I'm monitoring DirecTV’s HotPass channel 791, the Jr. channel. There's a very slight delay so they can try to catch Jr.’s profanity, but they always miss the first syllable, and then end up cutting off the specific matter he is complaining about. I also hear his spotter saying clear when the TV shows a car at his door. DirecTV has the Fox audio cutting in and out, so I'm staying with the driver audio. T. J. MAJORS spotting for the 88.
WRAP-UP - JR came into this race 3rd, 86 pts. behind the leader Jeff Burton, and 6 behind Kyle Busch. He finished 10th, and gained 16 points on the leader.
UNOFFICIAL STANDINGS AFTER TALLADEGA
(no change in positions)
- Jeff Burton 1338 --
- Kyle Busch 1325 -13 +67
- Dale Jr. 1268 -70 +18
All in all, although the 10th place result was disappointing, Dale Jr. had an excellent car. After the crash, he might have gone all the way to the front if there had been enough laps. He said, “Jamie [McMurray, the driver of the 26, who was his drafting partner for the last 3 laps] just had to trust me, that I would stay behind him not try to get around him. I was willing to take 2nd and push him to the front, and I would have if he didn't cut a tire and get loose at the end. I have to call out my engine builder for giving me a helluva machine.
Rants Shout-Out: Matt Haggard, Saturday night dirt track racer, sportswriter, weather forecaster. You called it right, Matthew. No rain.
COOL DOWN LAP - JR: We shouldn't've pitted that last time. Tony: No, it was pretty bad. Be proud of what you did. JR: TJ, Tell Jamie's spotter thank you, we couldn't've done it without him. TJ: 10-4. JR: Guys, you did a helluva job. We gonna win one of these f****rs one of these days. Damn, we could've won this race!
FINAL LAP - CAUTION'S OUT. FIELD FROZEN. 11TH.
3 to go - JR: tell the 26 to come back to me, I can push him to the front. JR glued to the 26 bumper charging through the field, to 17th
5 to go - JR: Who's behind me? TJ: 09, lapped cars, all got some kind of damage. JR: tell 09 to drive like hell, we're going to the front.
8 to go - CAUTION'S OUT. 43 spun out. 29th. Asking TJ to talk to 26's spotter. JR: Is he not watching the f***** race? If I can get behind him, we'll go straight to the front! TJ: Alright, I'll ask him.
8 to go - JR: We might get there. TJ: Yeah, you got 8 laps, you might.
12 to go - BACK INTO THE PITS. Pulling out the bent sheet metal on the left side. Came out 29th
13 to go - LONG PIT STOP. LONG. Sawing off the bent sheet metal on the right side quarter panel. Lots of tape. Back out, still on the lead lap.
14 to go - JR: I don't wanna pit! TJ: We have to pit. you have a big parachute back there (right rear quarter-panel) Tony: Come in, you need some gas. JR: I want to come in and get right back out. I don't need anything, fix what you want to fix.
16 to go - FOUR WIDE. JR GOT LOOSE, SAVED IT, THEN TAPPED 43. DAMAGE TO RIGHT REAR AND LEFT REAR.
18 to go - 2 came up with 88 on the outside, thought he'd help, then the 2 and following car dropped to lead the center lane, leaving JR hanging out to dry, fell back to 18th.
21 to go - CAUTION. JR: Count me down. I need to know when it's 15, 10, 9. Let TJ call the traffic. Tony: I'll count down the laps, let TJ focus on the traffic.
22 to go -CAUTION. JR: 24 ought to have followed the 12 to the front. Don't know why he didn't. He would have gained a spot.
24 to go = CAUTION DEBRIS off the 83
24 to go - 24 and 88 get a big run on the outside. Running 3rd. 12 taps him lightly, rear bumper, then passes.
25 to go - coming to the GREEN
27 to go - 4TH CAUTION, no mention of a pit stop. Running 8th. 24=7th 88=8th. TJ MAJORS: You can help him (24) more than he can help you.
28 to go - CAUTION. 15 gets loose in front of JR, spins to the infield, JR evades him. JR: I ain't gonna do that. TJ MAJORS: (dryly) Yeah, don't do that.
31 to go - Now 12th.
34 to go - THREE WIDE!!!! WHOLE PACK RUNNING TOGETHER 193 MPH. JR 15th
38 to go - with the 31 just behind, watch the 44 - 88 - 31 charge. FOUR WIDE
39 to go - JR goes outside trying to lead, then gets swept back to 16th as two lines pass him on the inside.
42 to go - Still CAUTION. Since I can't hear Fox audio, wonder if anyone has talked about Robby Gordon in the 7 car. During the break, he flew to Europe to run his Hummer in the Dakar Rally replacement race in Central Europe, which finished yesterday afternoon, then flew back to drive Dega. Went to the back at the start because he did not qualify the car.
43 to go - PIT STOP. Right-fronts and fuel only. JR starts then stops, as Tony says hold on, need more gas. Tony says he can make it, but save some fuel in case there's a green-white-checker. Came in LEADER, out behind 11 and 12.
45 to go - CAUTION. 20 cut right-front. LEADER. Tony: gonna do two right,
46 to go - 20, JR to the front, outside line. 3 wide. 83 charges alone in the middle. CAUTION
47 to go - THREE WIDE. JR leads middle line to the front. Trading lead with 20, 11, 31
49 to go - 9 pushes JR to the front, on the insde. Now 9, 19, 88, 11.
50 to go - THREE WIDE. 19 and 11 pass everyone on the inside like they're standing still.
51 to go - two wide. Running 5th, inside. NOW THREE WIDE
54 to go - Cars to watch out for: 20 - Stewart, 11 - Hamlin, 38 - Sadler,
58 to go - LEADER. Laps Led: #20 = 58 laps. #88 = 40 laps
60 to go -LEADER, 11, 20. JR pushes 11 to the lead on the outside, then drops down to lead on the inside.
64 to go - 11 and 26 make a big run to the lead on the outside, then drop down in front of JR. 7th. 24 near the front of the outside line.
67 to go - LEADER 20 next, then 11. Two wide, JR leads inside line, outside 10 car lengths back.
69 to go - JR asks how many pit stops to go, when. Tony says one pit stop, right now 2 rights only and fuel. JR asks will fuel be tight at the end. Tony: You will not be tight on fuel. After the last pit stop you'll be 20 laps to the good.
70 to go - Came in and out LEADER
71 to go - PIT STOP. Gas and go. Topped off. Cleaned the grill. Outside the jet blowers, cleaning tire debris.
72 to go - CAUTION. blown tire. debris. 99 blew right-front. Gas and go. 1 can.
76 to go - 11 and 12 charge to the front, then 18 (-2 laps), 88, then 12 looks ouside trying to lead and gets swept back to 6th
78 to go - LEADER. 18 ahead of JR fighting to stay on lead lap.
81 to go - 20, 11, JR. Pit stops cycled through.
83 to go - PIT STOP. 4 tires and fuel. Full load of fuel. Came in LEADER, out 3. 20 leads.
98 - 20 will come in with 88. 20 will take outsides and fuel. 88 4 tires and full load.
95 - JR asks about his teammates. 24 and 48 back about 17-18, 24 will pit around 100, JR comes in at 105. 4 tires and fuel. Tony says, we ought to take 4 to make sure we get a full tank of fuel, then one more stop to the finish.
94 HALF-WAY - LEADER. 20 behind, then a long line of lead lap cars. Race is now official. Jr. runs very well with the 20, lots of trust.
93 - LEADER, 20 two car lengths back.
88 - LEADER
87 - JR. glued to the 70 Schrader, lap down, headed to the front
85 - Jr. leading a big pack inside, 4th
82 - 48 leads Jr. to the front. Man they are drafting so tightly you couldn't stick a piece of paper between 'em!
67 - 12th. JR: hangin' back here, like when we won the (Daytona) 500. Tony: No (excessive) wear on the tires.
64 - PIT STOP 4,000 second gear. 4 tires and fuel. 13.4 seconds. Came in 2nd, came out 12.
64 - 20 leads a big group onto pit road. LEADER
63 - lapped cars. Coming in at 65, 4 tires and fuel. LEADING.
61 - making a big run on the outside, with the 20 pushing. LEAD
60 - 7th
58 - Jr. gets a big run inside, goes to 10th
55 - Leads in the middle, then gets freight-trained top and bottom pushed way back to 18.
52 - 88 pushes 15 to the front, taking the high line. two wide. Passed on the outside by 42 and 11, 4th. Jr: What a trip!
50 - 3 wide. 83 leading. Jr. leads again, with 24 and 11 pushing.
48 - Jr. leads again. 83 with 11 pushing taking the lead. Back and forth. 24 still trying to lead. 3 drafting lines.
47 - 31 pushed by the 6 pass. 88 3rd
42 - 24 couldn’t pass so Jr. says, go whenever you can. If he gets a run, he might be able to go down there and clear me.
41 - 24's got a big run. Jr: does he want to lead a lap, he's about to!
39 - Leader
38 - Dale Jr. leads a freight-train drafting with the 24 and 83 on the outside.
24 - green. Jr. now 5th.
22 (yellow) - 24 asks if you want to go to the front for the 5 pts. Dale Jr. says "I don't know. It's harder to pass that 20 than you think.
21 - Pit road's open, 88 comes in. Right side only and 1 tank of gas. Came in 3, out 7. 17 hit the wall pretty hard back there.
Lap 20 - Caution. Jr. says it runs about 220 in the draft. don’t need tires unless you need them. Tony says I’ll put 2 on, normally I'd put in 4.
Lap 18 of 188 - Junebug says we might be touching the left front. No contact seen so it’s hard to explain
Lap 7 - Dale Jr. says everything fine.
11:21 AM (PDT) [TJ Majors spotting for the #88 team.]Green Green Green. Started 3rd in the pts. 86 pts. behind Jeff Burton, 80 behind Kyle Busch.
