Round 22 of Daytona 400

(OOC: Yes I know, uploading a race on Friday is weird for me, but I have a party to go to tomorrow and my home AC is out, so I'm running Round 22 today.)

The NMGAR takes on the Daytona International Speedway. The field of cars has been skimmed to 39 after various suspensions and injuries at Ohio, and Zach Shepperd is making his return to the series after his crash at Thornton in Round 8. Bubba Martin has made a one-off deal with TGD Racing after TGD driver Ashton Stryger got injured in a crash at Ohio, and there is a debut driver in the field, Ćićoria Šatska from the Eastern Panhandle of Croatia. Who will win at Daytona?

Forgot to mention this: Rob Mooney in the 43 after his Charlotte DDS win, standings for this DDS race are still unofficial from 11th on back due to point standing provisionals.

This race was shaping up to be a normal Daytona borefest- the everything broke loose with the lapped cars. SO Garrison was running in the 37th position, 2 laps down, with no hood on the #1. He got tagged by Roman Rehall after he came down into Rehall, causing the two to slide. Garrison is receiving a point penalty, while Rehall is getting off with a steward's inquiry.

Oh, no, we aren't done with the shenanigans yet. Tommy Roberts and Benoit Lothaire-Irvine would both run out of fuel in front of the field. Benoit would land up spun on the apron in Turn 3, but no caution was thrown. As the leaders rounded Turn 3, they all swiped the side of the #96, causing Austin LaPlante to become slow in fornt of a monster sized pack. The big one would be triggered by Kyle Basaglia catching the side of Raj Umpenkalen inside the pack, spinning him in front of Heather Stucole. Others collected included Travis Scott, Dumindu, Rob Mooney, and Jon Bunnell.

WestFall Motorsports was having a better than average run before the pit cycles began. Vince Freeze would get into Lafter Stucolé on pit road, causing Stucolé to become slow and off the pace. Anderson would become a part of SO Garrison's shenanigans as he would run into the 34 on pit road causing major damage to both vehicles and setting up the lap 116 caution. Where was the other WFM driver? Leading the race. He would be one of the later drivers to pit on each pit cycle, along with Carmichael, Mooney, and Roush, putting him in good position when the lap 116 caution came out. However, his rather stupid idea to stay out on a nearly dry gas tank would cost him multiple laps.

Out of all the madness Scott Roush grabbed his second win of the season and 9th of his career at Daytona. Just shows how well hanging out in the back may help someone in the longer run of things at these plate tracks. Jose Stic got a career best of second, followed by Jeff Bright and Christian Merrick Jr. None of these drivers were running inside the top 15 before the shenanigans started.

1. 9 Roush
2. 2 Stic
3. 22 J. Bright
4. 49 Merrick Jr.
5. 32 Nawasaki
6. 06 Ja. Lethinen
7. 62 LaPlante
8. 33 Bubba Martin
9. 10 Williams
10. 57 Kendall
17. 34 Anderson
28. 38 Roberts
40. 11 Freeze

Penalties, Suspensions
79- Lafter Stucole- Probation for 3 races.
Section 6: Lapped car antics.
1- SO Garrison- 1 race suspension, replacement Bubba Martin
Section 6: Wrecking someone not on your lap.
97- Roman Rehall- Warning
Section 3: Verbal altercation with Garrison.
96- Benoit Lothaire-Irvine- 3 race probation
Section 3: Being a detriment to the finish.
70- Charles Sandfer- Warning
Section 6: Wrecking someone not on your lap.
All suspensions are replaceable.

Statement from FullThrottle Racing- "We're very proud of our driver Bubba Martin for going out there in there top series and competing with the best. 8th and 12th the past two weeks just show he has the talent to compete week in and week out."

Statement from Money Motorsports- "Its too bad Mooney got caught up in that wreck but were glad he got the opportunity to race here at Daytona."

rmoons24 wrote:Statement from FullThrottle Racing- "We're very proud of our driver Bubba Martin for going out there in there top series and competing with the best. 8th and 12th the past two weeks just show he has the talent to compete week in and week out."

Statement from Money Motorsports- "Its too bad Mooney got caught up in that wreck but were glad he got the opportunity to race here at Daytona."

Agreed. Mooney was having such a great run too in the top 10 before the lap 123 caution (the Basaglia crash big one) Martin out of nowhere to claim TGD's first top 10 since Round 3.