The First Reid:
Justice Served In Edwards Win At Bristol
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service
The right guy won the race—suggesting once again that there really is a sense of cosmic balance in the universe.
Carl Edwards was three
laps away from a hard-earned victory in Sunday night's rain-delayed Food
City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, but caution lights that appeared to
have a mind of their own
had other ideas.
After Edwards crossed
the start/finish line to begin Lap 498, the bank of caution lights
illuminated for no apparent reason. NASCAR officials said after the race
that the flagman had brushed against
an override switch in the closing laps.
What quickly became a
full-course caution set up a potential green-white-checkered-flag
finish. But Mother Nature intervened, soaking the track with a downpour
that began before the race could
be restarted, and Edwards took the checkered flag under yellow.
Mercifully, Edwards
didn't have to sweat out a two-lap dash against two hungry drivers, each
seeking his first career win. Ultimately, both race runner-up Ricky
Stenhouse Jr., Edwards' teammate
at Roush Fenway Racing, and third-place finisher Aric Almirola posted
career-best results, though neither got a final shot at a breakthrough
victory.
But that's as it should
be. Gambling he could keep the lead on old tires, Edwards had driven
away to a lead of more than two seconds over Stenhouse (also on old
rubber) before the mysterious caution
slowed the race.
Moments later, a deluge
determined there would be no attempt at a green-white-checkered finish,
Edwards had the win, and justice was served.
@nascarcasm
CAPTION FOR ATTACHED PHOTO: After driving several laps with no power steering at Bristol Motor Speedway, Joey Logano’s press photo has been updated.
·
The #23 of Alex Bowman
caused an incident early when his car shed its battery in the middle of
the track, sending streams of toilet-paper-like material over the track.
Now needing batteries
and toilet paper, Bowman probably has a trip to Walmart in his future.
·
Sunday’s race proved to
be good double-duty practice for Kurt Busch. Between the race and
traveling to and from motorcoach lot during rain delays, pretty certain
he logged 1,100 total
miles.
·
Starting now, black cats consider it bad luck when Martin Truex Jr. crosses their path.
·If
the two rain showers weren’t enough proof that Mother Nature is angry
at NASCAR, she also dropped the
temperature to below freezing on Friday – after teams had purchased new
cooling units for qualifying. WE GET IT – YOU LIKE FOOTBALL.
(Follow @nascarcasm on Twitter. His unique views on NASCAR are his own – but chances are you already knew that.)
NASCAR Numbers
By Reid Spencer
1:
The number of drivers who have
posted top-two finishes in the first four races of a NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. fell short in his bid to join the only
member of that exclusive
club, Richard Petty, after finishing 24th Sunday at Bristol Motor
Speedway in an ill-handling car.
3:
The number of drivers in the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series who have made the cut to the final 12 in the
first three sessions of knockout qualifying. Penske teammates Brad
Keselowski and Joey Logano share
that distinction with reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson.
34:
After Sunday's win by Carl
Edwards, the number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories recorded by
Ford drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Blue Ovals swept the top
three spots. Fords have also been
to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway 35 times in the top
series.
5:
The number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories posted by Jimmie
Johnson at Auto Club Speedway, a track record.
Johnson got his first career win at Fontana in the 10th race of his
2002 rookie season. After that, the deluge, as Johnson has claimed 66
NASCAR Sprint Cup victories and six series championships all told.
9:
The number of California
natives expected to appear on the entry list for Sunday's Auto Club 400
in Fontana, Calif. They are: Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon), Jeff Gordon
(Vallejo), AJ Allmendinger (Los Gatos),
Kyle Larson (Elk Grove), Casey Mears (Bakersfield), David Gilliland
(Riverside), Cole Whitt (Alpine), Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield), Josh Wise
(Riverside).
NASCAR ETC.
Last year’s Auto Club winner
Kyle Busch needs just 67 laps led this weekend at Auto Club – a feat he’s accomplished five times at the two-mile track – to become the 15th
driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to log 10,000 laps at the point.
… The new TUDOR SportsCar
Championship lead Prototype class provided the most competitive racing
ever seen in the Twelve Hours of Sebring with nine cars finishing on the
lead lap (previous record: three). … Chip Ganassi Racing became the
first organization to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona,
Twelve Hours of Sebring, Daytona 500 and Indy 500. … Porsche’s first
North American factory team has proven to be an early success with its
Porsche 911 RSR completing the historic Daytona-Sebring double in the GT
Le Mans class. … The innovative DeltaWing
DWC13 led its first laps ever at Sebring Raceway with Andy Meyrick
out front for 13 laps in the early stages of the race. … The TUDOR
Championship’s next race is at Long Beach on April 12. Due to limited
pit and paddock space at the street circuit only
the lead Prototype and GT Le Mans classes will compete.
National Series Standings
This year, wins matter more than in any season in the 65-year history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Essentially, a win locks a driver into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
2014 Winners
Pos Driver Wins
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1
2. Kevin Harvick 1
3. Brad Keselowski 1
4. Carl Edwards 1
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Pos Driver Points
Pos Driver Points
1 Brad Keselowski 163
2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 153
3 Carl Edwards 152
4 Jeff Gordon 152
5 Jimmie Johnson 143
6 Joey Logano 141
7 Denny Hamlin 140
8 Matt Kenseth 138
9 Ryan Newman 125
10 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 122
11 Kasey Kahne 120
12 Greg Biffle 118
13 Austin Dillon # 117
14 Kyle Busch 111
15 Marcos Ambrose 108
16 Jamie McMurray 100
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Pos Driver Points
1 Regan Smith 151
2 Trevor Bayne 150
3 Ty Dillon # 143
4 Chase Elliott # 138
5 Elliott Sadler 135
6 Brendan Gaughan 131
7 Brian Scott 127
8 James Buescher 117
9 Dylan Kwasniewski # 116
10 Landon Cassill 105
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Pos Driver Points
1 Timothy Peters 43
2 Johnny Sauter 41
3 Ron Hornaday Jr. 39
4 Ryan Blaney 38
5 Jeb Burton 37
6 Joe Nemechek 36
7 Jimmy Weller III 35
8 German Quiroga 34
9 Ryan Sieg 33
10 Tyler Reddick 32
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
The Race:
Auto Club 400
The Place:
Auto Club Speedway
The Date/Time:
Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Radio:
MRN,
Sirius XM Ch. 90
_______________________
NASCAR
NATIONWIDE SERIES
The Race:
TREATMYCLOT.com 300
The Place:
Auto Club Speedway
The Date/Time:
Saturday, March 22,
5 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Radio: MRN,
Sirius XM Channel 90
Tune-In: NASCAR On Television, Week of March 17-23
Monday, March 17
4 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR’s The List: Greatest Finishes,
NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
2:30 a.m. (Tue.), NASCAR Now, ESPN2
Tuesday, March 18
Noon, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
2 p.m., 1 on 1: Jimmie Johnson (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
3 a.m. (Wed.), NASCAR Now, ESPN2
Wednesday, March 9
Noon, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Sebring, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR’s The List: Legendary Drivers,
NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
2 a.m. (Thu.), NASCAR Now, ESPN2
Thursday, March 20
Noon, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Friday, March 21
Noon, NSCS Race at Bristol (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice,
FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
9 p.m., The Day: Daytona Primetime (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Saturday, Mar. 22
11:30 a.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race at Bristol, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Countdown, ESPN
5 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Auto Club Speedway, ESPN
2 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Auto Club Speedway (re-air), ESPN2
4 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Auto Club Speedway, ESPN Deportes
Sunday, Mar. 23
1:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Pre-Race Show, FOX
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Auto Club Speedway, FOX Deportes
7:30 p.m., Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Sebring (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Midnight, NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
No comments:
Post a Comment