50's Short Track Classic 2015 - 17-18 Martinsville

Our first major track of the season and one of the few Cup tracks we visit.  While exciting in theory, it wasn't the greatest spot for some of our racers.

Race 1:

Things started out promisingly enough.  We had our four humans on the inside line and all within the top 10.

Sandy fired off the first salvo against Lee Petty on the second lap going into turn 3.

Interestingly enough, there were several cars in the pits.

One of them was Zack.  But not because he had a brain fart and pitted early.  No, he lost connection and was blinking back in.  Fortunately, we got him back on the lead lap and it worked out.

We got going again and things were most exciting for Darrel going 4 wide into turn 1.

Sandy was the cause of our second caution getting a tap from the 002.

He would have been OK had the 7 not also tapped him.  He fell several positions.

Our next yellow was from Al Unser running Greenbow into the outside wall.

This yellow landed within our window for fuel.  I had stayed out and Darrel was right behind but didn't like his odds for pitting later and went in.

He did fall back but received a penalty for an unsafe pit exit.  Notice the lights are RED!

About 30 laps in of 60 and the 002 of Holbrook was at Sandy again.

And Unser wanted to make sure he was involved and slaughtered the side of Sandy's ride.

Even Darrel got involved in this massacre.

At this point, I was able to pit and because of the calamity, didn't lose any track position.

Annoyed that he wasn't the cause of all our cautions, Sandy got himself sideways by the 43 of Richard Petty.

And he managed to save it thanks to the 40 taking the brunt of the slide.

Racing to the line, Darrel tanked it into the back of Cole Trickle as they went five deep into the corner.

Zack was doing well to this point when Rowdy got him loose.  He did manage to catch it though without much damage from the wall.

But the 40 was around and figured any human was good enough for revenge.

Zack bit the outside wall hard.

And got hit again from the 08.

With about nine or ten laps left, Darrel plowed Cole Trickle going through turn one.

Zack was also around to catch some of the action.

Sandy was coming in on the white flag to end his miserable race when he spun out.

I took the win.

Sandy finished last in a much more dramatic fashion.  Zack and Darrel were top 20.  Could be worse.  Could have been better.

Race 2:

60 laps on the board for the second round.  This time, the crew was starting on the outside on the front portion of the grid.  And Mad Max made an appearance for this one.  No practice required.

Scot showed it by aggressively trying to move up the order.  And move Sandy into the wall.

And he quickly brought out the first caution by taking out the HotWheels impostor, McEwen.

Sadly, Zack was caught up in some of a wreck as the 99 got him.

Further up the track, Sandy was getting loose coming around the corner.

Like the first round, lots of pitting by AI, allowing humans to move up the order some.

Darrel was sitting second when all of a sudden...

He pulled a David Blaine.  He'd be back once he got his router worked out.

The next yellow happened when Scot was violently turned around by the 55 of Langford.

While he wasn't sure who spun him, he was going to make sure some AI got what was coming to them.

He also slammed into Richard Petty, which I would have gave him an official warning but...it's Richard Petty.

I came in to get some gas as I should have been in the window.  In any case, I fell down the order a bit.  But Scot started moving up.

I also apparently left pit road before it was open which means I was back in the back.  Darrel also rejoined and was back there.  Sandy and Scot also had issues that forced them to the rear.  So here we all were...

A little more than a third through and we all tried moving up the field.  The 08 of Holtzheimer was riding up on the 23 of Zack thinking that I had position on the inside.

On the next corner, Darrel got revenge for Zack by railing the 08.

But we all know that Darrel has problems with getting turned around and was hammered when the field came back around.  At this, he decided to take a DNS and use a drop race.

Another round of stops and I guess I needed to come back in for a splash.  Thanks crew chief.  Idiot.

Zack left the pits without stopping and it was the end of the field for him.

Sandy had position but on the restart, he got spun by the 40.  While I was trying to slow up for the accident, McEwen decided to spin me too.

Sandy then started getting some hard knocks.

We managed to catch ourselves though and keep it going with only a few spots lost.

Look at that stackup on pit road.

On the restart, Scot was sitting third and I was back in 6th with Sandy not far behind.  Zack then decided to remove Meeks from the equation so he'd get the lucky dog.  He admitted that it wasn't how he wanted it to go, that the 13 wouldn't move.  I believed him.

I also let McEwen know how I felt about his performance after crossing the line.

But this didn't help Sandy who McEwen backed into.

We got going again and Scot dove to the inside to make his attack on 1st.  But Meeks was there!

Scot then did his revenge attack coming back.

Then Sandy suffered more hardship as the 27 of Lightning McQueen gave him a tap around.  The 40 didn't help.

Next restart, Sandy's tires were suffering because he had trouble off the green.

This allowed Zack to make his way up to him and he dove in deep.  Sandy was hard on the brakes to keep from hitting him.

But he had momentum and the position and got into Zack as the 23 slowed struggling to make the turn in.  Sandy couldn't avoid him and turned him.

And the 08 found him again!

Coming back, Sandy got into Keene and his car just suffered more.

Oh wait, it was actually the 55, hitting him some more.

With so many cautions late in the race, I couldn't mount an effective lunge for the lead and Zack and I congratulated Russ Wheeler on the win.  With some paint removal.

On to the JackAss Raceway.

Race 1

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	19	T Nadz	20.774
2	91	T Bear	21.307
3	23	Z Webster	21.435
4	18	R Wheeler	21.496
5	34	D Hamilton	21.609
6	74	J DeWitt	21.617
7	46	C Trickle	21.673
8	36	P Rozelle	21.724
9	7	J Hampton	21.733
10	40	B Ebsen	21.744
11	92	C Sumner	21.774
12	13	J Meeks	21.797
13	42	L Petty	21.816
14	51	R Burns	21.839
15	6	B Jordon	21.839
16	001	H Smith	21.923
17	002	T Mender	21.937
18	67	B Klock	21.938
19	77	R Sweet	22.079
20	99	R Melindez	22.088
21	003	R Holbrook	22.125
22	07	R Hutchins	22.155
23	35	J Foss	22.226
24	43	R Petty	22.241
25	75	D Mulberry	22.246
26	17	M Downing	22.279
27	54	T Smith	22.297
28	59	B Paulsen	22.353
29	88	T Bickle	22.373
30	27	L McQueen	22.377
31	55	J Langford	22.379
32	10	E Keene	22.403
33	61	D Hudson	22.545
34	4	A Unser	22.587
35	1	T Daniels	22.658
36	32	D Roberts	22.819
37	08	S Holzheimer	22.898
38	3	M Benefield	22.929
39	95	T Mater	22.989
40	9	S Greenbow	22.989
41	93	R O'Reilly	23.174
42	72	A Grant	23.226
43	11	M I Bannon	28.043

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, Northeast 10 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	19	T Nadz	20.321
2	51	R Burns	21.122
3	34	D Hamilton	21.171
4	6	B Jordon	21.184
5	18	R Wheeler	21.195
6	42	L Petty	21.257
7	23	Z Webster	21.367
8	92	C Sumner	21.376
9	91	T Bear	21.399
10	001	H Smith	21.418
11	74	J DeWitt	21.451
12	4	A Unser	21.471
13	43	R Petty	21.473
14	003	R Holbrook	21.475
15	88	T Bickle	21.584
16	13	J Meeks	21.629
17	77	R Sweet	21.652
18	59	B Paulsen	21.660
19	7	J Hampton	21.717
20	11	M I Bannon	21.728
21	55	J Langford	21.767
22	40	B Ebsen	21.774
23	07	R Hutchins	21.787
24	54	T Smith	21.833
25	002	T Mender	21.853
26	75	D Mulberry	21.866
27	1	T Daniels	21.922
28	10	E Keene	21.938
29	95	T Mater	21.965
30	36	P Rozelle	21.978
31	67	B Klock	22.068
32	72	A Grant	22.070
33	99	R Melindez	22.159
34	17	M Downing	22.164
35	61	D Hudson	22.167
36	27	L McQueen	22.209
37	3	M Benefield	22.307
38	46	C Trickle	22.361
39	93	R O'Reilly	22.498
40	08	S Holzheimer	22.526
41	35	J Foss	22.550
42	32	D Roberts	22.640
43	9	S Greenbow	22.888

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, North 11 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	19	T Nadz	20.946
2	91	T Bear	21.686
3	7	J Hampton	21.729
4	40	B Ebsen	21.756
5	42	L Petty	21.764
6	11	M I Bannon	21.780
7	23	Z Webster	21.793
8	36	P Rozelle	21.820
9	51	R Burns	21.837
10	77	R Sweet	21.881
11	003	R Holbrook	21.905
12	92	C Sumner	21.928
13	18	R Wheeler	21.948
14	67	B Klock	21.986
15	43	R Petty	22.002
16	07	R Hutchins	22.007
17	88	T Bickle	22.053
18	32	D Roberts	22.055
19	001	H Smith	22.092
20	99	R Melindez	22.102
21	74	J DeWitt	22.112
22	1	T Daniels	22.131
23	6	B Jordon	22.132
24	75	D Mulberry	22.145
25	002	T Mender	22.162
26	46	C Trickle	22.173
27	13	J Meeks	22.178
28	54	T Smith	22.199
29	4	A Unser	22.252
30	35	J Foss	22.261
31	17	M Downing	22.290
32	59	B Paulsen	22.433
33	61	D Hudson	22.524
34	27	L McQueen	22.593
35	72	A Grant	22.663
36	55	J Langford	22.729
37	95	T Mater	22.848
38	10	E Keene	22.870
39	3	M Benefield	22.942
40	9	S Greenbow	23.058
41	93	R O'Reilly	23.088
42	08	S Holzheimer	23.119

Weather: Clear, 76 °F, South 8 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	1	19	T Nadz	51.664	60	58*	185	Running
2	11	74	J DeWitt	-5.10	60	0	170	Running
3	2	51	R Burns	-6.16	60	0	165	Running
4	13	43	R Petty	-6.33	60	0	160	Running
5	4	6	B Jordon	-6.34	60	1	160	Running
6	10	001	H Smith	-7.51	60	0	150	Running
7	8	92	C Sumner	-7.85	60	0	146	Running
8	22	40	B Ebsen	-8.45	60	0	142	Running
9	17	77	R Sweet	-8.60	60	0	138	Running
10	19	7	J Hampton	-8.93	60	0	134	Running
11	25	002	T Mender	-10.73	60	0	130	Running
12	15	88	T Bickle	-12.52	60	0	127	Running
13	31	67	B Klock	-12.96	60	0	124	Running
14	20	11	M I Bannon	-13.29	60	0	121	Running
15	7	23	Z Webster	-13.62	60	0	118	Running
16	3	34	D Hamilton	-13.83	60	1	120	Running
17	18	59	B Paulsen	-14.64	60	0	112	Running
18	38	46	C Trickle	-16.86	60	0	109	Running
19	6	42	L Petty	-17.11	60	0	106	Running
20	14	003	R Holbrook	-17.63	60	0	103	Running
21	27	1	T Daniels	-1L	59	0	100	Running
22	24	54	T Smith	-1L	59	0	97	Running
23	23	07	R Hutchins	-1L	59	0	94	Running
24	16	13	J Meeks	-1L	59	0	91	Running
25	34	17	M Downing	-1L	59	0	88	Running
26	5	18	R Wheeler	-1L	59	0	85	Running
27	26	75	D Mulberry	-1L	59	0	82	Running
28	42	32	D Roberts	-1L	59	0	79	Running
29	21	55	J Langford	-1L	59	0	76	Running
30	32	72	A Grant	-1L	59	0	73	Running
31	37	3	M Benefield	-1L	59	0	70	Running
32	28	10	E Keene	-1L	59	0	67	Running
33	41	35	J Foss	-1L	59	0	64	Running
34	29	95	T Mater	-1L	59	0	61	Running
35	40	08	S Holzheimer	-1L	59	0	58	Running
36	35	61	D Hudson	-1L	59	0	55	Running
37	33	99	R Melindez	-2L	58	0	52	Running
38	36	27	L McQueen	-2L	58	0	49	Running
39	30	36	P Rozelle	-2L	58	0	46	Running
40	12	4	A Unser	-2L	58	0	43	Running
41	39	93	R O'Reilly	-2L	58	0	40	Running
42	43	9	S Greenbow	-2L	58	0	37	Running
43	9	91	T Bear	-4L	56	0	34	Running

Caution Flags: 8 (36 laps)

Lead Changes: 4 (3 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 76 °F, Southeast 7 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 4x

AI Strength: 90%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
23	34	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line

Race 2

Session: Practice

P

#

DRIVER

TIME

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, Northeast 10 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	19	T Nadz	20.770
2	42	L Petty	21.282
3	13	J Meeks	21.283
4	36	P Rozelle	21.283
5	78	T McEwen	21.322
6	34	D Hamilton	21.330
7	51	R Burns	21.344
8	91	T Bear	21.383
9	18	R Wheeler	21.406
10	01	M Max	21.434
11	92	C Sumner	21.438
12	001	H Smith	21.465
13	45	L Carbone	21.543
14	003	R Holbrook	21.561
15	11	M I Bannon	21.562
16	23	Z Webster	21.569
17	43	R Petty	21.579
18	7	J Hampton	21.624
19	35	J Foss	21.647
20	40	B Ebsen	21.651
21	77	R Sweet	21.654
22	74	J DeWitt	21.667
23	1	T Daniels	21.691
24	72	A Grant	21.744
25	88	T Bickle	21.771
26	10	E Keene	21.797
27	46	C Trickle	21.801
28	67	B Klock	21.812
29	07	R Hutchins	21.822
30	4	A Unser	21.921
31	99	R Melindez	21.925
32	32	D Roberts	21.972
33	98	M Joyner	21.988
34	17	M Downing	21.997
35	5	T Hankins	22.047
36	55	J Langford	22.069
37	75	D Mulberry	22.075
38	27	L McQueen	22.254
39	3	M Benefield	22.394
40	93	R O'Reilly	22.526
41	63	C Coppess	22.545
42	22	M Brings Plenty	22.559
43	08	S Holzheimer	22.690

Weather: Clear, 77 °F, North 9 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P

#

DRIVER

TIME

Weather: Clear, 76 °F, South 8 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	9	18	R Wheeler	47.897	60	31*	185	Running
2	1	19	T Nadz	-0.22	60	13	175	Running
3	12	001	H Smith	-2.67	60	0	165	Running
4	11	92	C Sumner	-3.83	60	0	160	Running
5	24	72	A Grant	-4.43	60	0	155	Running
6	10	01	M Max	-6.01	60	1	155	Running
7	17	43	R Petty	-6.49	60	0	146	Running
8	19	35	J Foss	-9.66	60	0	142	Running
9	5	78	T McEwen	-1L	59	0	138	Running
10	20	40	B Ebsen	-1L	59	0	134	Running
11	27	46	C Trickle	-1L	59	0	130	Running
12	41	63	C Coppess	-1L	59	0	127	Running
13	7	51	R Burns	-1L	59	15	129	Running
14	38	27	L McQueen	-1L	59	0	121	Running
15	15	11	M I Bannon	-1L	59	0	118	Running
16	31	99	R Melindez	-1L	59	0	115	Running
17	23	1	T Daniels	-1L	59	0	112	Running
18	33	98	M Joyner	-1L	59	0	109	Running
19	21	77	R Sweet	-1L	59	0	106	Running
20	22	74	J DeWitt	-1L	59	0	103	Running
21	2	42	L Petty	-1L	59	0	100	Running
22	28	67	B Klock	-1L	59	0	97	Running
23	37	75	D Mulberry	-1L	59	0	94	Running
24	14	003	R Holbrook	-1L	59	0	91	Running
25	40	93	R O'Reilly	-1L	59	0	88	Running
26	39	3	M Benefield	-1L	59	0	85	Running
27	26	10	E Keene	-1L	59	0	82	Running
28	36	55	J Langford	-1L	59	0	79	Running
29	42	22	M Brings Plenty	-1L	59	0	76	Running
30	13	45	L Carbone	-1L	59	0	73	Running
31	4	36	P Rozelle	-1L	59	0	70	Running
32	18	7	J Hampton	-1L	59	0	67	Running
33	8	91	T Bear	-1L	59	0	64	Running
34	16	23	Z Webster	-1L	59	0	61	Running
35	25	88	T Bickle	-1L	59	0	58	Running
36	30	4	A Unser	-1L	59	0	55	Running
37	35	5	T Hankins	-1L	59	0	52	Running
38	3	13	J Meeks	-1L	59	0	49	Running
39	43	08	S Holzheimer	-2L	58	0	46	Running
40	34	17	M Downing	-16L	44	0	43	Piston
41	29	07	R Hutchins	-30L	30	0	40	Valve
42	6	34	D Hamilton	-54L	6	0	37	Retired
43	32	32	D Roberts	-57L	3	0	34	Retired

Caution Flags: 9 (43 laps)

Lead Changes: 4 (4 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 69 °F, Southwest 16 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 4x

AI Strength: 90%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
14	19	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line
14	91	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
15	01	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line
23	23	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line
34	23	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line