NASCAR 2013

[Lavabe]

OK, I was dead last this week! Hmmm.....what a waste of a Johnson pick for the week!

Do I get bonus points for the most picks ending up in the garage before the race is over? Pleeeaaase!

The good news is that the point spread between colchar (winner) and you was something like maybe 50 points. We were all tightly bunched.
And hey, at least I didn't finish dead last for 4 weeks in a row. And I am still in second place overall. The battle for second place is REALLY tight.

Next week: THE GLEN!

[Lavabe]

BADNEWS: Tony Stewart crashed in an Iowa race last night, was ambulanced, and had surgery for a broken right leg. No word yet as to the extent of the injury, and what recovery will entail.

Get well soon, Smoke!

[IowaDevil]

BADNEWS: Tony Stewart crashed in an Iowa race last night, was ambulanced, and had surgery for a broken right leg. No word yet as to the extent of the injury, and what recovery will entail.

Get well soon, Smoke!

Well that stinks for Iowa's reputation in racing! No we weren't there and in fact have only ever been to one sprint car race many years ago! Vibes to Tony for quick healing!

[Lavabe]

Max Papis drives Smoke's #14 at the Glen this weekend. No word yet on which driver will replace Smoke for the next weeks/months.

[Lavabe]

Marcus Ambrose takes the pole, followed by Bowyer, Truex, Dinger, and Blech. Edwards made a major flub during qualifying, but had a practice lap that was faster than Ambrose's pole-setting time. A number of drivers have GET WELL SMOKE stickers on their cars. Smoke had a second surgery in Charlotte a couple of days ago and is doing okay. Stewart-Haas will make an announcement in the next few days about a replacement driver.

[Lavabe]

They're racing at Watkins Glen !
Lap 7 of 90: CAUTION: Reutimann spins out. No pitting.
Lap 15 of 90: CAUTION: JG crashes twice. He's in the garage. That should knock him out.
It's been all Ambrose so far. Kes spun a turn and fell from 7th to 21st. Harvick & Kes to pit.
So far, it's:
Ambrose, Bowyer, Dinger, Blech, Truex, JPM, JMac, Menard, Logano, KuBu
JJ 16
Kes 31
Mears 24
Fellows 30
JG 42

[Lavabe]

Lap 25 of 90
Ambrose has led all laps coming into the first round of green flag pits.
Note that Harvick and Kes are on a different pitting schedule, and might be able to make the rest of the way with just ONE more pit stop.
Ambrose leads Blech by 3.6 seconds.
Scratch that about Kes... he came in for a splash and go.
Ambrose comes in with Bowyer, KuBu,Truex & Blech on lap 30.
JPM takeLap 31: BRIAN Kes stuck on the roads the lead; he eventually gets running again. JJ, JPM come in. JMac to the lead for a lap, then comes in. Harvick takes the lead on lap 32.

[Lavabe]

Lap 34 of 90: CAUTION: McDowell breaks a trackbar, and blew out left rear tire.

[Lavabe]

Lap 38 of 90: Green flag racing again
So far, it's:
Ambrose, Harvick, Blech, Truex, Dinger, JPM, Kes, Bowyer, Kenseth, Edwards
Caution Lap 40: Kvapil and Fellows run into each other; Drissi & Gonzalez also get into each other.
The first two got the worst of it, especially Kvapil. Fellows makes it to the pits.
Gonzalez started up again, and started to drive away, but he leaked oil something fierce for about 100 yards before stopping.
NOTE: JG is BACK ON THE TRACK!!
Red Flag: they'll need some time to get rid of that leaked oil.

[Lavabe]

Lap 40 of 90 Red Flag:
While we wait, it's:
Ambrose (led 30 laps), Blech, Harvick (will need to pit soon), Truex, Dinger, JPM, Bowyer, Kes, Kenseth, Edwards
12 KuBu
15 JJ
27 Fellows
33 Mears
42 JG

[Lavabe]

40 laps to go:
Ambrose, Blech, Harvick (will need to pit soon), Truex, Dinger, JPM, Bowyer, Kes, JJ, Kenseth
12 KuBu
26 Mears
37 Fellows
42 JG
39 laps to go: Harvick green flag pits... doubt he can last it without pitting again, but he will try.
38 laps to go:
Ambrose, Blech, Truex, Dinger, JPM, Bowyer, Kes, JJ, Kenseth, Edwards
11 KuBu
25 Mears
37 Fellows
42 JG

[Lavabe]

Lap 56: Fellows is smoking. He'll head to pits.
Lap 56: Dinger and JPM pass Truex. Blech has a LOT of debris on the grill.

[Lavabe]

31 laps to go: Kes, Logano, Edwards come in... this is going to be the last pit stop for the race for them.
30 laps to go. Dinger dropping badly out of gas. Blech comes in, so do a few others.
THEN
30 laps to go: AA loses a left front tire, and he goes crashing into tires on a turn.
CAUTION comes out.
About 7 cars who came in before the yellow (including Bowyer and Truex) will be in the lead. Ambrose and everyone else who didn't pit are coming in to the pits. JPM moves ahead of Ambrose. Patrick moves up well on this pit stop.
BIG shake up in the lead.

[Lavabe]

27 laps to go: Restart: Blech takes the lead. Ambrose restarts in 14th.
26 laps to go: Kes moves ahead of Truex for 2nd.
24 laps to go: Said spins out. He gets back into the race with no Caution.

[Lavabe]

18 laps to go:
Blech, Kes, Truex, Bowyer, KuBu, Edwards, Logano, JMac, Kenseth, JPM
11 Mears
12 Ambrose
13 JJ
19 Dinger
36 Fellows
39 JG

17 laps to go: Burton spins out on a turn (due to Mears), but Burton gets back into the race. Burton loses 9 spots.
JPM is now MUCH faster than Ambrose.

[Lavabe]

13 laps to go:
Blech, Kes, Truex, Bowyer, KuBu, Edwards, Logano, JPM, JMac, Kenseth
11 Ambrose
12 JJ
16 Mears
17 Dinger
36 Fellows
38 JG
Blech leads by 2 seconds. He has enough fuel for the race, but NOT enough for a green, white, checker finish.

[Lavabe]

12 laps to go: CAUTION: Kvapil loses his left front tire. This may work for Blech. Better to have a yellow NOW instead of later.
JPM has the best car now.
Ambrose had some sort of trackbar adjustment last pit, and simply doesn't have the dominant car that he had before.
Everyone from 17th (Dinger) on back went into the pits. Dinger put on 4 tires. He may do well in the last few laps.

[Lavabe]

10 laps to go: Restart
3 turns in: CAUTION: Kahne gets squirrely, loses it, slides into and slams Jr., collects Blaney. KK was knocked by Kenseth (who also knocked Ambrose). Ambrose was unaffected. Ragan and Burton also got caught in the traffic and spun, but are back in the race.
Kenseth pits and gets repairs.

[Lavabe]

7 laps to go: Yellow still
Blech, Kes, Truex, Edwards, Bowyer, JPM, Logano, KuBu, JMac, Ambrose
11 JJ
13 Mears
16 Dinger
35 Fellows
38 JG

Watch out for Edwards... he had a FAST car in practice, sucked in qualifying due to a slip.
Restart at 6 laps.

[Lavabe]

6 laps to go: CAUTION: Ambrose gets turned around, crashes, he's out. Papis knicked him on the turn, spun him, he touched Vickers, and Vickers also spins and crashes too.
I had Ambrose this week... DAMN!!