HE IS BACK!!!!!!!!
TODAY’S STORYLINES:
1. Qualifying rained out; www.jayski.com
2. Kyles attemps another triple header; www.nascar.com
3. JR’s winless streak at 72 races; www.dalejr.com
4. Pit strategy/ fuel mileage; www.allwaltrip.com
5. Late race caution flags;
The weekend started off with the Cup qualifying being rained out for Sunday’s race. That means that the line up for the race is by current point standings. So the number 18, aka “TLVW”, was starting on the pole. This would make him the odds-on favorite for the race, since he has been the hottest driver of the season! If you were a betting man, you would bet the farm that “Wild Thang” would be there at the end! But ol Kylie hasn’t been able to close the deal in the last douple of weeks. Why last week he saw fit to give this reporter a present——43 points!!!!!
Michigan has always been a track where there are long green flags runs that lead to a “fuel mileage” finish of a race. Also there seems to be a late race caution flag that plays heavily into the outcome. Well, today was no exception to that rule!!! The “contending” teams were presented with just the scenerio that I have just spoken about. Some chose to pit and a few chose to stay out and have “track position”. One of those teams was the Hendrick’s #88 Amp/Mt. Dew/National Guard #88 Dale Jr. Chevy. It was going to be close if he could make it to the end on his fuel! He was trying to “conserve” fuel as best he could, all the while racing Jamie McMurry’s #26 Crown Royal Ford for the win. With a couple of laps to go in the race there was a tangle in the back of the pack involving Patrick Carpentier and Mike Waltrip that brought out the caution flag. Now there is a Green/ White/ Checker restart. That causes an extra two laps of racing, and as it turned out, three laps idling behind the pace car for a total of five extra laps!!! Does Dale Jr. have the fuel to hold off Jamie McMurry for the win????? That was the burning question!
The green flag drops and away they go hurtling into turn 1. Jr. seems to be able to hold off McMurry down the back stretch, but it is very close! Coming out of turn four, heading down to the white flag there is a spin behind the leaders and the yellow flag comes out again. Now does Dale Jr. have enough gas to stay behind the pace car for one more lap to take the checkered flag???? He comes around turn four to take the checkered and his car sputters and runs out of gas—–but he still makes it to the finish line for the victory!!!! The 72 race winless streak comes to an end!!!!!! He’s back!!!
ALL IS WELL IN THE JR. NATION!!!!!
I would also like to take this time to wish all my friends and family who are fathers, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!
I would like to wish one very special person “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY”!!!
SEE YA SOON, POP!!
He *IS* back! Today is a great day for Dale Jr fans. This win has been a long time in the making, but now that we got it, I think the next ones will come easier and more frequently. Congratulations to Junior and the #88 team. I am one happy fan today!
Mike Smith
To my Dear Husband, AKA Capt. Poonjobbie,
I know that you are one very happy “raghead” dude tonight, now that your favorite driver finally won a race !!!!!!! GO JUNIOR…. Nice blog, as usual, and this one has been a long time coming. Considering that you are in Denver, without your own computer, no camera to do your video, you did quite well with what you had to work with, otherwise, I think we would have all been overwhelmed with all of the #88 STUFF you would have donned to do a video, had you been at home tonight !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Beware folks, he is coming home for 36 hrs. tomorrow, so my guess is there will be one coming your way soooooooooon…….)
Congrats Louella, you sure know how to pick them…..!!!!!
Blondie