Nascar 2012 - race 23

NAPA AUTO PARTS 250


CIRCUIT GILLES-VILLENUEVE



QUEBEC, MONTREAL - The Nationwide Series went “North of the Border” this weekend for another road course race. A 74 lap race was run on the 2.7 mile race track. An average of 16 shifts are needed to get around the 14 corners. As Mary Lou sang both the Canadian and American National Anthem, two CF-18 from the Canadian Royal Air Force flew over. Robert Hattem was the Grand Marshal. Pole Sitter was # 30 Alex Tagliani, with # 12 Sam Hornish Jr. starting second. The top four starters in this race come from “Open Wheel” racing. Tagliani, Hornish Jr., Patrick and Villenueve.



After a miserable start at last weekends road course, Danica Patrick started fourth and stayed up front for a majority of the race. She even took the lead for twenty laps, before mechanical failures took her out of contention, after a shoe was thrown on the track. Patrick hit dead center of the race car, and soon after her problems began. While attempting to stay on the lead lap and in contention, it was found that a broken axle was to blame for her demise. A support bracket fell off the car just a few laps after hitting the shoe.



Many different pit strategies were ran, but in the end that didn’t make a difference. A local favorite, that was racing to give half of his winnings to a Canadian Children’s Hospital had early troubles. # 99 Patrick Carpentier had brake issues that became more of a problem then first thought. He would continue racing, but was several laps down after repairs. The first caution came out on lap 19 for # 23 Dexter Stacey. # 24 Eric McClure also stalled on track at the same time as Stacey went off track. The second caution came on lap 24 for # 41 Timmy Hill, when his engine failed and he stopped on track. Caution three was for Stacey a second time, after a tire blew and he hit the wall.



On lap 39 an idiot decided to throw a shoe over the fence and onto the racetrack just in front of the leaders. It was hit by Patrick, and her day started going downhill from there. The person that threw the shoe was not seen by the cameras in the area. This was one of Patrick’s better showings, as she led twenty laps before troubles took her out of contention. On lap 43, another caution flew for debris on the track.



Laps 54 and 55 seen two of Dale Earnhardt’s three entries go behind the wall for repairs, # 88 Cole Whitt and # 7 Danica Patrick. On lap 59 # 81 Jason Bowles spun off the track and into the sand. This brought out caution number five. Patrick would return to the track, five laps down on lap 60. On the restart, it was demolition time. While attempting to take the lead, # 30 Alex Tagliani ran over and through a few cars, starting a chain reaction. The car driven by # 59 Kyle Kelly ran into # 7 Patrick, # 01 Mike Wallace and # 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Shortly after # 54 Kyle Busch spun out # 5 Ron Fellows. Fellows car would not re-fire.



Tagliani and # 22 Jacque Villenueve would tangle. Villenueve would get to the rear, and spin out Tagliani and keep on racing to take the lead on lap 66. On lap 70 the sixth caution flew for # 01 Mike Wallace spinning out. This would be the start of two overtime attempts to complete the race. On the restart, Jeremy Clements, Alex Tagliani (spun out) and Kyle Busch would blow a tire, bringing out another caution. On the first Green-White-Checkered attempt, # 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would spin out, and# 87 Alex Kennedy would as well. # 54 Busch spun out # 24 Eric McClure in the same area, bringing the caution out again. The second GWC would be the last as # 31 Justin Allgaier would do a bump and run on Villenueve. He would then go onto victory, only leading the final lap at the checkered flag.



The rest of the top ten were: # 12 Sam Hornish Jr., # 22 Jacque Villenueve, # 2 Elliott Sadler, # 5 Ron Fellows, # 18 Michael McDowell, # 01 Mike Wallace, # 60 Bobby Johnson, # 3 Austin Dillon and # 54 Kyle Busch.



The next race is on Friday night at Bristol.





NOTE- Nelson Piquet Jr. won the Truck race at Michigan last night, making the Turner Team 2-0 for the weekend so far. They will attempt a sweep with the Michigan race on Sunday.











PURE MICHIGAN 400



BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN - The Sprint Cup Series arrived in Brooklyn to race a 200 lap race on the 2 mile speedway. The opening ceremonies had Geoff Roses provide the invocation. Jason Young sang the National Anthem, while 3 jets flew overhead. Kid Rock was the Grand Marshal. The Pole Sitter was 53 year old Mark Martin in his 55th Career Pole. He would be driving the # 55 Michael Waltrip Racing car. Martin qualified at 199.706 mph.



A quick caution flew on lap 6 for # 38 David Gilliland spinning out. Mark Martin led 54 of the first 64 laps, before he was involved in a strange crash. He ran up on # 47 Bobby Labonte getting loose after # 42 Jaun Montoya got close enough, to take the air off the rear of his car. As Labonte started sliding sideways, Martin caught up to the two very fast. While attempting to check up, # 5 Kasey Kahne tagged him, and sent Martin’s car sliding down the track on onto pit road. Martin’s car then turned sideways and smashed into a pit wall, slicing into the car just behind the drivers seat. The car was destroyed, but Mark was able to get out unhurt. His day came to an end, after having the most dominant car on the track. At one point the had a five second lead. This accident brought out the second caution of the race. After the restart on lap 74, Martin’s teammate # 15 Clint Bowyer took over the lead.



A third caution came out on lap 76 for # 78 Regan Smith, who was spun out by # 9 Marcus Ambrose. The fourth caution came out after contact between # 42 Jaun Montoya and # 20 Joey Lagono had got together, sending Lagono into the wall. Lagono then hit the wall a second time before the yellow flag was shown on lap 89. The restart was a little wild, with # 56 Martin Truex Jr. (third MWR car) taking the lead. On lap 95 # 24 Jeff Gordon started having engine issues that sent him to the garage. A broken valve spring was the cause. He would return to the race 31 laps down. # 14 Tony Stewart went down a lap on lap 61 for the same reason, in his Hendrick Engine. # 1 Jamie McMurray’s day also went bad, as he blew out a tire on lap 98. This did not bring out a caution.



After crashing his car in the last practice session, and starting 42nd, # 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. took over the lead on lap 115 with his backup car. He would lead for 25 laps on the day. The fifth caution flew for # 51 Kurt Busch, who hit the wall hard. Another caution came out on lap 143 for # 42 Jaun Montoya having a tire blow out on track. Both the last two restarts were controlled by Earnhardt, easily keeping the lead. On lap 149, # 17 Matt Kenseth had a tire issue that sent him to the pits. Shortly after, # 48 Jimmie Johnson took over the lead. While trying to keep earning points, Stewart was able to keep racing, until a black flagged sent him to the garage for the day on lap 168. He was unable to keep up a minimum speed on the speedway.



The seventh caution flew for # 21 Trevor Bayne hitting the wall, after his tire blew out. # 2 Brad Keselowski would take over the lead at the restart. With ten laps remaining, Johnson retook the lead, and looked to be headed to victory lane. This was not to be, as another Hendrick engine failed, sending Johnson to the hauler. The race would finish under the Green-White-Checkered rules.



Keselowski and # 16 Greg Biffle would restart on the front row. With a great push from # 88 Earnhardt, Biffle was able to jump out front and take it to victory lane. # 2 Brad Keselowski would finish second.



The rest of the top ten were: # 5 Kasey Kahne, # 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., # 9 Marcus Ambrose, # 99 Carl Edwards, # 15 Clint bowyer, # 39 Ryan Newman, # 27 Paul Menard and # 56 Martin Truex Jr. With the victory, Biffle becomes the new points leader over teammate Matt Kenseth by twenty points. Earnhardt Jr. is now in third place.



The next race is Saturday night at 7 PM at Bristol.