NASCAR - Fontana - Auto Club 500

Fontana California - Auto Club 500 - The last 80 laps were exciting, with 3 caution flags and 3 restarts kept you guessing on what the outcome would be. Joey Lagano and Denny Hamlin went at it again, watching them bump and bang each other, you just wondered when they would put each other out. Kyle Busch just waited until the end, knowing there was a good chance they would turn each other. Taking the sweep in Fontana. Denny Hamlin went hard into the inside wall and is hospitalized, but it was said he is fine.There were 24 cars that finished the race on the lead lap.

Congratulations Kyle Busch!!! You had the car to beat all day today. Even if Lagano and Hamlin hadn't wreck they would have had their hands full the last half lap trying to keep you behind them. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to have passed the most cars today. Having a bad pit stop, rendering him back in 24th on the restart he flew that car to the 9th position before the next two cautions and the next 2 set of tires, that made him loose. The last pit stop, his restart volted him into the top 10, finishing the race in second, giving him the points lead.

Top Ten Recap:
1. Kyle Busch - started 4 - up 4 positions to 6th
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - started 15 - up 1 position to 1st
3. Joey Lagano - started 6 - up 3 positions to 9th
4. Carl Edwards - started 24 - up 1 position to 4th
5. Kurt Busch - started 10 - up 3 positions to13th
6. Greg Biffle - started 2 - down 1 position to 5th
7. Matt Kenseth - started 5 - up 2 positions to 11th
8. Paul Menard - started 27 - up 1 position to 8th
9. Kasey Kahne - started 16 - remains in 7th
10. Ryan Newman - started 20 - up 3 positions to 20th

Race for the Chase:
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 2nd - up 1 position
2. Brad Keslowski - finished 23rd - down 1 position
3. Jimmie Johnson - finished 12th
4. Carl Edwards - finished 4th - up 1 position
5. Greg Biffle - finished 6th - down 1 position
6. Kyle Busch - WINNER - up 4 positions
7. Kasey Kahne - finished 9th
8. Paul Menard - finished 8th - up 1 position
9. Joey Lagano - finished 3rd - up 3 positions
10. Denny Hamlin - finished 25th - down 4 positions
11. Matt Kenseth - finished 7th - up 2 positions
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - finished 20th - down 1 position

Kyle Busch was the biggest mover gaining 4 positions to 6th after Winning the Auto Club 500.
Clint Bowyer finished 35th after blowing his engine dropping him 10 positions to 14th.

Next race - Martinsville Speedway - STP Gas Booster 500 - Sunday April 7, 2013 - 1 pm est.

Week off next week for Easter.
Have a very Happy Easter All!!!

See you in a couple of weeks
Have a Wonderful couple of Weeks
Take Care
Barbara

NASCAR - Bristol - Food City 500

Bristol one of my most favorite tracks. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see a lot of the race today. Between watching my grand kids and an AWESOME surprise visit from my nephew Charlie and his girlfriend Janessa, I only caught bits and pieces of the race. What I did see was actually some pretty good racing. It was definitely hard to pass, but that made it for an interesting race. Jeff Gordon had a rough time, leading the race he blows a tire and heads for the wall and gathers up Matt Kenseth at full speed in the process. Losing himself 8 position in the points and Matt 6 kicking Matt out of the top 12 to 13th, but because of his 1 win still keeps him in the chase. 

I do have to say Darrell Waltrip knows his stuff, when analysing what was going on with Tony Stewart at the beginning of the race, he no sooner said Tony has a left rear tire going down, Tony blew that tire and hit wall, sending him to the garage area. 

Congratulations Kasey Kahne!!!The racing at the end of race between Kasey Kahne, Brad Keslowski and Busch Brothers. Even though the last few laps Kasey extended his lead, Keslowski and the Busch Brothers made the race for second worth the watch. Everyone had a whoa moment during the race, car going sideways, some saving some not. Denny Hamlin and Joey Lagano had an incident on the race track and decided to confront each other at the end of the race. 

Top Ten Recap:

1. Kasey Kahne - started 2 - up 7 positions to 7th

2. Kyle Busch - started 1 - up 7 positions to 10th

3. Brad Keslowski - started 7 - up 1 position to 1st

4. Kurt Busch - started 19 - up 13 positions to 16 

5. Clint Bowyer - started 23 - up 5 positions to 4th

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.  - started 22 - up 1 position 2nd

7. Ryan Newman - started 31 - up 8 positions to 23rd

8. Bryan Vickers - started 4 - remains in 45th

9. Paul Menard - started 5 - up 3 positions 9th

10. Jamie McMurray - started 6 - up 7 positions to 14th

Race for the Chase:

1. Brad Keslowski - finished 3rd - up 1 positions 

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 6th - up 1 position 

3. Jimmie Johnson - finished 22nd - down 2 positions

4. Clint Bowyer - finished 5th - up 5 positions

5. Greg Biffle - finished 11th - up 3 positions 

6. Denny Hamlin - finished 23rd

7. Kasey Kahne - WINNER - up 7 positions

8. Carl Edwards - finished 18th - down 3 position

9. Paul Menard - finished 9th - up 3 positions

10. Kyle Busch - finished 2nd - up 7 positions

11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - finished 16th

12. Joey Lagano - finished 17th - up 3 positions

Matt Kenseth in 13th positions with 1 win would be the 1st wild card (11th position) knocking Joey Lagano out of the chase. 

Kurt Busch was the highest mover this week up 13 positions to 16th and Aric Almirola was the biggest loser, losing 10 positions to 20th, finishing 37th after an accident.

Next Race - Fontana CA - Auto Club Speedway - Auto Club 400 - Sunday March 24, 2013 - 3 pm est. 

Have a Wonderful Week!!!

Take Care

Barbara 

NASCAR - Las Vegas - Kobalt Tools

Happy 41st Birthday Matt Kenseth and Congratulations on your Kobalt Tools 400 win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Only 1 of 2 drivers who have ever won on their birthdays, following Cale Yarlborough, twice, 1977 and 1983 and Kyle Busch in 2009.

Las Vegas provide some racing this week. There was passing including for the lead. One time during the race TV coverage did show the drivers get 4 wide for a few seconds going into a corner. Kasey Kahne dominated the first part of the race, leading the most laps, but with great pit strategy Kenseth and his new Joe Gibbs Racing crew led the most of final 40 laps, keeping Kasey at bay for the win. This was Matt's 3rd Las Vegas win and his 3rd race for Joe Gibbs Race.
Top Ten Recap:
1. Matt Kenseth - started 18 - up 11 positions to 7th
2. Kasey Kahne - started 4th - up 17 positions to 14th
3. Brad Keslowski - started 1 - up 1 position to 2nd
4. Kyle Busch - started 13 - up 16 positions to 17th
5. Carl Edwards - started 16 - up 6 positions to 5th
6. Jimmie Johnson - started 3 - remain in 1st
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - started 12 - down 1 positions to 3rd
8. Martin Truex Jr. - started 11 - up 12 positions to 22nd
9 Kevin Harvick - started 8 - up 11 positions to 19th
10. Paul Menard - started - up 5 positions to 12th

Race for the Chase:
1. Jimmie Johnson - finished 6th
2. Brad Keslowski - finished 3rd - up 1 position
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 7th - down 1 position
4. Denny Hamlin - finished 15th
5. Carl Edwards - finished 5th - up 6 positions
6. Mark Martin - finished 14th - up 1 position
7. Matt Kenseth - WINNER - up 11 positions
8. Greg Biffle - finished 17th - down 2 positions
9. Clint Bowyer - finished 27th - down 4 positions
10. Aric Almirola - finished 16th
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - finished 18th - down 2 positions
12. Paul Menard - finished 10th - up 5 positions

Biggest movers up this race were
Kasey Kahne up 17 positions to 14th - finishing 2nd
Kyle Busch up 16 positions to 17th - finishing 4th
Kevin Harvick - up 11 positions to 19th - finishing 9th
Matt Kenseth - up 11 positions to 7th - WINNER
Biggest mover down was:
Ryan Newman - down 11 positions - finishing 38th after blowing an engine

Next Race - Bristol Motor Speedway - Food City 500 - Sunday March 17, 2013 - 1 pm est

Have a Wonderful Week
Take Care

Barbara

NASCAR - Phoenix Subway Fresh Fit 500

Phoenix Racing wasn't so bad. A lot better than last week. There was racing to be found.  A few cautions at the beginning and middle of the race and just one more coming with only 3 laps to go. Carl Edwards broke a 70 race winless streak and lead 122 laps, catapulting him into 11th in the Race for the Chase. Did not forget how to do his back flips either. The mile track seemed to be a little better for these Generation 6 cars. A few popped tires caused most of the cautions. The cars seem to come apart quite easily as proved again this week with the Danica Patrick wreck... She blew a tire and David Gilliland ran up over her and both cars seemed to just break apart. This may be what NASCAR needs to look into also.

Congratulations Carl Edwards!!! You held your own the last few laps of the race even though the threat of running out gas loomed in the back of your mind. Good to see that signature back flip. You still got it. I enjoyed watching the race today, there was a lot of passing and some good racing. It could get just a tad bit better, with a little more bumping and pushing but I will always enjoy racing.

Top Ten Recap:
1. Carl Edwards - started 15 - up 19 positions to 11th
2. Jimmie Johnson - started 3 - remains in First
3. Denny Hamlin - started 8 - up 9 positions to 4th
4. Brad Keslowski - started 11 - up 1 position  to 3rd
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - started 21 - remains in Second
6. Clint Bowyer - started 13 - up 5 positions to 5th
7. Matt Kenseth - started 9 - up 15 positions to 18th
8. Tony Stewart - started 6 - up 14 positions to 23rd
9. Jeff Gordon - started 5 - up 11 positions to 8th
10. Jeff Burton - started 20 - up 13 positions to 15th

Race for the Chase Recap:
1. Jimmie Johnson - finished 2nd
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 5th
3. Brad Keslowski - finished 4th - up 1 position
4. Denny Hamlin - finished 3rd - up 9 positions
5. Clint Bowyer - finished 6th - up 5 positions
6. Greg Biffle - finished 17th
7. Mark Martin - finished 21 - down 4 positions
8. Jeff Gordon - finished 9th - up 11 position
9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - finished 16th - up 2 positions
10. Aric Almirola - finished 15th - up 2 positions
11. Carl Edwards - WINNER - up 19 positions
12. Marcus Ambrose - finished 18th - up 5 positions

Positions change a lot the first few races of the season. Only 3 positions remained the same this week, Jimmie Johnson in first, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in second and Greg Biffle in 6th.
Danica Patrick finished 39th dropping her out of the top ten down 15 positions to 22nd
Ryan Newman finished 40th dropping him out of the top ten down 15 positions to 20th
Michael McDowell lost the most, not racing he dropped 18 positions to 26th

Next Race - Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Kobalt Tools 400 - March 10, 2013 - 4pm est

Have a Wonderful Week!!!
Take Care!!!
Barbara