IndyCar St Pete, NASCAR Martinsville
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IndyCar - St Petersburg: There's a 3.7s gap between Power and second-placed Ryan Hunter-Reay. But Power is taking 0.4s per lap out of the Andretti driver, so expect that to get interesting soon.
Meanwhile, Montoya is among a gaggle of early stoppers. The Colombian's first IndyCar pitstop in aeons goes off without a hitch.
Meanwhile, Montoya is among a gaggle of early stoppers. The Colombian's first IndyCar pitstop in aeons goes off without a hitch.
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Bowyer shot around the outside of Johnson at the restart, but Johnson shuffles him aside again to retake the lead.
Now Earnhardt flies round the outside of Bowyer for second.
Now Earnhardt flies round the outside of Bowyer for second.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Fading ex-frontrunner update: Allmendinger 13th, Kyle Busch 14th, Hamlin 17th, Gordon 19th, Kenseth 25th.
NASCAR - Martinsville: That 10th yellow prompted a pit rush, but Johnson and Bowyer stayed ahead.
Carl Edwards is up to third after a great stop, then Earnhardt, Vickers, Biffle, Kurt Busch, Ambrose, Aric Almirola and Logano.
Carl Edwards is up to third after a great stop, then Earnhardt, Vickers, Biffle, Kurt Busch, Ambrose, Aric Almirola and Logano.
IndyCar - St Petersburg: Will Power scoots past Kanaan to move into third. Right now the leaders are trying to make their tyres last as long as possible, but few have Power's knack for going fast and saving rubber at the same time.
Crash
NASCAR - Martinsville: Joe Nemechek is the man in the wall this time.
That came just as the race up front began to settle right down, with Johnson a second clear of Bowyer, and Kurt Busch chasing him.
That came just as the race up front began to settle right down, with Johnson a second clear of Bowyer, and Kurt Busch chasing him.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Another caution for another midfield crash.
IndyCar - St Petersburg: James Hinchcliffe took his first career win here 12 months ago, but right now the Canadian is stuck back in 22nd with a lot of work to do.
Not much is happening up at the front, with Hunter-Reay unable to close the 1.0s gap to Sato, and Kanaan needing to overcome a similar margin to reclaim second. Will Power and Scott Dixon complete the top five.
Not much is happening up at the front, with Hunter-Reay unable to close the 1.0s gap to Sato, and Kanaan needing to overcome a similar margin to reclaim second. Will Power and Scott Dixon complete the top five.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Has Johnson decided to stop playing with everyone and clear off? He's now 1.7s ahead of Bowyer as we pass lap 300 of 500.
IndyCar - St Petersburg: Good start by Takuma Sato; less so by Tony Kanaan, who gets jumped by Ryan Hunter-Reay.
NASCAR - Martinsville: That didn't last long. Johnson repasses Bowyer and is back in first.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Bowyer had been getting ever closer to Johnson and he takes the lead on lap 284. They're two seconds clear of everyone else now.
Green flag
IndyCar - St Petersburg: And we're away.
NASCAR - Martinsville: We haven't seen much from Clint Bowyer up front today, but he's into second now and is the only man able to live with Johnson at this moment.
IndyCar - St Petersburg: Polesitter Takuma Sato will start on the softer red tyres; alongside him, Tony Kanaan will be on the blacks. Juan Pablo Montoya and all four rookies are also starting on reds, which will be interesting given that most of that lot - Montoya included - have not had a chance to try the softer rubber prior to today.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Told you Johnson looked good, he passes Earnhardt for the lead on lap 265 of 500.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Rookie Larson is impressing again, he's into fifth.
Johnson overtakes Kenseth for second.
Know this gets said 500 times a year, but Johnson is looking good. No one is able to control this race, but the six-time champion is the most consistent.
Johnson overtakes Kenseth for second.
Know this gets said 500 times a year, but Johnson is looking good. No one is able to control this race, but the six-time champion is the most consistent.
IndyCar - St Petersburg: Command given to start engines.
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Back to green and Earnhardt fights his way to the front.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Order on lap 254 under yellow:
1 Kenseth
2 Stewart
3 Johnson
4 Earnhardt
5 Vickers
6 Bowyer
7 Hamlin
8 Larson
9 Edwards
10 Truex
Pit strategy really mixing things up here now. Erstwhile lead contenders Ambrose, Gordon and Logano are back in 12th, 19th and 20th.
1 Kenseth
2 Stewart
3 Johnson
4 Earnhardt
5 Vickers
6 Bowyer
7 Hamlin
8 Larson
9 Edwards
10 Truex
Pit strategy really mixing things up here now. Erstwhile lead contenders Ambrose, Gordon and Logano are back in 12th, 19th and 20th.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Most of the field pits, but Kenseth doesn't. He's back in the lead.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: We've reached half-distance on lap 250 and the caution's make out due to a shunt for Ryan Truex.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Now it's Johnson up front yet again, as he sweeps past those on older tyres and retakes the top spot.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Allmendinger is now tumbling down the order, but Kurt Busch is on the up - he passes Earnhardt for the lead.
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Earnhardt holds the lead at the restart, as Kurt Busch gets Allmendinger for second.
IndyCar - St Petersburg: The ABC broadcast network has managed to find a vantage point for their pre-race commentary team that makes St Pete look sort of like Monaco.
Fact: St Petersburg does not look like Monaco.
Fact: St Petersburg does not look like Monaco.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Another yellow, just for debris this time.
Quote
Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti
IndyCar - St Petersburg: Dario Franchitti is on the grid in street clothes, and admits that it feels a bit strange not to be preparing to race:
"Mixed emotions. Sitting here thinking about all the things we need to do in the race - I'm going to be on the #10 [Kanaan] timing stand. But looking up and seeing everyone going onto the grid ... it feels a bit different. It's something I'll have to get used to, I guess."
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Earnhardt holds the lead at the restart, Allmendinger resists Kurt Busch for second.
NASCAR - Martinsville: And we're not even at halfway yet, it's lap 223 out of 500...
NASCAR - Martinsville: Leaders pit but Earnhardt stays out and leads. Allmendinger follows his example, as does Kurt Busch.
Logano, Ambrose and Johnson lead the race off pitlane.
Stewart, who had fallen back into the midfield after a perky opening stint, gets a pitlane speeding penalty.
Logano, Ambrose and Johnson lead the race off pitlane.
Stewart, who had fallen back into the midfield after a perky opening stint, gets a pitlane speeding penalty.
Crash
NASCAR - Martinsville: Replay suggests Gilliland tapped Bowman into that spin. That's three out of seven cautons that Gilliland has played a part in triggering.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: We have a seventh caution as rookie Alex Bowman's BK Toyota is in the Turn 4 wall.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Johnson is now back in the lead, and Kenseth is on the slide.
Quote
NASCAR - Martinsville: Here's McMurray's view on that shunt with Earnhardt:
"There was a lapped car in front of us, it was kind of jumbling up the pack and I thought Dale would be a little more patient with me.
"It's so slick, after 15-20 laps the tyres are so on the edge. He got into me, and you hope when that happens they'll get off you, but he didn't and I went around."
"There was a lapped car in front of us, it was kind of jumbling up the pack and I thought Dale would be a little more patient with me.
"It's so slick, after 15-20 laps the tyres are so on the edge. He got into me, and you hope when that happens they'll get off you, but he didn't and I went around."
Green flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Restart on lap 207 with Kenseth leading Johnson, Logano, Ambrose and new top-five man Brian Vickers.
NASCAR - Martinsville: Leaders pit under yellow. Chance for crews to yank some bodywork straight after that scare for Logano, Ambrose and Johnson.
IndyCar - St Petersburg: The IndyCar pre-race festivities are underway, starting with a rendition of 'God Bless America' by Anna de Ferran. We don't normally mention this sort of stuff, but the reason for the exception is Anna's surname: she's the daughter of 2003 Indy 500 winner and two-time CART champion Gil.
Yellow flag
NASCAR - Martinsville: Earnhardt was aiming for a narrowing gap, and sent McMurray into a spin and some firm contact.
Crash
NASCAR - Martinsville: Yellow on lap 200, McMurray has tangled with Earnhardt and hit the wall.
By: Scott Mitchell, Mark Glendenning
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