NASCAR Classic Race Replay: 2003 Aaron's 499 | Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR on Fox welcome to the Talladega Super Speedway and the Aaron's 499 spring race for the Winston Cup cars at the fastest Speedway on earth the cars roll up for their first of three pace laps big crowd vise Kart show on the backstretch over on or 50,000 here ready to go racing I'm Mike joy with Larry McReynolds the winning crew chief here in 1992 and Darrell Waltrip a four-time Talladega winner Larry strategy and pit selection a lot different than at the shorter tracks here I mean it is I mean it's his job in the spotters job to stay on that big one eye of the storm but yeah a lot of different strategies I know it's a 500-mile race but with those thirteen and a half gallon fuel sales like you saw Jeff Hammond with in the pre-race a lot of things evolved around that team's trying to figure out how they can make this race on four stops even pit selection I talked to one team that picked a pit at the entrance of pit road that way if they run out of fuel they don't have that far to go when they get on the pit road to get the fuel into that car Darrell probably nobody can stay up front all day in this race for 492 nine miles but is this a matter of being good or a matter of being good and lucky well which it's like a dance I mean we're gonna wall surround in here with all these cars and everybody's gonna be on the same page and as long as you don't step on somebody's toes everything will be fine but that's what you got to be careful of is not to get out of step get into somebody and cause that dreaded big one the other thing is getting on to pit road the drivers are gonna have a tough time not locking up that right front tire flat spot net right right front tire so that's a big responsibility for the drivers well last year the big one caused by driver error yesterday in the Busch race the big one caused by a mechanical failure it's a matter of playing dodgem for 500 miles here at Talladega [Music] [Music] [Music] good afternoon I'm Ken Butler I'm president of earring sales and lease ownership and on behalf of our 750 stores nationwide I want to welcome you at Talladega Motor Speedway home of the Aaron's 499 where we drive your dreams home for $99 a month today marks a very special day and that hermie Sadler will be driving the Aaron's dream machine too as in number OH - but he's not only driving from Aaron's he's driving for the Autism Society of America so keep an eye on them helping raise awareness for autism sit back enjoy the race have a good time Budweiser official beer of NASCAR and proud sponsor of the bud pole award given to the fastest qualifier nice NASCAR Winston Cup race this weekend's bud pole winner Jeremy Mayfield his seventh career pole since 1979 anheuser-busch has awarded more than eight million dollars as title sponsor of NASCAR's pole award program they have moved the start of this race up due to thunderstorms which we expect about three o'clock Central Time so here's the press stone starting grid will rip right through it but up in that top ten you see for dodges four Chevrolet's couple of Fords now you see Dale Earnhardt jr. heard him say while ago he has to drop to the rear of the field because an engine change also Bobby Labonte an eighteen car Jeff Green in the 30 car and Mike Skinner and four car all wanted to rear the field because of engine changes we'll keep you posted though based on our score monitor trust me the way they're running right now that's not the way they'll be running when they cross that start/finish line to complete lap one now three drivers failed to qualify Brett Bodine was one Larry Foyt and David greens runs were disqualified that David Green was fast enough to make the top 36 but the car was too low in the back as was points and several cars go to the back due to engine changes Larry noted he said restrictor-plate engines a real temperamental they're temperamental little buggers and you they'll give you a problem if you don't let you got to take care of you can't abused them today 499 miles it's the shortest 500-mile race on the tour it'll take 188 laps to run and the pit window in these smaller fuel cells Larry right here we'll be talking about this a lot today trust me that 35 to 40 laps we'll be talking a lot about tires but we will be talking a lot about the fuel strategy I think it's time yeah I see them coming to start/finish line here in Talladega not in America middle of the trial all the way down hit it for turn 1 DW one more time reach affair and pull those seat belts tight let's go racing boys buddy buddy buddy get welled up with that 7/8 restrictor-plate take about a lap for that happen but it won't take long for me to get about five feet back through there no preferred groove of racing here the preferred groove is the line that's moving whether it's the inside of the outside line Darrell this looks very orderly for a first lap at Talladega give them a little time I don't know maybe they got some kind of had some kind of message in the drivers meeting today that we don't know about what I said the guys did see what happened yesterday on the camp lap so they're being a little on the put on the cautious side of him was way up there three wide and may feel first time he's let me let a lap here in the hall race last year and that was the last lap he's led in Winston Cup racing he's out front at lap one Darrell looks like that inside line right now is the line that's moving riding with Jeff Gordon oh man there's a somebody way up on the outside it look like rusty back there just squeeze in between a new wall at the pitch of those engines never change and they are wide open all the way around this 2.66 mile track Rusty Wallace had Greg Biffle up alongside and that clog things up at that point for the Aryan cart the two dodges of Elliott in the pole sitter there Mayfield along with the Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace they were the fastest cars in practice Casey Mears that target car outside of Ricky Craven and Michael Waltrip Mears gonna drift back a little bit here normally Darrell you don't like to be in the middle but looked like Ricky Craven in the tire 32 car he had a pretty good line of cars with him what you want to do is go up through the middle get as far as you can but then you got to find a line because if you don't you'll go right to the back again the middle is good for passing and moving up but you can't stay there Rusty Wallace number two trying to drag a group of cars on the outside I always like to call that middle the sucker home it looks good baby it's nobody there you just think you're going on but it's like you hit a roadblock up to there told you we promised we'd talk about this there's 43 cars out there that last lap all but five cars changed positions for the guy in the middle there and see how the guy was on the outside now he'll go forward as he get on the straightaway but then when he gets to the corner he'll fall back again now we talk just like we saw yesterday you worry about a driver mistake a mental error but yesterday we saw a mechanical problem that caused the big one right Johnny Sauter running for it cut down a tire trouble to run hard a car in the wall and spinning down to the bottom it's gonna be ten or more cars involved Johnny Benson lap four here they come to the flag and everybody pretty much out of the throttle mayhem in turn one Dale Earnhardt jr. in the 8 car 1 check he may have been involved in that there he is right there I think he made it he was so far in the back Larry I think he made it to okay little bit of damage to his left front there he see Ryan Newman in the 12 car Kasey Mears the nose of his Dodge torn up as well and hermie Sadler has crashed out of this race no dreams today for hermie this was his very first restrictor plate race start hermie Jeff Burton on the right Casey Mears on the left Darrell there was contact and one car shot up hard hit to the outside wall flames erupted and everybody piled in well I said we some kind of idea about what happens here Darrell I believe the 12th car Ryan Newman looks like he was out of shape maybe starting to get loose by his self and Newman almost flipped over remember he had that hard crash to Daytona where he got on his roof at a desk in February can't imagine that there wasn't some some sort of contact that started because that looks so violent man that cart was almost over it's on its top right there it hit that wall a ton Rusty Wallace his teammate the two cars involved as they come through watch for the last two cars which I believe there's Earnhardt jr. up high getting through with straighter and Tony Raines jr. and Raines are the last two to get through from Rusty Wallace Tyrel right there bouncing over the fence David jr. right get it I think he got just a little bit of damage on that left front let's ride with Dale jr. Yeah right here he got in the back of the 30 gone can't see a thing look at that and this is the camera but remember he's seeing the same thing out that windshield except his windshield doesn't clear like this one straighter got into the side of him a little bit and he got a little damage to the front when he got the back of the 30 car but otherwise I think he's gonna be all right I'm not so sure that Mark Martin in the in the 12th card didn't make some contact may I are way completely over the fence outside the racetrack did the Jimmy Horton Matt Yocum Mike over the past 45 to 50 seconds Dale Earnhardt jr. has been talking on the radio diagnosing the cosmetic damage of the car he said he got into the back of the 30 which you saw in our video there is damage to the left front bottom fascia they've got a piece of aluminum already cut to do some work he also said he got into the 49 of ken Schrader not sure about the right side or the rear they're gonna change the tires because he's flat spotted them by locking them up it still drives trying to work on that left front corner there beating it out now he's got the hammer not as bad as they thought by listening to him on the radio or watching the video but remember aerodynamics so important for in fact that they tone on two years ago where he lost the whole right front fender they replaced it he was just as fast or faster so it shouldn't be that big of a deal here but aerodynamics so important as they are cutting another piece of aluminum here to work on that front corner [Music] let's have a look from men Matt Kenseth a lot of damage there it might the good thing about these guys working on their cars on pit road pace cars running 70 miles an hour but it takes almost three minutes to get around this racetrack and when you're working on a race car they don't seem like long but that's a lot more than anywhere else we go Tony Stewart with a little damage here Steve and Mike Mark Martin assessing the damage to the rear end of the number six viagra car mark what happened the 12 car had a tire go down right rear I tell you this Miami team just I'd say I can't believe it we just we just can't get on a roll you know we run so good on a race track and and and we've just been really up against we had a lot of good luck I guess last year but boy sure coming back on us this year mark there's a lot of damage can you get the race car back out there yeah we'll get back out there but it sure ain't gonna be pretty you know our day is wasted and it's just you know I'm disappointed we we had a reasonable car and nothing was going on there and and there was nothing that anybody could you know I was just in the right spot to be in a wreck the 12 car had a looked like a right rear or a left rear go down and he crossed up and there was no way to do anything you know there was no way to avoid it 26 cars in all Ricky Rudd's among them involved in this accident and turn one let's ride with Ricky Rudd [Music] and of the five Roush cars Kurt Busch is the only one that was not involved in that red remember that's at 190 miles an hour hermie Sadler today and zerlings six laps complete in the Aaron's 499 [Music] brought this you can see over there Jeff help me with that damage and we'll count baby a couple laps before they're ready to go when I get cleaned up those they're pretty good I think there's another cure three cars that they've got to get up on on flat back will this get us where we need to be temple that's we're going to put four tires on look at this next time we'll make a decision then step four but I think that's gonna be our best route you know this place is hard to clean up it's so big I got the fan on I'm down like 2:05 you can I got a you know head head went down the front straightaway and then still when done that back straightaway therefore let's do it this time get four tires on there a good time to get it welcome back to Talladega where rusty Wallace's car gets the long slow ride back to the garage area one of 26 cars involved there is the cover that triggered it yeah in the left front wheel that's what we saw over the wall it's it's ripped right off of that car it wasn't the right rear I've lists have been delivery that he had problem with yesterday in the Aaron's 312 on the 10th lap of the race the fourth place car right there Johnny Sauter cuts down a tire goes to the apron back up and the track just clogs in today's crash its Ryan Newman who has a problem seemed get a little bit loose there as he goes down into one and then he gets real loose again and gets down into Mark Martin and that sets this whole deal off and the boy that 12 was when the wheel came off of it that's what caused it to almost go over dug into the racetrack two cars almost got through here comes Bobby Labonte from the right side of your screen here comes Bobby's gonna missed he's gonna miss it he's gonna miss it no he's not couldn't do it and then the other guy here's Dale jr. right here coming down through there and he's been all over the place made a little contact not a lot and he is gonna miss it he makes it through I think he missed completely here the damage he got was when he got in the back of Jeff Green way back over and turned one he was far enough back that he didn't get run over from behind here is the first page of cars involved in the crash which now total 27 and these are in numerical order and there are the rest let's go to Steve Byrnes and mike is a swarm of mechanics working on Jamie McMurray's battered race car Jamie first of all are you okay tell us what happened yeah I didn't really take that hard of a hit I just I saw the 12th car get out of control and I didn't know someone ran into him or what happened but you know he he came up the racetrack when I got on the brakes whoever's behind me ran to me and then it just kind of a chain reaction but we didn't really get hit that hard I'm hoping we get the havilland dodge back on the racetrack Jeff Green can you take us through what happened from your vantage point well I couldn't tell you Jenny what happened till they said 12 mighty blow to tire or something and you know unfortunately we have to raise four races like this half the field is gonna be you know a lot of cars are in the garage area so how good a race is that gonna be for the fans and I know it's a fantastic race to watch but for us it's pretty pretty pretty exciting and pretty mentally draining and we it's just tough to get you know if I hadn't had a good weekend for our oil Chevy yet down here this week since-- been pretty pretty bad for so hopefully we can get away from here and go to Mars gonna try to win a race what could make us better a weekend off how about that Oh fair enough you feel good 27 cars in the crash 17 of them are in the garage right now including hermie Sadler's what's right with Johnny Benson looking back at his teammate Jerry Nadeau let's live with Nadeau then Johnny Benson just ahead of him and the view from Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart [Music] cheating Ryan we see you walking you're doing okay word is that you cut a tire is that what you know it went down on over blue or what but it could have tired and I got a loose and then I got hit and then that was it are you doing okay I could be better don't you think I guess so I just wanna know you're healthy all drivers involved taken to the care center for a checkup and released that's the good news the bad news is that seventeen cars right now are in the garage area and more are on pit road under repair [Music] I went to watch Robbie come on down one day and here ahead of him I'm quick there guys get up quick clear clear ah clear I have a blower right in the middle the racetrack right in the groove and the middle of turn two well happy now after you huh yeah boy you're good to go now but [Music] [Music] the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by Aaron's sales and lease ownership let Aaron's Drive your dreams home today by Chevrolet wherever there's a winner's circle we'll be there by Valvoline smacks line formulated to keep your higher mileage car running for a long long time and by pepsi-cola experience the joy of Pepsi and welcome to this visa race break from Talladega Fox glad to have you with us Chris Myers from the Hollywood hotel we are under caution after the biggest 127 at least 27 cars involved there were 24 last year in the wreck Jeff Hammond is down at the cutaway car in a moment he'll explain and help us understand a Ryan Newman's incident which triggered this incident on lap four of course you saw on Saturday in the Busch race a big wreck as well watch the 12 car lose a tire the tire flies over the wall later Ryan Newman's car would catch fire and 27 cars involved Ryan Newman was last at the Talladega spring race last year remember he finished last at Daytona this year and there's a look at his car and for a further explanation let's get out of Jeff Hammond at the Ford cutaway car Chuck thanks Chris we saw right there was Ryan Newman's car the left front was literally ripped off that race car now NASCAR has anticipated this if you look right here this is what has happened this is the a frame this is the spindle assembly tie rod in NASCAR requires everyone to have what they call a tether that helps to hold this wheel to the race car an event of a serious accident but you saw that impact right there it literally sheared and ripped this tether apart along with the ball joints and sent that left front tire careening over the outside wall that's the reason why the tethers are there but if you also notice whenever the car was being brought in back here in the back NASCAR also has tethers on the rear decklid a lot of times you back into the wall the deck leg can be ripped loose because it's only held on by a few foot pins and a couple places as far as the hinges are concerned they've also put tethers on the rear decklid they've seen these parts of the car fly off before and they've done everything they can to make sure they stay connected to the race cars Chris thanks Jeff this has been a a visa race break again last year there were 24 cars involved in a wreck that happened later in the race and again this just after lap 4 is Dale Earnhardt jr. survived that without too much damage some minor damage about 17 or 18 cars in front of the accident which took place in the previous wrecks at Talladega we mentioned 24 cars in Vault last year there were 21 cars involved in 73 20 cars involved in a wreck back in 91 and in 98 a wreck involving 20 cars but 27 the most on record here at Talladega let's check in with the rookie casey mears he's with our Steve Byrne Steve yeah Chris Casey nyjah's for marking all these expensive race cars and sophisticated equipment and the tool of choice back here is a hammer Casey a lot of work going on to your car can you get back in there yeah we're gonna get back in you know the guys are working real hard at it right now I hope nothing's wrong with the motor because they had a little problem with on the way back trying to get it in but you know it's just a shame I guess Ryan my blue left rear tire so there's nothing anybody can do about it just feel back with guys are the target dodged I mean we've worked real hard all year long we've had some good runs we just haven't got the results and thought we could have had a good one here today Casey did you see it unfold was there any way you could try to avoid it no I mean you just running so close here I mean it's just a matter of time when someone you know has a problem he just get caught up in it there's nowhere to go I mean you're stacked you know three wide and everybody's right up on you and you're right up on the next guy and as soon as that happened he went to the top everybody tried to do what they could and I started to slow down and rusty got in the back of me and then I got in the back Jamie you know it's just there's nothing he can do thanks Casey let's go to Jamie well I was just thinking that Geoff Hammonds cutaway car probably has a lot more going on than your car right now Jerry Spencer hey can i race Hamlin's cutaway it's got a lot less damaging this yeah I just I mean it was a bad deal you know Ryan cut a tire down and sideways and nobody could miss him and I'm just thank the good Lord that nobody got hurt and that's a big thing spotted it and I didn't listen to him I went down low and I don't think it could have missed it higher low and I monk was mad right now hopefully Daryl will do real well next Saturday former Martinsville someone let this dog out we'll get him back in guys I think she'll be Spencer who never forgets would probably like to forget this wreck again driver is safe no serious injuries were under caution a lap away from going green on Fox [Music] [Music] [Music] they've just waved the green flag to restart the Aaron's 499 at Talladega single file restart 26 of the 43 starters are on track to take the restart green flag Kevin Harvick Michael Waltrip Jimmie Johnson after pit stops and repairs they lead the pack as they come down the back straightaway goodyear engineers had a look at the tire that went down on Ryan Newman's car and report that there was evidence of that tire suffering a cut it was not a blowout it was a cut tire that caused the crash in turn one that involved 27 cars and when that wheel and tire went over the fence that is a non spectator area the wheel landed harmlessly at the bottom of the banking NASCAR officials have retrieved it nobody hurt this is taking always amazing me about the drivers I just saw what happened down there they go right back to it three four wide racing pushing bumping just like nothing ever happened our pole sitter Jeremy Mayfield had fallen to 16th now he's dropped back to 19th Dick Berggren he came in for a pit stop under that caution flag bike they put four tires and fuel in it his car owner Ray Evernham told Bay feel it's all about momentum it urged him to exercise patience the ninety seven of Kurt Busch is supposed to be sticking with him but dick one reason I think that Jeremy Mayfield licked adapt it we talked about this in the beginning of the race especially the Dodgers they're just not getting that good a fuel mileage by them coming in there on those caution laps that gives them a little bit of a cushion to make this on four stops and Darrell with as fewer cars is out there now we could have some long grain runs now oh yeah the strategy is train changed dramatically based on what happened Kevin Harvick your leader who had such a strong run in the Daytona 500 here's Steve Byrnes and Rusty Wallace here rusty you are parked right next to your teammate Ryan Newman have you looked at the tire yeah look at it looks like he went into turn one II the car I got a real sideways hop off the turn four with him and he got down into one and it blew the left rear tire right off and run over a piece of debris and when it turned sideways it took the whole field with them but nothing to do with tella daga races it's just one of those racing accidents when the entire one down Devin's the problem I mean you get back in rusty yeah we're patching them back together right now I think it's a big race in the garage area then who can get back out and get a couple points because what is there's 20 of us inside here I think right now thanks rusty let's go to Jeannie with Kenny Schrader and on the subject of tires I think you have one here that you probably should not use anymore sir I've got a lot of parts that we probably won't use again anymore but just hates it though you know we thought we were making it through but you got that option when you're starting to back foot wasn't a whole lot we could do everybody's okay at least absolutely glad to see that Matt well the eighth car of Dale Earnhardt jr. made seven stops Tony Eury jr. what's the state of the race car now oh it should be pretty good now I mean we just busted a metal to the fiberglass nose apart there and we put a piece of aluminum over to take care of that but I think we just want to make sure all the lines all the wheels were in a line make sure everything was perfect because I rode on Ambika so much here and we're planning on leading this thing here in a couple of laps so I just want to make sure it'll be able to lead there should be good the crowd comes to their feet as junior moves to the outside along side and past Tony Stewart and trying to move toward the front Daryl I think that cars okay he pretty much made that pass without any help he he just amazes me though the car does that he just pulls out and passes people at will I'm gonna tell you what I want to give a call to that guy up there in the fifth place right now Tony Raines a 74 car he started dead last he did have the fastest lap in practice yesterday but I mean this he dodged the big wreck he was far enough back that he was able to get through it see that race car host sponsorship these guys need a good run here today mr. Baumgartner is he's putting that whole thing right of his own pocket and it was Larry Carter you know he used to be my crew chief from there running pretty darn good down here this weekend seems every time there's a big one at Talladega there's a cinderella story last year in the Busch race Tim Fedewa didn't have a car to run to the finish but after the big wreck happened they stayed out finish third had a great race as unlucky as their junior was at Daytona where he had a mechanical problem of keeping probably from winning or a shot at winning a Daytona 500 here he has an engine problem has to go to the rear of the field that could have saved him from being in the middle of that big wreck down there good point because he would have started what 15th or so and would've been right in the middle of it as you ride with Robby Gordon time for our singular wireless virtual crew chief question you can vote now from your singular wireless phone by sending tests text message fox fox2 phone number one nine one or visit foxsports.com to vote online now you just think about it when there were 43 cars out there the track seemed like it was awfully crowded now it's just a little small group of guys having a Sunday afternoon race here there are 26 cars on track four cars have been withdrawn from the race Ryan Newman Johnny Benson Ricky Rudd and hermie Sadler the rest of those cars are still in the garage area under repair I'll tell you what that's a pretty good group that's got together there on the top side and Kenny Wallace saw that group coming in the 23 car he moved up to the high side but he has Sterling Marlin in the 40 Joe Nemechek of the 25 in Dale Earnhardt jr. in that eighth car and they are coming now yeah you know even yesterday we saw some cars with damage now if you banging the sides in and you don't hurt the nose of the tail that's a good thing you get those sides pushed in out of the way would this creates less drag so you can take a damaged car and spec especially running in a draft and still run just fine you see Greg Biffle in the 16 car we know he was involved in that wreck he he's moving forward like his car was at the beginning the race no damage whatsoever here comes Michael for the lead Kevin Harvick is going to surrender the lead Michael Waltrip puts his nose out front and he had it you know yesterday Michael was just in front of that big wreck they went right across the back behind his car and today invested if he was like he's been to three and right now Kevin Harvick the 29 car Darryl you call it - sucker ho he's in the middle with no help boy it feels good man you jump out there you said man look at this I'm gonna pass everybody broke bro Dale jr. on the move pulling up alongside Kenny Wallace and here comes Greg Biffle with him I mean Dale Earnhardt jr. has moved from last after that engine changed to third in 20 laps plus went through a wreck and 11 pit stops I think it old great race cars pretty good there yeah he's just sitting there he's probably he may follow these guys for lafferty that doubt it two of the damaged cars have returned to the racetrack John Andretti and Dave Blaney but there are still 16 cars in the garage [Music] Bonita Claire low if you need it - what so all clear all clear one inside [Music] three white coming up behind you do i what roll back [Music] three-one [Music] I do I do i clear hi [Music] well Lois could eat it in class moving up in size - why squat three one two one two one the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by visa proud sponsor of NASCAR waltrip leaves Dale jr. coming up the outside like nobody else's home and Jimmie Johnson looking in the mirror for some help from his teammate Jeff Gordon Michael moved over there thought about going all the way up there and helping jr. but that would have been a very good idea so he dropped back down hey how about those two teammates right there Matt Kenseth in the 17 Greg Biffle in the 16 on the outside remember that's two cars it was involved in the wreck look at all the tape on the front end and they're sitting at running third and fourth side-by-side Larry how many times have we said when you wreck one like that you fix it better than it was before you race you do have to go through Tech right now but nose-to-tail on the inside behind Michael Waltrip our Roush teammates Matt Kenseth the Winston Cup point leader and Kurt Busch and they were right up in the thick of things at Daytona looks a lot like the front of the field at Daytona as a matter of fact with Michael and the 48 car there Jimmie Johnson and right behind Busch that yellow car Steve Park was up there and he was the fastest qualified of the three Dei cars looks like they really put a big effort into parks car this weekend Mike he's qualified better he's running pretty well he's good in practice I think they're really trying to help him turn his self around here his program around he was at Martinsville last week testing for next week lotta emphases right now now on the outside Jimmie Johnson has drifted back probably not on purpose but he's drifted back to pick up Jeff Gordon so the two Hendrick teammates on the outside nose to tail the cat car Ward Burton right behind me itay I look at teammates Kenny Wallace in 223 Ward Burton in 222 that's two guys that could stand a good run here today what parks got to I guess that's tape flopping around there Larry there's a lot of tape out there on that racetrack right now I didn't really know that he had any significant damage to his course not sure what that maybe they're trying to hold that side win day in or something they may have had one of those ducks taped up and the tape has come loose owner on the quarter window good chance lower speeds as much for more contact next Sunday at Martinsville Virginia the little short track souther Ono and thinks it's a Super Speedway we'll be there for you dick Berggren well good catch up Steve Park indeed the spotter had caught the tape that had flown loose on that automobile and they are going to fix it on the next pit stop good observation up there at the booth well I'll tell you dick could the speeds these cars are running it's amazing sometimes the way these cars can be affected even by just some tape flapping in the breeze on the quarter window one great observation look Greg biffle's car though I'm amazed I mean the front of that thing is taped up it has gashes in it bit out that right there though is treacherous well you see how Park got in there on the outside of Biffle and then a 40 on L point your parks gonna lose it here 248 car got in there and even wobbling and bobbling around there that's that's when you get in trouble you get behind on you steering here that thing of jump out bunny four wide through the trial ball way up on the outside Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson comes up to pick up Harvick on the outside and you're gonna see it here see three and four wide like remains it's racetrack is plenty for that many cars but the fact is Darrell dis mentioned these cars bouncing around it's hard to control sometimes that's how they get in trouble Jeff Gordon had a run and Kurt Busch all about pushing his teammate that's the pet that's casual contact you saw Kurt Busch he did love that yellow line that's the out of bounds Lennon he didn't advance loans own advance party secure position and there's tape flapping on Dale Junior's car that's a piece of aluminum or maybe a big piece of that tape to take when I salute him and that's the repair they made a feeling you know either have to get rid of that in a hurry or they'll bring him to pit laps on the left front there guys look at park Wow he's up there on that outside and here I come baby their kitchen dave blaney the 77 car out there he was more the cars in the wreck he'll be putting him a lap down okay I am really impressed with parks car how fast it is and how well it's running he said yesterday on the happy hour show he says sometimes people forget there's three Dei cars he says this weekend I'm gonna make him remember maybe it'll be the 24 car this weekend now there's already a 24 let's see that's 8 plus 15 plus now they have del Earnhardt jr. in the 8 car trapped on the outside that hadn't made a difference but maybe if that piece is hurting him he's going to have a tough time getting back up there looks like it kind of flipped itself around there and it's now it kind of stabilized if there's a hole there that it was covering up or something something in the front knows there in the valence that that could hurt the performance for sure yeah he's falling back some there I think no you need to give it sometimes sometimes escort I don't know this but sometime they'll call you and say look you got a piece of metal whose get back get back out of that pack and then take a look at it and see what the problem is Steve Park leads at 30 laps here's Matt well Mike remember back to Daytona Steve Park had a very fast race car then win 20 21 25 qualified but had an overheating problem they estimated his spent over $100,000 trying about 20 different variations of duct work they feel like they found out what the problem was Richie Giachetti latest greatest engine package that the entire Dei Armada will be running at Daytona in July Dale jr. had a different one today like a launch pad a different one but park will have the latest and greatest today they feel like that's what the entire team if all goes well remember it's not an R&D package they feel like this is the best package they've got when we just think back to the last race here when Hendrick Motorsports had something new and fantastic and all five of the cars that had engines and I'm failed so they're going to probably take a look at this thing pretty close it does run well it's pretty obvious and what the duct work is that's the aluminum plenum that directs the air through the front end opens right through the radiator and in different noses take different configurations that's the curveball I think a lot of Chevrolet teams are all these teams had a Daytona in February air is so critical that's the big thing they're trying to manage it what they're trying to do Sterling Marlin has taken the lead in the Aaron's 499 clear oh yeah [Music] single file that two by two and three by three with the 40 single file then 2x2 behind that [Music] outside bogan up outside where without Dubai - behind you coming outside no clear so clear Dubai feel behind you [Music] [Applause] [Music] outside Dubai too [Music] right to all the way back stop up Biddle's blew it up 97 in the middle the caution flag waves for the second time at Talladega today at lap 36 debris in the back straightaway will put us under the caution flag and as they come around to caution quickly let's update the accident cars john andretti never lost a lap he's been out there at somewhat reduced speed but he will stay on the lead lap he will be the benefit from this caution as will Greg Biffle Dave Blaney was back in the race and at 7 laps down Jerry Nadeau came out of the garage to run two laps and has retired his car Jamie McMurray just returned to the race in this caution will Larry save his office from having to make a pit stop under green which was getting ready to happen here pretty quickly and I saw Greg Biffle jump on pit road that pit road is not open yet so he'll have to go the till in the longest land on this restart Steve yeah Mike we're listening to Greg Biffle talked to crew chief Randy Goss they're having an overheating problem pitbulls had to get out of line to cool that thing down they think they have a problem with the radiator fan and Greg also saying he thought he saw water squirting out from under the hood well we can see it from here Steve they're losing a lot of water up there where the overflow hose is I think they over taped it but remember now he had a problem similar this and de Bristol and they got water anything got to cool down and come on home with the top-five finish so he's still not out the hunt trouble right now is if you want to raise that hood you got to peel back a lot of that tape yeah the starters and I tell you who else this is a big break far as Dale Earnhardt jr. had that piece flapping on his left front this would be a big break for him Jeff Hammond now if you'll notice a guy they said we're on the drivers side they got a flap on the route the cars right there with the roof with me the Cal flats are and they've got their cars fixed Mike so they don't have to raise the hood in the event of this they can just flip that cowl piece up and there's where the quick feel is so they can put water into their radiators pretty nifty little deal if you ask me now we were then in about ten laps of having to come to pit road for fuel of the small fuel sales 13 half gallons so we'll see all the leaders to pit road I'm gonna say some of them probably just roll the dice Darrell just change those two right-side tires but definitely get full of fuel yeah this might be a good time to stick four on it because he had a lot of debris been flying around off these cars that are getting back out on the racetrack wouldn't want to take a chance Jeanne well then I've been driving around the one car and told seat park that they spoiler is falling off the car so that's something they're gonna work on a lotta debate when he was coming here from Tony Gibson whether we should just do the tires they sign or what but they have great concern together so that's what they're gonna work on pit area he has taken four tires for the load of fuel he has been back and forth in the serial running order the car is just fine he said when people work with him he does great when he has to work alone it does not matter well the 48 car came in dick took on right-side tires no changes a 24 car right-side tires as well no the eight car they are gonna fix the left front corner you can see that piece of aluminum was flapping so they are going to take the time and fix that they were actually going to try to hold off and pit around lap 46 with a 24 car caution came at a good time today hey Matt down here matt kenseth pit they just took right-side tires a 17 car came in awfully hot in fact they had to back him up into his pit box but again right side tires for Matt Kenseth it's got a teeny well Steve Park still in the pit as they are working on that spoiler indeed it was starting to come off one of the braces had come free again they had plans to take four tires and fuel on this pit stop but this spoiler is taking a lot of time I mean teeny if you noticed the NASCAR officials I'll right there with them aside from the restrictor plate the spoilers the most critical thing that NASCAR monitors here it cannot be lower than 55 degrees an angle they're going to make sure that spoiler is owner will not take a chance of coming off the good thing for Steve parks team is caution laps here take quite a while almost three minutes so a lot of time to work on that thing you see them still working feverishly here on Dale Earnhardt jr. scar trying to make sure they get that left front corner back and they don't come loose again yeah you know Larry we had some big set too big of metal screws that we've used in a case like that it works really good like to put mobile homes together right screw gun Matt Kenseth came into the pits third [Music] getting out because of the car that pitted in front of him now he was over the line and had to get back back up to get service don't you do that there's no penalty as long as you do it before your work starts I see and he's back in Steve yeah he's back in there gonna change left-side tires this time and they're going to put bear bond adhesive on the right side of the car and tape up that right front corner where they had damaged protecting a razor blade now cutting some excess away and then replace it again with some new bear bond [Music] that Robbie Reiser led crew tops in the world championships and here's the McDonald's drive-thru championship and how the participating teams in that standings are among the teams who spend the least amount of time on pit road each week by going into one to go stop that thing off yes something up that resident stomp it off okay step 4 get a good pho guys good fault good good awful eater all clear [Music] the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by UPS official delivery company of NASCAR we want to race the truck people love the truck UPS delivers a chance to win four tickets to the Daytona 500 log on to foxsports.com keyword UPS racing to enter Jimmie Johnson is our race leader at 39 laps working the second caution of the day this one for debris we picked up this conversation with the Jimmie Johnson team Chris when I got the 24 behind me maybe maybe let me know where that outside car is relative this 24 because I can move up just trying to follow me and I can move up then and he'll follow me he won't get hung out like you did Sam there you see the Fox tracks in right there pace car dropping them off about 70 miles per hour that's the pace car speed around this racetrack where's Jimmie Johnson talking about his teammate Jeff Gordon in the 24 car just trying to form some strategy what they can do on the racetrack let's see how fast they are by the time they reach the start/finish line going through the gearbox well over 100 miles an hour before they even get to the start/finish line and as we go back to green NASCAR would not allow Steve Park to return to the track until his spoiler was repaired so he is two laps down it's got his teammate back here with him as they come through the trial with Dale jr. he had to stay in there an extended period of time getting that left front worked on as well and they are way back behind the lead pack right now that's the only the best thing they can do Darrell and hopefully catch a caution and sit there and run together because two cars will be much faster than one car by itself there were times here when we used to think hey let's five or six of us fall back off of that lead pack and run together and if we need to we can chase them down we'll see how it works with these two guys but we know their cars are fast maybe they can chase that lead pack down but we'll make a note they are 14 seconds behind the leader when they came to the green flag now they've knocked that down to 10 seconds and I think as long as lead pack is slicing and dicing they will be able to gain some ground on that pack as long as they're running side-by-side like this yeah if they can get a few stragglers there you know to kind of get a little help off up as they come up to there they'll work your way back up there they're fast enough and park is now Jr's wingman he's two laps down he's not in a position to win this race but he's in a great position to help his teammate how about Mike Wallace in that onine car after qualifying he was the 37th qualifier they were loading their car in the truck when they disqualified David Green they said hey unload your car you're now the 36 qualifier you're in the show and here they are running - Mike Wallace 13 you see the gap it's only one point three seconds to the leader Jimmie Johnson he drove that car to the top ten finish at Daytona - so that's first good has Ernie Elliott engines in it this is the Jane Finch team that runs the one car with Jamie McMurray and David Stremme e in the Busch Series whoa and he just got a nerf for Mike the walk from Tony Raines as they came past the start/finish line everything settled out though whether you know that we always talk about bump-drafting there's a time and a place for that but when they got in front of he's in the turn or turning that is not the time or the place need to be going in a straight line when you start doing that bumping riding with Kenny Wallace here the 23 car we're not fair in a second you know it Mike can you and I want to talk about this other day it's almost like no matter what Kenny Wallace has been in here he's always ran well here Talladega even you know why Larry he told me he learned a lot from Andy Petree racing here go Petrie's Park Petrie was one of the first guys to come with that really 500 pound front Springs and sucked in the car down and Kenny told me he learned a lot and bump stops he learned a lot of from Andy peach and a pretty sharp guy over there working on this car you've worked with in fleet locality fleet because they're really sharp this track has produced a lot of first-time winners in fact in the first fourteen years of the fall race which was the Talladega 500 nobody wanted twice and a lot of drivers Bobby Hillin comes to mind Richard Brickhouse Ron Bouchard got their first victory right here Lenny pond bill Parsons bill Parsons when I think about Kenny Wallace though who could never forget two or three years ago he Mandela and Hart working their way through the field working together coming from about twenty first the first in about three or four laps up through the middle jerry nadeau is one of the cars that have come back from the garage back into the race at Todd Bodine and Mark Martin to that list but you see Nadeau his rear spoiler has a bit of a problem they black flagged him to work on that little Jimmy Spencer in the 7 car just came out but Darrell he went by us here there's no front end on that race car he'll never build a maintain minimum speed but if he can complete one lap he will pick up quite a number of positions there's Nadeau running with no hood I mean he's got about a half a car out there the army of one is down to 1/2 Dale Jarrett at twentieth place got by Tony Stewart in the melee in turn one just got a little bit of damage to the rear of the car there you see two seconds behind our leader right now Jimmie Johnson watch the miles per hour just barely varies remember they're running around this racetrack wide open you heard the engine change tune just a little bit he run up on the back of Jimmie Johnson and the ease out of the trouble and you saw how quickly it affected the speed Matt Kenseth in the middle on Kevin Harvick Ricky Craven the 32 inside looks like Biffle got his car cooled down he's back up in there pushing and shoving a little bit and how about Dale jr. he hasn't gained much more ground Jeff 11.8 behind the leader well right there at the very start of this restart he was 14 seconds behind he cut it down four seconds when everybody was kind of mixing it up on the second lap but since then he and his partner out there Steve Park slowly but surely lost ground to the leaders and losing almost four tents to a half a second a lap right now running like they are they really need for these guys that front start mixing it up if they want to close ground on these guys they Cermak stood up just that great Biffle and Robby Gordon got together the pack separated and they went three wide with Gordon to the outside three abreast I think the biggest salvation Dale Earnhardt jr. in particular would have would be a caution flag to get him caught back up I don't know if they're gonna be able to do it with that right there yeah what he hopes is is some of that to tape the sheet metal has been taped back on those cars will fly off and it will have a debris caution Dale jr. here's math Mike he was just relaying to his spotter tyne orders to tell Steve parks Tyler Stevie Reeves to run on the bottom if we're going to catch him we need to be on the bottom there relaying that message that's a good point take the short way around yeah thinking I pick up quite a bit of speed before they can close up on this lead group up here I'll tell you I've been in situations like this before when that big pack up there is running together you're a second slower I don't care how many cars you get around you when you're that far back 12 seconds back to junior from the leader Jimmie Johnson Kenny Wallace the second Kurt Busch third Sterling Marlin in chair in the Aaron's 499 on Fox [Music] three-one three-one pretty wide all the way back 3:103 why whoa Anita Claire low clear I I'll clear what have you on we slowed down the backstretch on the bottom do what go inside clear all clear all clear all clear two cars take a file if you're right here behind now I'm coming inside Wow no help outside [Music] I'll help you have help now we're gonna make a free wine outside you [Music] [Music] if I do for five runs then one row up three by three the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by Aaron's sales and lease ownership let Aaron's drive your dreams home today by Auto light spark plugs it's time to change your plugs by Papa John's Pizza better ingredients better pizza and by NAPA Auto Parts 50 laps complete Jimmie Johnson the leader Bobby Labonte has returned to the racetrack that leaves 11 cars in the garage from the wreck on lap 4 some of them are going to have trouble keeping up to the minimum speed or the thinking after a period of time you see Ricky Craven in that tied car the 32 car this is a good run for him remember cows going to the Pontiac this year creating his own engine program but at the restrictor plate race track they use Richard Childress engines I was up at Martinsville last week from watching him run and he really looked good learning it a new car up there it looked like he had that Martinsville setup under that thing elliott sadler running in seventh he is driving for the team that finished third here last October with Ricky Rudd at the wheel here Steve Byrnes Mike if you haven't looked at Ford lately look again that Ford of Elliott Sadler's came into pit after the most recent caution he didn't take any tires they just clean off the windshield and let him go back out there he's remained near the front and last night he went to the NCAA Final Four semifinal games with his teammate Dale Jarrett they were the guest of Texas coach so I just listened to the radio they're guest of the Texas coach Rick Barnes unfortunately for Elliott Sadler he picked Marquette to win it all but they got back about one o'clock in the morning they're gonna hoop it up in Charlotte bunch of Winston Cup pals yeah I'm gonna help him I'm gonna be a coach I might play but I'm more or less thinking I'm a coach possibly a playing coach I'm always open though that's the thing you can count on me that little fun for charity here's michael waltrip a third looking back at Ricky Craven in orange and Jeff Gordon and blue you know right now Darrell the way these cars are land out there I don't see a big advantage where that's ground the bottom of the racetrack or up there in that second line I know a lot depends on what cars is lined up but it's like one minute you look looks like the bottom lines moving next time you look looks like this the middle of the second line is moving well there's some blocking going on there and now we're three wide that's what happens you get into middle air and you don't even want to start to make the pass the guy takes it line away and you go back the other way and you end up in the middle let's talk a little bit about green flag pit stops which will be upcoming before too long is there an advantage as far as one makeover another on gas mileage well just walking through the garage area this morning I talked to probably 80% of the teams it just seemed like the deep dodges are just not getting that good of fuel mileage in particular the Chip Ganassi cars which would be sterling more than the 40 car they talked like they could only run about 33 laps which would put them coming in about 16 laps at lap 70 but like Jimmie Johnson in the 48 car leading the race chat canals told me about 38 lamps that don't sound like a big difference but when you stretch it out stop over stop over stop it almost makes a full pitstop difference I still think the biggest problem these guys got as you see they're all together here is they got to start deciding then talking to the spotter and spotter telling people around them that they're gonna fit when they get ready to go down come off the turn four and head for pit lane because they'll run over each other pit lane lock that right front tire that means you got to change tires you trying to go from 190 miles per hour to 55 miles per hour which is pit road speed I'd say that 19 car with that Alliance the Alliance that they made with Penske is definitely paying off for a in in his crowd today and I think that caught us off guard another day when they interviewed raid that he was saying that now they've joined forces with Penske on the restrictor plate engines and that was kind of a surprise to me Darrell I suspect you'll probably see that Alliance grow when Dodge got back in Winston Cup racing Jim jewel oh and now John Fernandez really encourages cooperation among the team so it seems like a natural fit anyway it's one that pays off Jeff Mike I was going to say is I had an opportunity to talk to Roger Penske you know who's the owner about the twelve and the two arrested rusty Wallace's but he was talk telling me this morning how happy he was about trying went in last week but he also shared a little bit information with me he really felt like his dog engine program had room to get better and better and better and I think right now this alliance between Jeremy Mayfield's Bill Elliott and obviously Ray Evernham is going to really pay off dividends for everyone in the Penske organization as well as every gem doctor already Mayfield it's led more laps today and he led in any race in 2002 Darrell we talked about it in the in the practice show yesterday I think Jeremy Mayfield is a driver who really hasn't yet shown his full potential no and but he needs to go ahead and do it he didn't need three it's nothing it needs to quit holding back if he is because uh you know pressure mounts on all these hype up very visible teams the driver has to perform and you can only make you know you can only have so many excuses of why you haven't been able to and once you use them all up you know what's the next thing together right and I don't mean that he's doing anything wrong what I mean is his results I don't think are indicative of the talent he has he's one he's going to win some more oh I think so I mean we know he can drive but sometimes the chemistry or whatever just keeps you from it here's Kenny Wallace Warburton just ahead Mike Wallace is Kenny's older brother rusty is the oldest of the three brothers and for the lead Jeff Gordon on the outside with help from Ricky Craven [Music] Gordon gets to push and Ricky gets hung up on the outside this is how it goes but Def and air we talked about wanting partners on the racetrack you need partners on pit road but you want to arrange it to where you don't have too many cars at one time and you're not hitting next to a neighbor you don't want to get clogged up on pit road especially under a green flag stop pick reaction from the fans as Jeff Gordon takes the lead some waving some shakin their fists [Music] Ricky Craven odd Gordon you know down here in Alabama when they say roll tide and normally or not they're not usually talk about their football team but today they might be talking about Oh Ricky they're in the tack Corps 28 laps as we go three wide Jeremy Mayfield he got a heck of a run off turn two down the backstretch was the help from Jimmie Johnson in the 48 car that dodge does not lack for horsepower no strolling down that straightaway that's when you got a good package you got power on the hood you got good aerodynamics I mean look at Greg Biffle in the 16 car he's back up there again remember they had to start at the tail into the line because of pitting early and he's made his way back up they're bidding for a top five jeremy mayfield leads the Aaron's 499 59 laps complete a hundred 29 to go at Talladega [Music] Oh he's the first car helping the outside rather than 3x3 [Music] now three rounds up there at that 3x3 [Music] it's clear all clear behind you that 2x2 Walker I forgot the one they're all clear three-card single-file spall captain Dubai do see cars single file behind you small gaps a two-by-two the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by advanced autoparts we're ready in advance by Old Spice by stacker to the world's strongest fat burner and by Pontiac Grand Prix official pace car of NASCAR for 33 years Jeremy Mayfield leads at 62 laps and the caution is waving for debris in the tri-oval what a break for Dale Earnhardt jr. in particular because he was over a half lap down from these guys yeah last lap by he was 22 seconds back that will be a break for him catch-up time and you put your calculator away on pit stops Larry it was smoking over here and we eavesdropped on Kurt Busch here a minute ago basically she's telling them look I'm up here in the middle this pack I can't be up here because my water temperatures going up dick that means he didn't have enough air going through to the radiator yeah there's other problem is that chassis is it just right either Larry he's talking about the right front of the car roll it over and they want to change the air pressure so under the hood problems chassis problems as well for Kurt Busch something came off of either Steve Park or Dale Earnhardt jr. car that's the debris that NASCAR has gone out to pick up in the tri-oval area not much left of rusty Wallace's beer can there looks like it's been recycled but he is back on track that leaves in the garage Jimmy Spencer Ryan Newman Casey Mears Johnny Benson Ricky Rudd hermie Sadler well you take from Jimmy Spencer on down 32nd they're all about the same a number of laps now so you can get if you're behind those guys you get back out run five or six laps you can move up except made ten spots which is what they're thinking course all the leaders of B to pit road we were just within a handful of laps having to come to pit road this may be a good time to take those four tires Darryl that way I can know I can run the rest race on the left sides but I'd say something's going to change just to dick Berggren Kenny Francis heard you Larry back he's gonna put four tires on Jeremy Mayfield's card no adjustments to this automobile they're gonna put a little tiny piece of paper the girl in that fatty to the 48 dump they wave it off close call with a 42 tire changes why they made an air pressure adjustment in the right front the block Jeff Gordon 224 they changed just two right sides as well just don't nobody seems to be worried about the tires today I mean a handle is not it's not like Daytona where it's so critical entire wear is not that big an issue so I think two tires most of the time track position get up front as we heard Dale jr. say yesterday once you get in front it can't pass me Kurt Busch opens up the grill to get some more air and cool that car down and the man with track position awesome bill Bill Elliott leaves the Aaron's 499 on Fox he did not pit [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] yes they said whatever you did right there was perfect never bow anything was the cool I did real early good tip the driver Jack was coming up therefore [Music] Michael said he's gonna stick there with Jimmy on that bottom and now since guys without spotters one though if you'll hang with in there do what you need to do buddy tip door here on the bottom just keep working a long way to go seeing that message that was when they you know get free wide you know this guy's start going up the middle that the inside lane will go backwards in a hurry step four after we turned over just to everyone in the Armed Forces on behalf of myself everyone in the NASCAR Winston Cup garage and especially on behalf of our GM Goodwrench team we appreciate everything that you guys are doing keep it up and come home safe that's Kevin Harvick excuse me a big welcome to all of our American coalition forces watching on American forces Network around the world we're all very proud of you 65 laps Bill Elliott did pit under this caution he stayed out led a lap to collect five bonus points and here's where our coca-cola Racing family sits at the moment Elliott back to 18th not quite the last car on the lead lap because there have been more pit stops including Dale Jarrett and Kurt Busch and John Andretti who was still on the lead lap so Tony Stewart remember Steve Park got caught two laps down when they had to fix his spoiler Bobby Labonte crashed damaged Jeff Burton and Ricky Rudd in the garage dick Berggren really just pitted for some more fuel and they did a little tape work on the nose bike but you know how strange Talladega is all sorts of weird things happen here sterling was on the backstretch should hit the button on the steering wheel to talk to the crew but instead he hit the engine kill switch button killed the motor Tony Santana Cola in the pit area who said that when that happened not only did the motor stop his heart stopped - they got it fixed he got going again he's just taken some more fuel Steve Byrnes hey thanks dick I said earlier that Matt Kenseth team was using Bare bond tape to replace or work on that front grill this is a tape that's very similar to what plumbers will use now in that last pit stop Matt Kenseth came in they took right-side tires they're going to pull a little piece of tape off the grill but it got hung up in this bear bond tape so they weren't able to do it on that stop you know Larry was talking about the dodges not getting great fuel mileage I mean Bill Elliott waited the lappers come in if you get topped up now you can run as fours maybe the guys that do get fuel mileage which will be a big plus here later on and deaf and chock talking to Lee McCall sterling Mullins crew chief this morning of all the guys that I took a poll as far as how far he could run they probably could run the least amount of laps these cars won't meet the corporate average fuel economy numbers they get about eight miles per gallon under caution about four miles per gallon four to five miles per gallon under green 66 laps complete three Chevy's to Ford's of Pontiac and a Dodge in the first seven positions Pontiac nor Don or Ford have led a lap yet today as we get set for the restart that's not too shabby when you think about it I mean you run 190 miles an hour and you're wide open so that's pretty darn good gas mileage you know what guys a few months ago a lot of people spent money and Christmas for smooth surround sound what do you think we know where you're going crank it up gets do that weight thing let's crank it up crank her up boys [Music] Jimmie Johnson hauls this fast freight train around Talladega 68 laps complete Mike Skinner is the latest of the crash damaged cars to return to the racetrack and this is definitely a race of the haves and have-nots the haves have all their body they have not only got about half of them let's go to the leaders pit and that's the 48 Chad canal shoot cars out on the outside you know what happens guy gets up Freddy starts riding the brake the guys on the outside are able to get a run so we're just going to try to stay in line stay on the bottom and keep that from happening if we can we're getting capable fuel mileage so we're going to try to work together you know for the rest of the race and see what happens to Jeanne Zelasko well the 22 of Ward Burton complaining about a bad bad vibration he says it feels like a tire is about to blow this crew chief Frankie Stoddard thinks they might have lost wheel weight we'll keep you posted and what Jay is talking about like the guy gets up front he rides a break what you want to do is time it just right where you break people's momentum if you're leading the race and you're protecting the bottom with that yellow line you run down in the corner Letta found the gas or hit the brake kind of gets everybody checking up and they can't get around you takes too long to recover and Ward Burton's problem you know what happens in your passenger car if you lose a wheel weight and get that harmonic vibration at certain speeds at 70 on the highway maybe we'll try that at two and a half times the speed yeah that or you know if you just leave it this racetrack particularly if you leave a lug nut loose or there are a number of other things that could be going on there like dick baby used to say that vibration it's not going to go away it won't fix itself normally add we're back to three wide 20 reigns in the middle a ton sponsored white car now he drops to the bottom and the thing about a vibration I mean the driver know he's the only one that really knows how bad it is and so it really ends up being your call and you hate to come to pit road and find out there was nothing wrong but you're sitting there holding your breath hoping everything's all right then Ward Burton is drifting back toward the back of the lead pack now he's back there with Sterling Marlin back at about 22nd position and he might be wanting to get back out of the fray there where he can see barely make a decision on what kind of problem he's got but I tell you what talking about drifting to the back Dale Earnhardt jr. in that eight car that car is not right he is losing the lead draft up there and he's running about a half a second slower than the leaders we thought catching up there you see him right there the Budweiser car we thought catching up with that caution would put him back in good shape but that car is just not there now there apparently the damage to the nose is a lot worse than it appears to be well it may be just more than narrow damage on the nose Greg biffle's car is all taped up but he's right up there with the pack peplos damage is more to the side of the car Mike in there Junior's is in the front that's a lot worse place to have damage Greg Biffle in the 16 car he's sitting a fence six position it has been an eventful day with all the damage running hot and these guys they they just refused to die with this thing did the same thing I can just think back to Bristol did the same thing faulty fought it fought it and came home with a good finish top five finish and I tell you nobody's driving any more aggressively than he is because he goes high low middle they just you know for the crack he goes in there two drivers should expect to be having a better day hour Earnhardt jr. and the Winston Cup champ Tony Stewart who got a little damage also in that wreck at lap four and he is back one spot behind jr. in 23rd there are 24 cars on the lead lap and you can see the damage on the nose and that's the worst place you can have it here Jimmie Johnson at 73 laps leave the it's $4.99 on five [Music] [Music] do right there behind you cars make a file that three wide behind that that's two by two and three by three now free card single file at two by two two cars single file behind you that's Ubuntu now plants look like it once pulled up outside three-one three-one three-one do what you are rather 19 if good either Dubai to clear all clear right behind you let's fall back a little bit [Applause] one 3 watt the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by Budweiser the best things in life are the things that aren't true Budweiser Fox welcomes you back live to the Aaron's 499 here in Talladega Alabama with Jeff Hammond Chris Myers and Jimmie Johnson your leader through 76 laps and team racing and Hendrick Motorsports part of it Evernham Dei those have been your leaders no Ford or Pontiac has led today well what you're looking at right now these cars you're quality' qualified up toward the front these teams and I think they've been able to work together they'll lead this race and to show how kind of dominance they've gotten right now Jimmie Johnson in that Hendrick powered number 48 looked pretty impressive eh you know NASCAR mended at the smaller fuel cell starting at Talladega last fall seemed to work the race run without a caution but this time the crash happened early the smaller cells never really had a chance to make a difference like watch this on lap 4 as you continue to see the live action Jeff Hammond it starts with Ryan Newman yeah Ryan Newman cut a tire down and literally just spun right up in front of the whole field I mean he sustained serious damage see the car to catch on fire he walked away but a lot of guys really 27 cars took out a lot of guys he really has it was promised a day or go sobbing power oh yeah what does a higher way like that what it goes over the one who's got a spindle hook to it like it right here you're probably talking about almost 125 pounds maybe thirty pounds as far as flying around and then even the damage right there the left front of rod Newman's car again Ryan Newman a tough finish finishing last at Daytona Talladega last year that 27 cars involved in that that's the most ever that is the biggest of the big ones 24 cars were involved in the wreck last year as we go on back upstairs and rejoin Mike they're in there Kenny Schrader has rejoined the race Rusty Wallace and Jimmy Spencer each made a couple of laps and have gone back to the garage and retired Jack Sprague and Jeff Burton's cars are still under repair but the cars that have been withdrawn are Ryan Newman Casey Mears Johnny Benson Ricky Rudd hermie Sadler Jimmy Spencer and Rusty Wallace Kurt Busch has been bouncing around the front part of the pack but he had that overheating problem dick Berggren well he came to this race is the hottest driver in NASCAR with a trio of second-place finishes a win in a ninth place but Jimmy fitting his crew chief what can you do about that overheating problem that won't mess up the chassis thing we can do is coax more tape off but that's going to mess up our aerodynamics but we got to be there at the end so we're gonna pull some more tape off next stop ok good luck with it Matty earlier in the race tailing our juniors water temperature climbed to 240 they pull the tape off but he has lost the track Tony senior what's wrong he's lost a draft I set in our sleep but on the restart they drove all from cars fine they're gone now so I think we hope for scholarship and Matt he speaks the truth because Daryl and I've been watching the score monitor he's back there with no help that he can see those cars I mean you can see them they're helping you but the last 10 laps he's been just as quick as Jimmie Johnson leading this race and I want to just talk about this tank we hear so much about pulling tape off the fans may say why do these guys put this tape on the noses well at a place like this you get the best of both worlds with tape on the nose it reduces the drag on the straightaway makes it run faster plus it helps the front downforce and it's hard for a crew chief to make itself pull tape off that nose and give that up yeah just can't be too aggressive with it I mean you know there's a fine line between what the engine will take and that's really what it's all about taking care of that engine to make five in a mile Darrell is not watching Matt Kenseth this 17 grip you've won three championships this group is doing what they have to do every week to win a championship they're taking terrible situations making good taking good situations and making them great situations every week well I just always look to the pit box I know Matt's a great driver now I know he probably gets tired of hearing about this his crew chief but for those guys down here in the pits they just make so they they run a smart race from the pinch and they don't panic ended in disastrous situations and they fix it and they go on about their business what a drivers do when they're riding around 185 miles an hour well sometimes they converse with their brooms there's Michael Walter he's referring to Jeff Gordon the 24 car and Jimmie Johnson the 48 car all that's going on that conversation at 190 miles per hour I read with interest the other day were some of the drivers they were asked on what they like to hear from the crew chief and from the spotter and it was a it was kind of interesting to me how some said they don't want to be talked to leave me alone others say they want to be talked to all the time I don't think you some said they don't want a cheerleader you know personally I just always like to be encouraged it made me feel better it made me knew that the guys are in the game with me you know that the funny thing about that Darryl Darryl Earnhardt would tell me I don't want to be talked to so I'd go laps without talking to him he'd say anybody watching this race for me exactly the way it is Matt Kenseth has taken over the lead and remember the driver the thought he had a vibration and fell back to 20th that's Ward Burton Geno Oh trouble guys turn three Michael got into somebody going into three over there leave us all Jeremy may feel the pulse ever they seek up any fourth caution of the day lap 83 of course what Michael Waltrip's misfortune his team on scorcher guys right there on that trigger gets caught back up Elliott Sadler I don't believe pit road is open yet no it is not open but they had some damage I think they were afraid of cutting a tire down he should be able to get back out I think it's gonna be awfully close before those leaders come back around the other driver and the benefits he did have that vibration I was just starting to talk about Ward Burton who'd made his way up to second place but Michael coming in with damage Michael see what happens here he's going down there jeff gordon's underneath of him whoo Jeff was he just got into a tight spot there made contact gets Jeremy Mayfield a 19 car boy Robby Gordon in the 31 Tony Raines all those cars just barely make it by where he was running we were lucky this wasn't the big two looked like he jumped out from behind Jeff Gordon there possibly and was looking to make a move on him and I think that a vase that that quick move that he made got him in trouble poor Mike we are lucky there wasn't more cars involved in that one is it right in the middle of the field Michael now Michael comes off pit road to stay on the lead lap boy did you see Kyle I mean he was just headed right for him Jeannie [Music] well Ward Burton the vibration by the way was the temperature differential from the tire changes that they made to the right side and the left side this time he came in for tires for Matt Kenseth and they did take a little piece of tape off that left front grille this time Jeannie to Hendrick cars win the race off pit road Jimmie Johnson and Joe Nemechek Jimmie Johnson and 48 Chad canals they wanted track position they wanted to lead the race Matt look like fuel only fuel only Larry now they led the race off pit road but Kurt Busch scored as the leader on that lap over Elliott Sadler these guys went to school yesterday and and joe nemecheck had a faster car than Dale jr. but once the Dale jr. got in front Nemechek couldn't pass him and Dale jr. said on the radio get me in front of him on the pit stop and they never looked back after that so it's so critical to get into the lead because it's really hard to pass the leader let's have another look at what happened to the 15 of Michael Waltrip well Robby Gordon in the 31 at which we saw him on pit road with his hood up he was so fortunate to make it through there yeah and Michael comes down and michael waltrip goes around collects pole-sitter Jeremy Mayfield puts biron sport the high sign right up through there a little bit brother need to be right up against the wall upon it right there on your left small tough another big stuff right by the old line right there [Music] ðï known for dominating restrictor plate racing Michael Waltrip won this year's Daytona 500 juniors swept everything else during speed weeks now you can relive the experience on DVD NASCAR's Road to Daytona 2003 in incredible surround sound watch Dale jr. Michael Waltrip or your favorite driver race through speed weeks culminating in the great American race to order call one eight hundred eighty five six four two six six six eight hundred eight five six forty to sixty six yeah we welcome you to our Ebisu race break and welcome back to Talladega we've had 17 lead changes following our fourth caution with Jeff Hammond Chris Myers at the Hollywood Hotel by the way the record for lead change is 75 set in 1984 oh they'll have that to thank you know but certainly the more lead change is the more exciting and a little bit of adventure Elliott Sadler leading yes right now he just avoided a wreck right now but I think right now we're getting a chance to do a little bit of recap about the big one right now we've had a lot of wrecks today a lot of close calls right now the first one happened right there on lap four listen or excuse me mrs. Michael's wreck this a second if I happen to 83 right here and Michael and Jeff Gordon got together Jeff got dead anything Michael I'm thinking kind of like you know run him up off of that bottom just a little bit he got into Mike Wallace around he went Elliott Sadler got into him he spun up he also collected Jeremy Mayfield who had been later for a long time and Darrell that right there it looked like it was this everybody tried to get in one place a little too quick yeah I think what happened was Gordon took a Michael by surprise he got down on him going into turn there matter of fact he's got it he's all the way down on the yellow line Michael tried to give him room and when he moved up right there he got into the side of Mike Wallace and took it and turned him around and it's a miracle that really only two cars Waltrip and Mayfield were damaged oh yeah cuz he slid right up in front of a whole bunch of good race cars right there Eliott sound did a great job and I don't know how much I don't how much damage Jeremy got and and Tony Raines missed another one by inches that's two how many wives does that cat have today and Elliott Sadler pitted two moments ago so Jimmy Johnson you're a leader at the moment so by the way Jimmy Johnson was the points leader going into the Talladega race of last fall and he finished a 37th in that race so it shook things up just a little bit yeah one other thing I want to point out to Michael Waltrip who spoke earlier about the strength of the hindered car so you noticed right now Jimmie Johnson as well as joe nemecheck yesterday we got to settle up oh yes to the Busch race running one two and Jeff Gordon right there and fifth so Evan having some really strong runs right now by the Ender cars let's check out some pit action chef's take us through it oh he's backing up in the pits right in the eyes whoa we almost kissed one of the guys rather probably trying to make some repairs today right side of the car which was heavily damaged when they got into the wall right there a second ago and they're just trying to fix everything's they got the number one tool out there they got the tool out there oh now oh that's always good having to put a little extra emphasis in it and uh you got to be careful right now but I think Steve was down there with Mike Wallace - another guy that was caught up in this wreck Steve Jeff he's got damage to the left rear quarter panel of his car and a five product of the damage of the contact the battery was damaged so Mike Wallace has been on and off pit road three times they've had to replace a battery and now they're going to come back in and they have the sawzall out that's never a good sign he lost a lap this has been a VESA race break and losing a lap as Steve Burns just reported will be back through 87 laps at Talladega thanks for being with us here on Fox saying about maybe an hour on that weather Jeff will stay on top of here you wander got you in the deaf want to go Hunter laps to go but you being real part with it you're gonna be patient with the buddy you guys did a great job the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by Aaron's sales and lease ownership let Aaron's Drive your dreams home today by Prestone when you want protection inside and out you want the Prestone family by McDonald's and by Net Zero Internet access 88 laps complete green flag next time around here's the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings brought to you by Sears next week they go to Martinsville where they'll run Sunday our Saturday and Darrell Waltrip will be in the field yes I will in the old tide ride boy me and Leroy boys are gonna take it to him next week coming to the green Jimmie Johnson and Joe Nemechek Hendrick Motorsports Chevy teammates leading the dodges of Ward Burton and Sterling Marlin the Chevy of Jeff Gordon the Dodge of Kenny Wallace Kevin Harvick Matt Kenseth Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle the top 10 see mark part in the six car alongside Jimmie Johnson back out there we was watching that car Darrell he's running pretty good at means 34 laps down they did a good job to repair in that car what's the main thing if you're gonna send a guy back out there to run 190 miles an hour send him out there and something with safe and sound right behind him Mike Wallace a no 9 car you heard Steve Byrnes talking about the battery problem he's a lap down Mike Wallace would love to see a caution right now get back on the lead lap hopefully and now every car that was damaged in the crash on lap 4 has either been retired 7 of them or is back in the race trouble down through the tri-oval caution is out caution is out Tony Stewart got hitched up to the wall and caution quickly way 97 car got a lot of damage on the right front mike wallace did not get his lap back there you see Kurt Busch the 97 and a lot of smoke from Tony Stewart looks like a right front and a left rear of two cars came together Stewart was running eight in other words they make contact let's see what happened to bring out this fifth caution of the day Tony Stewart top of your screen push inside him Wow finish graces and Biffle Biffle Ricky Craven the 32 car very fortunate see a lot of cars going down pit road just to stay away from accident in Tony Raines dodges another big stack up of the field Ricky Craven hard on the brakes Dale Earnhardt jr. car went bomb gained about three or four additions he's down on the flat and everywhere in the world now there's your Winston Cup champion and one of your top point runners Kurt Busch the point standing runner-up along with last year's Busch champion Biffle not a lot of championship form right there no look like it the Busch was gonna actually try to squeeze between Biffle and Tony Stewart and he and he didn't have the room to do it watch from Tony [Music] Tony's car will be seriously damaged and from Robbie cork [Music] Jeannie the 20 car of Tony Stewart he has a radio tune he thinks of course Jeannie the track bar actually holds the rear end in the center of the car there you see someone's tire rolling across there that's the tread of the tire and we're hearing that's off of Kurt Busch's car dick Berggren yeah it sure is it's virtually nothing but there is nothing left there was just the wheel on the right front of Kurt Busch's car in the Chinese little bit of rubber a piece of the bumper just got taken out of the nose plan here is to get right-side tires on the car then bring it back in again for the work and there will be a lot of work the right front fender is virtually gone mechanics right now trying to pound it out to put at least a little bit of shape in it had just enough shape so it doesn't get into the new tire that they're gonna fire on meanwhile it's another mechanic working on the left front corner of this automobile a lot of damage to cut push this car that most of it is aerodynamic in the nose there's a certain irony to this you'd spend months and two to three trips to the wind tunnel to get a car era rocket to Talladega to have it end up like this yeah well if we you know if we were at Marksville or bristol in these cars are all banged up like this you wouldn't think too much about it but to here it's just you can't race that way there see the tread coming off of Kurt Busch's right front tire Darrell everywhere we race a good day is a good top-five finish what's a good day at Talladega like driving that bad boy back in the truck when the race is always a good day for me it stops under this caution Matt well Mike the 24 Jeff Gordon's gonna pit he came on the radio to that ran over something big on the left side do not want to take a chance they're gonna pit and take out four tires no chance mister today debris on the speedway he came into pit because he had a flat tire Dale Jarrett pitted Ricky Craven Terry Labonte Jeff Gordon Kenny Wallace Kevin Harvick Elliott Sadler and on back and of course we saw Harvick follow Busch down pit road and Busch had damaged probably run over something debris off of his car Jeremy Mayfield also pitted he was damaged in the Michael Waltrip collision but stays on the lead lap Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart lot of these guys pitting right there topping off this may sit where they can do it in to stuff but you know what guys the skies are getting blacker and the rain is on the way in television [Music] [Music] water garden here Jeff want to go NASCAR on Fox welcomes you back to the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Mike Choi with Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds five cautions three four crashes have made most of these cars somewhat less than dream machines as you look at the big crowd here at Talladega from our Budweiser aerial coverage 27 cars in the first wreck to Michael Waltrip and Jeremy Mayfield as we go back to green and a three-car crash Tony Stewart's taking his car behind the wall Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch returned to the race if you think about the thousands and thousands of dollars have been spent on these bodies down here the man-hours it takes to do it before a lot of destruction here today costly destruction there are your leaders two Chevy's and a Dodge Johnson Nemechek Burton and Marlin Matt Kenseth holds fifth Dale Earnhardt jr. who trailed the pack prior to the caution flag is in sixth ahead of Bill Elliott Dale Jarrett Ricky Craven and Terry Labonte what we heard no Tony senior there say that you know he wasn't doing a very good job on that last restart car was fine and of course we were watching on the monitor he was running as fast as Ali turd all by itself I got a bleeding out he's back up in there with that pack he might just have a little something for him that is Kenseth just ahead of junior but it just goes to show how important it is to stay up in this pack that's why they do it you know you said why don't you just get out of there they gonna wreck like out all the time when you got to get up in there if you want if you're gonna try to win the race here comes Marlin up on the outside of Ward Burton for third and Marlin looks like he's headed for the front got a good run off a two over there hey Dale Earnhardt jr. right now getting a heck of a push from Dale Jarrett at UPS calling outside line I've mentioned Dale much today and he's still hanging in there in pretty good shape with his new logo brand new race car we're halfway and in this race if we haven't mentioned you that's probably a pretty good thing that's right now how about our pole sitter Jeremy Mayfield he was involved in the crash with Michael Waltrip at lap 83 the courtrand and his position right now on the racetrack matches his car number Mike he is 19th but he remains on the lead lap and that's a tribute to his crew because he has made several pit stops where they have worked on the left side of the automobile pounding it out trying to get some sort of aerodynamic shape into the left side of the car there is so much tape on the left side you can't even read the number but he's out there trying he trails Elliott Sadler who was also caught up in that same crash as was my clogs look at Terry Labonte in that five car right there this is a great run for him sitting up there in 10th place right now he's missed the two big wrecks two wins here and you know the last two weeks at Bristol and Fort Worth these guys have had great runs just terrible luck so you're telling me I shouldn't have picked him last week I should have waited to this week looking pretty good this week I don't like the way this looks oh man these guys are back three wide again racing pretty hard here I don't think they're happy with three wide they want to make a fool out here through the trial now petty still in the mix he is in 15th among those lead lap cars Tony Raines in 13th somebody asked me why don't we do it why they do that say cause I can write a this is a good run for Kyle you know being injured couple of rib injuries a couple of weeks ago Bristol and Mike he was involved in the big one back in 1991 here what do you think he may have broke his leg yes 20 cars in that one and a knock Kyle out of action for a couple of months six seven or eight weeks okay guys Mike you just mentioned we're halfway I've got to start doing the math we're gonna see maybe we don't have any caution so you do the math we have teammates that has become on different agendas remember Jimmie Johnson right here he pitted back on lap 84 now his teammate Jeff Gordon he came in a lap 92 so that makes it where he can run several more laps the bottom line is though both those guys have to make two more pit stops to get the end of this race but Larry I got a plan you gonna love this plan I'm gonna tape things on my car that are gonna fly off every 35 laps because I'm gonna have to come to pit road and if the caution that I'm forced to come to pit road yeah Steve Park came past the start/finish line put a pass underneath the yellow line he will get a black flag from NASCAR for that and for more on pit sir let's let's have a look at this and he's already two laps down and I think he might have been trying to maybe help Dale jr. I don't know what he was going yeah trying to keep from running over Junior's just in front of him he's trying to get past Joe Nemechek so he improved his position not in the race he's two laps down but he improved his position on the track and went below the yellow line that's a no-no and he could have come down the back straightaway pull down to the inside let the guy go back by him there would have been no penalty but because he elected to stay there I'm sure his argument would be I was forced down there NASCAR's ruled otherwise but when you're two laps down you don't really need to be doing things like that so the black flag out for steam Park let's pick up on Terry Labonte the 12th place car here's dick Berggren with jim long is crew chief that he's been watching our television broadcast Terry he remains on the lead lap you've made a lot of pit stops and he got the car where you wanted yeah the car is pretty good there you know it's the way this play racing goes you can be first one lap and 30th the next lap you know but just trying to keep good tires on the car we've been run over debris and those cautions and it's real happy with the car we're just trying to figure out what lane to be in that may be the way to win this race Mike the lane to be in not the outside Jimmie Johnson was there he's getting shuffled back and in the yellow line violation a lot of people who were critical of what happened to Sterling Marlin at Daytona but what people need to realize is if you make that happen if you make a pass you pull down and let the guy have the spot back they won't penalize you but if you hold your position they will bump pump oh come on baby and who you think is doing it Jeff Gordon I think biffle's nose would look like that even if he hadn't been in the wreck Greg biffle's car at the end of this race is going to look like a box of Crayolas because it's got a little bit every color on it somewhere and he has been doing some hard pushing got a car coming on to pit road and that'll be part taking the penalty stop what Dale jr. is wearing out the back bumper of Matt Jensen's cartoon he has tried every way he could to push him to the lead and has done it Michael Waltrip back in the race after repairs with a crash on lap 83 we're Jimmy Johnson go from the outside to the middle and now looking low he's the fourth car in line on the inside Kevin Harvick first card lying on the outside but we haven't seen Dale jr. get up there like he did last couple of times I've seen race here and kind of run his line and everybody had to follow him he's had to work hard today you know guys I'm looking here out of Dale Junior's car at Matt Kenseth there's a piece of aluminum I think it's a support for the rear bumper maybe Dale jr. has bumped on the loose you see a pan right there yeah that's a piece of Lumina that goes back to the rear bumper and he isn't he is beat on it so much he got it knocked loose Steve I bet his crew chiefs not too thrilled about that Robby Larry Mac talk about you guys overcoming adversity you've got to taped up nose the bumpers beat up in the back but you still leading this race well I don't know everybody else looks about the same shape I don't know they did a really good job of repairing it I didn't think it'd run like this but it's running pretty well how about the damage to the back does that concern you well burner keeps wrapping us in the back we're gonna lose the bumper I guess you know I just hit the baggage so much I've acted it's coming apart more than likely that won't fall that's a pretty big piece of aluminum there that goes all the way around the fuel cell and up to the back of the bumper but it didn't sound like Robbie would mind too much if you lost him probably wouldn't hurt anything tell you what look at Kevin Harvick our outside pole sitter net 29 car four career starts here remember Richard Childress Racing has nine wins here with Dale Earnhardt senior he's back up there looking racy at the front if you kind of look back there behind these guys right here the old veterans they always tickle me there's terry labonte back there's bill elliott back there there's Sterling Marlin back there Dale Jarrett I mean it's kind of riding along back here at the back of the field keeping everything in tow might show these little boys something at the end of the day we talked about Matt Kenseth's rear bumper we think this is when this happened this was coming through the tri-oval watch Dale Earnhardt jr. right there he's beating and banging on Matt Kenseth the 17 actually got him out of shape just a little bit and again that piece of aluminum is only held on by rivets pop rivets that's probably when it came loose what we did it again man he's got it knock I think he's trying to do what Robbie says he's gonna knock it off this is all happening at 190 miles per hour and there's his teammate Biffle ride up in the middle of it again when that war curtain is trying to pull the outside track up into front position dude that a couple of times is kind of funny after about three or four times it aint funny no no okay this as good as that 22 car Ward Burton has looked since he won the Daytona 500 February of 2002 at a restrictor plate race track look at his teammate back there Kenny Wallace in the 23 car he's looked good all day long we were riding with him right here sitting in the seventh position stack him to wide stack of three wide stack of four wide for Kenny Wallace was way out there whatever to somebody needs a caution flag right now is Kurt Busch 97 car he's just about to go a lap down couldn't its gracious this is what I call bobbin and Weavin right here there is Bush going to surrender a lap to the leaders as Harvick on the outside with Biffle ensue drivers who do not exchange Christmas cards working together this is stick and get moves they can get moved Jr is trying everything he can to get out from but he just hadn't been able to work his way up there 105 laps complete 83 to go in the Aaron's 499 in Talladega Daytona 500 champ work Burt out front [Music] four wide cars blowing up inside clear to the middle where we on 232 be needed just watch that high groove to the bit alert to about a tire rub but they're not sure [Music] clear clear all clear another metal clear to the middle Jimmy's coming with you to the middle why 3x3 behind you three wide behind you behind you if I do all the way back welcome back to Talladega 79 laps to go watch our abut aerial coverage helicopter mounted high above the Talladega Superspeedway new sheriff in town Dale Earnhardt jr. has taken the lead will show you how it happened he's been pushing and shoving and doing everything he could to get that thing out front he knocked old Matt Kenseth rear bumper slam off Ward Burton pointed him through on the inside and then Mike Wallace something let go on that white 0-9 and the high group you know Jeff Gordon 24 he just barely had one lane at the top to go by yeah that and Mike Wallace has made a pit stop and come back on track I was trying to see what that was because he came to pit road he went back out so not sure being an injured proper maybe a tire go down Jimmie Johnson has led as many laps as his car number Old Spice lap leaders got Mike Wallace's back out there and he's up to speed so whatever that was I think he may had a problem with a maybe attire problem and Dale Earnhardt jr. has now led the last six Talladega Winston Cup races neck car just seems like once it gets in the front it's a barrier between it and the rest of the field they just can't get to it that's about the way his Busch car was yesterday as well when he won the race and you watch him I mean everybody else is protecting the bottom protect it you know they gotta have somebody to help him and he just sits out there runs where he wants to he runs high he runs low and everybody see one over on Romania had to follow me look you missed it yesterday Earnhardt jr. was leading Joe Nemechek when a caution came out with a handful laps to go and he won the race under caution and ran out of gas half a lap later making a charge here now here comes the 24 car down underneath without a lot of help his teammates he's got two car lengths back Jimmie Johnson Timmy's back there for those two cars look almost identical from up here [Music] bill Elliot among active drivers fifty-two races has led 523 laps here that's a lot of miles about three races are better three 500-mile races we've got a total that's what that eight car reminds me of back in the 80s when Bill had such a dominant car at Daytona Talladega he could do exactly what Dale jr. is doing you just couldn't race him you could follow him but you couldn't pass him on racing remember the day here he came from two laps down to win without making up a lap under caution he did it all under the green under the green that was incredible he was running faster than everybody else was in the draft he was running that fast by himself he has eight but polls here Bill Elliott and a lot of was right in the road now that's something Dale jr. hadn't seen for a while somebody pulled down and passed him but look a he goes out there now he's out there way high by himself and Jeff Gore get credit but for leading that lap second one he's led today junior in position to move up in the NASCAR top-10 he came in here third and he could move to second Kurt Busch has had difficulties and currently runs one lap down in here second to the points Michael he was fourth and he's had trouble a number of people have had trouble tell you what there's about 150 thousand people here I don't think anybody's sitting down right now watching this battle between Jeff Gordon Dale Earnhardt jr. bout like the battle last week at Texas I mean they're cheering and waving and like it's the last lap and here's greg biffle right up in the middle of it tape a fly in all direct the car isn't its raggedy and I'm telling you he's right there fighting for the lead I have to say he's that's about as good an effort as I've seen from anybody here at Talladega to go through what he's been through today and still right up there racing with them look at these people they love it look at people's old car back there sparks are flying everywhere they talk about aerodynamics it salad egg and they tell them look at that thing just feathers flying in the wind all they've done put water in it for Michael then on Dei teams came in to Talladega with a lot of motivation to end the Dale Earnhardt incorporated streak some teams weren't the crater lakes are trying to find out that the dan is over others in fact remember back to the twin 125 when Steve parks car was overheating water was coming out the overflow vent at the base at the rear corner of the right side of the hood one team took our video in slow-mo to trying to find out how well that water was going up over the greenhouse another team on Thursday at the Daytona 500 remember Michael Waltrip winning car went to Daytona USA for display one team sent two crew members down with a tape measure and camera in hand they took enough pictures to write a book they also took enough measurements they said hey look the cars on display we paid her 750 to go in let's take advantage of it they weren't the only team though that I'm told a couple others - the same thing just trying to find that Dei advantage and when you think back to Bill Elliott we were talking about him earlier we all saw everybody looked under the hood looked under the hood said Ernie's got something in that engine nobody else says in reality when it was all said and done years later he had a small race car they had narrowed the car up made the car a little bit smaller than everybody else's and actually he had a great aero advantage now I would buy into that with the Dei cars if we didn't have the debt gun many templates today but I'd say that's interesting man about the water because you can't see the air but you can see a liquid we used to come down here and put drops all on the car and see what the flow of the oil was around the greenhouse of the car of the rear spoiler make changes based on that because again even though they claim you can Matt you can't see air exactly Larry in a lot of teams felt like you know you can't go in to another team's locker room and see their game plan but taking our video they were just going to try to use that and see like if they were in the backroom of the wind tunnel of the car that he was trying to see manipulating that air over the car three wide for the lead Marlon what's it from Earnhardt jr. and Jeff Gordon on the bottom has the help from that other Dodge Kenny Wallace in 223 we've got to be careful right here coming off that corner three wide like dad Dale jr. stuck in the middle everybody has helmet three-by-three Tatars talking to Dale jr. remember the old saying four cars under a blanket when they get real tight on the short track at Nashville this is 12 cars under a blanket it's crowded under there I mean we have about 20 cars within less than a half a second of each other biffle's old car is a pig in a blanket [Laughter] but she's a pretty the OMG so big dubai - all the way back whatever honey if you need it they're all clear [Music] one car behind you single file two cars single file the 3x3 [Music] karthick a file this will be right behind that six laps but six laps [Music] six cards single-file Dennis the ball gaps and five more single file then do right [Music] [Music] - right there behind you 40 arrests to the inside of 22 - bye - outside has all the help inside has no help of all the help inside has no help NASCAR on Fox welcomes you back to the Aaron's 499 Oh little puffin flapping from the right side of was that Ward Burton's car or Matt Kenseth's oh no it's just to take one big step let's talk don't be silent confused me thing is flying apart pit stops are beginning under green first time today some of the leaders have peeled off and in yeah this would be a lot of the cars that pitted back on lap 84 there you see Sterling Marlin in the 40 car Mark Martin the six course many laps down this would be about 38 laps so this is about when they're they're doing they're done 38 to 42 I would think how about a dick well this morning leave McCall told me that the fuel mileage in Sterling's car is not the best in fact all three of the Ganassi cars are getting less fuel mileage that they would like to see this will be a four-tire stop for Sterling Marlin they've torn the windshield covering off to tire stop for surely didn't tony stewart returns to the race he is 31 laps down bill elliott also making a pit stop along the lead lap cars Biffle keeps losing more tape but he's not losing any speed now all the work you do on oh oh that's a big piece of metal getting looser now that's just tape Darrell I believe you huh I don't know I I thought I saw some metal flapping under there how does they don't still run that fast in that shape yeah see that little submit up there yeah that's not good and you know if he was here trying to run single laps by itself this car would be a pig oh yeah in the dirty air with all these other cars you can get by with a little bit like this now that car is not seeing a lot of air but if he ever loses the draft big-time Trillian trouble bye-bye some guys right now that are hoping that if that's going to come off it does it in the next lap or two more leaders to pit road more of our lead lap cars these are all scheduled green flag stops with the smaller 15 Afghan fuel cells right sides going to fly off here in a minute dick Berggren joe nemecheck what yesterday's witch series racing after that victory said if it's wasted cup car was only as good he could win today this is a two-tire stop plus all the fuel that they can jam into this automobile fires are rather wait a little bit for the fuel want to get every last drop in Tony Raines takes on right-side tires he started last but he's been on the lead lap all day Dave Blaney who's laps down also ready to stop for the most part there or you can get by with a green flag stop here two tires and not go a lap down I don't think they got all the fuel in that 74 car I'd say as he started to drive away the gas man started to try to plug another can in I'm not sure if he hit or not and that could be pretty critical here because that's the only reason you're pitting is for fuel not for tires the fact there was a community looked like there was a problem in the exchange I'm not sure I just caught the tail end of it [Music] Tony Stewart back on track 31 laps down after crash damage he's in 26th place but this race is far from over 63 laps to go there's his teammate Bobby Labonte whose car is also damaged and here come the leaders led by Jeff Gordon who led 27 laps here last October before engine failure put him out two wins in his last 16 telling them I faced eeeem to be getting spaced out so they could yeah they are they're coming to taters and come to pit road they got a lot of I've noticed they were getting space in between on those front cars where like they were all waiting just getting ready to slow down now there is this too many cars to fit together that's an awful lot of car especially if you're pitting next to one of your neighbors if you're all spaced out it's not too bad but you can lose a lot of time if you start stacking up on top of each other it's as many cars that are out of the race laps down I doubt if anybody's gonna be in a bind here he's probably gonna be some oatman's here chef Clark packs the fuel-cell full of fuel a two-tire change not justice or Jimmy Johnson still on the left side tires he started a chance' they may go the distance sighs I started with two tires for Jeff Gordon not you you might be able to do that but that would really bother me I'd be afraid to not wear that thing out and it would blow out at some point in time John Andretti the 43 car he'd led that lap right there I mean these guys have fun we've talked about Greg Biffle and his group this group along with Kyle Petty his teammate 245 car but that 43 car they have fought to stay on the lead lap all day long right now they are first and second in this race and they pit together Dale Earnhardt jr. was the first of the cars that just pitted to come on pit road look how far out in front he is I mean that's how much difference he had in the pitch right there come out about two seconds ahead of Jeff Gordon Matt well Mike to add further on what Darrell was talking about the two tire deal on the 48 now Chad Knaus to me this morning last fall his last stop he took out left sighs the tire wear was so good he was just saying he was killing himself and he felt like he could have gone the distance on the left sides so he will probably go he said his last stop the right side tires only he all day with the same laps and mat everybody will have to make one more pit stop as we see some debris and it's uh it's probably taped from before yeah probably take from Biffle but everybody will have to make one more stop probably about 15 to 20 45 left for the end of this thing and I couldn't imagine anybody thinking about four tires I'm gonna stop that late in the race so it would be just two tires well like I said I wanted that to fly off for 35 laps but it didn't last a little bit longer than that you notice Dale Earnhardt jr. trying to keep that thing wound up running the High Line that way when that group catches him they don't just freight train him Junior trying to become the fourth driver to do the weekend sweep Saturday win the Saturday and Sunday race Ernie Irvan did it in 92 Bernhardt Dale Earnhardt senior in 93 and Mark Martin did it in 97 although one of those races was rain postponed to Monday still counts as a sweep team mates ganging up on Dale Earnhardt jr. Jeff Gordon the 48 car and they have the whole string of cars behind them Ward Burton the 22 right behind Jimmie Johnson five Chevy's in a Dodge up in that front pack Greg Biffle has fallen to 11th place and this is what we were talking about Darrell he has lost that lead pack you see him there by self see those cars going by him in a hurry now this is when that arrow will show up he's out there in clean air and just looking at the scored monitor he's running quite a bit slower almost a second slower than this lead pack he was good shape as long as he was in that pack Steve Burns and Randy Gossett crew looking at some sheet metal that came off the 16 car greg biffle they came in pitted took two tires but this piece of sheet metal that came off the car is a problem they're trying to decide whether or not to bring the 16 back to pit road or wait for a caution 129 complete 59 laps to go as the Hendrick Chevy's pull out front with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in the Aaron's 499 [Music] [Music] [Music] that cars single file [Music] [Music] [Music] laughs cars look we'll stop back [Music] don't say after with it Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by Aaron's sales and lease ownership let Aaron's Drive your dreams home today the sixth caution flag of the day has just waved for debris in turn number two a lot of debris cautions three of them but remember we have 27 cars pileup on lap four they are still racing in various states of repair so there's going to be a little debris yeah I mean you you fix them you know as best you can but then you go back out there and the turbulence of the other cars and the wind blowing you know around the car whoops rip stuff off him Larry a big break for Greg Biffle this caution flag all his crew up there I mean he had completely lost the lead graph in fact he was about the last car on the lead lap so this is a big break for him to be able to get the pit road try to fix that fender I bet you that 48 takes left-side tires now I bet you'll stay out you know what this don't put them anywhere close to a window and you know what the safest place is out front you got it or out back you know I think if you're at the back of this lead lap pad you come in and top off there because that will make you have to take less fuel at the end of this thing but everybody will still have to make one more stop yeah if the dodges in fact don't are not able to keep up with the Chevrolets this gas mileage goes then they ought to come down and top up Kevin Harvick through the dummy torque pit road pulled back out on the racetrack but like as you said most of the tail end or back part of the lead lap cars are coming in and what this will mean if it's a green flag stop at the end less time spent there because less fuel need yeah I mean I would take advantage of this right here I mean I just think I would come down and get myself so I could come down maybe just take gas at the end or sheet metal and tape Steve burns and that's exactly what Greg Biffle needs and lots of it they're going to go ahead and put fuel in it with their main reason for stopping Mike is to fix the right front damage them to the right front quarter panel they're mainly just trying to slam it with their hands down and then put the tape on it Randy gosh sake take your time just fix that right front quarter I believe Steve I tell them to pound the sides and more than add more tape because it's been pretty quick that way this is not good for Robby Gordon the 31 car dragging the fuel can away it comes loose but it don't matter he left his pit box with equipment so that will be a penalty Robby Gordon running in 13th yes not what we mean when we say gas and go supposed to leave what they gas then go then go we have been expecting rain about 3 p.m. Central time as we told you at the top of the telecast and the rain is on it's on the radar the skies are lowering and it's on the way so they're gonna be racing the rain and each other when we come back to television [Music] [Music] some sun-drenched fans on our Pepsi fan cam and they may be drenched fans if these severe thunderstorms roll in to Talladega we'll be back for the green flag you're watching NASCAR on Fox wanna go and get hit em Wonder Girl the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by Discover card it pays to discover by RadioShack you've got questions we've got answers by TGI Fridays enjoy our sizzling chicken and cheese for just $8.99 and by Lowe's Home Improvement warehouse Lowe's improving home improvement big crowd on hand at Talladega as Jeff Gordon leads his Hendrick Chevy teammate Jimmie Johnson Ward Burton Kevin Harvick Dale Earnhardt jr. the front 5 Dale Jarrett is in 11th place working very good anywhere Carr gets to the outside of the eye it just about stomped this thing probably I pick up a little bit for speed if I can get up on the upper side and go from there that's the two teammates trying to work together there dill Jarrod and Elliott Sadler they're talking to each other about can they help each other right now they're sitting there together in eleventh and twelfth place and I don't believe afford his lutely yeah Matt Kenseth led under the green flag he's the one Ford to lead this race under green and right now he's by far the highest running forward sitting in sixth place behind leader Jeff Gordon let me tell you I just always thing back to Daytona and I never heard anything about Matt Kenseth or Kurt Busch or Mark Martin or any of them until the end of the day and when they did to run down there they were they'll restart with 51 laps to go that will include at least one more pit stop for everybody even the carpet hit at that time even the cars that stayed out that time nineteen cars on the lead lap one more pit stop dick Berggren on strategy boy there's been a lot of stuff going on in the pit Sterling Marlin came in early in that caution period put fuel only in his car Kevin Harvick's team decided that they were going to do what everybody else up front did they had plenty of fuel everybody they decided to stay out so they decided to stay out too joe nemecheck came in on the last lap before the green flag and top Nemechek riding 16th now he was 15th before he loaded that thing up with gas mike and the caution a big break Darrel for Tony Raines you were right they didn't get it full of fuel when he stopped under green there was a little problem on the exchange when the two cans and the car drove away with the guy holding the gas get inside and when you only have 13 and 1/2 gallons to begin with you have to be full every time you come to pit road and yeah dick the way I said the cars that stayed out that pitted on lap 126 we if it stays green when they get in they're gonna have to have about nine and a half gallons of fuel to make it to the end the cars it just pitted then about seven gallons that could be a couple seconds difference in the pit stop yeah I think I've got to come down that time and try to get myself in a position ago I could do it as little as possible when I got to come in and are under green if it does have kevin harvick up the inside by himself trying to rest the lead from Jeff Gordon I mean everybody is right up against the wall on that top lane Kenny Wallace in the 23 he looks like he's about five callings back from Kevin Harvick but that group is coming pretty fast Harvick's had a good run all day he's been right here at the front the 200 cars and of course there's Dale jr. Ward Burton's had a good car all day Matt Kenseth has tailoring our Junior he takes no mercy on anybody's rear bumper I'm sure that if you asked him he was trying to help him I'm just not sure what he's trying to do well still they're three wide in the middle of this pack little has changed since the way they were racing when they dropped the green flag see sterling Marling in the 40 car right there he's leading that group a lot of them decided to come to pit road and top off like Dale Jarrett an 88 falls in behind Kevin Harvick and his teammate Elliott Sadler see that's what happened to you oh you're going down there you think everybody's happy either you know everybody's lined up right behind next thing somebody got the inside put you in the middle teeny well earlier we were eavesdropping on the conversation between the 38 and the 88 to that left rear fender most of the day they actually put some sheet metal only found at the car ran worse with it on so they took another pit stop to take it off till jared saying anytime he gets close to a car in front of him the temperature goes up so he needs to be in clean air and of course we saw her Dale Jarrett was hit in the back by Tony Stewart in that very first wreck of the day seen that before we fixed the car and it didn't run as good as like I don't know what she fixed but I'm fixing it well you get something hanging out there alone what did you say jr. I mean he just sliced out from behind the Kevin Harvick that's the way you have to dry out though when there's a crack there you got to get in it you can't wait because it won't be there love won't be there very long and they'll take it away from you look at Greg Biffle in the 16 car believe they've made the repairs of that fender he's back up there digging again he's in seventh position at least the last time they came by the start/finish line he was where damn Junior's now beating on the back of Votto Ward Burton over there trying to bump him to the front and he did let's see what that does he gave him a big shot about halfway down the back and in Ward Burton took off but so did the inside line and now junior has to fight with Jimmie Johnson and Jimmie Johnson just barely he did what he needed to do he filled that hole before it was filled he was caught in the middle just for a second thing 48 car there's warden jr. they're working pretty good together right now Ward Burton trying to take the lead did it let that laugh though jr. says dadgum it I gave him a push and he got the lead left me hanging back here come back here Ward Burton who started racing Late Models in South Boston Virginia followed by his younger brother Jeff they both moved up to the Busch Series and then to Winston Cup where they both seen considerable success well it's good for Bill Davis see both these cars he and Kenny Wallace both up there in the top 10 and award leading the race Ward won the Daytona 500 she knows he knows how to win these restrictor plate races and we have a long way to go Darrell but yeah when you look at Bill Davis racing Ward Burton in the 22 his teammate Kenny Wallace in the 23 7 races this year between the two of them only one top-10 finish junior just got up against Jeff Gordon's rear bumper and then then slice today just sliced right out from behind him and got to got the advantage and the thing about it he may beat on other people's rear bumpers when he's out like this they can't get to him to beat on his rear rear for almost Steve Byrnes with Randy gods Craig pimples crew chief Randy she doesn't look pretty but she's hanging in there yeah she's pretty ugly I'm just really proud of the Granger true man they're like they've been like the Dirty Dozen today then we just keep bringing them a junker in you know the fenders blowing off at these speeds and they just keep fixing it had to set the tone we had the right front was bent real bad in that first wreck so it's really proud of the Granger true Oh Randy Goss and his team have worked harder than any lead lap crew today and he should be proud of he should be property driver too I mean he's out there doing everything he can he's a man he gets me up off my seat a lot I know that but he's hanging right in there with that car Darrell juniors sliced to the bottom end of the leave but here comes the high groove and it's working once again we're Burton in the 22 getting help from two of the Hendrick cars other Hendrick car Jimmie Johnson he is pushing Matt Kenseth in the 17 right now down the backstretch and everybody here knows Dale jr. is going for four wins in a row here they're not gonna help him do that it's not like they want to see him do it if anything they want to be like the team it knocks you out of the Final Four last Winston Cup driver to win four in a row Bill Elliott at Michigan 1985 and 1986 in I mean I look at the top kid right now I mean everybody up in that top ten other than Matt Kenseth what they're looking for they need a win this year they need to win a race Jr ekes out a bit of a lead point to three seconds in the Aaron's 499 3y behind you right behind you it'll have no help outside house all the help goodbye to one row behind you middle now help they don't ask for help middles got the help goodbye to three rows back [Music] [Music] [Music] okay right - pretty one three why don't see what no help bill has all the help no help no 3-1 no help 31 scholars help no no help no help at all [Music] way back [Music] hi this is Todd Bodine drivers a National Guard forward just want to say hey to all the troops we're thinking about you and we're praying for you to come home safe hooah all of us at Fox Sports support our troops abroad and welcome all of you watching on American forces TV network maybe some debris in the tri-oval as we close in on 40 laps to go and we're getting close to the window in which if you made a pit stop you could go to the checkered flag Jeff Hammond there right now guys what's gonna really be interested in my opinion is trying to make that pit stop being out front staying out front if it comes on a green flag coming down pit road what's gonna be interesting is right now the way Dale Earnhardt is I believe he's got a definite advantage over most of these guys because again he can pick his point of coming in he knows he's got to be careful not to flat spot those tires but anytime but you can be out front and stay up front of Talladega you've got a definite advantage right Larry McReynolds yeah and I mean Jeff I'm sure what's going on right now and the crew chiefs my little pit road I mean you're already planning for that you're already trying to figure out talked earlier about which cars would need how many gallons of fuel you're trying to figure out how long you need to be there you don't want to be there any longer but you want to make sure you get enough fuel in that plus you need partners if you're going to feel lonely you need people that's going to do that if you're gonna do two right-side tires you need people that's going to do that with you and then when it gets close to it talking to that driver don't slide the tires and don't speed down pit road that kill the day and another guy that you're going to be talking to is your gas man to make sure you got to get hooked up you've got to run with that race car we've got to get all the gas we can tin it as fast as possible but now if you did not stop under the last caution and top off have you dug yourself a hole if you have - now pit under green well again yeah everybody's gonna have to pit under green even if you topped off so that's the thing but the guys that topped off my less time there but you need people that's going to be with you you can't be out there by yourself Larry one of the things I think we need to point out to the dump about 11 gallons of gas into one of these cars it takes about seven seconds six and a half to seven seconds so if you can get it down to where you can take less than a can that's going to be critical right there and again for the crew chief to bill to count that out I've done it many times is for that driver to hit his mark the gas man to hook up to be able to make that count of a thousand one thousand and to develop tell that driver and a certain time to go ahead and go with it reaction time to make sure you get all you can't in it to make it to the finish yeah you don't need that gas man have to chase that race car down because that's precious seconds time to pitstops long a staple of IndyCar racing in Formula One and with 37 laps to go Tefo Biffle just cut it right front down or something he just told to the inside some of that sheet metal may have gotten down on this time I believe but you know what if that's all it is it happened at an opportune place because he was coming off turn four we know right now if they get tires and fuel in that car if that's all it is and then he could go the distance that tire was moving around the back that's going to say like I had to lose tie rod yeah yeah like something's broke yeah it did it broke something biffle's in 19th place last car on the lead lap they're not going to stay there you can see them right there they know they have more problems with just the tire down but he did a whale of a job hanging onto that thing when that way that wheel was wobbling around that's a shame Steve Byrnes what is the problem there Larry what we do know is we heard Greg Biffle say just a second ago I think something broke and now they're saying is the ball joint on the lower control arm ball joint when you pain these things that much something's finally going to break and that's probably why they had to adjust the toe out and now it finally broke that's a shame though regardless you got to tip your hat to Randy gulfs and then foot he'd probably did it while those wrecks knees bent that ball joint and I tell you a card with a pit ball joint on a track like this is mean to drive it is very unpredictable I think that's one reason why he was kind of waffling around at times the way he was so now teen cars remain on the lead lap with 35 laps to go and pit stops coming up new cars behind you single-file that who might do from there on [Applause] three wide behind you 17 someone help go outside do bite through all the way back [Music] she laughs at the gas - bye - for us back then 3x3 clear all clear outside Dubai through all the way back [Music] one pretty wise clear low clear low go outside - bye - for one row and then 3x3 the Aaron's 499 on Fox is brought to you by Aaron sales and lease ownership let Aaron's drive your dreams home today buy coca-cola the official soft drink of NASCAR by subway fresh made sandwiches on fresh-baked bread subway eat french and buy four if you haven't looked at Ford lately look again 32 laps including one pit stop to go in the Aaron's 499 on the track they're wheeling it over 185 miles an hour but down on pit road they're dealing dick Berggren the radios are crackling for sure Richard Childress who owns happy Harvick's car just came on the radio and basically it sounds like he's cut a deal with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon they're gonna pit now all three of those cars are going to come in Hendrick cars pitting with children's cars I don't think we realized that Daytona there's no love lost now between Dei and Childress Racing and I think they want to be thrown that eight car from there the super speedway dominance he's at if they can you know I like that strategy Darrell get on pit road now we know we're in that window there might not be that many cars on pit road if we come on and get in there in the next lap or two we know we can go the distance here here they come right now because as we pointed out at Talladega losing the left if you're one of those lead cards say Sterling Marlin in the 40 car coming with him Joe Nemechek Jimmie Johnson Jeff Gordon's teammate in the 25 as well and Terry Labonte all the Hendrick cars are in in the 2 Childress cars along with Sterling Marlin so what does that tell you 3 the 2 other dominant Chevrolet teams are all coming in together top them off a fuel no tires she's gas only for the 48 and of the 7 cars man that pitted Robby Gordon's not getting up to speed very good but he he was pitted so far down pit road Michael you're not talked about that earlier you lose a lot of that speed leaving pit road everybody fuel only Jeff Gordon didn't get out heat very well either he was struggling to get going and the reason he's in the very end pit Darrell that's trees not don't like those pits are great for caution stops but you lose the momentum leaving pit road when on a green flag stop dick Berggren absolutely hit his marks coming in happy Harvick didn't do that he went further in his pit box than he should have didn't go over the line that was ok but fuel man Brian Englehart had to take several steps forward to get the fuel can into the receptacle as a result Harvick went out last of all those cars yeah I mean your fuel man's chasing the car with about 80 pounds of fuel and 11 gallons in that cans and there you see that's extra stamps that was a couple of seconds right there on the road right now he's going on the crew chiefs call when the crew chief feels like enough fuels in that car to go the other thing wounded up sounded like John Force oh yeah gonna stall it but those high gears though there's even more seconds but I just I mean I think the gas man could have done a little bit better job of being after the car I don't blame it all on the driver I'll take up for the driver a little bit there imagine that Bobby Labonte's car has been overheating so he's been on the track he's been in the pits are behind the wall too to fill it back up with water trying to get to the finish he's thirty second 70 laps down but trying to finish the day and of course right now we know we have a lot more leaders coming to pit road that's not going to be good all that water on pit road if I'm part of will are warming up ahead with them I'm down there helping them drive this water up and the Ward Burton the 22 car he's right near that pit box that Bobby Labonte was in there comes a lot of the leaders the rest stop on the pit road I'd say most time we'll do the same thing probably fuel only Dale Earnhardt junior Ward Burton Elliott Sadler Jeanie every single head of the 22 pitch turn to the left to watch the 24 the 48 go what were they gonna do that was the decision Ward wanted to do the same Biggs a warm heart [Music] right side tires only format catch the TD bet she grabbed the gas man get it the gas Bowl it's gonna match our junior lien needed about he's away no tires just years ago Dale Jarrett becomes the 15th different leader of this race as he has not yet made his pit stop in Darrell Matt Kenseth a de all those cars he's about the only one that changed tires and here comes the leaders the Hendrick cars Sterling Marlin Kevin Harvick they are passing these guys right now with quite a head of steam he was gonna come out of this looking pretty good he's tearing the body he's caught his he's caught his self up into this crowd here when they everything cycles through I just think that first group is we see Dale Jarrett an 88 car come to pit road I think the first group had a better shot going getting on and off pit road because less cars it's 48 into five Sam was in between and then 24 great great pit stop on his part and after all that they flow right back together again that's the way it's supposed to work Dale Jarrett he's coming off pit road right now with Jeremy Mayfield and Mark Martin laps down leaders are exiting the tri-oval right now and Jimmie Johnson goes for and takes the lead they what Kenny Wallace in the 23 car his group did a good job getting him off pit road he's one of those cars I talked about earlier did he brought it to entrance that way he could have that speed built up all the way toward the end of pit road oh by the way in the top five or six here now we got Terry Labonte Bill Elliott and Dale Jarrett right down here those guys that were laying back there for a while they're starting to turn it up just a notch spirits Spurs now Elliott Sadler right here working we're getting the confirmation that he is our leader of the race but these guys were coming he has no help whatsoever he's what someone a little bit of a sitting duck well they're not going to show him any respect I can tell you that you might be the leader but guess what this is the only place where sometimes it don't tell you to have the great pit stop and end up by yourself and there you see them pulling to the inside right now they're just going to Freight training there's over a second difference in the closing speed right here which is several miles an hour so they're going to zap him pretty good 25 laps to go Jimmie Johnson has gone back to the front of the Aaron's 499 25 to go 25 [Music] two cars single file behind you outside outside thirty-eight into 23 inside come on help three why behind you bottom in the middle have to help out I doesn't know help do what do what no I am so unclear about the plane - if you needed movin up pretty wide clear - eye to eye caroline has all the help there clear all clear by clear clear yeah - why - we on you one car single file behind you then Dubai two Claire all Claire - right there behind you [Music] - car single file the 2x2 [Music] pit stops are done for these teams and for NASCAR on Fox we're going to carry you through the checkered flag 18 cars on the lead lap will be 21 laps to go Jimmie Johnson leading Dale Earnhardt jr. Terry Labonte Joe Jeff Gordon Joe Nemechek five Chevy's in front of sterling Marlins dive for Hendrick cars right there out of the top five in fact when they cross the line that time the Hendrick cars came up on the scoring system one through four I don't know where Rick Hendrick is but I'm sure he's smiling right now he's down there especially when you consider the problems they had here in October every Hendrick engine had a problem but that's how you get better they found something made more power the things were fast but they blew up then went home and fixed it about our point leader Steve Byrnes interesting conversation on the radio Mike joy crew chief Robbie Reiser just told Matt Kenseth we I may have just cost you the race we should not have put on right-side tires we only needed six seconds worth of fuel and again stiva best I could tell looking down pit road we don't have the greatest view he was the only leader that changed tires I totally disagree I think if he's deck he's right there with the leaders he's got fresher tires that might pay off just might pay off here are the times that the lead cars spent stopped in their pits that's what moved Joe Nemechek up into that top five and got Terry Labonte right there just truck as a driver trust me when you can put tires on my car and get me back out in that shape right there see what it is so good terry labonte in that five car see him battling for the lead going for the lead baby is against his teammate Jimmie Johnson and he has help from his two teammates behind him now his other teammates snaps back in front of him come on over here were you being don't leave me hanging out here Tony he's not happy we've talked about team racing before in Formula One sometimes a driver will be waved aside so that his teammate can win can't happen here because it's Dale jr. says come on push me help me formula1 each team's two cars are required to be painted alike and have exactly the same sponsors here every driver has different sponsors dancer - there's no team orders here no there isn't but what Dale jr. is looking for is somebody to help him because everybody else is working against him but there he's waving to the other beer car there I'm pretty sure and saying sterling Marling is probably bending the firewall right now with that gas pedal yeah and I think Ward Burton's right there as well so those guys have run well together throughout the day but juniors going to have to have some helped overhaul these Hendrick cars and on the float rule those Hendrick Chevy's are lined up tightly one through four you know Darrell I'm a lot like you I'm not a big fan of these smaller fuel cells but it's amazing these green flag stops how they were apart now look at them they're all back together again yeah I mean they can run 13-yard fuel cells they won't - I don't see where it did anything he just meant you had to make more pit stops and but if that's what they want to do that's okay it just just seemed like good cars are on pit lane a lot more they need to be if you're trying to slay the lap 4 crash took out 27 cars two cautions for debris then Michael Waltrip spun into Jeremy Mayfield then Tony Stewart collided with Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch a final degree caution lap 132 and now we have 17 laps to go when they cross the line Chevy's upfront get up block that ate all of us believe me but they're trying Johnson went up the block didn't work he went up the block and in dealer her junior shot together I got the momentum but the forties with you see he worked to deal he got sterling to help him oh look at the back of Johnson's car a lot of damage that left for a quarter that did not pay off at all for I think that's where juniors slice to cut back how long her guy here's don't know about to do about you and that defender out and the wind is like gonna be like a parachute I don't think Jimmy Johnson's real happy with Dale jr. right there he says hey bud you forced your way around me and that's the restrictor plate racing he just got to live with that you heard Tom Norris Dale Earnhardt jr. spotters say we lost our partner Sterling Marlin has been kicked all the way back to about 12 in the 40 car but you also heard him say we got a hope we got to work together keep that eight car back didn't work Terry Labonte right running right in Dale Junior's tire tracks he is third by a nose to Jimmie Johnson but he has Jeff Gordon right behind him now this is when Dale Junior's car seems like it always does this amazes me he can get all those cars lined up behind him but he can sit there and run in front of those guys and just lead them he just kind of eases one side to the other whoever whichever line starts to come up close to him he'll pull down in front of them he 15 laps to go this time but Darrell I don't look watch off the bottom of that racetrack probably in these final laps but I do have to say that the Hendrick crowd has done an incredibly good job of closing the competition gap the competitive gap between themselves at the 8th for a lot of that credit has to go to Randy Orton and his engine shop because they had to overcome not only a speed differential but a reliability problem here last October I can't believe Jimmie Johnson is still running right whippin with that fender catching the breeze and he got a heck of a run off turn two and got a little bit of help but yeah Mike you're right look at it when you see it from here it's like a big old parachute hanging out behind it left to retire yeah he'd probably wish somebody'd kind of run into it and knock it back in there be careful what you wish for you might get it they might hit that well you can't you just do y'all feeling are y'all y'all feel it like I do I know being out there and the intensity and all of a sudden guys that were nice to you but earlier today or not so kind anymore and you know why that crew chief just told them 15 to go do what you got to do Dale jr. may have had an easy time getting to the front but he is not getting away I tell you so much work has paid off on pit road I look at Ricky Craven right there in the 32 car wasn't that many laps ago they were making repairs on his car on pit road here he is back in the top 10 Jeff Hammond that's right in yeah you're talking about pit road a guy who didn't have a good day on pit road his last pit stop was Kevin Harvick he was up there fighting for the lead now he found yourself back here basically fighting for his life back in 14 trying to get back from the front with 14 laps together we documented how much that pit stop probably cost him at dw2 right-side tires he's coming on there Matt Kenseth the next 17 car alike fresh tires baby and it's not that it helps the speed here helps you maneuver that racecar just a little more grip makes me feel better than mr. feelgood's will fix you right up seventeen lead lap cars in that pack Tony Raines has lost the draft but remained 13 to go here comes Johnson again he's got a good run on the outside of jr. and takes the lead in Kyle Petty in the 45 car he was pulling the group on the hot side with him and look at it I it likes that parachute right now what is that commercial where the guy pulls up to the stoplight Nick drag card he says bet you ain't got one of these Johnson looks like Betty ain't got one of these take that to the window see what the numbers are unbelievable he would be saying right now don't fix it [Music] there's Dale jr. and his running mate the problem is their side beside Ward Burton has been probably the best friend and in juniors had in quite a while the chamber that's Darryl is you could finish this race eight tenths of a second behind the leader and be 17th the way it today is gone I'll take it Ricky Craven in the 32 car he has a new friend there Ricky Craven Terry Labonte in the five car right behind him now those two Hendrick cars running behind Ricky Craven Labonte and Gordon Jimmie Johnson climbs the hill Burton had a look in between thinks better of it no Childress engine in that Ponte I can run get back there he's running real good a tide roll tide and Alabama is a good thing 11 laps to go this time let them laps to settle it Nemechek dropping back on the inside that may be trouble but for the lead Johnson outside of jr. once again in Ward Burton in the 22 he is just shoving jimmie johnson off turn 2 and joe nemechek has a problem he has lost the lead draft and his slow on the backstretch you know Dale Junior's got to be looking over at Ward Burton saying you know we're gonna work together Jimmie Johnson right now he's doing what Dale Earnhardt jr. he's trying to figure out which one of those lines are fixing the mood and who can help me most nobody he's gonna split the two lines as reason is 10 laps to go that's what you do you get in this kind of that at one side pull up a little then you pull down let block that side she's kind of plated I like to call it working both sides on the street because you're really just trying to keep everybody behind him and right now they're catching a pack of four cars it's laps down but definitely those cars are poking a hole in there for this group Jimmie Johnson has five restrictor place plate starts his best finished third at Daytona this February Larry why did you pick him today well I watched him in practice yesterday he led a practice session for about 15 or so laps then he dropped to the pack of about 18 cars to see if he could work his way back up there look at Ward Burton in that 22 car he wants the lead here as they've come for nine laps to go but he was good out front Mike and he was good back in the pack but Ward Burton has now taken the outside line to the front he's brought Matt Kenseth with him Dale jr. and Kenny Wallace Matt but a further add on Jimmie Johnson's drafting prowess that actually began two years ago he went to the Jeff Gordon drafting school during speed weeks 2001 he and young Ricky Hendrick went to Jess motor coach they pulled all their cellphones out on the kitchen table and Jeff spent over an hours showing with the use of the cell phones how you draft how you manipulate the air for your advantage and how to make it a disadvantage for somebody else it's certainly paying off today but now you've really got to get some help Ricky Cravens trying to push him along but the outside line went and you're riding with Kenny Wallace I just noticed the second go when we were riding with Kenny Wallace Dale Earnhardt jr. his arms are going to be tired not from driving that racecar but from waving the people statement that he healthy and don't forget remember at they told him well we had an in-car camera and Jimmie Johnson's car and he kept trying to figure out his head I can get in front but I can't stay there right in the Jeff Gordon and he were trying to help he was trying to help me figure out what to do looks like they figured it out he learned a lot well but as Kenny Wallace found when he chased Dale Earnhardt here couple years ago when you follow the best car the best you could do his second place and he don't want second place Kenny Wallace needs to win a race that's guys like my brother said once why didn't you pass him he said cause his cars faster than mine Elliott Sadler is still in this despite crash damage early he's in ninth place he is the second Ford in this race Matt Kenseth is fifth the first one it's chevy dodge pontiac at the front last time by when they come around put a 17 car got all the way up to fourth got the wrong line just like the O jr. did and they both went backwards now they're working together seven laps to go they come through the tri-oval and down to the stripe which is past pit road down to turn one and ward burton is all but pushing Jimmie Johnson trying to get away that's what he was doing with Earnhardt jr. earlier today when they went to the front and stayed there wart really doing a good job today of helping people hopefully he'll pay off for him we're on the verge of having about a five car breakaway single-file because back there Sterling Marlin that group they're starting to run side by side but they'll ever get lined up which they did just then they'll run back up there not a bad thing to get back if you get people to work with you you get a huge run and you might build a blow right by some of those kids Joe Nemechek black-flagged he's having engine trouble and he's been ordered to the pits going to be six laps to go down as they come around bad news is when they get single-file it's hard to pass when they were up there racing like three and two and three wide you might be able to make the pass but when they get single-file it gets difficult lap cars will help Jimmy Johnson he'll sniff off those lap cars catch a little bit of draught and then work his way around him he ducked down just for a second just to get that little bit of help becomes jr. he's got to be trying to get up behind Kansas he can't hit him in the rear bumper because he done knocked it off Ricky Craven went down for a second to try to block but he knew the hole was already filled pick it up anyway he got a good thing got a 13 gallon fuel cell in that thing he'd ever slam closed up that has knotted the field it's brought the second pack right back to the leaders yeah look at Sterling Marlin in the 40 car he had lost his draft just about a lap and a half ago Kenseth got up to second but at what price were all but four wide as they come to the line five laps to go in boys Sterling Marlin just slit in front of Jeff Gordon in that 24 car boy here comes Kansas 48th card Jimmie Johnson tried to block him but couldn't do it I think Dale jr. is gonna go with Kenseth Jimmie Johnson has no help on the outside he has him again Dale Earnhardt jr. just shoving Matt Kenseth boy and Kansas should not open up the bottom there I guess that slow car may have caused it instead of but it ought to say Pam on the hood of that Chevrolet because that's what he's doing to Matt Kenseth look at Jimmie Johnson though he's getting some help now from that outside line back to Ward Burton helping him off off into turn three Ward Burton and 15 of his closest friends good friends I don't think there's no friends they are for the moment all right the white hasn't waived yet here comes junior and Kenseth again trying to work together work together what you see Jeff right now I've been watching my buddy old Kevin Harvick right there talking about him back here a little while ago his fourteenth now he's called his way back up her baton and banging he's now back of her in the top ten I almost the top five of them he's really making a strong run right behind Ricky Craven Earnhardt jr. just knocked the back bumper cover off of Matt Ken yeah what what happened was oh boy what happened was that slow car got in their way and he tried to shoot him by before they got to the turn hard to counsel patience when there's just four laps to go I mean look at him here there's five and six wide down the back stretch but what you don't realize is it they're they're banging into each other 290 miles an hour becomes jr. he's got a run kids have tried to go so long it's going to be poor man Kansas is getting pushed by everybody and he and Jimmie Johnson got shuffled back in all that no that was a pass under the line what we're going to see here the question would be whether or not they deed he was forced down below the line it would be very unpopular to blackleg three two go Junior's fought his way to the front and they're all knotted up from forth on back in look who's went in second ill it's a boy he come from well pop Jimmy John's right now ey has the bowhead up here the second I let you know Johnson trying to come back on the outside chance it's the guy I think he got to keep an eye on Larry I'd say he was working really good and he got shuffled on that lamp car he'll junior knocked him sideways and ricky rudd guy or a Ricky Craven got into it and he loses the high side I was thinking Kevin Harvick in the 29 he's gonna go up there with him they'll be coming for two laps to go this time look at him beating him banging Kenseth leads the white flag lap but junior has the drafting help to do the coffee good it gives me you're like I am I thought he's not gonna give up neither he's going to the high side he's gonna make them three wide off turn point Kenseth just chose the wrong lane now NASCAR is reviewing Dale Junior's pass as we speak and well it's certainly reviewable I can't deny that there's Harvick lined up behind Junior or if these guys are they gonna judge I'm just gonna say he's gone back in without you come back to the caution comes out this will be the race right here if they do something caution indeed no caution wet lap to go Jimmy Johnson got his car going so we're under green we have another almost a lap of race yeah I just thought I've just said to myself if I can make it around without wrecking I'll never believe that now Dale jr. becomes the Department of Defense but you watch him Darrell I bet he'll hug that yellow line he don't want to open up the bottom NASCAR has called juniors pass a clean pass this is for the win can he do it guys if before in the road he has about 1/4 of the left to go remember the start/finish line is way down headed into turn one it's not at the center of the trowel ok do it Larry you can't make it you can't you're not gonna passing with a single file like that Dale Earnhardt jr. four straight wins at Talladega Kevin Harvick second elliott sadler third Mickey Raymond fourth and Terry Labonte top laughing about dexterity six Nascars review of the videotape showed in the [Applause] was in the act of passing when he was forced below the yellow line so the pass holds our hearts first to the checkered flag he goes to Victory Lane and what a day getting there I mean he was involved they had to traverse the rear of the field and bumped in the big crash lost the pay off here's a half a lap down and here he is Victory Lane now let's show you what NASCAR soul as they made their decision that Earnhardt Jr's pass was legal [Music] he was pretty much all the way to Matt Kenseth door-to-door when he was forced down below the yellow line and here's what happened to Jimmie Johnson boy he everybody in that crowd right there including Jimmie Johnson Johnson got turned off the front bumper of Kenny Wallace and Jimmy stayed on the lead lap and actually finished 15 and just think that looks like Vegas same thing happened to him in Vegas you know [Applause] Wallace finishes 17th here's matt with tony eury senior you started at the back get pitted 17 times to fix that race car how to special to win four in a row here well I just showed we never gave up aha we put up a fight all day long we had to repair that car [Applause] with the backup engine and Richard just Pat us on the back said boys get the lines Tyco the one you put nails better than when he took out so we're kind of question why that well but that was done they got it done late so the truck me safety made it hiss there [Applause] I [Applause] when the guys got that car back and I think it's just about as good started but got a little nose damage probably hurting a little bit and run a little hot got a little more tape off vote than we usually run but but while Chevy's great all-day got to give my hand to these guys got everything tight on that car this morning and won this race I don't think I've ever seen you this excited after a win well they better when you had to fight warming it we've been fighting since 5:30 this morning so it makes it good congratulations you don't see this crowd that's excited after a win is Dale Earnhardt jr. salutes them with what Alan neither side to the fans window let's make some donuts yeah you know I know about disappointed Tony senior you couldn't give the driver a teeny bit of credit because I think those guys have unique relationship with your family and each other anybody is Dale jr. brakes buddy Baker's all-time record for Talladega victories now before and this has to be so sweet when you look back at the date to the Daytona 500 so dumb that the entire Speedweeks had an electrical problem the rains came felt like he was still in position to win that thing until the rains came Dale Earnhardt incorporate is now on eight of the last ten restrictor plate races will be going to Gatorade Victory Lane in just a moment junior ties bill Elliott's record for consecutive wins at the same track fellow who started the season 35th in points what a roll Dale Earnhardt jr. is on yeah he's going to make up some points here today he put them through up a little bit lonely he'll probably pass Michael I know well he should go back hurt Busch to probably Kurt Busch to say he'll be second [Music] with jr. well there is some emotion in this Victory Lane with all that has happened to you today the motor change in the beginning the crash during the race itself all those pit stops the pass of whether NASCAR was is this the most improbable win of your career yeah I had to say next to the wastin when we had had stuff going on there but it's school board Road nobody Baker I bet he's loving this he probably is but how about you how important is this to you how emotional are you now I'm just happy I mean we after everything that was going on today I was like man I just want to be near the front get some points it's all shot there it's working with Matt to keep him up there I mean he was working together and guy less such a big old hole down there going into three you know he would have done the same thing I couldn't man I'm more out boy I took everything I had you working pretty hard there weren't you and with a lot of people trying to get through to this Victory Lane yeah that was a scramble for no more cars they had on the racetrack oh there's a halo race I'm gonna tell you that toward the end were you watching more out of your windshield or more out of your rear view mirror actually driving out the side of the car more than anything just making sure the guy on the outside of the inside didn't run inside of you try to draft you got a draft off the side of the cars now you know but it was crazy congratulations great job Mike wanna finish you come to Talladega you expect the unexpected but would you expect the man who started in the back to go to Victory Lane after all that happened to Dale jr. today we'll be right back

Channel: NASCAR

Views: 287,142

Keywords: NASCAR, motorsports, racing, stock car, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, chase elliott, fantasy sports, fantasy fastlane, glass case of emotion, ryan blaney, crash, wreck, pileup, pit road, penalty, race track, super speedway, highlight

Id: 2GeBobKFhW4

Length: 218min 6sec (13086 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 27 2020