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Dover 400: Let The Fireworks
Ensue
DaleReynolds24
I thought we only crossed the border into June.
I say that because with all the fireworks that resulted after
this Dover 400 race, I swear the tradition of setting off
fireworks on the 4th of July came early. That’s not exactly a
good thing.
Following in steps with the best crap you see today in WWE
wrestling, the happenings backstage (in this case, the garage
area and the forum) got more hits than Hulk Hogan has taken
steroids. And honestly, what a shame. The crap after the race
over-shadowed the great racing we had on the track.
 First
and foremost, big congratulations go out to DaleReynolds24 and
his #24 crew for winning their 4th race of the relatively young
2009 Sprint Cup season. What the biggest thing about his win
was, again, not the way he raced on the track to get the win,
but what happened off the racetrack that made the win “his
biggest win of his career so far”. And no, the storyline writers
from the WWE were NOT involved in this.
Dale was involved in a serious car crash in the early hours of
that race morning. The car he drove was declared totaled right
at the scene. Only having his license for 5 months, Dale feared
the worst. He wondered if he would ever be the same again when
it came to driving. He wondered if he had any major injuries and
most of all, wondered if he would end up somewhere he would not
want to be.
Dale, in a “typical DaleReynolds weekend” as said by fellow
Nuffer Abbottazz, Dale would rebound and in less than 24 hours
after the devastating accident, would wind up the winner of the
Dover 400. Dale really now extends his points lead to 217 points
over 2nd place TheGift, who got dealt with a shitty EA glitch
late in the race that took Gift out of contention. Dale still
currently remains the only driver in the Sprint Cup series to
have double-digit Top-5 finishes this season with 11 Top 5
finishes in just 13 races.
Abbottazz, the 2 time defending Sprint Cup champion, would take
2nd place, and earning just his 7th top-5 finish of the season.
AKFan comes home with an impressive 3rd place finish.
Impressing many in this Dover race, were drivers black Puff1n,
TURBOTODD and Kapalua, who all earned very nice Top-10 finishes!
Black Puff1n especially was esctatic after his 4th place finish,
especially when he just barely made Track A after a no-show by a
few Nuffers. Kelley stays consistent with another top-5 finish,
sliding across the line in 5th.
Billythekid, TurboTodd, DraftMaster, Walt Hamrick and Kapalua
round out the top 10 in the Dover 400.
TheGift, Abbottazz, DaleReynolds, DraftMaster, Chucke and Kelley
all had extremely fast cars in the first half, and the lead
swapping for the most of the first 200 laps took place between
these 6 drivers. After losing polesitter iJeremy due to yet
another EA server issue very early, which really was a shame
because Jeremy was extremely fast (as usual haha), the door was
opened up for anyone to get up there and strut their stuff!
Macklin ended up wrecking his car early too, ending his day,
which was a struggle from the start. Poor tire wear and trying
adjustments to compensate for the tire wear led him to wreck his
#18 Snickers car early.
But that’s when EA started wreaking havoc. A number of cars
ended up with lag damage around the 180 lap mark. Billythekid
once again had an invisibility cloak on again, as EA
disconnected him but he was still able to race. Dale actually
ended up spinning out his own car into the wall not once but
twice within 15 laps, causing him to call into his crew and say
“Guys, I ain’t ready for that s**t again” (referring to him
getting flashbacks from his car accident) and already suffering
from left side soreness, the two hits to the wall didn’t help
his condition. But it would all be naught because on lap 220,
room host Mwils lost connection to the crappy EA servers. The
race would be restarted.
The race got restarted with 180 laps to go and DaleReynolds
hosted the room. From the get-go there, the fireworks began.
Much like the first room, Chucke got out to an early lead, but
Dale on the long run hunted him down and eventually took the
lead at about lap 270. But when the first caution flew, the
fireworks began.
During the caution, TheGift who had struggled with his car in
the early portion of the 1st room, pitted early. He was in the
pit when the caution came out. This must have tapped into some
sort of hidden EA glitch (as if there isn’t enough) and he could
no longer have ANY control of his car. On the immediate restart,
Gift did not get going and he announced it. Dale and Puff1n took
damage on this first restart. Since Gift had no control of his
car, no in-game caution came out.
A manual caution was called and eventually a in-game caution
came out and hoped things got re-settled. However, it was more
of the same. TheGift still could not control his car and gave
smoem more people damage on the restart. But Again the caution
did not fly, and it was this 2nd time (or maybe it was the first
time, I don’t really remember) that the leaders came racing back
around at full speed. Chucke, who was racing hard to keep his
lead from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale, was not able
to avoid Gift’s car on the track and absolutely slammed into
Gift. Dale, having been able to see Gift on the track stopped
was able to avoid and so was most others.
Chucke, who once again had an amazing car to win his first
Sprint Cup race, would have to wait on that honor, since hitting
Gift so hard blew the radiator and actually pushed the whole
engine and transmission back 5 inches in the car, and ended his
day. Chucke, your day is coming buddy! I feel it bud!
Then, track officials Abbotttazz and Dale decided on a judgement
call to have Gift back out of the room if he could not get
control of his car after one more restart. It was on this 3rd
restart that DraftMaster was involved with Gift. But it was here
the fireworks began. With Chucke mad that he was once again so
close to a race win and Draft who had a very fast car and he
took seemingly unfair damage, Draft asked for a room restart.
Dale and Abbottazz did not budge the idea of restarting. Based
on facts, Dale and Abbott decided to keep the race going. Gift
did adhere to the ADMINS orders and backed out. Draft,
frustrated that he was wronged of his damage (rightfully so)
tried to get in contact with Main Nuff ADMIN, Mwils to restart
the room. At first the call was to restart, then the call was to
keep going, which was what Dale and Abbott did.
Draft then frustrated about not restarting, spun out by himself
6 times in the last 60 or so laps, hindering any kind of green
flag racing. Dale played a bit of strategy by pitting from the
lead with 20 laps to go to get fresh tires for a dash to the
finish. Abbottazz and a few others stayed out for track
position. However, the strategy worked out just right for Dale,
as with about 20 lap fresher tires than most of the pack,
cruised right around the pack and pulled away from Abbottazz to
a full second by the final lap of the race.
Kelley was one of the drivers bit by the confusion to weither or
not restart the room. He stayed out when he thought the room was
to be restarted but was a sitting duck when the room was decided
to not restart, being out on old tires. We apologize for the
confusion Kelley!
Controversy ensued on the forums after the race. You name it,
and it was probably said in the forum after the race! Whoo boy.
It seems like every conspiracy theory that was possible was
tossed around in the forum about the race. Everything from
“crooked ADMINS” to “just plain can’t win without cheating” to
“you all suck” and even racial remarks were thrown all in the
mix there.
The forum really blew up and the two ADMINS Dale and Abbottazz,
since finishing 1st and 2nd, took a LOT of heat, claiming they
didn’t restart because they were un-affected by Gift’s glitch.
Dale and Abbott said they had to make a judgement call and Dale
re-iterated the rule that he does not like restarting. “It was
11:30pm here and I was not about to restart the f**king race
again.” Dale no longer felt like the race winner. Dale felt like
the most accused person of the NRL now and he felt like the
newest Dead-Man Walking. After conversations with Nuff Head
ADMIN Mwils, Dale and Abbotttazz no longer regret anything about
the race, and Mwils re-iterated their positions as ADMINS are
not in jeopardy.
Through all the explosions, debris and smoke in the forum, Nuff
has seen the departure of two of our best racers. iJeremy and
DraftMaster head onto different directions. Even though things
blew up between all of us, I personally wish to keep in touch
with you guys and I personally wish you guys luck, wherever you
guys head off to. It is a shame things ended the way they did. I
am great friends with both of you and I hate seeing you guys
leave us.
So with all this happening, we now move to Pocono Raceway in
Long Pond, Pennsylvania! DaleReynolds and TheGift are hometown
racers as they go head-to-head to beat the other to win the
title of “true hometown hero!” The last time we were there,
UltimateASSIN ended up winning the Pennsylvania 500 in his very
first Sprint Cup race with Nuff, becoming only the 2nd driver
alongside Dale to win his first race in his very first career
start! Only 5 racers were left at the end of this grueling 500
mile race! Dale would end up so close, finishing 2nd. Bustersnm
and Mwils finished 3rd and 4th and Abbotttazz rounded out the
top 5.
Who will be able to handle the tough Pocono track this time
around? Can Dale earn what he calls what would be “the biggest
win of his career, winning at home”. Can Gift, last year’s
Pocono 500 winner after a last lap altercation with Chucke, go
back to back in the Pocono 500? How about Mwils, who loves
Pocono and won the 2007 Pocono 500? Purity, Chucke, Abbottazz
and even DueceyDueceyDu, who ran well until an accident going
into Turn One last year, all look to earn a win at Pocono!
8pm ET, June 6th, 2009! BE THERE!
By DaleReynolds24
02 June 2009
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