“Toyota Owner’s 400”
Written by Rick A. Talford
NASCAR Enthusiast
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – The Cup Series ran their ninth race of the season on the ¾ mile race track. Matt Kenseth (20) won the pole position over Brian Vickers (11), who is subbing for Denny Hamlin again this weekend. The race is scheduled for 400 laps, equaling 300 miles. Kyle Busch has won the spring race at Richmond the past four years. He will be chasing number five in this race. Jimmie Johnson came into Richmond with a 37 point lead. This race was on a Saturday night, with a full moon above. Some say this can cause tempers to flare on and off the track. Being a short track, there are common bumps and bangs between the drivers.
In related news: Kenseth was docked 50 points, and Crew Chief Jason Radcliffe was fined over $200K and received a six race suspension, after their win last weekend. Owner Joe Gibbs also was docket 50 owner points and will not get any points for the next six races. This stems from the infraction of NASCAR rules. One of the eight connecting rods in Kenseth’s winning engine was 2.7 grams too light. This is approximately the weight of a penny. This upcoming week the Penske team will get to have their day in front of the Appeals Committee for the massive penalties against the 2 and 22 teams. The rear housing was taken and similar fines were levied just a week ago. Denny Hamlin may be ready to at least start next week at Talladega. Hamlin spoke in the pre-race show and said there is a slim chance that he may not be able to return this season, as there could be a need for surgery that will sideline him until next season. Everything is really day to day for him at this point.
In Pre-Race Ceremonies, Joe Ellison provided the Invocation. A Local High School Honors Ensemble sang the “National Anthem.” Carlton Walker was the Grand Marshal. The In-Race Reporter was Matt Kenseth.
The first 36 laps were led by Kenseth, before Clint Bowyer (15) caught up and passed him.
On lap 42, Josh Wise (35) spun after being tagged by Landon Cassill (33).
On lap 109, Marcus Ambrose (9) brought out the second caution when his car quit running on track. He would take his car to the garage with an engine failure.
On lap 147, the third caution came out for Michael McDowell (98) losing an engine on the track.
The fourth caution flew on lap 158, when Brad Keselowski (2) had a tire failure just before hitting the wall.
Caution number five came on lap 231, when Greg Biffle (16) spun through the infield after having a rear tire failure. By the time he got to pit road, he had both right tires flat.
On lap 291, another caution flew for a car slapping the wall twice. I missed the action and no replay was shown.
The seventh caution flew on lap 307, for Travis Kvapil (93) having an engine failure. During the caution, Kyle Busch (18), Brian Vickers (11) and Landon Cassill (33) were all penalized for not committing to the pit entry. The Busch team fought the violation and NASCAR reviewed it and allowed him to stay in his position. The rule is that you must have both tires below the marker and Busch did not have his tires below the marker, clearly in the replay. His left side tires barely clipped the edge of the marker, which was a violation.
On lap 327, Tony Stewart (14) got into the corner too hot and slid into Jimmie Johnson (48). As the two cars slid through the corner, Kyle Busch ran into Johnson. Stewart apologized right away for causing the wreck.
On lap 337, the ninth caution came out on a crash between Kasey Kahne (5), Mark Martin (55) and Brian Vickers (11). Kahne ran into the rear left corner of Martin’s car, and that started the wreck. Vickers had nowhere he could go, as he ran into the back of Martin’s car.
The tenth caution came on lap 344, when Martin Truex Jr. (56) was slid out of a top ten spot. He was trying to block Kurt Busch (78) a couple times and he tried one too many times, as Busch bumped him going into the corner.
On lap 394, Brian Vickers (11) ran into the wall. The race would end under over-time with a green-white-checkered finish.
The race was wild for the two lap shoot-out. Kevin Harvick (29) was able to go from seventh to first in one lap to win the race. Harvick was sporting a special paint scheme on his car, for the race as well. He had Bell Helicopter as his major sponsor at Richmond.
The rest of the top ten were: Clint Bowyer (15), Joey Lagono (22), Juan Pablo Montoya (42), Jeff Burton (31), Carl Edwards (99), Matt Kenseth (20), Aric Almirola (43), Kurt Busch (78) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88).
The race did end with some tempers, as Stewart ran up and into the side of Kurt Busch on the cool down lap and this continued after he got out of the car, he went to Busch’s trailer and was screaming at him. During the final laps, a few guys used their bumpers to move cars out of their way as they were attempting to get every position possible. Stewart was moved out of line by Busch, then Busch was moved out of line by Kenseth. While Busch was showing his dislike to Kenseth for being moved, Stewart ran into the side of Busch’s car and forced him up and into the wall, showing his dislike for losing numerous positions by the move, used by Busch.
Jimmie Johnson extended his points lead by five points in this race, and now leads by 42.
The Next race will be at Talladega for the Aaron’s 499, next Sunday at Noon EST on Fox.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
NNS Toyota Care 250
“ToyotaCare 250”
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – 250 laps on the ¾ mile track, were scheduled for the Nationwide Series race at Richmond. Brad Keselowski (22) beat out Kyle Busch (54) for the pole position. Kevin Harvick (33) was the In-Race Reporter. Reed Sorenson (43) is subbing for Michael Annett, as he is still sidelined with the sternum injury from early in the season. Kyle Busch will be attempting to win his fourth consecutive race of the season for Joe Gibbs. Ryan Reed (16) is racing with Diabetes. This is his very first start in the series.
The first caution came out on lap 26, for Dexter Stacey (92) dropping down oil on the track. A “Red Flag” was thrown at lap 34, to get the rear gear oil cleaned up off the rack. The red flag lasted five minutes.
On lap 101, Alex Bowman (99) tagged the wall after having a tire failure. He was running in seventeenth place when this happened.
At the mid-race point, Kevin Harvick led over Elliott Sadler (11), Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Justin Allgaier (31)
On lap 154, the third caution flew for Juan Carlos Blum (74) tagging the wall.
On lap 190, Tanner Berryhill (17) spun out, bring out the fourth caution.
On lap 200, Kevin Swindell (98) spun out. On the restart, Trevor Bayne (6) was penalized for getting out of line before the start/finish line. He had to make a pass down pit road as the penalty. He was lucky that he was able to do this under the caution.
On lap 210, Austin Dillon (3), Brian Scott (2) and Justin Allgaier (31) wrecked. It appeared that Dillon was inside of Allgaier going into the corner, and Allgaier tried to take the same path that Dillon already had.
On lap 223, Mike Wallace (01) began smoking on track, and he received a black flag. He did pull off track, but then he came back out and caused the caution.
On lap 234, Mike Wallace caused the caution to fly again.
On one of the last restarts, Keselowski and Harvick ran each other very hard to have the lead. While running one another the way they did, they both lost momentum and Kyle Busch was able to pass the two. The final restart had Keselowski and Harvick being able to get past Busch, as Keselowski was too fast for Harvick to catch. Keselowski won for the first time, in his Ford Mustang.
The rest of the top ten were: Kevin Harvick (33), Kyle Busch (54), Brian Vickers (20), Regan Smith (7), Elliott Sadler (11), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Kyle Larsen (32), Travis Patrana (60) and Reed Sorenson (43).
A couple final notes to comment upon, was Johanna Long (70) bringing home a fifteenth place finish. In his first race for Uncle Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeffrey Earnhardt (5) ran very well at Richmond. He was near the top ten in the later laps, and finished eighteenth after slipping back in the last two restarts. On the final laps, Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) and Brian Scott (2) had some dust ups on track. Piquet Jr. claimed that it stemmed from Martinsville, and he felt he did nothing wrong. His comments to the reporter were filled with cussing words. On the cool down lap, the two played bumper cars with one another and when they got to pit road, Scott got out of his car and went to talk to Piquet Jr. by his car. Piquet Jr. kicked Scott between the legs, below the belt clearly. Scott proclaimed that to be a chicken move. I believe NASCAR will have something to say about that this week.
Next weekend will be at Talladega. The race is scheduled for Saturday on ESPN.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – 250 laps on the ¾ mile track, were scheduled for the Nationwide Series race at Richmond. Brad Keselowski (22) beat out Kyle Busch (54) for the pole position. Kevin Harvick (33) was the In-Race Reporter. Reed Sorenson (43) is subbing for Michael Annett, as he is still sidelined with the sternum injury from early in the season. Kyle Busch will be attempting to win his fourth consecutive race of the season for Joe Gibbs. Ryan Reed (16) is racing with Diabetes. This is his very first start in the series.
The first caution came out on lap 26, for Dexter Stacey (92) dropping down oil on the track. A “Red Flag” was thrown at lap 34, to get the rear gear oil cleaned up off the rack. The red flag lasted five minutes.
On lap 101, Alex Bowman (99) tagged the wall after having a tire failure. He was running in seventeenth place when this happened.
At the mid-race point, Kevin Harvick led over Elliott Sadler (11), Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Justin Allgaier (31)
On lap 154, the third caution flew for Juan Carlos Blum (74) tagging the wall.
On lap 190, Tanner Berryhill (17) spun out, bring out the fourth caution.
On lap 200, Kevin Swindell (98) spun out. On the restart, Trevor Bayne (6) was penalized for getting out of line before the start/finish line. He had to make a pass down pit road as the penalty. He was lucky that he was able to do this under the caution.
On lap 210, Austin Dillon (3), Brian Scott (2) and Justin Allgaier (31) wrecked. It appeared that Dillon was inside of Allgaier going into the corner, and Allgaier tried to take the same path that Dillon already had.
On lap 223, Mike Wallace (01) began smoking on track, and he received a black flag. He did pull off track, but then he came back out and caused the caution.
On lap 234, Mike Wallace caused the caution to fly again.
On one of the last restarts, Keselowski and Harvick ran each other very hard to have the lead. While running one another the way they did, they both lost momentum and Kyle Busch was able to pass the two. The final restart had Keselowski and Harvick being able to get past Busch, as Keselowski was too fast for Harvick to catch. Keselowski won for the first time, in his Ford Mustang.
The rest of the top ten were: Kevin Harvick (33), Kyle Busch (54), Brian Vickers (20), Regan Smith (7), Elliott Sadler (11), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Kyle Larsen (32), Travis Patrana (60) and Reed Sorenson (43).
A couple final notes to comment upon, was Johanna Long (70) bringing home a fifteenth place finish. In his first race for Uncle Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeffrey Earnhardt (5) ran very well at Richmond. He was near the top ten in the later laps, and finished eighteenth after slipping back in the last two restarts. On the final laps, Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) and Brian Scott (2) had some dust ups on track. Piquet Jr. claimed that it stemmed from Martinsville, and he felt he did nothing wrong. His comments to the reporter were filled with cussing words. On the cool down lap, the two played bumper cars with one another and when they got to pit road, Scott got out of his car and went to talk to Piquet Jr. by his car. Piquet Jr. kicked Scott between the legs, below the belt clearly. Scott proclaimed that to be a chicken move. I believe NASCAR will have something to say about that this week.
Next weekend will be at Talladega. The race is scheduled for Saturday on ESPN.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
STP 400
“STP 400”
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS- The Cup race returned to KC at the Kansas Speedway. Matt Kenseth was able to take the pole position for this race, with Carl Edwards starting beside him on the front row. Kenseth also set a new record at the track with a speed of 191.864. This was Kenseth’s ninth pole in 480 races of his career. Both Jeff Gordon (Qualifying) and Kyle Busch (Practice) crashed their cars. Busch was able to take a back-up car and qualify in fifth, but Gordon had to start at the back of the field. This is the very first time that Gordon has started as the very last car in the field. During the pre-race show, NASCAR did a very nice Tribute on Pat Summerall who passed away this past week. He was 82 years old, and he was the voice of the NFL with John Madden for thirty years. He also covered numerous years of Golf and Tennis. Kansas Speedway had plenty of green in the race, as they were supporting Nascartogreen.com. The track surface was replaced last fall. There have been three races on the new surface and there have been plenty of cautions due to the high speeds. Brian Vickers ran Denny Hamlin’s car for the second weekend in a row.
In opening ceremonies, “A Moment of Silence” was held for Boston and West, Texas. Cole Cochran provided the Invocation. Tate Stevens sang the “National Anthem” and NASCAR Legend Richard Petty, was the Grand Marshal. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the In-race reporter. The KC Flight Team flew overhead of the track. OneFundBoston.Org was also displayed for donations to Boston for the losses they had on Monday.
In other NASCAR news: Brad Keselowski was penalized after he spent Tuesday getting congratulations from President Obama, for winning the Championship last year. He and teammate Joey Lagono both received penalties and loss of points for illegal parts on their cars. The rear gear housing was taken by NASCAR officials, and the teams received a variety of punishments for them. Both drivers received a 25 point reduction in their scored points, so far this season. Both crews received suspensions for this action as well. The crew chief for both drivers, also were fined $100K a piece. A handful of the team’s crew members, received 6 week suspensions that will hurt both team’s plenty. Both Roger Penske cars violated sections 12-1, 12-4J and 20-12, which control all suspension systems. Martin Truex Jr. lost 6 points, for his car being too low in a post-race inspection at Texas also. His crew chief received a $25K fine, and he was placed under probation until June 5, 2013. Ron Hornaday Jr. also received penalties this week, for an on-track incident at Rockingham last weekend. He bumped another driver (Wallace) in disgust, and he spun out into the wall. He lost 25 points and he was fined $25K. This incident happened under caution which is the reason for NASCAR responding to it. This happened in the Camping World Truck Series.
At the beginning of the race, the temperatures were at 62 degrees. There were winds from 10-25 mph that would be affecting the race all day. The race was scheduled for 267 laps.
On lap 5, Kyle Busch (18) spun out on track. This brought out the first caution. He was running third when this happened. During the final practice, Busch hit the wall in the same corner and had to go to a backup race car.
On lap 38, David Blaney (7) ran up and into the wall to being out the second caution. Just prior to this caution, Kurt Busch (78) made a green flag stop due to a rear left tire being loose since the start of the race.
On lap 74, caution came out for debris on track. Martin Truex Jr. (56) was penalized for a crew member not being across the pit box before he left it. Sam Hornish Jr. (12) had a tire violation and was also penalized.
On lap 87, the fourth caution came out for Elliott Sadler (81) spinning out, and then into the outside wall.
On lap 104, Kyle Busch spun out and as he came back across the track, and onto the apron, he and Joey Lagono (22) ran into each other. The two cars hit nose to nose and it destroyed both cars. Busch was not happy that his car was so snappy. He did not even try to wait for repairs to be attempted, as he changed into his street clothes and left the track pissy. Matt Kenseth (20) has led the first 102 laps.
At the mid-race point, Martin Truex Jr. had the lead. He finished second at this track twice last year. The fastest car on track seems to be Jimmie Johnson (48), who has been passing a lot of cars in the first half. Brad Keselowski (2) has also passed 31 cars so far in the race. On lap 146, Keselowski, Mark Martin (55), Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray (1) had to make stops after they did not stop at the last caution.
On lap 156, the green flag stops began to take place with the leaders. Kenseth reported that his oil temperature had went over 310 degrees. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) took a few laps as the leader, before making his stop for four tires.
On lap 163, Stenhouse Jr. ran his car out of fuel, as he was coming to pit road. Juan Pablo Montoya (42) had a tire failure, and had to go back into the pits a second time.
On lap 174, the sixth caution came out after Brian Vickers (11) spun out, after tagging the wall. This was the third of four JGR cars to have damages at Kansas.
On lap 180, the seventh caution flew when Marcus Ambrose (9), spun and then Sam Hornish Jr. (12) got into him. Casey Mears (13), then spun into Hornish Jr. Timmy Hill (32) was bumped by Danica Patrick (10) in the incident. David Gilliland (38) also had some damage.
Near lap 200, Marcus Ambrose was running inside of Danica Patrick and he got loose and ran into the side of Patrick’s car. Patrick’s car began to smoke pretty heavily from the rear corner panel rubbing the tire. No caution came out for the contact. Patrick had to make a green flag stop earlier in the race due to garbage on her grill. That dropped her two laps down, and she had just got one of those laps back prior to this incident. Jack Roush pledged $100 per lap his cars lead in the race, and to this point that has been 36 laps. Track temperature had risen to 88 degrees.
On lap 217, the last green flag stop begin. The caution flew for the eighth time during this round of stops, trapping Earnhardt Jr., Stenhouse Jr., Edwards, Gordon and Biffle one lap down, due to Keselowski’s rear panel flew off the car. The cars that were caught a lap down were able to stay on track, and come around to stay on the lead lap. It would be costly to all of them either way, when they were in the top ten before the caution flew. They restarted back near twentieth spot, with 44 laps left.
Matt Kenseth (20) was able to hold off Kasey Kahne (5) with just a car length or two for the win. Kenseth was able to go from pole to victory. He is the third driver in three races to run pole to victory. Kenseth also is the third driver to get his second win in the first eight races of the season. He led 163 of the 267 laps run, and he also ran the fastest lap in the race, being run at 184.59 mph. That was completed on lap 10 of the race.
The rest of the top ten were: Jimmie Johnson (48), Martin Truex Jr. (56), Clint Bowyer (15), Brad Keselowski (2), Jamie McMurray (1), Aric Almirola (43), Mark Martin (55) and Paul Menard (27).
The next race will be at Richmond next Saturday night at 7 PM on Fox.
Jimmie Johnson remains the points leader after this race.
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS- The Cup race returned to KC at the Kansas Speedway. Matt Kenseth was able to take the pole position for this race, with Carl Edwards starting beside him on the front row. Kenseth also set a new record at the track with a speed of 191.864. This was Kenseth’s ninth pole in 480 races of his career. Both Jeff Gordon (Qualifying) and Kyle Busch (Practice) crashed their cars. Busch was able to take a back-up car and qualify in fifth, but Gordon had to start at the back of the field. This is the very first time that Gordon has started as the very last car in the field. During the pre-race show, NASCAR did a very nice Tribute on Pat Summerall who passed away this past week. He was 82 years old, and he was the voice of the NFL with John Madden for thirty years. He also covered numerous years of Golf and Tennis. Kansas Speedway had plenty of green in the race, as they were supporting Nascartogreen.com. The track surface was replaced last fall. There have been three races on the new surface and there have been plenty of cautions due to the high speeds. Brian Vickers ran Denny Hamlin’s car for the second weekend in a row.
In opening ceremonies, “A Moment of Silence” was held for Boston and West, Texas. Cole Cochran provided the Invocation. Tate Stevens sang the “National Anthem” and NASCAR Legend Richard Petty, was the Grand Marshal. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the In-race reporter. The KC Flight Team flew overhead of the track. OneFundBoston.Org was also displayed for donations to Boston for the losses they had on Monday.
In other NASCAR news: Brad Keselowski was penalized after he spent Tuesday getting congratulations from President Obama, for winning the Championship last year. He and teammate Joey Lagono both received penalties and loss of points for illegal parts on their cars. The rear gear housing was taken by NASCAR officials, and the teams received a variety of punishments for them. Both drivers received a 25 point reduction in their scored points, so far this season. Both crews received suspensions for this action as well. The crew chief for both drivers, also were fined $100K a piece. A handful of the team’s crew members, received 6 week suspensions that will hurt both team’s plenty. Both Roger Penske cars violated sections 12-1, 12-4J and 20-12, which control all suspension systems. Martin Truex Jr. lost 6 points, for his car being too low in a post-race inspection at Texas also. His crew chief received a $25K fine, and he was placed under probation until June 5, 2013. Ron Hornaday Jr. also received penalties this week, for an on-track incident at Rockingham last weekend. He bumped another driver (Wallace) in disgust, and he spun out into the wall. He lost 25 points and he was fined $25K. This incident happened under caution which is the reason for NASCAR responding to it. This happened in the Camping World Truck Series.
At the beginning of the race, the temperatures were at 62 degrees. There were winds from 10-25 mph that would be affecting the race all day. The race was scheduled for 267 laps.
On lap 5, Kyle Busch (18) spun out on track. This brought out the first caution. He was running third when this happened. During the final practice, Busch hit the wall in the same corner and had to go to a backup race car.
On lap 38, David Blaney (7) ran up and into the wall to being out the second caution. Just prior to this caution, Kurt Busch (78) made a green flag stop due to a rear left tire being loose since the start of the race.
On lap 74, caution came out for debris on track. Martin Truex Jr. (56) was penalized for a crew member not being across the pit box before he left it. Sam Hornish Jr. (12) had a tire violation and was also penalized.
On lap 87, the fourth caution came out for Elliott Sadler (81) spinning out, and then into the outside wall.
On lap 104, Kyle Busch spun out and as he came back across the track, and onto the apron, he and Joey Lagono (22) ran into each other. The two cars hit nose to nose and it destroyed both cars. Busch was not happy that his car was so snappy. He did not even try to wait for repairs to be attempted, as he changed into his street clothes and left the track pissy. Matt Kenseth (20) has led the first 102 laps.
At the mid-race point, Martin Truex Jr. had the lead. He finished second at this track twice last year. The fastest car on track seems to be Jimmie Johnson (48), who has been passing a lot of cars in the first half. Brad Keselowski (2) has also passed 31 cars so far in the race. On lap 146, Keselowski, Mark Martin (55), Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray (1) had to make stops after they did not stop at the last caution.
On lap 156, the green flag stops began to take place with the leaders. Kenseth reported that his oil temperature had went over 310 degrees. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) took a few laps as the leader, before making his stop for four tires.
On lap 163, Stenhouse Jr. ran his car out of fuel, as he was coming to pit road. Juan Pablo Montoya (42) had a tire failure, and had to go back into the pits a second time.
On lap 174, the sixth caution came out after Brian Vickers (11) spun out, after tagging the wall. This was the third of four JGR cars to have damages at Kansas.
On lap 180, the seventh caution flew when Marcus Ambrose (9), spun and then Sam Hornish Jr. (12) got into him. Casey Mears (13), then spun into Hornish Jr. Timmy Hill (32) was bumped by Danica Patrick (10) in the incident. David Gilliland (38) also had some damage.
Near lap 200, Marcus Ambrose was running inside of Danica Patrick and he got loose and ran into the side of Patrick’s car. Patrick’s car began to smoke pretty heavily from the rear corner panel rubbing the tire. No caution came out for the contact. Patrick had to make a green flag stop earlier in the race due to garbage on her grill. That dropped her two laps down, and she had just got one of those laps back prior to this incident. Jack Roush pledged $100 per lap his cars lead in the race, and to this point that has been 36 laps. Track temperature had risen to 88 degrees.
On lap 217, the last green flag stop begin. The caution flew for the eighth time during this round of stops, trapping Earnhardt Jr., Stenhouse Jr., Edwards, Gordon and Biffle one lap down, due to Keselowski’s rear panel flew off the car. The cars that were caught a lap down were able to stay on track, and come around to stay on the lead lap. It would be costly to all of them either way, when they were in the top ten before the caution flew. They restarted back near twentieth spot, with 44 laps left.
Matt Kenseth (20) was able to hold off Kasey Kahne (5) with just a car length or two for the win. Kenseth was able to go from pole to victory. He is the third driver in three races to run pole to victory. Kenseth also is the third driver to get his second win in the first eight races of the season. He led 163 of the 267 laps run, and he also ran the fastest lap in the race, being run at 184.59 mph. That was completed on lap 10 of the race.
The rest of the top ten were: Jimmie Johnson (48), Martin Truex Jr. (56), Clint Bowyer (15), Brad Keselowski (2), Jamie McMurray (1), Aric Almirola (43), Mark Martin (55) and Paul Menard (27).
The next race will be at Richmond next Saturday night at 7 PM on Fox.
Jimmie Johnson remains the points leader after this race.
Monday, April 15, 2013
“Elmwood takes delivery of new truck for EPD”
“Elmwood takes delivery of new truck for EPD”
Submitted by Rick A. Talford
Citizen Journalist
ELMWOOD, WI – The Village Board met on Monday, April 8th at the Auditorium for their monthly meeting. Trustee Trisha Knops was absent this month.
Public Input was discussed first at the meeting. Sandra Weix and the Library Director Jeanne Friedell spoke to the board about the work being done at the library. Mrs. Weix spoke of the finances the library currently has in place, and she explained the restrictions they have on certain funds that are not openly available for use. The State Investment Funds that belong to the library are only usable for library material and remodeling projects. They can’t be used on salaries, repairs or maintenance. The majority of the wages are paid from received village funds. There is also an Act 150 Fund that is used, once the village funds are gone. She then added “The gifts and memorials have restrictions as well. There are funds through the friends of the library, and those are unusable unless the committee pre-approves their use.” Friedell then explained she has 20 years experience. She then explained what they have been working on the last six months at the library. “We have removed close to 6K items that were outdated. We spoke to the community, and we have added more music and DVD’s. Circulation is up a little bit and the overall usage is down.” The library has plans to make use of space, by making a storage area into their office. The office will then become usable space for library items. There was also a report that the library is used about 56 percent by Elmwood Citizens. She also reported, “Dunn County provided more funds to the library, than years prior.”
Resident Paul Peterson then spoke to the board, and asked them about allowing him to use a main street property, for a rental. There is currently an Ordinance against this use, on the lower levels of property on Main Street. Peterson does not plan on doing anything soon, but wanted to throw it out there for the board to consider. He asked them who he would need to speak to, in order to start the process. He explained his feelings that the town has nothing happening and they know nothing is going to happen. He stated “Schuler’s have been around for a hundred years, and the bars of course have stayed. Other than those there is really not anyone bringing business into the town.” The board did try to respond by saying they had a beauty parlor, and they’re thinking that a bakery may come to town as well. That has been a claim for a few years, but has not become a reality to date. He was advised to make contact with the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Peterson and Delorse Radtke currently seat that committee. He then questioned if the board had the control, due to it being an ordinance. No action was taken.
The Spring Election was then discussed. Write-in candidate Delorse Radtke became a member of the board again, after many years of not being involved. Trustee Neil Boltic ended his time on the board at the meeting, as he came up a couple votes short of staying. He was also a write-in candidate. Incumbents Brian Buck and Mike Sand both remain on the board.
There is a Spring Clean-up scheduled for April 15-19, 2013 for residents to clean up their properties. Trustee Susan Dzubay commented “I have seen too many junk vehicles in people’s yards.” If there are any questions on what items can be picked up or dropped off, you can call the Village Office at (715) 639-3792.
Resolution 2013-03: Approving and Designating a Public Depository and Authorizing Signatures was next on the agenda. This was brought up, due to the retirement of the deputy clerk. These forms will need to be updated.
Approving the Clerk/Treasurer to 100 percent was provided by Trustee Brian Buck. When Bruce Hartung was on the board, they decided to hire a new clerk at 80 percent, until she became familiar with the job. They would then decide if they wanted to put her up to 100 percent. “This was never completed,” added Buck. Village Clerk/Treasurer Amy Wayne, Chief Matt Broehm and Public Works Employees Jamie Reitz and Josh Kern are the only full-time employees with the village at this point. Butch will remain a part-time employee at 70 percent, and the board will replace the deputy clerk with a 50 percent part-time assistant for the office.
The Deputy Clerk Retirement was then approved. It was stated by President Bill Stewart “After cutting her hours back twice, the deputy clerk decided to leave her job with the village. We will move forward and hire an assistant at 50 percent.” This was voted upon, and was unanimous. After 21 years of service to the residents of Elmwood, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Vicki Lehmann has retired. While speaking to Mrs. Lehmann over the phone, she told me “I will greatly miss working with the citizens of Elmwood. I felt like it was the time for me to leave the village office and move on. My work with the residents was very fulfilling and I will miss that the most. I will spend time with my grand-children who live in the Menomonie Area.”
The Public Works Employees raise was then discussed by Trustee Brian Buck. He explained to the board members “The Personnel and Finance Committee met, and they also spoke to other members of the board, in order to consider giving a raise to the underpaid workers.” Buck claimed they were underpaid, compared to other communities. It was stated “They had been putting applications out with other municipalities.” As of April 22, 2013 the raises will go into effect. Jamie and Josh were given raises to keep them employed in the village, instead of them retaining employment elsewhere. Jamie was bumped up $2.15/Hr. and Josh received $2.71/Hr. “In the past, we have provided a one to three percent raise, at the annual reviews.” Buck added. This was voted on unanimously. Buck then explained the village received a 49K payment from Genesis, and they decided this was the time to do this. Buck said “We felt the part-time staff was getting way too much in benefits, and we needed to cut them back. President Stewart added “They could easily drive 18 miles and get $6/Hr. more in wages.” If the citizens would like to know what the employees are receiving for wages and benefits, these are all public records that are available for review upon request.
The Police Vehicle Accessories and Graphics information was provided by Trustee Buck as well. The new truck has been delivered to the village. They have selected blue and silver for the graphics on the truck. This will be done by Velocity Graphics. They did buy a full size Ford truck that has 4wd. The truck has a v-6 engine and has plenty of space versus a car. The purchase of a SUV or squad car would have been near $4,500 less, but they feel there will be less required in maintenance in the long run. They also state the truck will get better fuel mileage than the current car. They also plan on buying a lockable cover, so they can store equipment in the back. The board approved up to $800 for this purchase. The grant that they worked on getting was received, and it covered 35 percent of the purchase. The current squad will be sold after it is stripped of police equipment. It has 107K miles on it currently. They feel the truck will be ready for use as of May 6, 2013.
Resolution 2013-04 Adopting the Pierce County Hazard Mitigation Plan: This is a plan that is used in regards to the Nuclear Power Plant in Red Wing. Elmwood is the reception center for everyone involved with a nuclear incident, if it were to happen. The update was approved.
Committee and Board Reports: There were no reports to provide, other than what was already discussed previously in the meeting.
Paying the bill was approved and the meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM.
Submitted by Rick A. Talford
Citizen Journalist
ELMWOOD, WI – The Village Board met on Monday, April 8th at the Auditorium for their monthly meeting. Trustee Trisha Knops was absent this month.
Public Input was discussed first at the meeting. Sandra Weix and the Library Director Jeanne Friedell spoke to the board about the work being done at the library. Mrs. Weix spoke of the finances the library currently has in place, and she explained the restrictions they have on certain funds that are not openly available for use. The State Investment Funds that belong to the library are only usable for library material and remodeling projects. They can’t be used on salaries, repairs or maintenance. The majority of the wages are paid from received village funds. There is also an Act 150 Fund that is used, once the village funds are gone. She then added “The gifts and memorials have restrictions as well. There are funds through the friends of the library, and those are unusable unless the committee pre-approves their use.” Friedell then explained she has 20 years experience. She then explained what they have been working on the last six months at the library. “We have removed close to 6K items that were outdated. We spoke to the community, and we have added more music and DVD’s. Circulation is up a little bit and the overall usage is down.” The library has plans to make use of space, by making a storage area into their office. The office will then become usable space for library items. There was also a report that the library is used about 56 percent by Elmwood Citizens. She also reported, “Dunn County provided more funds to the library, than years prior.”
Resident Paul Peterson then spoke to the board, and asked them about allowing him to use a main street property, for a rental. There is currently an Ordinance against this use, on the lower levels of property on Main Street. Peterson does not plan on doing anything soon, but wanted to throw it out there for the board to consider. He asked them who he would need to speak to, in order to start the process. He explained his feelings that the town has nothing happening and they know nothing is going to happen. He stated “Schuler’s have been around for a hundred years, and the bars of course have stayed. Other than those there is really not anyone bringing business into the town.” The board did try to respond by saying they had a beauty parlor, and they’re thinking that a bakery may come to town as well. That has been a claim for a few years, but has not become a reality to date. He was advised to make contact with the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Peterson and Delorse Radtke currently seat that committee. He then questioned if the board had the control, due to it being an ordinance. No action was taken.
The Spring Election was then discussed. Write-in candidate Delorse Radtke became a member of the board again, after many years of not being involved. Trustee Neil Boltic ended his time on the board at the meeting, as he came up a couple votes short of staying. He was also a write-in candidate. Incumbents Brian Buck and Mike Sand both remain on the board.
There is a Spring Clean-up scheduled for April 15-19, 2013 for residents to clean up their properties. Trustee Susan Dzubay commented “I have seen too many junk vehicles in people’s yards.” If there are any questions on what items can be picked up or dropped off, you can call the Village Office at (715) 639-3792.
Resolution 2013-03: Approving and Designating a Public Depository and Authorizing Signatures was next on the agenda. This was brought up, due to the retirement of the deputy clerk. These forms will need to be updated.
Approving the Clerk/Treasurer to 100 percent was provided by Trustee Brian Buck. When Bruce Hartung was on the board, they decided to hire a new clerk at 80 percent, until she became familiar with the job. They would then decide if they wanted to put her up to 100 percent. “This was never completed,” added Buck. Village Clerk/Treasurer Amy Wayne, Chief Matt Broehm and Public Works Employees Jamie Reitz and Josh Kern are the only full-time employees with the village at this point. Butch will remain a part-time employee at 70 percent, and the board will replace the deputy clerk with a 50 percent part-time assistant for the office.
The Deputy Clerk Retirement was then approved. It was stated by President Bill Stewart “After cutting her hours back twice, the deputy clerk decided to leave her job with the village. We will move forward and hire an assistant at 50 percent.” This was voted upon, and was unanimous. After 21 years of service to the residents of Elmwood, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Vicki Lehmann has retired. While speaking to Mrs. Lehmann over the phone, she told me “I will greatly miss working with the citizens of Elmwood. I felt like it was the time for me to leave the village office and move on. My work with the residents was very fulfilling and I will miss that the most. I will spend time with my grand-children who live in the Menomonie Area.”
The Public Works Employees raise was then discussed by Trustee Brian Buck. He explained to the board members “The Personnel and Finance Committee met, and they also spoke to other members of the board, in order to consider giving a raise to the underpaid workers.” Buck claimed they were underpaid, compared to other communities. It was stated “They had been putting applications out with other municipalities.” As of April 22, 2013 the raises will go into effect. Jamie and Josh were given raises to keep them employed in the village, instead of them retaining employment elsewhere. Jamie was bumped up $2.15/Hr. and Josh received $2.71/Hr. “In the past, we have provided a one to three percent raise, at the annual reviews.” Buck added. This was voted on unanimously. Buck then explained the village received a 49K payment from Genesis, and they decided this was the time to do this. Buck said “We felt the part-time staff was getting way too much in benefits, and we needed to cut them back. President Stewart added “They could easily drive 18 miles and get $6/Hr. more in wages.” If the citizens would like to know what the employees are receiving for wages and benefits, these are all public records that are available for review upon request.
The Police Vehicle Accessories and Graphics information was provided by Trustee Buck as well. The new truck has been delivered to the village. They have selected blue and silver for the graphics on the truck. This will be done by Velocity Graphics. They did buy a full size Ford truck that has 4wd. The truck has a v-6 engine and has plenty of space versus a car. The purchase of a SUV or squad car would have been near $4,500 less, but they feel there will be less required in maintenance in the long run. They also state the truck will get better fuel mileage than the current car. They also plan on buying a lockable cover, so they can store equipment in the back. The board approved up to $800 for this purchase. The grant that they worked on getting was received, and it covered 35 percent of the purchase. The current squad will be sold after it is stripped of police equipment. It has 107K miles on it currently. They feel the truck will be ready for use as of May 6, 2013.
Resolution 2013-04 Adopting the Pierce County Hazard Mitigation Plan: This is a plan that is used in regards to the Nuclear Power Plant in Red Wing. Elmwood is the reception center for everyone involved with a nuclear incident, if it were to happen. The update was approved.
Committee and Board Reports: There were no reports to provide, other than what was already discussed previously in the meeting.
Paying the bill was approved and the meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM.
Texas Sweep
“O’Reilly Auto Parts 300”
FORT WORTH, TEXAS- The Nationwide Series ran their sixth race of the year at TMS. Alex Bowman won the first pole of his career. He is 19 years old. Kyle Busch started second. There are many Cup drivers in this race. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Regan Smith. There were 200 laps scheduled for the 300 mile race.
During the Opening Ceremonies, Jay Atwood Provided the Invocation, Charla Corn sang the National Anthem. Travis Pastrana is the In-Race Reporter. This will be his first race at the Texas track in a Patriotic schemed car.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his very first Nationwide race at Texas in 1998, and he won his very first Sprint Cup race at Texas in 2000. He is the only driver to win his first race in each series at the same track. The Pole Sitter started the race feeling ill.
The first caution came out on lap 25, for Robert Richardson (23) who spun out.
The second caution came out on lap 43, when Kyle Larsen (32) spun out coming to the start/finish line. This is also Larsen’s first time at the track. Before Larsen was able to get all the way around the track, Larsen blew out left side tires and almost hit a track truck on the backstretch. Larsen ran into the wall, to keep from hitting the truck filled with NASCAR safety workers.
The third caution came out for debris on the track. This caution came on lap 66.
The fourth caution came out on lap 99, for debris a second time.
On lap 120, Robert Richardson brought out the caution. Richardson spun through the grass as he lost it coming out of turn four. Matt Kenseth (18) was caught speeding on exit of pit lane. Travis Patrana (50) had a rear gear go bad, so he went to the garage for repairs.
Dexter Stacey (92) spun out. Richardson spun out a third time trying to stay from hitting Stacey. This happened on lap 135.
On lap 140, Jeremy Clements (51) and Sam Hornish Jr. (12) went sailing off track across the grass. It appeared that Clements may have moved up where Hornish Jr. was trying to go past him.
Caution came out for debris with 33 laps left. Pastrana returned to the track fourteen laps down.
There have been eleven leaders with twenty-two lead changes. That is a track record in both areas.
Kyle Busch (54) was able to hold off Brad Keselowski (22) for another win for JGR.
The rest of the top ten are: Austin Dillon (3), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Kevin Harvick (33), Matt Kenseth (18), Regan Smith (7), Kasey Kahne (5), Brian Vickers (20) and Justin Allgaier (31).
The next race will be in two weeks on Friday Night, in Richmond at 7PM on ESPN
.
“NRA 500”
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The Sprint Cup series went to the 1.5 mile Speedway to run the seventh race of the season. There have been plenty of obstacles in running this race, due to all the gun debate that currently grips the country. Senator Chris Murphy D-Conn.has spoken out against the race using the sponsor, as well he has been trying to get FOX to not televise the race. FOX denied this request and the track president told the media this race has nothing to do with the gun debate or the events that happened in Newtown, Conn. NASCAR has been a supporter for them in the past, and now they are attacking the sport for something that has been a tradition for many years. One of this issues that is getting attention is the fact that the winner of the race, gets a cowboy hat and two revolvers filled with blanks that are shot into the air, by the winner in the celebration of the victory. Those who are against this race and sponsorship are claiming that it is way too soon since the horrific event that happened at that school. What they are ignoring, is the fact that NASCAR has done this for many years and they do not have control over the illegal use of weapons. There is and will never be an ability to stop bad people from getting a hold of weapons and creating havoc for the rest of society. This has been an issue, since the creation of the gun. The Texas Motor Speedway CEO and President Eddie Gossage reported that this weekend is all about fun, and they plan on it staying that way. Wayne Lapierre also spoke and said they would not change anything that has already been completed through contractual agreements. There are no political views being dealt with in NASCAR.
The Pole Position was won by Kyle Busch and starting beside him, his brother Kurt Busch. It was noted during the pre-race on FOX that Kevin Harvick will be driving for Tony Stewart next year. He will be leaving RCR at the conclusion of this season. There a few things to report at the start of the race. The Penske cars both had issues with the rear tow being outside of the specs, so both had to change the rear housings. Lagono barely made it to the track in time for the start due to going through the inspection, as the command to start engines came as he was still in the inspection process. Bobby Labonte also started the race in the car with the flu. Kevin Harvick went to the rear of the field for changing an engine twice prior to the race. Joey Lagono had to go to the rear because he was not on pit road as required. Brian Vickers will driving Denny Hamlin’s car for the remainder of his time being out from injury to his back. This weekend’s race will be Carl Edwards 300th start in the Cup Series.
In opening ceremonies, DR. Roger Marsh provided the Invocation. Sara Evans sang the National Anthem, and NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone was the Grand Marshal. The race is scheduled for 334 laps, for the 500 mile race. Jack Roush was inducted into the Texas Motorsport Hall of Fame on Thursday.
The first caution that came out was on lap 38 for debris. Josh Wise (35) got the “Lucky Dog”
On the restart on lap 43, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) shot across the track into the side of Austin Dillon (51) sending both into the wall. It appeared that a tire issue may have been the reason Stenhouse shot across the track. JJ Yeley (36) received the “Lucky Dog” At this point, Kevin Harvick (29) has been able to get up to the top twelve from the back of the field at the start of the race.
On lap 81, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has a lot of smoke coming from it, so the caution was thrown and it was only a tire rub. Josh Wise received the “Lucky Dog” again. Stenhouse had just returned to the track after being in the garage after having an early spin. As Matt Kenseth (20) left his stall, he started a fire in the pit box.
Green Flag stops began near lap 130. Tony Stewart (14) slid sideways in his pit box, costing him plenty of time.
The fourth caution came out on lap 150 for debris again. Joey Lagono (20) received the “Lucky Dog”
The fifth caution came out for hitting the wall on lap 232.
On Lap 281, Marcus Ambrose (9) and Jeff Burton (31) spun out.
There was a late caution with only 31 laps remaining that took a four second lead away from Martin Truex Jr. This is not the first time that Truex lost a race after having a significant lead prior to a “Phantom” Debris caution.
Kyle Busch (18) was able to get out front and win his first Texas race in his career. He also won the Friday Night race to sweep the weekend. Kyle won his 26th race in his 300th start. He has now won in all three series of NASCAR. Busch led 171 laps of the 334 run. Truex Jr. led 142 of the remaining laps.
The rest of the top ten were: Martin Truex Jr. (56), Carl Edwards (99), Greg Biffle (16), Joey Lagono (22), Jimmie Johnson (48), (43), Brian Vickers (11), Brad Keselowski (2) and Ryan Newman(39).
Jimmie Johnson remains the points lead after this race over Brad Keselowski.
The next race will be at Kansas Motor Speedway on Sunday for the STP 400. The race is scheduled to start at 12:30 PM EST on FOX.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS- The Nationwide Series ran their sixth race of the year at TMS. Alex Bowman won the first pole of his career. He is 19 years old. Kyle Busch started second. There are many Cup drivers in this race. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Regan Smith. There were 200 laps scheduled for the 300 mile race.
During the Opening Ceremonies, Jay Atwood Provided the Invocation, Charla Corn sang the National Anthem. Travis Pastrana is the In-Race Reporter. This will be his first race at the Texas track in a Patriotic schemed car.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his very first Nationwide race at Texas in 1998, and he won his very first Sprint Cup race at Texas in 2000. He is the only driver to win his first race in each series at the same track. The Pole Sitter started the race feeling ill.
The first caution came out on lap 25, for Robert Richardson (23) who spun out.
The second caution came out on lap 43, when Kyle Larsen (32) spun out coming to the start/finish line. This is also Larsen’s first time at the track. Before Larsen was able to get all the way around the track, Larsen blew out left side tires and almost hit a track truck on the backstretch. Larsen ran into the wall, to keep from hitting the truck filled with NASCAR safety workers.
The third caution came out for debris on the track. This caution came on lap 66.
The fourth caution came out on lap 99, for debris a second time.
On lap 120, Robert Richardson brought out the caution. Richardson spun through the grass as he lost it coming out of turn four. Matt Kenseth (18) was caught speeding on exit of pit lane. Travis Patrana (50) had a rear gear go bad, so he went to the garage for repairs.
Dexter Stacey (92) spun out. Richardson spun out a third time trying to stay from hitting Stacey. This happened on lap 135.
On lap 140, Jeremy Clements (51) and Sam Hornish Jr. (12) went sailing off track across the grass. It appeared that Clements may have moved up where Hornish Jr. was trying to go past him.
Caution came out for debris with 33 laps left. Pastrana returned to the track fourteen laps down.
There have been eleven leaders with twenty-two lead changes. That is a track record in both areas.
Kyle Busch (54) was able to hold off Brad Keselowski (22) for another win for JGR.
The rest of the top ten are: Austin Dillon (3), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Kevin Harvick (33), Matt Kenseth (18), Regan Smith (7), Kasey Kahne (5), Brian Vickers (20) and Justin Allgaier (31).
The next race will be in two weeks on Friday Night, in Richmond at 7PM on ESPN
.
“NRA 500”
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The Sprint Cup series went to the 1.5 mile Speedway to run the seventh race of the season. There have been plenty of obstacles in running this race, due to all the gun debate that currently grips the country. Senator Chris Murphy D-Conn.has spoken out against the race using the sponsor, as well he has been trying to get FOX to not televise the race. FOX denied this request and the track president told the media this race has nothing to do with the gun debate or the events that happened in Newtown, Conn. NASCAR has been a supporter for them in the past, and now they are attacking the sport for something that has been a tradition for many years. One of this issues that is getting attention is the fact that the winner of the race, gets a cowboy hat and two revolvers filled with blanks that are shot into the air, by the winner in the celebration of the victory. Those who are against this race and sponsorship are claiming that it is way too soon since the horrific event that happened at that school. What they are ignoring, is the fact that NASCAR has done this for many years and they do not have control over the illegal use of weapons. There is and will never be an ability to stop bad people from getting a hold of weapons and creating havoc for the rest of society. This has been an issue, since the creation of the gun. The Texas Motor Speedway CEO and President Eddie Gossage reported that this weekend is all about fun, and they plan on it staying that way. Wayne Lapierre also spoke and said they would not change anything that has already been completed through contractual agreements. There are no political views being dealt with in NASCAR.
The Pole Position was won by Kyle Busch and starting beside him, his brother Kurt Busch. It was noted during the pre-race on FOX that Kevin Harvick will be driving for Tony Stewart next year. He will be leaving RCR at the conclusion of this season. There a few things to report at the start of the race. The Penske cars both had issues with the rear tow being outside of the specs, so both had to change the rear housings. Lagono barely made it to the track in time for the start due to going through the inspection, as the command to start engines came as he was still in the inspection process. Bobby Labonte also started the race in the car with the flu. Kevin Harvick went to the rear of the field for changing an engine twice prior to the race. Joey Lagono had to go to the rear because he was not on pit road as required. Brian Vickers will driving Denny Hamlin’s car for the remainder of his time being out from injury to his back. This weekend’s race will be Carl Edwards 300th start in the Cup Series.
In opening ceremonies, DR. Roger Marsh provided the Invocation. Sara Evans sang the National Anthem, and NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone was the Grand Marshal. The race is scheduled for 334 laps, for the 500 mile race. Jack Roush was inducted into the Texas Motorsport Hall of Fame on Thursday.
The first caution that came out was on lap 38 for debris. Josh Wise (35) got the “Lucky Dog”
On the restart on lap 43, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) shot across the track into the side of Austin Dillon (51) sending both into the wall. It appeared that a tire issue may have been the reason Stenhouse shot across the track. JJ Yeley (36) received the “Lucky Dog” At this point, Kevin Harvick (29) has been able to get up to the top twelve from the back of the field at the start of the race.
On lap 81, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has a lot of smoke coming from it, so the caution was thrown and it was only a tire rub. Josh Wise received the “Lucky Dog” again. Stenhouse had just returned to the track after being in the garage after having an early spin. As Matt Kenseth (20) left his stall, he started a fire in the pit box.
Green Flag stops began near lap 130. Tony Stewart (14) slid sideways in his pit box, costing him plenty of time.
The fourth caution came out on lap 150 for debris again. Joey Lagono (20) received the “Lucky Dog”
The fifth caution came out for hitting the wall on lap 232.
On Lap 281, Marcus Ambrose (9) and Jeff Burton (31) spun out.
There was a late caution with only 31 laps remaining that took a four second lead away from Martin Truex Jr. This is not the first time that Truex lost a race after having a significant lead prior to a “Phantom” Debris caution.
Kyle Busch (18) was able to get out front and win his first Texas race in his career. He also won the Friday Night race to sweep the weekend. Kyle won his 26th race in his 300th start. He has now won in all three series of NASCAR. Busch led 171 laps of the 334 run. Truex Jr. led 142 of the remaining laps.
The rest of the top ten were: Martin Truex Jr. (56), Carl Edwards (99), Greg Biffle (16), Joey Lagono (22), Jimmie Johnson (48), (43), Brian Vickers (11), Brad Keselowski (2) and Ryan Newman(39).
Jimmie Johnson remains the points lead after this race over Brad Keselowski.
The next race will be at Kansas Motor Speedway on Sunday for the STP 400. The race is scheduled to start at 12:30 PM EST on FOX.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Martinsville 500
“STP Gas Booster 500”
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – The sixth race of the season was run at the Martinsville Speedway. This Half-mile track will have 500 laps to complete the 236 miles it is scheduled to run. 7-time Martinsville winner, Jimmie Johnson was able to take the Pole Position. Marcus Ambrose started second. Mark Martin will drive the JGR # 11 car, for injured driver Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin claimed that Lagono intentionally wrecked him at California two weeks ago, in retaliation for bumping him at Bristol. Hamlin did tag Lagono a few times in the California race, so it is not believed that Bristol was on Lagono’s mind when they were racing for a win at California. They were racing back to the checkered flag when the two cars got side by side and Lagono’s car shot up the track into the outside wall, and Hamlin’s car slid down the track into the inside wall. Hamlin states he does not blame Lagono for the injury, but he blames him for not letting it go. Hamlin hit the inside wall where there is no safer barrier yet. Denny intentionally wrecked Lagono at Bristol. Hamlin does state that he will be a thorn in Lagono’s side when he gets back on track. This shows that he is unwilling to let it go, as he accuses Lagono of not doing.
Tony Stewart also went after Lagono after the race, for blocking him on the last re-start. Stewart called Lagono a rich kid that doesn’t care. Stewart claimed Lagono ran him into the infield, (which he did not do) and stated he was going to bust his ass for blocking him. Lagono was the race leader at the restart that Stewart tried going low and around Lagono with only two laps remaining. Lagono did what every driver usually does when trying to protect the lead.
Stewart’s teammate Ryan Newman, called Lagono chicken shit. Lagono spoke about the issue at Bristol, and said that lets you know how the other drivers are going to drive around you. Rules of engagement change on the last lap, and drivers all know that, Darrell Waltrip replied. Waltrip added, if you come to this track looking for revenge, you are going to get in trouble real fast.
Opening Ceremonies began with Jonathan Falwell provided the Invocation. Virginia Military Glee Club sang the National Anthem. The Grand Marshals for the weekend were Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The In-Race reporter is Clint Bowyer.
Marcus Ambrose (9) led at the first lap. In the early laps the race was being run on the bottom side of the track. Only one lane was being used to go forward. The cars stuck on the outside fell back numerous spots due to the lack of grip.
On lap 16, Danica Patrick (10) spun out. Ken Schrader (32) pinched her down and into the curb, causing her to spin. She could have stayed in it and spun him out as well, but you could tell she hit the brakes so she would not take him with her. Danica had to start last due to an engine change, and she was moving forward each lap. A good number of cars hit pit road on the first caution. The first 27 cars did not pit.
On lap 70, Scott Speed (95) stopped on the front stretch. 28 cars were on the lead lap when this caution came out. It was stated by the commentators that the drivers get eleven sets of tires for the 500 laps at this track. This would allow them to put fresh tires on the race cars every 50 laps without an issue.
On lap 97, Juan Pablo Montoya (42) had a tire failure after contact with another car on track. He went into the pits while the race stayed green. After the first 100 laps, Jimmie Johnson (48), Jeff Gordon (24) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) were in the top four spots. Teammate Kasey Kahne (5) was in seventh.
On lap 170, a grill from a Ford fell off on track. All the leaders made a stop in the pits. The grill came off the Ricky Stenhouse Jr.(17) car. At this point, Jimmie Johnson had led 162 laps. Casey Mears (13) was caught speeding on entry of pit road.
On lap 180, Clint Bowyer (15),Martin Truex Jr. (56), Joey Lagono (22), Mark Martin (11), Brian Vickers (55), Marcus Ambrose (9), Jeff Burton (31), Dale Earnhardt Jr.(88), Travis Kvapil (93), Jamie McMurray were all involved and received some form of damage on the restart. All three Michael Waltrip Race Cars were damaged in this incident.
Near the halfway mark, David Reutimann (83) spun out to bring out another caution. He was spun out by Regan Smith (51).
On lap 246, Carl Edwards (99) had a tire failure and spun out. Carl got pinned between Bobby Labonte (47) and Marcus Ambrose (9) and his rear tire was cut down. During the pit stop, Mark Martin (11) had one issue after another. He went to leave the pit box and the front tire was not yet on. He then was penalized for pitting outside the box. The crew chief only put on two tires on the last stop, and that sent Martin from the front of the pack to the rear fairly quick as he was far from able to keep up with all the cars that got four tires. He tried, but the car was not connected to the track well enough. Martin lost a second lap.
On the restart Kurt Busch (78) had a front tire go and he did not get off track. Busch claimed the 22 (Lagono) did it to them. Busch went three wide a few times, so it could have happened at any point and time.
On lap 280, the seventh caution came for Martin Truex Jr.(56) spinning out by himself. He went straight to the garage and parked it.
On lap 292, Kurt Busch was spun out after making contact with David Gilliland (38). It appeared that Busch tried to cut off Gilliland and he was unable to get down before the corner. The top fifteen stayed on track, and there were 25 cars that were still on the lead lap.
Near lap 360, Ryan Newman (39) had a tire failure that brought out the ninth caution. He stopped on the race track. He stopped deliberately and he was given a three lap penalty for it.
Jimmie Johnson led the most laps I the race easily.
On lap 448, the tenth caution came out for Brian Vickers (55) spinning out. Eighteen cars were on the lead lap, and the nineteenth car of Paul Menard (27) will get back on the lead lap. Hendrick cars were first thru third at this point just like late last year.
On lap 465, another caution flew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), getting spun out when Danica Patrick (10) was run into by Brian Vickers, sending her into the side of Earnhardt. Due to the circumstances, Vickers received the lucky dog and got back on the lead lap. NASCAR should not have allowed that, due to he caused the caution.
On lap 485, Kurt Busch had a fire start under the hood. He was able to get the fire extinguished as he was getting out of the race car. A red flag was thrown with 13 laps remaining.
The top eleven cars stayed out and the rest of the lead cars pitted for another four fresh tires. Hendrick starts at the final restart in first, third and fifth. The finished the race having three of the top four spots. Jimmie Johnson (48) was able to hold of Clint Bowyer (15) for the 62nd victory of his career and the eighth at this track. Johnson led a career high 346 laps.
The rest of the top ten were: Jeff Gordon (24), Kasey Kahne (5), Kyle Busch (18), Brad Keselowski (2), Jamie McMurray (1), Marcus Ambrose (9), Greg Biffle (16) and Mark Martin (11). Danica Patrick (10) finished twelfth even though she was run into 3 times by Brian Vickers throughout the race. He ran into to get her out of shape to pass her each time. It was intentional and she did a great job to keep her car together to finish one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. This was Hendrick’s 212th Victory.
The next race is at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday Night at 7 PM on Fox.
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – The sixth race of the season was run at the Martinsville Speedway. This Half-mile track will have 500 laps to complete the 236 miles it is scheduled to run. 7-time Martinsville winner, Jimmie Johnson was able to take the Pole Position. Marcus Ambrose started second. Mark Martin will drive the JGR # 11 car, for injured driver Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin claimed that Lagono intentionally wrecked him at California two weeks ago, in retaliation for bumping him at Bristol. Hamlin did tag Lagono a few times in the California race, so it is not believed that Bristol was on Lagono’s mind when they were racing for a win at California. They were racing back to the checkered flag when the two cars got side by side and Lagono’s car shot up the track into the outside wall, and Hamlin’s car slid down the track into the inside wall. Hamlin states he does not blame Lagono for the injury, but he blames him for not letting it go. Hamlin hit the inside wall where there is no safer barrier yet. Denny intentionally wrecked Lagono at Bristol. Hamlin does state that he will be a thorn in Lagono’s side when he gets back on track. This shows that he is unwilling to let it go, as he accuses Lagono of not doing.
Tony Stewart also went after Lagono after the race, for blocking him on the last re-start. Stewart called Lagono a rich kid that doesn’t care. Stewart claimed Lagono ran him into the infield, (which he did not do) and stated he was going to bust his ass for blocking him. Lagono was the race leader at the restart that Stewart tried going low and around Lagono with only two laps remaining. Lagono did what every driver usually does when trying to protect the lead.
Stewart’s teammate Ryan Newman, called Lagono chicken shit. Lagono spoke about the issue at Bristol, and said that lets you know how the other drivers are going to drive around you. Rules of engagement change on the last lap, and drivers all know that, Darrell Waltrip replied. Waltrip added, if you come to this track looking for revenge, you are going to get in trouble real fast.
Opening Ceremonies began with Jonathan Falwell provided the Invocation. Virginia Military Glee Club sang the National Anthem. The Grand Marshals for the weekend were Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The In-Race reporter is Clint Bowyer.
Marcus Ambrose (9) led at the first lap. In the early laps the race was being run on the bottom side of the track. Only one lane was being used to go forward. The cars stuck on the outside fell back numerous spots due to the lack of grip.
On lap 16, Danica Patrick (10) spun out. Ken Schrader (32) pinched her down and into the curb, causing her to spin. She could have stayed in it and spun him out as well, but you could tell she hit the brakes so she would not take him with her. Danica had to start last due to an engine change, and she was moving forward each lap. A good number of cars hit pit road on the first caution. The first 27 cars did not pit.
On lap 70, Scott Speed (95) stopped on the front stretch. 28 cars were on the lead lap when this caution came out. It was stated by the commentators that the drivers get eleven sets of tires for the 500 laps at this track. This would allow them to put fresh tires on the race cars every 50 laps without an issue.
On lap 97, Juan Pablo Montoya (42) had a tire failure after contact with another car on track. He went into the pits while the race stayed green. After the first 100 laps, Jimmie Johnson (48), Jeff Gordon (24) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) were in the top four spots. Teammate Kasey Kahne (5) was in seventh.
On lap 170, a grill from a Ford fell off on track. All the leaders made a stop in the pits. The grill came off the Ricky Stenhouse Jr.(17) car. At this point, Jimmie Johnson had led 162 laps. Casey Mears (13) was caught speeding on entry of pit road.
On lap 180, Clint Bowyer (15),Martin Truex Jr. (56), Joey Lagono (22), Mark Martin (11), Brian Vickers (55), Marcus Ambrose (9), Jeff Burton (31), Dale Earnhardt Jr.(88), Travis Kvapil (93), Jamie McMurray were all involved and received some form of damage on the restart. All three Michael Waltrip Race Cars were damaged in this incident.
Near the halfway mark, David Reutimann (83) spun out to bring out another caution. He was spun out by Regan Smith (51).
On lap 246, Carl Edwards (99) had a tire failure and spun out. Carl got pinned between Bobby Labonte (47) and Marcus Ambrose (9) and his rear tire was cut down. During the pit stop, Mark Martin (11) had one issue after another. He went to leave the pit box and the front tire was not yet on. He then was penalized for pitting outside the box. The crew chief only put on two tires on the last stop, and that sent Martin from the front of the pack to the rear fairly quick as he was far from able to keep up with all the cars that got four tires. He tried, but the car was not connected to the track well enough. Martin lost a second lap.
On the restart Kurt Busch (78) had a front tire go and he did not get off track. Busch claimed the 22 (Lagono) did it to them. Busch went three wide a few times, so it could have happened at any point and time.
On lap 280, the seventh caution came for Martin Truex Jr.(56) spinning out by himself. He went straight to the garage and parked it.
On lap 292, Kurt Busch was spun out after making contact with David Gilliland (38). It appeared that Busch tried to cut off Gilliland and he was unable to get down before the corner. The top fifteen stayed on track, and there were 25 cars that were still on the lead lap.
Near lap 360, Ryan Newman (39) had a tire failure that brought out the ninth caution. He stopped on the race track. He stopped deliberately and he was given a three lap penalty for it.
Jimmie Johnson led the most laps I the race easily.
On lap 448, the tenth caution came out for Brian Vickers (55) spinning out. Eighteen cars were on the lead lap, and the nineteenth car of Paul Menard (27) will get back on the lead lap. Hendrick cars were first thru third at this point just like late last year.
On lap 465, another caution flew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), getting spun out when Danica Patrick (10) was run into by Brian Vickers, sending her into the side of Earnhardt. Due to the circumstances, Vickers received the lucky dog and got back on the lead lap. NASCAR should not have allowed that, due to he caused the caution.
On lap 485, Kurt Busch had a fire start under the hood. He was able to get the fire extinguished as he was getting out of the race car. A red flag was thrown with 13 laps remaining.
The top eleven cars stayed out and the rest of the lead cars pitted for another four fresh tires. Hendrick starts at the final restart in first, third and fifth. The finished the race having three of the top four spots. Jimmie Johnson (48) was able to hold of Clint Bowyer (15) for the 62nd victory of his career and the eighth at this track. Johnson led a career high 346 laps.
The rest of the top ten were: Jeff Gordon (24), Kasey Kahne (5), Kyle Busch (18), Brad Keselowski (2), Jamie McMurray (1), Marcus Ambrose (9), Greg Biffle (16) and Mark Martin (11). Danica Patrick (10) finished twelfth even though she was run into 3 times by Brian Vickers throughout the race. He ran into to get her out of shape to pass her each time. It was intentional and she did a great job to keep her car together to finish one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. This was Hendrick’s 212th Victory.
The next race is at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday Night at 7 PM on Fox.
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