'87 Winston Cup 2016 Series - 14 Pocono

Well we go to the track with the fewest turns of all others, yet one of the longest.  Pocono qualifying was great for me and Zack as we locked out the front row.  

Sandy and Darrel were back in the field.  Fortunately they have plenty of lanes to use.

Zack had a small issue on the start as the opposition crowded him out before the green.  But he muscled his way back to second.

Darrel was getting muscled himself and mostly just rubbed the outside wall going through three.

Sandy had a similar experience as he went evasive and washed up the track.

And did this again a lap later, to fall back to the back.

Scot was moving forward and throwing elbows on Greg Sacks.

Sandy was less amused as he was fearing for his life.

But all was good.

As we were about 8 laps in, pitting happened.

On restart, Zack and I had to contend with a lapped Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader who stayed out.

I was able to just squeeze by at turn one, but Zack was in a much worse position.  And then he blinked out.

When he came back, he was under Darrel Waltrip.

Things didn't get better.

This is the largest wreck of the race and took out a few drivers, including Zack.  And Michael Waltrip made sure he was heavily involved.

Though we weren't out long, another round of pits which Sandy would use to stay out and lead a lap.

The next wreck was not far away and who but Scot was there to make sure it took place.  He got a little hot into three and tucked onto Sterling Marlin.

And things got a little jumbled.

He almost had it collected when Sterling made sure he didn't.

Darrel had a front row seat to the entire unfolding.

Scot was trying to hold it while Darrel was trying not to hit him.

He was successful, but Buddy Baker was the X factor in it all and blasted Darrel away.

While my fellow humans were suffering various fates, I was slowing down under the belief that it was time to do that thing.  I was mistaken and Richard Petty and co. ran on by.  Bastards!

More pitting.

On the restart, Scot's engine died in a puffy black cloud.

This lead to a spin.

Which he collected and parked right into his pit.  A decidedly responsible and uncharacteristic thing to do.

Scot's pirouette created a unique situation where we were under yellow and out of sorts with the pace car.  It should have caught up and passed us, but it was not.  I tried slowing down, but I was getting passed. 

Knowing that my fellow humans would be blowing by as well, I fought back.

Comm chatter was rampant and instead of pitting with the rest, I kept going.

Darrel and Sandy were also staying well in front of the pace car and slammed that gas.

Our strategy then became to stay in front of everyone as best as we could and pit with one-until-green.  This had us just inside of our window and we wouldn't need another stop.

We were 1-2-3 and several seconds behind the field once we went green.  Sandy fought hard and was catching me for a bit but things spread out as lap traffic came into play.  Darrel was a little off pace from damage but had no problem staying in third.

This then is the only shot of all three of us taking a podium sweep.  

Next week we go to another big one:  Michigan.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	55.155
2	023	Z Webster	55.375
3	021	T Bear	55.777
4	061	D Hamilton	55.909
5	17	D Waltrip	56.313
6	75	N Bonnett	56.488
7	9	B Elliott	56.554
8	43	R Petty	56.608
9	5	G Bodine	56.616
10	55	P Parsons	56.642
11	11	T Labonte	56.688
12	21	K Petty	56.695
13	15	R Rudd	56.718
14	25	T Richmond	56.726
15	3	D Earnhardt	56.751
16	33	H Gant	56.778
17	90	K Schrader	56.817
18	26	M Shepherd	56.881
19	22	B Allison	56.886
20	52	J Means	56.887
21	29	C Yarborough	56.933
22	35	B Parsons	56.952
23	67	B Arrington	56.970
24	1	B Bodine	56.978
25	8	B Hillin, Jr.	56.981
26	50	G Sacks	57.010
27	44	S Marlin	57.016
28	27	R Wallace	57.017
29	4	R Wilson	57.038
30	77	E Bierschwale	57.073
31	30	M Waltrip	57.125
32	71	D Marcis	57.140
33	28	D Allison	57.152
34	64	R Combs	57.152
35	88	B Baker	57.169
36	18	D Jarrett	57.210
37	62	S Christman	57.227
38	70	J McDuffie	57.234
39	7	A Kulwicki	57.236
40	82	M Stahl	57.251
41	83	L Speed	57.375
42	19	D Cope	57.453
43	029	M Max	1:03.350

Weather: Clear, 85 °F, Southwest 12 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	55.633
2	023	Z Webster	55.788
3	9	B Elliott	56.077
4	3	D Earnhardt	56.120
5	17	D Waltrip	56.289
6	21	K Petty	56.313
7	22	B Allison	56.330
8	27	R Wallace	56.344
9	90	K Schrader	56.371
10	43	R Petty	56.372
11	26	M Shepherd	56.376
12	021	T Bear	56.388
13	15	R Rudd	56.448
14	44	S Marlin	56.448
15	11	T Labonte	56.464
16	75	N Bonnett	56.521
17	35	B Parsons	56.540
18	30	M Waltrip	56.551
19	28	D Allison	56.556
20	7	A Kulwicki	56.603
21	71	D Marcis	56.625
22	061	D Hamilton	56.644
23	33	H Gant	56.658
24	8	B Hillin, Jr.	56.667
25	83	L Speed	56.669
26	88	B Baker	56.675
27	77	E Bierschwale	56.683
28	67	B Arrington	56.691
29	55	P Parsons	56.722
30	5	G Bodine	56.783
31	4	R Wilson	56.805
32	25	T Richmond	56.812
33	18	D Jarrett	56.848
34	50	G Sacks	56.857
35	52	J Means	56.948
36	29	C Yarborough	56.981
37	70	J McDuffie	57.019
38	19	D Cope	57.099
39	1	B Bodine	57.289
40	64	R Combs	57.310
41	82	M Stahl	57.469
42	62	S Christman	57.514
43	029	M Max	--

Weather: Clear, 85 °F, Northwest 3 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	56.174
2	021	T Bear	56.224
3	3	D Earnhardt	56.416
4	43	R Petty	56.468
5	061	D Hamilton	56.501
6	023	Z Webster	56.540
7	90	K Schrader	56.742
8	7	A Kulwicki	56.748
9	15	R Rudd	56.776
10	75	N Bonnett	56.791
11	17	D Waltrip	56.798
12	55	P Parsons	56.858
13	29	C Yarborough	56.862
14	19	D Cope	56.908
15	9	B Elliott	56.926
16	35	B Parsons	56.934
17	33	H Gant	56.945
18	67	B Arrington	56.957
19	52	J Means	56.965
20	27	R Wallace	56.977
21	30	M Waltrip	56.986
22	88	B Baker	57.008
23	77	E Bierschwale	57.030
24	28	D Allison	57.031
25	18	D Jarrett	57.044
26	029	M Max	57.045
27	50	G Sacks	57.054
28	22	B Allison	57.062
29	5	G Bodine	57.072
30	71	D Marcis	57.083
31	82	M Stahl	57.095
32	21	K Petty	57.110
33	1	B Bodine	57.181
34	64	R Combs	57.207
35	11	T Labonte	57.225
36	25	T Richmond	57.226
37	70	J McDuffie	57.269
38	26	M Shepherd	57.330
39	4	R Wilson	57.412
40	44	S Marlin	57.416
41	8	B Hillin, Jr.	57.478
42	62	S Christman	57.636
43	83	L Speed	57.973

Weather: Clear, 87 °F, South 9 mph

Session: Race

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	1	013	T Nadz	128.256	40	32*	185	Running
2	12	021	T Bear	-7.15	40	2	175	Running
3	22	061	D Hamilton	-18.63	40	0	165	Running
4	21	71	D Marcis	-1L	39	0	160	Running
5	31	4	R Wilson	-1L	39	0	155	Running
6	29	55	P Parsons	-1L	39	0	150	Running
7	4	3	D Earnhardt	-1L	39	0	146	Running
8	6	21	K Petty	-1L	39	0	142	Running
9	20	7	A Kulwicki	-1L	39	0	138	Running
10	25	83	L Speed	-1L	39	0	134	Running
11	37	70	J McDuffie	-1L	39	0	130	Running
12	8	27	R Wallace	-1L	39	0	127	Running
13	7	22	B Allison	-1L	39	0	124	Running
14	42	62	S Christman	-1L	39	0	121	Running
15	11	26	M Shepherd	-1L	39	0	118	Running
16	10	43	R Petty	-1L	39	2	120	Running
17	14	44	S Marlin	-1L	39	0	112	Running
18	35	52	J Means	-1L	39	0	109	Running
19	28	67	B Arrington	-1L	39	0	106	Running
20	3	9	B Elliott	-1L	39	0	103	Running
21	9	90	K Schrader	-1L	39	4	105	Running
22	16	75	N Bonnett	-1L	39	0	97	Running
23	38	19	D Cope	-1L	39	0	94	Running
24	39	1	B Bodine	-1L	39	0	91	Running
25	17	35	B Parsons	-1L	39	0	88	Retired
26	13	15	R Rudd	-1L	39	0	85	Running
27	27	77	E Bierschwale	-1L	39	0	82	Running
28	40	64	R Combs	-1L	39	0	79	Running
29	23	33	H Gant	-1L	39	0	76	Running
30	30	5	G Bodine	-1L	39	0	73	Running
31	36	29	C Yarborough	-1L	39	0	70	Running
32	26	88	B Baker	-1L	39	0	67	Running
33	41	82	M Stahl	-2L	38	0	64	Running
34	19	28	D Allison	-12L	28	0	61	No Fuel
35	43	029	M Max	-17L	23	0	58	Piston
36	15	11	T Labonte	-17L	23	0	55	Accident
37	18	30	M Waltrip	-26L	14	0	52	No Fuel
38	24	8	B Hillin, Jr.	-26L	14	0	49	Accident
39	5	17	D Waltrip	-26L	14	0	46	Accident
40	2	023	Z Webster	-27L	13	0	43	Accident
41	32	25	T Richmond	-27L	13	0	40	Retired
42	34	50	G Sacks	-27L	13	0	37	Retired
43	33	18	D Jarrett	-30L	10	0	34	Retired

Caution Flags: 0 (0 laps)

Lead Changes: 7 (4 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 87 °F, Southwest 13 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 90%