NNS Watkins Glen Int'l - Zippo 200
Jess
RESULTS
1. Marcos Ambrose
15. David
30. Dale Jr. (4 LD)
No rain tires this weekend!
When the green fell David was deep in the field but immediately began picking his way through the pack. I was very impressed watching him gain positions just about every time the scoring loop would come around!
Brandon was out early, after eight laps. No surprise there...
It's just really disappointing that someone as talented as him would be with a start-and-park team. Chris Cook also ended up in the garage (as did teammate and MWR driver Michael McDowell, another road course expert) without making a single lap.
Despite Dale Jr. not liking his car he was running decently in the top 15.
There were a surprising amount of cautions - people were just running into each other! A caution came out on Lap 15 as a result of contact between Jeff Burton and Wheeler Boys (doesn't that name sound more like a racing team than a single driver?
). On the following restart a huge wreck broke out involving Patrick Carpentier, Mike Bliss and Brad Coleman - and Coleman went airborne! David narrowly missed the accident. 
On the next restart (but an unrelated incident) Brad Keselowski ran into the back of Denny Hamlin because he was too busy staring at Kevin Harvick in his rearview mirror (Keselowski had gotten into Harvick earlier in the race so I guess he was nervous!). Later Steve Wallace and PJ Jones had it out, concluding with Jones being black-flagged for retaliation when he spun the #66. Soon after Mike Bliss and Stan Silva Jr. would have an issue and finally (phew!) Sam Hornish was hit by Marcos Ambrose - he saved it and then was hit again by Antonio Perez as he was waiting for cars to go by.
With some of the leaders pitting, Junior was now in 3rd and David in 7th. This was a turning point in this race since it was vital for drivers to get into their fuel window so they would be good to the finish and after racing resumed many drivers began to pit. The goal of road course fuel strategy is to pit just before the caution comes out and unfortunately for David this bit him and the #99 boys. He took the lead, was most likely just about to pit and then the yellow flew. Uhg!!
Thankfully he did make it to pit road before he ran out of gas and got five bonus points for leading as well.
There was some action as the race wound down, including a gasp-worthy wreck when Carl Edwards dove under Clint Bowyer and lost control, taking the #2 with him! Now this was first and second in points! Both drivers sustained damage and neither would finish in the top 20. Edwards apologized after the race but since the two have had history before I suspect Bowyer's patience is running thin.
More drama ensued when Kyle Busch bumped Jeff Burton and Burton proceeded to viciously pursue the #92 until he reached him and knocked him out of the way to take the lead.
The final laps was a game of who had enough fuel and who didn't. Jimmie Johnson was several laps short, then Burton ran out, handing the win to Marcos Ambrose. Unfortunately Dale Jr.'s Nationwide race would come to an end when he reported he had a possible broken sway bar.
David would hang on and take advantage of others running out of fuel to get a top 15 and gain points on Bowyer. I'm incredibly proud of him because he's struggled on the road courses in the past - he did a great job staying on the track and keeping out of trouble.
How cool was it for Ambrose to win!
He was so excited and did a wonderful Tasmanian burnout! Congratulations to him and his team!
POINT STANDINGS
1. Clint Bowyer
4. David -290
1. Marcos Ambrose
15. David
30. Dale Jr. (4 LD)
No rain tires this weekend!
When the green fell David was deep in the field but immediately began picking his way through the pack. I was very impressed watching him gain positions just about every time the scoring loop would come around!
Brandon was out early, after eight laps. No surprise there...
It's just really disappointing that someone as talented as him would be with a start-and-park team. Chris Cook also ended up in the garage (as did teammate and MWR driver Michael McDowell, another road course expert) without making a single lap.Despite Dale Jr. not liking his car he was running decently in the top 15.
There were a surprising amount of cautions - people were just running into each other! A caution came out on Lap 15 as a result of contact between Jeff Burton and Wheeler Boys (doesn't that name sound more like a racing team than a single driver?
). On the following restart a huge wreck broke out involving Patrick Carpentier, Mike Bliss and Brad Coleman - and Coleman went airborne! David narrowly missed the accident. On the next restart (but an unrelated incident) Brad Keselowski ran into the back of Denny Hamlin because he was too busy staring at Kevin Harvick in his rearview mirror (Keselowski had gotten into Harvick earlier in the race so I guess he was nervous!). Later Steve Wallace and PJ Jones had it out, concluding with Jones being black-flagged for retaliation when he spun the #66. Soon after Mike Bliss and Stan Silva Jr. would have an issue and finally (phew!) Sam Hornish was hit by Marcos Ambrose - he saved it and then was hit again by Antonio Perez as he was waiting for cars to go by.With some of the leaders pitting, Junior was now in 3rd and David in 7th. This was a turning point in this race since it was vital for drivers to get into their fuel window so they would be good to the finish and after racing resumed many drivers began to pit. The goal of road course fuel strategy is to pit just before the caution comes out and unfortunately for David this bit him and the #99 boys. He took the lead, was most likely just about to pit and then the yellow flew. Uhg!!
Thankfully he did make it to pit road before he ran out of gas and got five bonus points for leading as well.There was some action as the race wound down, including a gasp-worthy wreck when Carl Edwards dove under Clint Bowyer and lost control, taking the #2 with him! Now this was first and second in points! Both drivers sustained damage and neither would finish in the top 20. Edwards apologized after the race but since the two have had history before I suspect Bowyer's patience is running thin.
More drama ensued when Kyle Busch bumped Jeff Burton and Burton proceeded to viciously pursue the #92 until he reached him and knocked him out of the way to take the lead.
The final laps was a game of who had enough fuel and who didn't. Jimmie Johnson was several laps short, then Burton ran out, handing the win to Marcos Ambrose. Unfortunately Dale Jr.'s Nationwide race would come to an end when he reported he had a possible broken sway bar.
David would hang on and take advantage of others running out of fuel to get a top 15 and gain points on Bowyer. I'm incredibly proud of him because he's struggled on the road courses in the past - he did a great job staying on the track and keeping out of trouble.
How cool was it for Ambrose to win!
He was so excited and did a wonderful Tasmanian burnout! Congratulations to him and his team! POINT STANDINGS
1. Clint Bowyer
4. David -290
