NASCAR: LIVE Race Updates & Analysis Oral-B 500 From Atlanta
Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight Beyond The Flag will provide you with LIVE race coverage, updates and analysis during the Oral-B 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is going to be the second to last race before the start of the chase which means only two more chances for drivers to secure their chase spots. This will also mark Tony Stewart’s return to racing after having missed the last three races in the wake of the Kevin Ward Jr. tragedy.
Coming into Atlanta Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson are all tied for the most amount of wins this season with three each. Tonight will be an opportunity for one of those drivers to separate themselves from the rest and take a step towards clinching the No. 1 seed for the chase. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards will be looking to win for the third time this season whilst several other drivers will be seeking their first wins of 2014.
Our LIVE coverage will begin shortly before the drop of the green flag. Be sure to keep refreshing this page throughout the race for continuous updates.
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Festivities are heating up at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The green flag is set to drop at 7:46 PM ET. Who is everyone picking to win tonight? Comment below and let us know!
7:35 – National Anthem is done and the command is next!
7:41 – Start your engines!
Note: Kasey Kahne is only 33 points out of the chase and does NOT need to win to make it. Of course winning would make life easier.
GREEN FLAG!!!
Lap 1 – Harvick leads early and Stewart is like a rocket up high!
Lap 4 – Keselowski did not get going at all! Gordon passes Kes and Stewart is up to seventh.
Lap 7 – Running Order: 4, 42, 24, 2, 20 and 14.
Lap 9 – Gordon up to second and trying to chase down Harvick who has put some distance on the field.
Lap 12 – Harvick leads by 1.551 seconds over Gordon. Stewart in 6th.
Lap 18 – Harvick still leads. 4, 24, 2, 14, 99, 42, 20, 43, 31 and 11.
Lap2 1 – Only 35 cars on the lead lap currently.
Harvick almost hit a cat that was crossing the track. I will say that one more time, Harvick almost HIT a CAT that was CROSSING the TRACK.
Lap 25 – Bowyer and Earnhardt Jr. battling for position.
Lap 28 – Harvick leads Gordon by 2.7 seconds. It’s 7.1 to Keselowski and over 9.0 back to Stewart in 4th. 34 cars are on the lead lap.
UPDATE ON THE CAT – It seems it was a cat but there is now a squirrel as well. Said squirrel is now running around the grass like a nut (pun intended) in Turn 3.
Lap 33 – Running Order: 4, 24, 2, 14 and 99.
Keselowski has confirmed that the squirrel in Turn 3 is not wearing a helmet and and the cats whereabouts is unknown.
Lap 37 – Johnson has picked up debris on the No. 48 machine
Lap 38 – CAUTION – DEBRIS
Lap 38 – 22 cars on the lead lap. Austin Dillon is in 22nd and Danica Patrick is the first car a lap down.
The NASCAR official almost ate pavement trying to run back to the truck after picking up the debris off of the track.
Lap 39 – 4, 24, 20, 11 and 99 off of pit road.
Lap4 1 – Biffle is a lap down which is not where someone clinging onto the last spot in the chase wants to be.
Lap 42 – Stewart and Keselowski lost spots on pit road due to congestion getting out of their stalls.
RESTART!!
Lap 44 – Nice restart by Gordon, Harvick leads.
Lap 48 – Running Order – 4, 24, 20, 11 and 2.
I’m not sure why the announcers deem Larson (-26 points) and Kahne (-33 points) are too far back to get in without a win. FYI, Biffle is 25th and a lap down.
Lap 53 – Larson and Kahne are running 13th and 14th while Biffle is in 25th. Both drivers looking to makeup ground in the chase.
Lap 57 – Hamlin is running 3rd and is +14 spots and Mike Bliss running 43rd is -15 spots.
Lap 59 – Gordon trails Harvick by 1.95 seconds.
Lap 61 – Running Order: 4, 24, 11, 2, 14, 20, 22, 99, 48 and 31.
Lap 64 – Biffle is now in the Lucky Dog spot but Patrick is about five seconds from going down a lap.
Lap 67 – Harvick has led every lap tonight and just crossed the 1,000 laps led mark for the season which is the first time that he has ever done that.
Lap 71 – Johnson is running in 10th place but is more than 17 seconds behind the leader.
Lap 75 – Harvick is dominating this race! 22 cars are on the lead lap with Harvick about to lap Austin Dillon.
Lap 78 – Running Order: 4. 24, 11, 2, 20, 22, 99, 14, 55 and 48.
CAUTION FOR GORDON, JEFF GORDON INTO THE WALL!
Lap8 1 – 11, 4, 20, 2 and 22 off of pit road. Gordon is a lap down and has serious damage to the right side of the No. 24 machine.
Lap 82 – Bowyer has gone to the garage with a broken shifter and Gordon is coming back down pit road to check his suspension. If Gordon goes two laps down it will be hard to come back from.
Lap 83 – Gordon is now two laps down and Bowyer is three laps down and counting. HUGE points hit for Bowyer tonight, could cost him the chase.
RESTART!!!
Lap 85 – With Bowyer in the garage and Biffle down a lap, tonight is a prime chance for Larson and Kahne to makeup some ground.
Lap 93 – Hamlin leads while Stewart falls back to 12th. Larson and Kahne are in the top-10.
Lap 96 – Running Order: 11, 4, 2, 20 and 22.
Lap 96 – Gordon restarted two laps down and in 39th place. He remains two laps down but has moved up to 34th place, looks like his car still has some speed in it.
Lap 103 – Hamlin leads Harvick by 1.322 seconds.
Lap 107 – Bowyer is back on the track and in 42nd place, Biffle is no longer in the luck dog position. Kahne and Larson are in the top-10.
LEAD CHANGE: HARVICK TO THE LEAD!
Lap 112 – Running Order: 4, 11, 2, 20 and 22.
Lap 116 – CAUTION for Ryan Truex spin!
Lap 118 – 11, 4, 20, 22 and 2 off of pit road.
Lap 119 – Larson and Earnhardt Jr. struggle on pit road.
Lap 123 – Bumping and banging on the restart. Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart get into each other and Ambrose blows up.
CAUTION
Lap 124 – This caution will allow for a lot of drivers to get a lap back.
Lap 125- Stewart and Kyle Busch on pit road for repairs even though pit road is still closed. Suspension is off a bit on the No. 14 machine.
Lap 127 – Running Order under caution BEFORE pit stops is 20, 11, 41, 4, 2, 48, 55, 22, 5 and 31. Biffle is 21st and Bowyer is 42nd.
Lap 128 – Biffle, Dillon and Stenhouse Jr. might all end up back on the lead lap. Gordon should get back one of his laps.
Lap 132 – Most of the field does not pit and as a result many drivers will not get a lap back.
Lap 132- Gordon pits since wave around is not being used since leaders did not pit. Gordon and others down a lap or two will have better tires than the leaders.
RESTART!!!
Lap 135 – Busch and Kenseth battle for the lead!
Lap 139 – Running Order: 41, 20, 4, 2, 11, 55, 1, 22, 31 and 99
Lap 142 – Larson and Kahne going in the wrong direction. Luckily for them Bowyer is still in 41st position.
Lap 146 – Patrick is in the top-15.
Lap 149 – Busch leads Kenseth by about a second.
Lap 151 – Stewart is the last car on the lead lap and about five seconds behind the next car in front of him for position.
Lap 154 – Gordon is in 24th and two laps down but he just passed the 12th place car on the track. He needs a few caution to fall his way but the race isn’t halfway yet so who knows.
LEAD CHANGE – Kenseth to the lead!
Lap 160 – Running Order: 20, 4, 41, 2 and 11.
Lap 164 – Almost halfway! 20 cars on the lead lap with Stewart going a lap down.
LEAD CHANGE: Harvick to the lead!
CAUTION! – Stewart has serious damage into the wall when a tire goes down.
Lap 173 – Stewart says “sorry guys you deserve better than this.” Stewart to the garage.
Lap 174 – Pit road is open and here come the leaders. 11, 2, 48, 22 and 31 off of pit road. Kenseth and Harvick already pitted as the caution was coming out. Caution flag might shuffle the running order a bit.
Lap 176 – Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch getting damages repaired on pit road.
Lap 177 – Stewart declines post-race interview.
RESTART!!!
Lap 181 – Outside lines still won’t go! Kenseth leads.
LEAD CHANGE – Harvick to the lead.
Lap 184 – Hamlin is falling like a rock, back to 7th place now.
Lap 187 – Biffle has rebounded up to 12th and is in a prime position to pad his chances of making the chase. Bowyer on the other hand is in trouble as Kahne and Larson are both in the top-15.
Lap 194 – Gordon is still two laps down but just drove by 5th place Jimmie Johnson. I don’t forsee him getting a lap back the hard way but he is trying too.
Lap 197 – Running Order: 4, 2, 20, 22 and 48.
Lap 200 – Patrick is running 10th.
Lap 204 – 19 cars on the lead lap with Earnhardt Jr. in 19th place.
Lap 208 – Kenseth and Newman are in a good position to clinch their chase spots tonight.
CAUTION – DEBRIS
Lap 210 – Kenseth wins the race off of pit road and Keselowski misses his pit box.
Lap 212 – It will be 20, 4, 22, 11 and 48 on the restart. Harvick will not be happy to be on the outside again.
RESTART!!
Lap 218 – Larson is up to 5th place.
Lap 225 – 100 laps to go with Matt Kenseth leading the race and looking for his first win of 2014.
LEAD CHANGE: Harvick back to the lead with 97 laps to go.
Lap 235 – Harvick is pulling away from the field with 90 laps to go.
Lap 239 – Running Order: 4, 20, 22, 48 and 11.
Lap 246 – Harvick leads Kenseth by more than six seconds.
Lap 248 – Green Flag stops should be coming in about five laps or so.
Lap 250 – Larson was 5th to start this run, he just dropped to 13th as this run comes to an end. Green Flag stops soon!
Lap 254 – Kurt Busch is in and green flag stops are underway. Teams saying debris is on the track.
Lap 259 – CAUTION – DEBRIS
Lap 261 – When the field goes back to green it would appear that nobody will be one lap down which means the next lapped cars are those two laps down; Dillon, Gordon, Stenhouse, Mears and Annett. They would need a quick caution for it to matter though.
RESTART!!
Lap 263 – Harvick to the lead!
Lap 267 – Correction, the 43 and 31 were pinned down a lap.
Lap 272 – Running Order: 4, 22, 11, 20 and 48. Most cars appear to be 10 laps short on fuel.
Lap 276 – Props to Paul Menard who is running 7th and has put himself back into contention to make the chase.
Lap 280 – With 45 laps to go the real strategy has yet to come as everyone still needs to pit for fuel. The question is when do you stop and how long do you wait ….
Lap 286 – Harvick continues to lead as final pit stops loom. Those who short pit will be taking a huge risk and a caution would doom them.
Lap 295 – Running Order with 30 to go: 4, 22, 11, 2, 20, 5, 48, 27, 16 and 18.
Lap 296 – Green flag stops have begun.
Lap 297 – CAUTION – Keselowski gets into Whitt because of Hamlin.
Lap 298 – Keselowski in the garage and out of his car, his night appears to be over. 27 laps to go.
Lap 300 – Kahne is going to restart third it looks like. This could be his chance to get his first win of 2014!
Lap 301 – Pit road mistake takes Logano from 1st place and will drop him to 7th place with about 22 laps to go.
RESTART – Kahne to the lead but can he hold off Harvick!!!!
Lap 307 – Running Order: 5, 4, 11, 48, 22, 20, 16, 41, 10 and 31.
Lap 311 – Kahne has about eight car lengths on Harvick.
Lap 315 – Kahne lead is about half a second with 10 laps to go!!
CAUTION – Wreck on lap 323!! Kyle Busch and Truex Jr.
Lap 325 – Kenseth and Menard will start on the front row. We still might see another caution tonight.
CAUTION – Harvick in the wall!
Jeff Gordon will get the lucky dog here.
Lap 331 – Patrick is in the top-five for this restart.
KASEY KAHNE WINS