Nascar Cup 2011 Race 36 - Homestead

The season ended, we can now look back at how we performed through it all.  I personally feel we have all improved greatly from when we started.  The stats show a steady growth for all of us from the beginning.  But for now, let's focus on the finale to this long series:

We tried this one for a few weeks.  Seems a mispressed button caused an early termination of the first attempt. That race was going well enough that only about a dozen cars were left on the track.  We ran qualifying in anticipation of this type of race on the second try.  However, round 2 was nothing like round 1.  We opened with very little incident for over 14 laps.  Darrel and I traded spots a couple times while the rest of the humans laid back.  It wasn't until Sandy had a tangle with Nemechek that we got a caution.

While in the pits under yellow, Darrel overshot his pit.  This is because he picked this race to try and switch from paddle shifters to using the H-Pattern AND the clutch.  He is braver than I and this seems like the only time he had issues with the new setup.

Chad brought out the next caution by getting loose off of 2 and taking out the 00.  On the caution, Darrel got into some rubberneckers on the back stretch which started his car on the path to destruction.  Scot also experienced some caution related travesties.

As Darrel and a pack caught up to Scot, the cars on the inside line bowled over the 029.  Darrel then had an incident as he got wide into the wall which threw his car into some trouble.

About 3/4 into the race, Chad was up in the front and falling back through the pack where I caught up to him.  I was in a tough spot because we were both on the inside.  Coming out of 4 Chad juked inside to avoid a potential collision with the 2 and I reacted by running to the apron.  When Chad pulled back up to miss me, he got caught on some cars and was launched into the inside wall.  Meanwhile, I went up the track because of my awkward inside approach to 1.  I collected a few cars and grazed the outside wall.  This seemed like a negligible hit, but my camshaft went out and I was done.  Chad was also taken out as he was t-boned by Bobby Labonte.

A less than desirable finish for most of us but I think we had fun.  At least none of us were out in the first half.  Actually, it was rather clean for par.

But clean racing will get you nothing in the next series.  I'll have another post outlining our schedule and some of the details surrounding it.  For now, results:

Track: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY™ (Night)

Date: 12/14/11

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	29.405
2	021	T Bear	29.458
3	061	D Hamilton	29.471
4	24	J Gordon	29.803
5	16	G Biffle	29.953
6	2	K Busch2	29.980
7	48	J Johnson	30.003
8	1	J McMurray	30.028
9	33	C Bowyer	30.029
10	14	T Stewart	30.037
11	88	D Earnhardt Jr.	30.049
12	99	C Edwards	30.051
13	39	R Newman	30.065
14	31	J Burton	30.091
15	18	K Busch	30.103
16	90	C Mears	30.119
17	56	M Truex Jr.	30.139
18	71	B Labonte	30.172
19	37	D Gilliland	30.208
20	7	R Gordon	30.210
21	19	E Sadler	30.231
22	98	P Menard	30.258
23	26	D Stremme	30.260
24	32	R Sorenson	30.261
25	11	D Hamlin	30.278
26	17	M Kenseth	30.286
27	29	K Harvick	30.288
28	42	J Montoya	30.324
29	83	B Vickers	30.354
30	055	C Ferguson	30.367
31	00	D Reutimann	30.375
32	55	M Waltrip	30.428
33	43	A Allmendinger	30.510
34	66	D Blaney	30.536
35	47	M Ambrose	30.602
36	029	M Max	30.604
37	38	T Kvapil	30.622
38	77	S Hornish Jr.	30.694
39	78	R Smith	30.795
40	9	K Kahne	31.252
41	87	J Nemechek	33.740
42	6	D Ragan	1:50.401

Weather: Clear, 79 °F, Southwest 21 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	29.250
2	061	D Hamilton	29.387
3	11	D Hamlin	29.405
4	48	J Johnson	29.430
5	99	C Edwards	29.440
6	14	T Stewart	29.474
7	18	K Busch	29.485
8	31	J Burton	29.507
9	39	R Newman	29.525
10	88	D Earnhardt Jr.	29.536
11	33	C Bowyer	29.552
12	5	M Martin	29.623
13	24	J Gordon	29.627
14	1	J McMurray	29.635
15	17	M Kenseth	29.638
16	2	K Busch2	29.661
17	56	M Truex Jr.	29.691
18	29	K Harvick	29.693
19	16	G Biffle	29.722
20	9	K Kahne	29.725
21	19	E Sadler	29.792
22	32	R Sorenson	29.806
23	66	D Blaney	29.833
24	90	C Mears	29.882
25	26	D Stremme	29.896
26	71	B Labonte	29.914
27	43	A Allmendinger	29.914
28	78	R Smith	29.919
29	42	J Montoya	29.923
30	87	J Nemechek	29.939
31	6	D Ragan	29.955
32	37	D Gilliland	29.960
33	83	B Vickers	29.964
34	021	T Bear	30.020
35	38	T Kvapil	30.026
36	7	R Gordon	30.043
37	00	D Reutimann	30.160
38	55	M Waltrip	30.223
39	77	S Hornish Jr.	30.233
40	98	P Menard	30.276
41	47	M Ambrose	30.670
42	055	C Ferguson	35.497
43	029	M Max	49.572

Weather: Clear, 79 °F, Southwest 21 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	29.375
2	013	T Nadz	29.458
3	021	T Bear	29.466
4	14	T Stewart	29.614
5	11	D Hamlin	29.618
6	17	M Kenseth	29.645
7	2	K Busch2	29.730
8	24	J Gordon	29.766
9	18	K Busch	29.795
10	48	J Johnson	29.804
11	5	M Martin	29.814
12	99	C Edwards	29.827
13	9	K Kahne	29.844
14	1	J McMurray	29.872
15	31	J Burton	29.878
16	16	G Biffle	29.880
17	29	K Harvick	29.883
18	39	R Newman	29.886
19	19	E Sadler	29.892
20	33	C Bowyer	29.908
21	56	M Truex Jr.	29.918
22	98	P Menard	29.925
23	055	C Ferguson	29.936
24	88	D Earnhardt Jr.	29.959
25	71	B Labonte	30.027
26	6	D Ragan	30.068
27	32	R Sorenson	30.084
28	37	D Gilliland	30.088
29	90	C Mears	30.094
30	83	B Vickers	30.122
31	00	D Reutimann	30.124
32	26	D Stremme	30.134
33	78	R Smith	30.147
34	43	A Allmendinger	30.158
35	42	J Montoya	30.161
36	66	D Blaney	30.176
37	029	M Max	30.180
38	7	R Gordon	30.181
39	38	T Kvapil	30.188
40	87	J Nemechek	30.222
41	77	S Hornish Jr.	30.271
42	47	M Ambrose	30.330
43	55	M Waltrip	1:41.390

Weather: Clear, 68 °F, East 12 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	13	24	J Gordon	106.516	54	5	180	Running
2	6	14	T Stewart	-0.30	54	13	175	Running
3	4	48	J Johnson	-1.18	54	0	165	Running
4	10	88	D Earnhardt Jr.	-1.87	54	0	160	Running
5	20	9	K Kahne	-2.15	54	0	155	Running
6	16	2	K Busch2	-2.25	54	0	150	Running
7	12	5	M Martin	-2.41	54	0	146	Running
8	8	31	J Burton	-2.50	54	0	142	Running
9	3	11	D Hamlin	-2.79	54	8	143	Running
10	17	56	M Truex Jr.	-3.42	54	0	134	Running
11	9	39	R Newman	-3.55	54	0	130	Running
12	33	83	B Vickers	-3.64	54	0	127	Running
13	11	33	C Bowyer	-5.92	54	0	124	Running
14	38	55	M Waltrip	-7.25	54	0	121	Running
15	24	90	C Mears	-7.33	54	0	118	Running
16	21	19	E Sadler	-7.60	54	0	115	Running
17	29	42	J Montoya	-7.70	54	0	112	Running
18	25	26	D Stremme	-8.30	54	0	109	Running
19	32	37	D Gilliland	-8.55	54	0	106	Running
20	7	18	K Busch	-8.67	54	0	103	Running
21	36	7	R Gordon	-9.31	54	0	100	Running
22	19	16	G Biffle	-9.41	54	0	97	Running
23	35	38	T Kvapil	-10.36	54	0	94	Running
24	15	17	M Kenseth	-17.01	54	0	91	Running
25	37	00	D Reutimann	-21.77	54	0	88	Running
26	2	061	D Hamilton	-1L	53	6	90	Running
27	34	021	T Bear	-3L	51	0	82	Running
28	43	029	M Max	-15L	39	0	79	Clutch
29	1	013	T Nadz	-19L	35	14*	86	Camshaft
30	5	99	C Edwards	-19L	35	4	78	Retired
31	18	29	K Harvick	-19L	35	4	75	Camshaft
32	26	71	B Labonte	-20L	34	0	67	Accident
33	42	055	C Ferguson	-21L	33	0	64	Accident
34	41	47	M Ambrose	-25L	29	0	61	Valve
35	14	1	J McMurray	-25L	29	0	58	Accident
36	40	98	P Menard	-26L	28	0	55	Accident
37	23	66	D Blaney	-26L	28	0	52	Accident
38	27	43	A Allmendinger	-26L	28	0	49	Accident
39	39	77	S Hornish Jr.	-26L	28	0	46	Accident
40	22	32	R Sorenson	-31L	23	0	43	Retired
41	28	78	R Smith	-36L	18	0	40	Piston
42	31	6	D Ragan	-40L	14	0	37	Engine
43	30	87	J Nemechek	-42L	12	0	34	Retired

Caution Flags: 5 (20 laps)

Lead Changes: 8 (7 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 67 °F, East 11 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 98%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
12	021	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
23	055	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
23	029	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
24	055	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
30	061	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
36	013	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
35	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
35	029	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
36	061	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
36	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
41	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Held for 30 seconds