Indisputable at the moment is who possesses momentum.
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Ryan Blaney, who had an outside shot of making the Chase, saw his chances disappear just 11 laps into the race when he smacked the wall from a flat tire after making contact with Trevor Bayne. But, with a auto better-suited for long runs, the seven restarts caused by a rash of accidents over the last 86 laps did not suit him.
Bowyer has struggled this season, which could be his first full-time campaign without a top-five finish. “It would’ve definitely hurt to lose this one on the final restart”.
If Richmond was generally a boring race, does that mean NASCAR fans are in for a boring Chase?
Denny Hamlin led the field to the green flag for Saturday night’s event in front of a large crowd at the Virginia-based track. The victory was Hamlin’s third of the 2016 season, and his third at the racetrack that lays claim to being his “home track”.
“The next thing I know he is driving across my nose on the back straightaway because he’s Tony Stewart”.
Closing out the regular 26-race season, the 400-miler, which had a track-record 16 cautions, was quick to swallow up its first victim. Other short odds to prevail are Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch each have 6/1 odds.
The night’s biggest controversy was between these two and they were both wrong.
Dillon and McMurray are among the drivers hoping to cement a spot in the Chase for the championship that begins next week.
Realistically, only the final two spots were on the line.
The third-year driver followed it with a third-place finish at Darlington, then hustled from 12th to second on a two-lap overtime sprint Saturday night at Richmond.
Newman (2003), Kahne (2005) and Bowyer (2008, 2012) are the only now winless drivers who have won at Richmond in the past. So he wasn’t going to make up much more ground, and Jamie McMurray – the driver he needed to catch – was on pace to maintain his spot or at least not lose many.
Then Newman, who drove for Stewart-Haas Racing from 2009-13 before he was let go to make room for Kevin Harvick, really let loose in a stunning rant.
On Lap 363, Tony Stewart appeared to try and throw a block on Ryan Newman headed down the backstretch, but it didn’t work. I guess he thought he was in a sprint auto again and couldn’t control his anger. “Didn’t want to control his anger”. “. Just disappointing that you’ve got somebody old like that that’s retired, should be retired the way he drives, it’s just ridiculous”.
Unfortunately for Stewart, the who’s in, who’s out story couldn’t overshadow the Newman words. But he hits me in (Turn) 1, he hits me off of (Turn) 2, and it’s like the third time by that time. I don’t think there is a favorite right now. Kyle Busch is the winningest active driver at RIR with four victories.
“Richmond is a fun, yet challenging, little racetrack”, Bowyer said. “You’d kind of like to have the momentum heading in your direction and going the right way for you”. “I don’t think anybody has got a leg up on us, for sure”.
This controversial, made-for-TV exchange comes a week after John Hunter Nemechek intentionally wrecked Cole Custer to win a Camping World Truck Series race, leading to a comedic helmets-on wrestling match on pit lane. “I don’t believe in 10, so 9, 9 1/2 would be optimum”. It’s a great team effort here. “We had a tire go down and just missed one accident – a very eventful day”.
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O’Brien can be reached by phone at 757-247-4963.
