DataGrange Motorsport

Kevin Harvick (29, far right) Breaks His Winless Streak With a Dramatic Pass of Jamie McMurray in the Final Metres at Talladega.

In a spring race noted for nearly 90 lead changes and breathtaking two-car draft breakaways, Kevin Harvick (29) proves that the beloved superspeedsway slingshot move still works at Talladega.

With nine laps remaining, the race shapes up as a potential dash between two Earnhardt-Ganassi teammates, Jamie McMurray (1) and Juan Pablo Montoya (42), yet a dustup between Jimmie Johnson (48) and teammate Jeff Gordon (24) down on the apron with four laps to go stacks up the midfield and prompts a wreck that collects instigator Mike Bliss (09), immediate victim Jeff Burton (31), Gordon, and Scott Speed (82). Gordon angrily afterwards blames Johnson for the melee as the competitive tension between the two Hendrick stars mounts.

The field sets up for a Green-White-Checker finish, yet as McMurray dashes to the white flag, another tussle triggered by Joey Logano’s (20) tipping of Ryan Newman (39) in the tri-oval leads to a massive shunt that collects Brad Keselowski (12), Elliot Sadler (19), Montoya, Bobby Labonte (71), Brian Vickers (83), Kasey Kahne (9), and Sam Hornish, Jr. (77).

During Green-White-Checker #2, a midpack scuffle caused when Johnson chops across the bow of Greg Biffle (16) on the backstretch leads to another caution when contact sends Johnson careening across the infield apron and hard into the barrier.

During the final permitted Green-White-Checker under NASCAR rules, McMurray and Kevin Harvick (29) swiftly hookup and form a two car draft breakway that easily clears the field. Left to settle matters, Harvick rides McMurray’s bumper through the white flag circuit. McMurray’s blocking skills seemingly win the day, yet on the Turn 4 exit into the tri-oval, Harvick gently kisses McMurray’s bumper to get him loose. McMurray wobbles and Harvick (29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) slingshots past the race leader to nose out a victory with only a few metres remaining to checkers. Harvick’s dramatic win breaks his 115 race winless streak, an unfathomable statistic given the quality of his cars and his driving skill.

The belated Nationwide race nightcap features a dramatic last lap race shunt that puts veteran racer Dennis Setzer into the catchfence:

Dennis Setzer Takes Flight on the Final Lap at NNS Talladega.

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Race 1: Italian physician Giuseppe Farina (2, Alfa Romeo) leads wire to wire in his red Alfa to win the first modern day F1 Grand Prix of Europe before 200,000 spectators at Silverstone, England. Farina averages 90.95 mph over 2h 13m 23s in an event preceded over by the British Royals, King George, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Margaret. Farina 1, Alfa Romeo 1.

Race 2: Juan Manuel Fangio (34, Alfa Romeo) runs wire to wire to win on the streets of Monaco. Fangio 1, Alfa Romeo 2.

1950 Indianapolis 500 Start

Race 3: Johnnie Parsons of Van Nuys, California (1, Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser-Wynns) wins the rain shortened Indianapolis 500 with an overpowering performance before 150,000. Parsons joins the lead pack at Lap 10 and remains at the point for the remaining race despite suffering a cracked engine block during midrace. Rain halts the race at the 345 mile mark as Parsons paces around for an average of 124.002 mph, a new event record. Parsons 1, Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 1.

Race 4: Farina (16, Alfa Romeo), taking advantage of pole sitter and teammate Fangio’s engine failure with only ten laps remaining, dashes to victory at the Bern Grand Prix in Switzerland. Farina 2, Alfa Romeo 3.

Race 5: Fangio (10, Alfa Romeo), starting from P2, outpaces teammates Farina and Luigi Fagioli to win the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Fangio 2. Alfa Romeo 4.

Race 6: Fangio (6, Alfa Romeo) runs wire to wire and challenges teammate Farina for the championship title with a commanding victory in the French Grand Prix at Rheims. Fangio 3, Alfa Romeo 5.

Race 7: Farina of Italy (10, Alfa Romeo) gains the edge when Fangio’s gearbox fails on Lap 23, allowing the former to breeze away for an easy victory at Monza, Italy. Farina’s win earns him the maiden Formula 1 Grand Prix Drivers’ Championship by a narrow three point margin over the Argentinian Fangio. Farina 3, Alfa Romeo 6.

Aggressive Driving Ruins Jeff Gordon's Superb Day (turned car at front of pack) at Texas.

On a cool day utterly dominated by Jeff Gordon (24) at Texas, misfortune and hijinx brought a sudden end to the DuPont team’s challenge for overall honors.

J. Gordon dominates the race from the point from the 79 laps to go mark, yet a late race caution with 20 laps to go sends the leaders scurrying for the pits.  A host of cars opt for two tires and escape from their service before Gordon, thus leaving the 24, Jimmie Johnson (48), Tony Stewart (14), and Carl Edwards (99) scrambling in the midpack and desperate for running room. Only Johnson takes on four tires during the final stop.

Jeff Burton (31), Kyle Busch (18), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88), and Denny Hamlin (11) lead the two-tire crowd away at the start, yet with only 17 laps to go, hard dicing between J. Gordon and Tony Stewart on the front tri-oval, both fighting their way back to the front, breaks the latter loose. As Stewart struggles for control, Edwards tips the 14 in the right rear quarter panel and into Gordon, who then in turns spins left and collects cars in a metal crunching mess that includes Stewart, Edwards, Jamie McMurray (1), Joey Logano (20), A.J. Allmindinger (43), Paul Menard (98), Clint Bowyer (33), and Juan Pablo Montoya (42). A red flag condition ensues.

The race restarts with 12 laps to go and the battle swiftly falls to Hamlin and Ky. Busch to settle matters. Hamlin’s superior handling car puts away Busch, yet Johnson (four tires) suddenly catches fire and runs down the field. Johnson manages to reach Hamlin’s bumper by the time the white flag flies, yet Hamlin (11 Joe Gibbs Toyota) enjoys just enough margin to hold off the defending champion and prevail at Fort Worth just days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery.

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The Aston Martin 007 of Adrian Fernandez Soon Succumbs to the Pressure Applied by the Hard Charging Simon Pagenaud (background).

The ALMS shows up at Long Beach and the early race headlines feature a speed battle between the 007 Aston Martin Honda ARX LMP (Adrian Fernandez-Harold Primat) and the 37 Lola B06 entry of John and Chris Field. Primat wins the start, yet John Field overpowers the Aston Martin on a subsequent restart and easily clears the field. An aggressive inside dive by David Brabham (1) with an hour remaining damages the 007 Aston and earns Patron Highcroft a stop and go penalty, thus giving an even greater advantage to the Fields, yet a horrific pit service by the latter with 41 minutes to go allows most of the LMP to advance ahead for position. The 37 Field car later succumbs to a serious fuel leak.

Simon Pagenaud in the 1 Patron LMP, fully recovered from the Brabham penalty, returns to the point, yet gearbox troubles incurred in its early shunt allow the 007 Aston (Fernandez) with only 6:34 to go. Fernandez appears to have matters all in hand, given its superior flat out speed, yet Pagenaud’s skills and the greater downforce on the 1 car allows the latter to hang tight and close through the turning sections. On the final lap of the race, Pagenaud applies the pressure and Fernandez unexpectedly breaks when his 007 breaks loose on the Turn 5 exit with a big wobble. Pagenaud (1 Patron Highcroft Honda Performance Division ARX-01c) slips past the Aston and sprints away for a dramatic last lap victory, a savory treat as a reward for its troubling afternoon at Long Beach.

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Jenson Button's Shoe Selection Earns Him a Grand Victory in the Rain at Shanghai.

In a characteristically rain soaked race at Shanghai, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso (8) starts off an action packed afternoon by jumping the start and earning a stop and go penalty from the stewards. An early Lap 1 shunt brings out the safety car and as the rain intensifies, race leaders Alonso (ere penalty), Mark Webber (6), and Sebastian Vettel (5) pit for intermediates as Nico Rosberg (4), Jenson Button (1), and Robert Kubica (11) elect to remain on track with slicks. The canny strategy comes off brilliant as the first three pull away from the field on the semi-damp surface, and the smooth sailing Button passes Rosberg for the lead on Lap 21. Lewis Hamilton (2), chafing from an early decision to put intermediate rubber, puts on the performance of the afternoon by soaring past the entire field up to P3 despite four stops and brilliant on track passes of both Vettel and childhood hero Michael Schumacher (3). Hamilton passes Kubica in the pits with 17 laps remaining in order to claim P2, yet strangely has nothing left for teammate Button (1 McLaren Mercedes, team orders?), who skims away for another wet weather victory ultimately decided by clever tire strategy.

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Ryan Newman (39, right) Comes From Nowhere To Jump Jeff Gordon (24) on the Final Restart and Win at Phoenix.

Kyle Busch (18) dominates the late race at Avondale from 100 laps out from the finish, yet hard luck strikes the youngster once again when a dropped right tire by Scott Riggs (90) brings out a caution condition with only eight laps remaining. Remembering Denny Hamlin’s great late race rally on fresh tires at Bristol two weeks prior, Ky. Busch leads the entire field down onto pit road for rubber, yet Busch’s night ends when his competitors choose only two tires while he takes on four new shoes.

Jeff Gordon (24) wins the race off the pit lane and stands as the heavy favorite with only three laps remaining, yet in a stunning turnaround, spins the tires on his restart. Ryan Newman (39), who also made a great stop for service and restarts on the front row, jumps Gordon on the mistake before Turn 1. Without leading a prior lap or contending in any true fashion, Newman (39 Stewart Haas Chevrolet) dashes away and steals the victory in the Arizona night.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.