Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Race Report (Stewart Wins?)

Travis Kvapil, on his first NASCAR Cup Series pole, leads the pack to the green flag for the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega.

-There have already been 3 leaders by lap 10, Jimmie Johnson being in the back, looks like he's lost the draft, 17 seconds behind the leader. They're thinking that a team mate needs to drop back to help him out. Kenny Schrader has lost the draft and is 11 seconds back while the pack runs 2-wide, 14 rows deep, more or less.
-Lap 23: Schrader and Johnson are drafting now, but the pack is coming up on them fast and lap 26 sees them a lap down now.
-Lap 25: David Ragan is leading the pack in front of Kvapil, Almirola, Menard and Gilliland.
-Dale Earnhardt Jr takes the lead by Lap 26, Ragan behind him now.
~
-Lap 34 Caution for Debris.
Having just been lapped, Robby Gordon is in front of Jimmie Johnson and Robby will be the Lucky Dog.
Ragan gets spun on pit road, no damage. Kenny Schrader, Kenny Wallace: speeding on pit road.
Robby Gordon, lost the lucky Dog bonus for fueling twice.
-Lap 39 Restart: 24, 1, 31, 33, 88.
~
-Lap 46 Caution for Debris in the tri-oval:
Jimmie Johnson gets the Lucky Dog. Yes: THey showed the debris. Oddly, the Lowe's pit crew seemed to tbe the ones who let NASCAR know about it.
Everyone is pitting. Dang, it looks like a bunch of figure-8 races as cars pull in and pull out of their pits. Harvick stays out and leads a lap.
-Lap 49 Restart:19, 5, 18, 24, 11.
Ryan Newman has dropped a cylinder. Dave Blaney: Electrical problems, is in the back of the pack.
~
-Lap 54 Caution:
Jeff Gordon, David Reutimann spinning. Gordon has body damage. His day may be done.
Reutimann's RR tire blows, and Jeff dodges to the right and hits the wall and the 21 car.
That's the 2nd RR tire to just ... blow, that we know of.
Is something wrong with the 48 car? They're working on a splitter brace on the RF in the pits.
Kurt Busch's hood is up. Engine is missing.
Edwards to the end of the longest line. Pitted while the pits were closed.
He's been on pit road a few times.
-Lap 58 Restart: 83, 28, 84, 18, 15.
Kurt Busch to the garage after the restart.
~
-Lap 68 Caution:
No 83 RF tires blows up while running up there in the top 5. Nine cars in all were collected.

THE BIG ONE happens while off to commercial...
Martin Truex looks a bit daffy, holding his head walking back to the medical center.
Red Flag Out.
Those involved
Vickers, Gilliland, Truex Jr., Kahne, Skinner, McMurray, Labonte, Raines & Almirola.
18 minutes later:
-Lap 73 restart: 88 15 31 29 42
~
Despite the wreck, the pack gets back together and is back to being racey.
Stewart finally gets the front spot in the race, making him leader # 23 after 35 lead changes.
-Lap 81 Caution: Mike Wallace loses a right side tire... again.
-Lap 87 Restart: 18, 88, 42, 20, 17.
~
-Lap 99 Caution: Denny Hamlin RF tire puts him in the wall. 2 debris, 4 tire cautions.
They're carting Denny away on a stretcher, but I believe as precautionary.
-Lap 105 Restart: 66, 15, 8, 18, 20.
Denny is awake and alert and headed to the hospital for further evaluation.
-Lap 133: So far, pretty uneventful in as much as any additional cautions.
29, 6, 20, 8, 18.
~
Caution with 50 to go: Jeff Gordon blowing and slowing. Engine fried.
Edwards spins exiting pit road.
When the No. 00 car led the race, ESPN noted McDowell was leading, but truth in fact: Kenny Wallace is driving that car.
Everyone trying to top off on fuel
Restart with 44 to go: 18, 6, 28, 20, 48.
Now it's going to start getting racy!
25 to go: We're getting three wide now. 88, 31, 42
The 55 car is up in the top 5.
~
Caution with 24 to go: Harvick gets sideways into the grass off of Ragan's bumper... but it doesn't look like he took damage.
Restart with 19 to go: 42, 5, 15, 07, 88
~
-Lap 174: the other BIG ONE hits the field!
Carl spun Biffle and this collected the rest of the field.
Wow, a lot of Cup Chasers involved.
The 2nd red flag today.
Restart with 10 Laps to Go: 20, 78, 5, 19, 6
Stewart and Nemechek bolt out in front of the pack. Go Joe, Go.
The draft bailed on Nemechek.
Sadler locked on the back bumper of Stewart.
Subway leads McDonalds around the track!
5 to go: 20, 01, 15, 8, 31
~
Caution with 4 to go: RR tire on the No. 26.
I suspect Tony may pull this off but DEI is lurking on Stewart's bumper in the next three positions.
Restart with 3 to go:
20, 01, 15, 8, 19.

On the last lap, in the tri-oval, with Regan Smith passing Tony Stewart below the yellow line, he passed and crossed the line first, but NASCAR gives the win to Tony Stewart.

Smith may argue with the issue that Stewart forced Smith below the line.
We'll see how it pans out before the afternoon (evening?) is over.


The Winner is Tony Stewart, the cars crossed the line in the following order:
01, 20, 15, 6, 31, 07, 43, 66, 7 & 48.
This is the unofficial order.

To be continued in a later post!
Thanks for coming by and be sure to check for updates on the drama of the end-race scenario.
Does NASCAR stay with who won, or do they use the same rule of application when a driver can see the checkered flag, anything goes rule?

I'm Riding Along With Dale Earnhardt Jr!

A few months back, AMP Energy Drink put out a call to those who "Want to ride along with Dale.".

I said hell yea!

I went to the AMP website, signed up and now I get to "sit" on the hood of Dale's No. 88 Chevrolet during the whole race.


In the main pic above, I'm 6 lines up, center page!

If I back way out on the image, you get a better idea of where on the hood I am.

Yea, me and 50,000+ other names are on there and I bet if something were to happen to the car in the race at Talledega this weekend, I bet that hood will be much sought after.

Don't tell the wife anything... but then again, if the hood does end up on Ebay, I'm not sure how I'm gonna hide it!

Look honey!! I "painted" my truck hood!! Whad'ya mean it doesn't look like my Ford hood??

AMP Energy 500 site.

Dale Jr's New Sponsor - AMP Energy by Mountain Dew - A Test

A NASCAR Sponsor Test, Product Review by Bruce Simmons

Since AMP Energy drink by Mountain Dew is sponsoring our favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., I thought I'd give it a swig test and see what it's about. The site has the car on the splash page.. cool and they have a count down to their first race and a few extra's like this image abailable for download. Now that's how you sponsor a driver!)

See the rest about Dale Jr's Sponsor over on my new site.

Dale Earnhardt Jr - The 88 Car and His Sponsors

Fox Sports, Hendrick Motorsports/Autostock/Associated Press // photo from Fox Sports, HMS AutoStock


by Bruce Simmons

September 19, 2007; Watching the Live Feed on NASCAR.com, from Dallas Texas,

The most fan and industry coveted announcement to date has occurred today, in regards to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new sponsor and car number.

With the stage back drop is adorned with Mountain Dew, AMP Energy Drink & National Guard logos and with Jr winning his first Busch race, and his first Cup race at Texas, it is only fitting the announcement be made in the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

It is OFFICIAL:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car number will be the 88, and it will carry the sponsors of Mountain Dew, AMP Energy Drink, and National Guard.

Rick Hendrick said they had decals made up in silly numbers to throw everyone off and was having his fun with the media and what not!

As far as the car number goes, keep in mind that car #’s are handed out by NASCAR to the teams, they are not sold. In fact, a number can change teams via what ever arrangements between the teams are made, whether that be painting someone’s house, or exchanging funds in one way or another, but they aren't bought or sold from NASCAR because they are NASCAR's to do what they please with.

I've already ordered my diecast from racingUSA.com, where they are offering free shipping on the pre-orders!!!

Terry Blount tells Dale Jr's New Number & Sponsor

On the ESPN pre-race show today prior to the California race, Terry Blount indicated that he had asked Dale Earnhardt Jr. Friday about his new number and sponsor.

Dale Jr. declined to answer Terry's question. With that thought in your mind, Blount proceeded to report the following information about Dale Earnhardt Jr., his new car number, and his new sponsor:

Dale Earnhardt Jr will be driving the 81 car and his sponsor for 2008 will be the Pepsi-co brand Mountain Dew AMP Energy Drink.

Blount backs up his sponsor news with THIS post. (UPDATE)

If this is indeed true, here's a link to the product: bevnet.com
http://www.ampenergy.com/

With that being said, we'll now see if Terry Blount's Report is accurate! Go Terry!

Here's a recap of the ESPN pre-show.. they say some interesting things throughout:
thatsracin.com, like without clarifying the humor aspect, state that Paris Hilton is with Denny Hamlin. (An accurate statement for her being next to him in a picture, but they don't bother to correct that Hilton is just not a NASCAR girl!)