“Elmwood Village Reports for March”
Submitted by Rick A. Talford
Citizen Journalist
ELMWOOD, WI- The Elmwood Village Board met on March 11, 2013 at 7 pm, in the Village Auditorium. There was no Public Input for this meeting, as no citizens attended this month. The board has been looking into a “Fall Claim” by a citizen that took a fall on snow/ice in front of the Library. The village decided to deny this claim. A letter (Notice of Disallowance) will be sent from the clerk to the citizen’s attorney. Village Attorney Robert Loberg provided this letter to be sent.
There was one Operator’s License approved for Amy Graf of the Sandbar. Trustee Mike Sand did abstain from this vote.
The next area the board discussed was regarding the Countryside Coop. They have submitted a proposal to add another bin, dryer and legs to their property on Groot Ave. There was also a “Variance Hearing” on March 12th to inform the public and the board.
They then discussed the long range plans for the village. They have began talks about giving the Public Works Dept. Employees a raise, because Trustee Brian Buck claims they are under paid, compared to other municipalities. Amy Wayne (Clerk), Jamie Reitz (PW Director) and Josh Kern (PW Assistant) are the only full-time employees left for the community. These plans also include working on the sidewalks and the sewer plant.
In Committee and Board Reports:
The Library report was provided by Trustee Trisha Knops. Circulation is up, and the librarian has been invited to meet with the village board. John Thompson from IFLS has been helping the library get a long-term plan together, as well as a mission statement.
The Nursing home committee was discussed by Knops as well. There has been a 2.4% wage increase provided, as well as a 2.58% private room increase. The home is looking at hiring a new CNA. A few minor projects are also being worked on.
Trustee Buck provided the Personnel and Finance Committee report. The Public Works Committee met in a joint meeting. They discussed the possible sale and development of property on Woodman St. Area residents Gabe Weix and Adam Carson, are wanting to build a duplex on the property. Trustee Mike Sand reported that the Public Works Committee also met with Rural Development, to develop the plans for the sewer plant updates.
There were no meetings for the Police, Parks and Buildings or Licensing Committees this month.
They approved paying the bills and adjourned the meeting at 7:50 pm.
Due to a medical issue, I was unable to attend this month’s meeting. I received the minutes from the village clerk and I also was able to see an article written online by Sari Gordon, for the Pierce County Herald. This was more information than I received. To have a more accurate account of the meeting information, I have included a few items for her article. In her article for the Pierce County Herald, She noted that Trustee Brian Buck was telling the board that they needed to get rid of all the part-time employees. They can’t afford them anymore. She quoted Buck on his statement to the board. “The first goal is to ensure the financial stability and security, and breaking the trend of robbing Peter to pay Paul, every year.” Buck went on to state that the village is “severely underpaying” the employees and they may take jobs elsewhere. It was clear that Buck was comparing Elmwood to Spring Valley is his comparisons. Gordon reported that Buck told the board members, “The full time employees could easily get six dollars an hour more in a different community.”
In School News:
The March/April Newsletter was sent out with a few bits of information I would like to provide, in case you may have missed it.
Scott Brown was hired by the School District as the new Food Service Director. He has been a General Manager for Restaurants in Minnesota. He recently had his own restaurant at the Spring Valley Golf Course. He also spent time at the Science Museum in St. Paul. Brown is married with four children. One of the newer items, that has been added for the students since Brown has come to Elmwood, is the “Healthy Salad Bar” that is available Wed. thru Fri.
The Board agreed to hire Kelsey Hannack as the long term substitute teacher for 2nd grade. They also accepted the resignation of Jason Mountin as the assistant High School Basketball Coach. They had a second resignation to approve, and that was for Christine Carlson as the English teacher. They will open a limited term position to replace her. The board also had a proposal for adding another Forensics Coach, as the class has doubled in students this year.
Below is from online PCH Article:
Sari Gordon report from PCH in regards to this meeting held in March. I would like to add this for the people to get more of the story from this month’s meeting, due to me not being at the meeting due to a medical issue.
ELMWOOD--The Elmwood Village Board continued to battle their budget woes earlier this month.
Board Member Brian Buck presented options set forth by the public works and finance committees, who met jointly to address long-range planning.
The first goal, said Buck, was to ensure financial stability and security, and breaking the trend of “robbing Peter to pay Paul every year.”
Among expenses considered for reduction or outright elimination was part-time staff. Buck indicated neighboring municipalities do not provide vacation and health insurance to their part-timers like Elmwood does. He pointed to two full-time staff whom he says “are severely underpaid,” and might consider taking other, more lucrative employment elsewhere.
Board Member Trish Knops asked if the current part-timers could be grandfathered in, so they could retire with the benefits they'd earned after many years of employment. Buck reminded the board they couldn't afford the current budget and critical full-time staff made much less than in local villages like Spring Valley.
He recommends giving critical full-time staff a two-dollar-an-hour wage increase after the annual audit. He mentioned the possibility of modifying vacation and insurance benefits once again, but other options may be considered.
“This last budget season was extremely difficult,” said Buck. “We can't afford the part-time employees anymore. Other villages have solutions and work with full-time staff only. We need to make sure our two full-time employees stay here; they can leave and find jobs that pay $6 more an hour.” Seasonal help might be a solution.
Below is the statement that I left on the PCH Article through the Area Voices Commenting:
What is BUCK thinking? The village citizens have paid higher costs every year and they take away crap from the citizens constantly. Their bad choices in the recent years have them where they are. They are trying to tell the citizens that they need to pay the employees more, who is he trying to pull the wool over. There is no reason to give such high raises to keep them. Only one has been there for many years, and they recently cut her hours. The other recently came into the village after their long time clerk was fired after they set her up. I don’t have any negative comments to state about the new clerk at all, but I sure feel that if they feel she deserves a raise, it should not be in this way. Buck is fairly new to the board as well, to be demanding such actions. The part-timers employees are only part time because of the boards already made cuts. These people have just as much right to keeping their jobs and getting raises. Maybe BUCK and the rest of the board should give all their village funds back to the village instead of taking the money they claim the village is so desperately in need of. The village president just took a raise this year too, or last year. Maybe they all need to quit taking what they say the village needs. They should be working for the village free. The hours they give to the town are because they volunteered to do this. No one forced them to put their names on the ballots. I have said this for many years. Maybe they should not worry about getting in debt over replacing a squad with a new truck they do not need as well. They are worried about appearance and not the needs of the community.
My comments may not have been directed to the right employee's as the minutes that I rec'd from the clerk made it appear it was the PW employee's and not the village office employee's that Buck was stating the raises needed to go to. I was still under the belief that Vicki (Assistant Clerk) was still a full time employee. She has the most seniority I thought in the village.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Auto Club 400
“Auto Club 400”
FONTANA, CALIFORNIA – The Sprint Cup Series ran race five of the season at the California Superspeedway. The Two-Mile Track was the site of 200 laps at speeds around 200mph steadily. Denny Hamlin (11) was able to take the Pole Position with his Toyota Camry. Teammate Matt Kenseth (20) started second. Greg Biffle (16) and Brad Keselowski (2) qualified up front, but both had changes that sent them to the rear of the field for the start of the race. The 5x champion Jimmie Johnson won his very first victory at this track in 2002. Danica Patrick gets to celebrate her Birthday on Monday. She won the award for “Most Favorite Female Athlete” through the Nickelodeon Network. This was on the “Kid’s Choice Awards” the night before the California Race. NHRA Drag Racer John Force was a spectator at the race even. There were concerns that the new cars could have engine issues, due to the lighter weight and the extremely high RPM’s the cars will maintain throughout the race.
The Opening Ceremonies began with Jeff Hamilton providing the Invocation. The group “Tenors” sang the National Anthem. The Grand Marshals for the race were Adrianne Palicki and D.J. Cotrona. The In-Race Reporter is Greg Biffle.
The completion of lap one, had Joe Gibbs Racing in the top three spots. Matt Kenseth (20), Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Busch (18) were out front from the green flag. Team Hendrick started in positions fourteenth through seventeenth. Speeds into turn one reached 207mph in the early laps.
David Stremme (30) spun out on lap 29, bringing the first caution out. The second caution came on lap 37, when Timmy Hill (32) had an engine failure. A few cars ended up with damage after going through the oil put down on the track by Hill’s engine. Mark Martin (55), Clint Boyer (15), Brad Keselowski (2), Jeff Gordon (24), Kurt Busch (78) and Kasey Kahne (5) all had right side damages as each of them tagged the wall. Leader Kyle Busch stated his car started getting much louder, after that incident as well.
Green-Flag pit stops began near lap 70. Kurt Busch was penalized for speeding on entry. Kevin Harvick (29) was caught speeding on exit of pit road. Both were forced to make another pass down pit road as the penalty.
Debris caused the third caution on lap 91. Brad Keselowski was penalized and forced to start at the back, after he was caught speeding on pit road. On lap 112, Matt Kenseth was forced to make a pit stop under green, due to contact with Greg Biffle on track. Biffle ran into the rear left tire, and Kenseth felt the tire starting to fail. Kenseth fell off the lead lap after he made the stop.
The fourth caution came out on lap 116, when Joe Nemechek (87) hit the wall. Juan Pablo Montoya (42) had troubles leaving pit road. His gear shifter broke and dropped him off the lead lap.
The fifth caution came out for Marcos Ambrose (9) on lap 130, when he had a rear left tire start going flat. The tire failure began going into turn one, and Ambrose was slowing too much for NASCAR to leave it green.
The final pit stop under green began on lap 161. Mark Martin (55) was tagged for speeding on entry to pit road during the green flag stops.
On lap 170, the sixth caution flew for Marcus Ambrose blowing out another rear left side tire. This happened right in front of the second place car, Kevin Harvick.
On lap 175, Mark Martin spun out after touching the wall. David Gilliland (38) ran into Martin as he was coming across in front of his car. Denny Hamlin was penalized for leaving his pit box without a lug nut. Hamlin fell all the way back to 26th after being in the top ten.
On lap 184, Clint Bowyer’s car filled with smoke as his engine failed. He tried getting to the bottom of the track, he caught the grass and it spun his car out. Ryan Newman (39) received a speeding penalty on the last stop.
The race came down to Denny Hamlin (11) racing Joey Lagono (22) for the win. The two of them got together with one mile left, and Kyle Busch (18) was able to go past the two sliding car to win the race. This was JGR first Victory in the series at the track.
The rest of the top ten were: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Kurt Busch (78), Carl Edwards (99), Greg Biffle (16), Joey Lagono (22), Kasey Kahne (5), Paul Menard (27) and Ryan Newman (39).
Hamlin’s car slid across the track and went nose first into the wall, extremely hard. He did put down his window net, giving the sign that he was alright. He got himself out of the car and collapsed to the ground. Medical personnel put Denny into the ambulance, to be taken to the infield care center. Of Course Busch made it out that he was the best car, even though they were well ahead of him, until the incident took them out of the victory.
After getting to pit road, Tony Stewart (14) went after and swung at Lagono for blocking him on the last re-start. Lagono did not do anything wrong, as he was racing for a victory with Busch. Stewart was spoken to by media after the incident, and he did plenty of swearing that I am sure NASCAR will provide fines over. He made plenty of nasty comments about the young driver. The race ended with plenty of action this week.
The next race will be at Martinsville on Sunday April 7, at12:30 PM EST on FOX.
FONTANA, CALIFORNIA – The Sprint Cup Series ran race five of the season at the California Superspeedway. The Two-Mile Track was the site of 200 laps at speeds around 200mph steadily. Denny Hamlin (11) was able to take the Pole Position with his Toyota Camry. Teammate Matt Kenseth (20) started second. Greg Biffle (16) and Brad Keselowski (2) qualified up front, but both had changes that sent them to the rear of the field for the start of the race. The 5x champion Jimmie Johnson won his very first victory at this track in 2002. Danica Patrick gets to celebrate her Birthday on Monday. She won the award for “Most Favorite Female Athlete” through the Nickelodeon Network. This was on the “Kid’s Choice Awards” the night before the California Race. NHRA Drag Racer John Force was a spectator at the race even. There were concerns that the new cars could have engine issues, due to the lighter weight and the extremely high RPM’s the cars will maintain throughout the race.
The Opening Ceremonies began with Jeff Hamilton providing the Invocation. The group “Tenors” sang the National Anthem. The Grand Marshals for the race were Adrianne Palicki and D.J. Cotrona. The In-Race Reporter is Greg Biffle.
The completion of lap one, had Joe Gibbs Racing in the top three spots. Matt Kenseth (20), Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Busch (18) were out front from the green flag. Team Hendrick started in positions fourteenth through seventeenth. Speeds into turn one reached 207mph in the early laps.
David Stremme (30) spun out on lap 29, bringing the first caution out. The second caution came on lap 37, when Timmy Hill (32) had an engine failure. A few cars ended up with damage after going through the oil put down on the track by Hill’s engine. Mark Martin (55), Clint Boyer (15), Brad Keselowski (2), Jeff Gordon (24), Kurt Busch (78) and Kasey Kahne (5) all had right side damages as each of them tagged the wall. Leader Kyle Busch stated his car started getting much louder, after that incident as well.
Green-Flag pit stops began near lap 70. Kurt Busch was penalized for speeding on entry. Kevin Harvick (29) was caught speeding on exit of pit road. Both were forced to make another pass down pit road as the penalty.
Debris caused the third caution on lap 91. Brad Keselowski was penalized and forced to start at the back, after he was caught speeding on pit road. On lap 112, Matt Kenseth was forced to make a pit stop under green, due to contact with Greg Biffle on track. Biffle ran into the rear left tire, and Kenseth felt the tire starting to fail. Kenseth fell off the lead lap after he made the stop.
The fourth caution came out on lap 116, when Joe Nemechek (87) hit the wall. Juan Pablo Montoya (42) had troubles leaving pit road. His gear shifter broke and dropped him off the lead lap.
The fifth caution came out for Marcos Ambrose (9) on lap 130, when he had a rear left tire start going flat. The tire failure began going into turn one, and Ambrose was slowing too much for NASCAR to leave it green.
The final pit stop under green began on lap 161. Mark Martin (55) was tagged for speeding on entry to pit road during the green flag stops.
On lap 170, the sixth caution flew for Marcus Ambrose blowing out another rear left side tire. This happened right in front of the second place car, Kevin Harvick.
On lap 175, Mark Martin spun out after touching the wall. David Gilliland (38) ran into Martin as he was coming across in front of his car. Denny Hamlin was penalized for leaving his pit box without a lug nut. Hamlin fell all the way back to 26th after being in the top ten.
On lap 184, Clint Bowyer’s car filled with smoke as his engine failed. He tried getting to the bottom of the track, he caught the grass and it spun his car out. Ryan Newman (39) received a speeding penalty on the last stop.
The race came down to Denny Hamlin (11) racing Joey Lagono (22) for the win. The two of them got together with one mile left, and Kyle Busch (18) was able to go past the two sliding car to win the race. This was JGR first Victory in the series at the track.
The rest of the top ten were: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Kurt Busch (78), Carl Edwards (99), Greg Biffle (16), Joey Lagono (22), Kasey Kahne (5), Paul Menard (27) and Ryan Newman (39).
Hamlin’s car slid across the track and went nose first into the wall, extremely hard. He did put down his window net, giving the sign that he was alright. He got himself out of the car and collapsed to the ground. Medical personnel put Denny into the ambulance, to be taken to the infield care center. Of Course Busch made it out that he was the best car, even though they were well ahead of him, until the incident took them out of the victory.
After getting to pit road, Tony Stewart (14) went after and swung at Lagono for blocking him on the last re-start. Lagono did not do anything wrong, as he was racing for a victory with Busch. Stewart was spoken to by media after the incident, and he did plenty of swearing that I am sure NASCAR will provide fines over. He made plenty of nasty comments about the young driver. The race ended with plenty of action this week.
The next race will be at Martinsville on Sunday April 7, at12:30 PM EST on FOX.
Royal Purple 300
“Royal Purple 300”
Fontana, California – The Nationwide Series ran this week’s race out in California. Kyle Busch (54) won the Pole Position and he is also the In-Race Reporter. Elliott Sadler (11) started second. “The cars are coming along well”, the drivers are stating. The Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang and Toyota Camry are all strong so far this season. Joe Gibbs Racing has won the last eight straight races at this track. The Toyota Manufacturing Headquarters are located near the Fontana Track. Gibbs Toyota’s are starting in the top three spot. The race was scheduled for 150 laps, equaling 300 miles. The race track is located approximately 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
The Opening Ceremonies began with Jeff Hamilton providing the Invocation. Cody Karey sang the “National Anthem” and Daymond John was the Grand Marshal.
Elliott Sadler was able to get the lead on lap one and led the early laps. While leading the race, Sadler had an ignition problem start. He saw a puff of smoke come from the ignition box, just as the engine stalled out. He was able to get down on the lower side of the track, as he changed to the second ignition box. He was able to get back up to speed, as he fell back to fourth.
The first caution came out on lap 33, when Regan Smith (7) had a tire failure near the exit of pit road. The caution was for debris as his tire came apart before he got back to pit lane.
On the re-start at lap 39, the cars fanned out five wide into turn one. Just a few laps went by when Paulie Harraka (79) had a fire start under the car. The second caution flew on lap 45. Harraka was able to pull the car off track, as the safety crew was able to get to the car and extinguish the fire fairly quick.
On lap 54, one of Joe Gibbs drivers began having smoke inside the car. The temperature of the car had risen to 290 degrees. Brian Vickers (20) had to take the car behind the wall for the crew to look it over. He would not return to the race.
Another caution for debris came out on lap 95. Jason White (00) spun out and tore up his splitter as he slid through the grassy infield. This was the fourth caution, and it came out with 39 laps remaining. Brad Keselowski (22) was the only car to not make a pit stop during the caution.
With 28 laps remaining, Brad Sweet (5) was tagged by Brian Scott (2). He slid sideways and kept control of the car as he slid down the track. No caution was thrown for the incident. This did drop Sweet off the lead lap.
Kyle Busch (54) was able to hold off Sam Hornish Jr. (12) for the ninth straight win for Joe Gibbs Racing at the California Track. Hornish Jr. remains the points leader after the finishing second this week.
The rest of the top ten were: Regan Smith (7), Parker Kligerman (77), Austin Dillon (3), Kyle Larson (32), Elliot Sadler (11), Brian Scott (2), Trevor Bayne (6) and Swindell (98)
The next race will be on Friday night at 8 PM EST on April 12 in Texas on ESPN.
Fontana, California – The Nationwide Series ran this week’s race out in California. Kyle Busch (54) won the Pole Position and he is also the In-Race Reporter. Elliott Sadler (11) started second. “The cars are coming along well”, the drivers are stating. The Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang and Toyota Camry are all strong so far this season. Joe Gibbs Racing has won the last eight straight races at this track. The Toyota Manufacturing Headquarters are located near the Fontana Track. Gibbs Toyota’s are starting in the top three spot. The race was scheduled for 150 laps, equaling 300 miles. The race track is located approximately 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
The Opening Ceremonies began with Jeff Hamilton providing the Invocation. Cody Karey sang the “National Anthem” and Daymond John was the Grand Marshal.
Elliott Sadler was able to get the lead on lap one and led the early laps. While leading the race, Sadler had an ignition problem start. He saw a puff of smoke come from the ignition box, just as the engine stalled out. He was able to get down on the lower side of the track, as he changed to the second ignition box. He was able to get back up to speed, as he fell back to fourth.
The first caution came out on lap 33, when Regan Smith (7) had a tire failure near the exit of pit road. The caution was for debris as his tire came apart before he got back to pit lane.
On the re-start at lap 39, the cars fanned out five wide into turn one. Just a few laps went by when Paulie Harraka (79) had a fire start under the car. The second caution flew on lap 45. Harraka was able to pull the car off track, as the safety crew was able to get to the car and extinguish the fire fairly quick.
On lap 54, one of Joe Gibbs drivers began having smoke inside the car. The temperature of the car had risen to 290 degrees. Brian Vickers (20) had to take the car behind the wall for the crew to look it over. He would not return to the race.
Another caution for debris came out on lap 95. Jason White (00) spun out and tore up his splitter as he slid through the grassy infield. This was the fourth caution, and it came out with 39 laps remaining. Brad Keselowski (22) was the only car to not make a pit stop during the caution.
With 28 laps remaining, Brad Sweet (5) was tagged by Brian Scott (2). He slid sideways and kept control of the car as he slid down the track. No caution was thrown for the incident. This did drop Sweet off the lead lap.
Kyle Busch (54) was able to hold off Sam Hornish Jr. (12) for the ninth straight win for Joe Gibbs Racing at the California Track. Hornish Jr. remains the points leader after the finishing second this week.
The rest of the top ten were: Regan Smith (7), Parker Kligerman (77), Austin Dillon (3), Kyle Larson (32), Elliot Sadler (11), Brian Scott (2), Trevor Bayne (6) and Swindell (98)
The next race will be on Friday night at 8 PM EST on April 12 in Texas on ESPN.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Bristol 500
“Food City 500”
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – The Sprint Cup Series ran their fourth race of the season at the “Fastest Half-Mile” in NASCAR. The Bristol Motor Speedway was the sight of 500 laps that would be run in under 16 seconds per lap. Kyle Busch (18) was able to set a new track record in qualifying, while taking the Pole for this race. Kasey Kahne (5) also started on the front row. Retired driver Darryl Waltrip is the holder of the most wins at this track with twelve victories. Seven of which were consecutive wins.
In the pre-race ceremonies, Mike Rife provided the “Invocation.” SPC Mary Potts sang the “National Anthem”, and the “Grand Marshal” was Butch Jones, from the Tennessee College Football Program. The In-Race Reporter was Brad Keselowski. The track conditions had the temperature at 59 degrees, with plenty of cloud cover. There was a chance of rain during the race.
On TV’s cartoon “The Cleveland Show”, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne were part in a special NASCAR episode. This was televised on FOX, after the race on St. Patrick’s Day.
On lap 9, the first caution came out for Tony Stewart (14) who had a rear left tire blow out, and it sent Stewart into the outside wall very hard. Both the front and rear of the car hit the wall with some force. A break line was also damaged during the wreck, so Stewart went behind the wall for repairs. He did return to the track on lap 24.
On lap 55, the second caution came out for Jeff Burton (31). He was spun into the wall after contact with Marcus Ambrose (9). Carl Edwards (99), Juan Pablo Montoya (42), Joe Nemechek (87) and Aric Almirola (43) were also involved. During the pit stops, Kyle Busch was caught in three segments speeding on entry, sending him to the rear of the field. Stewart was penalized for too many men over the wall. Danica Patrick (10) received the “Lucky Dog” as she was just passed, and put down one lap before the caution came out.
On lap 71, the third caution flew for Jamie McMurray (1). He was running third when he spun out. He tagged the outside wall with his front left corner of his car. Greg Biffle (16) had reported that he had a battery failing as well. Juan Montoya has struggled since being involved in the earlier incident. His car seems to sputter on the re-starts which forces his to drop down out of line.
On lap 152, the fourth caution came out when David Gilliland (38) hit the outside wall. The lap cars had become an issue for the leaders as they were being caught. They fought with the leaders and did not get out of the way.
On lap 236, Landon Cassill (33) had a front right tire failure that sent him into the outside wall. Each of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars had led the race. Only twenty three cars remained on the lead lap.
On lap 250, the sixth caution came out for Aric Almirola spinning out and hitting the turn four wall. He had just come out of the pits after having an incident all by himself just a few laps prior. They put new tires on his car and he returned to the track. The rear panel flew off the car just before he slid sideways up into the outside wall a second time. He got out of his race car after this incident. David Gilliland was also penalized for speeding on entry into pit road.
On lap 322, Dave Blaney (7) had a right front tire fail as he hit the wall. J.J. Yeley (36) also had right side damages. Jeff Gordon (24) was able to get off pit road first, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) was the “Lucky Dog”. The word of the week was “Tight”. Last week at the Las Vegas track, they claimed “Loose” all day. There were nineteen cars left on the lead lap at this point in the race.
On lap 348, Joey Lagono (22) was run into by Denny Hamlin (11) while trying to take the lead from Gordon. Lagono slipped a bit and pulled up in front of Hamlin, and in the next corner, Hamlin spun him into the wall.
On lap 390, the ninth caution came out for the leader Jeff Gordon. He had a front right tire blow out, and as he was running into the outside wall, Matt Kenseth (20) ran into the back of Gordon’s car. Both cars were pretty torn up. There were 18 cars left on the lead lap after the accident. With less than 100 laps left when the green flag flew again, the field made a variety of different pit strategies. Ten cars made two tire stops, while a majority of the leaders took four. Brad Keselowski (2), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard (27) did not stop.
On lap 454, Jimmie Johnson (48) blew a right front tire and tagged the wall. He was one of the cars that only took two tires on the last pit stop. He took left side tires and a right side tire failed. Five Chevrolets had front right tire failures.
Kasey Kahne (5) was able to hold off Kyle Busch (18) by 1.7 seconds for the victory. The last four to five laps, Denny Hamlin was bouncing off the wall in every corner. He apparently had damage to the race car, but refused to take it off the track. NASCAR warned him to keep up minimal speed or they would black flag him. He didn’t change anything, but the race concluded before they black flagged Hamlin.
The rest of the top ten were: Brad Keselowski (2), Kurt Busch (78), Clint Bowyer (15), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Ryan Newman (39), Brian Vickers (55), Paul Menard (27) and Jamie McMurray (1).
After the race ended, Joey Lagono went to speak with Denny Hamlin, who spun him out during the race. The two were teammates just a year ago. Hamlin’s crew kept Lagono from being able to get to Hamlin, who was still in his car. He did not get out until they had Lagono far away from his car. Hamlin then decided to run his mouth about Lagono not being around him enough to worry about him. Lagono responded that he now knows how Hamlin is going to race him, and he will respond accordingly. Hamlin finished twenty-third while Lagono finished seventeenth.
Brad Keselowski now holds the points lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr. by nine points. Jimmie Johnson fell back to third in points after a late crash.
The next race will be the Auto Club 400 in California on Sunday at 2:30 pm on FOX.
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – The Sprint Cup Series ran their fourth race of the season at the “Fastest Half-Mile” in NASCAR. The Bristol Motor Speedway was the sight of 500 laps that would be run in under 16 seconds per lap. Kyle Busch (18) was able to set a new track record in qualifying, while taking the Pole for this race. Kasey Kahne (5) also started on the front row. Retired driver Darryl Waltrip is the holder of the most wins at this track with twelve victories. Seven of which were consecutive wins.
In the pre-race ceremonies, Mike Rife provided the “Invocation.” SPC Mary Potts sang the “National Anthem”, and the “Grand Marshal” was Butch Jones, from the Tennessee College Football Program. The In-Race Reporter was Brad Keselowski. The track conditions had the temperature at 59 degrees, with plenty of cloud cover. There was a chance of rain during the race.
On TV’s cartoon “The Cleveland Show”, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne were part in a special NASCAR episode. This was televised on FOX, after the race on St. Patrick’s Day.
On lap 9, the first caution came out for Tony Stewart (14) who had a rear left tire blow out, and it sent Stewart into the outside wall very hard. Both the front and rear of the car hit the wall with some force. A break line was also damaged during the wreck, so Stewart went behind the wall for repairs. He did return to the track on lap 24.
On lap 55, the second caution came out for Jeff Burton (31). He was spun into the wall after contact with Marcus Ambrose (9). Carl Edwards (99), Juan Pablo Montoya (42), Joe Nemechek (87) and Aric Almirola (43) were also involved. During the pit stops, Kyle Busch was caught in three segments speeding on entry, sending him to the rear of the field. Stewart was penalized for too many men over the wall. Danica Patrick (10) received the “Lucky Dog” as she was just passed, and put down one lap before the caution came out.
On lap 71, the third caution flew for Jamie McMurray (1). He was running third when he spun out. He tagged the outside wall with his front left corner of his car. Greg Biffle (16) had reported that he had a battery failing as well. Juan Montoya has struggled since being involved in the earlier incident. His car seems to sputter on the re-starts which forces his to drop down out of line.
On lap 152, the fourth caution came out when David Gilliland (38) hit the outside wall. The lap cars had become an issue for the leaders as they were being caught. They fought with the leaders and did not get out of the way.
On lap 236, Landon Cassill (33) had a front right tire failure that sent him into the outside wall. Each of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars had led the race. Only twenty three cars remained on the lead lap.
On lap 250, the sixth caution came out for Aric Almirola spinning out and hitting the turn four wall. He had just come out of the pits after having an incident all by himself just a few laps prior. They put new tires on his car and he returned to the track. The rear panel flew off the car just before he slid sideways up into the outside wall a second time. He got out of his race car after this incident. David Gilliland was also penalized for speeding on entry into pit road.
On lap 322, Dave Blaney (7) had a right front tire fail as he hit the wall. J.J. Yeley (36) also had right side damages. Jeff Gordon (24) was able to get off pit road first, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) was the “Lucky Dog”. The word of the week was “Tight”. Last week at the Las Vegas track, they claimed “Loose” all day. There were nineteen cars left on the lead lap at this point in the race.
On lap 348, Joey Lagono (22) was run into by Denny Hamlin (11) while trying to take the lead from Gordon. Lagono slipped a bit and pulled up in front of Hamlin, and in the next corner, Hamlin spun him into the wall.
On lap 390, the ninth caution came out for the leader Jeff Gordon. He had a front right tire blow out, and as he was running into the outside wall, Matt Kenseth (20) ran into the back of Gordon’s car. Both cars were pretty torn up. There were 18 cars left on the lead lap after the accident. With less than 100 laps left when the green flag flew again, the field made a variety of different pit strategies. Ten cars made two tire stops, while a majority of the leaders took four. Brad Keselowski (2), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard (27) did not stop.
On lap 454, Jimmie Johnson (48) blew a right front tire and tagged the wall. He was one of the cars that only took two tires on the last pit stop. He took left side tires and a right side tire failed. Five Chevrolets had front right tire failures.
Kasey Kahne (5) was able to hold off Kyle Busch (18) by 1.7 seconds for the victory. The last four to five laps, Denny Hamlin was bouncing off the wall in every corner. He apparently had damage to the race car, but refused to take it off the track. NASCAR warned him to keep up minimal speed or they would black flag him. He didn’t change anything, but the race concluded before they black flagged Hamlin.
The rest of the top ten were: Brad Keselowski (2), Kurt Busch (78), Clint Bowyer (15), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Ryan Newman (39), Brian Vickers (55), Paul Menard (27) and Jamie McMurray (1).
After the race ended, Joey Lagono went to speak with Denny Hamlin, who spun him out during the race. The two were teammates just a year ago. Hamlin’s crew kept Lagono from being able to get to Hamlin, who was still in his car. He did not get out until they had Lagono far away from his car. Hamlin then decided to run his mouth about Lagono not being around him enough to worry about him. Lagono responded that he now knows how Hamlin is going to race him, and he will respond accordingly. Hamlin finished twenty-third while Lagono finished seventeenth.
Brad Keselowski now holds the points lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr. by nine points. Jimmie Johnson fell back to third in points after a late crash.
The next race will be the Auto Club 400 in California on Sunday at 2:30 pm on FOX.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
NNS at Bristol 300
Bristol Motor Speedway
“Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300”
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – The Nationwide Series ran their fourth race at the half mile bowl. Titled “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” track, this track is more like a coliseum. It is also labeled “Thunder Valley.” Justin Allgaier (31) took the Pole Position for this race, and Austin Dillon (3) started second. Jeremy Clements (51) was reinstated this week after he was suspended for racial comments. He did take a class in racial diversity before NASCAR allowed his reinstatement. This race was sponsored by Century Link. The race was scheduled for 300 laps, equaling 150 miles. Brad Keselowski (22), Kevin Harvick (33) and Kyle Busch (54) were the favorites for the win.
The pre-race ceremonies had “The Pledge of Allegiance” read then David Wilson provided the “Invocation”, Benton Blount Sang the “National Anthem”. Jeff Foxworthy was the “Grand Marshal, and Trevor Bayne (6) was the In-Race Reporter.
Allgaier was able to get off to a great start and led the early laps of the race. The first caution came out for Jamie Dick (55) spinning out around lap 27. Sam Hornish Jr. (12) clipped him coming out of the turn.
The second caution came out near lap 64, when Brad Sweet (5) spun out on track all by himself. On lap 88, Elliott Sadler (11) was “Black Flagged” for not keeping up enough speed on track. He took his car to the garage for repairs. It was believed to be an engine issue.
On lap 105, Brian Vickers (20) tagged Jamie Dick. That sent Dick’s car into the inside wall. As his car was coming to a stop, Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) crashed into him. Both cars had severe damage and were done for the day.
On lap 123, the third caution flew for Jeremy Clements. He was tagged and ran into the outside wall. His tire went down and debris began falling off the car to create the caution.
At mid-race Kyle Busch led with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick in tow. A multi-car wreck then happened near lap 160, when Brad Teague (70) tagged the back of Hal Martin (44). Martin’s car bounced off the outside and inside walls before Jeffrey Earnhardt’s Car (79) ran nose to nose with him. Austin Dillon and Reed Sorenson (43) both ended up with minor damage from the incident.
Brad Keselowski took the lead from Busch after making pit stops, and Justin Allgaier was hit with a speeding penalty on pit road. That dropped him to the back of the field. The sixth caution came out on lap 178 for debris on the track in turn four. After getting involved in the caution on lap 160, Dillon was able to get back on the lead lap with this caution. His car was running hot though, at nearly 260 degrees.
On lap 194, Regan Smith (7) got loose and ran into the side of Brad Keselowski (leader) and Kevin Harvick took the lead. One lap later Keselowski’s tire blew out, sending him to the pit road for repairs. As he fell one lap down, NASCAR threw the seventh Caution of the race on lap 196. A lap car was somewhat involved with the contact between Smith and Keselowski as they were running up on it as the leaders were trying to stay racing one another. Keselowski fell back into the twenties for position after the incident.
The two best racers at Bristol now had the top two spots on track. Between the two they have won nine times in the Nationwide Series, with Harvick winning five of those nine. Kyle Larson (32) was in third spot at this point, in only his fourth race in the series. As usual Kyle Busch forced a three-wide when lap cars were involved, forcing Harvick to let off or crash to take the lead. Harvick has lost plenty of races in this manner, being put in a bad position by lap cars at the wrong time in a race.
On lap 265, Jason White (00) had a tire failure as he ran into the outside wall. Kevin Harvick and Regan Smith were the only cars to make a pit stop in the top fifteen spot.
Kyle Larson had the win, when Kyle Busch ran into him, pinning him to the wall so Busch would cross the line first. Larson had the run for his first victory of his career, but Busch seen him coming and simply ran him into the wall. I look at this as a cheating way to take the win.
The rest of the top ten were: Brian Vickers (20), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Kevin Harvick (33), Regan Smith (7), Chris Buescher (16), Parker Kligerman (77), Justin Allgaier (31) and Brian Scott (2).
Sam Hornish Jr. has the points lead over Justin Allgaier by 22 points.
The next race is at California on Saturday at 4:30 pm on ESPN
“Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300”
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – The Nationwide Series ran their fourth race at the half mile bowl. Titled “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” track, this track is more like a coliseum. It is also labeled “Thunder Valley.” Justin Allgaier (31) took the Pole Position for this race, and Austin Dillon (3) started second. Jeremy Clements (51) was reinstated this week after he was suspended for racial comments. He did take a class in racial diversity before NASCAR allowed his reinstatement. This race was sponsored by Century Link. The race was scheduled for 300 laps, equaling 150 miles. Brad Keselowski (22), Kevin Harvick (33) and Kyle Busch (54) were the favorites for the win.
The pre-race ceremonies had “The Pledge of Allegiance” read then David Wilson provided the “Invocation”, Benton Blount Sang the “National Anthem”. Jeff Foxworthy was the “Grand Marshal, and Trevor Bayne (6) was the In-Race Reporter.
Allgaier was able to get off to a great start and led the early laps of the race. The first caution came out for Jamie Dick (55) spinning out around lap 27. Sam Hornish Jr. (12) clipped him coming out of the turn.
The second caution came out near lap 64, when Brad Sweet (5) spun out on track all by himself. On lap 88, Elliott Sadler (11) was “Black Flagged” for not keeping up enough speed on track. He took his car to the garage for repairs. It was believed to be an engine issue.
On lap 105, Brian Vickers (20) tagged Jamie Dick. That sent Dick’s car into the inside wall. As his car was coming to a stop, Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) crashed into him. Both cars had severe damage and were done for the day.
On lap 123, the third caution flew for Jeremy Clements. He was tagged and ran into the outside wall. His tire went down and debris began falling off the car to create the caution.
At mid-race Kyle Busch led with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick in tow. A multi-car wreck then happened near lap 160, when Brad Teague (70) tagged the back of Hal Martin (44). Martin’s car bounced off the outside and inside walls before Jeffrey Earnhardt’s Car (79) ran nose to nose with him. Austin Dillon and Reed Sorenson (43) both ended up with minor damage from the incident.
Brad Keselowski took the lead from Busch after making pit stops, and Justin Allgaier was hit with a speeding penalty on pit road. That dropped him to the back of the field. The sixth caution came out on lap 178 for debris on the track in turn four. After getting involved in the caution on lap 160, Dillon was able to get back on the lead lap with this caution. His car was running hot though, at nearly 260 degrees.
On lap 194, Regan Smith (7) got loose and ran into the side of Brad Keselowski (leader) and Kevin Harvick took the lead. One lap later Keselowski’s tire blew out, sending him to the pit road for repairs. As he fell one lap down, NASCAR threw the seventh Caution of the race on lap 196. A lap car was somewhat involved with the contact between Smith and Keselowski as they were running up on it as the leaders were trying to stay racing one another. Keselowski fell back into the twenties for position after the incident.
The two best racers at Bristol now had the top two spots on track. Between the two they have won nine times in the Nationwide Series, with Harvick winning five of those nine. Kyle Larson (32) was in third spot at this point, in only his fourth race in the series. As usual Kyle Busch forced a three-wide when lap cars were involved, forcing Harvick to let off or crash to take the lead. Harvick has lost plenty of races in this manner, being put in a bad position by lap cars at the wrong time in a race.
On lap 265, Jason White (00) had a tire failure as he ran into the outside wall. Kevin Harvick and Regan Smith were the only cars to make a pit stop in the top fifteen spot.
Kyle Larson had the win, when Kyle Busch ran into him, pinning him to the wall so Busch would cross the line first. Larson had the run for his first victory of his career, but Busch seen him coming and simply ran him into the wall. I look at this as a cheating way to take the win.
The rest of the top ten were: Brian Vickers (20), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Kevin Harvick (33), Regan Smith (7), Chris Buescher (16), Parker Kligerman (77), Justin Allgaier (31) and Brian Scott (2).
Sam Hornish Jr. has the points lead over Justin Allgaier by 22 points.
The next race is at California on Saturday at 4:30 pm on ESPN
Sunday, March 10, 2013
KOBALT Tools 400
“KOBALT Tools 400”
Las Vegas, Nevada – The Sprint Cup Series drove to “Sin City” for the third round of the season. Denny Hamlin (11) was fined this past week, for saying comments that were detrimental to the sport. NASCAR was not pleased when he made comments about the new car. He claimed the GEN6 was not as good as their GEN5 cars. Qualifying was rained out, so the starting spots were set by last year’s owner points. Brad Keselowski (2) got the pole and Clint Bowyer (15) started second. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) ran a special paint scheme, with the AMP orange car. The race was scheduled for 267 laps, for the 400 mile race. Temperatures were in the upper sixties at the beginning of the race, and were expected to get into the seventies before the races end.
During the “Opening Ceremonies,” The Invocation was provided by Kurt Schulke. The “National Anthem” was sung by Marie Osmond. The Grand Marshal for the race was Rick Coffee. The United States Thunderbirds performed a fly-over of the Speedway.
A few drivers found themselves with poor handling cars at the start. Clint Bowyer (15) and Greg Biffle (16) both lost multiple positions in the early laps. Speeds were fast on the Vegas Motor Speedway as they topped 202 mph into turn one. Everyone made green flag stops at/or near lap 49. During the stop J.J. Yeley (36), Joey Lagono (22) and Kyle Busch (18) were all penalized for speeding on entry to pit road. They each had to make a drive-thru on pit road a second time.
On lap 65, NASCAR threw a yellow flag for debris on the backstretch. The debris was never shown to the TV viewers. During the pit stops, Greg Biffle’s team was penalized for an uncontrolled tire on pit road. It was stated on lap 102, the track speed was averaging 160 mph. If this kept pace the rest of the race, they would break the standing record of 141 mph average.
Another round of green flag stops came near lap 118. Denny Hamlin (11) was penalized for speeding on entry to pit road. He was the second JGR car to get a speeding penalty on the first section of pit road. At the mid-point of the race, three of the four Hendrick Race cars were in the top five. Hendrick teammates Johnson and Kahne had led the majority of the race, while Earnhardt Jr. had been right there in the top six spots as well.
On lap 160, NASCAR threw another yellow flag for Marcus Ambrose (9) sliding his car past pit road entry. He did not spin out, nor did he cause anyone else to make changes. There really was no reason for the caution, other than the field had separated quite a bit. The top three cars had nearly a twelve second lead.
On the re-start Kyle Busch (18) started on row two. He ran into Kasey Kahne’s car to get him to move up the track and slow up. Busch then ran Kahne and Johnson up the track to take the lead. The over aggressive driving habits of Busch are well known, but most drivers rather move out of his way, than be wrecked by him.
On lap 195, Bobby Labonte (47) spun out near turn two. This brought out the third caution of the race. At this point Kasey Kahne has led the most laps. The average speed was still over 156 mph with only sixty plus laps left at the re-start. The race was definitely coming down to Gibbs vs Hendrick Racing for the top spots. Each team has three cars a piece in the top six.
The word of the day was “Loose.” Nearly every driver told their crew chief they had a loose condition at some point of the race. The track had warmed up and the cars really started to skate around.
On lap 223, Travis Kvapil (93) had an engine failure on track. The fifth caution flew on lap 235, when Ryan Newman’s (39) engine let go. This was his second engine failure in as many weeks. Matt Kenseth (20) held the lead with less than thirty laps in the race. He was hoping for a victory on his 41st birthday today.
Matt Kenseth (20) was able to hold off Kasey Kahne (5) for the win, on his 41st Birthday at Vegas. This was Kenneth’s third win at the track as well.
The rest of the top ten were: Brad Keselowski (2), Kyle Busch (18), Carl Edwards (99), Jimmie Johnson (48), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Martin Truex Jr. (56), Kevin Harvick (29) and Paul Menard (27). The average speed for the race ended up being 146 mph.
The next race will be at Bristol on Sunday. The Food City 500 will be run on the fastest half mile track. They will start at 12:30 PM on Fox.
Las Vegas, Nevada – The Sprint Cup Series drove to “Sin City” for the third round of the season. Denny Hamlin (11) was fined this past week, for saying comments that were detrimental to the sport. NASCAR was not pleased when he made comments about the new car. He claimed the GEN6 was not as good as their GEN5 cars. Qualifying was rained out, so the starting spots were set by last year’s owner points. Brad Keselowski (2) got the pole and Clint Bowyer (15) started second. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) ran a special paint scheme, with the AMP orange car. The race was scheduled for 267 laps, for the 400 mile race. Temperatures were in the upper sixties at the beginning of the race, and were expected to get into the seventies before the races end.
During the “Opening Ceremonies,” The Invocation was provided by Kurt Schulke. The “National Anthem” was sung by Marie Osmond. The Grand Marshal for the race was Rick Coffee. The United States Thunderbirds performed a fly-over of the Speedway.
A few drivers found themselves with poor handling cars at the start. Clint Bowyer (15) and Greg Biffle (16) both lost multiple positions in the early laps. Speeds were fast on the Vegas Motor Speedway as they topped 202 mph into turn one. Everyone made green flag stops at/or near lap 49. During the stop J.J. Yeley (36), Joey Lagono (22) and Kyle Busch (18) were all penalized for speeding on entry to pit road. They each had to make a drive-thru on pit road a second time.
On lap 65, NASCAR threw a yellow flag for debris on the backstretch. The debris was never shown to the TV viewers. During the pit stops, Greg Biffle’s team was penalized for an uncontrolled tire on pit road. It was stated on lap 102, the track speed was averaging 160 mph. If this kept pace the rest of the race, they would break the standing record of 141 mph average.
Another round of green flag stops came near lap 118. Denny Hamlin (11) was penalized for speeding on entry to pit road. He was the second JGR car to get a speeding penalty on the first section of pit road. At the mid-point of the race, three of the four Hendrick Race cars were in the top five. Hendrick teammates Johnson and Kahne had led the majority of the race, while Earnhardt Jr. had been right there in the top six spots as well.
On lap 160, NASCAR threw another yellow flag for Marcus Ambrose (9) sliding his car past pit road entry. He did not spin out, nor did he cause anyone else to make changes. There really was no reason for the caution, other than the field had separated quite a bit. The top three cars had nearly a twelve second lead.
On the re-start Kyle Busch (18) started on row two. He ran into Kasey Kahne’s car to get him to move up the track and slow up. Busch then ran Kahne and Johnson up the track to take the lead. The over aggressive driving habits of Busch are well known, but most drivers rather move out of his way, than be wrecked by him.
On lap 195, Bobby Labonte (47) spun out near turn two. This brought out the third caution of the race. At this point Kasey Kahne has led the most laps. The average speed was still over 156 mph with only sixty plus laps left at the re-start. The race was definitely coming down to Gibbs vs Hendrick Racing for the top spots. Each team has three cars a piece in the top six.
The word of the day was “Loose.” Nearly every driver told their crew chief they had a loose condition at some point of the race. The track had warmed up and the cars really started to skate around.
On lap 223, Travis Kvapil (93) had an engine failure on track. The fifth caution flew on lap 235, when Ryan Newman’s (39) engine let go. This was his second engine failure in as many weeks. Matt Kenseth (20) held the lead with less than thirty laps in the race. He was hoping for a victory on his 41st birthday today.
Matt Kenseth (20) was able to hold off Kasey Kahne (5) for the win, on his 41st Birthday at Vegas. This was Kenneth’s third win at the track as well.
The rest of the top ten were: Brad Keselowski (2), Kyle Busch (18), Carl Edwards (99), Jimmie Johnson (48), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Martin Truex Jr. (56), Kevin Harvick (29) and Paul Menard (27). The average speed for the race ended up being 146 mph.
The next race will be at Bristol on Sunday. The Food City 500 will be run on the fastest half mile track. They will start at 12:30 PM on Fox.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Sam's Town 300
“Sam’s Town 300”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA- The Nationwide Series left the deserts of Arizona and drove to the deserts of Nevada. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 mile track was the site for race number three of the season. The rain came and washed away qualifying, so they were set up by last year’s owner points. Brian Vickers (20) started on Pole, with Trevor Bayne (6) starting beside him. The race was scheduled for 300 miles, 200 laps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) raced his own car, while Ty Dillon (33) was running his grandfather’s car. A “Competition Caution” was scheduled for lap 35, due to the rain-washed track.
The Invocation was provided by Kurt Schulke. Jeff Stults sang the “National Anthem,” and The Marshall Tucker Band was the Grand Marshal’s of the race. Elliott Sadler (11) was the In-Race reporter.
On lap 3, the first caution came out for Eric McClure (14) having troubles with his transmission.
On lap 36, the “Competition Caution” flew for all the teams to get onto pit road and see what if any tire wear they had in the first thirty-five laps.
On lap 56, the third caution came out for Mike Wallace (01) and Joe Nemechek (87). Nemechek was passing Wallace when their cars got together, sending Nemechek into the outside wall.
On lap 81, Robert Richardson (23) spun out without hitting anything.
On lap 87, Kyle Larsen (32) and Trevor Bayne (6) got into each other after Bayne ran up the track into Larsen. This happened at the front of the field as the two were racing for the lead. Both cars hit the outside wall. Larsen’s car received the most damage as he hit the wall at an angle with the rear right of the car.
On lap 138, a debris caution came out. Just before they went back to green, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a tire go down. He then had to make another stop and came off pit road as they went green. This dropped him off the lead lap.
On lap 183, Scott Lagasse Jr. (8) spun out all by himself.
On the restart with thirteen laps remaining, Brian Sieg (51) tagged Joey Gase (52), who then slammed into Kyle Larsen (32). Larsen’s car ran into the outside wall with plenty of force. He then went across the track while on fire, and he slammed into the inside wall as well.
Sam Hornish Jr. (12) had the fastest car today, and he led the most with 113 led. Hornish Jr. was able to hold off the rest of the field for his second victory in the NNS. This was Roger Penske’s first win at the Las Vegas Track.
The rest of the top ten were: Kyle Busch (54), Brian Vickers (20), Trevor Bayne (6), Elliott Sadler (11), Austin Dillon (3), Regan Smith (7), Alex Bowman (99), Brian Scott (2) and Travis Pastrana (60).
Other notables, Ty Dillon (33) finished eleventh, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) finished fourteenth after having tire issues late in the race.
The next race is on Saturday at the Bristol Bowl in Tennessee. The race is at 1:30 PM on ESPN.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA- The Nationwide Series left the deserts of Arizona and drove to the deserts of Nevada. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 mile track was the site for race number three of the season. The rain came and washed away qualifying, so they were set up by last year’s owner points. Brian Vickers (20) started on Pole, with Trevor Bayne (6) starting beside him. The race was scheduled for 300 miles, 200 laps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) raced his own car, while Ty Dillon (33) was running his grandfather’s car. A “Competition Caution” was scheduled for lap 35, due to the rain-washed track.
The Invocation was provided by Kurt Schulke. Jeff Stults sang the “National Anthem,” and The Marshall Tucker Band was the Grand Marshal’s of the race. Elliott Sadler (11) was the In-Race reporter.
On lap 3, the first caution came out for Eric McClure (14) having troubles with his transmission.
On lap 36, the “Competition Caution” flew for all the teams to get onto pit road and see what if any tire wear they had in the first thirty-five laps.
On lap 56, the third caution came out for Mike Wallace (01) and Joe Nemechek (87). Nemechek was passing Wallace when their cars got together, sending Nemechek into the outside wall.
On lap 81, Robert Richardson (23) spun out without hitting anything.
On lap 87, Kyle Larsen (32) and Trevor Bayne (6) got into each other after Bayne ran up the track into Larsen. This happened at the front of the field as the two were racing for the lead. Both cars hit the outside wall. Larsen’s car received the most damage as he hit the wall at an angle with the rear right of the car.
On lap 138, a debris caution came out. Just before they went back to green, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a tire go down. He then had to make another stop and came off pit road as they went green. This dropped him off the lead lap.
On lap 183, Scott Lagasse Jr. (8) spun out all by himself.
On the restart with thirteen laps remaining, Brian Sieg (51) tagged Joey Gase (52), who then slammed into Kyle Larsen (32). Larsen’s car ran into the outside wall with plenty of force. He then went across the track while on fire, and he slammed into the inside wall as well.
Sam Hornish Jr. (12) had the fastest car today, and he led the most with 113 led. Hornish Jr. was able to hold off the rest of the field for his second victory in the NNS. This was Roger Penske’s first win at the Las Vegas Track.
The rest of the top ten were: Kyle Busch (54), Brian Vickers (20), Trevor Bayne (6), Elliott Sadler (11), Austin Dillon (3), Regan Smith (7), Alex Bowman (99), Brian Scott (2) and Travis Pastrana (60).
Other notables, Ty Dillon (33) finished eleventh, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) finished fourteenth after having tire issues late in the race.
The next race is on Saturday at the Bristol Bowl in Tennessee. The race is at 1:30 PM on ESPN.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Phoenix International Raceway
“DOLLAR GENERAL 200”
AVONDALE, ARIZONA- Phoenix International Raceway was the location of this week’s race. The Nationwide Series went to the desert and raced their second race of the season. If you watched the race last weekend at Daytona, you saw Michael Annett (43) get involved in an accident with 5 laps left, that sent him to the Halifax Hospital. It was stated later in the week that he would be out indefinitely due to a broken sternum. He required surgery and will be out at least two months, as they believe at this point. That race ended under a second bad accident at the checkered flag. There were over two dozen injuries in the grandstand area. The twelve drivers in that accident all walked away without injuries.
Jeremy Clements was also suspended indefinitely for a racial slur he made in an interview. This broke the “Code of Conduct” rules the drivers must abide by. In this race, Jimmie Johnson will be driving for Dale Jr. in the number 5 car. Sam Hornish Jr.(12) left Daytona with the points lead last week.
Joe Gibbs Racing was the best team in qualifying, as Kyle Busch (54) and Brian Vickers (20) will start on the front row for the race. Matt Kenseth (18) will start third in his car for Gibbs Racing. Kevin Harvick (33) will also be racing. Brad Keselowski (22) is another Cup driver in the field.
Opening Ceremonies began with Ken Bowers providing the Invocation. Keelra Lyn Ford sang the “National Anthem”. The Grand Marshal was Marc Dacascos. The In-race reporter was Sam Hornish Jr. (12).
On lap 3, the caution flag flew for Johanna Long (70), Alex Bowman (99), Jamie Dick (55), Travis Patrana (60) and Sam Hornish Jr. (12) all getting involved in spins. Most of the cars bounced off the outside wall, then they hit the inside wall as well. This incident started with the cars around the fifteenth spot. Hornish Jr. was also penalized for going into his pit box before pit road was open.
On lap 38, Brad Keselowski (22) tagged Dexter Stacey (92) and spun him out. Jimmie Johnson (5) bounced off the backend of Austin Dillon (3) without damage. During the pit stop, Busch overshot his pit box and was caught speeding on entry. He fell from first to twenty-third on the re-start.
On lap 50, Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) ran into the back of Joe Nemechek (87) sending him backwards into the outside wall. While trying to get his car straightened out, Piquet Jr. ran into the side of Mike Wallace (61) as well.
On lap 96, Kevin Harvick (33) had a front right tire blow out. The car shot up and into the outside wall and ended his day of racing. Harvick was running in the sixth spot when the incident happened.
On lap 108, Sam Hornish Jr. (12) spun out. He did not hit anything, but Trevor Bayne (6) slapped the wall trying to get past Hornish Jr. without hitting him.
Parker Kligerman (77) hit the wall pretty hard on lap 136, but the caution did not come out for him. He went two laps down while trying to get some repairs done. Both the front right and rear right of the car slapped the wall. There should have been a caution thrown, because debris did come off the car.
On lap 151, Kyle Larsen barely touched the wall, with the rear right corner. NASCAR threw a caution. Kligerman’s car hit hard without any caution, then Larsen barely even touched the wall and they throw one. There is no consistency when they don’t throw the caution on one, but they will on another.
One of the drivers to watch today has been the driver Kyle Larsen (32) he has driven a very good race. This is only his second race of his career in the series and he has run around Jimmie Johnson all day long.
On lap 175, Trevor Bayne (6) and Brian Vickers (20) got together with Mike Harmon (74). Vickers ended up with the most damage and he was penalized for entering pit road too soon as well.
The race was able to run to the checkered flag after that caution on lap 175. Kyle Busch finally won in his own car after a full season without a win. He had to have Joe Gibbs help to get back in victory lane.
The rest of the top ten were: Brad Keselowski (22), Justin Allgaier (31), Trevor Bayne (6), Elliott Sadler (11), Austin Dillon (3), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Matt Kenseth (18), Aric Almirola (43) and Brian Scott (2).
Jimmie Johnson (5) and Kyle Larsen (32) raced one another right to the end, finishing twelfth and thirteenth respectfully.
The next Nationwide Series race will be held at Las Vegas at 4 pm EST. on ESPN2.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA- Phoenix International Raceway was the location of this week’s race. The Nationwide Series went to the desert and raced their second race of the season. If you watched the race last weekend at Daytona, you saw Michael Annett (43) get involved in an accident with 5 laps left, that sent him to the Halifax Hospital. It was stated later in the week that he would be out indefinitely due to a broken sternum. He required surgery and will be out at least two months, as they believe at this point. That race ended under a second bad accident at the checkered flag. There were over two dozen injuries in the grandstand area. The twelve drivers in that accident all walked away without injuries.
Jeremy Clements was also suspended indefinitely for a racial slur he made in an interview. This broke the “Code of Conduct” rules the drivers must abide by. In this race, Jimmie Johnson will be driving for Dale Jr. in the number 5 car. Sam Hornish Jr.(12) left Daytona with the points lead last week.
Joe Gibbs Racing was the best team in qualifying, as Kyle Busch (54) and Brian Vickers (20) will start on the front row for the race. Matt Kenseth (18) will start third in his car for Gibbs Racing. Kevin Harvick (33) will also be racing. Brad Keselowski (22) is another Cup driver in the field.
Opening Ceremonies began with Ken Bowers providing the Invocation. Keelra Lyn Ford sang the “National Anthem”. The Grand Marshal was Marc Dacascos. The In-race reporter was Sam Hornish Jr. (12).
On lap 3, the caution flag flew for Johanna Long (70), Alex Bowman (99), Jamie Dick (55), Travis Patrana (60) and Sam Hornish Jr. (12) all getting involved in spins. Most of the cars bounced off the outside wall, then they hit the inside wall as well. This incident started with the cars around the fifteenth spot. Hornish Jr. was also penalized for going into his pit box before pit road was open.
On lap 38, Brad Keselowski (22) tagged Dexter Stacey (92) and spun him out. Jimmie Johnson (5) bounced off the backend of Austin Dillon (3) without damage. During the pit stop, Busch overshot his pit box and was caught speeding on entry. He fell from first to twenty-third on the re-start.
On lap 50, Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) ran into the back of Joe Nemechek (87) sending him backwards into the outside wall. While trying to get his car straightened out, Piquet Jr. ran into the side of Mike Wallace (61) as well.
On lap 96, Kevin Harvick (33) had a front right tire blow out. The car shot up and into the outside wall and ended his day of racing. Harvick was running in the sixth spot when the incident happened.
On lap 108, Sam Hornish Jr. (12) spun out. He did not hit anything, but Trevor Bayne (6) slapped the wall trying to get past Hornish Jr. without hitting him.
Parker Kligerman (77) hit the wall pretty hard on lap 136, but the caution did not come out for him. He went two laps down while trying to get some repairs done. Both the front right and rear right of the car slapped the wall. There should have been a caution thrown, because debris did come off the car.
On lap 151, Kyle Larsen barely touched the wall, with the rear right corner. NASCAR threw a caution. Kligerman’s car hit hard without any caution, then Larsen barely even touched the wall and they throw one. There is no consistency when they don’t throw the caution on one, but they will on another.
One of the drivers to watch today has been the driver Kyle Larsen (32) he has driven a very good race. This is only his second race of his career in the series and he has run around Jimmie Johnson all day long.
On lap 175, Trevor Bayne (6) and Brian Vickers (20) got together with Mike Harmon (74). Vickers ended up with the most damage and he was penalized for entering pit road too soon as well.
The race was able to run to the checkered flag after that caution on lap 175. Kyle Busch finally won in his own car after a full season without a win. He had to have Joe Gibbs help to get back in victory lane.
The rest of the top ten were: Brad Keselowski (22), Justin Allgaier (31), Trevor Bayne (6), Elliott Sadler (11), Austin Dillon (3), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Matt Kenseth (18), Aric Almirola (43) and Brian Scott (2).
Jimmie Johnson (5) and Kyle Larsen (32) raced one another right to the end, finishing twelfth and thirteenth respectfully.
The next Nationwide Series race will be held at Las Vegas at 4 pm EST. on ESPN2.
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