We tore things up down south at Texas this week. I've started a hypothesis that anytime I wreck out or otherwise drop down the order, my fellow humans tend to do well and the opposite effect is also observed. The last few races have certainly demonstrated that. From a technical standpoint, this track had a few issues, particularly with pit road entrance, issuing black flags if you were too far to the left. I will be changing this, of course, and apologize to those who had to deal with this. Also, for me anyway, I had issues when the caution came out and the in car camera "fractured" with polygons everywhere. Unfortunately I can't replay this phenomenon. But it's a pain in the ass. Anyway, on to the review:

Qualifying went well for Bear and Webster with them on the front row, leading the start. The rest of us were dead last after poor runs/wrecks.

Bear quickly fell back to avoid getting plowed out of the way from inside traffic but held his spot in the top 15.

After sitting in the back and letting things settle a bit for a few laps, Darrel and I started pushing forward.

At one point, Darrel swooped way low into 3.

Which threw his car dynamics out of whack as he took the corner.

He caught it but cooked his tires and struggled to get it straightened up again. And the leaders were upon him.

Bear rode Michael Waltrip up the track to avoid Darrel's car.

Ken Schrader was less considerate and just slammed into him.

The crash involved several cars.

Bear continued to run over Waltrip...

...turning him into Davey Allison.

And he blew over.

I had a clear run through the outside and only had some scraping on the ride side to worry about.

Beirschwalle decided he was going to drive like a moron and plowed through the wreck, when he had a clear path to the outside. In doing so, he shot out into the outside wall and stuck into the safer barrier.

This shot him straight up in front of me.

And once again I have a car falling on mine.

Moron.

Zack brought them down pit road for the first stop.

I came in too and things were going as well as they could.

Until McDuffy shoved Combs through my entire crew.

And knocked my car into the wall.

Ulrich thought, "Why not, this looks like fun" and smacked me too. I had to abort my pit stop and do another lap before I could get service.

The Bear stayed out and got some extra points.

Scot was in too as was Zack after he was unable to get his crew to service his car. It looked like he might have been a bit out from the wall, but he should have gotten service.

Eventually, Bear came back in as well to get service. He's not crazy enough to stay out in front of a field that has fresh rubber.

That put us all at the back. What was left of it.

We went a few more laps my engine died. Probably the extra damage from Combs. McDuffy is now up the list under the 77.

Zack had to come back in and serve a penalty for passing under yellow. It happened after his first attempted stop when he passed by a few cars that had position on him that he likely didn't see after leaving. But he was still going.

Darrel was on a charge and leading humans. At this point he was well up to the top 20.

His spearhead towards the front was rebounded by Phil Parsons as he spun through the infield.

He missed the inside wall, only just.

However, his ruined tires didn't save him from getting under power again and he drove back up the track, right in front of Scot and Bear. They barely made it by.

Scot and Sandy were on a charge of their own with the Mad Max mobile leading it.

Bill Elliott would split the duo, as the two came together off of turn 2.

He recovered with minor damage and no yellow.

Zack and Sandy were starting to come in for some work.

Darrel had been getting back in the swing of it and pushing through the field when he got bumped by Rusty Wallace off of 4.

That tangled him up with Gant.

The caution was out.

Scot was only a few car lengths away, catching the group.

He tried to navigate the mess without leaving the racing surface but got into Ricky Rudd.

At least he had the caution and only minor damage.

Pit stops cycled through and Darrel almost blew through the end of pit road while the red lights were on.

As he backed up, it caused Smith some concern.

Zack and Scot were also in.

As things cycled through, Zack was the last car on the lead lap with the remaining humans in the back.

Zack grinds hard to get back in front of lap traffic so he can get a lucky dog on the next caution. His car's OK so there should be enough laps left to climb the field.

Scot was behind him the whole time and driving very well through traffic.

That was until Petty forced it four wide going through 3. Scot got into Rick Wilson but never would have if Petty hadn't pushed him there.

Bear was not far back watching this and nearly got in it himself.

The final pit window was reached on this caution. It was possible to make it now.

They restacked in effectively the same order.

Zack was tired of playing nice and took to the apron to get around these laggards.

As the laps wound down, no more yellows came and it was Mad Max and Bear who were pushing hard to get into the top 10.

Everything was smooth and steady until the last lap. Either Scot wasn't anticipating as much braking from Alan Kulwicki or he thought he'd shove him out of the way.

In either case, it rocked him unbalanced through the corner and slowed him down. He managed to just save it from turning.

But getting back under power brought him back the other way. Fortunately, Sandy had kept his speed up and zoomed past to finish 8th.

Scot was still fighting to regain control and came up the track.

He almost got killed on Rick Wilson but just barely missed. He still managed a top 15 I believe.

Next week we move on to the high banks of Bristol for the Spring time day race.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	30.524
2	023	Z Webster	30.705
3	061	D Hamilton	30.869
4	1	B Bodine	31.120
5	021	T Bear	31.145
6	17	D Waltrip	31.242
7	029	M Max	31.305
8	52	J Means	31.323
9	11	T Labonte	31.355
10	3	D Earnhardt	31.367
11	4	R Wilson	31.387
12	50	G Sacks	31.411
13	67	B Arrington	31.431
14	5	G Bodine	31.440
15	28	D Allison	31.447
16	25	T Richmond	31.451
17	71	D Marcis	31.455
18	43	R Petty	31.466
19	35	B Parsons	31.466
20	33	H Gant	31.471
21	15	R Rudd	31.473
22	8	B Hillin, Jr.	31.475
23	90	K Schrader	31.501
24	22	B Allison	31.512
25	21	K Petty	31.519
26	27	R Wallace	31.538
27	30	M Waltrip	31.568
28	29	C Yarborough	31.572
29	55	P Parsons	31.581
30	19	D Cope	31.583
31	18	D Jarrett	31.601
32	83	L Speed	31.619
33	26	M Shepherd	31.636
34	9	B Elliott	31.642
35	7	A Kulwicki	31.647
36	64	R Combs	31.648
37	6	D Ulrich	31.668
38	70	J McDuffie	31.673
39	62	S Christman	31.704
40	44	S Marlin	31.706
41	77	E Bierschwale	31.753
42	75	N Bonnett	31.774
43	88	B Baker	31.847

Weather: Clear, 78 °F, Southeast 9 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	023	Z Webster	30.503
2	021	T Bear	30.949
3	3	D Earnhardt	31.001
4	28	D Allison	31.065
5	15	R Rudd	31.074
6	27	R Wallace	31.142
7	5	G Bodine	31.154
8	43	R Petty	31.154
9	7	A Kulwicki	31.170
10	75	N Bonnett	31.181
11	71	D Marcis	31.188
12	9	B Elliott	31.212
13	44	S Marlin	31.216
14	11	T Labonte	31.233
15	33	H Gant	31.248
16	35	B Parsons	31.251
17	17	D Waltrip	31.254
18	55	P Parsons	31.268
19	30	M Waltrip	31.269
20	21	K Petty	31.279
21	90	K Schrader	31.311
22	1	B Bodine	31.337
23	50	G Sacks	31.369
24	8	B Hillin, Jr.	31.380
25	52	J Means	31.390
26	83	L Speed	31.443
27	77	E Bierschwale	31.449
28	25	T Richmond	31.454
29	18	D Jarrett	31.479
30	26	M Shepherd	31.501
31	88	B Baker	31.511
32	29	C Yarborough	31.552
33	22	B Allison	31.596
34	19	D Cope	31.622
35	4	R Wilson	31.718
36	62	S Christman	31.719
37	6	D Ulrich	31.722
38	70	J McDuffie	31.739
39	67	B Arrington	31.980
40	64	R Combs	32.182
41	013	T Nadz	34.031
42	029	M Max	39.346
43	061	D Hamilton	--

Weather: Clear, 78 °F, Southeast 14 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	30.442
2	023	Z Webster	30.488
3	061	D Hamilton	30.592
4	021	T Bear	30.617
5	22	B Allison	30.793
6	67	B Arrington	30.953
7	029	M Max	30.993
8	19	D Cope	31.092
9	88	B Baker	31.106
10	44	S Marlin	31.117
11	21	K Petty	31.118
12	52	J Means	31.118
13	29	C Yarborough	31.119
14	17	D Waltrip	31.126
15	4	R Wilson	31.129
16	55	P Parsons	31.147
17	11	T Labonte	31.153
18	71	D Marcis	31.154
19	9	B Elliott	31.179
20	83	L Speed	31.199
21	25	T Richmond	31.215
22	7	A Kulwicki	31.223
23	3	D Earnhardt	31.230
24	15	R Rudd	31.247
25	43	R Petty	31.279
26	27	R Wallace	31.306
27	33	H Gant	31.325
28	64	R Combs	31.330
29	35	B Parsons	31.331
30	26	M Shepherd	31.337
31	18	D Jarrett	31.339
32	75	N Bonnett	31.356
33	6	D Ulrich	31.373
34	5	G Bodine	31.394
35	62	S Christman	31.395
36	70	J McDuffie	31.412
37	90	K Schrader	31.426
38	28	D Allison	31.446
39	8	B Hillin, Jr.	31.450
40	77	E Bierschwale	31.464
41	50	G Sacks	31.479
42	30	M Waltrip	31.499
43	1	B Bodine	31.638

Weather: Cloudy, 82 °F, Southeast 10 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	20	21	K Petty	130.944	67	22	180	Running
2	3	3	D Earnhardt	-1.35	67	23*	180	Running
3	30	26	M Shepherd	-2.12	67	0	165	Running
4	6	27	R Wallace	-2.49	67	0	160	Running
5	17	17	D Waltrip	-3.26	67	0	155	Running
6	13	44	S Marlin	-4.39	67	4	155	Running
7	9	7	A Kulwicki	-4.76	67	0	146	Running
8	2	021	T Bear	-5.10	67	1	147	Running
9	22	1	B Bodine	-5.54	67	0	138	Running
10	32	29	C Yarborough	-6.63	67	0	134	Running
11	42	029	M Max	-14.38	67	3	135	Running
12	40	64	R Combs	-1L	66	0	127	Running
13	1	023	Z Webster	-1L	66	6	129	Running
14	10	75	N Bonnett	-1L	66	0	121	Running
15	11	71	D Marcis	-1L	66	0	118	Running
16	18	55	P Parsons	-1L	66	0	115	Running
17	14	11	T Labonte	-1L	66	0	112	Running
18	8	43	R Petty	-1L	66	0	109	Running
19	7	5	G Bodine	-1L	66	8	111	Running
20	5	15	R Rudd	-1L	66	0	103	Running
21	35	4	R Wilson	-2L	65	0	100	Running
22	43	061	D Hamilton	-2L	65	0	97	Running
23	24	8	B Hillin, Jr.	-2L	65	0	94	Running
24	36	62	S Christman	-3L	64	0	91	Running
25	33	22	B Allison	-3L	64	0	88	Running
26	12	9	B Elliott	-4L	63	0	85	Running
27	34	19	D Cope	-7L	60	0	82	Running
28	26	83	L Speed	-7L	60	0	79	Running
29	15	33	H Gant	-32L	35	0	76	Fuel Inj
30	41	013	T Nadz	-58L	9	0	73	Accident
31	19	30	M Waltrip	-61L	6	0	70	Accident
32	4	28	D Allison	-62L	5	0	67	Accident
33	25	52	J Means	-62L	5	0	64	Valve
34	27	77	E Bierschwale	-62L	5	0	61	Accident
35	29	18	D Jarrett	-62L	5	0	58	Accident
36	23	50	G Sacks	-62L	5	0	55	Camshaft
37	38	70	J McDuffie	-62L	5	0	52	Retired
38	28	25	T Richmond	-62L	5	0	49	Retired
39	37	6	D Ulrich	-62L	5	0	46	Accident
40	39	67	B Arrington	-62L	5	0	43	Retired
41	21	90	K Schrader	-62L	5	0	40	Accident
42	16	35	B Parsons	-62L	5	0	37	Accident
43	31	88	B Baker	-63L	4	0	34	Accident

Caution Flags: 4 (13 laps)

Lead Changes: 9 (7 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 82 °F, Southeast 10 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 97%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
4	061	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
4	061	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
5	061	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
5	061	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
5	061	Unsafe pit exit	Go to end of longest line
7	013	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
7	023	Unsafe pit exit	Go to end of longest line
7	023	Passing under yellow	Held for 8 seconds
7	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
7	013	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
8	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
8	013	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
8	013	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
34	061	Entering closed pits	Go to end of longest line
35	061	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
35	061	Unsafe pit exit	Go to end of longest line
37	023	Passing under yellow	Held for 3 seconds
48	021	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
49	021	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
47	061	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
48	061	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line

Saturday, April 9, 2016

'87 Winston Cup 2016 Series - 07 Texas