The first race in the Eliminator Round at the half mile of Martinsville. A smaller bunch of humans but certainly plenty to cause havoc.

Scot had the pole using some unorthadox methods for qualifying with me on his outside. Sandy and Chad were a sprinkled among the field.

Chad was in trouble early due to a loose race car and running on the edge.

The first caution would come after bouncing into some of the back markers. Oh look, a 30-something.

Scot could also be seen doing some spinning of his own as he got run over by the 48 of Mr. Johnson.

This one even got Chad caught up a little bit who was continuing to struggle with an ungainly setup.

The next caution came after Chad got loose off of four and turned back up into traffic.

After Busch hit him, there was a nice big pile up. A handful were out at this point.

Scot would be the next couple of yellows, not really of his doing. First was Woodchuck...

...and then he ran up on a 30-something.

When Scot turned Sorrenson, it brought out the caution just as Sandy was about to go a lap down. I held up the field as much as I could to keep him on the lead but Kenseth tried to sneak by high. The two collided and went spinning. No real damage done.

The real damage was done when The Bear pulled out in front of Trevor Bayne to rejoin the line. It was a perfect storm: Sandy's car was positioned so his A-rail blocked sight of oncoming cars and Bayne was behind smoke during the precious moments the A-rail wasn't a problem. TBear was TBoned and TDead.

A short while later, Chad was slow off of two and was holding up the field. I don't know if he was planning to pit or what but the bottle neck caused a lot of wrecking. Scot got into it a little with Gordon as he and the 34 (a 30-something) collided.

The next caution was actually only of AI doing.

On the restart, Scot and I were in the fray working our way up. I escorted the 48 to the outside wall. It looks bad, but I'd like to point out that Mad Max was much busier than I was...

It wasn't until here that the yellow would finally come out.

He must not of liked what happened because he started slamming a few oncoming cars.

'Even gave Chad a whack.

And still managed to wreck a guy under yellow. But it was the 34 so he didn't count.

On the home stretch now and Scot nearly got caught in this altercation of Jr and Newman (GASP! A 30-something).

That same caution, Danicka wanted a closer look at Scot's paint scheme. I'll admit, it does look good.

Closing in on the final laps, Scot resumed his work of running afoul the competition.

And doing so quite well.

In the end, he held 7th, the last lead lap car, while I took the lead and a victory flip. Eat your heart out, Carl Edwards.

With a spot in the Chase secured for me, we move to the deep south in Texas for a fast and furious race.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	029	M Max	20.784
2	055	C Ferguson	21.459
3	013	T Nadz	21.485
4	99	C Edwards	21.624
5	16	G Biffle	21.835
6	20	M Kenseth	21.852
7	9	M Ambrose	21.878
8	11	D Hamlin	21.890
9	5	K Kahne	21.918
10	35	E McClure	21.927
11	22	J Logano	21.941
12	38	D Gilliland	21.989
13	1	J McMurray	21.992
14	18	K Busch	22.126
15	4	K Harvick	22.130
16	34	D Ragan	22.172
17	43	A Almirola	22.173
18	13	C Mears	22.214
19	32	T Kvapil	22.301
20	17	R Stenhouse Jr	22.311
21	2	B Keselowski	22.379
22	47	A Allmendinger	22.446
23	48	J Johnson	22.451
24	41	K Busch2	22.490
25	14	T Stewart	22.499
26	66	J Burton	22.511
27	88	D Earnhardt Jr	22.541
28	40	L Cassill	22.549
29	55	B Vickers	22.610
30	78	M Truex Jr	22.684
31	24	J Gordon	22.716
32	10	D Patrick	23.062
33	98	J Wise	23.121
34	21	T Bayne	23.473
35	52	B Labonte	24.109
36	95	M McDowell	24.567
37	31	R Newman	28.817
38	15	C Bowyer	29.147
39	27	P Menard	29.700
40	77	D Blaney	33.865
41	30	D Stremme	34.759
42	36	R Sorenson	41.291

Weather: Clear, 77 °F, Northeast 5 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	029	M Max	20.949
2	013	T Nadz	21.163
3	48	J Johnson	21.331
4	99	C Edwards	21.369
5	11	D Hamlin	21.370
6	24	J Gordon	21.464
7	16	G Biffle	21.582
8	1	J McMurray	21.617
9	055	C Ferguson	21.664
10	18	K Busch	21.687
11	15	C Bowyer	21.702
12	88	D Earnhardt Jr	21.721
13	66	J Burton	21.737
14	20	M Kenseth	21.755
15	27	P Menard	21.756
16	5	K Kahne	21.763
17	2	B Keselowski	21.851
18	14	T Stewart	21.851
19	41	K Busch2	21.869
20	31	R Newman	21.906
21	021	T Bear	21.942
22	9	M Ambrose	21.943
23	38	D Gilliland	21.979
24	32	T Kvapil	21.991
25	78	M Truex Jr	22.005
26	52	B Labonte	22.028
27	34	D Ragan	22.067
28	35	E McClure	22.075
29	47	A Allmendinger	22.140
30	30	D Stremme	22.173
31	43	A Almirola	22.180
32	95	M McDowell	22.198
33	22	J Logano	22.201
34	13	C Mears	22.226
35	55	B Vickers	22.244
36	77	D Blaney	22.394
37	36	R Sorenson	22.475
38	4	K Harvick	22.513
39	40	L Cassill	22.565
40	17	R Stenhouse Jr	22.578
41	98	J Wise	22.587
42	21	T Bayne	22.653
43	10	D Patrick	22.811

Weather: Clear, 77 °F, Northwest 7 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	21.141
2	18	K Busch	21.625
3	20	M Kenseth	21.641
4	029	M Max	21.712
5	24	J Gordon	21.767
6	055	C Ferguson	21.776
7	021	T Bear	21.781
8	14	T Stewart	21.793
9	22	J Logano	21.843
10	31	R Newman	21.866
11	47	A Allmendinger	22.005
12	88	D Earnhardt Jr	22.007
13	27	P Menard	22.013
14	4	K Harvick	22.055
15	1	J McMurray	22.065
16	35	E McClure	22.079
17	16	G Biffle	22.087
18	9	M Ambrose	22.090
19	15	C Bowyer	22.114
20	48	J Johnson	22.125
21	41	K Busch2	22.138
22	38	D Gilliland	22.146
23	11	D Hamlin	22.166
24	5	K Kahne	22.186
25	99	C Edwards	22.193
26	34	D Ragan	22.211
27	78	M Truex Jr	22.212
28	55	B Vickers	22.225
29	66	J Burton	22.238
30	13	C Mears	22.269
31	2	B Keselowski	22.295
32	95	M McDowell	22.379
33	17	R Stenhouse Jr	22.391
34	98	J Wise	22.408
35	21	T Bayne	22.428
36	40	L Cassill	22.445
37	43	A Almirola	22.449
38	30	D Stremme	22.465
39	36	R Sorenson	22.489
40	52	B Labonte	22.564
41	77	D Blaney	22.624
42	32	T Kvapil	22.725
43	10	D Patrick	23.058

Weather: Clear, 69 °F, Northeast 2 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	2	013	T Nadz	60.989	125	102*	185	Running
2	17	2	B Keselowski	-5.31	125	12	175	Running
3	7	16	G Biffle	-7.32	125	0	165	Running
4	3	48	J Johnson	-7.48	125	0	160	Running
5	8	1	J McMurray	-9.03	125	4	160	Running
6	11	15	C Bowyer	-13.49	125	0	150	Running
7	1	029	M Max	-20.45	125	7	151	Running
8	12	88	D Earnhardt Jr	-1L	124	0	142	Running
9	25	78	M Truex Jr	-2L	123	0	138	Running
10	13	66	J Burton	-2L	123	0	134	Running
11	18	14	T Stewart	-2L	123	0	130	Running
12	14	20	M Kenseth	-2L	123	0	127	Running
13	22	9	M Ambrose	-2L	123	0	124	Running
14	24	32	T Kvapil	-2L	123	0	121	Running
15	39	40	L Cassill	-2L	123	0	118	Running
16	19	41	K Busch2	-3L	122	0	115	Running
17	27	34	D Ragan	-3L	122	0	112	Running
18	33	22	J Logano	-3L	122	0	109	Running
19	20	31	R Newman	-3L	122	0	106	Running
20	38	4	K Harvick	-3L	122	0	103	Running
21	23	38	D Gilliland	-3L	122	0	100	Running
22	6	24	J Gordon	-3L	122	0	97	Running
23	28	35	E McClure	-3L	122	0	94	Running
24	15	27	P Menard	-4L	121	0	91	Running
25	29	47	A Allmendinger	-4L	121	0	88	Running
26	35	55	B Vickers	-4L	121	0	85	Running
27	36	77	D Blaney	-5L	120	0	82	Running
28	30	30	D Stremme	-5L	120	0	79	Running
29	26	52	B Labonte	-5L	120	0	76	Running
30	40	17	R Stenhouse Jr	-6L	119	0	73	Running
31	37	36	R Sorenson	-10L	115	0	70	Retired
32	42	21	T Bayne	-13L	112	0	67	Running
33	9	055	C Ferguson	-27L	98	0	64	Running
34	31	43	A Almirola	-29L	96	0	61	Running
35	43	10	D Patrick	-34L	91	0	58	Running
36	32	95	M McDowell	-38L	87	0	55	Ignition
37	34	13	C Mears	-80L	45	0	52	Retired
38	21	021	T Bear	-80L	45	0	49	Accident
39	16	5	K Kahne	-103L	22	0	46	Retired
40	4	99	C Edwards	-108L	17	0	43	Retired
41	10	18	K Busch	-108L	17	0	40	Retired
42	5	11	D Hamlin	-108L	17	0	37	Retired
43	41	98	J Wise	-110L	15	0	34	Accident

Caution Flags: 13 (51 laps)

Lead Changes: 6 (4 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 68 °F, Northwest 2 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 87%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
4	021	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
9	055	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
25	021	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
35	029	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
34	021	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
30	055	Speeding in pits	Drive through pit lane
49	029	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds
40	055	Speeding in pits	Drive through pit lane
46	055	Speeding in pits	Drive through pit lane
62	055	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
62	055	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
62	055	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line
71	055	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
111	029	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
112	029	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Nascar Sprint Cup Championship 2014 - 33 Martinsville