Kentucky-New Hampshire weekend

                                                                  "Kentucky 300”

SPARTA, KENTUCKY – The Nationwide Series is getting down to their final seven races of the 2013 season. Sam Hornish Jr. (12) holds a 17 point lead over Austin Dillon (3) at this point. Third place is 36 points behind the leader, which is nearly a full race out of the lead. Both drivers have been doing well in recent weeks, as they both will need to keep this going to take the title at the season’s end. Sam Hornish Jr. was able to take the Pole position for this race over 19 year old Ryan Blaney (22). This gave Roger Penske the front row for only the second time in history. A new rule was established this week, as now the second place car is able to beat the leader, if the leader does not take the opportunity to start the race in the “Starter’s Box.” This is an area in which the leader can start the race, prior to the green flag being dropped. If the driver decides not to start before the green flag is thrown, then the second place car does have the right to beat the leader to the start/finish line. If this happened in the past, the second place car would receive a “Black Flag” which was a penalty for beating the leader to the start/finish line. The penalty forced that driver to make a run down pit road under green conditions.

In Opening Ceremonies, there was a minute of silence held for the victims of the Navy Yard killings in Washington, DC. 12 people lost their lives, along with the shooter. Pastor Larry Campbell provided the Invocation. Jamison Road sang the National Anthem. Frank Kimmel was the Grand Marshall.
There were “NO” Cup drivers in this race. One issue the drivers will deal with in the race, being the track was washed off by rain, and the ARCA Series ran, laying down some “Hoosier” rubber. Justin Allgaier (31), Matt Crafton (33) and Joey Coulter (18) will start from the rear for changes they made to their race cars. A “Competition Caution” was scheduled for lap 25, due to the rain that fell in the morning and overnight as well.

On lap 4, Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) tagged the wall and did not make a pit stop, nor did NASCAR throw a caution flag. He was running eleventh at the time of this incident. The “Competition Caution” flew on lap 26.

On lap 35, Travis Pastrana (60) was spun out after contact with Austin Dillon (3). Then again on lap 61, Pastrana crashed hard into the outside wall for the third caution of the race.

On lap 101, Rookie Kyle Larsen (32) started having issues. He took his car to pit road, after having fuel, vibration and brake issues in the early laps of the race.

On lap 107, Harrison Rhodes (23) brought out the fourth caution when he tagged the wall. During the restart, Brad Sweet (5) spun out. That brought out another caution right away.
While racing hard, Justin Allgaier (31) tried to slide down in front of Matt Crafton (33) when he bobbled and slid up the track and touching the wall. He did lose many positions.

On lap 162, Brad Sweet was the cause of another caution, when his car started on fire on track. He was turned into the outside wall by Jeb Burton (34), son of Ward Burton. Brian Scott (2) also was tagged with a penalty for speeding on entry to pit road. A few cars were on pit road when the caution flew, so they will need to take the wave around, to get back on the lead lap. Brian Scott and Trevor Bayne were two of those cars.

The seventh caution flew on lap 173 for Jeffrey Earnhardt (79) spinning out on track. Johanna Long (70) received the “Lucky Dog” to get back on the lead lap. NASCAR also warned Sam Hornish Jr. (12) about his restarts on the rules.

On lap 181, Regan Smith brought out the eighth caution for a spin on track. The ninth and final caution flew just laps later on lap 188, when Parker Kligerman (77) attempted to pull down in front of Cole Whitt (44) and was not in the right place, as he tagged the front of Whitt’s car and that sent him into the outside wall. This ended his race, and he was not happy when he spoke to media after being let out of the medical shack. He did run his mouth about Cole Whitt being at fault, when it was his own fault for the wreck.

19 year old Ryan Blaney (22) took the lead on the restart, and did not look back. He beat Austin Dillon (3). This was the tenth victory with the fourth driver in the 22 car this season. The “Owners Points” is now led by the 22 Roger Penske Ford car by 23 points over the 54 Joe Gibbs Toyota.

The rest of the top ten were: Matt Crafton (33), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Alex Bowman (99), Drew Herring (54), Brian Vickers (20), Jeb Burton (34), Cole Whitt (44) and Michael Annett (43). The Championship is now down to 15 points between first and second place drivers, Hornish Jr. and Dillon.

The next race will be at Dover on Saturday at 3:30 PM EST on ESPN.




                                                                    “Sylvania 300”

LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE- The Sprint Cup Series showed up for their second race of the Chase at the 1.5 mile high-speed, short track. Ryan Newman (39) was able to set a new track record for the Pole position. He ran a 27.904/136.497 mph lap. Kasey Kahne (5) also broke the track record with a 27.989/136.082 mph lap. Gretchen Wilson was singing at the start of the pre-race ceremonies. Matt Kenseth (20) started his 500th start in a silver/black race car. The In-Race Reporter was Kevin Harvick (29). There was a “Competition Caution” scheduled for lap 30, due to overnight rain at the track. Just as last night’s race in the NNS Series, this race was scheduled for 200 laps, 300 miles.

In Opening Ceremonies, Pastor Landon Clouse provided the Invocation after a “Moment of Silence” was held for the victims of the Navy Yard killings in Washington, DC. A pre-teen, young girl Caroline Burns sang the National Anthem, while a B-17 Flying Fortress flew over the track.

Josh Wise (35) brought out the caution on lap 30, just as the Competition Caution was ready to be thrown. Michael McDowell (51) helped Wise spin out, as he tagged him coming through the corner. Jeff Gordon (24) was hit by (34) on pit road as the 34 was making his pit stop, Gordon was inside of him. There was minor damage to Gordon’s fender. During the pit stops, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s (88) team dropped his car down, with lugs still lose. He had to make an additional stop on pit road to tighten the lugs and take on left side tires as well. He fell from the teens to thirtieth place.

On lap 38, Jamie McMurray (1) was tagged by teammate Juan Montoya (42) and spun out. Kevin Swindell (30) also spun and hit the outside wall hard.

On lap 52, Bobby Labonte (47) had a spin after a rear tire blew out. David Gilliland (38) also ran into Labonte, creating damage to his race car.

There was a caution for a spin on lap 164, and a debris caution on lap 200. The leader Jeff Gordon brought everyone down pit road. Gordon would slide thru his box and have to back up, after the team started to jack his car up.  He fell from the lead back to twenty-second place.

On lap 245, David Gilliland (38) brought out the caution once again after his oil cooler broke on his race car.

Kasey Kahne (5) snapped loose on lap 252, crashing hard into the inside wall, ending his day. He was running in the eighth position when this happened. This was the seventh and final caution of the race.

On the restart, Matt Kenseth (20) was able to outrun his teammate Kyle Busch (18) for the second week in a row for another victory, starting the Chase off with two wins back to back. This made it his seventh win of the season as well. Kenseth holds a 14 point lead of Busch now in the Championship run. Kenseth joins Richard Petty (43) with winning on his 500th start.

The rest of the top ten were: Greg Biffle (16), Jimmie Johnson (48), Jamie McMurray (1), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Brian Vickers (55), Jeff Burton (31), Carl Edwards (99) and Martin Truex Jr. (56). Truex Jr. led the most laps in the race with 98.

The points are as follows: Kenseth (20) leader, Kyle Busch (18) (-14), Johnson (48) (-18), Edwards (99) (-36), Biffle (16) (-38), Harvick (29) (-39), Kurt Busch (78) (-40), Gordon (24) (-42), Newman (39) (-47), Bowyer (15) (-48), Earnhardt Jr. (88) (-62), Lagono (22) (-69) and Kahne (5) (-71).

The next race will be on Sunday at Dover on ESPN at 1 PM EST.