Author: Michelle Lippold

Erik Jones Lights up the Night in the Lucas Oil 150 in Phoenix

No lights, two red flags, no problem. Not for tonight’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner Erik Jones. What a night it turned out to be for Jones after starting on the pole, his second pole in 17 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. The win also brought home team owner Kyle Busch and Kyle Busch Motorsports win number 13 in the series, seven of the victories won by Busch and the third win of the season for Jones.

At first it was unclear if the race would get underway due to a power outage at the track which affected the lighting. After a delay of about 75 minutes, the lights came on and the racing began but the race ended early after another power outage on Lap 126. The outages were widespread and affected areas other than the track so NASCAR called the race early for safety reasons and decided not to run the scheduled 150 laps.

Jones dominated in his KBM Toyota, leading 114 of the 126 laps and capturing his fourth career win in the series. He also won this same race last year.

In his post-race interview Jones stated, “It’s pretty cool to pick up another win at Phoenix. It’s a great way to top off the year for me in this truck and just a good way to start off the 2015 season.” A happy Jones went on to say, “It’s just an awesome night, I feel like we had a dominate truck and could definitely have brought it home.”

The race had its share of incidents as well, particularly, in the beginning laps, including a wreck at the start of the race on the opening lap that caused an accordion affect that essentially took out John Wes Townley, German Quiroga and Justin Jennings. The race finally went green on Lap 19 but two laps later, Ben Rhodes spun and brought out the second caution. The race restarted on Lap 27 but shortly after, Spencer Gallagher and Timothy Peters made contact, Peters hit the wall and collected Jeb Burton. The result of all these accidents was that out of the first 33 laps, 28 were run under caution.

The fourth caution of the night came on Lap 39 and brought out the first red flag, after Joey Coulter’s Chevrolet blew a tire and hit the outside wall. His truck had to be taken off the track on a roll-back.

Bringing home second place was NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader, Matt Crafton who also started the race in second. Crafton is in the perfect position to bring home another championship if he can finish 21st or better next week at Homestead. If he does he will be the first driver to win two consecutive championships in the truck series.

Crafton also was one driver that would have liked to have seen the green flag fly again after that second red flag when the power went out again.

Crafton commented, “I would have liked to have seen this thing go all the way tonight.” He continued saying, “I know if I could have gotten track position on him we could have beat him, I truly believe it. I’m tired of finishing second to that damn 51 though.”

Third place went to Cole Custer and fourth place went to Ryan Blaney, who is second in the points. Ben Rhodes finished fifth followed by Darrell Wallace Jr. in sixth and John Hunter Nemechek in seventh place.

Austin Dillon, Johnny Sauter and Tyler Reddick finished in eighth through 10^th, respectively.

The top five in the championship points standings are:

1) Matt Crafton 798

2) Ryan Blaney -25

3) Darrell Wallace Jr. -46

4) Johnny Sauter -59

5) Timothy Peters -93

The next and final race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be the Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. ET.

November 8, 2014
Peters Wins the Freds 250 at Talladega

Timothy Peters captured his first win of the season in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Freds 250 powered by Coca Cola at Talladega Superspeedway. This was Peters’ first win at the “intimidating” superspeedway, his eighth career victory and it also gives him a win in six consecutive seasons.

Peters started 26th, avoided trouble on his way to the front and led 31 of 94 laps in a race that was surprising since there weren’t any of the “big ones” that you typically see at Talladega.

“It was just crazy! I gotta thank Darrell Wallace Jr. for working with me all day,” Peters said. “That last restart we got shuffled back and couldn’t get to each other, but we worked good all day.”

“I know Steve Byrnes is watching, he was riding along with me, so Steve we wish you well,” Peters added.

On lap 12, the first caution flag came out when German Quiroga got tapped and went around hard in the wall collecting Mason Mingus, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ryan Sieg and Chris Fontaine. There were also minor cautions for debris or single truck spins.

On lap 64 however, Joe Nemechek Jr. tapped Ben Kennedy sending his truck into the wall, then on its side, only to right itself and hit the wall again with the rear of the truck. Ryan Ellis got a piece of that wreck as well but nothing compared to Kennedy’s hard hit.

Tayler Malsam would come home in second place today, giving him his best career finish.

Malsam stated, “We ended up where we started, so it wasn’t a bad day.” He went on later to say, “I am looking forward to Texas, we got some good momentum going.”

Third place went to 24 year old Spencer Gallagher, who is currently 27th in points with seven starts, one top-five finish, one top-ten finish and two DNF’s.

Bringing home fourth place was Tyler Reddick and in fifth, Ryan Blaney. Blaney’s finish moved him into second place in the points standings.

Erik Jones came home in sixth place followed by Chris Fontaine in seventh. John Wes Townley held the lead for a short period, ending the race with an eighth place finish.

Ninth and tenth place finishers were Darrell Wallace Jr. and Joe Nemechek, respectively.

Johnny Sauter experienced an engine failure on lap 24 and finished a disappointing 31st, effectively ending his run for the championship. He is currently fourth in the standings, 36 points behind leader Matt Crafton.

Your top five in the points are as follows:

1) Matt Crafton 674
2) Ryan Blaney 658 -16
3) Darrell Wallace Jr. 646 -28
4) Johnny Sauter 638 -36
5) Timothy Peters 597 -77

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads next to Martinsville Speedway on Saturday October 25 for the Kroger 200.

October 18, 2014
Brad Keselowski Earns Nationwide Win at Charlotte

The Drive for the Cure 300 could have had many winners but Brad Keselowski persevered to bring home the trophy. He avoided multiple crashes, aggressive driving and determinedly made his way to the front, passing teammate Ryan Blaney on lap 187 and holding off Kyle Busch to claim his fourth Nationwide win of the season. It was his third win at Charlotte and his 31st career win in the series.

The first caution of the race occurred on the first lap and involved 11 cars. There were seven more cautions before the end of the race. Tire strategy also came into play as Keselowski got four fresh tires for the restart on lap 182 and eventually passed Blaney who had opted for only two tires to gain track position on lap 169.

“Under the yellow (that preceded the final restart), I was confident,” Keselowski stated. “Then he (Blaney) took off in those first five laps, and I went, ‘Uh, oh.’ I wasn’t holding back, and he was driving away, and then the pendulum swung.

“His car seemed to fall off—whether it was the two tires or just the nature of his car, I don’t know—but it came back to us. Yeah, when the yellow was out, I would have definitely said I was very confident, but after those first five laps, it swung back to us.”

When Keselowski was asked ‘What makes this group so special,’ he replied, “It’s the people, whenever you have a successful team, it’s always the people, right? It’s no different here.”

Second place went to Kyle Busch who was coming on aggressively but ran out of laps. Busch already has six wins in the Nationwide Series this year.

“They were faster than us tonight,” Busch said concerning Keselowski’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford. “Just knew that with about 60 (laps) to go that we had a tire advantage over them, and that was going to be the way for us to win the race.”

Third place went to Matt Kenseth who had led the race on and off but not at the right time, Kenseth has no wins as of yet in the Nationwide Series. Blaney took home a respectable fourth place finish, while fifth place went to Kyle Larson, who drove his car every which way except upside down tonight.

Sixth place went to Chris Buescher and seventh place went to Trevor Bayne. Eighth, ninth, and 10^th went consecutively to Chase Elliott (making it his 24th top-10 finish this year), Elliott Sadler and Brian Scott.

The Nationwide Series will head next to Texas Motor Speedway on November 1 for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge.

The top five in points are:

1) Chase Elliott 1106
2) Regan Smith 1064 -42
3) Brian Scott 1045 -61
4) Elliott Sadler 1043 -63
5) Ty Dillon 1045 -64

Complete Finishing Order:

1. Brad Keselowski
2. Kyle Busch
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Ryan Blaney
5. Kyle Larson
6. Chris Buescher
7. Trevor Bayne
8. Chase Elliott
9. Elliott Sadler.
10. Brian Scott
11. Regan Smith
12. Alex Bowman
13. Ryan Sieg
14. Dylan Kwasniewski
15. Ryan Reed.
16. Brendan Gaughan
17. Landon Cassill
18. Mike Bliss
19. Dakoda Armstrong
20. David Starr
21. Ross Chastain
22. Jeremy Clements
23. Kevin Swindell
24. Corey LaJoie
25. Derrike Cope
26. Joey Gase
27. Jamie Dick
28. Chad Boat
29. Carlos Contreras
30. Ty Dillon
31. James Buescher
32. Eric McClure
33. Cale Conley
34. Timmy Hill
35. Jeff Green
36. Matt DiBenedetto
37. Tanner Berryhill
38. Will Kimmel III
39. JJ Yeley
40. Jeffrey Earnhardt

October 10, 2014

Kyle Busch Schools the Field at Richmond

Kyle Busch taught the field how to dominate a race in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway. He took the green flag and didn’t look back, leading all 250 laps without relinquishing the lead once, in a commanding victory. Busch had control of the race right from the start, although some got close, none would get close enough. Not even six cautions for 38 laps would slow him down. This however, isn’t new to Busch, as the last driver to lead every lap in a Nationwide Series race was, yes you guessed it, Busch himself. In Phoenix in 2011 he led all 200 laps from the pole. This was Busch’s 67th win and 42nd pole in 289 Nationwide Series races.

“It’s been a while, if you think about it,” said Busch, who hasn’t won a Nationwide race at Richmond since 2011. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck lately, and it feels good, trying to get some mojo back, get ready for tomorrow night (Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race), see what we can salvage there and roll on into the Chase.”

“All in all, the guys did a great job,” Busch continued. “They were really smart about what they needed, what we needed, what I needed.”

Coming in second and still keeping his points lead, was race phenom Chase Elliott who is having a storybook season so far. He was gaining on Busch but Busch had everything going his way tonight and it was just not meant to happen.

“I thought we had a really good NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet,” Elliott stated, “We made gains really throughout the night and we were getting closer and closer. I think we were actually better than where we were in the spring when we were able to outrun Kevin (Harvick).”

Kevin Harvick, in spite of having an ill handling car at times, came in third after starting 15th. Harvick and Chase Elliott swapped second place several times. Harvick was also making good long runs and at times looked as if he would be able to challenge Busch at the end, but his car was not able to handle as well in short runs and he was unable to gain past third.

“Kyle had a much better car and was able to take off on the short runs and get way out there,” said Harvick, who thought he might have been able to catch Busch during the final run, if not for the caution.” We were off all weekend for whatever reason and I just never really could get the grasp on it, we had a good long run car but that was about it.”

Ryan Blaney in the No.22 had a good run finishing in fourth place. Richard Childress Racing driver Brian Scott captured a fifth place finish.

Driver Regan Smith is having a great season and brought home sixth place. Dakoda Armstrong would bring home his best finish to date in seventh place, prior to that his best finish was 10th.

Rounding out the top ten finishers was Elliott Sadler in eighth, Ty Dillon in ninth place, and Chris Buescher finished the night in 10th place.

The Nationwide Series next travels to Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday September 13 for the Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast 300 Powered by Coca-Cola.

Your current top five in the Nationwide Series point standings are as follows:

1) Chase Elliott 916
2) Regan Smith -19
3) Ty Dillon-42
4) Elliott Sadler-54
5) Brian Scott-57

Complete Finishing Order:

Position	Car No.	Driver
1	84	Kyle Busch
2	9	Chase Elliott
3	5	Kevin Harvick
4	22	Ryan Blaney
5	2	Brian Scott
6	7	Regan Smith
7	43	Dakoda Armstrong
8	11	Elliott Sadler
9	3	Ty Dillon
10	60	Chris Buescher
11	31	Dylan Kwasniewski
12	20	Matt Kenseth
13	42	Kyle Larson
14	01	Landon Cassill
15	6	Trevor Bayne
16	16	Ryan Reed
17	33	Cale Conley
18	62	Brendan Gaughan
19	99	James Buescher
20	10	Mike Bliss
21	51	Jeremy Clements
22	29	Kelly Admiraal
23	39	Ryan Sieg
24	93	Ryan Ellis
25	44	Wil Kimmel III
26	40	Matt DiBenedetto
27	19	Hermie Sadler
28	52	Joey Gase
29	23	Cody Ware
30	14	Jeff Green
31	28	J.J. Yeley
32	4	Jeffrey Earnhardt
33	87	Josh Reaume
34	84	Chad Boat
35	72	John Jackson
36	89	Morgan Shepherd
37	55	Jamie Dick
38	91	Blake Koch
39	46	Matt Frahm
40	74	Kevin LePage

September 6, 2014

Kevin Harvick Dominates the Great Clips 300 With Decisive Win at Atlanta

Atlanta Motor Speedway is good to Kevin Harvick as he takes his third Nationwide Series win of the year in the Great Clips 300 to Benefit Feed the Children. He started the race in eighth place but quickly took over the lead from pole winner Chase Elliott on lap 37 and he was gone, leading an incredible 159 laps out of the 195 lap race.

He is now tied with Mark Martin for all-time Nationwide Series wins at Atlanta. Harvick gave JR Motorsports their eighth win of the year. There were only two minor cautions, both for debris but a light rain extended the second caution to a total of 13 laps. At the restart it was clear that Harvick was the man to beat.

“This thing was bad fast from the drop of the green flag,” Harvick said. “This is just one of those race tracks where I like the challenge of everything you get to do here. Ernie (crew chief Ernie Cope) and I have found a great setup over the years back into the trucks (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), and it’s still working today.”

Joey Logano started fourth in his No. 22 and brought home second place, but by the time he got his car handling to where he could gain on Harvick, it was too late.

“I just ran out of time,” he said. “I wish there were five or seven more laps, and I could have got to him and tried to do something with him. We were catching him two or three tenths (of a second) a lap there at the end and having some fun with it, but it was too little, too late.”

Kyle Larson, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet started the race in second and finished in third place. Larson was running up in the high groove, but clearly the bottom was where you needed to be.

“Here at Atlanta for whatever reason; it’s a really wore out track but the bottom seems to be a little faster,” stated Larson. “I tried to learn to run the bottom but you have to have your left sides on the paint and it’s really narrow down there so it’s hard, but Kevin is really good at it for whatever reason.”

Kyle Busch brought his No. 54 car home in fourth place while the series points leader Chase Elliott came home in fifth place, retaining the points lead.

Regan Smith finished in sixth followed by Brian Scott in seventh place and David Ragan in eighth. Rounding out the top ten finishing order were Ty Dillon and Elliott Sadler, in ninth and 10th respectively.

Your top five in the points standings are as follows:

1) Chase Elliott 874 2) Regan Smith -15 3) Ty Dillon -35 4) Elliott Sadler -48 5) Brian Scott- 54

The Nationwide Series’ next race will be the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Speedway on September 5th.

Complete Finishing Order:

Position	Car No.	Driver
1	5	Kevin Harvick
2	22	Joey Logano
3	42	Kyle Larson
4	54	Kyle Busch
5	9	Chase Elliott
6	7	Regan Smith
7	2	Brian Scott
8	98	David Ragan
9	3	Ty Dillon
10	11	Elliott Sadler
11	20	Matt Kenseth
12	6	Trevor Bayne
13	60	Chris Buescher
14	62	Brendan Gaughan
15	01	Landon Cassill
16	28	JJ Yeley
17	19	Mike Bliss
18	16	Ryan Reed
19	99	James Buescher
20	39	Ryan Sieg
21	31	Dylan Kwasniewsk
22	51	Jeremy Clements
23	17	Tanner Berryhill
24	14	Eric McClure
25	4	Jeffrey Earnhardt
26	40	Matt DiBenedetto
27	55	Jamie Dick
28	44	Blake Koch
29	87	Chris Cockrum
30	52	Joey Gase
31	70	Derrike Cope
32	25	John Wes Townley
33	43	Dakoda Armstrong
34	74	Mike Harmon
35	89	Morgan Shepherd
36	82	Kevin Swindell
37	23	Carlos Contreras
38	72	John Jackson
39	46	Carl Long
40	10	Jeff Green

August 30, 2014

Our Drivers – So Close and Yet so Far Away

I grew up in a different era of NASCAR and I’ve recently realized how much things have changed while I wasn’t paying attention. It feels as though I have awoken from a deep sleep, like in a fairy tale, and nothing is the same.

I look at my wall of autographs and I can almost feel the history behind the signatures. When I close my eyes I can remember walking up to drivers like Alan Kulwicki, Ken Schrader, Dick Trickle, Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip; getting autographs and talking to them. They treated each fan, from the first to the last, as special and you felt appreciated. I was able to chat with drivers at local tracks, I learned so much and made friends with many.

This was a time when drivers didn’t have any more money than the fans, they were just like us. That was the appeal; they didn’t see themselves as heroes, they were racers. We paid for a ticket and they thanked us by signing autographs until there were no more fans in line. Fans were the car owners, fans were the sponsors, fans were important.

The NASCAR drivers sought out the fans, anxious to get their name out there. Along with winning races, that is what brought in the sponsors. Today the situation is reversed and the drivers are pretty much owned by the sponsors and their teams. NASCAR has become so commercialized, that the blue collar sport of yesterday has been lost.

The point I am trying to make is this; the drivers were accessible. It isn’t like today where you run the risk of being trampled by 500 fans trying to get Jimmie Johnson’s autograph when he only has an hour before being rushed away by his sponsor to another event.

I experienced this firsthand last year when I had a pass for a Nationwide race and thought I would see how hard it would be to get autographs. It was a frustrating experience to say the least. I was wearing a boot that went from my foot to my knee, due to an injury. I bravely stood in the area as drivers walked by and I assumed I would be given a little room because of my foot, I was wrong. Basically I was tackled more than Tony Romo on any given Sunday and I finally gave up. I got some autographs but it took me a week to recover from the ordeal.

That is when I began to wonder how disabled fans get autographs? How do fans that can’t afford to go to a race get them? How do older fans that can’t stand in lines for hours to attend an autograph session get them? There has to be an easier way for those fans that want to meet their favorite driver but are restricted.

Then it hit me. Perhaps I can submit an envelope with a picture and a self addressed envelope with postage already paid. Maybe that is now the best way to get an autograph. I did this years ago for a little boy who was unable to write to his hero; Dale Earnhardt Sr. Earnhardt not only sent him an autograph but other items as well.

I was stunned to discover that it’s not that simple anymore. You can no longer just send in a picture or a hero card and request an autograph. Most major teams schedule driver autograph sessions or you can purchase autographed items from their stores.

Pay for an autograph? Really? Something as simple as getting an autograph shouldn’t be so hard, should it?

Autographs are as important to the sport as the fan that will stand in line for hours to obtain them. I understand that, yes, the drivers are pulled around from place to place and do the best they can, but the fans are losing out and it’s the fans who put these drivers in the cars. The fans are the heart of NASCAR and having to pay for an autograph is ludicrous. As it stands now, there is a disconnect between the drivers and their fans.

I don’t think fans feel very important to NASCAR or the drivers today. Let’s get a show of hands. How many fans feel special these days? No show of hands needed, the empty seats say it all. Look at the stands now and then look at the stands back in the days of Tim Richmond, Harry Gant and Richard Petty. Where did the fans go?

It saddens me to see those empty seats and I worry about the state of the sport in general. Fans need to feel engaged again, need to know that the sport they love will listen to them and believe that each and every one of them is important. NASCAR needs to remember that without the fans, there is no NASCAR.

August 27, 2014
Eldora Brings Back Racing Excitement to NASCAR

It was as if someone turned on a light and all NASCAR fans saw the light, or actually the dirt. Suddenly they saw something that has been missing, all-out three and four wide racing. When Darrell Wallace Jr. took the checkered flag in the Mudsummer Classic, the crowd was on their feet.

Let’s rewind back to the early days of stock car racing when it was all about the drivers and the sponsors were second. When the competitors got into their cars and strapped in, they were not thinking of the sponsor or bringing the car home in one piece. The drivers were racers; there was no doubt about it. They got behind the wheel of their car and lined up for the race to start and everything else faded away. Suddenly all they could see was the green flag and the cars they needed to pass. If the car wasn’t banged up at the end of the race, the driver wasn’t racing.

Think back to the Alabama gang with the Allisons and drivers like Cale Yarborogh, Tim Richmond, Richard Petty, and Darrell Waltrip. They drove every lap like it was the last, it was all or nothing. As the saying goes,” Second place is just the first loser.”

They fought each other hard at every track. The fans knew that no matter what race they attended, it was going to be “on” and they would not go home disappointed. This was real racing from start to finish, drivers have at it. This is what made NASCAR popular. These are stories that many fans have never experienced but only hear about, as slowly things have changed. Many changes have been minor but gradually it has become more about sponsors and bringing the car back in one piece.

Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway, a simple dirt track reminded long time fans of how racing used to be and the newer fans got a taste of what they’ve been missing. They were enthralled by the competition, and asked themselves, “Where has this been all this time?” Fans were on the edge of their seats, eyes on the television. They didn’t want it to end. Last night the Camping World Truck Series reminded us what we need more of, pure racing. Every lap last night they were up against the wall or each other, they raced hard and the fans loved it. Today, this is what fans are talking about and some are already wondering if they can see more of this in the Cup or Nationwide series. All the fans know is that they want more.

One has to hope that NASCAR watched and listened to the fans. Each week the sport loses fans in the stands for the races, no matter the division. NASCAR keeps changing the Chase format and adding gimmicks to address the lack of interest. It’s a hard pill to swallow for fans knowing that none of the races made it into a recently released list of the top 50 most-watched sporting events of the year so far. Maybe the answer for NASCAR was right in front of them at Eldora. Maybe they are fixing things that aren’t broken.

NASCAR, the fans don’t really want anything fancy, they want great racing like they saw Wednesday night, the kind of racing where you don’t move away from the action because you don’t want to miss anything. Sometimes the answer is in your history. Last night was the kind of racing that made NASCAR so popular. Bring it back and the fans will follow.

July 25, 2014
Common Sense Guidelines for Race Fans

We are all vulnerable to something bad happening to us while on vacation, even the most seasoned vacationers. The problem is most of us think that because we are on vacation, there is an invisible bubble surrounding us, protecting us from harm.

For instance, many race fans camp in the same camping spot(s) every race and see the same campers each time. They do not think that they are at risk, when in fact it may be the opposite. That sense of knowing everyone causes you to let your guard down and may leave you vulnerable.

Another thing that no one thinks of is bullying. It happens at the track more often than you think. It could be triggered by the T-shirt you are wearing or the one your son is wearing. Perhaps it’s because someone has had way too much to drink.

I am not writing this so that you will change your mind about attending races or change your attire. I don’t want you to look at every fan as an escaped convict looking to mug you. I am just sharing some examples of experiences that have happened to some people I know. Some happened to those I don’t know but who wanted their story told.

A little track etiquette can go a long way as well. First of all, we have all had the jumpers. Yes, we all know the ones that you swear are sitting on a spring, and are up and down like a Jack-in-the-Box. There are times, of course, when everyone will jump up, such as the start of the race or for a caution, etc. and that is to be expected. We all do it but do we need to be standing the whole race? No, we don’t.

When you are a yo-yo, people can’t see through you. Be aware of your surroundings. Look around you at who is sitting behind you and realize that if they are elderly they may not be able to match you jump for jump. Also, no one wants to pay money for a seat and instead of the race they get to see your butt the whole race. Sit down and be courteous.

For the men who do this, remember that your wallet is in your back pocket. I have sat through many races watching wallets go to the ground because of the man constantly jumping up and down. I tell men when this is about to happen but many others don’t, and by the time you realize it’s gone, it may be too late. I have seen wallets drop at races and people eyeballing them. Do the right thing if you see a wallet fall and let them know. If you find one, again, do the right thing. Find someone with security and let them take it from there. Men, keep an eye on your wallet,

Also be careful when visiting the souvenir trailers. If you are pulling out your wallet to buy something it is very easy to have credit cards, ID’s, etc. slide out. The main thing is to keep checking and make sure it’s still in your pocket. There is no worse feeling than losing your wallet. Ladies you have purses and the same thing can happen to you. Leave your suitcase bag at home and get one of those small purses you can wear that hangs in front of you.

Bullying, the reason that triggered this article, is nothing to laugh about. It once happened in front of a friend of mine at Daytona. A young boy about the age of seven was at the race with an older gentleman, who we believe was the child’s grandfather. My friend and his fiancée came up and witnessed four men, around the ages of 30-40 years-old, all wearing Dale Earnhardt Jr. shirts, harassing and making fun of this child because he was wearing a Kyle Busch shirt. You may ask why my friend didn’t intervene. Well, he was one man against four that, no doubt, had a little too much to drink. I have learned to not wear my driver’s shirts because of being harassed.

I also go to souvenir row early, buy my things and get them back into my car, because I was also told by another fan that she had her bag of goodies with her and when she picked them up from under her seat someone had poured a beer and thrown nachos in the bag.

I am putting these things out there because I want you to have a good time. Most of it is common sense. If someone is harassing you or if someone seems to be drinking too much, find security, it is what they are there for. The chances are low that you will have anything happen to you but it’s the same as going to a concert, amusement park, anything of this order, use your head. If you are one of those that stand throughout the whole race, look behind you to see whose view you are blocking.

The most important thing is to enjoy the race! Hope that your driver wins but enjoy the experience, bring a tent, chairs, food, and a grill and do some tailgating. When you are at the race, close your eyes, feel the vibration, hear the power of the engines as they roar by, because once you go and experience it in person, you will be hooked and that’s a great feeling.

July 15, 2014
Almirola Wins his First Sprint Cup Race in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona
For Aric Almirola the rain tastes pretty sweet as he captured his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race.

In probably one of the soggiest race weekends NASCAR has had this season, the racing was still exciting. There was a little bit of everything including rain, crashes and bad pit stops. But one driver stood above the rest to claim his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win. Not only was it his first win, but he did it on the anniversary of “The King” Richard Petty’s 200th win, in the No. 43 car made famous by Petty. Petty’s 200th win also came at Daytona.

Almirola captured the first win for the No.43 car since Martinsville in April of 1999 with John Andretti behind the wheel. To just add some icing onto the cake, birthday cake that is, Petty also just celebrated a birthday. With all this you have to see the magic of it all and there is no denying that it was just meant to be.

The race was scheduled for 160 laps on the 2.5-mile superspeedway on Saturday night, however was moved to Sunday due to rain. Rain fell once again on Sunday, resulting in the race being called after 112 laps. Almirola, who entered with four top-five finishes in his seven-year career, led 14 laps. Almirola, a Florida native made some history of his own, winning at what he considers his home track and putting him in one of the coveted “Chase” spots.

“This is so awesome. The amount of effort that has gone into this team and building it to be better and a winning team as it should be has been great to watch.” Almirola shared his thoughts on winning his first race saying, “To get this car in victory lane is really special. The good Lord was looking out for us today. We had a good fast car and we’ll take them anyway we can get them. We’re going to be in the Chase.”

A happy Almirola also talked about the team stating, “I went last week down to Tampa to do a lot of media to promote this race and I’ve said time and time again how bad I want to win here. I grew up sitting in those grandstands right there and dreamed about winning here and man; I just took the 43 car to victory lane here at Daytona. This race team is deservingly so. We’ve had cars where we’ve ran in the top 10, just haven’t got the finishes. This is so cool to get these guys who have been on this race team for so long to be able to get to victory lane.”

The race was iffy for rain from the start of the race on Sunday. It looked as if it could rain and it did only nine laps into the race resulting in a half hour delay.

Then after the race was restarted, it had barely started back again when “The Big One” would happen when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got squirrelly, in which Jeff Gordon reacted to move down, getting into Tony Stewart, causing Stewart to spin Stenhouse. When the smoke had cleared there were 16 cars involved in the wreck.

“We’re a quarter lap away from the caution and Stenhouse wanted to be a hero. I think it’s a pretty dumb excuse for a caution.” Stewart said.

“We had a good run going for the lead. The 33 pulled down, I got loose off the corner and then the 24 thought I’d spin and came down, and the 24 hit the 14 there.” Stenhouse replied.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose, Danica Patrick, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson also got a piece of the wreck.

“I was running three-wide and I just saw cars flying everywhere. Just real disappointing for the guys that have been working down here for four days in the heat, not to mention shop hours to only run 19 laps.” Johnson said.

There were a pair of cautions due to debris and Earnhardt Jr. was the lucky dog more than once trying to get back in contention after the wreck, though would end up finishing 14th.

While most races feature only one big wreck, this race would be different as a second wreck happened at lap 99. The wreck started when Greg Biffle got into the back of Kasey Kahne, while running in the top-five.

“I was just getting hit from behind and next thing I was spinning,” Kahne explained. “Everybody was trying to get going and I just got hit and it was going left and right.”

“Just so unhappy and close quarters racing,” Biffle commented. “David Ragan gave me a big push and the 5 moved down to the middle, hit the 13 and then I hit the 5. You don’t know when the shove happens and its hard to time it all.”

Kyle Busch thought he had it cleared with a slight slip through the grass, however contact from Cole Whitt with Busch sitting on the apron resulted in Busch going over on his roof. Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray also caught air as a total of 26 cars caught a piece of the wreck.

“It was a carnival ride, but I guess that’s fitting for the Fourth of July weekend,” Busch summarized. “I think someone got the 5 turned across the field there and it went through the grass and went across, t-boned there and it toppled over.”

“From my seat, I didn’t see anything,” McMurray commented. “Kasey came over and said that Greg got him squirrley and he couldn’t catch it. When you have a car spin at the directly in the front of the field, its hard to avoid them. The car was completely off the ground there and let me say – that is a helpless feeling – so glad that it set back down.”

“She did the hostile hop there but luckily, she went back down,” Bowyer said. “But man, look at all the cars torn up and all these guys work so hard on them. Now they’re just scrap.”

Other drivers involved include Brad Keselowski, Michael Annett, Marcos Ambrose, Danica Patrick, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Alex Bowman, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte, David Ragan, Reed Sorenson, David Gilliland, Landon Cassill, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Truex, Michael McDowell and Josh Wise.

“That happens right towards the front and it looks like the 16 got into the 5,” pole sitter Gilliland said. “Just a disappointing day. Hope to get fixed and get some points.”

Many teams were playing weatherman by staying out before and after the race hit the halfway mark, with hopes that if the rain did start, they would be where they needed to be.

Kurt Busch was one of those who did and led the most laps in the race. Along with Busch, Biffle and Almirola were up front fighting for the lead spot. On the restart on lap 105 Kurt Busch and Almirola were side-by-side and on lap 107 Almirola pulled ahead with help from Brian Vickers. The caution came out again on lap 109 and the race was called after 112 laps.

Brian Vickers would get second for his sixth top-10 of 2014, followed by Kurt Busch, Casey Mears and Austin Dillon. Denny Hamlin finished sixth, followed by Michael McDowell, Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer and Marcos Ambrose.

Jeff Gordon remains the leader in the point standings; Earnhardt is in second, 27 points behind. Johnson (-55) is third followed by Keselowski (-65) and Kenseth (-71).

The next stop on the Sprint Cup Schedule is at New Hampshire on Sunday July 13 at 1 p.m. ET for the Camping World RV Sales 301.

Coke Zero 400 Finishing Order at Daytona International Raceway
1. Aric Almirola
2. Brian Vickers
3. Kurt Busch
4. Casey Mears
5. Austin Dillon
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Michael McDowell
8. Danica Patrick
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Marcos Ambrose
11. Terry Labonte
12. Jeff Gordon
13. Alex Bowman
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Paul Menard
17. Joey Logano
18. Brad Keselowski
19. Michael Waltrip
20. Matt Kenseth
21. Michael Annett
22. David Ragan
23. Josh Wise
24. Ryan Newman
25. Justin Allgaier
26. Bobby Labonte
27. Kasesy Kahne
28. Kyle Busch
29. Greg Biffle
30. Jamie McMurray
31. Landon Cassill
32. Ryan Truex
33. Reed Sorenson
34. Cole Whitt
35. David Gilliland
36. Kyle Larson
37. Carl Edwards
38. Trevor Bayne
39. Kevin Harvick
40. Tony Stewart
41. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
42. Jimmie Johnson
43. AJ Allmendinger
July 6, 2014
Parker Kligerman – Seeking the Next Best Opportunity

Imagine yourself, sitting in the car that is about to make your dream come true. Imagine being in what NASCAR is calling the best class of rookies we have ever had. Imagine being picked by famous drivers and fans as “The Dark Horse” for the season. Imagine pulling your belts tight and then hearing the most famous words in NASCAR history. Imagine being on the cusp of everything you have dreamed of. Imagine doing all that and then waking up one day and it is over before you have a chance to really start it.

All of these things happened to Parker Kligerman this year and though many would be frustrated and even bitter, he isn’t. Kligerman considers it a chance to learn and to grow and is determined that it will not bring him down. This is his story.

Kligerman grew up in Connecticut, a place you normally wouldn’t associate with racing. “I think there is racing everywhere,” Kligerman said. “I really got into racing when I was about nine years old. We got Speed Channel and I saw some kids go-karting on there and decided I needed to be doing that.”

Four years later his parents got him a go-kart and he has been racing ever since. Kligerman knew he had to get out of Connecticut and start racing in other places so he headed out to the Midwest. He also began racing in the south to get his career going.

He went on to race some in the ARCA series as well. When asked if that was when he got his big break, he simply stated, “Well, every opportunity is a big break.” He also added, “I didn’t have a lot of funding so any time I could find an opportunity to get into a race car, I made the most of it.”

Kligerman would race in just about anything including midgets and that is where he made the right connection. He got what he calls, “a line to becoming a Penske Racing development driver.” He continued saying, “That was a big step into getting my foot in the door in the NASCAR ranks. To be associated with such an iconic race team as Penske Racing, it was a huge break, it was one of the few reasons I was able to move into the NASCAR ranks through their support and belief.”

Kligerman also discussed the frenzy around the class of 2014. When asked if being around all the Austin Dillon controversy ever made him feel overshadowed, he said that he expected it. “I think in a lot of ways obviously the 3 coming back into the sport in a Cup level, it was a big deal for everyone involved,” he explained. “He deserved the press and the fan support. I felt like I had an ample amount of support, press and fan support, and I have great fans out there.”

Kligerman went on to say, “I think you make your own headlines and you make your own luck, and whatever it is that you get is most importantly dictated by what you do on the track and that is what I am focused on. I don’t really put too much stock in the other stuff.”

One wonders if he had any inkling about the sweeping changes at Swan Racing that left him without a ride. Did he have a feeling it was coming or was he taken by surprise?

His response was, “Ah no, I actually had inklings and I knew of some things going on. One of the largest was they were going to two cars which was never a decision that I was fully supportive of and I didn’t think as an organization we were strong enough internally for that kind of a move. I felt like it put a lot of strain on the organization and sure enough in the end it did. That’s not to put anyone down, it’s just the situation we were in and at the end of the day I was given a job and that was to put the 30 car in the best position possible week in and week out and that’s what we did.”

Kligerman continued, “Financially I think the team was put in a little bit of a tough spot and obviously going the way it did. It wasn’t a surprise as much as inkling or an idea. I just didn’t know the capacity that would happen.”

When asked what that felt like, he answered, “You know, as a race car driver you never want to be in the position where your performance on the race track isn’t the main story. We started to see that become the issue at Swan. The performance on the race track wasn’t the main goal, basically survival was. As a driver and as an organization that can wear on you. I think in a lot of ways looking forward that some of my decision making and the opportunities that I take going forward, is to make sure the opportunities and the focus is solely on the performance on the race track and not so much of the internal things. I think goal wise it becomes something where you’re more worried about your performance than how to survive which is never a fun situation for anyone involved. Going forward I’m trying to make sure I am never in that spot again.”

When asked what he has been doing since leaving Swan Racing and about his old teammate, Kurt Busch. Kligerman said, “I got the call from Kurt to be backup on the 41 for the All-Star race and the 600 while he did the Indy 500 and that was kind of an honor to get that call and I was flattered to be associated with a top notch organization such as Stewart-Haas Racing.”

He added, “I’ve been actively pursuing other opportunities throughout the sport in NASCAR, outside NASCAR, and all over. We continue to do all our media stuff and our podcast, “Kickin’ It with Kligerman,” just became a radio show.”

His main focus is “making sure that when we make a decision on what my next move is that it’s the right decision. I do have time on my side. I am only 23 years old so I feel I can take a step back and really start to evaluate what’s out there and what the situation is and find the best situation possible for me. That is more important than just jumping into something for the sake of jumping in something. I’m having a little fun too. I am going to drive a couple of different type of racecars over the next few weeks that we will be able to announce. I am just having a lot of fun with the situation and hope we can get back to something full time that can compete for a championship and win in the near future.”

Kligerman has been through quite a bit and when asked what he thinks is his biggest accomplishment so far he responded, “As a driver 23 yrs old”, he said, “I made it to the top of the sport and with very, very little family funding almost non-existent, going on talent alone and being able to work with sponsors and as a driver being determined and grateful for every opportunity I have gotten to get to the highest level of the sport at such a young age. If I were to look back I would be very proud of that and of the times I had good equipment and went out there and raced and have been beat up on and the times I had subpar equipment and went out there again and got the most out of it, and got it in a better position than I deserved. As a driver that’s the best you can hope for. If it all were to stop now I would be proud of the career I have had, proud of the ability I have had to get to the top of our sport, and now that I am here, hopefully I can find the situation that allows me to go out win and fight for championships.”

Inquiries about the rumors that he was looking toward IndyCars resulted in this answer, “Well yeah, I have always had an interest in open wheel racing and that’s where I started. I want to take this time not being in a full time ride, to go out there and drive as many things as possible and just experience other forms of racing. As a race car driver you won’t always have the opportunity to be in the position I am in, so I am kind of making the best of it.”

Kligerman is also proud of his podcast telling me how it has grown significantly and is becoming one of the largest racing podcasts and now it’s become a radio show syndicated for Performance Motorsports Network.

Kligerman is not waiting for things to happen, he is making things happen. He also wanted to make sure to thank his fans.

“To my fans I am grateful for your support. I think we have some cool things coming up that I really think are going to be fun, so stick with us.”

Kligerman has every right to be down about the way things have happened. He could have given up, maybe some would have but he is not even close to showing us all what he is about. He has only just begun.
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July 3, 2014