Nascar 2012 - race 26

Short Track Speedway




Written by Rick A. Talford

Nascar Enthusiast



RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - The Nationwide Series ran their 24th race of the season on the three-quarter mile speedway. 250 laps would be run to complete this short track race. Only three cup drivers would be entered into this race. Kurt Busch (54), Kevin Harvick (33) and Denny Hamlin (18). There would be plenty of young drivers also in the race, with six teenagers running. Johanna Long (70) was a surprise runner during qualifying, as she set the top speed early. She started in the eighth position after everyone finished qualifying. Danica Patrick (7) started twenty-fourth, and Travis Pastrana (60) started the race in fifth. This was his best qualifying effort of his young career. In other related news, Elliott Sadler (2) will not be returning to Richard Childress Racing next season. Tony Eury Sr. was also released by Jr. Motorsports as their Competition Director. During the opening ceremonies, Pastor Joe Ellison provided the Invocation. The St. Gertrude High School Honor Ensemble sang the National Anthem. The Grand Marshal was Antwaan Randel El, and the In-Race reporter was Sam Hornish Jr. (12). The Pole sitter was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6), with Austin Dillon (3) starting beside him on the front row.



The race began with Stenhouse and Dillon swapping the lead back and forth. On lap 38, Tanner Berryhill (17) blew out a tire, then hit the wall. This brought out the first caution of the race. The second caution flew for Johanna Long (70) when she had a tire issue while running fourteenth. On lap 71, Kevin Harvick (33) would take over the lead. The third caution came out on lap 144 for Danica Patrick (7), as she attempted to move up in front of another car, she caught their front corner. She turned sideways into the wall, ending her run. She would finish the race in 29th position.



On lap 155, Sam Hornish Jr. (12) would be the reason for the fourth caution in the race. Hornish Jr. had slid up into the wall, and as he came off the wall, Timmy Hill (41) crashed into his race car. Plenty of damage was done to both cars in the incident. A “Red Flag” came out, to clean up the enormous mess. The restart on lap 162, had Harvick still running out front. He has led over one-thousand laps, and finished second (five times) since his last win in the series two years ago. Last week Harvick led the most laps, to lose the lead on the final lap. Harvick was again dominating this race, leading the most laps. The points leader Elliott Sadler (2) was not able to stay away from the many incidents himself in this race. As he was attempting to pass Stenhouse Jr., his car slipped and he ran into the wall backwards. He would fall to second in points (-19) after the wreck.



Caution number six came out on lap 198, when Brian Scott (11) hit the wall, after being tagged by Ryan Truex (99). While leading the race after the restart, Kurt Busch (54) ran up to the back end of a lap car, and spun him out. This would cost Busch the lead, as Harvick was able to get around him before the yellow flag flew. Dexter Stacey (39) would be the reason for the seventh and final caution on lap 227. The race would go back to green at lap 233, and Harvick would not be challenged again for the win. This was Harvick’s sixth victory at the track in the Nationwide Series. (most of all drivers) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would finish second. Sadler would regain the points lead by one point over Stenhouse Jr. Third place is Austin Dillon (-30). There are eight remaining races left for the season.



The rest of the top ten were: Kurt Busch (54), Denny Hamlin (18), Michael Annett (43), Austin Dillon (3), Ty Dillon (51), Joe Nemechek (87), Ryan Blaney (22) and Darrell Wallace Jr. (20).



The next race is at Chicago on Saturday, at 2 pm cst on ESPN.









AUTO PARTS 400



RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - The Cup Series would run 400 laps on the fast short track. The Pole sitter was Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), with Jeff Gordon (24) starting beside him. This was the final race before the “Chase for the Championship” was to start in Chicago next weekend. Gordon and Kyle Busch (18) are the two drivers that need good finishes for the chance to get into the chase as “Wild Card” entries. Gordon would need to beat Busch by thirteen positions in order to over-take him for the wild card spot. A handful of other drivers were also eligible to get the position, if many things fell their way. Joey Lagono (20), Paul Menard (27), Ryan Newman (39),. Marcus Ambrose (9), Carl Edwards (99) and Kasey Kahne (5) were all racing for a wild card spot. Kahne had the first wild card spot, due to two victories he had during the first twenty-five races. Edwards was tied in points last year for the championship, but received second place, as a tie breaker went to Tony Stewart (14). Edwards would fail to get into the “Chase” this year.



In other news this week, Lagono was chosen to drive the Penske (22) race car next season. His car (20) with JGR will be taken over by Matt Kenseth. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be taking over his car (17) with Roush Racing. The “Silly Season” has already started. This race would mark Ken Schrader’s (32) 750th start. He is only the tenth driver to reach this mark in Nascar.



During the pre-race ceremonies, Danny Rodriquez sang “God Bless America”. Sgt. John Peck and the US Olympians spoke the “Pledge of Allegiance”. Pastor Joe Ellison provided the Invocation, and the 29th Division Band played the “National Anthem”. The Grand Marshal was Roy Kent. The In-race reporter was Denny Hamlin.



The race started ninety minutes late, due to rain showers that would plaque the North-East all day. The beginning of the laps, were ran under a green-yellow condition to dry the outer lane of the track better. All the race cars and two pace cars would run around the track for five laps, before turning the cars loose under green. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) would receive the credits for leading these laps. As the race went green, Earnhardt allowed Jeff Gordon (24) to take the lead for two laps to get the points for leading a lap. Earnhardt would then lead all the laps, up to the “Competition Caution” on lap 46. The third caution came out for David Ragan (34). He had spun out with a flat tire, after being tagged by Travis Kvapil (83). On lap 138, A caution came out for rain, with Denny Hamlin (11) leading the race. A “Red Flag” came out, stopping all the cars on pit road. Fifty-one minutes later, the drivers would get back into their cars.



The fifth caution of the race came out for Clint Bowyer (15), when a tire was cut down by touching the exhaust pipes of Jaun Pablo Montoya’s (42) race car. Ryan Newman (39) would receive a penalty for a tire that rolled out of his pit box, during the stops that were made. Another caution came out on lap 279 for rain. Many of the lead cars would not make a pit stop, thinking that rain may end the race. The rain was quick, and all the drivers that didn’t pit, would now have to make a stop before the race went green again. This put a big handful of cars out front, that had not been there most of the race.



The race ran green the rest of the way, with Clint Bowyer (15) being able to run over 120 laps on the tank of fuel, and get the victory over a very hard charging Jeff Gordon. Gordon had successfully accomplished what he needed to do, to get into the “Chase”. By beating Kyle Busch (18) by fourteen spots, plus the point for leading a lap. Three points was the difference between Gordon getting the wild card spot, and Busch being out of the ten race championship run. Busch would finish the race in sixteenth spot, one lap down. All four Hendrick drivers are in the “Chase”.



The rest of the top ten were: Mark Martin (55), Tony Stewart (14), Matt Kenseth (17), Jeff Burton (31), Brad Keselowski (2), Ryan Newman (39), Greg Biffle (16) and Kevin Harvick (29). Kahne, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. would finish 12th - 14th.



From the scheduled start time, to the actual finish of this race, was six hours. Many of the fans stayed at the track, through all the rain delays. The race concluded after 1 AM on the East coast. As Kyle Busch entered pit road after the race, Owner Joe Gibbs met up with him, sticking his head into the car. He told Busch to “Handle this right”, but when spoke to by his racing trailer, Busch commented “There was No Right Way to Handle this !” He had the second “Wild Card” spot pretty well sewn up, but was not able to finish the race in a good enough position to keep it.



The Chase starts next week at Chicago, in the Geico 400 at Noon. The drivers will be reset, as to the number of wins they had during the first twenty-six races. The new points leader will be Denny Hamlin (11) with four wins. Jimmie Johnson (48), Tony Stewart (14) and Brad Keselowski (2) with three wins. Greg Biffle (16) and Clint Bowyer (15) with two wins. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) and Matt Kenseth (17) with one win each. Kevin Harvick (29) and Martin Truex Jr. (56) each by points got into the Chase. Kasey Kahne (5) and Jeff Gordon (24) each made it with the wild cards. Each driver will get three points for each victory to start the Chase. Both wild card spots, will receive no points for their victories.