Rusty? Nah, Kosh wins again at Talladega

TALLADEGA, AL -- After a nearly three month layover, the drivers of the NASCAR Beano Cup Series took to the high banks of the Talladega Superspeedway to complete the race weekend that was started some time ago. Economic turmoil resulted in the sport being shut down for several weeks culminating in the prosecution of BSC CFO Mike Henry Jr on charges of running an animal pornography ring. Since that time the sport has bound together and today’s race was a clear statement that NASCAR racing will not so easily be rid of.

Scott Huhn Sr, whom won the pole in September, would lead the field to the green with Scott Kenny beside him making an all Impala front row. Huhn Sr would not get a chance to lead the first lap as John Pengelley would charge up from sixth to take the opening lap. Sebastian Scholl would make an early pit stop for a flat right rear tire on Lap 3. The lead would change each of the first six laps until the first caution of the day came out.

Timmy Johnston would take the field 4 wide coming off of turn four, eventually pinching himself between Matthew Well’s Charger and Nick Silver’s Fusion. The ensuing melee would collect numerous cars, ultimately retiring nine drivers before the race hit the 25 mile mark. Drew Glover would lead the field to the green on Lap 10 for, what would be, another short green flag run.

The most serious incident of the day occurred on Lap 15 involving our pole sitter, Scott Huhn Sr. Brice Draheim would dip below the #33 Sony Impala to take it five wide for position as they moved through the tri-oval. The two would make contact and their cars veered towards the inside of the track. Both drivers would slam the wall head-on at nearly 190 miles per hour. The ensuing collision sent both cars airborne and flying back up into the racing groove. Draheim would then collect Well’s #85 Air Force Charger sending it screeching up to the wall. Huhn’s car hit the wall at the same time, in the same place as Well’s Dodge sending both cars airborne. Both Draheim and Wells were able to climb out of their vehicals under their own power, but Huhn would have to be extradited from his car by safety workers. He was then rushed via helicopter to a nearby hospital to be evaluated by local doctors. As of the time of this story, no word has been released on Huhn’s condition.

Lap 21 would have the field take the green for what would be the first long run of the day. After just 20 laps only twenty-six cars were on the lead lap, with points leader Bryan Kosh out front. The lead continued to be swapped lap after lap through a wide range of drivers. The first green flag stops of the day would occur on Lap 34 with front runner Rich Foreman leading a small group of cars onto pit road. After these stops were completed there was an eight car breakaway for the lead.

More green flag stops arrived on Lap 48 with former race leader John Pengelley hitting pit road. Lap 68 would see the third caution, and final, of the day come out due to Shawn Pierce bouncing off the tri-oval retraing wall, shifting down into Ron Gephart. Gephart would then make contact with Michael Strohl sending his Raybesto’s Impala around. Both Strohl and Pierce would slam the outside wall before drifting back down the track. With a semi blocked track, Max Giguere was left with no option but to plow through Strohl’s front end, sending both cars into a wild spin. Daytona winner Anthony Crane, jealous of the party, decided to join in on hitting the #38 Chevy, sending the car on another wild spin cycle. All cars involved would be forced to retire due to the damage they received.

Pengelley would win the race off pit road and would restart the field on Lap 73. The lead would continue to switch hands until green flag pit stops on Lap 87 scrambled the field. At the midway point of the race, there were 7 cars in the lead pack  nd just 16 total on the lead lap. After yet another round of stops, the main group would be down to five consisting of Gephart, Kosh, Ritch Garcia, Pengelley and Norm Pelletier. The lead would continue to swap hands between the drivers, contributing a large portion of the 73 total lead changes during the race.

As the race wore on, two cars appeared to be the class of the field, that being the Ford of Pengelley and the Dodge of Kosh. For nearly sixty laps these two cars were found virtually nose to tail swapping the lead between each other numerous times. Subsequent pit stops would leave just Kosh, Pengelley and Gephart in the lead pack opening up a several second advantage over fourth place Pelletier.  For much of the later stages Gephart and Pengelley were left trying to move past the stout Kosh, but to no avail. With just twenty laps to go Gephart’s engine would let go ending his stellar day. This, in addition to a very poor pit stop, left Pengelley with no drafting partner and effectively ended his chances of victory.

Leading the final 43 laps, Bryan Kosh would take his third victory of the season. Drew Glover would come home second, with Pengelley dropping to third. Garcia was fourth, Pelletier fifth and Corey Bradley rounded out the lead lap cars in sixth.

Kosh’s point lead would increase as second place Derrike Fox would lose an engine mid race and wind up 23rd. After such a long break it was a question if the momentum of the SoBe team could be maintained, but obviously skeptics were wrong. The series will next move to the short track of Richmond International Raceway as the field will attempt to overcome the dominating machine that has been FU Motorsports this year.