Gee. just like the old days at RTP… sort of.
Anyway, throwing this together on the fly, so bear with. Richmond is my favorite track among those where the Cupsters run. Just the right length, just the right amount of banking. Would that all tracks were like this.
Richmond tends to reward drivers who best combine aggression and control; a/k/a NASCAR’s best drivers. You know… Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson. Kyle Busch, not so much. (Well, that’ll probably guarantees he wins tonight.)
Hopefully the rain will hold off tonight and we’ll get the whole race in. Hopefully we’ll get a good race, with passing up front and stuff.
Updates during the race.
Green Flag: Boogity Boogity Boogity! Let’s go… um… er… let me get back to you.
Lap 7: Okay, now we’re racing.
Lap 17: And we’re back after Blaney goes bye-bye. Vickers and J. Gordon run first and second with Shrub moving up. As we’re being told by FOX. Repeatedly.
Lap 46: J. Gordon leads nicely. Happy boy!
Lap 56: All is right with the world: Gordon is leading… and complaining about his car.
Lap 72: Hamlin pressing Gordon hard for the lead. Good thing TrackPass is actually working, as we’re at commercial.
Lap 75: And as I write that, Hamlin and Kurt Busch scoot past Gordon.
Lap 119: And after some browser issues, we’re back. Hamlin continues to lead and looks strong. Then again, we’ve seen this movie here before…
Lap 147: And now it’s Kurt Busch’s turn to lead.
Lap 151: All right, who threw the can of Budweiser on the infield? Oh… sorry, Kasey…
Lap 169: Enterprise to Duck: set phasers on spin… er, stun.
Lap 192: Well, now Jimmie Johnson’s crew will have time to fix that brake fluid lead.
Lap 176: And we’re back. Hamlin still in the lead. Behind him are battling bushes.
Lap 199: And we’re back, as the old man down the road sits third behind Hamlin and Kurt Busch, smiling.
Lap 238: This is getting good. Newman past Truex for the lead, bumping and banging behind them.
Lap 248: Aw fudge. Rain is coming.
Lap 271: Hamlin continues to lead… and there’s the yellow.
Lap 276: WHOO-HOO! Jeff’s up to second after a terrific pit stop behind Newman. Hamlin had a slip-up on pit road (dropped lugnut) and is back in eighth.
Lap 285: Sliced Bread versus the Biff, with Biffle getting the worst of it. Caution.
Lap 292: Wild restart. David Ragan (down a lap) pushes Jeff Gordon nearly into the wall and he loses positions. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick gets one of his tires cuts down and hits the wall. Caution.
Lap 301: Newman and Kyle Busch fighting for the lead with Jeff Gordon right behind.
Lap 307: And Hornish punts Marcos Ambrose. Thanks, Sam. /sacrasm off
Lap 310: Why on earth did Jeff Gordon stay on track when everyone else pitted? This does not bode well for the 24.
Lap 315: Man, I hate seeing Mark Martin spun. Still not seeing how Jeff Gordon’s gamble is going to pay off.
Lap 326: Multi-car mess. Caution.
Lap 332: This race is NASCAR’s answer to the Celtics and Bulls.
Lap 345: Yet another caution. Kyle Busch now up to fourth. Difficult to see how anyone’s going to hold him off.
Lap 357: Kyle Busch scoots away. And yet another caution. Barring something bizarre happening, Shrub has this in the bag. Which I pretty much knew would happen since I dismissed him before the race started.
Lap 370: If there’s a caution soon, this could get interesting. Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart are blasting their way through the field.
Lap 377: Please let there be a caution. Please. Please oh please oh please.
Lap 385: Stewart now second. PLEASE let there be a caution.
Checkered Flag: Okay. Officially, REALLY sick to death of Kyle Busch and all the slobbering over him.
G’night.
Kyle?
Just Jinxed your boy Dude.
(sigh) It’s early.
Were… until Blaney spun without help
PLEASE, can that stupid commercial!