Nascar Sprint Cup Championship 2014 - 5 California

It was not a good day in Fontana.  We managed to get Scot in after he'd been gone for a few weeks but that's about where the good news ended.  Practice was hit and miss with times as track conditions caused setups to vary dramatically.  Qualifying came and went putting me on pole with Darrel not far behind.  Scot was mid back and Chad started at the end.  After a mulligan from Darrel, we had almost 17 laps of green before Jimmie Johnson put a fender to me.

Fortunately no damage done really but I was back in the pack.  And we were in the pit window so this worked out for everyone anyway.  Wouldn't take but another green flag lap before I got wrecked by our friend Carl Edwards who didn't feel like letting me hold my line.  Thank you cousin Carl.

How sad he got caught in it also.  But actually it was unfortunate for Scot who I tagged as I was spinning down the back stretch.

We were back to racing with all of us pretty much in one state or another of broken.  The field caught me and Chad.  Actually, it was Chad first who finally rolled up his sleeves and said, "Move over kids and let me show you how the grown ups cause a wreck".

And he did.  This one took out the field from 26th on back.

Chad did not survive the tussle as you can see him getting a close look at the concrete down in turn one.  Darrel and I had a close run for the final car on the lead lap with Stenhouse Jr. just edging him at the line. All things considered, it could have been worse.  For instance, next week is Martinsville.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	37.521
2	4	K Harvick	37.953
3	061	D Hamilton	37.973
4	48	J Johnson	38.143
5	16	G Biffle	38.253
6	20	M Kenseth	38.302
7	18	K Busch	38.350
8	15	C Bowyer	38.360
9	24	J Gordon	38.442
10	11	D Hamlin	38.449
11	99	C Edwards	38.472
12	14	T Stewart	38.503
13	5	K Kahne	38.517
14	88	D Earnhardt Jr	38.523
15	34	D Ragan	38.536
16	31	R Newman	38.539
17	1	J McMurray	38.548
18	22	J Logano	38.584
19	2	B Keselowski	38.586
20	27	P Menard	38.586
21	9	M Ambrose	38.702
22	35	E McClure	38.709
23	38	D Gilliland	38.752
24	66	J Burton	38.804
25	13	C Mears	38.807
26	41	K Busch2	38.858
27	32	T Kvapil	38.875
28	43	A Almirola	38.943
29	78	M Truex Jr	38.951
30	52	B Labonte	38.970
31	47	A Allmendinger	38.989
32	95	M McDowell	39.077
33	77	D Blaney	39.167
34	40	L Cassill	39.197
35	30	D Stremme	39.269
36	10	D Patrick	39.300
37	36	R Sorenson	39.327
38	21	T Bayne	39.337
39	55	B Vickers	39.341
40	17	R Stenhouse Jr	39.424
41	3	A Dillon	39.625

Weather: Cloudy, 55 °F, Southwest 13 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	37.341
2	24	J Gordon	37.928
3	31	R Newman	37.950
4	16	G Biffle	37.986
5	20	M Kenseth	38.025
6	99	C Edwards	38.062
7	48	J Johnson	38.070
8	4	K Harvick	38.085
9	061	D Hamilton	38.090
10	18	K Busch	38.109
11	9	M Ambrose	38.126
12	5	K Kahne	38.127
13	88	D Earnhardt Jr	38.137
14	14	T Stewart	38.161
15	66	J Burton	38.169
16	11	D Hamlin	38.172
17	27	P Menard	38.198
18	78	M Truex Jr	38.231
19	1	J McMurray	38.285
20	41	K Busch2	38.285
21	2	B Keselowski	38.319
22	22	J Logano	38.398
23	15	C Bowyer	38.427
24	43	A Almirola	38.566
25	47	A Allmendinger	38.570
26	13	C Mears	38.599
27	029	M Max	38.636
28	38	D Gilliland	38.684
29	77	D Blaney	38.689
30	95	M McDowell	38.696
31	35	E McClure	38.730
32	32	T Kvapil	38.774
33	34	D Ragan	38.809
34	55	B Vickers	38.817
35	30	D Stremme	38.848
36	52	B Labonte	38.907
37	10	D Patrick	39.077
38	36	R Sorenson	39.088
39	3	A Dillon	39.228
40	21	T Bayne	39.384
41	40	L Cassill	39.573
42	17	R Stenhouse Jr	39.810
43	055	C Ferguson	40.525

Weather: Cloudy, 55 °F, West 16 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	38.077
2	16	G Biffle	38.214
3	20	M Kenseth	38.227
4	013	T Nadz	38.298
5	48	J Johnson	38.331
6	15	C Bowyer	38.421
7	31	R Newman	38.480
8	4	K Harvick	38.528
9	2	B Keselowski	38.593
10	41	K Busch2	38.617
11	34	D Ragan	38.628
12	5	K Kahne	38.634
13	27	P Menard	38.650
14	1	J McMurray	38.658
15	66	J Burton	38.672
16	18	K Busch	38.682
17	22	J Logano	38.699
18	88	D Earnhardt Jr	38.710
19	99	C Edwards	38.748
20	14	T Stewart	38.887
21	52	B Labonte	38.915
22	38	D Gilliland	38.915
23	029	M Max	38.920
24	9	M Ambrose	38.934
25	77	D Blaney	38.973
26	47	A Allmendinger	39.027
27	35	E McClure	39.027
28	78	M Truex Jr	39.081
29	55	B Vickers	39.104
30	32	T Kvapil	39.180
31	43	A Almirola	39.181
32	40	L Cassill	39.316
33	13	C Mears	39.345
34	11	D Hamlin	39.377
35	17	R Stenhouse Jr	39.412
36	10	D Patrick	39.446
37	21	T Bayne	39.520
38	95	M McDowell	39.545
39	36	R Sorenson	39.548
40	30	D Stremme	39.611
41	3	A Dillon	39.616
42	055	C Ferguson	40.218

Weather: Cloudy, 66 °F, North 6 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	4	16	G Biffle	137.138	38	8	180	Running
2	8	4	K Harvick	-0.06	38	0	170	Running
3	7	48	J Johnson	-0.55	38	0	165	Running
4	12	5	K Kahne	-1.01	38	0	160	Running
5	5	20	M Kenseth	-1.06	38	13	160	Running
6	16	11	D Hamlin	-1.27	38	0	150	Running
7	33	34	D Ragan	-1.52	38	0	146	Running
8	23	15	C Bowyer	-2.11	38	0	142	Running
9	31	35	E McClure	-2.60	38	0	138	Running
10	13	88	D Earnhardt Jr	-2.93	38	0	134	Running
11	17	27	P Menard	-3.26	38	0	130	Running
12	28	38	D Gilliland	-3.38	38	0	127	Running
13	22	22	J Logano	-3.49	38	0	124	Running
14	11	9	M Ambrose	-3.69	38	0	121	Running
15	6	99	C Edwards	-3.89	38	0	118	Running
16	26	13	C Mears	-3.95	38	0	115	Running
17	24	43	A Almirola	-4.07	38	0	112	Running
18	32	32	T Kvapil	-4.53	38	0	109	Running
19	34	55	B Vickers	-4.81	38	0	106	Running
20	37	10	D Patrick	-7.76	38	0	103	Running
21	10	18	K Busch	-7.94	38	0	100	Running
22	38	36	R Sorenson	-8.00	38	0	97	Running
23	27	029	M Max	-9.08	38	0	94	Running
24	1	013	T Nadz	-11.16	38	14*	101	Running
25	42	17	R Stenhouse Jr	-11.39	38	0	88	Running
26	9	061	D Hamilton	-11.42	38	0	85	Running
27	29	77	D Blaney	-1L	37	0	82	Running
28	3	31	R Newman	-5L	33	0	79	Retired
29	21	2	B Keselowski	-5L	33	0	76	Retired
30	18	78	M Truex Jr	-5L	33	0	73	Retired
31	19	1	J McMurray	-5L	33	2	75	Retired
32	2	24	J Gordon	-5L	33	0	67	Retired
33	40	21	T Bayne	-6L	32	0	64	Retired
34	39	3	A Dillon	-6L	32	0	61	Retired
35	14	14	T Stewart	-6L	32	0	58	Retired
36	41	40	L Cassill	-7L	31	0	55	Retired
37	43	055	C Ferguson	-8L	30	1	57	Accident
38	20	41	K Busch2	-8L	30	0	49	Retired
39	25	47	A Allmendinger	-15L	23	0	46	Retired
40	15	66	J Burton	-15L	23	0	43	Retired
41	36	52	B Labonte	-17L	21	0	40	Accident
42	35	30	D Stremme	-17L	21	0	37	Accident
43	30	95	M McDowell	-17L	21	0	34	Accident

Caution Flags: 3 (12 laps)

Lead Changes: 5 (5 drivers)

Weather: Cloudy, 65 °F, North 7 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 2x

AI Strength: 97%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
25	013	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line