Nationwide Series 2012 - 26 Chicagoland

I was unfortunately out last week so here is the race as seen from Sandy's point of view:

"We all looked pretty good in practice and qualifying, as you can see. In fact, I went back and reset the AI from 95% to 98% after a little practice, because they were so slow in the corners, they were a menace...Coming out of turn 4 on the first lap, I hit the wall and bounced down into Leffler, spun out and came back up into the field. Result: Dead.

Scot stayed back and then started picking off cars, driving very well. Then D Starr in the 05 came from up high in turn 4 and cut Scot off, wrecking Scot and about a dozen other cars. Result: Dead.

Darrel let Edwards get off pit road ahead of him, but stayed in second place, while Chad got beat up in mid pack. Chad took out some aggression on some overtaking cars, bringing out the next to last yellow. Result: Dead.

Darrel pitted for 1 full can of gas and right side tires, gaining first place. Edwards took 4 tires, and came out in second. Somehow, with 8 laps to go, Steve Wallace, running 2 laps down, started right behind Darrel, in between Darrel and Edwards. On the restart, Darrel hung way back from the pace car and floored it well before the line on the wall. NASCAR would have just opened a trap door in the track and sent him straight to the car crusher. But it worked well, and Wallace held up Edwards for a little bit. Darrel had about a 2 second lead, but with 5 laps to go he went into turn 1 too hot, hit the wall and spun, then came back up into traffic. Result: Dead.

Shame too, because Darrel could have backed up the corner a lot and still hung on. Edwards was going to catch him, but it would have been interesting. On to Kentucky."

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	29.185
2	021	T Bear	29.652
3	029	M Max	29.901
4	055	C Ferguson	29.984
5	18	K Busch	30.147
6	38	J Leffler	30.196
7	60	C Edwards	30.225
8	31	J Allgaier	30.308
9	22	B Keselowski	30.327
10	66	S Wallace	30.383
11	40	S Wimmer	30.434
12	09	K Wallace	30.459
13	19	M Bliss	30.473
14	20	J Logano	30.595
15	14	E McClure	30.662
16	62	M Annett	30.715
17	9	M Ambrose	30.721
18	88	A Almirola	30.733
19	89	M Shepherd	30.748
20	33	P Menard	30.752
21	51	J Clements	30.759
22	32	R Sorenson	30.765
23	1	L Cassill	30.778
24	01	M Wallace	30.794
25	6	R Stenhouse Jr	30.795
26	4	T Stewart	30.812
27	23	R Richardson	30.823
28	16	T Bayne	30.864
29	39	J Wise	30.891
30	28	D Cope	30.896
31	44	J Green	30.900
32	11	B Scott	30.904
33	87	J Nemechek	30.928
34	41	C Long	30.963
35	15	T Hill	30.966
36	70	S Howard	30.969
37	2	E Sadler	30.994
38	5	D Earnhardt Jr.	31.020
39	7	D Patrick	31.050
40	82	B Koch	31.094
41	04	D Efland	31.112
42	05	D Starr	31.235

Weather: Cloudy, 76 °F, South 11 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	29.482
2	021	T Bear	29.642
3	38	J Leffler	29.945
4	055	C Ferguson	29.947
5	60	C Edwards	29.954
6	19	M Bliss	29.983
7	22	B Keselowski	29.984
8	14	E McClure	30.040
9	31	J Allgaier	30.044
10	18	K Busch	30.064
11	66	S Wallace	30.126
12	01	M Wallace	30.199
13	40	S Wimmer	30.231
14	09	K Wallace	30.289
15	62	M Annett	30.459
16	87	J Nemechek	30.461
17	32	R Sorenson	30.476
18	11	B Scott	30.494
19	16	T Bayne	30.495
20	2	E Sadler	30.524
21	33	P Menard	30.527
22	39	J Wise	30.574
23	9	M Ambrose	30.602
24	4	T Stewart	30.619
25	88	A Almirola	30.639
26	6	R Stenhouse Jr	30.663
27	23	R Richardson	30.672
28	15	T Hill	30.715
29	28	D Cope	30.735
30	5	D Earnhardt Jr.	30.748
31	89	M Shepherd	30.757
32	70	S Howard	30.787
33	44	J Green	30.791
34	41	C Long	30.919
35	51	J Clements	30.954
36	05	D Starr	31.016
37	1	L Cassill	31.055
38	20	J Logano	31.056
39	7	D Patrick	31.099
40	82	B Koch	31.202
41	04	D Efland	31.305
42	029	M Max	42.663

Weather: Cloudy, 76 °F, South 12 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	29.889
2	055	C Ferguson	30.464
3	38	J Leffler	30.591
4	029	M Max	30.652
5	60	C Edwards	30.723
6	66	S Wallace	30.740
7	31	J Allgaier	30.780
8	021	T Bear	30.801
9	19	M Bliss	30.869
10	18	K Busch	30.884
11	88	A Almirola	31.027
12	11	B Scott	31.071
13	20	J Logano	31.094
14	40	S Wimmer	31.110
15	33	P Menard	31.111
16	62	M Annett	31.157
17	22	B Keselowski	31.169
18	14	E McClure	31.178
19	09	K Wallace	31.270
20	16	T Bayne	31.284
21	87	J Nemechek	31.287
22	9	M Ambrose	31.342
23	32	R Sorenson	31.364
24	70	S Howard	31.372
25	89	M Shepherd	31.385
26	1	L Cassill	31.426
27	6	R Stenhouse Jr	31.428
28	51	J Clements	31.435
29	44	J Green	31.502
30	4	T Stewart	31.508
31	7	D Patrick	31.516
32	2	E Sadler	31.521
33	28	D Cope	31.558
34	23	R Richardson	31.582
35	05	D Starr	31.617
36	39	J Wise	31.648
37	82	B Koch	31.666
38	04	D Efland	31.695
39	15	T Hill	31.703
40	41	C Long	31.720
41	5	D Earnhardt Jr.	31.741
42	01	M Wallace	32.582

Weather: Clear, 80 °F, Northeast 17 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	5	60	C Edwards	108.426	54	18	180	Running
2	7	22	B Keselowski	-0.60	54	0	170	Running
3	38	20	J Logano	-0.90	54	0	165	Running
4	32	70	S Howard	-1.50	54	0	160	Running
5	30	5	D Earnhardt Jr.	-1.80	54	0	155	Running
6	18	11	B Scott	-2.11	54	0	150	Running
7	8	14	E McClure	-2.71	54	0	146	Running
8	31	89	M Shepherd	-3.63	54	0	142	Running
9	35	51	J Clements	-3.93	54	0	138	Running
10	25	88	A Almirola	-4.24	54	0	134	Running
11	41	04	D Efland	-4.55	54	0	130	Running
12	13	40	S Wimmer	-5.17	54	0	127	Running
13	21	33	P Menard	-5.48	54	0	124	Running
14	16	87	J Nemechek	-1L	53	0	121	Running
15	27	23	R Richardson	-1L	53	0	118	Running
16	11	66	S Wallace	-2L	52	0	115	Running
17	39	7	D Patrick	-2L	52	0	112	Running
18	3	38	J Leffler	-3L	51	0	109	Running
19	22	39	J Wise	-3L	51	0	106	Running
20	1	061	D Hamilton	-5L	49	36*	113	Accident
21	33	44	J Green	-10L	44	0	100	Retired
22	26	6	R Stenhouse Jr	-10L	44	0	97	Retired
23	24	4	T Stewart	-10L	44	0	94	Accident
24	17	32	R Sorenson	-10L	44	0	91	Accident
25	34	41	C Long	-11L	43	0	88	Accident
26	4	055	C Ferguson	-18L	36	0	85	Accident
27	40	82	B Koch	-34L	20	0	82	Valve
28	6	19	M Bliss	-35L	19	0	79	Accident
29	28	15	T Hill	-35L	19	0	76	Retired
30	29	28	D Cope	-35L	19	0	73	Retired
31	37	1	L Cassill	-35L	19	0	70	Camshaft
32	42	029	M Max	-35L	19	0	67	Accident
33	36	05	D Starr	-36L	18	0	64	Retired
34	10	18	K Busch	-50L	4	0	61	Running
35	20	2	E Sadler	-51L	3	0	58	Retired
36	14	09	K Wallace	-51L	3	0	55	Retired
37	23	9	M Ambrose	-51L	3	0	52	Retired
38	9	31	J Allgaier	-52L	2	0	49	Clutch
39	2	021	T Bear	-53L	1	0	46	Accident
40	15	62	M Annett	-53L	1	0	43	Accident
41	12	01	M Wallace	-53L	1	0	40	Retired
42	19	16	T Bayne	-53L	1	0	37	Accident

Caution Flags: 5 (20 laps)

Lead Changes: 7 (2 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 80 °F, Northeast 15 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 98%

PENALTIES

LAP

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INFRACTION

PENALTY