The Chase For The Sprint Cup: Good Or Bad For The Sport?

Brian France and the media think the Chase for the Sprint Cup (NASCAR’s play-off system) is the best thing that’s happened to the Sport in a long time. It gives the media something to talk about almost from the first time the drivers get on the track in Daytona in February. Who will be the chosen 12? How will they do each week? Who will fall out? Who will have the most wins and thus be seeded first when the chase starts. And on and on.

The fans have mixed feelings about the chase. Some like it because no one can run away with the lead. At least not in the first 26 races. Matt Kenseth prompted the chase by winning the Winston Cup Championship in 2003 by being Mr. Consistent the whole year, and winning only one race the whole year. He had enough top fives and top tens to run away with the title. Some of us fans thought that was quite an accomplishment. To be there at the front through the whole year. But others felt no one should be able to run away with the title without winning many times. In my opinion, the system wasn’t broken. Why bother to try to fix it?

Bill France, Sr. started the sport. He made racing a sport and took it to the masses. He made rules and found tracks on which to compete. Bill Jr. took over and made racing what it is today. Brought NASCAR all over the country. He and RJ Reynold’s Winston brand took NASCAR to a whole new level. Then along came Brian France and Nextel/Sprint. Now NASCAR racing has become, not so much a sport, as more a form of entertainment. And I’m not sure this whole thing is really good for the sport. Do we want to be a sport like football and baseball? Or do we want to be entertainment, like WWE?

To me, NASCAR is racing. And racing is beautiful. I’m a die hard NASCAR fan, from the first time I saw a race on television. And in my humble opinion, there was no need to have a play off system to make racing more exciting. To me, racing, just by definition, is exciting. Play offs are for sports that have divisions. And the winners of the divisions play each other to see who is best in the sport. NASCAR doesn’t need a play off system. Mainly because there are no divisions. And mostly because in this system, there are still 43 cars out there every week. The “Super Bowl” of NASCAR is the first race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Is the chase for the Sprint Cup good for the sport? I think not. Many fans are no longer watching because Jimmy Johnson is winning them all. Jimmy has figured out how to do well in the last ten races. So, the chase has become the Jimmy Johnson show. Is that good for NASCAR? It may be for Jimmy Johnson fans. But most fans are not JJ fans and would like to see others do good.

My solution? Put NASCAR back to what it was when Bill, Sr. and Jr. were running the show. When the fans were coming out to watch. When there was no Chase for the Sprint Cup. Give 25 extra points for winning a race. Fans want racing for the win, instead of consistency. That would give it to them. And the driver with the most wins should also be the driver with the most points and win the Championship.

Brian France wanted to take NASCAR a bit further and make it competitive with football. The theory being that fans watch BECAUSE they have a play off. And that making it possible for the wild card to win it all is exciting. I have to disagree. At least with NASCAR, having a twelfth place car win it all is not exciting. And having JJ win all the championships isn’t very exciting, either.

So, let’s put it back to racing for 36 races a year. Give more points to the winner of each race. And maybe the fans will come back to watch. As it is, ratings are way down. Gimmicks aren’t working. The chase isn’t working. And the fans want more than just consistent starting times. In my opinion, it wasn’t broken. Stop trying to fix it. Put it back and leave it alone. Listen to the fans, Brian. The Chase for the Sprint Cup isn’t working. At least not for the fans.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Race Review: NASCAR Banking 500

Welcome race fans! The NASCAR Banking 500 brought to you by Bank of America is the 31st race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and the fifth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Weather was a factor on Thursday. Practice for Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series were shortened, but they managed to get qualifying in on Thursday night.

Jimmy Johnson qualified on the pole with a speed of 192.376, setting a new track record. The 48 team was also the fastest in both practices. 5 Mark Martin starts second. This race is the only race in the Chase held on Saturday night under the stars.

71 this race is Mike Bliss, who also raced in the Nationwide race Friday night. 02 is David Gilliland in an extra Joe Gibbs Racing car. 21 is Bill Elliott, running a partial schedule. He got in on speed. 08 is former Champion Terry Labonte, who had to use his provisional to get into the race. 36 Michael McDowell, 09 Sterling Marlin, 66 Dave Blaney and 37 Travis Kvapil failed to qualify.

47 Marcos Ambrose is the in-race reporter. Brian France, Theresa Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Junior Johnson started the engines. If you’ll recall, this past Wednesday, the first five inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame were decided upon. The five were Bill France, Sr. and Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson. (See previous post) Thus they started the race. The race is 334 laps for 500 miles on this 1.5 mile track, at Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.During the pre-race festivities the blowers were out drying the track. But they got underway on time.

So, here we go! 5 Mark Martin leads the first lap. The first caution comes out on lap three when 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. bottoms out with sparks flying and spins out. Luckily, no one gets into him. 5 chooses the outside for the restart. 48 Johnson takes the lead. 18 Kyle Busch, in pink for breast cancer awareness month, tries to get by 25 Brad Keselowski, but can’t do it.

The second caution comes out again for 77 who slides into pit road. He comes out ahead of the pace car with right rear damage, but stays on the lead lap. 48 chooses the inside and stays in the lead. 39 Ryan Newman and 9 Kasey Kahne battle side by side for third. 20 Joey Logano joins in, but 9 pulls away. 20 and 42 Juan Pablo Montoya (in a blue Lysol car) battle for sixth, but 42 can’t get by. 20 finally gets by 39 after racing side by side for several laps. There is precipitation in the area. 39 and 11 Denny Hamlin battle for sixth. 17 Matt Kenseth gets into the battle.

The third caution comes out for rain. It’s just a drizzle, and they stay on the track. When they pit, 17 takes two tires to lead the race. 20 follows 9 onto pit road, gets too close and slides past his pit stall. They have to back him up. 55 Michael Waltrip stays on the track to lead a lap, then pits. 08 T. Labonte stays out to lead, and pits just before the Green Flag. 17 and 48 battle for the lead. 48 gets loose and 17 stays in the lead. 5 and 48 battle for second. 83 Brian Vickers and 9 race side by side. 48 takes the lead.

39 in a Transformers car with Optimus Prime on the hood battles 24 Jeff Gordon in another Transformers car with Mega Tron on his hood. 11 gets by 17 for third. 11 takes the lead while the broadcasters show us 07 Casey Mears and 42 battling. The Transformers cars are racing each other hard. 18 and 48 battle, with 18 getting by. 42 drives around 48. 42 flies by 18. 48 gets by 18. 07 and 42 battle and 18 goes between them to take the position.

17 starts Green Flag Pitting. 39 fumbles the lug nuts. And 17 is back in the lead after all the pitting. 48 and 18 battle, with 48 getting by. 42 drives by 18, with 18 nearly getting into the wall. The fourth caution comes out for 18 getting sideways in front of 9. 7 Robby Gordon is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap. 24 takes two tires to lead. Five cars get waved around before the Green Flag. 5 and 42 battle. 88 dale Earnhardt, Jr. is slowing down with transmission problems. 6 David Ragan pushes 42 past 5. 11 and 16 Greg Biffle battle for second, with 16 getting by. 11 gets back by 16. At the restart, 42 gets into 33 Clint Bowyer and 5 gets into 42 with 83 also having damage. 83 comes into the pits to fix the car. 42 falls way back. 5 has a hole in his nose. 33 can live with back bumper damage. 9 and 17 battle for fifth, with 9 taking the spot. 9 gets by 16 for fourth. 42 goes a lap down. 2 Kurt Busch gets by 1 Martin Truex, Jr. for ninth. 5 is falling back. 42 is way too loose and many cars drive by him.

The fifth caution comes out for 42 spinning into the pits. He was to be the Lucky Dog, but he caused the caution. Instead, he looses two laps. 42 comes back into the pits to put a red Target quarter panel on the car. 11 comes out of the pits first to lead, and chooses the outside. 24 takes the lead. 17 gets by 11 for second. 33 a black car with Count Chocula on the hood, 47 and 6 David Ragan are three wide, and 47 tucks in behind 6.

The sixth caution comes out when the Target patch falls off 42. 02 David Gilliland gets the free pass and stays on the lead lap. In the pits, the 5 team is using a blow torch on the nose patch. 11 drops a valve and has to head to the garage. 17 comes out of the pits first and chooses the inside. 24, in third pushes 17. 2 and 9 both get around 33 in the middle. 99 Carl Edwards is pitting with a loose wheel. 24 and 9 battle for third, with 9 getting by.

48, leading, has trash on the grill. 9 gets by 48, to take the lead but pulls away before the trash can fly off. 48 gets behind lapped car, 42 to get the trash off. 00 David Reutimann pits with a vibration. 31 Jeff Burton drives around 14 Tony Stewart. 18, 1 and 48 start Green Flag Pitting once again, with 9 leading. 2 leads when 9 pits. After it all, 9 is back in the lead. 08 and 7 were too fast.

48 gets by 17 for second during the commercial. 2 and 20 get by 24. 2 and 20 battle for  fifth. 16 is fighting leader 9 to stay on the lead lap. The seventh caution caution comes out when 13 Max Papis blows the engine. 12 David Stremme had gotten by 5, and is the first car a lap down. 16 stayed ahead of the leader and stays on the lead lap. 48 chooses the inside for the restart. 17 dives below 24 and they battle for third. 24 takes the spot.

The eighth caution comes out when 02 gets loose and gets hard into the wall. 5 Mark Martin is the Lucky Dog, and back on the lead lap. There is a quickie pit stop, where all cars may pit at the same time. The leaders stay out. The ninth caution comes out when 99 blows up, dropping fluid on the track, with 31 laps to go. 24 got by 9 for second. 25 and 20 battle with 25 taking the spot. 9 gets by 17 for third. They are racing four wide! 12, 16, 39 were three wide. 14 makes it four wide. 39 backs off.

The tenth caution comes out when 12 gets into the wall and into 16, who spins into the grass. 48 and 24 battle for the lead. 48 gets loose, but saves it. 24 takes the lead. 9 goes by 17 for third. 48 and 24 battle for the lead. 9 goes by 24 on the top for second. 17 gets by 24 for third. 33 and 20 battle for fifth. 9 and 17 battle for second. 17 finally gets by. 20 and 24 battle for  fifth, with 24 keeping the position.

And 48 Jimmy Johnson wins the NASCAR Banking 500. This race is the last one with Lowes as the sponsor of the track. And Jimmy wins with Lowes on his hood. No winner of this race has gone on to win the Championship. Let’s see of Jimmy can be the first and claim his fourth Title in a row!

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

NASCAR Hall Of Fame Inductees

Welcome, race fans to my blog. This post is strictly a NASCAR comment, and in my opinion. 25 heroes of NASCAR, from it’s beginnings, to the present were nominated to be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which will be completed next year. Five were voted into the first class.The fans got to vote. And newscasters from around NASCAR also got to vote. There was a final panel that set down the five that were to be in the first class. The decision was made on Wednesday.

In my opinion, this first class should be the pioneers of the sport. The ones that started it all and influenced the way it is today. And with that having been said, I disagree with what was decided upon. The five who are being inducted are: William H. G. France, his son, Bill France, Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson.

I agree with the France’s getting in. Bill, Sr. started the sport. He made racing a sport and put rules into place to govern the sport. He started it all. Bill, Jr. took over and made the sport National. He built upon his father’s idea and took it to the next level. Richard Petty has 200 wins in NASCAR. And seven championships. He’s the King of NASCAR.

But with the thinking that this first class should be the pioneers, I’m not sure he should be included. His Father, Lee started his own team and raced in the beginning. He was one of the pioneers of the sport. In my opinion, Lee should have been in the first class instead of Richard. Just my opinion. Richard is still alive and could get into a future class.

Dale Earnhardt also has seven Championships. He was a fan favorite. And who knows how many more races he could have won, or championships he could have gotten had he not died at the end of the 2001 Daytona 500? But he was not a pioneer in the sport. He was part of the modern era. So, although he is in everyone’s heart that voted, he should not have been in the first class. In my opinion.

Junior Johnson won many races and championships both as a driver and later as an owner. A remarkable NASCAR career. But, again, he was not a pioneer of the sport. So, in my opinion, should not have been included in this first class.

In addition to Pearson, Yarborough and Allison, the other 17 nominees not selected were Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Rick Hendrick, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Darrell Waltrip, Joe Weatherly and Glen Wood. (From NASCAR Scene Daily)

Red Byron won the first NASCAR sanctioned race and Championship. And should have been included. He was after all, the first. A pioneer in NASCAR. In my opinion.

However, the fans voting, know Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. And their votes were taken into consideration. After all, without the fans there would be no sport. I just think, for this first class, the pioneers of the sport should have been acknowledged before everyone else. In my opinion.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

Race Review: Pepsi 500

Welcome race fans to the 30th race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, and the 4th race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Pepsi 500 takes place at the 2 mile track now known as the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana California. Denny Hamlin in his #11 FedEx car is on the pole with a speed of 183.870. 00 David Reutimann qualified his Aaron’s Dream Machine second, but the shocks were found to be low, and will start the race in 42nd. That moves the whole outside line up, and puts #16 Greg Biffle into the second starting position. 09 is Mike Bliss, who also raced in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday. 36 is Michael McDowell. 64 Mike Wallace and 37 Tony Raines failed to make the race. Actor Kelsie Grammer gave the command to start the engines. (This is Hollywood, after all.)

This is the first year Auto Club Speedway has been in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. They switched places in the schedule with Atlanta Motor Speedway. Atlanta gets Labor Day weekend. And the fans will not be subjected to the high heat. Hopefully, they will get a bigger crowd without the heat and in The Chase. 5 Mark Martin will be the in-race reporter. Kyle Busch, the media darling, isn’t feeling well this weekend, with flu-like symptoms. Denny got into his #18 car at the first caution in the NASCAR Nationwide race. And David Gilliland will drive his #71 car a number of laps before parking it and getting into the 18 at the first caution. 250 laps on this 2 mile track will be 500 miles.

So, here we go! 11 Denny Hamlin chooses the outside to start the race. 16 Greg Biffle battles with 11 for the lead, but 11 pulls ahead to lead from the pole. 16 Biffle and 48 Jimmy Johnson battle for second, with 48 taking the spot. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya pushes 16 to get him into the wall. 99 Carl Edwards bumps 5 Mark Martin. 77 Sam Hornish, Jr. gets loose and brushes the wall. 71 Gilliland goes to the garage so he can get out of his car and wait to get into 18. 42 goes low to get by 16. 2 Kurt Busch bounces off the wall. 48 is catching leader 11. 11 and 48 battle for the lead. 48 takes the lead. 42 gets by 11 for second. 11 and 29 Kevin Harvick battle for third. 24 and 11 battle for fourth. 7 Robby Gordon heads to his pits with his exhaust pipe hanging out. 5 and 99 battle for sixth with 5 taking the spot.

The first caution comes out during the commercial. 26 Jamie McMurray gets into the wall. He was the first car a lap down, so there is no free pass. 24 finally got around 11 for fourth. In the pits, 48 drops a lug nut and looses six spots. Kyle Busch gets out and David Gilliland gets into 18. They change tires with one to go and exit the pits in front of the pace car. 42 chooses the outside for the restart. 29 takes the lead. 11 takes the lead. 29 and 11 battle for the lead. 11 keeps the lead. 5 goes around 29 for second. 42 gets by 29 for third. 24 gets by 29. 5 and 11 battle for the lead. 5 leads that lap. 11 fights back. 5 takes the lead. 42 takes the lead during the commercial. He drove by on top. 29 and 24 battle for fifth. 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is in tenth.

The second caution comes out for the right front tire blown out on 39 Ryan Newman. 1 takes two tires to lead and chooses the outside. 42 takes the lead. 11 and 5 get by 1. 88 gets by 2 for tenth. 2 and 88 battle for tenth. 2 gets back by 88. 42 is running away with the lead. 2 and 99 get together. 14 Tony Stewart gets by 99. 48 is catching the leader, 42. 42 and 48 battle for the lead. 42 keeps the lead. 42 and 48 battle side by side for the lead. 48 goes low to take the lead.

The third caution comes out during the commercial, again for debris. 82 Scott Speed is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap. 17 is too fast exiting the pits. 11 comes out first and chooses the outside. 24 takes the lead, but 11 takes it back before the Start/Finish line. 42, 5, 16 battle for position. 9 Kasey Kahne gets by 14 for thirteenth.  48 goes by 11 to take the lead. 44 A. J. Allmendinger gets loose into 98 Paul Menard. 88 started 37th and is up to sixth. 42 and 24 battle for third. 42 gets by. 43 Reed Sorenson gets by Chase contender 83 Brian Vickers. 11 and 42 battle for second. 42 finally takes second. 88 gets by 2.

And we get Green Flag Pitting once again with 48 leading. 42 leads when 48 pits. 99 leads when 42 pits. 24 leads when 99 pits. 14 leads when 24 pits. 88 comes out ahead of 2. And 48 is back into the lead. 14 is caught speeding in three spots and has to make a pass-through. 48 puts 18, now Gilliland, a lap down. 88 and 2 battle for seventh.

The fourth caution comes out during the commercial. Again for debris. 17 Matt Kenseth is the Lucky Dog and is back on the lead lap. 11 chooses the outside and blocks and spins into the infield at the restart, bringing out the fifth caution. He tried to get in front of 42, but 42 was already there. He hits the inside wall. The crew goes to work on 11. 42 chooses the inside for the restart. 48 sails by 42 on top to take the lead. 9 and 17 battle for ninth. 31 Jeff Burton, 16 and 1 are three wide. 16, 31 and 33 Bowyer are three wide. 88 and 9 battle for eighth, with 9 getting by. 47 Marcos Ambrose gets by 17 for tenth. 77 gets sideways. 14, 31, 99 battle for position. A modified 11 is back on the track. 16 gets by 17 for eleventh.

Another round of Green Flag Pitting starts with 24 laps to go. 2 leads when 48 pits. 14 leads when 2 pits. 14 finally pits with 16 laps to go. And the sixth caution comes out for debris as 14 is exiting the pits. 34 John Andretti hasn’t pitted yet and leads the race. 1 with Guitar Hero 5 on his car is in the pits with the hood up, as the car is missing and they’re trying to figure out why. 48 chooses the outside. That puts 24 on the inside, where he likes it. 24 takes the lead. They battle on the track four wide.

The seventh caution comes out with eleven to go. 2 gets into the wall, into 9. 9 spins taking 16 with him into the infield. 20 Joey Logano is the Lucky Dog, and back on the lad lap. 24 chooses the outside. 24 and 48 battle for the lead, with 48 taking the lead. 2 is smoking with a tire rub. The eighth caution comes out for many cars. And there is a Red Flag for clean up with six laps to go. 31, 44, 88, 9, 19 Elliott Sadler, 47, 83, 43 Reed Sorenson are all involved. 19 turned 88 to start it. All four Richard Petty Motorsports cars are involved. When they get going again, there will be a Green, White Checker finish.

48 chooses the inside this time, and pulls away. 2 is still smoking. 24 and 42 battle for second, with 24 keeping the spot. And 48 Jimmy Johnson wins the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. For a track where nothing usually happens, things sure did happen. Jimmy Johnson takes the lead in points with the win, leaving Martin 12 behind.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

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Race Review: Price Chopper 400

Welcome race fans to the 29th race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and the third race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. For all you Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans, Mark Martin knocked him off the provisional pole on Friday with a speed of 175.758. Jr. starts second. The Price Chopper 400 takes place at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.  Today 25 is Brad Keselowski from the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He’s at a disadvantage against the regular Sprint Cup drivers with his Nationwide pit crew. 21 is former Cup Champion, Bill Elliott. He got in on speed. 09 is Nationwide driver Mike Bliss. 71 is again former Champion Bobby Labonte, who also got in on speed. In Bobby’s 96 car is Erik Darnell. Failing to make the race are 04 David Gilliland in a Robby Gordon car, 37 Kevin Hamlin (he did race in the Nationwide race in Kansas), and 36 Michael McDowell (who also raced in the Nationwide race).

The big issue this week is that 5 Mark Martin and 48 Jimmy Johnson were warned by NASCAR that their cars were awfully close to specks and they may want to be careful not to go over. The teams are giving maximum effort. But just like the drivers are given 5 mph in the pits before they are caught for speeding, if they are over by just a margin, they get a penalty.

So, here we go! 5 Martin leads from the pole. The first caution comes out on lap 2. 20 Joey Logano (who you will recall, barrel rolled in the last race at Dover), gets in the high groove and his back end lets loose. He spins into the infield and no one hits him. 5 chooses the inside for the restart on lap 6. 14 Tony Stewart drives to the apron to make it three wide. And the second caution comes out. This one bigger. 98 Paul Menard gets sideways and spins in the middle of turns 1 and 2. He collects 55 Michael Waltrip, 71 Labonte, 13 Max Papis and 6 David Ragan. 43 Reed Sorenson sneaks by.

88 Earnhardt, Jr takes the lead and 5 falls back. 48 Johnson goes around 24 Jeff Gordon for seventh. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya is moving up the track on the outside. He gets around 24 for eighth. 21 Elliott, 39 Ryan Newman and 43 are three wide. 48 drives by 5 for fourth. 43 and 18 Kyle Busch battle for twenty-second, but 18 can’t get by. 14 gets by 5. 48 takes third from 26 Jamie McMurray. 14 tries, but can’t get by 26. 14 finally gets by 26. 5 drives below 26 to take the spot. 9 Kasey Kahne and 00 David Reutimann battle for seventh, with 00 getting by.

17 Matt Kenseth gets by 42 Juan Pablo Montoya. 00 and 5 battle for fifth with 5 getting by. 14 and 48 battle for third, with 14 keeping the spot. 25 makes a pit stop on lap 53 to start Green Flag Pitting. 14 takes the lead when 88 pits. 17 leads when 14 pits. 99 Carl Edwards leads when 17 pits. 1 Martin Truex, Jr. leads when 99 pits. 88 has a missing lug nut and has to come back in to put it back on. That puts him a lap down. The jack man put the car down before all the lug nuts were on tight. 19 Elliott Sadler leads when 1 pits. 99 is caught speeding and must come back in and make a pass through. 34 John Andretti leads when 19 pits. 25 leads when all the pitting is done. 48 and 25 battle for the lead. 48 takes the lead.

The third caution comes out when 43 is way too high and tags the wall. 19 Elliott Sadler is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap. Many cars stay out to get the wave around and stay on the lead lap. 39 was too fast and will restart at the end of the lead lap. 16 takes two tires to lead. They restart on lap 75, and 21 can’t get going. 17 and 42 battle for seventh with 42 getting by. 2 Kurt Busch and 25 battle for fourth. 14 gets into the battle. 2 keeps the spot. 88 and 47 Marcos Ambrose battle with 88 getting by. 25 and 2 battle with 14 getting into it. 25 finally gets by 2. 25 and 14 battle for fourth.

99 and 88 battle for thirty-fourth to be the first one a lap down. 14 gets by 2 for fifth. 88 finally gets by 99. 42 gets by 2 for sixth. 14 gets by 25 for fourth. 48 gets by 1 for second. 48 catches leader 16 Greg Biffle. 16, 1 and 2 took two tires to lead the way. 48 and 16 battle for the lead, but 48 can’t get by. (Even with four tires.) 42 gets by 1 for fifth. 16 and 48 battle for the lead again. 48 takes the lead in traffic. He had to go to the bottom to get by 13 Papis and when 16 went back up the track, 48 gets by. 17 gets by 1. 99 gets back by 88. 00 is evil loose. 25 and 42 get together before 42 gets by. 25 pits from fifth to start Green Flag Pitting again.

The fourth caution comes out when 83 Brian Vickers gets up too high and spins into the infield, while 16 is in the pits. 29 Kevin Harvick is the Lucky Dog and is back on the lead lap. The leaders pit. 16 stays out to lead. He chooses the inside for the restart. 48 takes the lead. 42 and 24 battle for third, with 42 making the pass. 14 gets by 11 Denny Hamlin. 18 gets by 5. 17 is pitting with engine trouble. He dropped a valve and goes to the garage.

The fifth caution comes out during the commercial when 19 gets into the wall. 99 Carl Edwards is the Lucky Dog and gets back on the lead lap. 16 takes two tires again with a pit time of 4.7 to come out of the pits first. 7 Robby Gordon, 88 and 96 Darnell get waved around. 14, 11, 5, 24,00, 47 and 07 Casey Mears also take two tires. 48 comes out first with four tires in ninth. 11 gets by 5 for third. 48 is stuck behind all the cars that took two tires. 47 and 48 battle, with 48 getting by. 07 and 00 battle for sixth. 42 gets into the mix with 07 keeping the spot. 14 and 16 battle for the lead, but 14 can’t get by. And they battle some more. 83 says his engine is missing, and he goes three laps down.  88 is pitting. 24 and 9 battle with 9 taking the spot. 16 moves 20 over to lap him again. 31 Jeff Burton gets by 12 David Stremme.

Green Flag Pitting starts once again with 14 leading. 11 leads when 14 pits. 2 leads when 11 pits. After it all, 16 is back in the lead. 42 and 11 battle for sixth, but 42 can’t get by. 48 and 42 battle. 11 gets by 24 for fourth. 42 and 48 battle for sixth. 48 and 24 battle for fifth. 42 makes it three wide, but steps back. 42 makes it four wide to get by 48. 88 has no power and pits. The belt fell off.

The sixth caution comes out for fuel on the track from 88 with 30 to go. 14, 9, 48 take two tires to come out first , second and third. 14 chooses the outside. 16 goes to second at the restart. 12, 47 and 31 are three wide. 2 gets loose off turn 4. 42 and 9 battle. 11 goes to the apron to get by both. 5 gets by 48. (He should have taken four tires.) 24 and 16 battle for second, and 24 gets by. 5 and 00 battle for seventh and 5 gets by. 24 is catching leader 14 with 7 laps to go, but can’t catch him. 99 goes to the apron to get by 2 and 18.

And 14 Tony Stewart wins the Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway. That brings him up a spot in the standings to fourth. 2 looses a spot, to fifth. 24 and 16 gain a spot, while 39 looses two spots. 99 and 9 each gain a spot, while 83 looses two spots.18 and 17 trade places, while 00 and 33 also trade places.

Brought to you by Sheila Hawley

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