Practice went well without much issue on setups. I believe we all mostly went with the balloon tires. Darrel and I qualified a 2nd and 1st while Scot and Chad started towards the rear.
No accidents on the first lap. Well, at least no yellows...
Danica Patrick was way too fast on the start and barreled into the back of one of the back markers. See, Scot had nothing to do with it. Wasn't even near it. Not close at all. I'm being serious, just look!
But we stayed green until about 10 laps later as Scot was working up the order, he pushed a little wide coming out of the corner and caused Hamlin and Jeff Gordon to collide.
And it got ugly behind them. Funny, Scot was joking how he hadn't practiced finessing a wreck. Yet here we are.
Chad was a bit unlucky as he tried to shoot this gap. The car on the outside was sliding too quickly left and they got tangled. Minimal damage though, surprisingly.
It would be this caution that brought the most fatalities including Darrel at no fault of his own. Coming into pit road, he wooed Danica Patrick to hop into his car...and she did. He performed a Houdini and popped right back into existence at the same exact spot as her, killing his car, leaving her fairly untouched.
Laps later, we were back underway, and Scot pulled a similar maneuver as before, knocking Carl Edwards high into Wise.
Can't say I'm too torn up about it.
After another quick yellow, we went back racing and Scot was on the march. At lap 18, he pressed the issue going through turn two and made it four-wide.
This little dandy caused Keselowski to smash up into Harvick.
Harvick got out OK but they stacked up quickly, making a McMurray and Quicken Loans train. Surprisingly still no caution.
Scot and I were running one and two coming up to our fuel window when we caught Chad and Almirola. Chad was courteous while Aric was not.
And what did Chad's courtesy get him? A ramming by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Thanks, Dale! But all was not in vain as this threw the much needed caution flag for Scot and me.
During stops, Scot took on new tires and a full tank which set him back in the bunch. It was under 10 laps so we had a gaggle of 8 or 9 lap cars ahead of us. It was shaky for everyone. Chad was also fighting hard to pass and block with his busted up rig.
On the last lap after running such a good race, the NASCAR gods played a cruel trick on Scot and his engine asploded coming onto the backstretch. On the last lap. Of the race. He was sitting second with a potential shot at the win. Scot has almost as much luck as Darrel.
While most drivers with troubled cars would pull over to the side of the road, Scot coasted mostly in the middle of the track. This is where Paul Menard found him when he blew right into Scot's trunk. Fortunately for Scot and Chad, this took out a few guys, letting them both retain good spots. A 10th for Chad and 11th for Scot. Considering Darrel was wrecked per circumstances outside of normal sim operation (even after surviving a blackout) I've set this race as a DNS for him, so it shouldn't count negatively towards his points.
We start the next half of the season off at...the......most........sleepy.......boring....zzzzzzzzz
Wha? Huh? Oh, sorry, must just be past my bed time. We begin the next half at....the......rivet...ing....................New.......Hampshire....Oh joy.........
Results
Session: Qualifying
| P | # | DRIVER | TIME |
| 1 | 013 | T Nadz | 47.715 |
| 2 | 061 | D Hamilton | 47.849 |
| 3 | 24 | J Gordon | 48.689 |
| 4 | 20 | M Kenseth | 48.710 |
| 5 | 48 | J Johnson | 48.717 |
| 6 | 88 | D Earnhardt Jr | 48.726 |
| 7 | 18 | K Busch | 48.770 |
| 8 | 5 | K Kahne | 48.795 |
| 9 | 31 | R Newman | 48.796 |
| 10 | 27 | P Menard | 48.824 |
| 11 | 99 | C Edwards | 48.830 |
| 12 | 16 | G Biffle | 48.830 |
| 13 | 1 | J McMurray | 48.839 |
| 14 | 4 | K Harvick | 48.849 |
| 15 | 15 | C Bowyer | 48.851 |
| 16 | 11 | D Hamlin | 48.854 |
| 17 | 22 | J Logano | 48.864 |
| 18 | 78 | M Truex Jr | 48.902 |
| 19 | 9 | M Ambrose | 48.925 |
| 20 | 41 | K Busch2 | 48.959 |
| 21 | 2 | B Keselowski | 48.959 |
| 22 | 66 | J Burton | 48.967 |
| 23 | 14 | T Stewart | 48.970 |
| 24 | 055 | C Ferguson | 49.033 |
| 25 | 34 | D Ragan | 49.125 |
| 26 | 47 | A Allmendinger | 49.230 |
| 27 | 35 | E McClure | 49.240 |
| 28 | 43 | A Almirola | 49.384 |
| 29 | 13 | C Mears | 49.397 |
| 30 | 52 | B Labonte | 49.404 |
| 31 | 55 | B Vickers | 49.435 |
| 32 | 32 | T Kvapil | 49.442 |
| 33 | 38 | D Gilliland | 49.468 |
| 34 | 77 | D Blaney | 49.620 |
| 35 | 40 | L Cassill | 49.656 |
| 36 | 30 | D Stremme | 49.763 |
| 37 | 95 | M McDowell | 49.795 |
| 38 | 17 | R Stenhouse Jr | 49.826 |
| 39 | 21 | T Bayne | 49.872 |
| 40 | 10 | D Patrick | 49.892 |
| 41 | 98 | J Wise | 49.895 |
| 42 | 029 | M Max | 52.604 |
Weather: Clear, 83 °F, Northeast 10 mph
Session: Race
OFFICIAL STANDINGS
| F | S | # | DRIVER | INTERVAL | LAPS | LED | POINTS | STATUS |
| 1 | 1 | 013 | T Nadz | 149.269 | 40 | 39* | 185 | Running |
| 2 | 19 | 9 | M Ambrose | -3.78 | 40 | 0 | 170 | Running |
| 3 | 7 | 18 | K Busch | -3.86 | 40 | 0 | 165 | Running |
| 4 | 12 | 16 | G Biffle | -3.87 | 40 | 0 | 160 | Running |
| 5 | 6 | 88 | D Earnhardt Jr | -3.97 | 40 | 1 | 160 | Running |
| 6 | 25 | 34 | D Ragan | -4.39 | 40 | 0 | 150 | Running |
| 7 | 10 | 27 | P Menard | -11.19 | 40 | 0 | 146 | Running |
| 8 | 5 | 48 | J Johnson | -19.41 | 40 | 0 | 142 | Running |
| 9 | 15 | 15 | C Bowyer | -19.65 | 40 | 0 | 138 | Running |
| 10 | 24 | 055 | C Ferguson | -1L | 39 | 0 | 130 | Running |
| 11 | 42 | 029 | M Max | -1L | 39 | 0 | 134 | Running |
| 12 | 23 | 14 | T Stewart | -1L | 39 | 0 | 127 | Running |
| 13 | 18 | 78 | M Truex Jr | -1L | 39 | 0 | 124 | Running |
| 14 | 31 | 55 | B Vickers | -1L | 39 | 0 | 121 | Running |
| 15 | 37 | 95 | M McDowell | -1L | 39 | 0 | 118 | Running |
| 16 | 27 | 35 | E McClure | -1L | 39 | 0 | 115 | Running |
| 17 | 8 | 5 | K Kahne | -1L | 39 | 0 | 112 | Running |
| 18 | 3 | 24 | J Gordon | -1L | 39 | 0 | 109 | Running |
| 19 | 22 | 66 | J Burton | -1L | 39 | 0 | 106 | Running |
| 20 | 17 | 22 | J Logano | -1L | 39 | 0 | 103 | Running |
| 21 | 28 | 43 | A Almirola | -2L | 38 | 0 | 100 | Running |
| 22 | 13 | 1 | J McMurray | -3L | 37 | 0 | 97 | Running |
| 23 | 14 | 4 | K Harvick | -3L | 37 | 0 | 94 | Running |
| 24 | 41 | 98 | J Wise | -5L | 35 | 0 | 91 | Running |
| 25 | 20 | 41 | K Busch2 | -19L | 21 | 0 | 88 | Camshaft |
| 26 | 9 | 31 | R Newman | -22L | 18 | 0 | 85 | Retired |
| 27 | 21 | 2 | B Keselowski | -22L | 18 | 0 | 82 | Valve |
| 28 | 40 | 10 | D Patrick | -29L | 11 | 0 | 79 | Retired |
| 29 | 11 | 99 | C Edwards | -30L | 10 | 0 | 76 | Retired |
| 30 | 4 | 20 | M Kenseth | -33L | 7 | 0 | 73 | Retired |
| 31 | 34 | 77 | D Blaney | -33L | 7 | 0 | 70 | Retired |
| 32 | 2 | 061 | D Hamilton | -33L | 7 | 0 | 67 | Accident |
| 33 | 29 | 13 | C Mears | -34L | 6 | 0 | 64 | Retired |
| 34 | 39 | 21 | T Bayne | -34L | 6 | 0 | 61 | Camshaft |
| 35 | 35 | 40 | L Cassill | -34L | 6 | 0 | 58 | Piston |
| 36 | 30 | 52 | B Labonte | -34L | 6 | 0 | 55 | Accident |
| 37 | 36 | 30 | D Stremme | -34L | 6 | 0 | 52 | Accident |
| 38 | 38 | 17 | R Stenhouse Jr | -34L | 6 | 0 | 49 | Retired |
| 39 | 32 | 32 | T Kvapil | -34L | 6 | 0 | 46 | Piston |
| 40 | 33 | 38 | D Gilliland | -34L | 6 | 0 | 43 | Retired |
| 41 | 26 | 47 | A Allmendinger | -34L | 6 | 0 | 40 | Accident |
| 42 | 16 | 11 | D Hamlin | -34L | 6 | 0 | 37 | Accident |
Caution Flags: 4 (12 laps)
Lead Changes: 2 (2 drivers)
Weather: Clear, 83 °F, Northeast 14 mph
Pitstop Frequency: 2x
AI Strength: 96%
PENALTIES
| LAP | # | INFRACTION | PENALTY |
| 12 | 055 | Entering closed pits | Go to end of longest line |
| 28 | 055 | Entering closed pits | Go to end of longest line |
| 32 | 029 | Passing on the inside | Stop and go |
| 41 | 055 | Passing under yellow | Held for 4 seconds |
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