We've completed a quarter of the series and the championship is shaking up. Rivalries are forming and backmarkers are identified. Let's go through our run at Richmond in one of the first day races held at this track in a long time.

Qualifying was tough for most although I managed a personal record which got me the pole.

Darrel adopted the strategy of "Pull Over" to avoid catastrophe early.

Bear showed muscle early and crammed Bierschwale gently into the wall.

Cope stacked up into Parsons and they went for a ride infield.

Cope rebounded out and got slammed by Tim Richmond.

The caution saw most of the field hit the pits so Bear, Zack and Darrel moved well up the order.

Between buggy tech and an erratic setup, Zack was doing his best to hold his own but Rusty Wallace saw to that.

Darrel was in the path of the Red Bull rocket and just managed by with a scrape from the wall.

Jimmy Means made sure he didn't get away unscathed.

This caused a stacking up with Richard Petty and others.

The restart was much like before with Sandy and I fighting off Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt.

Labonte was quickly out of the picture.

Racing back, Bear was overtaken by the Intimidator.

The following caution saw Darrel get plowed over by Buddy Arrington as they went three-wide.

Just behind, Zack was getting picked off by Harry Gant.

Rounded up and going green, it wasn't long before another log jam caused a caution.

This one got a little more serious as Rick Wilson rolled over. Benny Parsons was in it again and almost got slammed by Lake Speed. Zack had a courtside view but was underwhelmed when his favorite rival stayed clean.

Going through this caution, Dave Marcus came blitzing up the field and narrowly snuck by me as I jerked to the right.

The Bear was laughing at this as he too was being run down by a lapper, Ricky Rudd.

When we untangled ourselves from the back markers, the Smiths were out in front.

This longer stretch of green saw Zack working hard through the field. Here he was nearly clipped by Lake Speed thanks to a disgruntled Terry Labonte.

Scot was still struggling to control his car through the long tricky corners but still saving it.

Sandy slowly started falling backwards as his tires showed wear and he couldn't keep it pinned to the bottom.

Halfway through the 80 laps and Jimmy Means was being mean to Phil Parsons.

Nearly everyone was in.

Except for Scot who would lead us to the green. I was laying back to watch Bonnet and the lap cars that were flying up out of the turn.

Darrel eventually lost it with a slightly ruined car and we'd have to slow down for the yellow.

But it wasn't for Darrel, it was the 77 of Bierschwale getting dumped.

He got going again but Ricky Rudd was right there.

He slammed and jammed and Zack finally got to see his dearly beloved Lake Speed get in a wreck.

But Zack was too close to the action himself and had no room to react to the wreck, blowing right through.

And driving in ways the cars were never meant to.

We continued on and this time Scot got loose driving off of turn two and was turned.

He was mostly free of damage but came back up and collected Hillin Jr. and Morgan Shephard.

Sandy just managed to dynamite the breaks and only scrape the paint a touch on this one.

During the calamity, I let Neil Bonnet by so I could investigate his rear bumper for damage. Yep, looks a mess to me, Neil.

We took the green and in my haste to finish up fixing his bumper, I may have tapped him slightly. I'm so sorry.

Of course, I don't think the 75 appreciated my help and break checked me into turn three.

Driver's code dictates that you keep things in balance, so I may have run off the corner a bit too much. Actually, I didn't realize we were that close to the wall. I mean, I don't regret what happened. Merely that it wasn't my intended result.

Neil spun in front of the field and was missed by nearly everyone except Michael Waltrip who's a menace.

Despite being slammed by Mikey and spun, Neil continued on to finish just outside the top ten.

Michael Waltrip did not and we would actually have 20 laps of green after this wreck.

And it was Darrel who eeked out ahead of me on the last lap. To keep from going a lap down. I actually won. But, a good finish for Darrel considering some of the difficulties he was going through on the track and in real life.

Sandy was the next finisher for the humans down in the top 20 after dropping off pace from poor tires. Scot wasn't far behind and Darrel just after him, all suffering with various ailments in their cars but finishing.

We take it to the behemoth that is Talladega for what can only be described as a roulette graveyard that goes fast.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	22.698
2	023	Z Webster	22.971
3	061	D Hamilton	23.015
4	021	T Bear	23.105
5	9	B Elliott	23.422
6	3	D Earnhardt	23.440
7	8	B Hillin, Jr.	23.491
8	7	A Kulwicki	23.496
9	43	R Petty	23.514
10	75	N Bonnett	23.516
11	11	T Labonte	23.528
12	33	H Gant	23.529
13	029	M Max	23.562
14	22	B Allison	23.573
15	44	S Marlin	23.583
16	55	P Parsons	23.592
17	35	B Parsons	23.593
18	90	K Schrader	23.611
19	71	D Marcis	23.618
20	27	R Wallace	23.631
21	15	R Rudd	23.635
22	28	D Allison	23.644
23	77	E Bierschwale	23.652
24	62	S Christman	23.671
25	50	G Sacks	23.676
26	52	J Means	23.692
27	26	M Shepherd	23.696
28	17	D Waltrip	23.704
29	5	G Bodine	23.739
30	30	M Waltrip	23.747
31	67	B Arrington	23.766
32	4	R Wilson	23.804
33	88	B Baker	23.823
34	18	D Jarrett	23.829
35	19	D Cope	23.890
36	64	R Combs	23.896
37	21	K Petty	23.928
38	70	J McDuffie	23.951
39	81	M Potter	24.017
40	25	T Richmond	24.039
41	83	L Speed	24.229
42	29	C Yarborough	24.381
43	14	A Foyt	24.669

Weather: Cloudy, 80 °F, Southwest 17 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	22.555
2	28	D Allison	22.620
3	11	T Labonte	22.656
4	3	D Earnhardt	22.685
5	90	K Schrader	22.697
6	17	D Waltrip	22.726
7	75	N Bonnett	22.731
8	5	G Bodine	22.733
9	7	A Kulwicki	22.751
10	15	R Rudd	22.762
11	27	R Wallace	22.788
12	21	K Petty	22.792
13	22	B Allison	22.812
14	26	M Shepherd	22.823
15	44	S Marlin	22.828
16	9	B Elliott	22.840
17	52	J Means	22.863
18	33	H Gant	22.899
19	4	R Wilson	22.924
20	30	M Waltrip	22.932
21	43	R Petty	22.937
22	55	P Parsons	22.948
23	8	B Hillin, Jr.	22.966
24	50	G Sacks	23.014
25	67	B Arrington	23.045
26	061	D Hamilton	23.084
27	021	T Bear	23.098
28	62	S Christman	23.132
29	77	E Bierschwale	23.172
30	71	D Marcis	23.193
31	35	B Parsons	23.207
32	70	J McDuffie	23.234
33	88	B Baker	23.237
34	18	D Jarrett	23.252
35	19	D Cope	23.260
36	64	R Combs	23.269
37	023	Z Webster	23.273
38	81	M Potter	23.430
39	25	T Richmond	23.492
40	29	C Yarborough	23.598
41	83	L Speed	23.607
42	14	A Foyt	24.147
43	029	M Max	25.242

Weather: Cloudy, 80 °F, West 17 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	23.041
2	3	D Earnhardt	23.472
3	4	R Wilson	23.499
4	061	D Hamilton	23.520
5	11	T Labonte	23.549
6	8	B Hillin, Jr.	23.567
7	71	D Marcis	23.590
8	9	B Elliott	23.602
9	52	J Means	23.618
10	77	E Bierschwale	23.657
11	28	D Allison	23.696
12	22	B Allison	23.706
13	023	Z Webster	23.727
14	64	R Combs	23.806
15	18	D Jarrett	23.842
16	62	S Christman	23.862
17	17	D Waltrip	23.878
18	21	K Petty	23.878
19	27	R Wallace	23.915
20	35	B Parsons	23.919
21	81	M Potter	23.922
22	44	S Marlin	23.938
23	15	R Rudd	23.963
24	5	G Bodine	23.977
25	67	B Arrington	24.005
26	90	K Schrader	24.020
27	33	H Gant	24.020
28	26	M Shepherd	24.031
29	70	J McDuffie	24.046
30	19	D Cope	24.050
31	55	P Parsons	24.078
32	30	M Waltrip	24.097
33	50	G Sacks	24.130
34	25	T Richmond	24.131
35	43	R Petty	24.136
36	88	B Baker	24.309
37	7	A Kulwicki	24.390
38	75	N Bonnett	24.393
39	14	A Foyt	24.607
40	29	C Yarborough	24.742
41	029	M Max	26.790
42	021	T Bear	30.606
43	83	L Speed	34.770

Weather: Clear, 83 °F, South 9 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	1	013	T Nadz	74.963	80	61*	185	Running
2	4	3	D Earnhardt	-3.41	80	0	170	Running
3	12	21	K Petty	-6.31	80	0	165	Running
4	3	11	T Labonte	-7.25	80	0	160	Running
5	16	9	B Elliott	-8.10	80	0	155	Running
6	18	33	H Gant	-8.13	80	0	150	Running
7	2	28	D Allison	-8.86	80	0	146	Running
8	13	22	B Allison	-9.95	80	0	142	Running
9	5	90	K Schrader	-10.51	80	0	138	Running
10	31	35	B Parsons	-10.86	80	0	134	Running
11	7	75	N Bonnett	-10.89	80	9	135	Running
12	23	8	B Hillin, Jr.	-12.11	80	0	127	Running
13	24	50	G Sacks	-12.69	80	0	124	Running
14	27	021	T Bear	-13.39	80	0	121	Running
15	43	029	M Max	-18.36	80	10	123	Running
16	26	061	D Hamilton	-24.79	80	0	115	Running
17	6	17	D Waltrip	-1L	79	0	112	Running
18	25	67	B Arrington	-1L	79	0	109	Running
19	14	26	M Shepherd	-2L	78	0	106	Running
20	17	52	J Means	-2L	78	0	103	Running
21	11	27	R Wallace	-3L	77	0	100	Running
22	9	7	A Kulwicki	-4L	76	0	97	Running
23	30	71	D Marcis	-5L	75	0	94	Running
24	22	55	P Parsons	-19L	61	0	91	Accident
25	21	43	R Petty	-19L	61	0	88	Accident
26	20	30	M Waltrip	-19L	61	0	85	Accident
27	42	14	A Foyt	-19L	61	0	82	Running
28	29	77	E Bierschwale	-22L	58	0	79	Accident
29	33	88	B Baker	-34L	46	0	76	Ignition
30	40	29	C Yarborough	-34L	46	0	73	Retired
31	41	83	L Speed	-35L	45	0	70	Accident
32	37	023	Z Webster	-35L	45	0	67	Accident
33	10	15	R Rudd	-38L	42	0	64	Retired
34	8	5	G Bodine	-39L	41	0	61	Retired
35	15	44	S Marlin	-39L	41	0	58	Accident
36	19	4	R Wilson	-53L	27	0	55	Accident
37	34	18	D Jarrett	-54L	26	0	52	Accident
38	32	70	J McDuffie	-66L	14	0	49	Accident
39	38	81	M Potter	-79L	1	0	46	Retired
40	35	19	D Cope	-80L	0	0	43	Accident
41	39	25	T Richmond	-80L	0	0	40	Accident
42	36	64	R Combs	-80L	0	0	37	Accident

Caution Flags: 10 (45 laps)

Lead Changes: 3 (3 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 83 °F, Southeast 7 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 93%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
11	023	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
23	061	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line
55	029	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line

Thursday, April 21, 2016

'87 Winston Cup 2016 Series - 09 Richmond