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Author: Angie Campbell

  • Trevor Bayne – ‘I Missed you Guys’

    Trevor Bayne – ‘I Missed you Guys’

    Trevor Bayne met with the media Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway to discuss his return to racing. His first words to the press were, “I missed you guys.”

     

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”233″][/media-credit]Bayne has been sidelined since the end of April when he experienced symptoms of fatigue and double vision. He was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. where he underwent a battery of tests but no definitive diagnosis has been made.

     

    When asked about the nature of his illness, Bayne explained, “Their biggest hope is that it was an isolated event that is temporary and is gone now. The diagnosis, I don’t have it yet. I don’t know. It could be just a series of events where you get a bug bite and your immune system is down and we had been running for a couple months hard every day after Daytona and it wears down your immune system. That is what I am hoping for.”

    He went on to say, “Whether that is it or not, only time will tell with that.  I still don’t have an official diagnosis but they treated everything they thought it could be and since then everything has gone away. To me, they hit something.”

    Steve Newmark, President of Roush Fenway Racing said that even though there has been no official diagnosis, that Bayne has been declared fit to race by the doctors at the Mayo Clinic.

    He is currently scheduled to be back in his No. 16 Roush Fenway Nationwide car next week at Chicagoland Speedway. His next Sprint Cup appearance will be in two weeks at Michigan.

    Bayne says he has been symptom free for over a week and is obviously anxious to resume his normal schedule.

    “I have been fine for over a week now. Last weekend I took it off as a caution and this week they made me take it off as a caution. This weekend I would have been fine to run I think but we want to just make sure.”

    “I am 20 years old and everyone keeps telling me I have a long time to run. I am trying to listen to them, even though I am 20 and stubborn and want to be in a race car every weekend. I would be riding around with an eye patch if they would let me. It is all good. I think we have waited long enough.”

    Although he admitted that the last few weeks have been hard, the situation has done nothing to dampen his enthusiasm and love for the sport.

    This season started out on a high for the 20 year old Bayne with a win at the Daytona 500 in only his second Cup start. He was supposed to run a full schedule with Roush Fenway Racing in the Nationwide Series and a limited schedule in the Sprint Cup series driving the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford.

    Everything changed when he woke up one morning with double vision. You might think the young driver would be bitter at the interruption in his career. But you would be wrong.

    Bayne handles life with a maturity and grace far beyond his years.

    “I think this year is just helping me figure out what I am made of. I think if you can handle the biggest high you can have and the largest bottom you can have then the rest of the year should be easy from here.”

    Throughout it all his faith has helped him maintain a positive attitude.

    “I do have my faith and that is what defines me because if I was defined by this I would be in trouble right now.”

    The biggest surprise for him has been the tremendous support he has received from everyone.

    “Carl Edwards flew up and saw me in Minnesota and Tony Stewart was using his plane to fly my family back and forth and Jack (Roush) was sending me back and forth on his plane and these guys come out and hang out for the night. Michael McDowell is there for five days with me. Everybody in the garage texted me at least once to see how I was doing and that means a lot to me.”

    Wood Brothers Racing has also stood firmly behind their driver.

    Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing said, “Trevor is our guy and he is our driver and whatever he is going through we are going through,” Wood said. “If it had worked out that we could have sat this race out and waited on him we would have done it. It just got too far down the road.”

    “I am just glad he is back. You guys can see how he has that warm and fuzzy feel again. I am happy.”

    This weekend, Bayne will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway to help his pal, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as he attempts his first Cup start subbing for Bayne in the No. 21 Wood Brothers car.

    You might think it would be difficult for Bayne to see another racer in that car. Wrong, again.

    “He is an awesome kid and I am pumped for him, said Bayne. “ I texted him yesterday and told him to own this thing because he deserves it. I think he is going to do a great job. “

    Welcome back, Trevor Bayne. We’ve missed you too.

  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring ‘Mad’ Marion MacDonald, Herman ‘The Turtle’ Beam & More

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring ‘Mad’ Marion MacDonald, Herman ‘The Turtle’ Beam & More

    The best thing about researching NASCAR history is the little nuggets you find along the way. Many

    of these jewels never find their way into an article, but they are all worth remembering. Some of the names you’ll recognize and some may be unfamiliar. Not everyone can be a star, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a story to tell.

    If you think racing in NASCAR is more competitive today than it’s ever been, you might want to think again. Back in the day, some drivers would do anything for that little extra advantage.

    “Mad” Marion MacDonald is a perfect example. He was born in Florida in 1918 and learned to drive in the family orange orchard.

    “One day I hit the railroad tracks and my car jumped a four-foot gate on the other side. After that I never opened that gate again,” he said.

    MacDonald began his flirtation with racing In 1938 when he went to work for Bill France at his gas station in Daytona Beach. He had his own unique way of doing things. No one can say for certain where he got his nickname, but there are plenty of tales to choose from.

    At age 21 he entered the beach road course at Daytona driving his personal car. He tied himself into the car with a rope and had a knife taped to the dash so he could cut himself free if an emergency arose. During a pit stop, MacDonald grabbed a hamburger from one of his crew during a pit stop and continued to eat it as he raced around the track. Maybe he was simply hungry or maybe he just loved showing off for the fans.

    Later in that same race, MacDonald came upon a stalled car. The driver had climbed out of the car and to avoid hitting him Mad Marion had to go high. The next thing you knew, he was up on the dunes on two wheels, as he drove past the stunned driver.

    But the story doesn’t end there. MacDonald had figured out that taking the turn on two wheels improved his speed so he repeated the maneuver throughout the race, taking several of the turns on two wheels.

    Most would agree that going fast is the best way to win races. It may surprise you to know that at least one driver took the opposite approach.

    Herman “The Turtle” Beam drove in the Grand National series from 1957 to 1963. His claim to fame comes from holding the record for the longest streak of races without a DNF, with 84. Beam was a master at getting the most out of a dollar. He built his own cars, towed them himself and knew exactly what he had to do to make a little money.

    Gene Glover, a fellow racer, said of Beam, “he knew the distance to each racetrack, how many gallons of gas it took to get there, what you had to do to qualify for the race, how much money the race paid for each position, and where he thought he could finish.”

    “They called him ‘Herman the Turtle’ because he had good equipment, but he just didn’t want to drive fast, so he just got down on the apron and stayed out of the way. A lot of times, he’d end up with good finishes.”

    This may sound a little crazy, but you have to remember that back in those days, it wasn’t unusual for half the field to fall out of a race with mechanical issues or due to crashes. Beam’s survival strategy often netted good results. In 194 races, he had 57 top ten finishes.

    “Everybody respected Herman and his mechanical abilities,” Johnson City racer Paul Lewis said. “He was very intelligent and very articulate, and he always had good equipment.”

    “He just didn’t like to drive fast.”

    Many of today’s drivers have been groomed from an early age to appeal to the corporate sponsors that have allowed NASCAR to flourish. For the most part, we never get to see the men or women behind this polished image. But NASCAR history is littered with colorful characters. What you see is what you get. Their antics both on and off the track speak of a time when racing was fueled by testosterone and you never knew what was going to happen next.

    Joe Weatherly had a short but significant career. He only ran two full seasons in NASCAR’s premier series and won Cup championships both seasons, in 1962 and 1963. He was known for his hard racing and famous for his practical jokes. “The Clown Prince of Racing,” Weatherly never missed an opportunity to have some fun.

    In the days before cars had start switches, Weatherly would sneak along pit road and steal the keys to all the cars. When the command, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” was given, Joe’s car was the only one to fire up. In Darlington for a race, Weatherly came up with one of his most well-known pranks. He paid a farmer $100.00 for a mule. The next day, Weatherly proudly rode the mule, complete with race stickers, in the Darlington parade.

    Then there’s the story of Jim Vandiver who put new meaning into the phrase “running from the law.”

    Jim Vandiver began racing in NASCAR’s top division in 1968. His Cup career spanned 14 seasons with 24 top ten finishes. But he’s most famous for an incident that happened at the 1973 Darlington Southern 500. During the race, he spun and brought out a caution. He came to a stop in turn 3, jumped from his car, ran up the banking and disappeared from the track. It seems that two deputy sheriffs had been standing in Vandiver’s pit, waiting to arrest him after he finished the race.

    Vandiver was in the middle of a child custody dispute and was supposed to be in court the same day as the race. He thought his lawyer had taken care of things, but the judge had charged him with contempt of court. He had been tipped off ahead of the race that the law would be waiting for him.

    “When the field got slowed down I jumped out of my car,” Vandiver said, “ran across the track and jumped the wall. When I got to a chain linked fence it was like someone knew I was coming because right there the fence had been cut like somebody done snuck into the race so I went right through it to the road outside the track.”

    I’d like to leave you with two more stories. NASCAR is all about statistics. New records are set and old records are broken. However, there are a couple of NASCAR finishes that were so unique that it is unlikely they will ever be repeated. Both happened in the 1950’s.

    On September 30, 1956, at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway, there was a 200 lap race with 24 cars in the field. On lap 181, Curtis Turner took the lead. There were only 14 other cars left in the race. Suddenly a huge crash broke out behind Turner and he was the only one to get through it unscathed.  He pulled into his pit and the race was called. To this day, it’s the only race that has ever ended with just one car running.

    Raleigh Speedway was the site of another unusual finish. The 100 mile race took place on September 30, 1952 and two sets of brothers would accomplish something that had never been done. Fonty Flock finished first and Herb Thomas took second place. But it’s the third and fourth place finishes that will amaze you. Fonty’s brother Tim finished third and Herb’s brother Donald finished in fourth place.

    From the astounding to the hysterical, NASCAR history is a treasure trove waiting to be explored. You never know what you’re going to discover but one thing is certain. You always leave with a smile on your face.

    Thanks to legendsofnascar.com, Tom Higgins and laidbackracing.com, Patty Kay at insiderracingnews.com and David Scercy at bleacherreport.com

  • Trevor Bayne – ‘To Everything there is a Season’

    Trevor Bayne – ‘To Everything there is a Season’

    Like every other NASCAR fan I had been looking forward to the Daytona 500 since the end of last season.  The track repaving and the anticipation of not knowing what to expect created a new buzz for NASCAR’s premier race of the season.

    Then in the blink of an eye, everything changed. I received a call on February 2nd and found out that my brother had been killed in a senseless accident.

    Suddenly I seemed stuck in a vacuum while the rest of the world swirled around me. Time stood still and the only thing that mattered was that I had lost my big brother.

    He was six years older than me and I always looked up to him. I listened to the same music and shared his love of fast cars. I even had a few teenage crushes on his friends.

    As the days passed, my emotions took over and I all I could do was hang on and try to ride out the storm. For the first few days, I couldn’t bear to close my eyes. All I could see was the tragedy that took my brother’s life. One minute my heart was breaking and the next moment I found myself angry at the world.

    This isn’t the way it was supposed to happen. I never even got to say goodbye.

    I watched the Budweiser Shootout, qualifying and the Duels through clouded vision as I struggled to find my way out of the fog that had enveloped me.

    As the Daytona 500 approached, I wasn’t even sure if I would watch. I could just imagine all the stories that would be told on the 10 year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death. My loss was too fresh and I didn’t know if I could handle the remembrances of another life lost far too soon.

    Race day came and I guess old habits die hard as I found myself in front of the television watching the race. As I was waiting for the race to start I remembered a conversation I’d had with some fellow race fans on a NASCAR fan site.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. had just won the pole for the Daytona 500 and we talked about the very real possibility that he might have a shot at winning the race. We also discussed Trevor Bayne and how strong his car had been in qualifying.

    This is what I told my friends.

    “Highly unlikely, probably impossible, but wouldn’t it be cool to see Bayne win the 500 in the No. 21 car for the Wood Brothers? That, my friends, would be a story!”

    Perhaps it’s just that Bayne was on my mind because, ironically, my brother was also born on February 19th.

    I first got to know Trevor Bayne when I interviewed him in October 2009. My first impression was that this was a kid who had the potential to become one of NASCAR’s future stars. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to speak with him on several occasions and I’ve continued to follow his career closely.

    As I watched the final laps of the race unfold, I had no idea who was going to win. Was Bayne really going to be able to win the 500 in only his second Cup start?

    As he crossed the finish line in first place, I found myself grinning from ear to ear and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud as I heard him scream, “Are you kidding me?”

    For the first time in weeks, I had completely forgotten everything else and was lost in that moment.

    The excitement soon faded and I know that I will struggle daily to come to terms with my brother’s death. But I also realize that I am beginning to heal and will once again be able to feel not only life’s heartbreak but embrace its joy.

    Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
    “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.
    A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
    A time to kill and a time to heal,  a time to tear down and a time to build,
    A time to weep and a time to laugh,  a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Wendell Scott

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Wendell Scott

    Wendell Oliver Scott, born in 1921 in Danville, Virginia, was an American stock car driver and a pioneer of NASCAR.  On March 4, 1961 in Spartanburg SC, he broke down racial barriers to make his first start in the NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) division.  Scott went on to become the first and to date, the only, African-American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

    A look into his life gives us insight into a tumultuous part of NASCAR and American history.

    Scott didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life but was sure of one thing. Whatever it was, he would be his own boss.

    As a youngster he loved going fast, racing his bicycles against other kids and speeding around town on roller skates. Scott also grew up learning about cars at his father’s side. His Dad worked as a driver and mechanic for two wealthy white families and was well known for his prowess behind the wheel.

    Eventually Scott quit high school, became a taxi driver and later served in the segregated Army in Europe during World War II. After the war, he ran an auto-repair shop and ran moonshine on the side.

    Like others before him, he used the moonshine business to hone his driving skills and learn how to build fast race cars. Scott was only caught once and was sentenced to three years probation but continued to make whiskey runs.

    On May 23, 1952, a set of unusual circumstances gave Scott his first racing start.

    At that time the races in Danville were run by the Dixie Circuit, a competing organization to NASCAR.  In order to bring in more money, they decided that they needed a gimmick. Their idea was to bring in a black driver who was fast enough to compete with the usual white drivers. They chose Wendell Scott.

    That first race wasn’t a success. His car broke down and many spectators booed him. But at that moment, Scott realized this was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

    The next day brought Scott back down to earth. He repaired his car and decided to tow it to a NASCAR-sanctioned race in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The NASCAR officials refused to let him compete telling him that black drivers weren’t allowed.

    He left the race with tears in his eyes but he didn’t quit.

    A few days later he went to another NASCAR event in High Point, North Carolina but was once again told he couldn’t race. They suggested he get a white boy to drive his car.

    “I told ’em weren’t no damn white boy going to drive my car,” Scott said.

    Instead, he left the track and decided to avoid NASCAR races for the time being.

    He raced with the Dixie Circuit and at other non-NASCAR speedways and won his first race at Lynchburg, Virginia, only twelve days into his racing career.

    As time passed, he still got boos but more and more fans began rooting for him. Although some of the drivers were prejudiced and would wreck him deliberately, many drivers came to respect Scott. They saw him as a driver no different from themselves, just another hard-working guy who loved racing.

    Soon, some of the newspapers began writing positive stories about Scott and his popularity increased.

    Scott understood, though, that in order to really succeed in the sport, he had to gain admission to NASCAR. He didn’t know NASCAR founder and president, Bill France, so Scott found a less direct way to get into NASCAR.

    He towed his racecar to a local NASCAR event at Richmond Speedway and asked the steward, Mike Poston, to grant him a NASCAR license. Poston was only a part-timer in NASCAR but he did have the authority to issue licenses.

    Poston told him, “We’ve never had any black drivers, and you’re going to be knocked around.”

    “I can take it,” Scott told him.

    Poston approved Scott’s license but his decision wasn’t popular.

    Scott finally met Bill France for the first time in April of 1954. The night before they met, the promoter at a NASCAR event in Raleigh, North Carolina, had given gas money to all of the white drivers who came to the track but had refused to pay Scott. Scott approached France at the Lynchburg speedway and told him what had happened.

    France immediately reached into his pocket, gave Scott thirty dollars and assured him that NASCAR would never treat him with prejudice.

    “You’re a NASCAR member, and as of now you will always be treated as a NASCAR member.”

    In 1961, Scott moved up to the NASCAR Grand National division.

    On December 1, 1963, driving a Chevrolet Bel Air purchased from Ned Jarrett, he won his first race at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida — the first and only top level NASCAR event won by an African-American.

    Ironically, Scott almost didn’t make the race.

    Scott didn’t have enough cash in his pocket to make the long trip. So he asked Jarrett if he could borrow $500.00.

    “He was a race-car driver and I was a race-car driver,” Jarrett said.

    “But he was having a tough time because of his race at that particular period. He wasn’t going to get a lot of help. I thought he was a good race-car driver and he could be good for the sport.”

    Wendell had won the race, by two laps over Buck Baker, but it wasn’t without controversy. NASCAR waved the checkered flag over Baker and awarded him the trophy.

    Hours later, NASCAR officials admitted that Scott had won the race. They gave him a trophy about a month later in Savannah, but it wasn’t the real thing.

    Buck got the real trophy.

    He continued to race competitively through the rest of the 1960s but was forced to retire due to injuries from a racing accident at Talladega, Alabama in 1973.

    Scott achieved one win and 147 top ten finishes in 495 career Grand National starts.

    He died Dec. 22, 1990, after a long battle with spinal cancer.  In 1999, Scott was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

    I’m so glad we never gave up,” said Scott’s Widow Mary.

    “When Ned Jarrett and all of those old drivers came to Scott’s funeral, they told us he had the respect of all the drivers. I’d say all of those older guys learned to like him and respect him. They knew he was a genuine person and he stood for what he believed. He didn’t give up.”

    It has been 50 years since Scott’s first race in NASCAR’s premier series. His achievements will be honored on ESPN on February 20th with a movie entitled “Wendell Scott: A Race Story.”

    The film will air at 9 p.m. ET shortly after the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 race. It was produced by the Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Media Group in conjunction with ESPN Films and Max Siegel Inc.

    The docudrama will contain seldom seen historical footage plus interviews from members of Scott’s family and memories shared by some of stock car racing’s past legends.

    “Wendell Scott faced overwhelming challenges throughout his life and as a pioneer in his sport,” said John Dahl, executive producer, ESPN Films. “The film captures his strong sense of determination and honor with a poignant look at his struggles as well as an examination of his legacy.”

    Scott will always be remembered as the man who prepared the way for future generations of minorities in stock car racing.

    But what we should never forget is this. Wendell Scott was at heart simply a racer.

    All he wanted was a chance to prove himself out on the track. The real testament to his success is that he did just that and earned the respect of the other drivers in the process.

    Achievements:

    1963 – The first and only African-American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

    1999 – Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame

    2000 – Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame

    Thanks to Brian Donovan – “Hard Driving: The American Odyssey of NASCAR’s First Black Driver” and NASCAR for quotes.

  • Trevor Bayne – The Best of Both Worlds

    Trevor Bayne – The Best of Both Worlds

    Trevor Bayne has a knack for turning adversity into opportunity.

    Lack of sponsorship led to an abrupt release from Diamond Waltrip Racing in September of 2010. But just as quickly, Bayne found a new home with Roush Fenway Racing and his future has never looked brighter.

    On Friday, January 20th, Wood Brothers Racing announced that Trevor Bayne will drive the legendary No. 21 car during the 2011 season for a limited number of races in the Sprint Cup series.  He’s currently scheduled to run the first five Cup races of the season and then selected races during the remainder of the season. The goal is at least 17 starts with the possibility of more.

    [media-credit id=9 align=”alignleft” width=”100″][/media-credit]
    C)NASCAR
    I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Bayne a few times over the last couple of years and there are certain things I’ve come to expect. He’s always well-spoken and passionate; the perfect interview subject.

    But this time was a little different.

    This was Trevor Bayne in overdrive and the joy in his voice was unmistakable.

    “I couldn’t be more excited about this,” he told me. “I’ve had to keep it bottled up for the last month or so while we’ve been working on it. I’ve been really pumped up and now I finally get to let it all out.

    “I ran my first Cup race with them and now I’m going to get to continue with them this year. I think its awesome news.”

    “They’re one of the longest standing NASCAR teams and then here I am, their youngest driver ever, so you get a little bit of both worlds.”

    We talked about his first full season in the Nationwide Series and the experiences he’ll take with him as he begins the next stage in his career.

    “I learned you have to be consistent. It doesn’t matter if you win every race or finish fifth or tenth. You have to be around at the end of every race. There’s no way you’re going to win a championship if you put your car in situations it shouldn’t be in.”

    Another thing that sets Bayne apart from other young drivers is his ability to learn from not only the good, but the bad experiences, as well.

    His unanticipated release from Diamond Waltrip Racing taught him a valuable lesson.

    “Every time it seems like things are falling apart, another door opens and that’s the way it happened for me. I’m really fortunate to have these kinds of opportunities. It would be easy to point fingers or be upset about things and sometimes I feel like that. But for the most part, I try to look for that next opportunity and keep moving forward.”

    Bayne is thrilled to be part of the Roush Fenway Racing team and his new alliance with Wood Brothers Racing is the icing on the cake.

    His enthusiasm is infectious as he talks about his latest opportunity with the legendary team.

    “You can go into their shop and almost see a piece of every bit of NASCAR since it started. It’s really cool to see that within one team. They’ve been around for everything and you can’t buy that kind of experience.”

    While Bayne has been testing the No. 21 car, he’s spent his down time soaking up the atmosphere and listening to tales of the “good old days.”

    “Since we’ve been down here in Daytona they’ve been telling me stories about what people used to do, just all kinds of crazy things that no one would even think about doing now or they’d be in NASCAR jail,” he joked. “It’s been really cool to hear the history.”

    Bayne isn’t worried that he might be over-extending himself by running in both the Nationwide and Cup series. Instead he looks at it as opportunity for growth.

    “I’m 19 years old, I’ve got all the energy in the world and I need to use it and get as much experience as I can. Obviously this is a much higher tension, more pressure situation than I’ve had in the past but I think it’s going to help me grow a lot faster, being in the seat that much.”

    I asked Bayne about his plans for the future but for right now he’s happy living his dream and savoring each moment.

    “I’m going to take things one step at a time. No matter how far you plan ahead, no matter how long a contract you have, no matter what anyone says, everything can change in the matter of a month or a week.  I’ve learned to make the most of what I have while I have it. I think if we do that other opportunities will come and we’ll take those when they get here.”

    Trevor Bayne is bursting with energy and loving every minute of his life. Add talent and determination to the equation and you have a recipe for success.

    As we ended the interview, something Bayne said, struck a chord.

    “When you look around the shop you can just tell there are a lot more stories to be written.”

    I can’t help but picture future generations of drivers listening to stories of Trevor Bayne and how he wrote a new chapter in the legacy of Wood Brothers Racing.

  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Dave Marcis

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Dave Marcis

    Dave Marcis was one of the last of a dying breed. He chose to walk his own path as an independent owner/driver with little or no factory support. The life he led was not an easy one but Marcis was never afraid of a little hard work.

    If you look at his statistics alone, you won’t see a lot of wins or any championship titles. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll soon discover why he is one of the most respected drivers in NASCAR history.

    Dave Marcis was born in the small town of Wausau, Wisconsin on March 1, 1941. Often described as hard working, stubborn and opinionated, Marcis was determined to do things his way. He set himself apart from the other drivers right down to his shoes. If you mention Marcis’s name, people will likely remember two things; his work ethic and the wingtip shoes he wore to protect his feet from the heat while driving his racecar.

    His first NASCAR start was in 1968 at the Daytona 500. Over the course of his career, he set two records at Daytona International Speedway that still stand today. Marcis has the most career starts at 33 and the most consecutive starts at 32, from 1968-1999.

    He remembers his first race in Daytona and how Smokey Yunick came to his aid when he was having problems with his car. Yunick was famous for reading between the lines of the rule book and thinking outside the box.

    “When I went to my first race in Daytona, I went and talked to Smokey about how to fix the problems I was having. He gave me a set of special push rods to put in the engine and said I should order some more,” Marcis said. “He gave me a part number, and when I called the company, they said there is no such thing. Yet I had a set in my hand that Smokey gave me.”

    In a career that lasted over 30 years, Marcis made 883 career starts that included five wins and 222 top ten finishes. He ended his career at the Daytona 500 in 2002, at the age of 60.

    When Marcis retired, he was second on the all times starts list in NASCAR behind Richard Petty. Since then, Ricky Rudd has passed him, putting Marcis in third place on the list today.

    Marcis drove for some of the top teams of the day including Nord Krauskopf, Penske Racing and Osterlund Racing. His best season was in 1975 when he drove Krauskopf’s K&K Dodge Charger, and finished second in the points standings.

    In 1978, driving for Rod Osterlund, Marcis had 30 starts and finished in the top 10 an unbelievable 24 times. However, at the end of 1978, he abruptly left Osterlund Racing and decided to field his own team. He was replaced by the late Dale Earnhardt who became a close friend.

    Between 1974 and 1982, Marcis finished out of the top ten in points only twice. By the mid 1980s, however, his performance took a downward turn as it became more difficult to compete with the big money of the factory teams.

    Marcis began testing cars for Richard Childress including Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 GM Goodwrench car. In return he received cars, engines, technical support and sponsorship.

    Throughout his career Marcis also did most of the testing for the IROC series along with Dick Trickle and Jim Sauter. He was originally hired by Mark Donohue, winner of the 1972 Indy 500. Donohue gave Roger Penske his first win of the historic race and won the inaugural IROC championship. Marcis’s association with IROC lasted for 30 years.

    Marcis may have retired from NASCAR in 2002 but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.  He took his love of racing and turned it into a successful business venture named ‘Street Rods by Dave Marcis.’

    Among his racing buddies, Marcis is quite well known for his huge appetite. His second love led him to open a hotel/restaurant in Wisconsin called Camp 28 Resort Hotel.

    The end of Dave Marcis’s career closed a chapter in NASCAR history. The day of the independent owner/driver is almost extinct but Marcis has no regrets when he looks back on his life.

    “I think what I accomplished, the way I did it and the money I had to do it with, I personally think I done very well. I think that I was a good racecar driver, a hard racecar driver. I never gave up. I raced hard every lap, harder than I should have in a lot of instances.”

    He went on to say that “a lot of people said I raced them too hard, even if I was a lap or two down. But I always had hopes of getting that lap back and getting some better finishes. I believed that the spectators came to see a race, and I raced. I always put my heart and soul in it, and I raced hard, hard, hard all the time.”

    Marcis treasures the friendships he formed along the way.

    “To me, the guys today, when they reach our age, they’re not going to have a lot to talk about.” They fly to the races and they fly out.”

    “We were in a caravan and we used to eat in the same restaurants. The fans would meet us there and get autographs. That’s just how it was. It’s just completely different today.”

    His memories tell a story of days gone by when fierce competitors on the track became lifelong friends off the track.

    “What are they going to talk about when they retire? Us guys, we could sit around and talk for weeks,” Marcis said. “At Rockingham, after practice was over in the evening, Buddy Baker and a bunch of us, we’d go in the pine trees over there, get a crow call and shoot crows. Down at Darlington, in some of them ponds, we’d go fishing and catch bass. It was just a whole lot more fun.”

    Marcis’s life is a reflection of a time when it wasn’t all about fame and fortune. It was about accomplishing extraordinary things with little money, great determination and tremendous ingenuity.

    “Radioman” Doug Taylor of Taylor Communications remembers a conversation with Dave Marcis at Daytona in 1975. At the time Taylor was working to provide better two-way radio communications between drivers and their pit crews. Although the driver helmets had speakers in them, the engine noise made communication iffy, at best.

    “Dave approached me at Daytona back in 1975 and said that his two-way radios didn’t work.  At the time my system worked but only on the Yellow Flag laps. Dave showed me what he had been working on and I about died laughing at first. But the more he talked, the more I listened.”

    “What Dave had was a tiny transistor radio earpiece that he had in his ear with bubble gum pushed around it to seal out the noise. He told me he knew he was on the right track, but just couldn’t perfect it.”

    “He suggested that I take his idea and use my engineering expertise to make a better design.  I came up with the ear mold which fit inside the driver’s ear and shut out all outside engine noise. It provided clear communication with no distortion. I used about 30 different ear mold models over 25 years.”

    The legacy of Dave Marcis is best summed up in his own words.

    “We have done so much, with so little, for so long, that now we can do almost anything with nothing.”

    Accomplishments:

    Daytona 500 Most Career Starts – 33
    Daytona 500 Most Consecutive Starts – 32
    IROC Test Driver – 30 Years

  • Who, What & Why to Watch NASCAR 2011

    Who, What & Why to Watch NASCAR 2011

    Championship Week is over, the trophies have all been collected and 2010 has taken its final curtain call. Instead of looking back to the year that was, I’m looking ahead to the limitless possibilities of next season.

    2011 promises to be a pivotal year in NASCAR and these are just a few of the stories to watch.

    Camping World Truck Series:

    Austin Dillon wasted no time in his first full season in this series. He earned seven poles in 2010, breaking a rookie record previously held by Greg Biffle (four), ended the season with two wins and 16 top-10 finishes and finished fifth in the points standings.

    With his first win at Iowa Speedway, he became the series’ second youngest winner, at age 20 years, 2 months, and 37 days. He also has the distinction of capturing the first series victory for Richard Childress Racing since 1995.

    Dillon rounded out the season by winning the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and was named a top breakthrough performer of the year.

    Look for Dillon to run another full season in the black No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing next year but don’t be surprised to see him competing in a few Nationwide Series races too.

    Nationwide Series:

    Rumors abound that the Nationwide Series may see some changes for 2011. The biggest news is that Sprint Cup drivers may no longer be allowed to race for the championship. If this is true, will the change spell the end of the series, or, will it revitalize it?

    The Nationwide Series has been struggling to find its own separate identity as a proving ground for drivers aspiring to rise to the premier Sprint Cup Series level. The last Nationwide regular to win the championship was Martin Truex Jr in 2005.

    This change could allow fans to form a more personal connection with these drivers and allow the fan base for the series to grow.

    The flip side of this scenario is that sponsors may decide that their money might be better spent on the more popular and better established Sprint Cup Series.

    This leaves us with two big questions.

    Will the Sprint Cup drivers continue to race in the series without the benefit of racing for a possible championship?

    If the Sprint Cup drivers abandon the Nationwide Series, will the sponsors follow?

    Travis Pastrana:

    Travis Pastrana will make his NASCAR debut in 2011.

    Although he will only run a limited schedule of seven races in the Nationwide Series, his potential impact on the sport should not be overlooked.

    He’s not interested in anything but first place and he’ll do whatever it takes to prepare for this new challenge.

    Michael Waltrip told ESPN’s David Caraviello that the plan is for Pastrana to gain experience in the K&N Pro Series and possibly run some Truck Series events. This means that Pastrana probably won’t make his debut in the Nationwide Series until mid to late season.

    “Hopefully, he can make all his mistakes and learn all the lessons that he has to learn, and get up to speed where we can be very comfortable when he runs his first Nationwide race or first Truck race, that he is in a position to be competitive,” Waltrip said. “That’s his goal. He wants to test and work really hard at getting up to speed.”

    If he’s successful, Pastrana could breathe new life into a sport that needs some exciting new faces.

    As an added bonus, his “X Games” and “Nitro Circus” following could bring in a new generation of younger fans which NASCAR desperately needs.

    Trevor Bayne:

    In his first full Nationwide Series schedule, Bayne finished the 2010 season in seventh place.  His year included 3 poles along with six top-five and 11 top-ten finishes.  Bayne also made his Cup debut at Texas finishing in 17th place.

    Bayne’s 2010 season was a rollercoaster ride that had him suddenly looking for a new ride just a few weeks before the season was over.

    “It just goes to show that you don’t have any control over it. God has a path for me and He’s guiding me right along because there’s no way I could have done this on my own. It’s just crazy to see how it happens.”

    “Everything seems like it’s the end of the world when Diamond Waltrip Racing has no sponsorship and can’t sign a contract, and then all of a sudden I hear that Jack Roush is making comments that he’s interested, so I checked into it and the next thing I know I’m signing a contract with him. Shortly after that, I hear I’m gonna be in the Wood Brothers Cup car, so it’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been really exciting.”

    Bayne has earned the respect of the Cup veterans he has raced against this year showing a talent and maturity far beyond his 19 years. Bayne is a rising star in NASCAR and one to watch in 2011.

    Sprint Cup Series:

    The Sprint Cup drivers have already been making headlines with Hendrick Motorsports leading the way, but the other teams are chipping away at the Hendrick dominance.

    Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin came within inches of breaking the HMS winning streak in 2010. Richard Childress Racing flexed their muscles with all three teams making The Chase and Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards won the last two races of the season.

    Mark Martin:

    Say it ain’t so. Mark Martin drives for his final season in NASCAR…or does he? We all know it’s his final year at Hendrick Motorsports but will Martin retire at the end of 2011?

    Next season may be his final year at the Cup level but sources say that Martin will also run a limited schedule in both the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series in 2011 for Turner Motorsports.

    Mark Martin may be the best driver who has never won a championship. With a new crew chief and one more year on his contract at HMS, this may be his last best chance to win that elusive Sprint Cup trophy.

    The recent crew chief change has many asking the question, “Is Martin getting Earnhardt Jr.’s leftovers?”

    Rick Hendrick was adamant that he is committed to giving Martin whatever he needs to make it happen and is confident that he’s put together the right team.

    “We are going to do whatever it takes with people, with equipment, whatever it takes for Mark Martin to win races and have the opportunity to go for the championship again. I have total confidence in Lance (McGrew) and Chris (Heroy) and I feel like with Mark, his technical expertise as well as those other two guys, will be a match that I think will surprise a lot of people. Mark’s not getting the short end of the stick. He is going to get all the stick he wants, and that comes from me.”

    Jeff Gordon:

    Alan Gustafson is widely accepted as one of the best crew chiefs in NASCAR today. Pairing him with the four-time champ could easily propel Gordon towards that fifth championship.

    Rick Hendrick explained his reason for pairing the two saying that Gordon “has a tremendous amount of respect for Alan (Gustafson) and wants to do whatever is necessary to give him the opportunity to win and win championships.”

    Hendrick also emphasized that while Gordon was not unhappy with Letarte he felt that “the opportunity to try something different and new would again create a spark inside of the company.”

    “With Alan as an engineer,” Hendrick continued, “he is a proven commodity; he’s been there and won races with a lot of people. He’s finished second in the points. He and Jeff have a relationship. He’s very technical, not a lot of conversation but very to the point and matter-of-fact and Jeff I think at this point in his career.”

    Gordon looks at the change as another chance to succeed.

    “I’m certainly looking forward to working with Alan,” Gordon said. “I’ve known Alan for a number of years, always respected him and I guess in the back of my mind, I always thought it would be kind of cool to work with him. It’s a great opportunity.”

    Gordon could very easily emerge as the real winner in the Hendrick Motorsports shakeup.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr:

    Will this new combination of driver/crew chief provide the magic ingredient that’s been missing?

    Is Steve Letarte the one that can restore his confidence and provide the spark to reignite Dale Jr’s career?

    It will take months before we know the answers to these questions but Letarte has already begun the rebuilding process.

    “I believe he’s a remarkable race-car driver, and I think some people in the world have forgotten that,” Letarte said. “I look forward to the opportunity to remind them that he is as good as I think he is.”

    “I’ve had the ability to work around some very remarkable talents, and I think he is included in that bunch. That’s my motivation – to show everybody in the world how talented Dale Earnhardt Jr. is. We know he can do it. We just have to give him a consistent platform to operate on. I have all the faith in the world with him.”

    The real solution will come from Earnhardt Jr. who acknowledged that the last couple of years have shaken his confidence. “The only person that can truly help me get where I need to go, obviously, starts with me.”

    For the first time in a couple of years, Dale Jr’s fans are excited about the possibilities and this can only be a good thing for NASCAR.

    Jimmie Johnson:

    The season finale will undoubtedly be focused on Jimmie Johnson once again.

    Will the five-time champ claim the six-pack in 2011?

    Team owner Rick Hendrick says that the 48 team was a little off this season but in the end they were good enough.

    Johnson is already looking ahead to the future and the possibility that he could tie Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty by winning seven championship titles.

    “I want to believe, and I do feel in my heart, that we’ll have a shot next year, but I don’t know what those challenges are going to be, how competitive we’ll be, what the competition’s going to look like,” said Johnson.

    “It’s really hard to look that far ahead. I feel like I have my best chances at Hendrick Motorsports, with Chad Knaus as my crew chief.  If I can seam together seven in any shape or form to tie those two greats, I would be extremely honored. If I was ever able to surpass them, it would be out of this world.”

    Look for the power team of Johnson/Knaus to level up in 2011 as they try to continue their unprecedented championship winning streak.

    Denny Hamlin:

    Although he was unable to bring home the championship trophy this year, Hamlin’s 2010 season was nothing short of phenomenal.

    With a season high eight wins and a runner up finish, Hamlin has proven that he’s one of the fiercest competitors out there.

    If anything, the loss to Johnson has made him even more determined to come back in 2011 and make another run for the championship.

    “It’s going to be fuel for me,” Hamlin said. “I’m just going to try to get better. There are things that I can improve on as a driver.”

    “I can assure you we’re going to hold our heads high because we came close this year. We had a great year. We were just a little short in the end.”

    NASCAR:

    While the fans are watching the racing, NASCAR will be the ones under the microscope.

    Attendance and TV Ratings:

    NASCAR has experienced a downward trend for the past four years in television viewership and empty seats at the race tracks have become the norm.

    Changes such as more consistent start times, three attempts at a green-white-checkered restart and a new “have at it boys” policy have had little effect on either.

    And while Johnson’s consecutive championship winning streak looks great in the record books, some will argue that it’s bad for the sport. Many fans will tell you that it’s simply not any fun watching the Chase when you already know what the outcome will be.

    One of the biggest problems facing NASCAR is the decline in 18- to 34-year-old male viewing audience. NASCAR plans to increase its marketing and target this younger demographic.

    Steve Phelps, NASCAR’s chief marketing officer, said their goal is to “use every resource available to us. We have to expose the sport to as many people as we can wherever they are, whether that is on a computer screen, mobile device or television.”

    Another obstacle to overcome is how to compete with the NFL. While NASCAR ratings decline, the NFL ratings have seen a steady increase over the last few years. Despite this, NASCAR has no plans to change the 1:00 PM standard starting time in 2011 which puts them in direct competition with the NFL.

    For most fans, the biggest complaint is the number of commercial advertisements broadcast during the race. NASCAR should explore options such as side by side viewing so that fans don’t miss a minute of the action at the track.

    The 2011 season will be crucial for the continued success of NASCAR.

    Maybe they should take a hint from Rick Hendrick who took a hard look at his company and said,

    “It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.”

    Thanks to Ford Racing for Trevor Bayne quotes.

  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring ‘Suitcase’ Jake Elder

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring ‘Suitcase’ Jake Elder

    J. C. Elder only had a third grade education. He never learned to read and write but he was a natural born genius when it came to working on cars.

    Elder was a man of few words but he knew exactly what he wanted in a race car. If someone disagreed or questioned his decisions, more often than not, he would just pick up and leave. He soon became known throughout the racing community simply as “Suitcase.”

    Despite his cantankerous disposition, Elder was one of the most popular men in the garage. Some said he could just watch a car take a lap around the track and know what was wrong with it. People will put up with a lot for that kind of brilliance.

    “I have a problem getting people to understand how I want things done,” he once said. “Usually, I can get it done myself quicker than I can explain to them how I want it done.”

    Jake Elder began his NASCAR career as a fabricator for Richard Petty Enterprises around 1960.

    Jake came to work for us in Level Cross in the ‘60s, down from the Hickory area, and he was a fabricator,” Richard Petty said. “Jake was old school. There was no engineering; it was all off the cuff. He’d put something on the car and say, ‘OK, now it’s right. Here, you go drive it. And don’t come back in complaining to me, because I got the car fixed. You go learn how to drive it.’”

    He later went on to partner with the Holman-Moody Ford factory team. While there, Elder worked with Mario Andretti and led him to a 1967 victory of the Daytona 500.

    Elder also crew chiefed for David Pearson. Together they won 27 races and two championships in 1968 and 1969.

    He later helped Dale Earnhardt get his first Cup victory in 1979 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Earnhardt went on to win Rookie of the Year that season. Suitcase started out the 1980 season with Earnhardt but quit before the season was over. Even so, part of the credit for Earnhardt’s first Cup championship rightly belongs to Elder.

    His brief partnership with Earnhardt also produced one of the most colorful quotes in NASCAR history. After Earnhardt’s first win, Elder told the rookie, “Stick with me kid and we’ll have diamonds as big as horse turds.”

    Ironically it was Elder who left Earnhardt.

    Dale Earnhardt never forgot Elder. When jobs were scarce, Earnhardt hired Elder to crew chief for his Busch team.

    Elder helped mold the careers of some of NASCAR’s most legendary drivers including Darrell Waltrip, Fred Lorenzen, Terry Labonte, Fireball Roberts and Benny Parsons.

    During the 1970s and 1980s, he probably worked with almost every driver on the track, moving on whenever his mood or circumstances called for a change.

    Elder worked with Darrell Waltrip many times over the years and was with Waltrip for his first and last Cup victories.

    “He was my crew chief about 10 different times,” Waltrip said. “I fired him a lot, and he’d go on and work with Dale, or somebody else, and then he’d be back with me.

    “He helped me, he helped Dale Earnhardt, he helped Terry Labonte — every young driver that came along, Jake made winners out of them because he gave you a car and taught you what a car is supposed to feel like.”

    Jack Roush entered the Cup series as an owner in 1988 and describes Elder as having an almost supernatural ability to diagnose problems.

    “If you had a demon, if your team was beset by bad luck, he would bring his little bag of templates and stuff to check out a car with,” says Roush. “And he would go in and the guys would get out of his way, and he would make his adjustments, and when he was done, if there was a demon in there, he’d have it chased off.

    In the 1990s, more and more teams began using engineers and specialists. Jake Elder and his kind were becoming obsolete.

    But at one time, Jake Elder was the man to call whenever someone had a problem that needed fixing.

    Jeff Hammond described Elder as unique.

    “Jake was into precision before we knew what precision was. Think about the people he worked with: Fireball Roberts, Dale Earnhardt, and David Pearson. He had a huge influence. A lot of the time, if people needed their car fixed, they called Jake Elder.  He wasn’t a people person and he was as rough as a corn cob, but if you got to know him, there wasn’t a better guy to know in that garage area. There is not another Jake Elder. That is one thing we do not have anymore.”

    Winston Kelley, the executive director of the NASCAR Hall of fame, called Elder “one of the true pioneers and classic personalities of our sport.”

    “One of my most vivid memories of Jake is asking him what happened to one of his meticulously prepared cars and Jake putting it so succinctly and simply in saying, ‘It blowed up.’”

    In 2006 “Suitcase Jake” Elder suffered a stroke and his health slowly began to deteriorate. He battled dementia and ended up in an assisted living facility in Statesville, North Carolina. On February 24, 2010, Jake Elder passed away.

    Some called him a miracle worker. Others said he had a magic touch. One thing is certain. Suitcase Jake Elder was one of a kind and his influence on NASCAR should never be forgotten.

    Achievements:

    1968 Cup Championship with David Pearson

    1969 Cup Championship with David Pearson

    1980 Cup Championship with Dale Earnhardt

    Quotes courtesy of The Associated Press, Mike Hembree, Speed TV, Sports Illustrated, Scene Daily and NASCAR.

  • Travis Pastrana Makes his Stock Car Debut in Test at New Smyrna Speedway

    Travis Pastrana Makes his Stock Car Debut in Test at New Smyrna Speedway

    Pastrana experienced stock car racing for the first time at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida earlier this week.

    How did he like it?

    “It was absolutely awesome. I had a lot of fun,” said an energized Pastrana.

    [media-credit name=”Pastrana_Waltrip” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]One thing was obvious in a teleconference with Pastrana on Tuesday afternoon. While he has high expectations, those high hopes are tempered with the reality of how tough a transition this will be.

    He’s already received advice from some NASCAR regulars and seems to comprehend that his entry into the Nationwide Series will be an uphill battle.

    Pastrana realizes that “It’s going to take a lot of time and effort.”  He went on to say, ”I have gotten to know a lot of guys through Red Bull like Brian Vickers and guys that have come from California like Rick Johnson and Jimmie Johnson.  They are all convinced that I am going to hit a lot of walls and it’s going to be a rough learning curve.  However, everyone is really behind me in trying to help out as much as they can. I am optimistic that I can do this and we are going to give it everything we got to give a legitimate effort.”

    He’s no beginner when it comes to new challenges.  From Motocross to Rally Racing, Pastrana has proven that he’s not afraid to tackle new obstacles in his quest for competition.

    “For me it’s all about waking up every morning with a passion.  I have always been one to switch maybe before I needed to or maybe before other people thought it was wise.  I think if you are passionate about something you can find a way to make it happen.  In my 27 years I have been able to chase a lot of different dreams and I feel like I have done as much as I can do in that sport or been as successful as I want to.  I need to wake up every morning thinking about nothing else other than what it’s going to take to get to the top of whatever sport I am in.  I think this is the biggest challenge that I have ever had and it’s going to take a lot of time, but I am willing to put the time in.”

    Pastrana’s next test is scheduled for early January. The team hopes to get in even more testing before his first scheduled race at the Toyota All-Star Showdown in Irwindale, California on January 28th and 29th.

    The remainder of his schedule is to be determined as sponsorship details are worked out but Pastrana-Waltrip Racing hopes to have an announcement next month.

    For now, Pastrana is focused on driving and learning how to compete in NASCAR.

    “NASCAR is the top form of racing maybe in the world – definitely in the United States. It’s the highest level of competition, everyone is so close and I think as a competitor there is no greater thrill then to put yourself against the best.”

    Pastrana doesn’t expect it to be easy. He doesn’t expect to be an overnight success.

    “There will be a time, probably very shortly after the first race where everyone is going to say that I am not going to make it. But I really believe in myself and my team.”

    But Travis Pastrana doesn’t walk away from a challenge; he walks towards it.

    I think this is the biggest challenge that I have ever had and it’s going to take a lot of time, but I am willing to put the time in.”

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Most Popular Driver Award & Talks about his Future

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Most Popular Driver Award & Talks about his Future

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the NMPA Hamburger Helper Most Popular Driver Award for the 8th consecutive year. He accepted the award on Thursday in Las Vegas at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers 2010 Awards Luncheon.

    Earnhardt Jr. began by saying that receiving the award was “a great honor” but first he wanted to congratulate his teammate Jimmie Johnson. He joked about forgetting to congratulate him last year adding that Rick Hendrick had already sent him a text message to remind him to do so.

    [media-credit name=”Dale Earnhardt Jr. accepts his eighth consecutive Hamburger Helper Most Popular Driver Award during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Ceremony on Thursday. Photo by CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]He went on to congratulate General Mills, NMPA, his sponsors and his team but his most heartfelt thanks went to his fans.

    “They really make everything about this sport, about this very moment here, possible for all of us,” said Earnhardt.

    After the luncheon, Earnhardt Jr. spoke with the media about the 2011 season with new crew chief Steve Letarte.

    He described learning about the crew chief change saying, “It’s like knowing what you’re getting for Christmas, but not being able to mess with it until that morning.”

    But he also acknowledged that the real change will begin with the driver himself.

    “The only person that can truly help me get where I need to go, obviously, starts with me, Earnhardt Jr. said. “Then it goes to Rick (Hendrick), Steve and those guys that are your inner circle every week and that are in your corner every week.

    “My biggest problem, I think, is my confidence. I know what I’ve done in the past. I know that I’ve out run and beat these guys that I compete with each week before and I just have to remember that the potential is there.”

    Earnhardt Jr. also believes “there’s a swagger that you have to have,” and the only way he will be able to get that back is to put together some tops five runs.

    “To convince myself to get back to where I need to be confidence wise, I need to see it happen on the track. I can’t just talk myself into going to the track thinking the way I need to think. I’m going to go there and mash the gas and it needs to happen. When it happens, then I’ll go, ‘Yeah, this is what it’s supposed to be like’ and then you kind of get the swagger back and the confidence comes back and everything is rock solid. You win battles, little battles throughout the day with that confidence that you normally don’t win whether it’s with yourself or your competition out on the race track. There are thousands of battles happen throughout the race.”

    Many believe Earnhardt Jr.’s problems on the racetrack began with the introduction of the COT and he admits that it “has been challenging.”

    “But I think the potential for the car to get the grip and get the feel of the race track that I need is there because I’ve had it before. We just missed it. The cars are just not into the track to get the speed and get the grip that I feel like I need to get. We haven’t been able to find what that combination is, whether it’s a package in the springs or the sway bars, which it probably isn’t. We’re missing something for the car and the feel that I need to feel. It could be anything related to the car even before it comes into the crew chief’s hands, we just have to see.”

    Although the last few years have been difficult for Dale Jr., he’s not looking for your pity. Instead, he is looking ahead to the future and the opportunity to prove himself.

    “I don’t think I should win any sympathy votes. We need to perform. We need to be hard on ourselves to how poorly we ran at times last year. We need to force ourselves and push ourselves to improve and that’s what we try to do every offseason. Physically and mentally it can be kind of tough on you but you just kind of rebound and renew yourself in the offseason and renew your faith in your abilities.”