Hello Angels,

Another week passes and NASCAR will have to answer for another controversy.

Last week it was the oil on the track and amount of caution laps. For this week’s Pocono 500, it was the wrong flag at the start of pit road.  The incident in question happened after the caution came out after (I believe) Ricky Craven blew an engine. Jimmie Johnson was in the lead and had already passed pit road when the caution flew.  He was so far ahead of the rest of the pack that the pace car didn’t catch up with him. The rule is that the lead cars must pass by pit road behind the pace-car at least once before pit road is open. Johnson hadn’t passed by pit road under yellow, and the flag man waved the green flag signifying that pit road was open. Johnson did what he was supposed to by catching up to the pace car and bypassed the pits. Because everyone else saw the green flag, they entered pit road. 

NASCAR realized their mistake and allowed those cars on the lead lap that didn’t pit to have a free pit without lapped cars on pit road with them…but the damage was already done, and because of the flag-man’s mistake, cost Johnson the lead at the start of the caution to 23rd, last car on the lead lap. 

This also worked in Johnson’s favor. Because he was the last car on the lead lap, Johnson was able to come in and top off his car with gasoline before the start of racing. In the subsequent cautions that flew in the final 50 laps, Johnson capitalized on track positions as cars had to come in for fuel.  He also had the strongest car out there.

He recovered enough to take the lead with 26 laps remaining and stayed there through a very interesting caution on lap 197 to end the race.  During this caution for a blown engine by Dale Jarrett and another one by Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick both lost their cool after racing each other pretty hard in the previous few laps. Harvick passed Kenseth, but cut in too close and Kenseth didn’t like it and booted Harvick out of the way on the straight-away. Well, during the caution, Harvick retaliated and spun Kenseth.  Kenseth didn’t take too kindly.  Keep in mind that these two cars are running 10th and 11th, with under three laps left. Kenseth catches Harvick and sends him spinning as well. For an unknown reason though, Kenseth pits and goes from 11th to 21st.  The race was ended under caution shortly thereafter. Harvick was scored as finishing 10th, but NASCAR later penalized Harvick and placed him in 20th.

Congratulations to Johnson on his third win of the season and second win in three weeks.

All in all though, not a bad race to watch, I just wish that it didn’t have to end under caution because there was a great battle waging between Johnson and second-place finisher Jeremy Mayfield. Oh, what could’ve been???  J

This week will definitely change where we all stack up in the Charlie’s Angels’ Fantasy Racing League because our teams either did really well, or they didn’t.

For you Bosley, your team didn’t do well at all. The two drivers working good for you this week were Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler. Kahne had the pole, but could only muster a 14th place finish, while Sadler did a little better with his 12th place finish. Ryan Newman had a decent car, but made contact with Robbie Gordon and crashed. He finished 30th. Rusty Wallace lost his brakes and crashed himself, along with Michael Waltrip, into the wall. Wallace finished 32nd. Scott Wimmer got caught behind Bobby Labonte when Labonte’s oil line broke. Wimmer paid the price by crashing and finishing 35th overall.  Your average finish is this week’s GOLDEN CABOOSE Award winning average of 24.6.

For you Sabrina, having Johnson, and his win, on your team helped keep you from the Golden Caboose award this week. Kevin Lepage, unfortunately for you, was the last place finisher today. Dave Blaney had early troubles with shocks and struts, but battled back to finish 29th, while Tony Stewart changed a transmission and finished 27th. Dale Earnhardt Jr., rounds out your team with his sixth place finish. Your average finish today is a disappointing 21.2.

Julie, Wimmer got caught up in the aforementioned oil and finished 35th. Dale Jarrett was in the top-10 until he lost an engine with five laps remaining. He finished 26th. I’ve already mentioned Kenseth’s finish.  Casey Mears rebounds from last week’s disappointment to finish 11th this week. Your top finisher is Labonte with his third place finish. Your average finish is 19 even.

Mr. X, Brendan Gaughn blew an engine early in the race and finished 39th. You paid the price for Kenseth’s self-created problems, while both pole- and outside-pole sitters Kahne and Brian Vickers finished 14th and 13th respectively. Your top driver today is Earnhardt and his sixth place finish. Your average finish is just a little better than Julie with 18.6.

Natalie, like Julie, your driver Sterlin Marlin got caught up in Labonte’s oil. He finished 31st. Blaney had handling problems and finished 29th. Kahne finished 14th, Sadler finished 12th and your top driver is race winner, Johnson. Your average finish is 17.4.

Kelly, Blaney’s and Stewart’s cars were your problems today, because Vickers finished 12th, Earnhardt finished sixth, and Labonte finished third. Your average finish is just a little bit better than Thin Man’s at 15.6.

Thin Man, you and UnNamed One tied this week.

I’ll start with you Thin Man. Like Kelly before you, Blaney and Stewart’s cars were also your problem drivers this week. Sadler, along with Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon teamed up to be your best drivers this week.  They finished 12th, fifth and fourth respectively.

UnNamed One, Jarrett and Kenseth were your worst two drivers with their 26th and 21st place finishes. Sadler and Greg Biffle finished 12th and 11th, while your top driver today is Busch and his fifth-place finish.

Your tying average finishes Thin Man and UnNamed One is 15 even.

Tiffany, Marlin, and Harvick’s antics, were your only pit-falls today with their 31st and 20th place finishes respectfully. Mears finished 10th, while Earnhardt finished sixth. Your top driver today was Mayfield and his second-place finish. Your average finish is 13.8.

For me, Wimmer’s crash and 35th place finish really hurt because my remaining drivers finished 14th or better. Rookie Kahne is the first rookie to win the pole-starting position for the Pocono 500, and finished 14th overall. Mears finished 10th, while Gordon finished fourth and Johnson won his second race in three weeks. My average finish is 13 even.

Kris and Dylan, you both tie for the second finishing position today.

Kris, I’ll start with you. Joe Nemachek had transmission problems, but still managed to finish 18th today, while Kahne and Sadler finished 14th and 12th respectively. Your top two drivers are Earnhardt and Busch with their sixth and fifth place finishes each. Your average finish is 11 even.

Dylan, your drivers’ average finish today gives you your best finish so far this year. Ken Schrader finished in the middle of the pack in 25th place, while Nemachek finished 18th. Earnhardt finished sixth, and Busch finished fifth, but your best driver today is Jeremy Mayfield with his second-place finish.

Your tying average finish Kris and Dylan is an 11 even.

Well, Jill, that leaves you to claim our TOP ANGEL AWARD for the first time this segment. Jeff Green was your worst driver with a 15th-place finish. Kahne finished 14th, while Biffle finished 11th. Earnhardt finished sixth and overcame his ill-handling car, but your top-driver this week is race winner, Johnson and his third win of the season. Congratulations on your TOP ANGEL AWARD average finish of 9.4.

Our teams’ combined average finish is 16.1.

Next week’s race is the Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Good luck Angels,