RIR Nationwide Nascar Race @ Dover Speedway

(Race of 7/28/12)

I have missed the end of the last season - but I got just in time for the next season that had blasted off yesterday!
This is the first report you read about Nationwide race, one of the most serious races on the grid. Pitstops, black flags, tough opponents - they've got it all.
Nevertheless, it seemed to attract some new faces to RIR. And the race has showed that we're having one hell of a season ahead. Vickster Freiin von Kühn (Vickster Kuhn) was the one who grabbed my attention since the qualifying round - she got 3rd position on the grid.
But, if there's a pitstop, plenty of things are determined by your pitstop strategy.

Saphyre Cybestar did a pitstop... at the lap 7, a minute after the race has started! Turned out she had problems with fuel milage and that pitstop was essential, but whatever it was, she turned out to be 2 laps down. But let's follow the race.
As always, a battle for the Top 3 took place at the first laps, but as it always happens at first, racers were trading positions frequently, passing each other by and getting into accidents. Cyberstar pulled ahead, other racers have separated into 2 groups: first group was battling for the 2nd place, second - for the 6th. JP Paneer was in 2nd, and when Cyberstar pitted - inherited 1st position and held it halfway. That racer, according to his profile, got back into racing in Second Life only recently, and so far he has proven himself at RIR as a great competitor.
Right behind him, Ffred Koolhoven and 'ZZ Bottom' (foneco Zuzu) were battling for the 2nd place, with Koolhoven winning. Behind them, racers have spreaded all over the track with Sweet on 4th, MidnightRambler Frostbite on 5th and Eagle Clawtooth on 6th.
Closer to the 20th laps, racers began to make pitstops. Meanwhile, ZZ and Koolhoven have traded positions, Cyberstar began to catch up.
A couple of them made one only when they ran out of gas. I doubt it's worth it... A few racers deserve to be given an "Iron Gas Tank" title, Cyberstar for example, who made a pitstop with almost empty gas tank along with JP Paneer (and came back at the track next to him, gaining the 2nd place and after a battle - 1st).
So, after pitting 1st time (Cyberstar - 2nd), when positions have been established again, Cyberstar and Paneer were in a battle for the 1st place, and Clawtooth was 3rd. Bit by bit, Cyberstar got behind and Paneer became an absolute leader of the race. Then - 3rd pitstop for Cyberstar with losing her position again. ZZ took the 3rd position being 2 laps down, Clawtooth - 2nd (almost 1 lap).
At the 52th lap, Clawtooth had to make another pitstop, therefore Sweet (was 4th) obtained the 3rd position, with ZZ before him. But that just preceded a battle with Cyberstar for it, that she won.

The race was getting closer to the end and everything was depending on what pitstop strategy racers are going to use. There wasn't a big necessity for it though, so I was already setting the camera and waiting for Paneer to finish... and it turned out that, as he confessed after the race, he thought this race is 100 laps (when actually it was 80) and went to the pitstop at the 79th lap! Behind him, there were Cyberstar, Clawtooth and ZZ in a battle with Vickster Kühn, that surprisingly was won not by ZZ but by Kühn. Fortunately, Paneer had a gap between him and the rest big enough (2 laps, approx. 20 seconds), made a quick pitstop and got back at the track before Kühn passed by, so he managed to gain the 3rd position. They were the ones who made the Top 3.
Pitstop strategy works. But that's important to have one. And, of course, calculate it for a certain race with a certain amount of laps.
Thank you very much everyone, that was an awesome race and fun to watch also! And congratulations with a great start for the new racers - Vickster Freiin von Kühn and Snuffy Smith, you've done a great job yesterday!
If the text and the pictures aren't enough, Badguy Boozehound, the race director, also shoots video footages of the races, and here's the yesterday one. Feel free to check it out!
A few announcements were made, too. From now on, all racers at RIR last a specified amount of laps, particular for every type (80 laps for Nationwide, for example). Also, they'll be having fun races for everyone  on new mesh cars (Badguy admitted that took him a lot of time to get them going) on Sundays, they will be before Sprint Cup races (something around 4 PM SLT). Don't miss that chance! 
Have fun, compete hard!

The grid:
Pole Position. JP Paneer  9.978
P 2. Eagle Clawtooth,  10.057, -0.079
P 3. Vickster Freiin von Kühn (Vickster Kuhn),  10.135, -0.157
P 4. FFred Koolhoven,  10.155, -0.177
P 5. 'ZZ Bottom' (foneco Zuzu),  10.268, -0.290
P 6. Saphyre Cyberstar,  10.291, -0.313
P 7. ⓢ ⓦ ⓔ ⓔ ⓣ  (SweetTooth Firehawk),  10.401, -0.423
P 8. MidnightRambler Frostbite,  10.490, -0.512
P 9. Clifford Market,  10.692, -0.714
P 10. Snuffy Smith (Snufman),  11.179, -1.201
P 11. Dougie Bellic,  11.223, -1.245

Final results:
1st. Saphyre Cyberstar, 80 laps. Total Time : 918.528
2nd. Eagle Clawtooth, -0.596 seconds.
3rd. JP Paneer, -13.092 seconds.
4th. Vickster Kuhn, -2 laps.
5th. foneco Zuzu, -3 laps.
6th. MidnightRambler Frostbite, -3 laps.
7th. FFred Koolhoven, -3 laps.
8th. Clifford Market, -6 laps.
9th. SweetTooth Firehawk, -8 laps.
10th. Snufman Resident, -10 laps.
11th. Dougie Bellic, -11 laps.

Fastest race lap: Saphyre Cyberstar, 9.288