TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

track reporting by Speed


SPEED WINS HIS FIRST RACE OF THE 2001 SEASON AT TEXAS

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (4/22/2001)- Coyote starts the race from the pole and leads most of laps 62 of a 133 laps early in the race. With Speed, Bob and Stenzo running in 2nd, 3rd and 4th for the first 13th laps. When Stenzo brushes the wall coming out of turn one and gets into the #22 car. Stenzo and the 22 car save it but Stenzo does some damage to the front of his car. This would cause him to lose ground to the leaders and fall back in the pack. On lap 50 Stenzo hits the outside wall at the start finish line and bounce into the #40 car which hits the #36 car and the #26 car is also involved. On this yellow on lap 51 everyone pits for new tire and fuel.

Then on lap 61 Stenzo hits the pit row wall head on!(as seen above) As he was coming out of turn 4. Nascar thinks that the damage done to the car earlier in the race may have caused an exhaust leak. This may have caused Stenzo to pass out coming out of turn 4. This was a long yellow as Stenzo was evaced to Fort Worth Memorial Hospital for more tests.

On lap 63 Coyote and Bob pit for tires and come back out in 14th and 15th. As Speed elected to stay out hoping to lead a lap when they go green. But on lap 66 Speed gets pinched down by the #24 car and hits the #5 car. This brings out yellow flag #3 of the race. Speed was lucky in saving his car and holding on to 5th position with Coyote and Bob now in 3rd and 4th place.

On the re-start Speed is able to go to the front after Coyote had to check up in turn one. On lap 73 with Coyote running in 4th the #9 car a lap down comes down into Coyote. This spin causes Coyote to fall back to 19th with no damage he starts working his way back up. Then on lap 79 Bob takes the lead from Speed who has been running on older tires. On lap 87 Coyote gets pinched off by the #20 car in the same turn again. This time he would bring out a yellow and damages the front of his car. On lap 89 Bob and Speed come in to the pits to get new tires and come back out with Speed in 9th and Bob in 10th. On lap 99 Speed takes the lead from the #88 car with Bob in 3rd and coming on strong.

On lap 104 Bob hits the #1 car coming out of turn one and nails the inside wall. With the track covered in smoke Coyote, 2 laps down now tries to get a lap back and stays in the gas and go's low but Bob's car is in the way, as Bob gets hit again. On the re-start the #1 car comes down on the leader causing Speed to spin but he saves it and holds on to 1st. The #1 car hits the #22 car and the #33 car as Bob go's low to miss the wreck and moves from 18th place to 6th. While Coyote gets back one of his laps.

On lap 114 the #9 car gets loose by himself and hits the outside wall in turn 4 for yellow #7 The last yellow is caused by Bob hitting the #5 car at the finish line on the last lap. Bob worked his way up to 2nd place. Coyote finished in 23rd but on the lead lap. Stenzo with his 2nd DNF of the 2001 season.