Kyle Busch Steals a Nationwide Win From Edwards in the Virginia 529 College Savings 300

The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway Friday night was pretty much Carl Edwards’ for the taking, after dominating most of the race. The fateful blow came when Edwards lost three positions during the final round of pit stops under caution.

Ted Seminara

Kyle Busch won his 51^stNationwide race of his career, his eighth this season in 19 starts by edging Edwards out at the finish line by just .696 seconds., followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Truex and Kenny Wallace rounding out the Top-five.

“Carl was certainly really, really god there, and I thought at first we were probably a third- or fourth-place car, and then kind of worked on it and made it a second- or third-place car,” Busch said. “We were keeping up with Carl, and then, on that final pit stop, my guys really put the pressure on, knowing how quick they’d been on pit road all night — and they did it once again.

“We were able to get off first, and I think Carl came off fourth, so when we had the restart there, he got mired up in traffic there, and that gave us some room to get out … [crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] and these guys made some awesome adjustments all night, making the car a little bit better — just be able to make it a little more drivable. Every run we got closer, and then, there on that last run, we had track position and a good car.”

The battle between Edwards and Busch started on lap three as the two battled for second place behind race leader Brad Keselowski. By lap seven Edwards took over the lead and left the other drivers in his dust.

The first caution flew at lap 65 after Black Koch spun on the frontstretch after a nudge from Aric Amirola. Edwards resumed his lead on lap 79 as the green flag restarted the race. Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Trevor Bayne and Steve Wallace rolled out 2^nd through fifth respectively.

The second caution waved on the very same lap of the restart as Keselowski brushed the wall, followed by a crash in turns three and four between Kevin Harvick and Jason Leffler.

Busch took the lead coming off pit road on lap 85 with Edwards behind in second place. Edwards took back his lead position on lap 87. Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne takes the second position from Busch on lap 114 and has his sights on Edwards.

The yellow flag flew for the third time after Danica Patrick locked up her breaks heading into turn three and spinning Keselowski in the process. The race restarted on lap 143 only to have the caution flag thrown again on the same lap for the second time in the race after Brian Scott and Michael Annett crash in turns three and four. Scott’s car was turned by Amirola, who proved to be none to pleased and attempted to make his way towards Amirola’s car before being retained by a NASCAR official.

Busch retook the lead off of pit road on lap 153, followed once again by a second place Edwards. Just six laps later the yellow flag flew for the fifth time after Eric McClure hot the wall. Busch reigned supreme by taking the lead from Edwards once again on lap 170 but Edwards would not go quietly and reclaimed his number one spot on lap 175.

Kevin Harvick slammed Tevor Bayne, crashing him on the backstretch bring out the race’s sixth caution on lap 209. Busch once again exited pit road in the lead on lap 220, Edwards however exits fourth behind Stenhouse Jr. and Truex. With just 30 laps to go, Edwards would have to give it everything he got to try to regain his lead.

Edwards’ hard charge looked promising as he moved into the top three by lap 226. By lap 235, he dove under Stenhouse Jr. in turn two to move into the second position. It looked as if Edwards would catch Busch as the margin between them whittled down to about eighth tenth of a second by lap 239, but in the end Edwards’ car would not sustain the power to propel him to the finish line first.

Busch celebrated in victory lane, scoring his 51^st Nationwide Series win, extending the driver’s own record for the most in the division’s history. All eyes should be on Busch for the Sprint Cup race Saturday night. He won it last year and is a favorite to sweep the weekend at RIR.

Unofficial Race Results
Virginia 529 College Savings 250, Richmond International Raceway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=27
=========================================
Pos.		No.	Driver	Make	Points
=========================================
1	3	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	0
2	2	60	Carl Edwards	Ford	0
3	6	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford	41
4	10	20	Ryan Truex *	Toyota	40
5	5	9	Kenny Wallace	Toyota	39
6	8	2	Elliott Sadler	Chevrolet	38
7	16	88	Aric Almirola	Chevrolet	37
8	17	32	Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet	36
9	22	31	Justin Allgaier	Chevrolet	35
10	15	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	34
11	26	62	Michael Annett	Toyota	33
12	18	19	Mike Bliss	Chevrolet	32
13	14	70	David Stremme	Chevrolet	0
14	28	51	Jeremy Clements	Chevrolet	31
15	24	1	Mike Wallace	Chevrolet	29
16	7	66	Steve Wallace	Toyota	28
17	38	15	Timmy Hill *	Ford	27
18	32	7	Danica Patrick	Chevrolet	26
19	1	22	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	0
20	13	33	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	0
21	37	28	Derrike Cope	Chevrolet	23
22	39	23	Robert Richardson Jr.	Chevrolet	22
23	40	52	Kevin Lepage	Chevrolet	21
24	41	89	Morgan Shepherd	Chevrolet	20
25	42	39	Luis Martinez Jr.	Ford	19
26	27	30	Ricky Carmichael	Chevrolet	0
27	35	81	Blake Koch *	Dodge	17
28	4	16	Trevor Bayne	Ford	16
29	11	38	Jason Leffler	Chevrolet	15
30	20	14	Eric McClure	Chevrolet	14
31	9	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	0
32	12	11	Brian Scott	Toyota	12
33	21	40	Josh Wise	Chevrolet	11
34	25	141	Johnny Chapman	Chevrolet	10
35	30	171	Matthew Carter	Ford	9
36	23	44	Jeff Green	Chevrolet	8
37	36	175	Carl Long	Ford	7
38	43	142	Tim Andrews	Chevrolet	6
39	34	248	Dennis Setzer	Chevrolet	5
40	19	49	Mark Green	Chevrolet	4
41	31	103	Scott Riggs	Chevrolet	3
42	33	146	Chase Miller	Chevrolet	2
43	29	147	Brian Keselowski	Chevrolet	0

NASCAR Pays Tribute by 'Honoring Our Heroes' with Special Paint Schemes and Remembrance

If there is a NASCAR race being run in Richmond, you will generally find me in the Media Center moonlighting from my “day job.” It allows me to put on a different hat for a couple of days and see the world in a completely different light. Writing about NASCAR is not only a passion, but, at times, a much needed distraction from my full-time career. I am a Paramedic with a background in firefighting. Rarely do my worlds collide, but this weekend, commemorating the tenth anniversary of 9/11 at the track, they did just that.

I listened to drivers share their personal accounts of where they were on Sept. 11, 2001. Denny Hamlin was putting an exhaust on a new car, Kurt Busch was testing in South Carolina and Ryan Newman was listening to a waterproof radio that hung from the shower head while he was bathing that morning. You can’t help but be transported right back to where each of us was that day.

I lived in Arlington, directly across from the Pentagon, I watched it all play out in real time before my eyes. Not knowing what could possibly happen next, I choked back tears as I said my “good-byes” and “I love yous” to my parents on the phone that morning. It seems almost melodramatic now but at the time I was terrified and truly unsure if I’d make it out alive. The anniversary brings back painful memories for me. It remains the worst day of my life.

CIA Stock Photo

Today in the Media Center I was reminded of loss, as Mary Siller Scullin recounted her brother’s life, a New York Firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001. Stephen Siller was off that day preparing for a game of golf with friends when he heard the news that the World Trade Center had been attacked. Instinctively, he grabbed his gear, threw it into his truck and made his way towards the burning towers. When he arrived at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it had already been closed to vehicular traffic, so Siller put his 75 pound gear on his back and ran through the tunnel to the towers to help  rescue his fellow New Yorkers.

Siller lost his life when the towers collapsed leaving behind his wife, five children and five siblings to carry on his memory and share his story. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, was started by his brother Frank to honor his fallen sibling. It is a charitable organization set up to follow in the footsteps of this true American hero.

Drivers David Gilliland, Danica Patrick, Greg Biffle, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joined Howard Hitchcock, Vice President of Lionel NASCAR Collectibles, to present a $125 thousand dollar check to Mary Suller Scullin, Vice President of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

One of the primary missions of the Foundation is to help military members who have been seriously injured and sacrificed the quality of their lives in the line of duty.  The Foundation is currently in the process of building “smart homes” for three servicemen who suffered the loss of both arms and legs during combat but lived to share their stories.

Two of the three gentlemen were on hand, US Army Specialist Brendan Marrocco and USMC Corporal Todd Nicely. Scullin earmarked the donation to be used for the construction of a customized home for Nicely. Marrocco’s home was finished in June.

“It’s not every day that you get to do something so important for America’s finest heroes on an anniversary that’s so meaningful to our country,” said Hitchcock. “I’m proud of our team, we worked extremely hard to put the Honoring Our Heroes program together and we hope this donation and the funds that follow it will go a long way towards finishing Todd’s new home. “

The check was the first installment of the proceeds from Lionel NASCAR Collectibles “Honoring Our Heroes” die-cast program.  Eight drivers will run a special “Honoring Our Heroes” pain scheme this weekend. Each of those cars will honor those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attack as well as our nation’s military heroes. During the Nationwide race, look for the special paint schemes on the cars of Danica Patrick, Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.. David Gilliland, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray will their “Honoring Our Heroes” cars on Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race.

“When we first talked to Lional NASCAR about the possibility of drivers racing with out Foundation’s name on the cars, we had no idea it would be this big,” said Scullin. “Today, as I see these drivers and all these cars I am overwhelmed with emotion. On September 11, 2001, my brother Stephen sacrificed his life for his fellow Americans and he would be honored to know that his legacy is making such a difference in the lives of young men like Brendan and Todd.”

After the presentation of the check, Scullin presented each of the drivers a small piece of metal from the World Trade Center stamped with the words “W.T.C. 9/11 Never Forget” and the number 343 in honor of the 343 firefighters who died that day.  She reminded the drivers that the metal was special because her brother’s body was never recovered, so each piece of that metal held a piece of Stephen’s spirit and hoped that it would help to keep each of them safe.

Each of the drivers acknowledged the “gift” with great humility and thanks. They not only recognized the lives lost, but applauded the fact that even though all those firefighters lost their lives running into the face of danger, the disabled servicemen who sat before them knew that they could face death or dismemberment but they still signed up to simply “do their jobs” and if given the chance would do it all again.

It is refreshing to see that our NASCAR heroes have heroes of their own.

NASCAR We've Got Us a Situation Here: Jersey Shore's 'Snooki" Will Not Wave the Green Flag at Richmond International Raceway

With R. Lee Ermey serving as the Grand Marshal and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi from MTV’s hit show, Jersey Shore originally selected to wave the green flag at the start of this weekend’s Sprint Cup race in Richmond, it seemed fitting that Wonderful Pistachios was the sponsor because it got fans wondering if NASCAR had gone nuts!

The “Wonderful Pistachios 400” takes to the track at Richmond International Raceway on the very same weekend of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Fans want patriotism and respect in remembrance of a day that changed our lives forever, not a comical farce!

It just so happens that both Ermey and Snooki are spokespeople for Wonderful Pistachios, so along with the race naming rights, they probably come as a packaged deal. The company also employs a variety of other personalities in their commercials, such as Chad Ocho Cinco, but with the NFL season kicking off this week he was probably too busy focusing on his new team and all. Wee-Man couldn’t commit unless he was given a guarantee to wave the flag in a “Jackass” worthy stunt, say from the track’s actual start/finish line and not the actual flag stand and that Keyboard Cat probably had a gig somewhere at a local ASPCA. So we get what we get.

That being said, I actually do get Ermey, who is best known for his portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in “Full Metal Jacket.” Before becoming an actor, Ermey served in the US Marine Corps for 11 years. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and after injuries forced to retire in 1971, he was later bestowed the honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant after serving 14 months in Vietnam and two tours in Okinawa, Japan.

Despite his larger than life, often abrasive on screen persona, he was first and foremost a decorated soldier who fought for our country, he deserves to be honored as well as honor those who continue to fight for our freedom. But Snooki? That’s a whole other situation all together.

By right, Virginia is known as one of the Southern states and no matter how hard NASCAR tries to diversify the image; it is a sport that originated in the south and still carries with it a certain charm found only in it’s culture. The mere presence of Snooki, a girl whose ultimate dream is to “move to Jersey, find a nice, juiced, hot, tanned guy and live her life” could prove unsettling to your average NASCAR crowd, but look a little deeper and you will find a heart of gold in that pint-sized pixie. Snooki, the daughter of a volunteer New York firefighter will “pay tribute to to firefighters by passing the flag-waving duties to Frank Siller, founder of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation,” as stated in a RIR press release on Thursday.

Stephen Siller was a FDNY firefighter, who died after running through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001, left behind five children. Frank Siller honored his heroic brother by starting the Tunnels to Towers Foundation bearing his sibling’s name to help children who have tragically lost parents.”My brother dedicated his life to helping people, and he lost his life helping people,” said Frank Siller, “If he was still here, he’d be doing more than any of us.”

Thank you Snooki for doing the right thing, you’ve made a lot of us NASCAR fans proud.

To be fair, this self-professed “Guidette,” (the feminine form of “Guido’), who will still be in attendance on behalf of her sponsor, was probably wondering just what she had gotten herself into as she prepared to do her thing in front of what she probably viewed as thousands of rowdy rednecks. Look, by stereotype alone, born and bred in the south with an inherent love of NASCAR and all things that involve a tractor, I could easily be type-casted as a “redneck.” I know that we’re a tough crowd, but are we really all that different?

Yankee vs. Rebel. “Yous guys” vs. “Y’all.” Sure, they’ve got Springsteen and we’ve got Skynyrd, but the truth is both bands rock in the name of the USA and isn’t that what it’s really all about? By God, we’re Americans, free to express ourselves as we see fit. So instead of hating on all of the little idiosyncrasies, let’s celebrate our similarities.

We both have funny accents.

We both have the potential for big hair. Seriously, you think Jersey girls are bad? Try visiting Texas sometime!

We’re both loud, unruly drunks. They call it a bender, while we lovingly refer to it as tailgating.

They have their trashy tanning salons and well, we have Wal-Mart.

On Jersey Shore they like to throw out the phrase “G.T.L. Baby! Gym, tan, laundry.” We ‘necks prefer “G.T.O. Darlin’! Grand Turismo Omologato.”

Snooki has friends named “The Situation,” Jwoww and Pauly D.  While some of us have a father, who also doubles as our uncle, first and second cousin, as well as a nephew.

In 2010 Snooki was arrested for “disorderly conduct.” How can we possibly judge knowing that many of us have been witness to some foolish girl being escorted out of a race for taking her top off and whipping it wildly, lasso style above her head.

So let’s find away to all get along this weekend people and save making fun for when it really counts, on Sept. 18 when a Caveman will serve as Grand Marshal for the Geico 400 in Chicagoland.  Ah, he makes it look so simple doesn’t he?

NASCAR 'Never Forgets' by Honoring the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11 at Richmond International Raceway

As NASCAR’s last race of the “regular season” draws near, we can’t help but to be cognizant of the fact that Richmond’s September race always falls on or near the anniversary of 9/11. We will never forget that horrific day in 2001, just three days after Ricky Rudd claimed victory in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond International Raceway (RIR), when terrorists systematically attacked our great nation and life as we knew it would change forever.

In the eight races that have run in the Fall since the attack I’ve seen some pretty amazing tributes at the track. RIR has always made a it a point to honor that day, the men and women who were lost, their families who were left behind, the brave Military who fight for our freedom and all First Responders who do the unthinkable each and every day by running into danger while everyone else is running out.

This year as we remember the tenth anniversary, RIR will honor America with what will no doubt be an extremely emotional ceremony. Hundreds of volunteers will be on hand to pass out American flags to all race attendees as they pass through the gates, collect donations for “NASCAR Unites”, part of the 9/11 “I Will” campaign and assist with the distribution and collection of post card messages for First Responders nationwide.

During the pre-race ceremonies, fans will stand in unison with Wounded Warriors, US Army Specialist Brendan Marrocco and Marine Corps Corporal Todd Nicely; who were the first and second Americans to lose all four limbs in combat and survive, as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Danny Rodriguez, who has become know as the “singing policeman from New York City” will sing God Bless America and the U.S. Army’s 29^thInfantry Division Band from Ft. Belvoir, will perform the National Anthem. Fans are encouraged to wave their flags to show their respect and patriotism during the entire pre-race, as well as during the special moment of silence between laps nine and 11.

“Richmond International Raceway is unique in that every year since the 9/11 attacks our September race weekend has fallen on the weekend closest to 9/11,” commented Richmond International Raceway President Dennis Bickmeier.  “It has always been important to us to recognize 9/11 and remember the victims and survivors, but even more so this weekend as we remember the 10^th anniversary of 9/11.  We are proud of our military and first responders; active, former and retired, and we are honored to have so many join us this weekend.  I think our fans will find that this will be the most patriotic pre-race ceremony they have ever been a part of at Richmond International Raceway.”

During driver introductions, each of the Sprint Cup racers will cross the stage and exit into a tunnel of First Responders from Virginia. Each driver will then be partnered with a member of the “Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America” in a Chevrolet Silverado for a lap around the track, each carrying an American flag.

Virginia’s Henrico County Fire Department will display a large American flag from their ladder truck on the apron of the frontstretch, while the Charlottesville Fire Department ladder truck will be on display on the backstretch of the track. Five color guards will present our nations’ flags; Ft. Lee Army will be positioned on the pre-race pad, Central Virginia Combo Fire Team in Turn One, Virginia State Police in Turn Two, Newport News Police in Turn Three and the Naval Ocean Processing Facility in Turn Four.

To culminate the events and recognize the anniversary, fans at the track, television and radio broadcasters and the track announcer will go quiet for a moment of silence between laps nine through 11 to pause and remember the events that unfolded on Sept. 11, 2001.

“NASCAR takes great pride in the patriotism that the sport showcases every race weekend, and the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is a special opportunity for NASCAR to unite and recognize those we lost and honor those who responded with courage,” NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said. “Bringing together the various 9/11 tributes with the NASCAR Unites platform collectively demonstrates the giving nature of NASCAR fans and those who work in our sport.”

Join the 9/11 tribute movement at http://foundation.nascar.com/netcommunity/unites to view gratitude and remembrance by drivers, crews, sponsors, tracks and fans as they honor the tenth year anniversary of 9/11 or to create your own accolade by thanking a First Responder for their service and dedication by sending an online post card.

Never Forget.

Photo Credit: Barry Albert, SpeedwayMedia.com

NASCAR's Last Race Before the Chase: Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting at Richmond International Raceway

This weekend Richmond International Raceway will play host once again to the “Last Race Before the Chase.” Since the introduction of “The Chase for the Sprint Cup” in 2004, Richmond’s September night race has served as the “regular season’s” finale. It generally proves to be one heck of a show as the drivers vie for one of the top-10 coveted Chase spots and/or two of the “Wild Card” positions that will ultimately make up the top-12 who will go on to compete in the season’s 10 race showdown that ultimately determines who the 2011 Sprint Cup champ will be.

Heading into Richmond, nine drivers have already secured their place in the Chase. Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski, who currently hold ones of the two Wild Card positions.  While technically, any driver currently sitting 23rd or better has a chance at one of the remaining three Chase spots, all eyes are focused on a handful of drivers who are expected to get the job done.

As the points stand now heading into the weekend, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin are the favorites to secure those last coveted positions, but fans know that in NASCAR anything can and will happen, nothing is guaranteed.  In order to process it all one must turn to higher math and perhaps a perfect alignment of all the planets to get it a full understanding of just how things could turn out.

With three victories under his belt, Keselowski has clinched himself a safe haven in one of the two Wild Card positions, but depending on his finish in Richmond is still eligible for a Top-10 spot, potentially knocking Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart out of one of the ninth and 10th spots in which they currently sit.

In order to clinch his spot in the Chase, regardless of how any other driver finishes, Earnhardt Jr., who has failed to make the Chase since 2008, must secure a 20th place finish or better, 21st or better and leads at least one lap or 22nd or better and leads the most laps. Regardless of any other driver’s finish, Stewart will clinch his spot by finishing 18th or better, 19th or betting leading one lap and 20th or better leading the most laps.

Got that? Good! It gets a little trickier from here.

Hamlin can seize his Wild Card spot by winning the race on Saturday night. Paul Menard could potentially take that Wild Card should he win the race. Other hopefuls include Marcos Ambrose and David Ragan, who are also eligible for the Wild Card, but each of them would need to take their car to victory AND advance their point standings into the Top-20.

The best of the rest would require a win, a position in the Top-20 and a variety of scenarios and various finishes from the other drivers in order to earn their place in the Chase.

The Chase can be a tough nut to crack, but just as the race, aptly named the “Wonderful Pistachios 400,” will prove in the end; once the tough outer shell has been cracked, the delicious goodness inside makes the fight for the checkered flag that much more worthwhile.

So who’s it going to be? After a two year hiatus, will Earnhardt Jr.’s performance prove worthy of a Chase spot, will Stewart channel that old school intensity that we know and love to hang on to 10th place and will Hamlin, Richmond’s favorite son, kick it into high gear to bring home a win at his hometown track for the third year in a row?

Only time will tell, so have at it boys, Saturday night’s alright for fighting, so get a little action in and give the fans a night to remember!

Photo Credit: Barry Albert, SpeedwayMedia.com

Deja Vu: Kyle Busch Dominates at Richmond International Raceway...Again

It felt like deja vu as Kyle Busch celebrated his birthday in style again by winning the Sprint Cup race at the Richmond International Raceway for the third year in a row, reminding his fans that if ever he should leave them, how could it be in springtime? Busch dominated the track by leading 235 of the 400 laps that made up the “Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400.”

Barry Albert | SpeedwayMedia.com

Hometown hero Denny Hamlin, who won the Nationwide race Friday night finished second, 1.805 seconds behind Busch. Kasey Kahne, David Ragan and Carl Edwards rounded out the top five.

Busch’s dominating win and Hamlin’s potential sweep were hardly the stars of the show as the Friday night lights of the Nationwide Series race made way for the Saturday night fights of the Sprint Cup! The caution flag flew eight times and tempers boiled after debris, spins and accidents littered the race track during the night.

The race started with a bang as pole-sitter, Juan Pablo Montoya led the field to the green flag. Hoping to be a strong contender and looking for a much needed short track win, Montoya held his position until lap 26 when Clint Bowyer slid under the Target Chevrolet and snatched the lead in turn two. The night was ending before it even began for Montoya, as on lap 27, Kasey Kahne shot by him to claim the 2nd spot in the field. Montoya’s hopes were not dashed as much as Robby Gordon’s, who on the same circuit when down a lap, the first of many more to come.

Kyle Busch, who started in the 20th position, cracked the top 10 on lap 31 as countless others continued to lose ground and laps. Tony Raines became the next driver to be lapped by the leaders, followed by Mike Skinner on lap 33. Lap 35 took no prisoners either as Joe Nemechek, J.J. Yeley and Ken Schrader all went a lap down. Shortly there after, all three drivers would take their cars to the garage for individual mechanical problems.

Lap 45 saw the third lead change, as Kahne got around Bowyer for position and lapped the cars of Michael McDowell, Andy Lally, David Stremme and Landon Cassill in the following ten laps. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin, who started 11th, strategically made his way through the pack as did Martin Truex Jr., who after starting 21st on the grid, claimed the 12th position on lap 64.

Laps 66-71 weren’t kind to Dave Blaney, Kurt Busch, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcos Ambrose, who each got an eyeful of the No. 4 Toyota’s rear bumper as each went a lap down. Red Bull gave Kahne wings, but only until lap 73 when Hamlin took over the lead as both drivers crossed the start-finish line.

With no caution in sight, drivers continued to falter on the lead lap and are picked off one by one by the lead pack. Travis Kvapil, David Gilliland are victimized by the race leader on lap 75, followed by Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte on lap 79 and Jimmie Johnson on lap 83.

After a cycle of green-flag pit stops, only 21 cars were on the lead lap. The top five in the field are, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne. The first yellow flag waved on lap 106 as Ryan Newman got into Montoya, sending the No. 42 into the wall, scattering debris on the track. The leaders hit pit road as Earnhardt, Labonte and Kvapil opt for the wave around to regain position on the lead lap.

Kyle Busch brings the field to green on lap 115 and claimed the lead as they went four-wide on the restart. Bowyer, Hamlin, Martin and Kahne make up the top five, but not for long. Jeff Gordon suddenly came on strong just three laps later taking the third position away from Bowyer on lap 118 while Busch and Hamlin fought for the lead with a 1.6 second lead over Gordon.

Montoya’s injured machine is shown in the 22nd position on lap 132, but can’t hang with the leaders for long. His car along with Labonte’s Toyota Camry go a lap down on 144. As the race progressed, lap 169 would see both Paul Menard and Brad Keselowski lapped by the leader of the pack, Kyle Busch.

Caution comes out for the second time on lap 185 for debris from Kurt Busch’s Shell/Pennzoil Dodge after hitting the wall in turn two on lap 184. Earnhardt Jr. receives the “lucky dog” pass and is back on the lead lap. The leaders hit pit road for fuel, tires and minor adjustments.

Busch brought the field to green once again on lap 193, followed by Hamlin, Martin, Gordon and Bowyer. The No. 18 Toyota Camry jumped out in front to maintain the lead while Hamlin lost the second spot to Gordon. Setting his sights on number one, Gordon dove to the inside of Busch on lap 200 and took the lead like he stole it, but like another thief in the night, Busch stole it back three laps later.

Predictions were made on lap 208 as Newman began expressing worry that Montoya might try to retaliate on the track for contact made between the drivers, bringing out the night’s first caution. It was a premonition that would prove true, on lap 236 Montoya served his revenge by sending Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet around and into the wall. Kurt Busch, unable to slow down, hit Newman damaging both cars and bringing out the caution for the third time.

Hamlin brings the field to green on lap 244, followed by Kyle Busch, Gordon, Truex Jr., and Bowyer. Busch jumps the restart and is forced to slow down, while Montoya is warned by NASCAR to run clean for the remainder of the race or he will be parked. An irate Newman could be heard on the radio wondering why Montoya hadn’t been penalized for what he thought was an “intentional retaliation,” but vowed to settle their differences after the race and not on the track.

Truex Jr. made a bold move that took him from the fourth position to the lead on lap 246 just before the caution flag flew for the fourth time on lap 255. Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano were recognized for the first time during the race, but sadly not because of their flawless driving abilities. Johnson got into Logano in turn two, spinning the Home Depot Toyota and sending him into the wall. It was however a much needed break for Tony Stewart who received the free pass and was back on the lead lap.

The green flag waved again on lap 264 with a slight change in lineup. Matt Kenseth brought the field to the green, followed by David Reutimann, Kahne, Carl Edwards and Hamlin. Barely making it across the start-finish line, the yellow flag came out for the fifth time as Casey Mears spun in turn one during the restart. Jeff Burton receives the free pass and is back on the lead lap. Brian Vickers, in the 19th spot, is the highest-running car to pit.

Whoever said that cautions breed cautions wasn’t lying! The green flag waved again on lap 270 and it almost isn’t worth it to mention who the top five were because nine laps later the yellow flag waved for the sixth time as Brad Keselowski and Landon Cassill got into each other in turn two, spinning Keselowski’s blue deuce, but avoided any contact with the wall.

By now you know the drill, some cars pitted, while others opted to stay out. Let’s continue, we still have over 100 laps to go!

Hamlin brought the field to the green on lap 284, followed by Truex Jr., Kenseth, Busch and Kahne. Busch wasted no time jumping from fourth to second before wrestling with teammate Hamlin for the lead.

Keselowski spun again on lap 292, bringing out the caution for the seventh time. Johnson gets the free pass and is back on the lead lap. The field restarts on lap 299 as the drivers manage to bunch up four wide causing many of the leaders to get in to one another. The caution is back out on lap 301 after Gordon’s car spun out after contact from Kenseth and slamming hard into the corner of the inside wall , knocking the wind out of the driver of the DuPont Chevrolet. Along with Gordon, Menard, Martin, Reutimann, Labonte, McMurray and Kenseth all suffer damage while that sneaky Dave Blaney gets the free pass and got back on the lead lap.

Menard and Reutimann hit pit road on lap 307 for repairs, while Gordon’s car is towed off the track, his night is over, finishing a dismal 39th.

The green flag waved again with fresh faced lineup on lap 313. Jeff Burton lead the field, followed by Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Busch and Hamlin. Earnhardt Jr. spun the tires of the National Guard Chevrolet during the restart unveiling an opportunity for Busch to move into the 2nd position. Three laps later Busch passed Burton for the lead and never looked back!

With less than 40 laps to go, the discussion turned to fuel strategy. Who could make it and who couldn’t? Busch’s camp said it was “iffy” that he could make it to the end. Truex Jr. could make it to lap 399. Hamlin could make it to 400. Kahne could make it. Burton and Earnhardt Jr. could not make it and would have to pit.

We will never know if perhaps Truex Jr. could have squeezed out an extra lap of fuel, on lap 371 he pitted for a tire going down. He was black-flagged for missing a lug nut taking him out of contention for what was undoubtedly a great run for he and his crew. Add insult to injury, after his pit stop, he was penalized with a “pass-through penalty” after exiting pit road too fast.

On lap 382, Busch put Biffle and Blaney a lap down leaving 13 cars on the lead lap. Burton then went a lap down because he had to pit for fuel on lap 384. Harvick would be the next to be lapped on 388. Earnhardt Jr. pitted on lap 390 for fuel, leaving only 10 cars on the lead lap.

The last ten laps of the race went off without a hitch. Despite Hamlin showing to be a “little faster” on the track, Busch maintained his lead and took the checkered flag for the third consecutive year. Hamlin finished second, followed by Kahne, Ragan and Edwards.