'87 Winston Cup 2016 Series - 04 Phoenix

Trading one desert course for another at the famously redone Phoenix motor complex, we took to round 4 with mixed results.

Things started off promisingly enough with three humans right at the front.  Zack is there, just invisible being that he is racing from home this week.

Even with the newly banked and flowing track design, Darrel still found it difficult to get a good, stable setup and had problems in qualifying.  Staying in the back and hoping for some attrition before halfway was his strategy.

10 solid laps and Zack's unstable chassis started biting, bringing out the first yellow.

His recover was fairly good and he probably could have kept going if Earnhardt hadn't clipped him.

This started to trigger the kind of wreck Darrel was hoping for.

While it was dramatic, it wasn't terribly effective at removing competitors.

It was about halfway through the run but everyone was in.

Although the humans seemed to be the only ones taking 4 tires.

Sandy was fighting hard through the field and having some moments.

I only had a few in front of me so it only took a few laps to make it back to the front.

It wasn't but a lap later when Zack started what would become a parade of oversteer.

Green flag and Bear was closer to the front.

And Zack was around again right in front of Darrel.  No damage done, just more frustration.

We got things started up again and managed about 3 laps before Darrel was in trouble from a faster Tim Richmond who only slightly touched his bumper.

The next green, Zack took back the caution crown while getting run over by Buddy Baker.

Everyone was in for this halfway point of 63 laps.

Although Darrel did stay out to lead a lap and get some bonus points.

Then it was right back to the spin zone.

The restart got some interesting results off of one.  Zack was oversteering and just trying to catch it as he sailed towards the inside wall.  Simultaneously, Darrel Waltrip was taking out Darrel Hamilton.  You hate to see these Darrel on Darrel crimes.

While it looked like it was going to be bad, Darrel sustained very little damage from the ordeal.

Up front, Sandy and I had moved into the 1 and 2 positions and we had clear road in front of us, setting up for an exciting finish in about a dozen or so laps.

But the dream was shattered as Sandy dove deep into one to get passed a lapper and drove right through the back of my car.

As he was straightening things out, he got sideswiped by Alan Kulwicki.

As he rebounded off the wall, I was coming by and bounced between the 021 and the 70 of JD McDuffy.

A small splurt of wrecking happened up the track.

But it was mostly just Tim Richmond getting plowed down the backstretch.

Which put him back with Sandy as he was fighting his way back for position on the restart.

While we had a small stretch of green flag laps to try and climb back up, we continued to encounter cautions.  Zack was fighting when he got spun out again.

He wasn't the only one as Darrel got caught between Richmond and Sacks.

The experience got him loose and the last yellow waved.

On the restart, things were looking grim for the humans, sitting in the back half of the field and only one lap to make up places.

Immediately, there were drivers running out of fuel...somehow.   Harry Gant and Brett Bodine held up the outside line so several of us were able to capitalize.

At the same time, Combs was doing a great job of holding back the inside line and I launched ahead.

While the rest of the humans weren't able to get quite the same break, they did make up positions, especially as the Ken Schrader's and Dave Marcus's of the world were pitting coming to the line.

A tough fight as the strong finishers in the series up to now continued to finish up at the top.  Good performances over the next races will be important to stay in the fight.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	28.580
2	023	Z Webster	28.892
3	021	T Bear	28.978
4	9	B Elliott	29.344
5	15	R Rudd	29.503
6	43	R Petty	29.507
7	27	R Wallace	29.508
8	17	D Waltrip	29.515
9	28	D Allison	29.527
10	3	D Earnhardt	29.546
11	061	D Hamilton	29.554
12	88	B Baker	29.570
13	21	K Petty	29.583
14	90	K Schrader	29.590
15	75	N Bonnett	29.591
16	55	P Parsons	29.597
17	33	H Gant	29.613
18	52	J Means	29.627
19	44	S Marlin	29.644
20	35	B Parsons	29.645
21	67	B Arrington	29.674
22	7	A Kulwicki	29.678
23	5	G Bodine	29.687
24	8	B Hillin, Jr.	29.697
25	71	D Marcis	29.699
26	22	B Allison	29.726
27	26	M Shepherd	29.735
28	4	R Wilson	29.753
29	11	T Labonte	29.773
30	77	E Bierschwale	29.776
31	30	M Waltrip	29.814
32	83	L Speed	29.815
33	18	D Jarrett	29.836
34	1	B Bodine	29.875
35	50	G Sacks	29.939
36	64	R Combs	29.944
37	70	J McDuffie	29.986
38	82	M Stahl	29.999
39	62	S Christman	30.004
40	19	D Cope	30.048
41	25	T Richmond	30.082
42	29	C Yarborough	30.141

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, South 6 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	28.751
2	021	T Bear	29.092
3	9	B Elliott	29.134
4	023	Z Webster	29.169
5	21	K Petty	29.219
6	17	D Waltrip	29.338
7	11	T Labonte	29.344
8	90	K Schrader	29.345
9	22	B Allison	29.379
10	29	C Yarborough	29.383
11	27	R Wallace	29.399
12	33	H Gant	29.404
13	43	R Petty	29.413
14	71	D Marcis	29.434
15	64	R Combs	29.442
16	75	N Bonnett	29.460
17	3	D Earnhardt	29.489
18	25	T Richmond	29.513
19	28	D Allison	29.524
20	15	R Rudd	29.533
21	50	G Sacks	29.550
22	55	P Parsons	29.556
23	88	B Baker	29.575
24	44	S Marlin	29.597
25	35	B Parsons	29.598
26	77	E Bierschwale	29.604
27	83	L Speed	29.626
28	5	G Bodine	29.639
29	70	J McDuffie	29.667
30	26	M Shepherd	29.680
31	4	R Wilson	29.695
32	7	A Kulwicki	29.702
33	8	B Hillin, Jr.	29.721
34	30	M Waltrip	29.729
35	52	J Means	29.734
36	67	B Arrington	29.738
37	061	D Hamilton	29.740
38	18	D Jarrett	29.747
39	82	M Stahl	29.864
40	62	S Christman	29.867
41	1	B Bodine	29.920
42	19	D Cope	30.045

Weather: Clear, 73 °F, Southwest 6 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	28.878
2	26	M Shepherd	29.272
3	061	D Hamilton	29.296
4	021	T Bear	29.296
5	43	R Petty	29.309
6	3	D Earnhardt	29.333
7	7	A Kulwicki	29.339
8	22	B Allison	29.383
9	023	Z Webster	29.423
10	44	S Marlin	29.428
11	21	K Petty	29.429
12	17	D Waltrip	29.459
13	55	P Parsons	29.463
14	5	G Bodine	29.464
15	75	N Bonnett	29.473
16	52	J Means	29.486
17	11	T Labonte	29.504
18	27	R Wallace	29.510
19	9	B Elliott	29.523
20	28	D Allison	29.525
21	33	H Gant	29.545
22	35	B Parsons	29.546
23	30	M Waltrip	29.560
24	90	K Schrader	29.571
25	8	B Hillin, Jr.	29.589
26	1	B Bodine	29.589
27	70	J McDuffie	29.592
28	25	T Richmond	29.601
29	50	G Sacks	29.601
30	4	R Wilson	29.607
31	15	R Rudd	29.615
32	71	D Marcis	29.625
33	29	C Yarborough	29.648
34	88	B Baker	29.672
35	18	D Jarrett	29.681
36	67	B Arrington	29.731
37	77	E Bierschwale	29.775
38	83	L Speed	29.834
39	64	R Combs	29.838
40	62	S Christman	29.842
41	19	D Cope	29.875
42	82	M Stahl	30.039

Weather: Clear, 69 °F, West 0 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	16	75	N Bonnett	66.762	63	6	180	Running
2	7	11	T Labonte	-0.29	63	0	170	Running
3	27	83	L Speed	-0.33	63	9	170	Running
4	25	35	B Parsons	-0.46	63	0	160	Running
5	36	67	B Arrington	-0.47	63	0	155	Running
6	26	77	E Bierschwale	-0.77	63	0	150	Running
7	3	9	B Elliott	-2.51	63	0	146	Running
8	39	82	M Stahl	-3.28	63	0	142	Running
9	1	013	T Nadz	-4.04	63	42*	148	Running
10	12	33	H Gant	-4.57	63	0	134	Running
11	9	22	B Allison	-4.58	63	0	130	Running
12	30	26	M Shepherd	-4.66	63	0	127	Running
13	10	29	C Yarborough	-4.68	63	0	124	Running
14	31	4	R Wilson	-4.77	63	0	121	Running
15	24	44	S Marlin	-4.86	63	0	118	Running
16	6	17	D Waltrip	-4.95	63	0	115	Running
17	38	18	D Jarrett	-4.97	63	1	117	Running
18	13	43	R Petty	-5.02	63	0	109	Running
19	20	15	R Rudd	-5.06	63	0	106	Running
20	28	5	G Bodine	-5.11	63	0	103	Running
21	11	27	R Wallace	-5.26	63	0	100	Running
22	32	7	A Kulwicki	-5.31	63	0	97	Running
23	4	023	Z Webster	-6.08	63	0	94	Running
24	5	21	K Petty	-6.89	63	4	96	Running
25	8	90	K Schrader	-7.50	63	0	88	Retired
26	14	71	D Marcis	-8.08	63	0	85	Retired
27	17	3	D Earnhardt	-8.34	63	0	82	Running
28	21	50	G Sacks	-9.86	63	0	79	Running
29	37	061	D Hamilton	-11.00	63	1	81	Running
30	2	021	T Bear	-17.82	63	0	73	Running
31	18	25	T Richmond	-23.47	63	0	70	No Fuel
32	33	8	B Hillin, Jr.	-1L	62	0	67	No Fuel
33	41	1	B Bodine	-1L	62	0	64	Running
34	40	62	S Christman	-1L	62	0	61	No Fuel
35	23	88	B Baker	-1L	62	0	58	Running
36	19	28	D Allison	-1L	62	0	55	Running
37	15	64	R Combs	-1L	62	0	52	Running
38	29	70	J McDuffie	-10L	53	0	49	Accident
39	42	19	D Cope	-51L	12	0	46	Piston
40	35	52	J Means	-54L	9	0	43	Retired
41	22	55	P Parsons	-54L	9	0	40	Accident
42	34	30	M Waltrip	-55L	8	0	37	Retired

Caution Flags: 11 (40 laps)

Lead Changes: 7 (6 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 67 °F, West 4 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 85%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
13	061	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line

'87 Winston Cup 2016 Series - 03 Las Vegas

As we roll west, things are starting to heat up in the championship points.  Vegas definitely added to the chaos with driver expectations all over the board.

Race 1:

Despite some gripes, performances were quite good in practice.  Qualifying had mixed results with humans all over the grid.

Hamilton fearing he would get wrecked badly moved out of the way and let the field by on the first lap.

After a long stretch of green laps, Sandy brought out the first caution by scraping the wall off of two.

The bounce brought him across the nose of Derrick Cope and they both drove away with minimal damage.

This forced everyone to pit about halfway through the fuel run which would position things to be fust at the wire by the end of the race if things stayed green.

Returning to green, I had a good run going when suddenly my car bottomed out for just a moment and the back end slowly came around.

Being in front of the field off of 4 was the worst place it could happen and I started catching flies.

Dave Marcus knew that he would have to hit me as hard as possible to crack an oil line and start spraying that black gold all over the track.  I was then dead.

But other fatalities were quickly adding up.

First parking lot, then junk yard in mere moments.

Nearly every human was involved.  Darrel actually had minimal damage at this point until Sandy came sliding into the fray.

Once things were cleaned up and racing resumed, Sandy had a run in with our rising star, Brett Bodine.  In this instance, Bodine was coming way off the high side for a bombing run to pit road.

Sandy was spared damage but the yellow was waved again.

Going again for a good length of laps and there was fierce racing in the back of what was left of the pack.

Suddenly, Darrel disappeared.

And quickly reappeared right in front of Sandy after they were doing a fantastic job of giving each other room.

They mangled up on the fence but didn't suffer too terribly from the incident.  Caution again.

Only a few laps later under green, Sandy got loose off of four and tried to catch it.

After hitting the outside wall, he shot straight to the inside and crushed the fence.  No yellow since he was well off the racing line, but he would be spending the rest of the race trying to repair damage without losing too many positions.

Meanwhile, Scot and Zack were going after each other and competitors alike with fervor.

Jimmy Means proved to be something of an obstacle for Scot but they all kept things rolling.

A few laps later, things were reversed and Scot made the pass.

The long green run was getting close to the final pit window and Scot was "making a pass" when he got caught on the 62 of some person.

He came out worse for wear on this one but the yellow did wave and final fuel stops for everyone.  But would it be enough?

Zack ended up missing his pit and running out of fuel under yellow.  Sandy was nice enough to give him a push back around but a lap was lost.  It still didn't stop these two from going at it under green though.

Once Scot got away from Webster, he found a new friend in Tim Richmond.

And together they made some smoke and screeching sounds.

As it came to a close, humans finished quite well under the yellow flag with Scot and Darrel (thanks to a lucky dog) grabbing top 10s.

We stay in the desert heat for next week as we travel to Phoenix in the new track configuration.

Results

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	013	T Nadz	30.446
2	021	T Bear	30.939
3	023	Z Webster	30.967
4	029	M Max	30.976
5	061	D Hamilton	30.986
6	9	B Elliott	31.185
7	3	D Earnhardt	31.199
8	5	G Bodine	31.240
9	30	M Waltrip	31.252
10	90	K Schrader	31.259
11	43	R Petty	31.262
12	26	M Shepherd	31.263
13	75	N Bonnett	31.291
14	83	L Speed	31.303
15	21	K Petty	31.313
16	22	B Allison	31.341
17	28	D Allison	31.353
18	7	A Kulwicki	31.360
19	88	B Baker	31.363
20	17	D Waltrip	31.397
21	33	H Gant	31.402
22	71	D Marcis	31.406
23	70	J McDuffie	31.415
24	44	S Marlin	31.428
25	19	D Cope	31.435
26	77	E Bierschwale	31.436
27	11	T Labonte	31.441
28	8	B Hillin, Jr.	31.485
29	1	B Bodine	31.489
30	64	R Combs	31.532
31	35	B Parsons	31.533
32	15	R Rudd	31.542
33	62	S Christman	31.565
34	27	R Wallace	31.577
35	4	R Wilson	31.594
36	67	B Arrington	31.605
37	29	C Yarborough	31.609
38	6	D Ulrich	31.618
39	55	P Parsons	31.623
40	18	D Jarrett	31.638
41	52	J Means	31.658
42	25	T Richmond	31.696
43	14	A Foyt	32.426

Weather: Clear, 62 °F, West 11 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	26	M Shepherd	30.557
2	17	D Waltrip	30.722
3	9	B Elliott	30.725
4	3	D Earnhardt	30.731
5	013	T Nadz	30.752
6	27	R Wallace	30.793
7	25	T Richmond	30.796
8	7	A Kulwicki	30.798
9	71	D Marcis	30.798
10	5	G Bodine	30.803
11	33	H Gant	30.804
12	75	N Bonnett	30.828
13	8	B Hillin, Jr.	30.839
14	43	R Petty	30.842
15	35	B Parsons	30.844
16	061	D Hamilton	30.868
17	44	S Marlin	30.879
18	11	T Labonte	30.885
19	90	K Schrader	30.923
20	22	B Allison	30.930
21	15	R Rudd	30.939
22	64	R Combs	30.977
23	29	C Yarborough	30.977
24	67	B Arrington	30.987
25	30	M Waltrip	31.040
26	28	D Allison	31.047
27	83	L Speed	31.066
28	88	B Baker	31.074
29	52	J Means	31.083
30	4	R Wilson	31.086
31	1	B Bodine	31.113
32	70	J McDuffie	31.168
33	77	E Bierschwale	31.170
34	18	D Jarrett	31.185
35	21	K Petty	31.200
36	023	Z Webster	31.203
37	14	A Foyt	31.231
38	6	D Ulrich	31.236
39	55	P Parsons	31.374
40	19	D Cope	31.445
41	62	S Christman	31.473
42	029	M Max	54.651
43	021	T Bear	--

Weather: Clear, 62 °F, Northwest 9 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	061	D Hamilton	30.850
2	013	T Nadz	30.902
3	5	G Bodine	31.110
4	021	T Bear	31.119
5	029	M Max	31.200
6	023	Z Webster	31.294
7	33	H Gant	31.338
8	88	B Baker	31.355
9	17	D Waltrip	31.356
10	90	K Schrader	31.360
11	9	B Elliott	31.361
12	8	B Hillin, Jr.	31.362
13	83	L Speed	31.368
14	28	D Allison	31.374
15	7	A Kulwicki	31.427
16	35	B Parsons	31.439
17	22	B Allison	31.440
18	52	J Means	31.450
19	3	D Earnhardt	31.463
20	55	P Parsons	31.482
21	21	K Petty	31.516
22	11	T Labonte	31.525
23	25	T Richmond	31.525
24	27	R Wallace	31.533
25	70	J McDuffie	31.534
26	75	N Bonnett	31.537
27	64	R Combs	31.541
28	71	D Marcis	31.552
29	15	R Rudd	31.561
30	18	D Jarrett	31.567
31	4	R Wilson	31.613
32	77	E Bierschwale	31.620
33	43	R Petty	31.635
34	19	D Cope	31.665
35	44	S Marlin	31.684
36	6	D Ulrich	31.692
37	26	M Shepherd	31.706
38	67	B Arrington	31.711
39	62	S Christman	31.729
40	14	A Foyt	31.733
41	30	M Waltrip	31.815
42	1	B Bodine	31.848
43	29	C Yarborough	31.951

Weather: Clear, 66 °F, Northwest 13 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	12	75	N Bonnett	114.809	54	15*	185	Running
2	3	9	B Elliott	-0.70	54	5	175	Running
3	15	35	B Parsons	-1.74	54	0	165	Running
4	8	7	A Kulwicki	-2.44	54	0	160	Running
5	1	26	M Shepherd	-2.80	54	2	160	Running
6	4	3	D Earnhardt	-3.15	54	9	155	Running
7	42	029	M Max	-3.41	54	0	146	Running
8	16	061	D Hamilton	-3.84	54	0	142	Running
9	7	25	T Richmond	-4.21	54	0	138	Running
10	18	11	T Labonte	-7.13	54	1	139	Running
11	21	15	R Rudd	-7.37	54	11	135	Running
12	11	33	H Gant	-7.61	54	0	127	Running
13	27	83	L Speed	-1L	53	0	124	Running
14	29	52	J Means	-1L	53	0	121	Running
15	36	023	Z Webster	-1L	53	0	118	Running
16	10	5	G Bodine	-3L	51	0	115	Running
17	43	021	T Bear	-5L	49	0	112	Running
18	26	28	D Allison	-11L	43	0	109	Running
19	41	62	S Christman	-13L	41	0	106	Camshaft
20	23	29	C Yarborough	-37L	17	0	103	Retired
21	38	6	D Ulrich	-37L	17	0	100	Accident
22	31	1	B Bodine	-40L	14	0	97	Accident
23	6	27	R Wallace	-41L	13	0	94	Retired
24	5	013	T Nadz	-41L	13	11	96	Header
25	17	44	S Marlin	-41L	13	0	88	Retired
26	13	8	B Hillin, Jr.	-41L	13	0	85	Accident
27	22	64	R Combs	-41L	13	0	82	Accident
28	14	43	R Petty	-41L	13	0	79	Piston
29	20	22	B Allison	-42L	12	0	76	Retired
30	30	4	R Wilson	-42L	12	0	73	Clutch
31	19	90	K Schrader	-42L	12	0	70	Accident
32	34	18	D Jarrett	-42L	12	0	67	Retired
33	24	67	B Arrington	-42L	12	0	64	Retired
34	33	77	E Bierschwale	-42L	12	0	61	Retired
35	32	70	J McDuffie	-42L	12	0	58	Retired
36	9	71	D Marcis	-42L	12	0	55	Accident
37	2	17	D Waltrip	-42L	12	0	52	Accident
38	37	14	A Foyt	-42L	12	0	49	Accident
39	35	21	K Petty	-42L	12	0	46	Accident
40	40	19	D Cope	-42L	12	0	43	Accident
41	25	30	M Waltrip	-42L	12	0	40	Accident
42	28	88	B Baker	-42L	12	0	37	Accident
43	39	55	P Parsons	-43L	11	0	34	Retired

Caution Flags: 6 (19 laps)

Lead Changes: 6 (7 drivers)

Weather: Clear, 65 °F, Northwest 14 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 92%

PENALTIES

LAP	#	INFRACTION	PENALTY
10	029	Failure to pit	Go to end of longest line
14	013	Smoking Engine	Pit for repairs
18	029	Unsafe pit exit	Go to end of longest line
19	029	Speeding in pits	Go to end of longest line
42	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
42	029	Unsafe pit entrance	Go to end of longest line
44	061	Unsafe pit exit	Go to end of longest line