Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The twenty-fourth race of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season, the NAPA Auto Parts 200, was raced at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This is a 2.7 mile nearly flat road course in Montreal Canada. Many road course aces are in this race on Saturday afternoon. Cup drivers Marcos Ambrose and Carl Edwards were not there for qualifying, as they were at Michigan International Speedway for the race in the Sprint Cup Series. Trevor Bayne, a Nationwide regular was also in Michigan. They will have to start the race from the rear. 22 Jacques Villeneuve starts from the pole with a speed of 95.800 mph and 101.800 seconds around the track. Fellow Canadian, 12 Alex Tagliani, starts next to him on the front row.
22 Villeneuve leads the first lap from the Pole. 60 Carl Edwards pits for fuel. 16 Trevor Bayne spins, but gets going, so there is no caution. 12 pits for fuel after four laps. 99 Patrick Carpentier pits for fuel, as does 6 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 38 Jason Leffler leads when 22 pits. 62 Michael Annett gets up into 7 Danica Patrick and spins. 33 Scott Speed leads when 38 pits. 32 Reed Sorenson has to come back in for a missing lug nut. 19 Mike Bliss is too fast exiting pit road.
81 Maryeve Dufault spins around the corner and tries to get going, only to sit in the middle of the corner as others try to race by, bringing out the first caution. 39 Luis Martinez, Jr. gets back onto the lead lap. 30 Boris Said comes in for an adjustment. 22 leads 12 and 66 Steve Wallace at the restart. 23 Alex Kennedy spins and there is a Blue Flag in that corner for the others to slow down. 53 Andrew Ranger blows up and pulls the car off the track. 77 Robby Gordon bets by 18 Michael McDowell. 9 Marcos Ambrose makes a pit stop. 66 is too fast entering the pits. 77 takes the lead when 22 pits.
The second caution comes out for 52 Louis-Philippe Dumoulin stuck on the track. 87 Joe Nemechek gets the free pass. At the restart, 22 gets off track into 9. 5 Ron Fellows takes the lead. Many cars are smoking the brakes. 9 spins 22. They both pit for repairs. 12 takes the lead from 5. 7 Danica Patrick is having brake problems and pits. The third caution comes out and 7 heads back into the pits with no brakes. 5 takes the lead after moving 18 out of the way. 62 gets by 18. 66, 99 and 62 are three wide and 66 and 99 get together with 99 spinning.
The fourth caution comes out when 15 Timmy Hill and 23 Alex Kennedy get together and 23 crashes. 12 takes the lead from 5. 60 misses turn one and has to stop and let everyone by. 5 makes a pit stop. The fifth caution is for debris (a tire) on the track. 9 leads, with 18 beside him. 77 gets around 12 for third. 66 gets by 31 Justin Allgaier for fifth. 81 gets turned around again, but this time she gets going again. Patrick Carpentier pulls the 99 car off the track and watches his last race from the stands.
77 rams 12, damaging the radiator and blows up the car, bringing out the sixth caution for oil on the track. 9 and 18 lead. 12 gets by 18 for second. 66 gets by 18 for third. 32 gets spun around. 18 drives inside 66. 33 is overheating, shooting water out. 6 blows up on the final lap. 11 Brian Scott goes off the track. 9 Marcos Ambrose wins the NAPA Auto Parts 200, a week after winning the Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen. There are sprinkles as the Checker Flag flies. There were seven leaders and ten lead changes. The average speed was 70.048 mph. Alex Tagliani finished second followed by Michael McDowell, Steve Wallace, J. R. Fitzpatrick, Scott Speed, Carl Edwards, Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler and Elliott Sadler for the top ten. In points, Stenhouse, Jr. stays in first. Sadler and Sorenson trade second and third. Allgaier and Aric Almirola trade fourth and fifth. Followed by Leffler, Kenny Wallace, Steve Wallace, Scott and Annett for the top ten.
Brought to you by Sheila Hawley. I love NASCAR racing.
NASCAR Race Review: Pure Michigan 400
August 22, 201116 Biffle chooses the outside and leads from the pole. 2 Brad Keselowski gets by 11. 14 Tony Stewart drives under 27 Paul Menard. 29 Kevin Harvick drives under 14. 17 has trash on the grill. The first caution comes out for debris on the track on lap 29. 32 Ken Schrader gets back on the lead lap. The leaders all pit, except 13 Casey Mears, who stays out to lead before stepping aside for the leaders. 29 misses a lug nut and has to come back in to put it on. 48 Jimmie Johnson makes a second pit stop. 16 comes out first and again chooses the outside. 99 Carl Edwards is in the pits with the hood up and they push him to the garage.
24 Jeff Gordon gets by 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for fifth. 4 Kasey Kahne drives around 88 for sixth. 17 Kenseth takes the lead. (16 had trash on the grill so he got behind 17 to get it off.) The second caution comes out and 5 Mark Martin leads out of the pits with 16 right behind. 16 takes the lead. 43 A. J. Allmendinger gets sideways and makes a nice save. There is a round of Green Flag Pitting. 48 leads, then makes a pit stop, with the right rear tire outside the box. (This is legal. That is the only tire that can be outside the box.) 71 Andy Lally leads before pitting himself. They are four wide on the track. After all the pitting, 16 is back in the lead. 48 and 22 Kurt Busch race side by side without getting into one another.
16 and 18 Kyle Busch battle for the lead and 18 takes the lead. The third caution comes out. 4 takes two tires and comes out first to lead the way. 17 takes the lead. 11 scuffs the wall. 24 Jeff Gordon and 17 battle for the lead and 24 takes the lead. 17 takes the lead so 24 can get the trash off the grill and 24 retakes the lead, minus the trash. 29 scrapes the wall. There is another round of Green Flag Pitting. 17, 24 and 18 battle for the lead and 24 takes the lead. 17 and 18 race side by side for second and 18 takes the spot. 48 gets by 17 for third. The fourth caution comes out when 36 Dave Blaney runs out of fuel on the track coasting to the pits while others are about to make their pit stops.
48 had already made his pit stop and stays out to lead. At the restart 48 takes off. 18 gets by 17 for second. 24 gets by 17 and races side by side with 18 for second. 2 pushes 17 by 24. 88 dives to the bottom to get by 5 and 16. 2 gets by 17 for third. 18 takes the lead from 48. 5 drives under 24 to remove trash. 22 scrapes the wall. 5 gets by 17 and 17 crosses over to get by 5. The fifth caution comes out when 22 blows a tire and gets into the wall. 9 Marcos Ambrose is in his pit stall sideways.
This will be the first attempt at a Green, White Checker Finish. 18 chooses the outside, next to 48. 18 side drafts 48 to lead and wins the Pure Michigan 400. This is his fourth win this year
and his first at Michigan. Johnson finishes second followed by Keselowski, Martin, Ryan Newman, Gordon, Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Stewart and Kenseth for the top ten. There were nine different leaders, with Biffle leading the most laps. Kyle was tied for first in points heading into the race and now is in sole position of the points lead. Johnson and Harvick pick up a spot as Edwards falls two spots. Kenseth stays in fifth. Gordon and Newman each move up a spot as Kurt Busch falls two spots. Earnhardt, Jr. and Stewart remain ninth and tenth.
Brought to you by Sheila Hawley. I love NASCAR racing.
Tags:Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR blog, NASCAR race fans, NASCAR race review, NASCAR racing, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Pure Michigan 400
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