2019 Nascar - Playoff Race #5 - Talladega Gets Lights

[GA_Boater]

1000 of them! But not a single one to extend the race after dark if rain delays the race. :blue: 1000Bulbs 500 Cup race and Sugarlands Shine 250 Truck race are on tap this week end. Today (Friday) each series will have 2 practices with qualifying tomorrow.

Sunday is the middle leg of the Cup playoff round of 12 while the Truck race is the 1st one in the round of 6. No playoff contenders in either series will be knocked out this weekend.

Weather looks good for today and Saturday. Sunday ain't lookin' so good with only a 55% chance of racing - And this may be optimistic. Dega takes a long time to dry if it gets wet.

MRN's weekend schedule;

[h=1]Talladega Schedule of Events[/h]
All Times Eastern

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Friday, October 11
Gander Outdoors Truck Series First Practice: 12:35 p.m.-1:25 p.m.
Monster Energy Cup Series First Practice: 1:35 p.m.-2:25 p.m. (MRN/NBCSN)
Gander Outdoors Truck Series Final Practice: 3:35 p.m.-4:25 p.m.
Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice: 4:35 p.m.-5:25 p.m. (MRN/NBCSN)

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Saturday, October 12
Gander Outdoors Truck Series Qualifying: 10:35 a.m. (FS1)
Radio Pre-Race: 1:00 p.m. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 1:00 p.m. (FS1)
Gander Outdoors Truck Series Sugarlands Shine 250: 1:30 p.m. (MRN/FS1)
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying: 4:35 p.m. (MRN/NBCSN)

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Sunday, October 13
Radio Pre-Race: 1:00 p.m. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 1:00 p.m. (NBC)
Monster Energy Cup Series 1000Bulbs.com 500: 2:00 p.m. (MRN/NBC)

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News and Notes

• With the impending crew size reductions coming for next year, layoff notices are going out among the teams, especially the smaller ones. Levine Family Racing has told two crewmen to look for work after Homestead and other teams are doing the same.
• Chase Elliott is looking to become the 9th driver to do a Talladega sweep after winning in May. The list is dominated by Earnhardts - Twice by Dale Sr. and once by Junior.
• Aric Almirola's primary sponsor, Smithfield Foods, has extended their deal with SHR and Almirola got a contract extension as well.
• This week the Next Gen Cup car hit the track for the 1st time. Austin Dillon tested the car for 2 days at Richmond. Everything is under wraps, but Dillon said it looks good. The car will debut in the 2021 Daytona 500.
• No Harvick beer at Talladega. Back to plain, old Busch brews.
• TV rating - Dover got a 1.1 rating and 1.8 million viewers, down from a 1.2 rating and 2.0 million viewers for last year.

iBoats Fantasy Live

• FloridaFishingNetwork won his 6th iFL race this year. 4 during the regular season and 2 in a row in the playoffs. Two of his wins involved kissing his sister - Two ties. None the less - Congrats, FFN. :first:
• FlaCowboy added a few points in the overall standings. He came into Dover with a 9 point lead, now it's 23.
• iFL pole locks at 4:30 PM tomorrow.

Good luck all,

Humpty

 

[GA_Boater]

Shocking new! Hybrids in 2022? https://www.foxnews.com/auto/shock-nascar-hybrids-2022

2 great comments to the article;

Future headline: Filed September 12, 2020 - Toyota Prius wins the BrickYard 200...smokes all competititors at the famous Daytona 5,000. Film at 11.

Dale Earnhardt just turned in his grave.

 

[GA_Boater]

1st Cup practice results - Hamlin, Harvick, TWT, LaJoie, McDowell, Jones, Chastain, Gaughan, Buescher and Matt D.

Final practice kicks off at 4:35.

 

[GA_Boater]

Final Cup practice - 10 fastest; Bowyer, Almirola, Menard, Harvick, Preese, Bowman, Keso, Blaney, Newman and Matt D.

Pick your pole sitter by 4:30 PM tomorrow.

 

[GA_Boater]

Creed won the 1st Truck heat.

Only 1 caution for HBurton oiling the track causing a red flag clean up. It looked like a mile of oil streaks.

 

[GA_Boater]

Dippel brings out the 2nd yellow. Spun and hit the outside wall head on and bounced off.

 

[GA_Boater]

Friesen wins heat #2.

Is the Big One coming during heat 3? Been a calm race so far, but this is Talladega!

 

[GA_Boater]

Fredo, I mean Alfredo spins for the 3rd yellow.

11 laps to go.

 

[GA_Boater]

With 7 to go and Chastain leading, he was blocking to keep the lead and Creed gets into him and a spin in front of the pack. It looked like Chastain came down and Creed caught his left rear. Chastain and 8 more involved.

Red flag with Creed shown as the leader.

 

[GA_Boater]

Chastain takes the blame - Said poor execution on his part.

 

[GA_Boater]

Overtime!

Dean gets spun and hits the wall. Spinning like a top and in the air after a hard hit.

 

[GA_Boater]

Johnny Sauter wins with a lot of action behind his car, but he holds them off.

Cup qualifying coming up and you have a few minutes to make your pole pick.

 

[GA_Boater]

Oooops - Hold your horses! Sauter went below the yellow line to block and the win is given to Spenser Boyd.

Sauter did Boyd's victory burnouts, but Boyd does some anyway for his first win after 23 starts. Sauter got 14th instead of #1.

 

[GA_Boater]

Fresh off his 1st win, Spenser Boyd is the #1 Cup qualifier. For a minute anyway, now it's McDowell on pole with 38 cars to go.

 

[GA_Boater]

Hendrick sweeps the the 1st four starting spots. Elliott on pole, followed by Bowman, Byron and Johnson. 5 through 10 are Almirola, Keso, Bowyer, Stenhouse, Blaney and Joey.

You have until 2 PM tomorrow to finish your rosters.

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This was posted on Twitter about Jennifer Jo Cobb, who finished 27th.

An update on @JenJoCobb: When there was oil on the track early in the race, she spun, but didn't hit anything, she flat-spotted her tires and came to pit road with no tires bought.

Two fans on Talladega Blvd. pitched in; bought her a set of tires to finish Truck race.

I guess she is trying to make it in Nascar on a shoestring and it's busted. :thumb: to her fans and to her for living the dream.

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Denny Hamlin posted no qualifying time. During run up to start his Q-Run, the motor broke and will start at the rear tomorrow. He said he was fortunate it happened during qualifying and not on lap 1 tomorrow.

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Matt Crafton will probably relieve Paul Menard tomorrow.

Menard said "My neck has some disc issues & things that if I were to get upside-down it would be pretty bad. Normal hits aren’t bad, it’s upside-down things that are bad. ... More than likely, honestly, I’m probably gonna get out."

 

[WIMUSKY]

Shocking new! Hybrids in 2022? https://www.foxnews.com/auto/shock-nascar-hybrids-2022

2 great comments to the article;

Hybrids? That will put a nail in NASCARSs coffin. 1.1 rating? Ouch.....

 

[GA_Boater]

With hybrids we won't know if sparks coming off a car are from the car dragging on the track or if a driver was just shocked! :smile:

Rain is going to be a factor today. Some light rain has moved through, scattered showers are around and a large mass of storms are queued up in Mississippi headed toward the track. Hit or miss? We'll find out at 2:03 when the green flag supposed to drop.

 

[GA_Boater]

With rain past the track for now and overcast skies - The green flag drops.

55 laps in 1st heat and a 36 lap fuel window.

 

[GA_Boater]

Keso nips Elliott at the line to lead the first lap.

 

[GA_Boater]

Hamlin started dead last in 40th. With 6 laps finished, he got up to 2nd - For the time being anyway.