NASCAR 2013

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95 laps to go: CAUTION: Debris. MM was the first to come in for a green flag pit stop. He got caught there.
Everyone should come in.
KuBu lost 7 spots in the pits, but he was one of only two drivers to get 4 tires changed. Most go with 2 tires. Truex gained ten spots, but took NO tires.

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77 laps to go
Biff, Logano, Kes, Blech, Burton, Bowyer, Menard, Jr, KuBu, Harvick
12 Edwards
14 Kenseth
16 Truex
17 Bayne
24 Ragan
25 Dillon
30 Stenhouse
39 JJ

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66 laps to go: CAUTION: Turn 2: Jr loses his right front tire and hits the wall on turn 2. Lots of right side damage.

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50 laps to go: CAUTION: Labonte goes spinning, after his right front tire went down.
Logano(1st) and the top 11 do not come in, but all else do.

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43 Laps to go: Caution: Blech's tire goes down... he gets lots of damage. On restart, Kes takes the lead.
38 Laps to go: Caution: Gilliland: same deal.
27 Laps to go: Caution: Blech goes spinning. Most come in for refueling. MM stays out, and assumes the lead.

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15 laps to go:
MM, Logano, Harvick, KuBu, Menard, Bowyer, Ambrose, KK, Burton, Biff
13 Dillon
14 Edwards
15 Kes
16 Kenseth
19 Truex
21 Stenhouse
24 Ragan
26 Bayne
37 Jr (on the track?)
40 JJ

NOTE: Quite a number of the top ten may run out of fuel. Kes WAS in the lead group, but chose to come in for fuel, and lost spots.

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3 laps to go: MM rus out of fuel. Logano takes the lead.

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Logano wins!!
Logano, Harvick, KuBu, Menard, Bowyer, Ambrose, KK, Burton, Biff, Edwards
12 Kes
14 Dillon
15 Kenseth
16 Truex
19 Stenhouse
21 Bayne
24 Ragan
36 Jr
40 JJ

[IowaDevil]

WTG Miles! Good job!

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So here's the deal with driver changes:
1) Smoke is out for the rest of the season, and will be replaced by Mark Martin, except for Talladega(Dillon will race the #14 there).
2) Vickers replaces Mark Martin for the rest of the season (although I believe Michael Waltrip will do 'Dega).
3) According to ESPN, KuBu is fielding multiple offers for next year.
Smoke has a lot of rehab ahead of him.

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Just a reminder to get your picks in early... it's a Saturday night race!

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Blech had a weird day yesterday:
1) He won the Nationwide race at Bristol CRUSHING the field.
2) During qualifying, he nearly crashed coming off the last turn before the end of his first qualifying lap. He then drove back to turn 2, and started up again to do better on his second of two qualifying runs. He crashed (significant rear end sheet metal damage). He'll start DEAD LAST at Bristol tonight.

Meanwhile, the front of the grid is: Hamlin (pole), KuBu, Edwards, Vickers, Kenseth.

And Zippy made loads of bizarre news yesterday at a press conference. He announced that Stewart-Haas Racing was making an offer to Kurt Busch. SHR, you'll recall, told Newman that they were not interested in creating a four-car team next year, and let Newman go. NOW they're courting KuBu to become a fourth car.

Meanwhile, KuBu's current team (Furniture Row) is trying to keep KuBu and make their team a two-car team.

Bizarre!!

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It's official... Kurt Busch drives for Stewart Haas in 2014.

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In 2014, Kyle Larson takes over for Juan Pablo Montoya at Ganassi Racing.
In 2014, Dinger takes over the #47 for Bobby Labonte at JTG Daugherty racing.

Stenhouse Jr. earns the pole at Atlanta.
Truex racing with a busted wrist. Labonte has rib issues.

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Atlanta Night Race
Competition Caution on Lap 25 of 325
Logano, JPM (Led the first 24 laps), JG, Kenseth, Edwards, Blech, JJ, Bowyer, Jr, KK
Truex 11
JMac 12
Dinger 14
Harvick 15
Newman 17
KuBu 18
Sten 22
Ragan 25
Mears 40

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Restart Lap 30 of 325... CAUTION on Turn 1: KK's radiator blew up on the restart... JJ bumped Jr (who had a slow start), KK behind JJ bumped JJ. MM and Burton also suffered some damage too behind KK. KK is in the garage.
Kenseth also tapped JG... minor damage to JG's rear.

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Restart Lap 40 of 325
Edwards takes the lead.
Lap 50 of 325
Edwards, JPM, Blech, JG, Kes, Bowyer, Kenseth, Jr, Logano, Harvick
11 Truex
12 Kubu
14 Dinger
15 Stenhouse
18 JMac
22 Newman
29 Ragan
33 Mears
34 JJ

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Lap 58 of 325 CAUTION: Debris (probably a piece of Menard, who got loose and slammed tail section into the wall... and grazed Hamlin in the process)
Jr (in 13th) is reporting a loose wheel, so the caution is good timing for him.
Everyone pits. JG takes the lead in the pits.

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Lap 105 of 325
Edwards, Kes, Bowyer, JG, JMac, JPM, Newman, Truex, Harvick, KuBu
Two laps earlier, Logano experiences an issue, and comes in prematurely under green
Kenseth suddenly comes into pit prematurely under green.
Green flag pitting will begin in the next 5 laps.

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Lap 205... well, I'm calling it a night. Bowyer (my pick) blew an engine in lap 182 or so (I can't tell, as I was called into parent duty for an hour).
Lap 206 CAUTION: Menard tagged Hamlin, causing Hamlin to spin out. Hamlin did not hit the wall, but his tire blew up and exploded hid right front fender.
This year has just been AWFUL for my picks.
Jeff Gordon on the raio regarding Carl Edwards: "Who the F*CK is that 99 guy?" About three more f bombs too.

Logano & Edwards did not pit... everyone else did.
How soon before they get overrun?