the restart. The second caution is quite a big one. Especially for this one-mile track. 96 Bobby Labonte slides in front of 20 Joey Logano, who checks up. 14 Tony Stewart slams into Joey and sends him spinning into the inside wall, and back up the track into 43 Reed Sorenson. Joey tumbles side over side down the track seven times until he lands on his left side, and then plops onto his wheels. 1 Ryan Truex, Jr. slams into 43 and 7 Robby Gordon has nowhere to go and slams into 43. Robby and Reed go to the garage for repairs. Joey is out. But everyone is ok. They have to repair the nose of 14. There is a Red Flag for the clean up.

When the Yellow flag comes out, 99 Carl Edwards pits before pit road is open to fix his wing. He will have to restart from the rear. My question is, why did they have to go around a second time before the pits were open? 14 comes in to repair his nose. The leaders stay on the track, and 39 chooses the outside. He keeps the lead. 5 Mark Martin makes it three-wide on the top. 98 Paul Menard and 9 battle for position. 9 finally gets by. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya battles 98, with 42 getting by. 11 Denny Hamlin and 31 Jeff Burton battle for thirteenth, with 11 getting by. 44 A. J. Allmendinger gets by 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for eighteenth.

2 Kurt Busch takes the lead from 39. 42 gets by 9. 24 Jeff Gordon gets by 9. 18 Kyle Busch gets by 9. Kasey says the tires have too much air. 39 and 42 battle for second, with 42 getting by. 24 drives by 39. 39 and 16 Greg Biffle battle for fourth with 16 getting by. I guess he shouldn’t have taken only two tires, as he is falling back. 00 David Reutimann is pitting under Green.

The third caution comes out during the commercial when 55 Michael Waltrip gets into the wall, hard. 11 gets into 17 Matt Kenseth getting out of the pits. 2 leads out and chooses the outside. 48 and 18 battle 16. 48 gets by 16. 42 gets by 24 for fifth. 39 and 5 battle for seventh, with 5 getting by. 18 gets by 16. 42 gets by 16. 5 and 16 battle for sixth and 5 finally pulls ahead. 42 gets by 18 for third. 26 Jamie McMurray gets by 39 for ninth. 48 catches leader 2 in traffic. 1 is back out, 47 laps down. 88 fights 2 to stay on the lead lap. 5 gets by 18 for fourth. 24 drives by 18 for sixth. 26 pits from the sixth position. 48 takes the lead.

The fourth caution comes out during the commercial. 18 gets into the wall a couple of times, with a flat tire. The caution is for debris. 31 Jeff Burton is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap. 2 comes out of the pits first and chooses the outside. 39 drives by 5 on the top. 48 battles 2 for the lead, side by side. 48 finally gets by to take the lead. 48 picked up some debris where the brakes are being cooled. 83 and 07 Casey Mears battle, with 07 getting by. 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. fights 48 to stay on the lead lap.

The fifth caution comes out when 18 bounces again off the wall three times. 48 comes out of the pits first and chooses the outside. 5 doesn’t get going and holds the pack up on the bottom. 31 and 83 battle for eighteenth, with 83 taking the spot. 48 puts 11 a lap down. 26 goes back into the pits. 14 gets by 39 for eighth. 14 bumps 44 to get by. 18 is back out, 53 laps down racing to get by the leaders.

The sixth caution comes out during the commercial, when 12 David Stremme gets into the wall. 83 Brian Vickers is the Lucky Dog. 26 gets the wave around, to stay on the lead lap, but cannot pit. The winner at Dover and leading the points has never won the Title. And the leader of the most laps has never won the race at Dover. 07 and 47 Marcos Ambrose battle side by side, with 07 finally making the pass. 39 and 9 battle for ninth, with 39 getting by. 16 dives under 9 to battle for tenth. 9 keeps the spot. 5 gets by 14 for sixth. 43 is back out, 229 laps down. 5 drives below 2. 5 gets by 17 for fourth. 11 goes another lap down.

The seventh caution comes out on lap 325 for debris. 31 Jeff Burton is the Lucky Dog, and back on the lead lap. eighteen cars are now on the lead lap. 24 has a long pit stop. 48 comes out of the pits first and chooses the outside. 42 and 17 get by 5. 2 gets by 5. 2 tries to get by 17 but can’t. 39 gets by 14. 5 drives under 2 for fourth. 5 gets by 17 for third. 14 gets back by 39.

The eighth caution comes out when 78 Regan Smith looses it coming off turn 4. 12 gets into 78 and 19 and 1 get collected. 34 John Andretti zips by on the top forcing 19 into 1. 83 Brian Vickers is the Lucky Dog. 24 has a stop of 12.6 seconds and comes out of the pits first, but the top eleven stay out. 17 gets behind leader 48 to get by 42. 24 and 39 battle. 24 and 39 get together with 24 loosing spots. 44 gets by 24. 99 Carl Edwards and 9 get together. 44 and 39 battle for position. 44 can’t get by. 24 gets back by 44. 24 finally gets by 39 for ninth. 17 gets by 5 and 42 for second. 24 gets by 07 for eighth.

The ninth caution comes out with 32 laps to go for 77 into the wall. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is the Lucky Dog. 77 got loose trying to get by 00. 14, 39, 9, 16 come into the pits. 39 and 9 take two tires. 16 takes four. 48 takes the outside and pulls away. 2 tries to get by 42. 44 gets by 07 on the top. 9 gets by 39 on the top. 14 drives under 39. 5 slides in front of 17 for second. 14 finally gets by 39. 07 and 31 battle. 44 drives under 9.

And 48 Jimmy Johnson wins the AAA 400 after leading 271 laps, the most. 71 David Gilliland led a lap. There were four different leaders. Mark Martin stays first in the points, with Jimmy Johnson ten points behind. Matt Kenseth moves past Kyle Busch into thirteenth in points. Denny Hamlin looses three spots, and Brian Vickers looses two spots.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

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Race Review: Sylvania 300

Welcome race fans. This is the 27th race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and the first race in the Chase to the Sprint Cup. The Sylvania 300 takes place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Lauden, NH. The track is 1.058 miles long and a pretty flat track. Qualifying took place on Friday, with Juan Pablo Montoya grabbing the pole with a record-setting speed of 133.431. Starting second is Tony Stewart. 71 this week is Bobby Labonte. 64 is Mike Wallace. 96 is Aric Darnell. 36 is Michael McDowell. Derrike Cope and Dexter Bean failed to make the race.

As you’ll recall, the points for the top 12, who are in the chase were reset according to wins in the regular season. Some things need to be mentioned before we start. Pat Tryson, crew chief for the 2 of Kurt Busch will be leaving for Michael Waltrip Racing for 2010 and is not allowed into the shop as a result. I guess, so he doesn’t bring any Dodge secrets to Toyota. This makes it very difficult for him to do a good job for Kurt in the chase. 43 Reed Sorenson is odd man out at Richard Petty Motorsports after they signed an agreement with Yates to join forces and drive Fords. Reed is driving without a salary for the rest of the year so his crew will have jobs. 99 Carl Edwards is the in-race reporter.

So, here we go! The Chase begins! 14 Tony Stewart drives on the outside to lead the first lap. 48 Jimmy Johnson, 5 Mark Martin, 39 Ryan Newman and 07 Casey Mears battle each other for eleventh. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya takes the lead and pulls away. 18 Kyle Busch and 29 Kevin Harvick race side by side and 29 finally makes the pass. 48 drives by 18. 11 Denny Hamlin gets by 14 for second. 14 gets back by 11. 00 David Reutimann takes the spot from 18. 39 battles 18 for fourteenth, with 39 finally completing the pass. 2 gets by 11 for third. 5 gets by 18 for fifteenth. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. race side by side for eighteenth, with 88 finally making the pass.

14 is catching 42 in traffic. 14 takes the lead. 12 David Stremme gets loose off the corner. 99 and 12 battle for sixth. They touch, and 99 gets by. 48 gets by 12 for seventh. 24 Jeff Gordon gets by 2 for third. 11 and 2 battle for fourth, with 11 getting by.

The first caution comes out during the commercial. 9 Kasey Khane is smoking with a blown engine. 6 David Ragan is the Lucky Dog and gets his lap back. 42 comes out of the pits first and chooses the outside for the restart. 11 and 42 battle for the lead. 14 makes it three-wide for the lead. 42 stays in the lead. 48 and 99 battle, with 48 taking the spot. 16 Greg Biffle battles with 18. 31 Jeff Burton gets behind 16 to push him past 18 and then gets by 16.

The second caution comes out during the commercial, again for debris on the track. The leaders stay on the track. 11, coming out of his pit, runs over the right foot of the tire changer for 07 Casey Mears. 42 chooses the inside this time. 2, 14 and 11 get together racing three-wide. 14 falls back. 1 Martin Truex, Jr. and 33 Clint Bowyer battle, with 33 getting by. 24 and 1 get together. 31 gets by 47 Marcos Ambrose for nineteenth. 44 A. J. Allmendinger gets by 18 for twenty-fourth. 2 is catching leader 42. 24 gets by 12 for tenth. 29 Kevin Harvick gets by 18 for twenty-fifth. 42 slips a little and 2 takes the lead during the commercial. 88 drives by 5.

And the third caution comes out again during the commercial. Again for debris. Do you see a pattern here? 11 and 42 race side by side, touching each other for the lead. 11 takes the lead. 11 and 42 battle again for the lead, and 42 takes the lead. 48 gets around 5. The fourth caution comes out during the commercial when 09 Almirola spins into the wall. 2 leaving his pit, as 6 is trying to enter his, spins 6 backward in his pit. 77 goes to the garage. 14 is the leader.

The fifth caution is a big one. 24 brushes the wall and everyone checks up. 20 Joey Logano turns 19 Elliott Sadler, 34 John Andretti gets into 55 Michael Waltrip. There is a chain reaction behind them, involving 7 Robby Gordon and 98 Paul Menard. 2 has damage and is overheating.The leader 14 chooses the inside.

The sixth caution comes out for spinning 31, after 00 got loose and into him. No one hits him, and he continues. 14 and 48 battle for the lead. 48 takes the lead. 42 takes a spot from 39. 88 gets by 14 for second. 42 gets by 11. 48 pulls away. 42 drives under 14.

The seventh caution comes out during the commercial. 12 got into the wall. 44 got loose into 12 and 12 slid into the wall. 14 has a loose axle cap. The top seven drivers stay out. 2 and 5 battle for the lead. 5 finally takes the lead. 48 gets loose into 24. 24 and 88 battle side by side. 14 gets by 83 Brian Vickers. 99 and 39 battle, with 39 getting by. 88 gets by 99. 44 drives under 16. With 58 laps to go, 5 pits to start Green Flag Pitting. 2 leads when 5 pits.11 gets by 31 for second. 11 leads when 2 pits. 5 battles 11 to get back on the lead lap, and gets by. 88 pits from second. 39 leads when 11 pits. 99 leads, then pits. 29 comes back in with a tire rub. They raise the hood to see what is wrong. 47 leads, then pits, as well as 71. 14 leads and pits. After it all, 5 is back in the lead.

The eighth caution comes out with twenty-three to go during the commercial. Again, for debris. 42 got into 31 to get by. The leaders stay out and 5 chooses the outside. The ninth caution comes out when 88 was too high and got into the wall, hard. 00 got loose and into 88 to get him there. 11 smoked his brakes, 00 slammed on his brakes and 88 went spinning into the wall. 5 chooses the outside. 42 gets by 11 and 48 on the bottom. 48 gets by 2.

The tenth caution comes out with seven to go when 47 gets into 44 and 44 spins. 5 chooses the outside for the restart. 42 and 5 are side by side for the lead. 5 finally clears 42. 11 and 42 battle for second. Coming to the Checker Flag, 44 spins and can’t get going. There is smoke and 44 on the track. NASCAR throws the caution as they head for the Finish Line. And 5 Mark Martin wins the Sylvania 300 under caution. No one hits 44, as they slow down to the Finish Line. Mark Martin retains his lead in the chase with his win in the first race.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

In My Opinion: The Chase

2003 was a pivotal point in NASCAR racing. Brian France took over the reigns of the Series. At the time, NASCAR racing was the Winston Cup. As it had been since the 1970’s. RJ Reynolds decided to withdraw from sponsoring the Series, taking away their Winston brand. I’m not really sure what prompted this. Whether it was all their decision, or if it was Brian’s decision to start new. I can’t answer that. But I can give my opinion. Bill France, Sr. started NASCAR racing. And his son, Bill France, Jr. put the racing series on the map, with the help of R. J. Reynolds and their Winston brand. Winston Cup racing was born. And because of Bill France, Jr. and Winston, the sport grew all over the country. It was no longer just a Southern series. Racing was now nationwide. Everyone was watching racing.

Then along comes Brian France. I don’t know if he didn’t want cigarettes as a sponsor, or if Winston didn’t want to sponsor the Series with Brian at the helm. In any event, NASCAR found Nextel, and signed them up with a ten-year contract to sponsor the series. (By the way, Sprint took over Nextel and now the series is Sprint Cup.) So, in 2004 it became the Nextel Cup. That year, in 2003, Matt Kenseth won the Championship by a wide margin, despite the fact that he had only one win. Matt was consistent that year. You could count on him to finish in the top 5-10 each and every of the 36 races. Brian decided that winning should be more important. And that you shouldn’t get the trophy if you only had one win.

So, Brian implemented the Chase to the Nextel Cup. (Now called the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) He made the season only 26 races and the last ten were The Chase. To get into the chase, you had to finish in the top 10 in points by the end of the 26 regular season events. His reasoning was that in those last 10 races, NASCAR would be competing with football for viewers. And he decided that the only reason people watch football is to see who gets into the play-offs. So, he wanted a play-off system. The first 26 races, were the race for the chase and the last ten races were the chase for the championship.

In my opinion, this was the beginning of the end of NASCAR racing. No longer could any team race into the top ten in points, because the points for the chase was set after the 26th race. Through the years, the chase was tweaked a couple of times. When favorites failed to make the chase, it was changed to 12 spots in the chase.  And when they were still points-racing to get in, the seeding was changed. Every race you win in the first 26 races earns you 10 points, if you get into the chase. So, the driver with the most wins starts the chase in first place, instead of the chase being the top 12 in that order.

That’s all fine and dandy, but in my opinion, more fans are not coming into the sport. In my opinion, more fans are no longer watching NASCAR racing. If this new system earned any more fans from football, they quickly lost them. Because play-offs are post season, and those not in the play-offs, go home. In this case, all 43 drivers are in the last 10 races, but no one outside of the chase can do better than 13th place.

In my opinion, I thought it was more exciting watching the last few races to see who was out of the top 10 and who got to go to NYC and be on stage. The media loves the new format because they can start talking about getting into the chase with the first race in Daytona. Why that is exciting, I’m not really sure. But Brain and the media love it. The fans, however hate the new format. They say that now more drivers are winning, instead of points racing so that they get 10 points toward the chase. In my opinion, there are 43 drivers racing for the win each and every week. Not for the 10 points, but for the win. NASCAR is racing. They don’t just drive around all day. They race for the win. Not for the ten points. But for the trophy. To collect as many wins as they can. And it has always been that way.

In my opinion, the chase is a stupid gimmick and is not working. Ratings are down. Seats are not being sold. You may point to the economy, but when ratings are down, NASCAR should look into why they are down. The new car is a factor. It is now a safer car, but the car doesn’t handle very well, and most fans don’t want to watch follow the leader in IROC cars, where they all look alike.

But the biggest reason for poor ratings, in my opinion, is the chase. The media is always talking about it, and it turns most fans off. Because they don’t like it to begin with. This year Matt Kenseth won the first two races of the year at Daytona and California (Auto Club Speedway). But he was not consistent enough to stay in the top twelve in points. So, he finds himself racing for 13th in points. No matter what he does the rest of the year, even if he wins the next ten races, all he can do is get that 13th spot. Kyle Busch (the media sweetheart) has four wins and didn’t make it into the chase. So now, will they have to tweak it again to include all the winners of races? There are also four drivers in the chase with no wins. What should become of them? Do they not make it because they didn’t win? And those winners get in because they won?

I say, it wasn’t broken. Why did Brian think he had to fix it? In my opinion, they should get rid of the chase, and may the driver with the most points win the championship. The way it should be. The winners will still be at the top of the standings. Give more points for winning. Under that assumption everyone will race for the win. But get rid of the chase. The only thing it is doing is chasing fans away. It is much more exciting watching drivers race into and out of the top ten. If  Greg Biffle, in twelfth place finishes 43rd all ten races in the chase, he still remains in twelfth place. And, like I said, if Kenseth wins the next ten races, he will finish the year in 13th. I have to ask myself why that is exciting. And I can’t come up with a single answer. Except that the media and Brian France likes the new format.

I loved NASCAR racing the first time I saw it in the mid ’90’s. When it was Winston Cup. When you raced into and out of the top ten and the Champion was the one with the most points. Not the driver who did best in the last ten races. In my opinion, all the chase does is turn off long time fans, and shortens the season. If they want a play-off, let it be after the season, and everyone else goes home. NOT a very good idea. But neither is a play-off in a sport with no divisions. That’s how you make a play-off. Your team is the best in your division.

It will always be exciting watching NASCAR racing. At least in my opinion. But it would be more exciting if there was no chase and they raced for wins (more points for winning) and getting into and out of the top ten to get onto the stage for the awards. In my opinion. NASCAR, are you listening?

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Another thing. The media talks as though there has never been anything but the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jeff Gordon has four Winston Cup Championships. Jimmy Johnson is the only winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Kurt Busch has one Nextel Cup trophy, as does Tony Stewart. Yet the media insists everything is NSCS. I wonder why that is.

Race Review: Chevy Rock & Roll 400

Welcome, race fans, to the final race of the regular NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The Chevy Rock & Roll 400 will determine who will race in the Chase For The Sprint Cup. Richmond International Raceway, in Richmond, Va., hosts this final event. And, in my opinion, this .75 mile track is the perfect place for such an event. Since The Chase for the Championship began in 2004, this one race determines who is in and who is out. According to NASCAR News, there are 11 drivers vying for 8 spots. 11th in points is 16 Greg Biffle. 12th is 17 Matt Kenseth. 13th is 83 Brian Vickers. And in 14th is 18 Kyle Busch. The race should be exciting and entertaining. RIR is a neat little track with room to pass.

5 Mark Martin is on the pole with a speed of 126.808. Beside him, on the front row is 1 Martin Truex, Jr. 09 is NASCAR Nationwide driver, Brad Keselowski. 7 is David Gilliland. Owner/Driver, Robby Gordon is off racing in an off-road event. 71 this time is Mike Bliss. 36 is Michael McDowell. Only one driver had to go home. In my opinion, all 44 entries should have raced. The 22nd row should have been filled. But I don’t make the rules. That one driver was 37 Tony Raines.

9 Kasey Kahne is the in-race reporter. Just before the festivities began, there was a sprinkle. But the driers come on the track and there is not much of a delay before the race starts. Although, the dryers blew the rubber off the track, so the outside groove will have to wait awhile to come into play.

So, here we go. 5 Martin leads from the pole. And the first caution comes out before the completion of the second lap. 17 Kenseth doesn’t have a very fast car, so he makes a pit stop. 24 Jeff Gordon gets by 48 Jimmy Johnson. 9 Khane and 48 battle, with 9 getting by. 2 Kurt Busch gets by 83 Vickers for ninth. 29 Kevin Harvick finally gets by 12 David Stremme. 2 gets by 18 Kyle Busch. 2 gets by 48 for sixth.

The second caution comes out when 14 Tony Stewart and 43 Reed Sorenson spin together. Tony says it was his fault. 14 made it three-wide with 12 and 43 and got loose into 43. 6 David Ragan is the Lucky Dog and gets his lap back. The top five out of the pits are 11 Denny Hamlin, 24, 5, 2 and 1. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gets by 18. 29 and 18 battle. 24 is all over the back end of leader 11. 26 Jamie McMurray and 47 Marcos Ambrose get together.

The third caution comes out for 78 Regan Smith stopped on the track. 43 Reed Sorenson is the Lucky Dog and is back on the lead lap. 88 gets by 5 for fourth. 24 and 11 battle for the lead. 24 takes the lead. 11 comes back to battle 24 for the lead, but 24 keeps it. They battle some more, but 24 stays in the lead. 83 and 18 battle and 83 gets by.

The fourth caution comes out for debris. 17 was seconds away from going a lap down. He misses his pit and has to back up. 24 retains the lead. 83 and 9 get together. 2 and 5 battle with 5 getting by. 88 and 9 battle. And the fifth caution comes out. Again for debris. 17 stays on the lead lap again. 7 David Gilliland gets the free pass. 6 turns 09 in the pits and 09 makes his stop backwards in his pit. 99 Carl Edwards has a miss in his engine. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya looses eight positions in the pits. 24 chooses the inside for the restart. 11 drives into the corner to take the lead. 44 A. J. Allmendinger, 9 and 99 are three-wide. 24 is all over the back of leader 11. 24 takes the lead. 24 and 11 battle for the lead, and 11 takes the lead. They battle for the lead some more.

The sixth caution comes out when 78 blows a tire. They speculate that the brakes were overheating the tires. 24 leads them to the pits. 11 comes out first. 48 and 2 battle for fourth, with 2 taking the spot. 33 Clint Bowyer gets by 18 for eighth. 11 puts 88 a lap down. 48 and 18 battle with 18 taking the spot.

The seventh caution comes out when 1 gets into the wall. The caution is for debris on the track. 7 David Gilliland is again the Lucky Dog. 1 goes to the garage. 17 makes more changes. His front tire changer takes the lugs out of the rear tire while they make the changes to the right rear. Great team work. 48 won’t let 18 by. 18 finally gets by 48. 83 gets by 42. 20 Joey Logano, 31 Jeff Burton and 14  are three-wide. 00 David Reutimann bumps 31. 12 gets his pipe into 31’s tire and 31 blows the tire.

The eighth caution comes out for debris from 31’s blown tire. 31 Jeff Burton is the Lucky Dog and will get back on the lead lap. The caution was for debris, not because 31 wrecked. They restart with 75 to go. 33 dives below leader 11, 11 blocks and 33 gets into 24, who looses spots.

The ninth caution comes out when 55 Michael Waltrip slides into the grass. He stayed out to lead a lap, but he is just getting into the way. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap. 33 and 18 battle. 2 gets by 18. 18 and 83 (the two of them trying to get into the Chase) for fifth. 83 gets by. 24 and 18 battle, and 24 gets by. 18 and 48 battle, and 48 gets by. 14 gets by team mate, 39 Ryan Newman. 48 and 18 battle side by side and 18 gets by. 83 gets by 33 for fourth. 29 and 48 battle, with 29 getting by. 11 the leader is in heavy traffic. And they go to a commercial.

The tenth caution comes out during the commercial. 09 blows an engine. In the pits, 14 comes out of his pit and gets into the tire carrier of the 00 team and the tire gets loose and rolls down pit road. The tire carrier is not hurt. 17 and others take the wave around to stay on the lead lap. 11 chooses the inside. 5 spins his tires and 2 gets by. 24 and 18 battle. 83 and 77 battle. 24 gets by 18 and then by 5 for third. 83 and 77 are still battling. 83 finally gets by.

And 11 Denny Hamlin finally wins on his home track. 18 Kyle Busch misses out on the Chase by 8 points. 83 Brian Vickers makes it into the Chase. 17 Matt Kenseth finishes in 25th and is now fourteenth in points. Denny does burn outs all around the track so all his fans can see them. He had all his “lucky stuff” from his Pocono win with him for this race. And they worked.

So, now The Chase for the Sprint Cup is set with 5 Mark Martin on top with his four wins.

1. 5 Mark Martin  4 wins
2. 14 Tony Stewart  3 wins
3. 48 Jimmy Johnson  3 wins
4. 11 Denny Hamlin  2 wins
5. 9 Kasey Kahne  2 wins
6. 24 Jeff Gordon  1 win
7. 2 Kurt Busch  1 win
8. 83 Brian Vickers  1 win
9. 99 Carl Edwards  0 wins
10. 39 Ryan Newman  0 wins
11. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya  o wins
12. 16 Greg Biffle  0 wins

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley