Texas 500 - Johnson Wins - Gordon & Keselowski Brawl

Knowing that here had been previous incidents in the last few races kept piquing my interest in the Nascar Texas 500 and I knew something would happen at the end to make it more exciting. And happen it did!

The action in the second race of the Chase’s Eliminator Round was scintillating enough, but it couldn’t match the intensity of a post-race brawl on pit road that left Keselowski and Jeff Gordon bruised and bloodied.
 

Keselowski spots "a hole" and goes for it

Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway for the third straight year, holding off runner-up Kevin Harvick and third-place Brad Keselowski after Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 went to two overtimes.

Johnson, who was eliminated from the Chase two weeks ago at Talladega, led the field to the green flag on Lap 340, the second attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish, with Keselowski to his outside.

As both drivers rolled through the first two corners wide open, Johnson inched ahead, ultimately clearing Keselowski’s Ford and pulling away. Harvick passed Keselowski for second place but couldn’t catch Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet, which crossed the finish line .513 seconds ahead of Harvick’s No. 4 car.

Two cars don't fit in the same space and as they rub, Gordon's left rear tire is cut

But it was the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that caused all the controversy and helped to scramble the Chase standings with only next Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway left to determine which four drivers race for the series championship November 16th at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gordon was the race leader at the time and picked the outside lane for a restart on Lap 335 with Johnson to his inside. Keselowski restarted third and tried to split the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers -- in what Harvick would later call "bulldoze mode" -- and ran out of room.

Gordon's tire goes down, he spins and brings out the second green-white-checker restart

Contact from Keselowski’s car cut Gordon’s left rear tire, causing Gordon to spin on the backstretch, which in turn brought out the record 13th caution of the race.

Gordon finished 29th and dropped from first to fourth in the Chase standings, just one point clear of 25th-place finisher and Coors Light Polesitter Matt Kenseth in fifth.

But after the checkered flag flew is when the real fireworks started as a huge brawl erupted on pit road when Jeff Gordon confronted Brad Keselowski after the two made contact on the track in the closing laps.

Kevin Harvick was involved in the melee as well and after he pushed Keselowski from behind the skirmish was ignited with several crewmembers becoming involved. When it was over both Gordon and Keselowski were bloodied and still angry.

So, in a matter of minutes and two green-white-checker restarts, the complete championship point standings was scrambled and, from top to bottom, the eight eligible drivers are only 18 points apart.

If you think things were wild in Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway, wait until next Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway.

The News As I See It: Health officials in Ebola affected countries are encouraging people to stop shaking hands, and instead give an "Ebola handshake" which is when you bump elbows with someone. That would be a great idea if they hadn't spent the past five years telling us to sneeze into our elbows.

Attorney General Eric Holder said the only person who could play him in a movie is Denzel Washington. Obviously he has overlooked who could best portray him - Redd Foxx. Unfortunately, Redd passed away so we can only hope.....

Daylight saving time ended this weekend. Don't forget to change the clocks in your house and the one in your car sometime in the next six to eight weeks.

This Date In History: 1839; The first Opium War between China and Britain broke out. 1903; Panama proclaimed its independence from Colombia. 1952; Clarence Birdseye marketed the first frozen peas.

1957; The Soviet Union sent the first animal, a dog named Laika, into space aboard the Sputnik II. Laika died in orbit. 1986; A Lebanese magazine broke the story of U.S. arms sales to Iran, leading to the Iran-Contra affair.

1992; Carol Moseley-Braun became the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. 2004; Hamid Karzai was declared the winner in Afghanistan's first presidential election.

Picture Of The Day: The confrontation begins as Gordon heads toward Keselowski looking for revenge.

Printable Things I Never Told You: 1) Before Walmart, I used to have to buy a ticket to the circus to see the bearded lady. 2) A hand grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart. 3) Always be careful if you go to a bar that has a black light, because I was under the impression that the mustard stain came out. 4) I went to a cigar store and the guy behind the counter asked me, "What kind of cigars do you like?" I answered, "It's a Boy's." 5) I have never seen a brunette with blond roots.....and that's five !

Today's Horoscope: Scorpio - November 3rd: Now that you're getting over your weekend Halloween antics, I suggest that you maintain a low profile until all of the various social sites quit running those pictures that seemed funny at the time. Seriously, you're not the first to wear a lampshade as a hat. Chance of romance is 17.62 percent.

Birthdays: Stephen Fuller, Austin leader of colonization in Texas 1793, William Bryant, poet, editor 1794, Andre Malraux, man of letters and political figure 1901, James Reston, journalist 1909, Charles Bronson, actor 1921, Michael Dukakis, politician 1933, Jeremy Brett, actor 1933, Dennis Miller, comedian 1953.

The confrontation begins and fists fly

The AREA 51 Retirement Home Bar And Grill: Before Walmart, I used to have to buy a ticket to the circus to see the bearded lady.An old man took a Cadiilac Escalade for a test drive, just to drive it once before they become extinct. The salesman sat in the back seat describing the car and all it's wonderful options. The seats were of particular interest.

The salesman explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat. The old man said, "This must be a Republican car."

The salesman asked why the old man thought it was a Republican car. The old man answered, "If it were a Democrat car, the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round."

A man was driving down the street in a sweat because he had a very important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven, he said, "Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place, I will go to church every Sunday and quit drinking!"

Just then, a parking place appeared - the closest one imaginable. The man looked up again and said, "Never mind, Lord, I just found one."

Keselowski spits blood and gives his side of the story

The Hits Just Keep On Coming: Two girl friends, a blonde and a redhead, are walking down the street and pass a flower shop where the redhead happens to see her boyfriend buying flowers.

She sighs and says, "Oh, crap, my boyfriend is buying me flowers again." The blonde looks quizzically at her and says, "You don't like getting flowers?

The redhead says, "I love getting flowers, but he always has expectations after giving me flowers, and I just don't feel like spending the next three days on my back with my legs in the air."

The blonde says, "Don't you have a vase?"

While shopping for vacation clothes, a husband and wife passed a display of bathing suits. It had been at least ten years and twenty pounds since she had even considered buying a bathing suit, so she sought her husband's advice.

She asked, "What do you think?" Should I get a bikini or an all-in-one?" Her husband replied, "Better get a bikini. You'd never get it all in one."

Annoyed by the professor of anatomy who liked to tell "naughty" stories during class, a group of female students decided that the next time he started to tell one, they would all rise and leave the room in protest.

The professor, however, got wind of their scheme just before class the following day, so he bided his time. Then, halfway through the lecture, he began, "They say there is quite a shortage of prostitutes in France."

The girls looked at one another, arose and started for the door. The professor said with a broad smile, "Young ladies, the next plane doesn't leave till tomorrow afternoon."

That's it for today, my little candied corns. Remember to explain to women that men don't care about eyebrows. Leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: Do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.

More on Wednesday.

Stay Tuned !