IT'S OVER 9000! Views, that is. Thank you again to our Russian friends for the bump in popularity. This also marks the first race in the Chase format that we aren't doing. So, yay for us?

What we thought was going to be a slam dunk for qualifying ended up scattering us to the wind. Which is what I tried to do to Jimmy Means. That asshole.

Things were a little wild in the beginning all over the track. Sandy was running three wide with JD and Benny.

They paid dearly.

And right behind that mishap, Darrel was getting run over by Michael Waltrip.

Darrel and Zack also paid for it. But neither actually ended up with any damage.

All AI pitted so the Smith duo took the green.

Shortly after, Scot turned it in one of the oil slicks.

He really screwed up the back end.

Then swung way up the track while trying to turn around.

He then threw it in reverse but it was too late and I was already upon him.

I had tried to tuck way down but the momentum ripped me right across his car and over I went. Dead.

And there was plenty of crashing back behind.

Sandy had made it out of there and even Scot recovered but the track was a mess. 8-wide down the back stretch.

On the restart, Sandy was leading when he lost it in the oil slick.

Jimmy Means was there to catch him.

And was LAUNCHED into the outside wall.

Yet he raced on, nearly unaffected while The Bear was done for.

Another restart and humans were sprinkled about the field.

Geoff Bodine gave Hillin Jr a dump.

He came back up the track right into Sterling Marlin.

Another lap or so, Darrel was getting into trouble with Bodine and Chad was shooting the gap on the inside.

That spun Bodine right in front of Darrel.

And it was a drag race to the line.

On the next go around, Darrel got his feet knocked out from under him by a back marker, Combs.

Chad was collecting himself on the outside wall while Darrel was fighting to keep from becoming part of someone's hood ornament.

They had worked it out but only just and Chad was getting passed around.

They got into the turn and it got sideways for Dale Jarrett. Chad thought he was safe up high and was just trying to get back up to speed.

He got run into a few more times from the flailing debris that was Bodine & co.

Finally, he could get going again. But look out for that Bierscwhale running sidelong into JD McDuffy.

The 77 shot up the track and right into Chad's engine compartment.

He was launched square into the outside wall.

And the car was ruined. Stupid Jimmy Means. Wasn't even involved but I hate him.

Half the humans gone and they still weren't halfway yet.

Dave Marcus shoved Zack out of the way as he was getting used to the damage on his car.

Scot sort of did the same thing on the next lap.

Oops.

Several laps of green and Zack lost it on the oil.

Coming to the yellow, Alan Kulwicki took Zack to the wall.

He returned the kindness in kind.

Finally, over half way and we can drive. All the humans together at the back. What a surprise.

Up ahead, idiots were brewing trouble.

These back markers collected into the wall and there was a mess.

Coming to it, Darrel was the only human not to take the low road and got jacked up by Lake Speed who was getting chucked out by Dave Marcus.

While not good, this did not end his night, although Zack suddenly had more wheels and arms spinning in his cockpit than he knew what to do with.

Fortunately, he reacted with tact and decisive discipline and shot through the middle of it without damage.

Which Darrel rewarded by clambering out in front of him and shoving the Red Bull into the wall. What are friends for?

On a restart and the humans were in as bad a shape as ever.

There were many laps of green racing before Darrel was caught by the field.

He was an obstacle course.

And eventually just took himself into the inside wall area, bringing out the final caution before the end of the race.

Zack and Scot had people they could pass and were on the lead lap. 8 to go and it's on.

Scot was defending and attacking.

Zack was chasing down Christman and McDuffy with eyes on a potential top 5.

2.5 laps to go as they headed through turns three and 4.

And Scot found a few drops of oil still, right in front of all those cars he just passed.

Zack had made it to 8th but thought he was under caution and slowed up, letting the 77 swing by. Still a top 10. But Bierschwale will not leave Chicagoland alive.

Speaking of, Chicagoland is next.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	21.706
2	021	T Bear	21.987
3	023	Z Webster	22.131
4	029	M Max	22.356
5	061	D Hamilton	22.513
6	26	M Shepherd	22.537
7	20	C Ferguson	22.553
8	11	T Labonte	22.582
9	44	S Marlin	22.635
10	17	D Waltrip	22.698
11	88	B Baker	22.872
12	50	G Sacks	22.942
13	35	B Parsons	23.105
14	81	M Potter	23.153
15	90	K Schrader	23.165
16	55	P Parsons	23.460
17	25	T Richmond	24.270
18	29	C Yarborough	24.317
19	22	B Allison	24.528
20	27	R Wallace	25.217
21	7	A Kulwicki	25.242
22	28	D Allison	26.259
23	52	J Means	26.993
24	4	R Wilson	28.657
25	70	J McDuffie	34.138
26	8	B Hillin, Jr.	40.342
27	9	B Elliott	45.157

Weather: Clear, 75 °F, Southwest 1 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	11	T Labonte	21.904
2	5	G Bodine	21.964
3	7	A Kulwicki	22.001
4	75	N Bonnett	22.046
5	22	B Allison	22.050
6	3	D Earnhardt	22.054
7	33	H Gant	22.063
8	90	K Schrader	22.082
9	52	J Means	22.082
10	15	R Rudd	22.087
11	013	T Nadz	22.107
12	43	R Petty	22.116
13	27	R Wallace	22.123
14	44	S Marlin	22.129
15	50	G Sacks	22.136
16	9	B Elliott	22.138
17	21	K Petty	22.143
18	35	B Parsons	22.148
19	70	J McDuffie	22.151
20	023	Z Webster	22.166
21	021	T Bear	22.176
22	8	B Hillin, Jr.	22.182
23	061	D Hamilton	22.205
24	30	M Waltrip	22.219
25	28	D Allison	22.222
26	4	R Wilson	22.234
27	55	P Parsons	22.250
28	62	S Christman	22.282
29	64	R Combs	22.307
30	77	E Bierschwale	22.327
31	88	B Baker	22.342
32	25	T Richmond	22.356
33	17	D Waltrip	22.375
34	18	D Jarrett	22.412
35	1	B Bodine	22.444
36	81	M Potter	22.459
37	20	C Ferguson	22.491
38	83	L Speed	22.528
39	29	C Yarborough	22.557
40	71	D Marcis	22.570
41	029	M Max	23.580
42	26	M Shepherd	27.166
43	67	B Arrington	--

Weather: Clear, 75 °F, West 3 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	22.121
2	30	M Waltrip	22.171
3	9	B Elliott	22.203
4	11	T Labonte	22.215
5	013	T Nadz	22.226
6	62	S Christman	22.250
7	22	B Allison	22.269
8	27	R Wallace	22.277
9	023	Z Webster	22.291
10	20	C Ferguson	22.308
11	3	D Earnhardt	22.335
12	4	R Wilson	22.339
13	67	B Arrington	22.340
14	5	G Bodine	22.342
15	75	N Bonnett	22.354
16	7	A Kulwicki	22.359
17	43	R Petty	22.365
18	28	D Allison	22.380
19	021	T Bear	22.381
20	90	K Schrader	22.382
21	64	R Combs	22.382
22	88	B Baker	22.386
23	35	B Parsons	22.391
24	17	D Waltrip	22.421
25	15	R Rudd	22.447
26	18	D Jarrett	22.461
27	33	H Gant	22.466
28	26	M Shepherd	22.467
29	8	B Hillin, Jr.	22.521
30	55	P Parsons	22.529
31	70	J McDuffie	22.533
32	44	S Marlin	22.537
33	71	D Marcis	22.539
34	77	E Bierschwale	22.549
35	029	M Max	22.561
36	52	J Means	22.569
37	83	L Speed	22.623
38	21	K Petty	22.630
39	50	G Sacks	22.641
40	81	M Potter	22.669
41	29	C Yarborough	22.728
42	25	T Richmond	22.758
43	1	B Bodine	22.812

Weather: Clear, 77 °F, Northwest 5 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	24	30	M Waltrip	78.650	80	19	180	Running
2	1	11	T Labonte	-1.39	80	8	175	Running
3	34	18	D Jarrett	-1.71	80	4	170	Running
4	5	22	B Allison	-1.99	80	0	160	Running
5	3	7	A Kulwicki	-2.41	80	27*	165	Running
6	8	90	K Schrader	-3.03	80	0	150	Running
7	22	8	B Hillin, Jr.	-3.35	80	9	151	Running
8	30	77	E Bierschwale	-3.62	80	0	142	Running
9	20	023	Z Webster	-3.67	80	0	138	Running
10	19	70	J McDuffie	-4.27	80	0	134	Running
11	28	62	S Christman	-4.58	80	0	130	Running
12	9	52	J Means	-5.79	80	0	127	Running
13	18	35	B Parsons	-6.28	80	0	124	Running
14	17	21	K Petty	-7.21	80	0	121	Running
15	13	27	R Wallace	-9.21	80	0	118	Running
16	26	4	R Wilson	-10.18	80	0	115	Running
17	41	029	M Max	-1L	79	0	112	Running
18	15	50	G Sacks	-1L	79	0	109	Running
19	42	26	M Shepherd	-1L	79	0	106	Running
20	16	9	B Elliott	-1L	79	0	103	Running
21	7	33	H Gant	-2L	78	0	100	Running
22	39	29	C Yarborough	-2L	78	0	97	Running
23	29	64	R Combs	-3L	77	0	94	Running
24	23	061	D Hamilton	-6L	74	0	91	Running
25	10	15	R Rudd	-12L	68	0	88	Running
26	35	1	B Bodine	-32L	48	0	85	Accident
27	40	71	D Marcis	-32L	48	0	82	Retired
28	38	83	L Speed	-32L	48	0	79	Retired
29	2	5	G Bodine	-51L	29	0	76	Retired
30	37	20	C Ferguson	-53L	27	1	78	Accident
31	32	25	T Richmond	-53L	27	0	70	Accident
32	33	17	D Waltrip	-53L	27	0	67	Accident
33	25	28	D Allison	-58L	22	0	64	Accident
34	14	44	S Marlin	-59L	21	0	61	Accident
35	27	55	P Parsons	-60L	20	0	58	Camshaft
36	21	021	T Bear	-67L	13	6	60	Accident
37	6	3	D Earnhardt	-72L	8	0	52	Accident
38	12	43	R Petty	-72L	8	0	49	Accident
39	11	013	T Nadz	-72L	8	6	51	Accident
40	4	75	N Bonnett	-72L	8	0	43	Accident
41	36	81	M Potter	-73L	7	0	40	Accident
42	43	67	B Arrington	-73L	7	0	37	Accident
43	31	88	B Baker	-73L	7	0	34	Retired

Caution Flags: 9 (42 laps)

Lead Changes: 14 (8 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 77 °F, South 1 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 91%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
10	20	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
13	20	Passing the pacecar	Held for 26 seconds
24	029	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
26	029	Speeding in pits	Drive through pit lane
31	023	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds
32	023	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
45	023	Passing the pacecar	Held for 23 seconds
46	023	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
47	023	Passing the pacecar	Held for 23 seconds
51	023	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds
73	023	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds
76	061	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds
81	029	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

'87 Winston Cup 2016 Series - 26 Richmond