HAPPY SUNDAY, HOWDY AND GOOD DAY!!!!! Welcome Gabbers and others to another of my NASCAR updates and other fast stuff. It's now on to the 5th race of the season. Some teams flew out of the box and sped away. Others jumped out but didn't make too big of a run but they're making ground and others just need more time to work on the adjustments. And some never will get it just right. It's a new car to figure out and Denny Hamlin told us all that a couple weeks ago just before he got fined for doing so. Danica has slid back into the quiet of the lap down field. There's a new feud on the track. Apologies not accepted yet. Dale Jr is quietly finishing in the top 10's like last year before his concussion put an end to that dream. Looks like he be sneaking up on that trophy again? So we're off to another day at the races and lots of fast stuff to talk about.

STEWART'S FEET IN CONCRETE

We're back at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana , CA for race #5 and last years winner Tony Stewart was given a plaque by the VP of the track Dave Allen. Stewart then put his feet in the concrete and signed his name and number. Just one more name on the Walk of Fame at the track. This is Stewarts 2nd W here. Other notables with W's and sections on the Walk of Fame are Johnson with 5 W's here. Gordon has the very first win and a total of 3 W's. Kyle B, Kurt B, Biffle and Kahne each have one. So Stewart is in good company. Congratulations.

MARK MARTIN TO OVERSEE BUILDING OF NEW TRAINING FACILITY

Martin has been working to get the new Training facility green lighted for 10 months now. Working out is his 2nd passion. He works out 5 times a week, lifting weights for 1 hour. 

The new facility will be at MWR head quarters and construction is to begin in the next week and could be done in 90 days. It will have a car silhouette so crew members can practice their agility training around the car. Of course all kinds of free weights, machines and cardio equipment will be included as well as locker rooms and offices. 

Martin says that teams are investing in equipment for human performance now and he's excited to be a part of it. 

BOWYER OPENS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN HOMETOWN

This week Clint Bowyer went home to Emporia, Kansas to open Clint Bowyer's Autoplex. He partnered with Davis-Moore Auto Group to by the Emporia Motors dealership. Bowyer once worked there as a paintless dent repair specialist and dealer. Davis-Moore Auto Group will take over the day to day operations while Bowyer goes about his job of racing the #15 Five Hour Energy Toyota for MWR.

ISC TO LOBBY FOR TAX BREAKS

The owner of Daytona International Speedway, International Speedway, Corp is lobbying for tax breaks that could save them $100 million in the next 30 years so they can do a huge renovation project on the Daytona race track. The tax breaks would help in moving forward with the renovation project. 

Plans are to add escalators, concourses, and wider seats in the grandstands. A mixed use commercial development would be added across the street. All of this and the scale of it depends on how much if any tax breaks they get.

Sen Dorothy Hukill of Port Orange and Rep. David Santiago of Deltone are sponsoring this bill. So they'd be the ones (if you live in Florida and you're not happy about this) to contact.

I guess if Football and Baseball teams lobby for the tax breaks and get them than race tracks can too.

BRISTOL RECAP : HAMLIN VS LOGANO 

Bristol and Martinsville seem to bring out the monster in drivers. No patience. Logano was fighting over the lead with Gordon minding his own business. He'd get up to Gordon's door and fall back. This went on for several laps till Hamlin in 3rd caught up and drove into Logano's bumper sending him spinning and a caution comes out. Logano goes to the pits for repairs and manages to not lose too much track position.

With 46 to go another caution gets him a starting position right behind Hamlin. Nothing happens but after the race Logano went to Hamlin's car to talk to him and a crew member shoved him away. A Twitter word battle started after the race.

On Friday Hamlin apologized for damaging Logamo's car. He only meant to give him a nudge to let him know he wasn't happy about Logano pinching him down on the race track. He also said it's not up to me to be judging someone's driving to be bad or good and he shouldn't have degraded him as a driver.

Logano says they haven't talked about it. So I'm guessing it's not over. Hamlin made all this fuss last week about the respect of his peers and of NASCAR. Then he pulls this stunt. Seems to me he needs to apologize to Logano in person and not through the media.

So I called Kasey Kahne a squirrel last week. His performance is manic. It goes from awesome to wrecking. At Bristol it was awesome. He won and led 109 laps. Not the most but he was in the top 5 ALL day. Hamlin led the most laps with 117. Kyle led 56 and Keselowski led 62. 

On lap 9 Stewart cut down a tire and spun out. His brakes were broken so back behind the wall he went for about 15 laps. That's one fast brake job. Give those crew guys a cookie.

Kyle got caught in 3 sections of pit road for speeding. He went to the back on the restart and within 84 laps he was in 2nd. 

Gordon was leading and running away when the bead in his tire melted, his tire popped and he went up the race track and took Kenseth out with him. He only took 2 tires on the stop just 29 laps before to get that lead. Was it worth it?

Johnson had a tire go down due to the bead melting. Finished 2 laps down in 22nd.

Top 10 finishers.....Kahne - Kyle B - Keselowski - Kurt B - Bowyer - Dale Jr - Newman - Martin - Menard - McMurray

AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY - FONTANA, CA

So that leads us to this week. Rain shortened last year and our winner was Stewart. Stewart loves this track and is happy to be here. He has 2 wins. Hope his bad luck in the last 2 races is just a blur from now on.

Johnson has 5 wins and a 4.8 average finish here. A threat as always.

Keselowski finished 18th and 1 lap down last year. He didn't do so hot in Saturdays Nationwide race. He starts in the rear due to an engine change. Hope he has some good notes. He's still a threat. He and his CC Paul have a connection.

Gordon has 3 wins here but his season is starting to look like last season. De Ja VooDoo with a HooDoo. Last year he dragged the gas man out of his pit stall. A stop & go penalty put him a lap down in 24th at the end. Really need a good luck charm or a Wanga Doll. Wonder if they make racing ones. Skip him.

Kahne is starting 16th today. He finished 15th last year. Don't know if he has another good run in him so soon but he does have a hot hand. 

Kyle won the Nationwide race this week....AND LAST WEEK. He's hot. Came in 2nd last week at Bristol and starts 4th today. Looking good.

Dale Jr came in 3rd last year at this race. He's quietly making his case to be on your fantasy roster.

Hamlin won the pole. He came in 11th last year. He's mad and thinks he's entitled. If he and Logano don't tangle on track he's a good bet.

Harvick came in 4th last year. He's a good bet.

Biffle starts 2nd and last year came in 6th. He's 5th in the points right now so he's a possible.

Truex, Bowyer and Martin are MWR's finest. Any of those are pickable.

Newman came in 7th last year. He's a fighter and pickable.

Dark horse picks...Logano. He's been showing some life in his new ride in the #22 with Penske Racing. 

McMurray seems to be coming to life also. EGR turned to Hendrick for their motors this year. I'll be watching him.

Kurt B could post another top 10 here in his Furniture Row Racing #78.

C list options for those of you who pick a top tier driver, 2 B's and a C.

Casey Mears, David Reutimann or AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger is in the #51 this week. He's part of that revolving list along with Austin Dillon, Regan Smith, Ryan Truex and who knows who else. Ricky Stenhouse Jr is certainly an option too but I don't know his record on this track and with Cup drivers. He's a total unknown. Those 2 Nationwide Championships don't equate to Cup success. But he is in Kenseth's old ride. Good equipment is a bonus. 

Last years top 10 finishers...Stewart - Kyle - Dale Jr - Harvick - Edwards - Biffle - Newman - Truex - Kurt B - Johnson

So there you have it folks. Hope it helps those in the fantasy leagues. Sounds like there's a lot of happy campers enjoying the March Madness Brackets as well as the games. So this being Sunday, I wish you all the most fun there is doing what you love with whom you love. I'm off to breakfast as usual and....

I'm outta here.......

HAPPY ST SHAMROCK SHAKE DAY!!!!!! Any day that I can celebrate with a shake or chocolate or donuts is a great day. Happy Sunday. Welcome Gabbers and others to my NASCAR update and other fast stuff. Got my marshmallow peeps this week. The cellophane is slit and they'll be sitting on top of the fridge for a month till they get stiff or I run a stick through them and hold them over a fire. Also ordered some home made peanut butter eggs dipped in dark chocolate. A local church makes them every year. WAY way way better than store bought. So I have my celebration in order. What about you?

                                   HAMLIN UPDATE

Denny Hamlin has decided to drop his appeal with NASCAR. He cites the things like the court of public opinion is on his side. He feels he's won in the eyes of the fans and his peers. Well at least the peers that in his opinion had a back bone and were able to speak up for what they know is right. He feels NASCAR will get it's credibility back and in the mean time he has bigger fish to fry and plans to move on to working on winning that championship. 

Hamlin said that Joe Gibbs didn't help to mediate the meeting between himself and Brian France (CEO das NASCAR). He feels that NASCAR over reacted and that they know it. He also feels that had it been Dale Jr, Stewart or Gordon that it would've been handled differently and that he has grinded it out for the last 8 years in the Cup Series and feels he's owed some respect by his peers and NASCAR.

I pretty much agree with Hamlin. Mr Keselowski was running his mouth just recently at USA Today during an interview which I felt he pushed the boundaries and he got a stern talking to by Brian but no fine. So I believe Hamlin has a point here.

But still, he will be paying his fine. Though he refuses to write that check, NASCAR will garnish his future winnings of that $25,000 fine and he won't be suspended. 

TWINKIES WILL RETURN

That's right folks. Twinkies have been saved and are set to be on a store shelf near you by this summer that is if the bankruptcy judge likes and excepts the offer. 

Metropoulos & Co. along with Apollo Global Management have teamed up to offer $410 million to possess the Twinkie making facility.

Metropoulos & Co are known for taking food brands in trouble and turning them around. They've dealt with Chef Boyardee, Bumble Bee Tuna, PAM, and Guldens Mustard which they sold to ConAgra Foods. They also hold Pabst Blue Ribbon.

I don't know about you but I really don't want the cake. I just want to stick my hand in a vat of the filling and eat it. Now if they dipped those Twinkies in chocolate.....

MWR GIRLS NEW AND COMING AT YOU

Michael Waltrip Racing has decided to add some pretty girls to their racing family. Michael noticed that most drivers and race teams use Twitter and Facebook to talk about their car set ups, pit strategy, qualifying, etc. So he got an idea. In order to reach more fans and get them pulled into the racing experience he is employing some pretty girls. These girls will have MWR uniforms to wear. They'll be going to track events and interacting with fans at the track and on Twitter. You can reach them ...@MWRGirls. 

In order to reach out to the Spanish fans one of the girls is Miss Florida Latina. Of course she speaks Spanish. 

So if you're in the garage area, hospitality tents, Sponsor Midway or the infield at a race this year you may just see them. 

LAS VEGAS RECAP

Our last weeks winner was Matt Kenseth. I guess that was an in your face win since I doubted him and his team mates because of JGR's equipment woes which started last year. So congrats to Kenseth and a happy birthday as well. I is only the 3rd driver to win a NASCAR race on his birthday. Job well done.

His team mates Kyle and Hamlin made a showing as well. Even Kahne who I think is a squirrel but a very talented squirrel was very strong. He led the most laps but Kenseth out did him. Don't get me wrong, I like Kahne he's just not consistent. He's either awesome or wrecking.

My most handsome Knight of the Mobile 1 fell back because of loose conditions. Every one was having issues but Stewart fought back from being a lap down riding in the 20's to a lead lap finish in 11th. The Danica finished 6 laps down but she finished in one piece this week.

Top 10 at Vegas Kenseth, Kahne, Keselowski, Kyle B, Edwards, Johnson, Dale Jr, Truex, Harvick, Menard

BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

It's Bristol , BABY!!!! WOO HOOOOOOO!!!!! Short track racing. Beatin' and bangin'. Tempers flaring and crumpled bumpers. Actually the drivers don't need their bumpers. If they get into a fender bender, the pit crew can just saw off the offending sheet metal. Aero isn't a factor here. 

Some facts. Terry Labonte has participated in 57 Bristol races. The most of any driver. Mark Martin & Cale Yaraborough each have 9 poles. Gordon leads active drivers with a 6.775 average finish here. Kyle Busch has the record for youngest winner at 19 years. Darral Waltrip has the most W's with 12. 

There are 2 pit roads. One on the back stretch and one on the front stretch. Bristol is the only track like that. 

Last year saw a 3-4-5 finish for MWR. (Truex, Bowyer, Vickers) Gordon had a bad day when he and Dale Jr got side by side. They traded paint and Dale Jr's tail pipes took out Gordon's tire. 

Kasey Kahne the one I said is the talented squirrel brought out the first caution at lap 24. Went for a piece of track to call his own and lost. Took out Harvick, Edwards, Ambrose and Regan Smith. Harvick rebounded.

So my fantasy picks would be......

Kyle Busch - He won the Nationwide race Saturday night and the pole for Sundays race. Made a new track record too with a speed of 129.535 mph. I want to believe he will be there. He has 5 Cup wins besides his Nationwide and truck wins. I did pick him in my Yahoo league.

Brother Kurt Busch - Also 5 W's here. Lots of top 5's & 10's too.

Any of the MWR cars. Bowyer, Truex or this week in the #55 is Vickers. Mad that he's not on the C list but he is a good pick for this week. I say C list because some fantasy leagues have you pick from A, B & C lists. 

Kenseth - 2nd here last year. He's a good bet.

Johnson - What can I say? Always a threat.

Gordon - Average finish of 6. whatever says he's a threat.

Keselowski - Last years winner. He's proven he can get it done even in any car. He led 231 of the 266.5 laps last year.

The B list category has a few gems. Menard, Burton, McMurray and Montoya.

The C list category my picks would be Allm​endinger, Ruetimann, Ragan, and Mears. Yes, Allmendinger is driving the Phoenix Racing #51 this week.  The Danica? Mmmmmm don't look for her. She starts 41st. She'll be down a lap almost immediately. Lets see if she finishes . Bets?

Top 10 last year was Keselowski, Kenseth, Truex, Bowyer, Vickers, Burton, McMurray, Montoya, Johnson, Menard

So there you have it race fans and Gabbers. I hope this helps in your fantasy league picking. You know it's Sunday. A green shamrock type Sunday. I'll pass on the green beer. The green eggs and ham too.

Hope you're all enjoying your Sunday doing what you love with whom you love. I'm doing breakfast, watching my race and then heading in for some OT. Weird hours but you got to get it where it's at. Take care, see you next week and....

I'm outta here..... 

Well howdy, good day and good morning Gabbers, gawkers, lurkers, campers and others. Every one is welcome. This week I have penalties, another fast chick, teams pushing the limits with NASCAR inspections, updates, accusations, and freak accidents. It's a race thing.

ALEXIS DEJORIA

This chicks dad is John Paul Dejoria. Don't know who he is? Well he's the founder of Patron Tequila and co - founder of Paul Mitchell Hair Systems. Alexis flits back and forth between the red carpet events with the stars and the race track. She's modeled for top designers and she's sat behind the desk as an executive. She told daddy she wanted to race funny cars and he said ok. She is the only female owner - driver in NHRA. She pilots the Patron Tequila Toyota Camry funny car. Yeah, like that Camry looks anything like your neighbors Camry.

Her hobbies are snow boarding, dirt bikes, sky diving and watching movies.

Born 9-24-77                  Home town Venice, Calif.                      Single mom

Career best speed is 313.66 mph.

She's been in 5 final rounds and has 2 wins.

Got her start in NHRA Super Gas Category driving a 1963 Corvette Roadster and competed in NHRA Super Comp in a dragster.

Currently 13th in the funny car points.

Had horrible wreck at English town when her parachute deployed but detached from the car taking her brake lines with it. No chute. No brakes. That equals disaster. She went through the net, then the barrels and into the sand trap at a high rate of speed. Despite her car being "L" shaped, she crawled out unscathed and rather mad. 

On August 13th of this year she flew with the Thunder Bolts Fighter Squadron. This was 2 years in the making. First a written request to public affairs, then the base command must sign off as it makes it's way up the chain up to the combat commander who is a 4 star under the joint chief of staff of the air force.Also includes getting the OK from the entire squadron. Then it's 2 medical exams and a full day of training. Very few people get this chance.

She went up in a F - 15 Strike Eagle and was allowed to fly it for about 25 minutes after take off. She did barrel rolls, vertical climb and other stuff before returning the controls to the pilot for landing.

I'm thinking it's pretty cool to have a daddy with money and that kind of connections. Although she doesn't have the connections Courtney Force has, she's still living the dream. AND that's what counts. You can count me envious.

PENALTIES

Michigan brought a lot of happenings. Apparently some teams were trying to skirt the NASCAR law and got caught. Tsk tsk tsk. Kyle Busch's crew chief Dave Rodgers got creative with an unauthorized weight attached to the car during practice and drew himself a #25,000 fine as well as probation till October 3rd. Car chief Wesley Sherill is on probation till October 3rd as well. Kyle is on the fence and needs a solid finish or 2 to get a wild card into the Chase. Looks like desparation is setting in for his crew chief.

Also at Michigan, Paul Menards crew chief was suspended for 6 weeks with a $100,000 fine and probation till the end of the year. Paul Menard loses 25 drivers points. Richard Childress loses 25 owners points. Car chief Craig Smokstad and Engineer Grant Hutchens are suspended 6 weeks and on probation till the end of the year. Their crime? intentionally modifying the frame rails for the purpose of deceiving NASCAR inspection gauges. Don't know what they did exactly but (ex- crew chief of Dale Earnhardt Sr) Larry Mack said what they did was extremely dangerous for their driver Paul Menard. No specifics were forth coming.

NASCAR FOR KIDS

Sports Illustrated Kids has released a book celebrating NASCAR. Provides indepth explanations on the science, history, and origins of NASCAR with photos and illustrations. You'll find answers for....Why do NASCAR drivers wear long sleeve suits when they drive?......Why do drivers need to make pit stops during NASCAR races?....Why do they wave a checkered flag at auto races?

Sports Illustrated Kids Big Book of Why. Available in stores now.......

CREW CHIEF CHANGE

Evidently Kevin Harvick isn't happy with Shane Wilson as his crew chief and has asked to have Gil Martin back after he kicked him to the curb after Homestead last year. Gil and most of his guys have been helping Elliot Sadler in Nationwide who is fighting over the points lead. Happy Harvick ain't so happy I guess.

IS IT ACCUSATIONS OF CHEATING OR AM I'M JUST WATCHING YOU

Apparently Brad KESELOWSKI is sending the message to the Hendrick guys that he's no accusing them of cheating but he is however watching. Hhhhhmmmmmm.....sounds like he's pointing a finger to me.

Keselowski had this to say,"There are parts and pieces on the car that are moving after inspection that makes the car more competitive. Some guys have it, some don't. There's a question as to the interpretation of the rule. Penske Racing errs on the safe side because we don't want to be the guys that get the big penalty."

He believes that Penske's refusal to bend the rules puts him at a disadvantage. 

After his statement was released he went to Twitter...."Don't believe crappy media hype, I never accused Hendrick cars of cheating. Just said their cars are different & we are watching."

What's he watching? Well NASCAR is watching too but they're letting things slide for now. The Hendrick boys are always ahead of the rest and talk in the garage all year was about the experiment with the rear end they're doing. They've been able to  build a hook and ladder fire engine effect with their cars where the rear axle is able to turn so it follows the front of the car. Hence the better handling at Michigan and other tracks. This is what separates the big teams from the small teams.

NASCAR says that for now they're letting it go but they may change their minds at any time. They're still deciding if they'll out law it this year or in 2013.

MICHIGAN

Last week we had a freak accident where Mark Martin spun into the end of the pit road wall which impaled the side of his car right on through. It went behind his seat. If it had been 6 inches towards the front Martin may have had a career ending accident of funeral. Michigan wants to investigate fixes for this and has invited NASCAR engineers to join them in finding a workable solution.

Johnson blew a motor while leading just 5 laps from the finish. My man Stewart and Gordon lost their motors too. The culprit? Faulty valve springs. Drats.G

Gordon and Dale Jr were having a heated exchange on the radios during the race too. Dale cut Gordon off and Gordon said to his spotter that he should tell Jr to say thanks for not fucking wrecking him. Ahhh the joys of Twitter. Radio chatter gets broadcast. Loving it. They fixed things after the race and Gordon said he says stuff all the time but since he talked about Jr the media had to blow it up.

I managed to stay on to of my Yahoo fantasy league after Michigan. Hoping this week is just the same. Since qualifying was rained out they set the running order by practice speeds. Wow. What a reversal of fortune for some. Johnson will start in 37th. I'm seeing a possible wreck early. Guys are hanging on the edge of not making the Chase so it's let it all hang out time.

My picks this week are Keselowski - Newman - Truex - Vickers. Watched the modified race, truck race and Nationwide race. No big difference since Bruton ground down one of the grooves to unusable. There's still 2 grooves of good racing left. So with that I'm off to watch it. You have a great day.......

Welcome Gabbers and others. How you all doing after the a weekend of excessive St Patricks day celebration. Hope your head doesn't hurt too much. No NASCAR history lesson or fluff piece today. The call of a sunny 70 degree day pulled me away from the computer. I am not prepared. 

So any way, there was Bristol in the day light on Sunday. Full of lots of surprises. Not just for me but there were a few drivers struggling and caught up in other peoples messes. Roush-Fenway driver Greg Biffle got the pole. So that was good for my Yahoo Fantasy league. My Knight of the Mobile1 qualified 23rd. Not a good thing at Bristol but Tony is a seasoned veteran and I had all confidence he'd make his way up to the front. Due to rain during the night NASCAR scheduled a competition caution for lap 50. That means you can go in the pits for tires or adjustments but NO FUEL.

The race started and all was well till lap 24. Kasey Kahne passed Regan Smith for position and his spotter said clear so he moved up the track and thought he'd be in front of Regan but.....he wasn't quite clear. Regan bumped into Kahne's rear fender and our first pile up occurred. Keselowski managed to slip through even though he was right there but it took out Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Marcos Ambrose and Carl Edwards. Kevin was the least damaged of all. He made 9 pit stops to repair the front end and stayed on the lead lap. Edwards, Busch, Kahne and Ambrose needed extensive front end work. They were out but returned many laps down. Regan Smith cut down a tire but no damage.

Lap 42 it was decided would be the competition caution. 

Lap 47 was the restart. AJ Allmendinger had come out of the pits first and maintained his lead followed by Martin Truex Jr, Brian Vickers, Jeff Burton, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tony Stewart has moved up to 22nd. Jimmie Johnson has moved to 17th. 

Lap 70 AJ is still in the lead. with Truex Jr, Vickers, Burton and Dale Jr still in 2-3-4-5.

Lap 88 Kyle is now crawling back into his car to return to the track.

Lap 96 Vickers takes the lead from Allmendinger.

Lap 115 CAUTION. Ken Schrader is riding the wall. The bead has melted on his tire and caused him to lose the air and control of his car.

Lap 122 we restart with Vickers, Allmendinger, Gordon, Burton and Dale Jr as your top 5.

Lap 155 Kahne returns to the track. 

Lap 175 Kahne is 130 laps down, Kyle is 72 laps down, Ambrose is back in and 107 laps down but Edwards is still out. 

Lap 200 Edwards is now back on track. Keselowski is battling Vickers for the lead. Allmendinger is complaining of a wicked loose car. Says he's wrecking. 

Lap 235 Allmendinger comes to pit road for service. Top 5 is Keselowski, Gordon, Kenseth, Vickers and....you guessed it folks...Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Around lap 250 green flag pit stops begin. Denny Hamlin has a bad one. His pit crew drops the car on top of a tire they took off. Under green at Bristol, this is a catastrophe. To make things worse he must go back in because his right front tire is loose. Double catastrophe. No luck of the Irish here. Hamlin is pissed and ranting on the radio at his crew. He's now 2 laps down and 25th. OUCH!!!!!

Lap 278 Your top 5 is Keselowski, Kenseth, Gordon, Burton and AGAIN!!!!...Dale Earnhardt Jr.Johnson has moved up to 8th, Stewart to 12th and Harvick despite the front end damage on lap 24 is in 14th AND the lead lap. There are only 17 cars on the lead lap at this point.

Lap 324 Stewart looses a lap as Keselowski finally gets by him after a very vigorous fight.

Lap 340 CAUTION David Stremme is in the wall. The luck of the Irish is with Stewart. He gets his Lucky Dog Pass to the lead lap.Lap 346 is restart and Keselowski is in first and Kenseth beside him in the double file restart. The replay shows that Kenseth beat Keselowski to the line which is a no-no but nothing is said. Race goes on with Kenseth and Keselowski fighting hard. About lap 350 or so Keselowski lets Kenseth have the lead.

Lap 359 CAUTION Gordon loses the air in his tire after him and Dale Jr get together and he backs into the wall. Jrs tail pipes flattened Gordon's tire. Ryan Newman gets the Lucky Dog Pass to the lead lap. Lap 371 is restart. Your top 5 Kenseth, Keselowski, Bowyer, Burton and Dale Jr. How long can this last?

With 120 to go Gordon is off, Kyle is 75 laps down, Ambrose 109 laps down, Kahne 133 laps down and Edwaeds 252 laps down. Keselowski is still battling hard to get the lead from Kenseth.

With 98 to go Keselowski takes the lead but he's complaining he may have a flat tire. His spotter says he drove a little higher on the track once and may have picked up some marbles. Keep driving. ( marbles are bits of tire rubber that are on the track )

With 75 to go your top 5 is Keselowski, Kenseth, Bowyer, Vickers and Burton. All drivers are being told to conserve fuel in case it goes green to the end.

With 35 to go Gordon has come back on to the track and there are only 14 on the lead lap.

Lap 478 CAUTION Tony Stewart bounces off the wall when Brendan Gaughan hits him from behind.  Rear damage but not bad enough to end his day. During pit stops Dale Jr is sited for TOO FAST ON PIT ROAD. He's now 15th but on the lead lap. Keselowski is discussing which lane to choose on the restart. Being first he has that choice. He chooses the top to restart. 

With 18 to go Keselowski takes the lead again on the restart with Kenseth in hot pursuit.

With 10 to go your top 5 is Keselowski, Kenseth, Truex Jr, Bowyer and Vickers . That's all 3 of Micheal Waltrip Racing's drivers in the top 5!!!!!!

Keselowski wins the race and takes the lead lap points too. He led a total of 231 laps. 

Your top 15 finishers and only lead lap cars were...Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray, Juan Montoya, Jimmie Johnson and Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Was an action pack race and like I said it was a Shamrock Shake for a few drivers. Recovery this early in the season is definitely possible. No worries for Edwards, Ky Busch or Hamlin yet. All 3 are still in the top 15 in the point standings. Regan Smith is 19th so MIA should be proud of her man. Next week I will try to have a nice story to write along with my race recap. Till then enjoy the NCAA bracket fun, the Manning sweepstakes and for some of us some really awesome unexpected weather. Thanks for stopping by, take care and.....

Have an awesome day......