NASCAR Chase Race #3 - Dover

Chase Race #3 Dover... Lots and Lots of green flag racing, very unusual for Dover. No big wrecks that collected the cars on the apron, nothing spectacular. The bad, JJ Yeley hits the wall bringing out the first caution after 69 laps and at the end of green flag pit stops leaving only 6 cars on the lead lap. With only 4 more cautions only 4 more cars got back on the lead. With only the two last caution coming within laps of each other, green flag pit stops happened throughout the race. Fuel strategy came into effect at the end of the race with Brad Keslowski coming out on top. A lot of chase drivers lost out being a lap down throughout the race. Kyle Busch leading the most laps again could not finish in top position due to gas mileage.

Congratulation Brad Keslowski!!! You go our little Pollack...  Great racing all day, staying in the top 5 for most of the race and using the fuel strategy to your advantage, saving at the beginning of the run, let you run flat out in the end passing Johnson and Hamlin, who had to conserve at the end and still have enough to hold of the charging Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin with just a couple left to go. Putting you in the top position in the chase and giving everyone else something to think about.

Top Ten Recap:
1. Brad Keslowski - started 10 - up 1 position to Leader
2. Jeff Gordon - started 7 - up 2 positions to 10th
3. Mark Martin - started 26 - up 1 position to 25th
4. Jimmie Johnson - started 11 - down 1 position to 2nd
5. Carl Edwards - started 15 - up 1 position to 14th
6. Martin Truex Jr. - started 3 - up 2 positions to 8th
7. Kyle Busch - started 5 - remains in 13th
8. Denny Hamlin - started 1 - remains in 3rd
9. Clint Bowyer - started 2 - up 2 positions to 4th
10. Joey Lagano - started 14 - remains in 18th

Chase Recap:
1. Brad Keslowski - WINNER - up 1 position
2. Jimmie Johnson - finished 4th - down 1 position
3. Denny Hamlin - finished 8th
4. Clint Bowyer - finished 9th - up 2 positions
5. Tony Stewart - finished 20th - down 1 position
6. Kasey Kahne - finished 15th - down 1 position
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 11th
8. Martin Truex Jr. - finished 6th - up 2 positions
9. Kevin Harvick - finished 13th - down 1 position
10. Jeff Gordon - finished 2nd - up 2 positions
11. Greg Biffle - finished 16th - down 2 position
12. Matt Kenseth - finished 35th - down 1 position

Look to the right and I am also keeping track of points without the chase, Jimmie Johnson will take over the lead this week. but Dale Jr. is close behind
Don't know what is going on with Dale Jr. he was doing great and very consistent during the first 26 races and now in the chase he doesn't seem to be getting the same results, like they are trying way to hard.
My second choice for winning though is doing great Brad Keslowski. I just really want to see someone new win this year. Go Brad, keep it up!!!

Next Race, one of my favorites
Talladega Speedway - Good Sam Roadside Assistance 400 - Sunday - October 4, 2012 - 1 pm

Have a Wonderful Week
Take Care
Barbara

NASCAR Chase Race #2 - Loudon

Chase Race #2 - Sylvania 300 in Loudon, NH, the Magic Mile. Not real sure why it is called that, I am not a big Loudon fan. They truly need to add banking to this track and more miles. Any way, Darien Grubb seems to the man of the hour. Heading the championship in 2011, he seems to be trying to emulate last's years run with a different driver this year.
Congratulations Denny Hamlin!!! Strong car all race, predicted it and there you stood. Made the right choice in hiring Darien Grubb.
All twelve of the Chase Racers finished in the top 20 Greg Biffle being the lowest finisher in 18th.

Top Ten Recap:
1. Denny Hamlin - started 32 - up 1 position to 3rd
2. Jimmie Johnson - started 20 - up 1 position to Leader
3. Jeff Gordon - started 1 - remains in 12th
4. Clint Bowyer - started 12 - remains in 6th
5. Kasey Kahne - started 6 - remains in 5th
6. Brad Keslowski - started 15 - down 1 position to 2nd
7. Tony Stewart - started 3 - down 1 position to 4th
8. Joey Lagano - started 18 - remains in 18th
9. Brian Vickers - started 4 - up 1 position to 35th
10. Ryan Newman - started 8 - remains in 14th

Race for Chase:
1. Jimmie Johnson - finished 2nd - up 1 position
2. Brad Keslowski - finished 6th - down 1 position
3. Denny Hamlin - WINNER - up 1 position
4. Tony Stewart - finished 7th - down 1 position
5. Kasey Kahne - finished 5th
6. Clint Bowyer - finished 4th
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 13th
8. Kevin Harvick - finished 11th - up 2 positions
9. Greg Biffle - finished 18th - down 1 position
10. Martin Truex, Jr. finished 17 - down 1 position
11 Matt Kenseth - finished 14th
12. Jeff Gordon - finished 3rd

Next Race - Dover Speedway - Dover, DE - AAA 400 - Sunday September 30, 2012 - 1pm est

Have a Wonderfule Week!!!
Take Care
Barbara

Chase Race #1 - Chicagoland

Chase Race #1 - Chicagoland - Lots of green flag racing, but not a lot of racing. Jimmie Johnson was the dominate car for most of the race. Brad Keslowski was the only car that had anything near Johnson's. The last run, Keslowski seemed to have found something, winning by a comfortable margin. A couple of the chase guys had some problems. Jeff Gordon's throttle stuck sending him into the wall, leaving him a 35th finishing position. Matt Kenseth broke a shock off his left front, finishing 18th and Denny Hamlin ran out of gas on the last lap, finishing 16th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to start 42nd after an engine change, he had a fast car at the beginnning of the race, pushing him into the 10 ten, the last part the race his car was just average, finishing 8th, his race for the championship is just a race away.

Congratulations Brad Keslowski!!! Strong car all day. Winning the first race of Chase and becoming the Points Leader for the first time in your career. You and your pit crew were right on today, giving you the positions you needed coming off the pits, and your driving like you stole it, put you in the coveted position all 11 other Chase drivers wanted. With 9 more races still to go and 7 of the Chase drivers finishing in the top 10, one bad race could ruin it all. The next couple of race will tell, with Jeff Gordon being 47 points in the hole after his disappointing finish. Kasey Kahne on the other hand moved up the ladder more than any driver today, 6 position putting him 5th in the Chase just 15 points behind. Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin were the big losers, all 3 losing 3 positions in the points.

Top Ten Recap:
1. Brad Keslowski - started 13 - up 3 position to Leader
2. Jimmie Johnson - started 1 - remains in 2nd
3. Kasey Kahne - started 6 - up 6 positions to 5th
4. Kyle Busch - started 21 - remains in 13th
5. Ryan Newman - started 20 - up 2 positions to 14th
6. Tony Stewart - started 29 - remains in 3rd
7. Joey Lagano - started 10 - remains in 18th
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - started 4 (43) - remains in 7th
9. Martin Truex Jr. - started 18 - up 1 position to 9th
10. Clint Bowyer - started 9 - remains in 6th

Championship Chase 2012
1. Brad Keslowski - WINNER
2. Jimmie Johnson - finished 2nd
3. Tony Stewart - finished 6th
4. Denny Hamlin - finished 16th - down 3 positions
5. Kasey Kahne - finished 3rd - up 6 positions
6. Clint Bowyer - finished 10th
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 8th
8. Greg Biffle - finished 13th - down 3 positions
9. Martin Truex Jr - finished 9th - up 1 position
10. Kevin Harvick - finished 12th - down 1 position
11. Matt Kenseth - finished 18th - down 3 positions
12. Jeff Gordon - finished 35th

Kyle Busch remains in 13th positions for the racing between the other drivers. Ryan Newman is the closest to him still 41 points behind him. Carl Edwards in 15th 42 points behind.

Seeing this is the first year with this points system on the side bar of this block, you will see where I am keeping up with the points WITHOUT  the Chase, and how the championship would turn out without a chase. Will be interesting... Hope you keep reading.

Chase Race #2 - New Hampshire International Speedway - Sylvania 400 -Sunday - September 23, 2012 - 1pm est.

Have a Wonderful Week!!!
Take Care
Barbara

NASCAR - Richmond

Rain Delayed Richmond turned out to be the race everyone thought it would be. With long green flag runs, Denny Hamlin seemed to have the dominate car again, but with the threat of rain there all night long, his strategy and that of Dale Earnhardt Jr. left them with finished out of the top ten. Clint Bowyer had a late race spin bringing out a caution and proceeded to march to the front and stay there for the last 25 laps or so giving him his 2nd win, improving his starting position in the Chase.

Congratulation Clint Bowyer!!! Good racing, sweet night race... glad to see the whole 400 laps run.
Jeff Gordon raced his way into the 12th position. The race for the final position was back and forth all night... Ryan Newman was leading the race at one point, hoping to finish there to put him in the chase, but couldn't  stay there. Kyle Busch has a good car at the beginning of the race, but couldn't seem to get around the track at the end. Jeff Gordon on the other hand, started out horrible, but working on the car all race, had the fastest car on the track at the end of the race and finished 2nd, putting him ahead of Kyle Busch on points.

Top Ten Recap:
1. Clint Boywer - started 4 - up 1 position to 7th
2. Jeff Gordon - started 2 - up 1 position to 12th
3. Mark Martin - started 6 - remains in 26th
4. Tony Stewart - started 28 - remains in 10th
5. Matt Kesnseth - started 1 -  remains in 3rd
6. Jeff Burton - started 20 - up 1 position to 19th
7. Brad Keslowski - started 10 - up 1 position to 5th
8. Ryan Newman - started 14 - up 1 position to 16th
9. Greg Biffle - started 23 - remains the Leader
10. Kevin Harvick - started 13 - remains in 9th

Race for Chase:
1. Greg Biffle - starting 5th in Chase
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - starting 7th in Chase
3. Matt Kenseth - starting 8th in Chase
4. Jimmie Johnson - starting 2nd in Chase
5. Brad Keslowski - starting 4th in Chase
6. Martin Truex Jr. - starting 10th in Chase
7. Clint Bowyer - starting 6th in Chase
8. Denny Hamlin - starting 1st in Chase
9. Kevin Harvick - starting 9th in Chase
10. Tony Stewart - starting 3rd in Chase
11. Kasey Kahne - starting 11th in Chase
12. Jeff Gordon - starting 12th in Chase

Congratulation to the top 12 drivers racing for the Championship

Next Race - Chicagoland - Geico 400 - Sunday - September 18, 2012 - 1 pm est

Have a Wonderful Week!!!
Take Care
Barbara

NASCAR - Atlanta

Night Racing is awesome... All races should be night racing, night time just adds so much more excitement. Let's face it stock car racing was born and raised on Saturday nights. Denny Hamlin had a very dominate car all race. Martin Truex Jr. hated seeing that last caution in which Jamie McMurray hit the wall cutting down a tire and at the same time erasing the lead Truex had over second place. Coming out of the pits in second and spinning his tires on the restart of the Green, white, checkered,  Truex posted a 4th place finish.

Congratulations Denny Hamlin!!! Second win in as many weeks, putting you at the top of the heap when starting the Chase in two weeks, the only two drivers that can take that coveted position from you with a win next week at Richmond would be Jimmie Johnson or Brad Keslowski.
Plenty of racing and passing this race. Long green flag runs at the beginning took a lot of cars off the lead lap, down to 10 cars at one point in the race but with 3 cautions within in 28 laps 22 cars finished on the lead lap.

Top Ten Recap:
1. Denny Hamlin - started 7 - up 1 position to 7th
2. Jeff Gordon - started 5 - up 1 position to 13th
3. Brad Keslowski - started 21 - up 1 position to 6th
4. Martin Truex Jr. - started 28 - remains in 5th
5. Kevin Harvick - started 24 - remains in 9th
6. Kyle Busch - started 3 - up 1 position to 12th
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - started 35 - up 1 position to 2nd
8. Paul Menard - started 18 - up 2 positions to 15th
9. Matt Kenseth - started 4 - up 1 position to 3rd
10. Mark Martin - started 6th - up 2 positions to 26th

Race for the Chase:
1. (5) Greg Biffle - finished 15th
2. (6)Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 7th - up 1 position
3. (7)Matt Kenseth - finished 9th - up 1 position
4. (2)Jimmie Johnson - finished 34th - down 2 positions
5. (9)Martin Truex Jr. - finished 4th
6. (3)Brad Keslowski  - finished 3rd - up 1 position
7. (1)Denny Hamlin - WINNER - up 1 position
8. (8)Clint Bowyer - finished 27th - down 2 position
9. (10)Kevin Harvick - finished 5th
10. (4)Tony Stewart - finished 22nd
11. Kasey Kahne - finished 23rd
12. Kyle Busch - finished 6th - up 1 position

The number in ( ) is where they will start the Chase
With just Richmond left before the Chase the top 9 have secured a position in the chase on points. Tony Stewart has a position in the Chase but must finished 13th or better in Richmond to have a top ten position instead of a Wild Card.
Jeff Gordon, 13th, Marcos Ambrose, 16th, Ryan Newman, 17th and Joey Lagano 18th will be running for the win next week in Richmond anything less will not put them in the Chase. Jeff Gordon the only driver with the outside chance of finishing far enough of Kyle Busch to take over the 12th position..
GOING TO BE AN EXCITING RACE NEXT WEEK. Lots going to be happening all night...

Next Race - Richmond International Speedway - Federated Auto Parts 400 - Saturday, September 8, 2012 - 7pm

Have a Wonderful Week!!!
Take Care
Barbara