Nascar Race #25 - Treading Water At The Lady In Black

[GA_Boater]

The lady in question is Hermine. I'm not going to bother with the schedule from MRN because it's all shambles now. All Darlington activities for Friday are cancelled because the weather forecast is currently for over 6.5 inches of rain. They will need more than wipers and rain tires. Pontoons and bilge pumps is more like it. The X-Men and Cup fields have been set by points.

Weather Update - From the time I started writing this until I was ready to post it, the forecast rainfall total for Friday is up another inch to 7.5.

Kevin Harvick has the pole position and Cup will have two practices on Saturday, with the race at 6PM Sunday. X-Men will have one practice Saturday with race still scheduled for 3:30 PM.

Want some better news? The Truck race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park has great weather for Saturday and Sunday. :smile:

This week and next are the last two races in the Race To The Chase. 13 drivers are currently in the Chase with at least 1 win., including Buescher who has gained enough points to get to the 30th place cut line, for now anyway. Here is the Chase grid with the two remaining races;





News and Notes

• This is the 2nd year of Darlington sponsoring throwback everything. Paint schemes, uniforms and anything that was part of the1974-85 era of Nascar. Even NBC is in the swing of things, with Ken Squires and Ned Jarrett calling some of the race.
• Nascar has no issues with the exuberant celebration Kyle Larson had after winning his first race in 99 attempts at Michigan. After Hamlin won a few weeks ago and burned his car down, Nascar said they were looking into controlling some of these celebrations.
• 12 teams flunked inspections with Keso losing 10 points for failing the post-race laser testing, along with 10 owner points and a 10 grand crew chief fine.
• TV ratings - Michigan was the 3rd lowest rated race this year, no Olympics, but competition from NFL preseason games ate into TV viewersgip.

iBOATS Fantasy Live

The Admiral, BluesCrew enjoyed a lovely breakfast in bed for winning her first iFL race this year. Of course, the breakfast tray had her :first: front and center.

Trackchick Stars added to the overall lead, with Vertical Pedal dropping a few more point behind.​

Time is running out with 14 races left in the season, Take your best shot to improve your standings. Good luck!

Humpty

 

[GA_Boater]

Hendrick just announced that Dale Jr. will sit out the rest of the season with Gordon and Bowman splitting driving chores in the remaining races. Gordon will fill in at Darlington, Richmond, Dover and Martinsville, while Bowman will drive the #88 in the other 8 races.

I'm not surprised because the previous Dale updates never sounded very optimistic. He's made a sad, but smart decision. I guess the next thing is whether Dale will race again?

 

[GA_Boater]

Ricky Craven is also wondering about the end of Jr's career. Craven had a few concussions during his career.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=17448539

 

[WIMUSKY]

Doesn't surprise me either. If he was smart, and I believe he is, Jr will hang it up.......

 

[GA_Boater]

Dale's bride to be may have some input on driving next year. :noidea:

 

[boatman37]

kinda agree with Craven. not sure we will see him in a race car again. no reason to. he has had a remarkable career even without a Cup championship. why risk it? i hope i'm wrong and he recovers 100% but not sure that will happen

 

[GA_Boater]

It looks like a good day for racing at Darlington, unlike the 5.5" + rainy day yesterday.

About 45 minutes before the green flag for the X-Men. Pre-race just started on NBC.

 

[GA_Boater]

Elliott Sadler held off Denny Hamlin for a real X-Man winner at Darlington. :thumb:

Sadler is currently the top seed for the the new X-Chase playoffs with 2 races left.

Trucks race tomorrow @2:30PMish in Canada, followed by Cup @6PMish back at Darlington.

 

[GA_Boater]

Truck race was a split decision. At the bell John Nemechek and Cole Custer were battling in a G-W-C finish, taking their trucks into the dirt. The finish took a few minutes to sort out, finally awarding the victory to Nenechek. As explained by Nascar.com, this happened;

On the final lap Custer and Nemechek battled side-by-side, eventually taking their trucks off the course and into the dirt. The race's winner wasn't announced until minutes after the checkered flag fell. Before Nemechek was announced the winner, the No. 8 driver went to grab the checkered flag, but was interuptted by Custer's tackling him.

Coverage of the Cup race at The Track Too Tough To Tame starts @6PM on NBC.

 

[GA_Boater]

Green flag! Who gets the first Darlington Stripe?

 

[GA_Boater]

It took 17 laps for Harvick to start lapping the tail of the lead lap.

 

[GA_Boater]

First caution at lap 96. Bayne spins when trying to pit.

 

[GA_Boater]

Lap 150 - Harvick has led 105 laps and Keso led 45. 20 cars on the lead lap. 2 cautions, one for Bayne and 1 for Scott. 2 pit road speeders and one call in for unapproved body mods - Johnson during a pit stop.

 

[GA_Boater]

3rd yellow when Scott is manhandled into the wall by Stewart.

 

[GA_Boater]

#4 for Johnson spinning and rubbing the nose against the inside wall. To the garage.

 

[GA_Boater]

And the 5th caution for the other Earnhardt, Jeff, for slowing on the track.

 

[GA_Boater]

The Biff gains a stripe for yellow #6

 

[GA_Boater]

The Dinger rubs on Blaney, Blaney scrapes the wall and The Dinger dings his car for #7.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Texas is trying to upset ND...... Go Texas!!!!

 

[GA_Boater]

The Admiral is watching ND/Texas. She is a Texas girl.