Datasets:
Reproducibility
/
naacl22_wikitext15M

Dataset card Data Studio Files Community
text
stringlengths
0
7.06k
Becher was serving as squadron gunnery officer aboard the Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire ] when the Second World War broke out . In May 1940 , Devonshire was dispatched to the Namsos region of Norway to assist in the extraction of Allied troops . Commended for his " daring , resource and devotion " during the operation , Becher was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross . The notification for the decoration was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 19 July 1940 , and the investiture ceremony was held by King George VI at Buckingham Palace on 11 March 1941 .
In late November 1940 , Becher transferred to the recently launched destroyer HMAS Napier as part of the ship 's commissioning crew . While completing working @-@ up exercises , Napier was tasked with transferring British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife from Thurso in Scotland to the battleship HMS King George V , and later returning them to the mainland . With her working @-@ up complete , Napier was initially posted to convoy duties in the North Atlantic , before setting sail in April 1941 with HMAS Nizam for the Mediterranean Sea . Arriving in May , she formed up as part of the Mediterranean Fleet .
Napier assisted in the evacuation of British and Commonwealth troops from the island of Crete in late May , following the successful Axis invasion . On one such occasion the vessel embarked 296 soldiers , three women , one Greek and one Chinese civilian , ten sailors , two children and a dog . Returning to Alexandria , the destroyer came under attack but arrived unscathed . Two days later Napier was less fortunate ; having taken 705 soldiers on board , she was targeted on her return journey by a formation of twelve German dive @-@ bombers . The ship was struck twice by bombs and suffered damage to the stern , the engine room and boiler room . One of the aircraft was shot down and a further three damaged . Although no allied casualties were sustained and the destroyer arrived safely in Alexandria , she spent the next two @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half months in Port Said under repair .
Becher returned to Australia in early 1942 , and from 17 May was appointed officer @-@ in @-@ charge of the gunnery school at HMAS Cerberus . He remained at this post for almost two years until , on 12 March 1944 , he was given command of the destroyer HMAS Quickmatch — formed up as part of the Eastern Fleet . On 22 July , Quickmatch was among a 23 @-@ vessel strong task force that set out from Trincomalee to assault the Japanese naval base off northern Sumatra at Sabang Island . The formation approached Sabang on the night of 24 / 25 July , launching fighter strikes on airfields in the area at first light . At 06 : 55 , the fleet bombarded the harbour installations , coastal defence batteries and the military barracks . As the formation 's two battleships maintained their fire , Quickmatch joined three other ships that entered the harbour to carry out close @-@ range bombardment . After completing their task , Quickmatch and her fellows withdrew under the cover of fire from two cruisers . Praised for his " outstanding courage and skill " in pressing home the assault , Becher was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Cross , announced in a supplement to the London Gazette on 31 October 1944 .
In October 1944 , Quickmatch was transferred to Australian waters and underwent her annual refit at Sydney from November to December . Once the refit was completed she operated mainly off the Australian coast . During the early hours of 25 December 1944 , the Navy Office in Melbourne received an SOS from the SS Robert J. Walker , reporting that she had been torpedoed by a submarine while travelling from Fremantle , Western Australia , to Sydney . Aircraft were dispatched to provide aerial cover , and HMA Ships Quickmatch , Kiama and Yandra were directed to Robert J. Walker 's position . Quickmatch and Yandra were to operate against the submarine , while Kiama was to take the Robert J. Walker under tow . Arriving at the reported location at approximately 23 : 30 that evening , Quickmatch , under the command of Becher , and Kiama patrolled the vicinity in search of the submarine and Robert J. Walker 's crew . Sixty @-@ seven men were discovered in lifeboats at 05 : 45 the following morning and were taken aboard Quickmatch ; Robert J. Walker had sunk two hours earlier with the loss of two crew .
Becher was promoted to commander on 31 December 1944 , and the following month Quickmatch was transferred to the recently established British Pacific Fleet . On 28 February , the British Pacific Fleet , including Quickmatch , sailed from Sydney Harbour for Manus Island to prepare for its role in support of the planned United States invasion of Okinawa . The fleet engaged in eleven days of exercises at Manus before departing for Ulithi , and on 23 March was attached to the United States Fifth Fleet with the designation " Task Force 57 " . Setting sail for Okinawa two days later , the fleet launched air strikes against airfield targets in the Sakishima Islands on 26 and 27 March . During these operations Quickmatch formed part of the escort for the fleet 's aircraft carriers . Becher later stated : " These two days ' operations were successful , the enemy airstrips being neutralised and a number of aircraft being destroyed on the ground . " Task Force 57 continued operations around the Sakishima Islands for the following two months to cover the United States ' left flank , with Quickmatch forming part of the carrier force 's escort throughout this period .
On 25 June 1945 , Becher relinquished command of the Quickmatch and returned to Australia , where he was attached to the shore base HMAS Penguin . For his " distinguished service ... in the Pacific " he received a Mention in Despatches . In August , he transferred to HMAS Cerberus for duties with the Navy Office .
= = Interbellum and Korean War = =
Becher remained with the Navy Office until November 1947 , when he was posted to the United Kingdom to join the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney 's commissioning crew . Embarking from Melbourne during February 1948 , he was temporarily attached to HMS Drake and later HMS Glory until Sydney 's commissioning on 16 December . His service aboard the aircraft carrier lasted for two years , and was followed on 23 January 1950 by an appointment as Commanding Officer to the shore establishment HMAS Watson . However , Becher 's time at Watson was cut short when , on 28 July , he relieved Captain Alan McNicoll as commander of the destroyer HMAS Warramunga , which had been selected for service in the Korean War . Warramunga was to be attached to a force of five Royal Navy destroyers led by a captain , making it expedient to have the Australian ship commanded by an officer of lower rank .
Warramunga arrived in Korean waters in late August 1950 . After some initial escort work , the destroyer joined HMAS Bataan as part of the carrier HMS Triumph 's protective screen while the latter contributed air cover to the Allied landing at Inchon on 15 September . For the next three months , Warramunga engaged in patrol and screening duties , in addition to transporting food for famine relief .
On 4 December , Warramunga and Bataan supported the emergency withdrawal of Allied troops from <unk> . Becher decided to sail up a channel of the Taedong River known as Short Cut , which according to his charts should have allowed him five to ten feet of clearance . The chart proved inaccurate , and Warramunga ran aground at 23 : 15 ; Becher 's only option was to wait for the rising tide to float the destroyer off . Warramunga came free at 23 : 50 without having sustained damage , and was able to resume her mission , escorting troop transports south . Later , Becher brought Warramunga alongside Bataan and entreated the latter 's commander , via megaphone , to keep quiet about the incident . With Becher 's promotion to captain due , he was concerned that if the Naval Board became aware of the grounding his promotion would be delayed until an investigation had taken place . His " well @-@ earned " rise in rank came through as scheduled on 31 December . On the journey south , Warramunga 's crew developed a new way of signalling between ships that was considerably quicker than using international code flags . Known to the crew as the " Murphy Method " , it involved wrapping messages around potatoes and throwing them from one ship to the other .
Warramunga participated in the Siege of Wonsan during late February 1951 , where she engaged and partially destroyed North Korean shore batteries , as well as shelling buildings and transport infrastructure . Despite coming under fire the destroyer sustained no damage . For the remainder of her tour in Korea , Warramunga took part in patrols and shore bombardments , earning special praise from Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy , Commander US Naval Forces Far East , for the accuracy of her gunnery .
On 17 July 1951 , it was announced that Becher had been appointed as an honorary aide @-@ de @-@ camp to the Governor @-@ General of Australia for a period of three years . Following Warramunga 's departure from Korean waters on 1 August , Rear Admiral Alan Scott @-@ Moncrieff , Commander West Coast Blockade Force , commented : " She has been a tower of strength and done an incredible amount of steaming with no troubles at all . I cannot speak too highly of Captain O. H. Becher and his men ... " Together with Bataan , Warramunga had borne the brunt of Australia 's naval contribution to the Korean War . Noting his " courage , skill and determination " , a recommendation for Becher to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order was approved by the Australian Government on 17 August 1951 , and announced in the London Gazette the following month . For his " meritorious service ... as C.O. of HMAS Warramunga " , Becher was also decorated by the United States with the Legion of Merit .
= = Senior command = =
Becher retained command of Warramunga until October 1951 , when he was posted to the shore base HMAS Lonsdale for service with the Navy Office as Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel and Director of Personal Services . In September that year he was additionally appointed trustee of the Services Canteens Trust Fund ; a position he held until October 1952 and for which he received a letter of appreciation from the Minister for Defence . The same month he assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Naval Staff . On 25 August 1954 , Becher was given command of the aircraft carrier HMAS Vengeance , and in October he returned with his new command to the Korean theatre to transport the aircraft , equipment and personnel of No. 77 Squadron RAAF back to Australia .
In 1956 , Becher embarked for the United Kingdom to attend the Imperial Defence College . A month after his December graduation , he travelled back to Australia and assumed command of HMAS Melbourne . Becher remained with Melbourne until December 1958 , at which time he returned to the Navy Office at HMAS Lonsdale to resume his role as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff . He was promoted to acting rear admiral on 3 January 1959 , the rank being made substantive twelve months later . In the Queen 's Birthday Honours of 1961 , Becher was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire .
Relinquishing his position with the Navy Office in 1962 , Becher was sent to the United Kingdom as Head of the Australian Joint Services Staff in London . In January 1964 he returned to Australia , and was made Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet . During his time in this role Becher became embroiled in the controversy that followed the collision of HMA Ships Voyager and Melbourne , which took place in February that year . Prior to giving evidence before the Royal Commission that had been established to investigate the incident , Becher had discussed events with Melbourne 's Commanding Officer , Commander Ronald Robertson . The discussion became public knowledge , and led to suggestions of conspiracy . Becher stated to the commission that Melbourne should have questioned Voyager 's final movements ; his evidence is alleged to have influenced the Royal Commissioner , Sir John Spicer , to place a degree of blame on Robertson . In 1965 , Becher assumed his final command as Flag Officer @-@ in @-@ Charge East Australia Area , before retiring from the Royal Australian Navy on 6 March 1966 .
= = Retirement = =
Following his retirement , Becher accepted the position of Director @-@ General of Recruiting for the Australian armed forces from 1966 until 1969 , a period during which conscription was in effect . Minister of Defence Allen Fairhall asked Becher to find enough volunteers to fill the armed forces , and Becher believed that conscription eroded professional standards , but he found this task difficult given that the military was " competing with industry , and the country was short of labour . " He also held the post of chairman of the Council of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of New South Wales . On 15 June 1977 , aged 68 , Becher died from a myocardial infarction at Sydney Hospital . Survived by his wife and their three sons , he was cremated .
= 2006 Bank of America 500 =
The 2006 Bank of America 500 was the 31st stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the fifth in the ten @-@ race season @-@ ending Chase for the Nextel Cup . It was held on October 14 , 2006 , before a crowd of 175 @,@ 000 in Concord , North Carolina , at Lowe 's Motor Speedway , one of ten intermediate tracks to hold NASCAR races . The 334 @-@ lap race was won by Kasey Kahne of the Evernham Motorsports team , who started from second position . Jimmie Johnson finished second and Jeff Burton came in third .
Although Scott Riggs won the pole position , he was immediately passed by teammate Kahne at the start of the race . Riggs regained the lap twelve laps later , only to lose it to Tony Raines on the 19th lap . Riggs retook the lead on lap 31 and maintained it for the following sixteen laps , until he was passed by Dale Earnhardt , Jr. who led the next 31 laps . Kahne moved back into the first position on lap 96 , with Raines moving back into the lead on the 123rd lap . Kahne passed Raines to move back into the lead 15 laps later . Johnson moved into the lead on lap 168 and held the position for a total of 72 laps . At the race 's final restart on lap 307 Johnson led until he was passed two laps later by Kahne who maintained it to win the race . There was a total of ten cautions and 34 lead changes by thirteen different drivers .
The victory was Kahne 's sixth of the season , and the seventh of his career . After the race Burton maintained his lead in the Drivers ' Championship , which increased to 45 points over nearest rival Matt Kenseth . Kahne 's victory moved him from ninth to eighth , while Jeff Gordon dropped to tenth because his engine failed in the race 's closing laps . Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers ' Championship , 48 points ahead of Dodge and 54 ahead of Ford with five races left in the season .
= = Report = =
= = = Background = = =
The Bank of America 500 was the 31st of 36 scheduled stock car races of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series , and the fifth in the ten @-@ race season @-@ ending Chase for the Nextel Cup . It was held on October 14 , 2006 , at Lowe 's Motor Speedway ( now called Charlotte Motor Speedway ) in Concord , North Carolina , one of ten intermediate tracks to hold NASCAR races ; the others are Atlanta Motor Speedway , Kansas Speedway , Chicagoland Speedway , Darlington Raceway , Homestead @-@ Miami Speedway , New Hampshire Motor Speedway , Kentucky Speedway , Las Vegas Motor Speedway , and Texas Motor Speedway . The standard track at Lowe 's Motor Speedway is a four @-@ turn , 1 @.@ 5 @-@ mile ( 2 @.@ 4 km ) -long , quad @-@ oval track . The track 's turns are banked at twenty @-@ four degrees ; both the front stretch ( the location of the finish line ) and the back stretch ( opposite the front ) have a five @-@ degree banking .
Before the race Jeff Burton led the Drivers ' Championship with 5 @,@ 598 points , with Matt Kenseth second , and Mark Martin third . Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin were fourth and fifth . Dale Earnhardt , Jr . , Jeff Gordon , Jimmie Johnson , Kasey Kahne , and Kyle Busch rounded out the top ten drivers competing in the 2006 Chase for the Nextel Cup . Chevrolet was leading the Manufacturers ' Championship with 231 points ; Dodge was second with 180 , and Ford was a close third on 179 . Johnson was the race 's defending champion . NASCAR mandated that teams use a 13 @.@ 8 @-@ US @-@ gallon ( 52 l ; 11 @.@ 5 imp gal ) fuel cell which would allow fewer laps between pit stops and increase the occurrence of tire changes . Tire supplier Goodyear brought a new right @-@ hand tire compound in hopes that racing would be improved . Testing of the tires took place at the track on August 29 with drivers Joe Nemechek and Kurt Busch who believed Goodyear had rectified problems with harder @-@ compound tires that were raised at the previous round at Charlotte ( the Coca @-@ Cola 600 ) .
After he was rammed by his teammate Brian Vickers in the UAW @-@ Ford 500 , Johnson said the expectations for him to succeed at Lowe 's Motor Speedway were high and hoped the track 's surface would be more predictable . Martin said he was in the best position that he had been in for several years to win the championship , and stated he was less interested at looking at race results . Having secured one top @-@ ten finish in the season 's first four Chase for the Nextel Cup races , Earnhardt stated he need to secure a top @-@ five finishing position , and was determined to get his team more involved in the championship battle . Gordon had driven well at the circuit , but without finishing . His team brought the car he drove to victory in the season 's 18th race at Chicagoland Speedway . Gordon felt it would help him at intermediate tracks and get him back into championship contention . Following a poor start in the chase , which improved after he finished second at Talladega Superspeedway , Kahne believed the momentum would be carried into Charlotte and stated he would race hard to win races .
One team made its début at the race . Red Bull Racing Team elected to start operations early as part of a warm @-@ up exercise to running a full @-@ time schedule in 2007 with 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Bill Elliott driving the No. 83 car . Elliott would attempt to qualify the car at three races towards the end of the year . He said that his decision to join Red Bull was because of the organization , and its <unk> to become competitive , which had attracted him to the team . Elliott stated that he was required to qualify the car for the race and move up the field , and provide input that would allow the team to be prepared for the 2007 Daytona 500 .
= = = Practice and qualification = = =
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race - one each on Thursday , Friday and , Saturday . The first practice session lasted 90 minutes , the second 60 minutes , and the third 50 minutes . Kahne set the fastest time in the first practice session with a lap of 28 @.@ 834 seconds ; Scott Riggs was second , and Kurt Busch third . Elliott Sadler took fourth position , and Martin placed fifth . Johnson , Nemechek , Martin Truex , Jr . , Jeff Green , and Hamlin rounded out the session 's top @-@ ten fastest drivers .
Although 52 cars were entered in the qualifier , according to NASCAR 's qualifying procedure , only 43 could race . Each driver ran two laps , with the starting order determined by the competitor 's fastest times . Riggs clinched the third pole position of his career , and his third consecutive at Lowe 's Motor Speedway , with a time of 28 @.@ 203 seconds . He was joined on the grid 's front row by Kahne , his Evernham Motorsports teammate , and held the pole position until Riggs ' lap . Kurt Busch originally qualified in third , but his car 's right @-@ rear shock absorber was found to have violated NASCAR regulations during the post @-@ qualifying inspection because it did not work as required . Busch was required to start from 42nd position after using a provisional . As a result , Casey Mears inherited third , Sadler fourth , and Harvick fifth . Burton , Martin , Clint Bowyer , Reed Sorenson and Johnson rounded out the top ten qualifiers . Kenseth , a Chase for the Nextel Cup driver , qualified eleventh , while Earnhardt took 16th and Kyle Busch 18th . The nine drivers who failed to qualify were : Elliott , Kevin Lepage , Derrike Cope , Chad Chaffin , Hermie Sadler , Kirk <unk> , Kenny Wallace ( who crashed on his first timed lap ) , Morgan Shepherd ( who elected not to set a lap time ) , and Carl Long ( who crashed while attempting to record a timed lap ) . After the qualifier Riggs said that his team knew his car was good , and achieved a good draw by recording his lap time in the latter period of the session . He stated when returning to the track , his team wanted to get back into a rhythm of starting and finishing in a top position .
On Friday afternoon Kyle Busch was fastest in the second practice session with a time of 29 @.@ 378 seconds , ahead of Kahne and Robby Gordon . Bowyer was fourth @-@ fastest ; Johnson was fifth and Truex sixth . Greg Biffle , Kurt Busch , Burton , and Martin followed in the top ten . Of the other drivers in the Chase , Edwards was eleventh @-@ fastest , Hamlin set the twelfth @-@ fastest time , and Harvick was 15th . Ryan Newman crashed and switched to a back @-@ up car . Later , on Saturday afternoon , Earnhardt paced the final practice session with a time of 29 @.@ 357 ; Kyle Busch was second and Hamlin third . Kahne was fourth @-@ fastest , ahead of Johnson and Bowyer . Biffle was seventh @-@ fastest , Truex eighth , Riggs ninth , and Robby Gordon tenth . Other Chase drivers included Jeff Gordon in 13th and Burton in 15th ; all were within three @-@ tenths of a second of Earnhardt 's time .
= = = Race = = =
Live television coverage of the race on NBC began at 7 : 04 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the United States . Around the start of the race , weather conditions were sunny with an air temperature of 64 ° F ( 18 ° C ) which was forecast to drop as the race progressed . Dr. William K. Thierfelder , president of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont , North Carolina , began pre @-@ race ceremonies with an invocation . American Idol contestant and country music singer Kellie Pickler performed the national anthem , and Mickey Jackson , the winner of a sponsored Grand Marshal contest , along with his five @-@ year @-@ old son <unk> , commanded the drivers to start their engines . During the pace laps , Newman moved to the rear of the field because he switched to his back @-@ up car .
The race started at 7 : 21 p.m. Kahne accelerated faster than teammate Riggs off the line , and was ahead of him by the second turn . The first caution of the race was given one lap later when Todd Bodine contacted Robby Gordon in the tri @-@ oval . Gordon slid but regained control of his car with Bodine slowing . This triggered a multi @-@ car accident that involved Mike Bliss hitting the rear of Hamlin 's car sending him spinning down the front stretch which then involved Mike Skinner , Truex , Jeff Gordon , Jamie McMurray , Kyle Petty , J. J. Yeley , Travis Kvapil , David Gilliland , Tony Stewart , Kurt Busch , Newman , and Nemechek who blocked the track temporarily . Hamlin drove back to his garage where his team repaired his car . Kahne led the field at the lap @-@ nine restart , followed by Riggs and Mears . A caution was issued immediately at the start of lap nine , as the cars drove through the first turn , because three safety vehicles were on the track after crew members did not hear there would one further lap added before racing resumed , and the laps were counted towards the first caution . Several cars elected to make pit stops under caution . Stewart made repairs to his car 's body which was damaged in the lap two crash . Kahne maintained the top position at the lap twelve restart , with Riggs in second . Riggs reclaimed the first position from Kahne on the 13th lap ; after starting from 41st , Jeff Gordon moved up to 22nd position by lap 15 . Two laps later , Dave Blaney spun after leaving turn four and hit the outside barrier with his car 's left @-@ rear quarter , triggering the race 's second caution . Most of the field , including Riggs , chose to make pit stops for fuel and tires .
Tony Raines decided not to make a pit stop and led the field back up to speed at the lap @-@ 22 restart , ahead of Newman , McMurray , Terry Labonte , and Riggs . On the 23rd lap , Riggs and Kahne got ahead of Labonte for fourth and fifth positions . Riggs passed McMurray for third one lap later , and Kahne got ahead of McMurray for fourth on lap 25 . Newman fell to fourth place when he was passed by Riggs and Kahne two laps later . Riggs passed Raines for the lead on the 30th lap , while Kahne moved into second place . Truex hit the wall on the same lap but no caution was shown . Sorenson ran into the rear @-@ end of Dale Jarrett 's car , who spun backwards into the turn four wall , prompting the third caution . Jarrett retired from the race when he drove into his garage . All drivers elected to make pit stops for fuel under caution . Riggs maintained his lead at the lap @-@ 39 restart , followed by Kahne and Bowyer . Johnson got ahead of Sadler to move into eighth on lap 44 . On lap 46 , a fourth caution was given ; Todd <unk> was hit by Greg Biffle after leaving turn two and spun on the backstretch , causing Ken Schrader and Petty to hit <unk> . Michael Waltrip contacted the wall in avoidance . Most drivers ( including Riggs ) chose to make pit stops for fuel . Earnhardt led at the lap @-@ 53 restart ahead of Edwards , Newman , Biffle and , Sorenson who all chose not to pit . Riggs moved back into third place on lap 59 after passing Biffle and Newman . By lap 66 , Earnhardt held a 1 @.@ 78 @-@ second advantage over Edwards . Two laps later , Riggs passed Edwards to take over second place .
Riggs closed the gap to Earnhardt , and was 1 @.@ 5 seconds behind by lap 75 . Green @-@ flag pit stops began on lap 78 , with Earnhardt stopping on lap 79 , giving the lead back to Riggs . Kahne and Riggs made pit stops on the 85th lap for scuffed right @-@ hand tires . After the pit stops , which concluded on lap 91 , Riggs reclaimed the first position . Kahne closed the gap to teammate Riggs , who was holding a 0 @.@ 4 second lead , by lap 95 . One lap later , Kahne passed Riggs ( who complained his car was experiencing excessive understeer ) for first place . Earnhardt moved into second when he passed Riggs on the 100th lap . Lap 105 saw the fifth caution ; Waltrip lost control of his car and hit the turn four outside wall , which caused him to spin while attempting to make a pit stop for fuel . During the caution , all drivers again made pit stops . Kahne maintained the lead at the lap @-@ 110 restart , followed by Earnhardt and Bowyer . Gordon passed Bowyer to claim third position one lap later . Bowyer lost two further positions when he was passed on the 115th lap . A sixth caution was prompted on the following lap when Kurt Busch spun leaving turn two and hit the inside wall on the backstretch ; Sorenson lost control in turn two , while attempting to avoid Busch , and went towards the inside backstretch wall . Most of the leaders , including Kahne , made pit stops for fuel . Harvick and Kahne avoided a collision on pit road . Sadler led the field at the lap @-@ 121 restart , followed by Raines and Robby Gordon . Raines passed Sadler to reclaim the lead two laps later , while Sadler drove back to pit road with engine problems on lap 125 .
Kahne moved up into second place by lap 132 after passing Jeff Gordon , Earnhardt , and Robby Gordon . Johnson got ahead of Robby Gordon for fourth place one lap later . Kahne moved back into the lead after passing Raines on the backstretch on lap 138 , while Johnson moved into second one lap later . The second round of green @-@ flag pit stops commenced on lap 143 , when Robby Gordon made a pit stop for right @-@ side tires and car adjustments . Kahne stopped on lap 154 with Riggs . Jeff Gordon and Johnson made similar stops over the next three laps . After the pit stops , Kahne reclaimed the lead after battling with Raines . A seventh caution was given three laps later when Gilliland spun in turn two and contacted the inside wall heavily , and then drove to his garage to retire . Most of the leaders , including Kahne , made pit stops . Sterling Marlin stayed out and led at the lap @-@ 168 restart , ahead of Johnson . That same lap , Marlin lost the lead when Johnson passed him on the backstretch , and Marlin was passed by Kahne for second on lap 169 . Martin got ahead of Earnhardt for fifth position ten laps later . By lap 180 , Johnson held a 1 @.@ 4 @-@ second lead over Kahne . Gordon passed Martin for third on lap 182 , while Edwards got ahead of Kyle Busch for seventh two laps later . Upfront , Kahne closed the gap with Johnson to 0 @.@ 6 seconds by the 188th lap . The third round of green @-@ flag pit stops began on lap 199 ; Johnson stopped on lap 203 , while Earnhardt made a pit stop on the following lap . After the pit stops , Kahne retook the lead .
Johnson drove to the track 's inside at turn three and passed Kahne for the lead on lap 211 and started to pull away from the rest of the field . Bowyer drove to his garage on lap 216 for a transmission change because he lost the use of third gear . Jeff Gordon had closed the gap to Kahne by lap 229 . Green @-@ flag pit stops started six laps later when Kahne made a pit stop from second place . Johnson took on four tires at his stop on lap 239 , handing the lead to Jeff Gordon , who ceded it to Earnhardt two laps later . Martin 's pit crew dropped a lug nut which resulted him remaining stationary for 21 @.@ 7 seconds , while Burton stalled his car which required his crew to push him to the end of pit road . An eighth caution was triggered on lap 242 when Yeley attempted to drive down pit road , and made contact with Martin . He attempted to avoid Yeley by driving left below the driver to escape onto the turn four apron and went airborne . Martin spun and went into the tri @-@ oval wall , and Robby Gordon hit Yeley , causing Gordon to spin into the front stretch grass . Earnhardt made a pit stop on lap 244 , followed by Kahne on the following lap . Edwards gained the lead and maintained it at the lap @-@ 252 restart , followed by Earnhardt and Kahne . Five laps later , Kahne passed Edwards to reclaim the lead as they came across slower cars and began to pull away . Debris was located on the track on lap 276 , necessitating the race 's ninth caution . During the caution , the leaders elected to make pit stops .
Kahne maintained his lead at the lap @-@ 281 restart and pulled away from Earnhardt . Jeff Gordon passed Nemechek to move into fourth place on the following lap . Jeff Gordon 's engine failed after he crossed the start @-@ finish line on lap 302 , triggering the race 's final caution . The leaders , including Kahne , made pit stops for fuel under caution . Johnson led the field at the lap @-@ 307 restart , ahead of Kahne , Earnhardt and Burton . Kahne turned right to the track 's outside and passed Johnson around the inside in turn one for the lead on the 309th lap . Burton ( who felt a vibration from his car ) passed Earnhardt to take over third position seven laps later . Kahne increased his advantage over Johnson during the remaining seventeen laps to win the race and to become the eighth driver to win both points races at Lowe 's Motor Speedway in a calendar year . Johnson finished second , ahead of Burton in third , Earnhardt in fourth and Bobby Labonte in fifth . Kyle Busch , Raines , Edwards , Nemechek , and Vickers rounded out the top ten finishers . The race had a total of ten cautions and thirty @-@ four lead changes by thirteen different drivers . Kahne led eight times for a total of 134 laps , more than any other competitor . The win was the seventh of Kahne 's Cup Series career , as well as his final of a series @-@ high six victories he posted in the 2006 season .
= = = Post @-@ race = = =
Kahne appeared in victory lane in front of the crowd of 170 @,@ 000 to celebrate his sixth win of the season earning him $ 305 @,@ 889 . Kahne was delighted with his victory and thanked the people who worked on his car 's transmission and rear @-@ end : " We had a great car . It was unbelievable all night . I slammed it into second gear at the end of pit road one time and I thought I had to break something . This isn 't the special car . This car 's been good two other times this year , but it went to waste . It 's just an awesome team . " Second @-@ place finisher Johnson said he finished the event where he ran in its duration : “ I only made up ten points . But ten points is ten points . ” Third @-@ place finisher Burton was happy he was able to recover from a tire issue from the previous race at Talladega Superspeedway . However , he was upset that he stalled his engine as he felt it cost him the chance of victory . He also said the late @-@ race vibration was enough to scare him and he was glad the race ended because of the amount of shudder coming from his car : " I screamed , ‘ We ’ ve got a wheel loose , we got a wheel loose ’ and they said , we do not have a wheel loose , we know we got them tight . "
Shortly after leaving his car , Martin felt the championship was an achievement that he was unable to secure : " They tell me a lot of people are having trouble anyway , but we didn 't need to throw that away , " He said he was unaware that Yeley intended to make a pit stop and , from his viewpoint , it allowed Kenseth to pass him while Yeley was coming from the centre of the track . Yeley said the pit stop was planned and signalled his intentions to Martin for over one mile . He felt Martin placed him in the position to hit the backstretch wall . Hamlin said the first @-@ lap crash that he was involved was part of auto racing , and stated it was problematic being involved in difficulties in the Chase for the Nextel Cup : " We checked up and somebody else ( Waltrip ) didn 't . I put myself back there in qualifying . We 'll take our lumps and go on . " Seventh @-@ place finisher Raines was happy to hold the first position for 28 laps saying it was " extra special " to lead a race at Charlotte . Tom Bowles of <unk> opined that had the caution flag not been displayed for the three safety vehicles on lap nine , it could have resulted in causing " one of the most disastrous accidents in NASCAR history . "
Johnson and Burton stated it was difficult to achieve a rhythm because of the small fuel cells mandated for the race and the hard @-@ compound tires . Temperatures had been warmer than the previous day 's Busch Series race and thus gave the drivers more grip though sliding was observed during both events . McMurray noted it was difficult to drive alongside other cars and that other competitors drove cautiously . Kenny Francis , Kahne 's crew chief , stated that he preferred to see longer runs but noted safety had to be taken into consideration . Four days after the race , Penske Racing South were given penalties for Kurt Busch 's car . The penalties , for " actions detrimental to stock car racing " ; " car , car parts , components and / or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules " ; and a right rear shock absorber that did not compress , included a $ 25 @,@ 000 fine and a two race suspension for crew chief Roy McCauley who was placed on probation until December 31 , 2006 . Team owner Roger Penske and Kurt Busch were penalized 50 points in the Owners ' and Drivers ' Championships . The following day , Penske Racing South announced it would not appeal the penalties .
The result kept Burton in the lead of the Drivers ' Championship with 5 @,@ 763 points , ahead of Kenseth on 5 @,@ 718 . Harvick moved into third with 5 @,@ 674 , thirteen points ahead of Martin who fell to fourth . Earnhardt moved in front of Hamlin for fifth , and Johnson , Kahne and Kyle Busch filled positions seven to nine . After the race , Jeff Gordon ( who fell to tenth ) said he would try and win races to return to contention for the championship . In the Manufacturers ' Championship , Chevrolet maintained the lead with 237 points . Dodge remained in second with 189 , six points ahead of Ford . The race took three hours , forty @-@ seven minutes and twenty @-@ nine seconds to complete , and the margin of victory was 1 @.@ 624 seconds .
= = Results = =
= = = Qualifying = = =
= = = Race results = = =
= = Standings after the race = =
= Olive Trees ( Van Gogh series ) =
Vincent van Gogh painted at least 18 paintings of olive trees , mostly in Saint @-@ Rémy @-@ de @-@ Provence in 1889 . At his own request , he lived at an asylum there from May 1889 through May 1890 painting the gardens of the asylum and , when he had permission to venture outside its walls , nearby olive trees , cypresses and wheat fields .
One painting , Olive Trees in a Mountainous Landscape , was a complement to The Starry Night .
The olive tree paintings had special significance for Van Gogh . A group in May 1889 represented life , the divine and the cycle of life while those from November 1889 arose out of Van Gogh 's attempt to symbolize his feelings about Christ in Gethsemane . His paintings of olive pickers demonstrate the relationship between man and nature by depicting one of the cycles of life , harvesting or death . It is also an example of how individuals , through interaction with nature , can connect with the divine .
Van Gogh found respite and relief in interaction with nature . When the series of olive tree paintings was made in 1889 Van Gogh was subject to illness and emotional turmoil , yet the paintings are among his finest works .
= = Saint @-@ Rémy = =
In May 1889 , Van Gogh voluntarily entered the asylum of St. Paul near Saint @-@ Rémy in Provence . There he had access to an adjacent cell he used as his studio . He was initially confined to the immediate asylum grounds and painted ( without the window bars ) the world he saw from his room , such as ivy covered trees , lilacs , and irises in the garden . As he ventured outside of the asylum walls , he painted the wheat fields , olive groves , and cypress trees in the surrounding countryside , which he saw as " characteristic of Provence . " Over the course of the year , he painted about 150 canvases .
The imposed regimen of asylum life gave Van Gogh a hard @-@ won stability : " I feel happier here with my work than I could be outside . By staying here a good long time , I shall have learned regular habits and in the long run the result will be more order in my life . " While his time at Saint @-@ Rémy forced him to manage his vices , such as coffee , alcohol , poor eating habits and periodic attempts to consume turpentine and paint , his stay was not ideal . He needed to obtain permission to leave the asylum grounds . The food was poor ; he generally ate only bread and soup . His only apparent form of treatment were two @-@ hour baths twice a week . During his year there , Van Gogh had periodic attacks , possibly due to a form of epilepsy . By early 1890 , when the attacks worsened , he concluded that his stay at the asylum was not helping him to recover , which led him to move to Auvers @-@ sur @-@ Oise just north of Paris in May 1890 .
= = Olive trees as a subject = =
Painting the countryside , the surrounding fields , cypress trees and olive trees restored Van Gogh 's connection to nature through art . He completed at least 18 paintings in 1889 of " venerable , gnarled olive trees , " pervasive throughout southern France , of which he wrote :
" The effect of daylight and the sky means there are endless subjects to be found in olive trees . For myself I look for the contrasting effects in the foliage , which changes with the tones of the sky . At times , when the tree bares its pale blossoms and big blue flies , emerald fruit beetles and cicadas in great numbers fly about , everything is immersed in pure blue . Then , as the <unk> foliage takes on more mature tones , the sky is radiant and streaked with green and orange , and then again , further into autumn , the leaves take on violet tones something of the color of a ripe fig , and this violet effect manifests itself most fully with the contrast of the large , whitening sun within its pale halo of light lemon . Sometimes , too , after a shower I 've seen the whole sky pink and orange , which gave an exquisite value and coloring to the silvery gray @-@ greens . And among all this were women , also pink , who were gathering the fruit . "
He found olive trees , representative of Provence , both " demanding and compelling . " He wrote to his brother Theo that he was " struggling to catch ( the olive trees ) . They are old silver , sometimes with more blue in them , sometimes greenish , bronzed , fading white above a soil which is yellow , pink , violet tinted orange ... very difficult . " He found that the " rustle of the olive grove has something very secret in it , and immensely old . It is too beautiful for us to dare to paint it or to be able to imagine it . "
= = Spiritual significance = =
As a young man , Van Gogh was interested in pursuing ministry to serve working people . He studied for a time in the Netherlands but his zeal and self @-@ imposed asceticism cost him a short @-@ term position in lay ministry . He became somewhat embittered and rejected the church establishment , yet found a personal spirituality that was comforting and important to him . By 1879 , he made a shift in the direction of his life and found he could express his " love of God and man " through painting .