Nascar Sprint Cup Championship 2014 - 10 Talladega

A mixed bag of results here but then, it usually is.  The great news was Rob made a triumphant return to the series and placed almost within the top 20.  But more on that later.  Qualifying had us all over the field from me in 4th, Darrel 20th back to Rob and company in the back.  We all know it doesn't matter where you start though.

First attempt failed but the second got us going.  Off of turn two, Darrel run it up in the wall and came back down into traffic.

Things quickly went from bad to silly in a second as several other cars were collected.

Oddly enough, the only human casualty from this incident was Sandy after only the gentlest of grazes off of the wall while breaking on his approach to the wreck.  

Chad only slightly bumped him, but at this point the engine was gone.  Next time avoid the rocket fuel I suppose.

On the restart things were tight and racey at the front of the pack and on back through.  It wouldn't be long until we caught Darrel off pace.

Thanks to another lapped car slowing up and spreading the field out, Darrel had no place to go and tried to hold his line as we swept down upon him.  But he would not be spared.

After several blasts from other cars, the 61 of Mr. Hamilton came to rest for its final time.  Back under green it wouldn't be too long until Chad and Labonte got in a mix before one of the fuel windows caught us.

Another caution, another restart, another yellow.  This time, Rob was battling and looked like he got a little too much oversteer, coming down on Truex Jr.  This sent him up the track and into trouble.

On his way back down, Scot picked him up from a previously scheduled wreck already in progress.

Mind you as you look at this image, the 62 of Cook was nearly stopped while the 29 of Myhr was sliding in around 150mph.  Oddly enough, it was likely that this collision that saved Rob from destruction as it kept him from getting blasted by the entire lower line of cars.  Scot, however, was less fortunate and retired early.

And if you paid attention, it was ol' Carl Edwards who gave Scot the punt.  Rob took it upon himself to return the favor after some wild meandering.  This wouldn't kill Edwards, but definitely hurt him.

The 62 ran for several more laps (somehow) and eventually gave up with a blown engine.  Still, Rob's first race back and he placed 23rd.  Not bad and definitely worth celebrating at a track like this one.

Coming to the line, I was running really close with Jimmie Johnson when I got a little wiggle off the tri-oval which barely put me into his rear panel.  Miraculously, he only scraped the wall and was completely missed by all the other drivers.

As that caution happened, pitting with everyone else would put us about 1-2 laps outside our pit window, even if you nursed it.  Chad and I waited until the one-to-go and dove in to top off.  This strategy got me back the lead and helped Chad rocket past a ton of positions as those other drivers had to splash-and-go.

While I had a relatively easy win from the clever pit strategy, it was Chad who stole the show.  Coming to the line, he put on a clinic showing exactly how you make your car a mile wide. Defending the position with elite zeal and skill scored him a solid 9th.  Well done, Chad.

Next week is a bi-week so we'll pick up at Kansas right after (not Martinsville) where we should finally have another addition, Lee Barnard.  At this rate, we'll have an all human field.  I can't see that being a problem.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	1	J McMurray	49.614
2	38	D Gilliland	50.077
3	013	T Nadz	50.100
4	4	K Harvick	50.113
5	88	D Earnhardt Jr	50.113
6	24	J Gordon	50.115
7	32	T Kvapil	50.139
8	34	D Ragan	50.148
9	061	D Hamilton	50.154
10	15	C Bowyer	50.173
11	52	B Labonte	50.181
12	27	P Menard	50.212
13	40	L Cassill	50.219
14	95	M McDowell	50.231
15	41	K Busch2	50.232
16	20	M Kenseth	50.236
17	43	A Almirola	50.252
18	13	C Mears	50.283
19	021	T Bear	50.321
20	31	R Newman	50.377
21	47	A Allmendinger	50.381
22	10	D Patrick	50.398
23	22	J Logano	50.407
24	18	K Busch	50.437
25	16	G Biffle	50.469
26	5	K Kahne	50.533
27	48	J Johnson	50.597
28	35	E McClure	50.614
29	2	B Keselowski	50.639
30	17	R Stenhouse Jr	50.641
31	66	J Burton	50.680
32	14	T Stewart	50.698
33	029	M Max	50.793
34	55	B Vickers	50.840
35	78	M Truex Jr	50.881
36	36	R Sorenson	50.895
37	9	M Ambrose	51.079
38	99	C Edwards	51.091
39	30	D Stremme	51.133
40	11	D Hamlin	51.427
41	055	C Ferguson	51.526
42	77	D Blaney	51.620
43	062	R Cook	53.290

Weather: Clear, 68 °F, Southeast 13 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	11	D Hamlin	49.148
2	20	M Kenseth	49.178
3	24	J Gordon	49.187
4	013	T Nadz	49.194
5	99	C Edwards	49.219
6	4	K Harvick	49.237
7	1	J McMurray	49.239
8	31	R Newman	49.240
9	16	G Biffle	49.246
10	15	C Bowyer	49.288
11	48	J Johnson	49.294
12	27	P Menard	49.304
13	18	K Busch	49.305
14	14	T Stewart	49.305
15	5	K Kahne	49.309
16	2	B Keselowski	49.345
17	88	D Earnhardt Jr	49.366
18	22	J Logano	49.383
19	66	J Burton	49.391
20	061	D Hamilton	49.424
21	41	K Busch2	49.497
22	34	D Ragan	49.517
23	78	M Truex Jr	49.533
24	9	M Ambrose	49.536
25	47	A Allmendinger	49.626
26	13	C Mears	49.744
27	38	D Gilliland	49.769
28	35	E McClure	49.934
29	32	T Kvapil	49.941
30	55	B Vickers	49.970
31	52	B Labonte	49.983
32	77	D Blaney	50.096
33	40	L Cassill	50.097
34	43	A Almirola	50.125
35	95	M McDowell	50.207
36	30	D Stremme	50.258
37	10	D Patrick	50.266
38	17	R Stenhouse Jr	50.376
39	36	R Sorenson	50.527
40	021	T Bear	50.604
41	055	C Ferguson	50.906
42	062	R Cook	51.837
43	029	M Max	53.253

Weather: Cloudy, 68 °F, Northeast 15 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	4	K Harvick	49.889
2	99	C Edwards	50.178
3	11	D Hamlin	50.234
4	021	T Bear	50.321
5	66	J Burton	50.329
6	31	R Newman	50.336
7	41	K Busch2	50.352
8	38	D Gilliland	50.371
9	55	B Vickers	50.373
10	2	B Keselowski	50.377
11	43	A Almirola	50.378
12	9	M Ambrose	50.535
13	36	R Sorenson	50.630
14	16	G Biffle	50.644
15	78	M Truex Jr	50.680
16	52	B Labonte	50.690
17	88	D Earnhardt Jr	50.706
18	77	D Blaney	50.714
19	013	T Nadz	50.729
20	32	T Kvapil	50.782
21	5	K Kahne	50.786
22	18	K Busch	50.788
23	061	D Hamilton	50.822
24	062	R Cook	50.859
25	14	T Stewart	50.964
26	40	L Cassill	50.964
27	34	D Ragan	51.009
28	22	J Logano	51.190
29	13	C Mears	51.332
30	48	J Johnson	51.333
31	20	M Kenseth	51.344
32	24	J Gordon	51.375
33	95	M McDowell	51.416
34	029	M Max	51.468
35	27	P Menard	51.608
36	35	E McClure	51.663
37	17	R Stenhouse Jr	51.784
38	1	J McMurray	51.874
39	47	A Allmendinger	51.902
40	15	C Bowyer	52.136
41	30	D Stremme	52.148
42	055	C Ferguson	52.397
43	10	D Patrick	52.802

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, East 12 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	4	013	T Nadz	122.325	47	23*	185	Running
2	1	11	D Hamlin	-31.77	47	0	170	Running
3	6	4	K Harvick	-31.86	47	1	170	Running
4	19	66	J Burton	-32.03	47	5	165	Running
5	21	41	K Busch2	-32.19	47	0	155	Running
6	14	14	T Stewart	-32.27	47	2	155	Running
7	2	20	M Kenseth	-37.13	47	4	151	Running
8	16	2	B Keselowski	-41.01	47	0	142	Running
9	41	055	C Ferguson	-42.83	47	2	143	Running
10	32	77	D Blaney	-42.89	47	0	134	Running
11	27	38	D Gilliland	-42.91	47	0	130	Running
12	12	27	P Menard	-42.97	47	0	127	Running
13	29	32	T Kvapil	-43.04	47	0	124	Running
14	13	18	K Busch	-44.48	47	3	126	Running
15	37	10	D Patrick	-44.56	47	0	118	Running
16	33	40	L Cassill	-1L	46	0	115	Running
17	25	47	A Allmendinger	-1L	46	0	112	Running
18	24	9	M Ambrose	-1L	46	0	109	Running
19	18	22	J Logano	-1L	46	0	106	Running
20	10	15	C Bowyer	-8L	39	0	103	Running
21	11	48	J Johnson	-11L	36	4	105	Header
22	5	99	C Edwards	-14L	33	0	97	Tire
23	42	062	R Cook	-18L	29	0	94	Camshaft
24	30	55	B Vickers	-25L	22	0	91	Retired
25	26	13	C Mears	-25L	22	0	88	Retired
26	23	78	M Truex Jr	-26L	21	0	85	Accident
27	36	30	D Stremme	-26L	21	0	82	Accident
28	15	5	K Kahne	-26L	21	0	79	Accident
29	34	43	A Almirola	-26L	21	0	76	Retired
30	43	029	M Max	-28L	19	0	73	Accident
31	3	24	J Gordon	-29L	18	2	75	Retired
32	9	16	G Biffle	-30L	17	1	72	Retired
33	7	1	J McMurray	-30L	17	0	64	Retired
34	28	35	E McClure	-30L	17	0	61	Retired
35	31	52	B Labonte	-30L	17	0	58	Retired
36	38	17	R Stenhouse Jr	-30L	17	0	55	Retired
37	17	88	D Earnhardt Jr	-31L	16	0	52	No Fuel
38	39	36	R Sorenson	-36L	11	0	49	Retired
39	35	95	M McDowell	-37L	10	0	46	Retired
40	20	061	D Hamilton	-38L	9	0	43	Accident
41	8	31	R Newman	-39L	8	0	40	Piston
42	22	34	D Ragan	-47L	0	0	37	Header
43	40	021	T Bear	-47L	0	0	34	Accident

Caution Flags: 6 (23 laps)

Lead Changes: 19 (10 drivers)

Weather: Cloudy, 72 °F, East 20 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 95%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
11	029	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
10	062	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
14	029	Passing the pacecar	Held for 58 seconds
14	029	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line
14	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
14	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
21	062	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
21	062	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line