NASCAR 2012

[YmoBeThere]

I will get to meet lots of people who are at the track on Sunday, who are in the courthouse on Monday. Job security is a many-splendored thing.

Okay, I confess, that made me laugh!

[ArkieDukie]

Don't forget to get your picks in for Martinsville!

I wonder about this weekend's coverage. HOW many references will there be to the "paper clip" and the hot dogs?

As a non-NASCAR person, I'm lost. What does this mean?

[Miles]

Don't forget to get your picks in for Martinsville!

I wonder about this weekend's coverage. HOW many references will there be to the "paper clip" and the hot dogs?

As a non-NASCAR person, I'm lost. What does this mean?

Martinsville Speedway is reported to look like a paperclip. I get the oval reference, but I think it's a silly description. Martinsville is also famous for it's hot dogs.

Has anybody ever had one?

[lawgrad91]

Don't forget to get your picks in for Martinsville!

I wonder about this weekend's coverage. HOW many references will there be to the "paper clip" and the hot dogs?

As a non-NASCAR person, I'm lost. What does this mean?

Martinsville Speedway is reported to look like a paperclip. I get the oval reference, but I think it's a silly description. Martinsville is also famous for it's hot dogs.

Has anybody ever had one?

It is a red skinned hot dog with barbecue slaw. Nothing to write home about.

[lawgrad91]

Don't forget to get your picks in for Martinsville!

I wonder about this weekend's coverage. HOW many references will there be to the "paper clip" and the hot dogs?

As a non-NASCAR person, I'm lost. What does this mean?

Martinsville Speedway is reported to look like a paperclip. I get the oval reference, but I think it's a silly description. Martinsville is also famous for it's hot dogs.

Has anybody ever had one?

The paperclip thing stems from Martinsville Speedway's track configuration. The straightaways are comparatively long and the corners are tight.

It is in comparison to the Bristol track, which is just slightly shorter but more round, if you will. It is often referred to as a cereal bowl.

[Lavabe]

Boogity, boogity, boogity!
Martinsville: the half-mile track that is shaped like a paper clip.
Status report at Lap 200 of 500.
Harvick started off well in the lead for the first 30 laps or so, but after that, he has pretty much fallen back. It's been all Jeff Gordon ever since.
Hamlin has been locked in 2nd, followed by Jr, KK, Bowyer, Kes, Burton, Vickers, Kenseth, Truex, Smoke.
One yellow came out in lap 90 or so. JJ and Newman got caught speeding.
Blech tagged the wall once, and lost about 80 -110 laps.
Schrader is in 33rd spot or so.

All but Ymo (Schrader) chose Vickers in the C list.
In the A list, 5 chose Hamlin, 4 chose JJ.
The B list is varied: Jr (5), Burton (3), Newman (3), Bowyer (2), Logano, Biff, Truex, JamieMac, and JPM.

[Lavabe]

Lap 204: Vickers just ran over some debris. He loses a lap.
Lap 204: Reutimann has a brake fire.
Lap 205: KuBu dropped another right front tire.
Lap 210: Newman, in 17th, is about to be lapped.

[Lavabe]

Lap 229: Dale Jr TAKES THE LEAD!!!
You can hear the crowd roar all the way out here.
Pit stops are just now starting.

[Lavabe]

Hamlin, Bowyer, Almirola, Kenseth each take the lead while others go in the pits.
KK is slowly losing an engine.

[Lavabe]

Lap 262: JG, Bowyer, Jr, Kenseth, Kes

Lap 264, JPM & Schrader knock each other, and JPM got the worst of it: CAUTION
Newman gets the Lucky Dog.
Few people are coming into the pits.

[Lavabe]

Lap 271 Racing again... minus Kahne. His engine blew 30 laps ago.

So far, in Lap 285, it's:
JG, Bowyer, Jr, Kes, Hamlin, JJ, Kenseth, Smoke, Truex, Dinger
13 Newman
14 Biffle (-1 lap)
Burton, 15
Logano 17
Vickers 20
JMac 22
JPM 27 (-3 laps)
Schrader 30 (-4 laps)

[Lavabe]

Lap 315 CAUTION: Kahne, who had just come out onto the track, smoked out, and spun out in the pits
JJ had made it up to 2nd before the caution came out.
Biff is the Lucky Dog.

[Lavabe]

Kes got caught speeding in the pits.
Green flag racing again.

145 laps to go
JG (led over 300 laps), JJ, Hamlin, Bowyer, Jr, Kenseth, Smoke, Almirola, Newman, Dinger

Biffle 13
Logano 19
Vickers 18
JMac 20
Burton 21
JPM 24 (-3 laps)
Schrader 31 (-5 laps)

Carl Edwards: "I think my transmission just broke."
Bob Osborn (crew chief); WHAT?!?!
Edwards: April Fool's!
Osborn: You gave me a heart attack.

144 laps to go: JJ takes the lead.

[Lavabe]

139 laps to go: CAUTION: Kvapil spins around.
Edwards is the Lucky Dog.

[Lavabe]

BIZARRO Pit stop for JJ. Just as he pulled off, Knaus (crew chief) had him stop because of confusion with the Nascar Pit official. The official tells whether or not all the lug nuts were on. The official said all were on, but the Pit Crew didn't think that was what was said.

Knaus had JJ restart again within a second after realizing that the official said all was clear.
SLOW pit stop for Jr... lug nuts.
Logano and Vickers got back onto the lead lap.
Hamlin took the lead out of the pits.

120 laps to go:
Hamlin, JJ, JG, Bowyer, Kenseth, Newman, Smoke, Truex, Jr, Dinger
Biffle 12
Vickers 17
Logano 18
JMac 20
Burton 22
JPM 27 (-3 laps)
Schrader 31 (-5 laps)

[Lavabe]

100 laps to go:
JJ, JG, Hamlin, Bowyer, Newman, Kes, Kenseth, Jr, Truex, Biff

Vickers 16
Logano 18
JMac 21 (-1 lap)
Burton 23 (-1 lap)
JPM 24 (-1 lap)
Schrader 31 (-5 laps)

[Lavabe]

By the way, all are hoping they have enough fuel to make it without pitting.

80 laps to go:
JJ, JG, Bowyer, Hamlin, Kes, Jr, Newman, Truex, Kenseth, Dinger, Biff

Vickers 16
Logano 18 (-1 lap)
JMac 20 (-1 lap)
Burton 23 (-2 laps)
JPM 26 (-2 laps)
Schrader 31 (-6 laps)

[Lavabe]

60 laps to go:
JJ, JG, Bowyer, Kes, Jr, Newman, Hamlin, Kenseth, Truex, Dinger, Biff

Vickers 16 (-1 lap)
JMac 19 (-1 lap)
Logano 20 (-1 lap)
Burton 23 (-2 laps)
JPM 24 (-3 laps)
Schrader 31 (-6 laps)

[Lavabe]

40 laps to go:
JJ, JG, Jr, Bowyer, Kes, Newman, Hamlin, Kenseth, Dinger, Truex, Almirola, Biff

Vickers 16 (-1 lap)
JMac 19 (-1 lap)
Logano 21 (-2 laps)
Burton 22 (-2 laps)
JPM 23 (-3 laps)
Schrader 31 (-7 laps)

[Lavabe]

25 laps to go: Logano pits.
Schrader (in 32nd) is now off.