Dover Int'l Speedway - Camping World RV 400
Jess
RESULTS
1. Greg Biffle
10. Michael
17. David (1LD)
24. Dale Jr. (3LD)
The first thing I must say is that Kate and Kacey Coppola did an amazing job at singing the National Anthem, probably one of the best renditions we've had all year. It was so refreshing to hear the song clean and beautiful without being "diva" and fancy (or just plain butchered). I've never heard of these girls before but I hope NASCAR asks them to sing again. Plus they are identical twins...and there's that twin-to-twin connection going on here.
When the green fell racing didn't last for long...and unfortunately Kurt was involved with the first caution.
The first few laps at Dover are so difficult because everyone is bunched up two-by-two and no one has their rhythm yet. David Gilliland was underneath Kurt when he wiggled and made contact with the #2 Charger, sending him right into the wall. He sustained quite a bit of damage and his day was over before it had a chance to start.
In the meantime, both David and Michael were moving up while Dale Jr. was going back. It wasn't long at all before David was racing inside the top 10, which at this point is a thrill to us Beak fans but not much of a surprise anymore.
Dale Jarrett up in the ESPN booth praised him and his team as usual but raved especially about David's skill behind the wheel. "I'm going to give some credit to the driver, too," he said. "I think that they're finally now - when you talk about that new car [3rd generation chassis] - that they're catching up to David Reutimann's talent with the race cars, and I think that's finally going to pay off for them."
I LOVE YOU DJ!!!
On Lap 144 all hell broke loose for Dale Jr.
He had dropped significantly deep into the field with a very ill-handling #88 Chevy and when his right-rear tire exploded coming off Turn 4 I thought his race was done for. Somehow he wrestled - by talent or by chance - his Impala into some form of control and avoided both the inside and outside walls! His car would never recover and he spent most of the rest of the day way back in the field but eked out a decent finish by never giving up. As Michael said on This Week in NASCAR, that's a Chase-caliber team.
Everyone who crashed in the next forty laps seemed to want to be right in front of David, so he and Shawn were on their toes to avoid them. First Robby Gordon - not to be mean but he can be quite the terror on short tracks - wiped out Jamie McMurray. Next Sam Hornish was in a tight spot with David and a couple others and spun. Luckily David was able to dodge both but they were close calls!
Unfortunately the #44 team's awesome day ended abruptly during their last pit stop after Juan Pablo Montoya brought out the yellow with less than fifty to go. David was held a lap by NASCAR for having a tire over the pit box line.
It most certainly was a heartbreaker and honestly I really freaking don't like this rule because the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Why can a driver speed or a tire get away from the crew (both of which are potentially dangerous or damaging to others) and only get a tail-end penalty, but being a little bit on the line (but only your front tires - a car can have its ass hanging out and it's fine!) deserves a one-lap penalty? 
I don't often question NASCAR's rules because they're a lot smarter than I am but this one just doesn't seem right. Earlier in the year at Bristol the same thing happened. Damn those small pit boxes.
The bright spot among all these dark clouds was that Michael was in the midst of kicking some tail (and especially Tony Stewart's tail - sorry, I got a lot of enjoyment from watching Stewart attempting to chase Michael down and failing miserably!
). David would restart the first car a lap down but the caution would never come of (I really do hate when it works like that) so he finished the race ahead of Michael but a lap behind...
I'm so very proud of what Michael and the #55 team accomplished this weekend - they also won several awards (Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race, Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race and USG Improving the Finish) and that's wonderful! I hope they can use this momentum to end the year on a high note!
#44 Quotes of the Race
(Shawn is excited over how well David is running early in the race)
Shawn: "I don't know if you're having fun drivin' it but I'm having a ball watching it!"
David: "It's been a lot of fun, there."
(Robby Gordon crashes Jamie McMurray right in front of David)
David: "Boy that 7 car's somethin' ain't he!"
Shawn: "Yeah, that probably wasn't called for right there."
David: "Ya think?!"
Shawn (laughing): "Yeah!"
POINT STANDINGS
1. Carl Edwards
9. Dale Jr. -129
22. David (-85 from 20th)
29. Michael (+114 from 36th in owner points)
1. Greg Biffle
10. Michael
17. David (1LD)
24. Dale Jr. (3LD)
The first thing I must say is that Kate and Kacey Coppola did an amazing job at singing the National Anthem, probably one of the best renditions we've had all year. It was so refreshing to hear the song clean and beautiful without being "diva" and fancy (or just plain butchered). I've never heard of these girls before but I hope NASCAR asks them to sing again. Plus they are identical twins...and there's that twin-to-twin connection going on here.
When the green fell racing didn't last for long...and unfortunately Kurt was involved with the first caution.
The first few laps at Dover are so difficult because everyone is bunched up two-by-two and no one has their rhythm yet. David Gilliland was underneath Kurt when he wiggled and made contact with the #2 Charger, sending him right into the wall. He sustained quite a bit of damage and his day was over before it had a chance to start.In the meantime, both David and Michael were moving up while Dale Jr. was going back. It wasn't long at all before David was racing inside the top 10, which at this point is a thrill to us Beak fans but not much of a surprise anymore.
Dale Jarrett up in the ESPN booth praised him and his team as usual but raved especially about David's skill behind the wheel. "I'm going to give some credit to the driver, too," he said. "I think that they're finally now - when you talk about that new car [3rd generation chassis] - that they're catching up to David Reutimann's talent with the race cars, and I think that's finally going to pay off for them."I LOVE YOU DJ!!!
On Lap 144 all hell broke loose for Dale Jr.
He had dropped significantly deep into the field with a very ill-handling #88 Chevy and when his right-rear tire exploded coming off Turn 4 I thought his race was done for. Somehow he wrestled - by talent or by chance - his Impala into some form of control and avoided both the inside and outside walls! His car would never recover and he spent most of the rest of the day way back in the field but eked out a decent finish by never giving up. As Michael said on This Week in NASCAR, that's a Chase-caliber team.Everyone who crashed in the next forty laps seemed to want to be right in front of David, so he and Shawn were on their toes to avoid them. First Robby Gordon - not to be mean but he can be quite the terror on short tracks - wiped out Jamie McMurray. Next Sam Hornish was in a tight spot with David and a couple others and spun. Luckily David was able to dodge both but they were close calls!
Unfortunately the #44 team's awesome day ended abruptly during their last pit stop after Juan Pablo Montoya brought out the yellow with less than fifty to go. David was held a lap by NASCAR for having a tire over the pit box line.
It most certainly was a heartbreaker and honestly I really freaking don't like this rule because the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Why can a driver speed or a tire get away from the crew (both of which are potentially dangerous or damaging to others) and only get a tail-end penalty, but being a little bit on the line (but only your front tires - a car can have its ass hanging out and it's fine!) deserves a one-lap penalty? I don't often question NASCAR's rules because they're a lot smarter than I am but this one just doesn't seem right. Earlier in the year at Bristol the same thing happened. Damn those small pit boxes. The bright spot among all these dark clouds was that Michael was in the midst of kicking some tail (and especially Tony Stewart's tail - sorry, I got a lot of enjoyment from watching Stewart attempting to chase Michael down and failing miserably!
). David would restart the first car a lap down but the caution would never come of (I really do hate when it works like that) so he finished the race ahead of Michael but a lap behind...I'm so very proud of what Michael and the #55 team accomplished this weekend - they also won several awards (Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race, Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race and USG Improving the Finish) and that's wonderful! I hope they can use this momentum to end the year on a high note!
#44 Quotes of the Race
(Shawn is excited over how well David is running early in the race)
Shawn: "I don't know if you're having fun drivin' it but I'm having a ball watching it!"
David: "It's been a lot of fun, there."
(Robby Gordon crashes Jamie McMurray right in front of David)
David: "Boy that 7 car's somethin' ain't he!"
Shawn: "Yeah, that probably wasn't called for right there."
David: "Ya think?!"
Shawn (laughing): "Yeah!"
POINT STANDINGS
1. Carl Edwards
9. Dale Jr. -129
22. David (-85 from 20th)
29. Michael (+114 from 36th in owner points)
