Well things are coming to a thrilling conclusion. A head to head competition between Darrel and Scot are shaping up. Darrel has a big hill to climb and has to beat Scot by 175 points. Because the 029 isn't running this last race, he could do it if he finishes 3rd or better and leads the most laps. But that's a much taller order than what Sandy has to face. Zack outpaces him by 70 points going into the last race. That means Sandy has to beat out Zack by 16-24 places depending on where they are in the field. It can certainly happen but it's going to come down to the end I think.

But before we start making too many predictions at Homestead, let's take a look at what set this all up at Phoenix.

Practice and qualifying showed strong efforts by all humans and the start was bound to be good. The first one was.

But the mulligan was not for Zack as he looped it in turn one.

He was also having some connectivity issues which made it very hard to predict where he was going to be. Sandy could not and the two came together at the start of a major race to conclude their rival season.

For both of them, the damage was mostly minor.

But the field was shaken up and drivers like Scot took advantage, skirting by the disruption.

On the restart, Darrel got a good jump and took the lead.

In giving him room, the door was open for Bill to pass and we did battle for a few laps.

Ultimately, it ended with Bill spinning as he "lost it" coming out of two.

It was a bad spot to spin. I wouldn't have done that there if I were him. Still, it helped Zack since he lost a lap clearing a black flag, get repaired and was the first car a lap down...lucky dog.

And pretty helped pretty much....no one else. Many cars were lost on this one.

While not necessary, I came in seeing that the rest of the field planned to as well.

While Darrel lead, I did battle with Elliott's rival, Earnhardt. It was actually a ton of fun.

Zack was working his way through the field to close the gap on Sandy and reduce his points gain. But his glitchy internet caused the AI around him to do strange things.

Like randomly die. Scot was diving to avoid the stackup that was taking place.

Pit road got real busy again and the humans were having trouble hitting their stalls right.

Except for Darrel who was left behind as his crew fixed damage and picked their noses.

The next run was cut short as I was working up the order and under estimated Alan Kulwicki's stupidity.

We clobbered the wall together and they stacked up behind us.

Zack again was causing AI to mysteriously crash, this time RIGHT in front of Sandy. While it had been a friendly, yet intense, competition to this point, the glove was thrown.

So to show that the broken Dale Jarrett car was not intended for Sandy...

...Zack's car walked up the track in a strange, broken fashion...

...and spun out Darrel. To his defense, Zack never actually touched him. At least, not that was visibly detected.

As Darrel threw his car in reverse to try and straighten out, Scot boldly pressed through and missed him by millimeters. I guess just to show he could.

About halfway now and I was leading the charge.

Sandy, knowing a final stop was necessary and that Zack was struggling with his car (well mostly connection issues), shoved the competition the hell out of his way.

Leaving no Cale Yarborough unturned.

Zack was doing his best to pair down the margin and had yet another "I'm not touching you" moment. This time, causing a spin for Buddy Baker.

Because Scot seems to like living dangerously, he narrowly missed a wrecking Baker on this one. There's no way he could finish this race at this rate.

Our statistically final pit stops and the front row starters barely missed one another on pit road. We really need to stop meeting like this.

Three humans back at the front. All with good cars and a decent handle on this track.

Sandy and Zack held down the back in what effectively became a race of twenty cars.

The green flag and only a couple laps in before Darrel loops his ride into one. By this point, Scot was so used to cars spinning in front of him, he barely noticed.

No damage to Darrel but the restart was very exciting as this would be the first one Scot would lead tonight. After running most of the race in the latter half of the field, he asked for council on starts. I should have just paid attention to my own because I got jumped and was way out of position.

I fought back and this is when I discovered how strong Dale Earnhardt's car was.

Several laps of intense racing all over the track and eventually Darrel was entangled by Kyle Petty and Rodney Combs.

Darrel managed to break away from it unbroken.

Restart with 10 to go, Zack worked from the back to try and figure out how to pass people without wrecking anyone, Darrel was trying to figure out how much drive his car had left, Sandy had his eye on gaining as many places as possible and I was going to lay back a little to help the competition get a run on Earnhardt and leave them to squabble while I went for Scot.

For me, my plan worked too well. Both Parsons got a great run and then I had to deal with them.

I kept Scot in my sights but I was fighting a war on two fronts.

Sandy had shown some steel throughout the race and wasn't letting up. He was making dive bombs and other great moves, getting by traffic as quick as he could without incident.

While attempting to catch up with Scot, Dale Earnhardt kept pouring it on and I found myself spending half a lap chasing Scot and the other half driving through my mirror.

By the last couple laps, I had final put some distance between me and the #3 but would there be enough time to close the gap.

No and Scot won. In his last race of the season, he won his first race of the season. Through amazing luck and amazing talent, Scot prevailed. A dominating last-to-first victory with the most stressful 10 laps of his career so far. Well done, Scot. Unfortunately, because he won't be attending the finale, he won't score makeup points there. That means Darrel has a statistical possibility of beating him in points. But attention is squarely focused on the battle for the second placed human. Will Zack hold back Sandy like a spiteful teacher to a stupid middleschooler or can Sandy overcome the odds and raise himself to an all new career high? We'll take it home to Homestead.

Results

Track: PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY® 2011

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	023	Z Webster	28.350
2	013	T Nadz	28.529
3	061	D Hamilton	28.700
4	029	M Max	28.978
5	021	T Bear	29.081
6	33	H Gant	29.191
7	44	S Marlin	29.352
8	77	E Bierschwale	29.398
9	3	D Earnhardt	29.429
10	11	T Labonte	29.439
11	5	G Bodine	29.442
12	9	B Elliott	29.454
13	17	D Waltrip	29.458
14	52	J Means	29.459
15	15	R Rudd	29.462
16	43	R Petty	29.474
17	28	D Allison	29.476
18	26	M Shepherd	29.485
19	88	B Baker	29.493
20	75	N Bonnett	29.504
21	27	R Wallace	29.513
22	8	B Hillin, Jr.	29.516
23	22	B Allison	29.519
24	21	K Petty	29.558
25	90	K Schrader	29.575
26	30	M Waltrip	29.584
27	35	B Parsons	29.592
28	18	D Jarrett	29.606
29	71	D Marcis	29.607
30	67	B Arrington	29.608
31	4	R Wilson	29.632
32	55	P Parsons	29.633
33	50	G Sacks	29.641
34	62	S Christman	29.650
35	1	B Bodine	29.669
36	7	A Kulwicki	29.675
37	19	D Cope	29.678
38	6	D Ulrich	29.708
39	70	J McDuffie	29.726
40	64	R Combs	29.749
41	25	T Richmond	29.752
42	83	L Speed	29.793
43	29	C Yarborough	30.041

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, West 6 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	023	Z Webster	28.514
2	013	T Nadz	28.672
3	061	D Hamilton	28.876
4	9	B Elliott	29.139
5	35	B Parsons	29.330
6	88	B Baker	29.340
7	55	P Parsons	29.356
8	27	R Wallace	29.366
9	3	D Earnhardt	29.373
10	43	R Petty	29.381
11	11	T Labonte	29.386
12	021	T Bear	29.386
13	5	G Bodine	29.393
14	17	D Waltrip	29.405
15	90	K Schrader	29.421
16	75	N Bonnett	29.427
17	22	B Allison	29.439
18	30	M Waltrip	29.454
19	26	M Shepherd	29.456
20	44	S Marlin	29.463
21	1	B Bodine	29.467
22	21	K Petty	29.469
23	15	R Rudd	29.474
24	71	D Marcis	29.494
25	62	S Christman	29.504
26	7	A Kulwicki	29.510
27	8	B Hillin, Jr.	29.537
28	28	D Allison	29.554
29	77	E Bierschwale	29.558
30	67	B Arrington	29.572
31	4	R Wilson	29.592
32	19	D Cope	29.596
33	52	J Means	29.616
34	64	R Combs	29.666
35	18	D Jarrett	29.676
36	6	D Ulrich	29.705
37	25	T Richmond	29.749
38	29	C Yarborough	29.753
39	33	H Gant	29.787
40	83	L Speed	29.797
41	50	G Sacks	29.809
42	70	J McDuffie	29.976
43	029	M Max	1:07.859

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, West 10 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	28.746
2	013	T Nadz	28.972
3	023	Z Webster	29.010
4	021	T Bear	29.020
5	029	M Max	29.237
6	26	M Shepherd	29.341
7	9	B Elliott	29.385
8	44	S Marlin	29.433
9	70	J McDuffie	29.439
10	21	K Petty	29.443
11	11	T Labonte	29.463
12	3	D Earnhardt	29.475
13	7	A Kulwicki	29.483
14	28	D Allison	29.494
15	90	K Schrader	29.506
16	83	L Speed	29.506
17	33	H Gant	29.531
18	43	R Petty	29.541
19	17	D Waltrip	29.544
20	22	B Allison	29.545
21	75	N Bonnett	29.595
22	55	P Parsons	29.599
23	88	B Baker	29.634
24	27	R Wallace	29.643
25	35	B Parsons	29.651
26	25	T Richmond	29.660
27	18	D Jarrett	29.679
28	50	G Sacks	29.682
29	77	E Bierschwale	29.689
30	52	J Means	29.692
31	71	D Marcis	29.697
32	64	R Combs	29.699
33	5	G Bodine	29.702
34	6	D Ulrich	29.714
35	30	M Waltrip	29.737
36	4	R Wilson	29.743
37	15	R Rudd	29.744
38	29	C Yarborough	29.780
39	67	B Arrington	29.823
40	8	B Hillin, Jr.	29.861
41	19	D Cope	29.867
42	1	B Bodine	29.907
43	62	S Christman	30.070

Weather: Clear, 82 °F, Southwest 7 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	43	029	M Max	77.470	63	23*	185	Running
2	2	013	T Nadz	-0.56	63	16	175	Running
3	9	3	D Earnhardt	-1.44	63	0	165	Running
4	7	55	P Parsons	-2.04	63	0	160	Running
5	5	35	B Parsons	-2.22	63	0	155	Running
6	8	27	R Wallace	-2.49	63	0	150	Running
7	23	15	R Rudd	-2.85	63	0	146	Running
8	12	021	T Bear	-3.54	63	0	142	Running
9	15	90	K Schrader	-4.18	63	4	143	Running
10	26	7	A Kulwicki	-6.42	63	0	134	Running
11	17	22	B Allison	-6.43	63	0	130	Running
12	6	88	B Baker	-6.71	63	0	127	Running
13	38	29	C Yarborough	-6.84	63	0	124	Running
14	24	71	D Marcis	-7.42	63	0	121	Running
15	11	11	T Labonte	-8.51	63	0	118	Running
16	32	19	D Cope	-8.94	63	0	115	Running
17	1	023	Z Webster	-12.79	63	0	112	Running
18	3	061	D Hamilton	-19.78	63	20	114	Running
19	30	67	B Arrington	-21.49	63	0	106	Running
20	22	21	K Petty	-1L	62	0	103	Running
21	35	18	D Jarrett	-1L	62	0	100	Running
22	14	17	D Waltrip	-1L	62	0	97	Running
23	34	64	R Combs	-2L	61	0	94	Running
24	33	52	J Means	-44L	19	0	91	Camshaft
25	29	77	E Bierschwale	-54L	9	0	88	Retired
26	19	26	M Shepherd	-55L	8	0	85	Accident
27	31	4	R Wilson	-55L	8	0	82	Retired
28	39	33	H Gant	-55L	8	0	79	Retired
29	13	5	G Bodine	-55L	8	0	76	Accident
30	27	8	B Hillin, Jr.	-55L	8	0	73	Accident
31	25	62	S Christman	-55L	8	0	70	Retired
32	28	28	D Allison	-55L	8	0	67	Retired
33	21	1	B Bodine	-55L	8	0	64	Accident
34	18	30	M Waltrip	-55L	8	0	61	Accident
35	16	75	N Bonnett	-55L	8	0	58	Accident
36	4	9	B Elliott	-55L	8	0	55	Accident
37	37	25	T Richmond	-56L	7	0	52	Accident
38	41	50	G Sacks	-56L	7	0	49	Accident
39	40	83	L Speed	-56L	7	0	46	Retired
40	42	70	J McDuffie	-56L	7	0	43	Accident
41	36	6	D Ulrich	-62L	1	0	40	Retired
42	10	43	R Petty	-62L	1	0	37	Accident
43	20	44	S Marlin	-62L	1	0	34	Accident

Caution Flags: 8 (28 laps)

Lead Changes: 5 (4 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 81 °F, West 3 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 85%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
3	023	Passing under yellow	Held for 1 seconds
4	023	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
37	023	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line

Thursday, December 8, 2016

'87 Winston Cup 2016 Series - 35 Phoenix