Posted on March 15, 2008

Mini-Rain Out

by Mike Finnegan About The Author	Email   Print

EVENT: Sharpie-Mini 300 Bristol Motor Speedway March 15, 2008 Race 5 of 35   Unofficial Results Unofficial Standings   Race Related Info: Bowyer Wins Rain-Shortened Sharpie Mini 300 TOYOTA Nationwide Series Post-Race Notes & Quotes Bristol Motor Speedway Ford Bristol Nationwide Post-Race Quotes AMBROSE SCORES BEST BRISTOL FINISH WITH 19TH Mini-Rain Out Kyle Busch and Braun Racing Team Up Again at Bristol Motor Speedway No. 9 Ragu Dodge Charger Bristol Preview Kevin Harvick - No. 33 RoadLoans.com Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Team Report Truex Jr. To Drive For JR Motorsports at Bristol

Clint Bowyer leads 124 of 171 laps to win the rain shortened Sharpie-Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. 

Bowyer although did have a strong car and did have a sizeable lead at times. As rain had delayed the start of the race by almost 2 hours, it also finished out the race on lap 171 when a storm hit the area for the third time today. 

Bowyer started the race 4^th in his Chevrolet as Scott Wimmer and Denny Hamlin were on the front row. Bowyer kept himself in the top 5 for the event and led it after a competition caution on lap 45, and did not look back. 

Hamlin looked to be strong, but with a flat tire, it put him back three laps in the field. Hamlin had to settle for 26^th place.

Wimmer on a pit stop near lap 100 chose to stay out as the teams knew the rain was coming in hope the car would be strong to stay in front of Bowyer and Kasey Kahne, who started 7^th. 

Kahne challenged Bowyer for 50 laps, but slower, lap down drivers would give Bowyer to keep his machine in front and hold it when Kahne made a last ditch effort to move past him. The effort could not come together though, then the skies opened up, giving Bowyer the win.  

PRE RACE NOTES

Kevin Harvick finds himself in a familiar place, in an unfamiliar situation.

Four races into the NASCAR Nationwide Series Harvick, a two-time series champion, is leading the standings. Only this time he is doing it for his own team – Kevin Harvick Inc.

Harvick has long had success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driving for Richard Childress Racing. The duo have accounted for 32 victories and two championships together over nine years.

This season, however, Harvick plans to run 22 races, all for KHI.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of running my own cars and creating a little bit different challenge from all aspects,” Harvick said. “I know what it’s been like the last few years to be winning races and being competitive week-in and week-out and that’s what we are shooting for.”

This isn’t the first time KHI is on top of the owners’ point standings. Tony Stewart drove the No. 33 Chevrolet to Victory Lane in the 2005 and 2006 season openers at Daytona. However, this is the first time that Harvick sits in first as both driver and owner.

“We are certainly very proud of where our Nationwide Series program is headed,” said DeLana Harvick, Kevin’s wife and team co-owner. “We have been very fortunate to have some veteran drivers to help us along the way, but ultimately we knew that making the step toward week-in and week-out consistency, we needed Kevin.

“We took similar steps getting our Truck program up and running, and we feel like we have built a good foundation there, so our approach to our Nationwide program naturally would follow that model.”

Bristol Motor Speedway has always held special meaning for the Wallace family. Rusty Wallace retired with nine career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at the track, his son Steve earned his first career pole during last year’s Sharpie Mini 300 and youngest brother Kenny earned the fourth of nine career NASCAR Nationwide Series wins at Bristol in 1994.

While middle-brother Mike Wallace has yet to win at the track, he will make his 300th career start this weekend, becoming only the 12th driver in series’ history to hit that milestone. 

Mike Wallace, who has four career victories, is appreciative of how his career has played out.

“It’s great to think that I’ve been able to win races and have longevity that has brought me to this point,” Wallace said. “There aren’t that many drivers that make it this far in their driving careers, and I’m excited to make my 300th start.”

“If it can’t be Daytona, then it’s got to be Bristol,” Wallace said about the track at which he’ll hit the 300-race mark. “My brothers have both won at Bristol, and I’d like to join that list.” 

QUALIFYING NOTES 

The field was set by owner points, sue to yet another rain out. 

NOW ONTO THE RACE!! 

GREEN FLAG as Wimmer and Hamlin launch our 43 drivers into action after the delay. Give lap 1 to Denny Hamlin. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 4 as Bobby Labonte and Brett Rowe get together. Labonte after bumping with Rowe spins to the outside wall, clipping it with the back end out of turn four. Johnny Sauter may have picked a piece of that on the right front. 

GREEN FLAG lap 9 Bowyer moves up into 2^nd place. Kevin Harvick into 4^th.  

YELOW FLAG lap 14 Martin Truex Jr. is into the outside turn 2 wall after possible contact from behind. Truex shoots towards the inside wall then back up towards the outside wall of turn two. In the process, he clips Kyle Busch on the left rear, causing Busch to spin out into the outside wall. Busch comes to rest on the apron in turn three. 

Oh by the way, we are at Bristol. Larry Gunselman is the lucky dog. Busch has left the building. 

Lap 19 we have 5 drivers down or out of the race. Brett Rowe, Brad Coleman are a lap down, Bobby Labonte 2 laps down with Truex Jr., Busch, Mike Potter and Morgan Shepherd out of the race. 

GREEN FLAG lap 22 as Hamlin has a great restart. Lap 24 Bowyer attempts to keep Hamlin in his sights as they leave the field by almost 1 second. Lap 30 the top 10 drivers are – Hamlin, Bowyer, Harvick, Scott Wimmer, David Reutimann, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Jason Leffler and Greg Biffle. 

Lap 35 Bowyer tapping on Hamlin to let him know he wants the lead. Lap 36 Hamlin to the high side using a lapped driver as a pick to keep Bowyer in 2^nd. Lap 37 Bowyer has some running room now and takes over as the leader. 

Lap 39 Harvick takes 2^nd place from Hamlin. Lap 42 Bowyer having to negotiate traffic is able to put a few cars between him and Harvick. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 46 for the competition caution for teams to check tires and make adjustments. Kertus Davis is the lucky dog. The field is in lead by Bowyer. The race back is Bowyer, Hamlin, Harvick, Wimmer and Ragan.  

Lap 50 your top 20 drivers are – Bowyer, Hamlin, Harvick, Wimmer, Ragan, Kasey Kahne, Reutimann, Sauter, Edwards, Biffle, Brad Keselowski, Leffler, Kenny Wallace, Mike Bliss, Kelly Bires, Dario Franchitti, Mike Wallace, Marcos Ambrose, Steve Wallace and Bobby Hamilton Jr. 

GREEN FLAG lap 53 as the single file leaders rocket into turns one and two. We are hearing reports that rain may be headed here again. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 63 as Bires, Bryan Clauson tangle in turn three. Mark Green should be the lucky dog. 

GREEN FLAG lap 66 for Bowyer and Hamlin as they clear the lapped down drivers. Steve Wallace is blacked flagged for passing to the left . Lap 70 Hamlin pops a right front tire, keeps his car out of the way of the other drivers. It takes him an extra lap to let the field go by. This will drop Hamlin down to 30^th and 3 laps down. 

Lap 78 Hamlin is back into pit road as the team does not get all the lug nuts on the right rear tire. This will put him 4 laps down and into 31^st. 

Lap 82 Bowyer and Harvick almost hit each other as they contend with lapped traffic. They get help up by more traffic on lap 86 with a road block that includes Franchitti and D.J. Kennington. 

Lap 92 21 drivers remain on the lead lap.  

YELLOW FLAG lap 92 as Franchitti was battling with Kasey Kahne. Franchitti is the looser as he is sideways, then slides into the wall. Davis looks to be the lucky dog again. Pit stops are underway. The race back to the track is Bowyer, Harvick, Ragan, Kahne and Reutimann. Wimmer stayed out. 

Harvick has to come back into pit road as his team missed a lug nut. He will fall back to 20^th. 

Lap 100 Wimmer, Biffle, Bowyer, Edwards, Kahne, Ragan, Reutimann, Leffler, Keselowski, Ambrose, Bires, Mike Wallace, Kenny Wallace, Sauter, Steve Wallace, Jason Keller, Kevin Lepage, Barrett, Hamilton Jr. and Davis. So far we have seen 3 lead changes among 3 leaders and 6 cautions for 26 laps. 

GREEN FLAG lap 106 as the show is going once again. Wimmer’s tires do not help him out as Bowyer passes him for the lead. The teams are trying to get as much as they can as we hear the rain may be 20 minutes from the track. If we make it to the halfway point of lap 150, the race will be official. 

Lap 112 Bowyer leads by ¾’s of a second over Wimmer, Kahne and Biffle. Lap 121 Bowyer continues his lead by almost 7/10^ths of a second and 1.4 seconds over third place Kahne. 

Lap 125 22 drivers are still on the lead lap as Bowyer catches up to Hamlin (27^th) and 3 laps down. Lap 130 Kahne on new tires is up to 2^nd place. Lap 131 Kahne looks like a rocket as he catches up to Bowyer, two car lengths behind. 

Lap 134 Brad Keselowski battles with Edwards for 6^th and takes it. Lap 137 Kahne making his move for the lead on the inside, but cannot complete the pass. Lap 140 Bowyer drops to the low side using Stanton Barrett as a pick on the high side to keep Kahne behind him. 

Lap 142 Kahne using the high side of the track to keep momentum up and possibly take the lead. Lap 144 Bowyer and Kahne working lapped traffic of Ambrose and Robert Richardson. They push the two out of the way and it’s game on again. 

Lap 148 Mike Wallace battling with Edwards for 12^th. Edwards has been slowly falling back in the field. Lap 150 your top 20 drivers are – Bowyer, Kahne, Reutimann, Wimmer, Keselowski, Mike Bliss, Biffle, Leffler, Harvick, Ragan, Mike Wallace, David Stremme, Wallace, Edwards, Kenny Wallace, Keller, Steve Wallace, Sauter, Hamilton Jr., Lepage and Ambrose. 

Lap 154 Kahne tries the crossover move on Bowyer for the lead, but slow traffic is in the way once again to keep Bowyer in front.  

YELLOW FLAG for rain on lap 163 as Bowyer holds off Kahne and Reutimann. Pit road is open as the top three stay out. Wimmer is in though. We see drivers in the back of the lead pack come in as well as many lapped down drivers. 

Lap 170 safety crews are working to keep the track dry. It is not a total down pour and they are doing their best to keep it to keep minimal time as the cars continue to circle the track. 

RED FLAG on lap 171 as NASCAR brings the teams onto pit road.  

About 45 minutes into the rain, NASCAR has called the race, Clint Bowyer is the winner. 

Clint Bowyer won the Sharpie MINI 300, his sixth victory in 114 NASCAR Nationwide Series races. This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in five races in 2008.

This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in seven races at Bristol Motor Speedway.  

Kasey Kahne (second) posted his third top-10 finish in 10 races at Bristol. David Reutimann (third) posted his third top-10 of 2008 and his third in four races at Bristol. Brad Keselowski (fourth) posted his career-best finish, Dario Franchitti (22nd) was the highest finishing rookie. 

This is the first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol that did not complete the scheduled distance. 

Kevin Harvick retained the lead in the NASCAR Nationwide Series points and is now 49 points ahead of Bowyer, who gained three positions in the point standings moving from fifth to second. 

Your top ten finishers Bowyer, Kahne, Reutimann, Keselowski, Bliss, Leffler, Harvick, Ragan, Stremme and Mike Wallace. 

Race time was an hour and so. We saw 7 cautions for 37 laps. We also saw 4 lead changes among 4 leaders.

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