Tell me if you've heard this before. Snow delayed race, and a ford in victory lane. If you said yes then you would be correct the whole race weekend was delayed due to a massive snow storm that covered the track. Then a site we are all starting to become familiar with this year, a ford in victory lane.
On Saturday the cup guys got to go through some practice laps, only to see qualifying cancelled. Due to an insane amount of snow that started to fall on the track. ❆❆❆While running the first practice we seen Toyota's and Ford's running fast laps and even though we went without qualifying nothing changed whenever the race started. The first stage of the race started with Martin Truex leading the first 4 laps only to see his JGR alliance partners go on to dominate the rest of the first stage. Kyle Bush took the lead from Truex, leading a total of twenty four laps. The to see his teammate Denny Hamlin take the lead from him and go into cruise mode, leading one hundred eleven laps and a stage one win. Toyota showed the dominance early one and made you think that maybe Hamlin was going to add another grandfather clock to his collection. Stage two would turn out to prove other wise.
Stage two would see young Ryan Blaney win the race off pit road at 3:02 PM, and twenty two short minutes later had opened up a solid cushion of almost two seconds on second place. Drivers started to become more antsy this stage, with the fight for positions. The 78 and 47 were seen making contact on a couple occasions. Along with multiple other drivers bumping and banging. As the old saying goes rubbing is racing right? Well, luckily for Blaney, and his crew he would check out from the pack for the most part of stage two. With that Menards Ford leading the whole stage and leaving just a whopping sixteen cars on the lead lap going into stage three. One of those sixteen would be seven time champion Jimmie Johnson. Who seemed to for the first time this year have some what of solid run cracking into the top ten. With that being said though what everyone was seeing as the stage ended is that one Clint Bowyer was closing the gap with a fast race car heading into stage three of the five hundred lap race. With a 190 race streak since his last trip to victory lane he was hungry and was bound to give Blaney a run.
The opening of stage three would begin much like stage two. The number twelve Menard's pit crew got Ryan back out in P1 coming outta the pits. Blaney would go onto lead a couple more laps in stage three giving everyone the idea that this race might be his for the taking. The "old dog" as Clint called himself decided it was time to kick it up a notch and at 4:01 PM took the lead. As the 1 car went into the wall around twenty five minutes later, Bowyer and his crew still did not look back. Winning the race off pit road and retaining the lead, but he had some very stiff competition closing in on him. With Kyle Bush who Bowyer later was quoted saying is "One of the best in the business" and reigning champion Martin Truex in P2 and P3. The 14 team held strong leading a race high 215 laps. At 5:20 PM for the first time in six years, Bowyer got to taste victory again. Bowyer was quoted saying, "For whatever reason it felt right driving up here" like he almost knew that this was gonna be his weekend. Bowyer's young son Cash was in victory lane with him and it was only fitting consider he told his son "Damn it we got to get a picture in victory lane" and fulfill that request he did. After the race unfortunately for Kyle Bush he got another runner up finish, but seeing the disappointment in his face during the interview was even quoted saying "He (Bowyer) was able to kind of edge out there through the early laps of firing off each and every time and kinda get that gap, and then he'd just kinda hold that." Bowyer is a very fan oriented driver like a lot of the drivers are in the sport today, he was seen after celebrating with crew on the track walking up to the fans in the stands and asking for a beer. Most of his peers took to twitter to congratulate him and say they would drink one for him. Bowyer was able to just in six races claim his spot in the playoffs and now can look to build on this victory and set himself up to continue this strong run.
This season has appeared to be a two manufacturer race for the championship through six races. Even at a track where historically they are dominant the highest finishing Camaro was Alex Bowman in seventh. Even with a seventh place finish and his first top ten of the season Bowman said "It's frustrating to say we are looking for seventh.." Which honestly could be said for most of the Chevrolet drivers Aj Allmendinger was a surprising front runner for a majority of the race, and Bowman's teammate Chase Elliot said on twitter "Worked hard for 9th today, happy we could get it going a little better toward the end.." Most people were expecting a lot more outta the Chevrolet group as a whole, with only three in the top ten. Fans are still left wondering what needs to be done? Ladies and gents it may have took a little longer than we expected or wanted
for that madder, but out first short track experience of the year is over and gone almost like all the snow that fell this weekend. Easter weekend is upon us and we have our first cup series break of the year. What will we all do while our drivers are enjoying a week off? I should have another entry about a young William Byron coming out this week guys and even a look forward to Texas. Hopefully I didn't disappoint with this entry and I can keep you guys coming back.
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