Author: SM Staff

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”246″][/media-credit]The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series officially kicked off their 2011 season with the 33d annual invitational race known as the Budweiser Shootout. The 75 lap event brought some radically new changes to restrictor plate racing at Daytona. We also got introduced to some new racing terms such as “two car lockups”, “team mate for a day” and even “dancing with the stars.” With those thoughts in mind let’s begin this week with:

HOORAH to Kurt Busch for winning the Budweiser Shootout following a stunning finish that saw the race conclusion unveil itself during the final few feet to the checkers. The Las Vegas driver led three of the race’s 75 laps for his first ever Budweiser Shootout win, and a paycheck worth $203,000, in his Roger Penske Racing Dodge. The event was also the first Shootout win for Dodge.

One of the more interesting aspects of this event was the multiple use of the two car drafting technique instead of the long draft lines we’ve seen in the past at Daytona. This was often referred to as “two car lockups.” It was a game of drivers finding out who they could line up and bump draft the best with. It was also a little hairy at times because the second driver had trouble seeing the track in front of the first car. That led to the driver’s spotters working together in order to quickly convey on track information.

It was Jaime McMurray’s Chevrolet that actually pushed Busch into the lead during the final few feet of the race. In victory lane a very appreciative Busch called him his “team mate of the day.” That’s a term you’re likely going to hear a lot during the course of Thursday’s Gatorade Duel qualifying events as well as Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Busch deserves another HOORAH for coining that new racing term as well as a second one when he said “someone call Helio Castro Neves because this is “Dancing With The Stars.” He was of course referring to the IZOD Indy Car champion who surprised us all when he appeared on the popular ABC television show and then danced his way to the winner’s trophy.

But it was the conclusion of the Budweiser Shootout that everyone is still talking about. On that final quarter lap Ryan Newman was the race leader with Denny Hamlin right on his bumper. Newman’s Chevrolet inched up just a bit in the tri-oval and that’s when Hamlin dropped to the extreme bottom of the track to attempt a winning pass. Unfortunately Hamlin’s tires went below the two yellow safety lines which is an automatic disqualification. NASCAR officials dropped Hamlin from first to 12th in the final finishing order.

One would think that a mistake like that would automatically generate a WAZZUP. But I’m going to make an exception here and give Hamlin a HOORAH for his mature attitude and the decision he felt he had to make when his car drifted below the yellow lines. After the race Hamlin said he had no problem with NASCAR’s decision and added “the yellow lines are there to protect us and for the fans in the stand’s safety. I just chose to take the route. Winning a Shootout is not worth sending Newman through the grandstands. And for me, as fast as we were running, if I got into his left rear that car would have went airborne.”

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Having said that, Hamlin absolutely gets a WAZZUP regarding that bizarre incident that occurred with his steering wheel during Sunday’s qualifying session for the Daytona 500. Due to space restraints, the steering wheels of Sprint Cup race cars are removed so a driver can get in and out. When Hamlin crawled into his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, he attached the steering wheel onto the column but apparently didn’t give it a tug to insure that it was properly secured.

After exiting pit road Hamlin pulled out onto the track only to have the car make a sharp left turn all by itself. That’s because the steering wheel came off in the driver’s hands. Fortunately he was only doing approximately 70 MPH at the time, but the car veered into the infield grass and there was some minor damage to the front end. Hamlin did an obligatory slow lap to officially qualify for the race and then brought the car back to the garage for repairs.

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HOORAH to the Junior Nation, the official fan club of Dale Earnhardt Jr, who have found their smiles again. Okay, I’m well aware that Earnhardt crashed out of Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout after being caught up in a WAZZUP moment triggered by drivers Regan Smith and Carl Edwards. But prior to that, the car and the driver looked really strong.

His primary car for the Daytona 500 looked even stronger after Earnhardt locked up the pole position for the 500 following Sunday’s qualifying. He accomplished that by turning in a lap of 186.089 MPH. His team mate, Jeff Gordon, posted the second fastest speed marking the third time a Daytona 500 will start with a front row from Hendrick Motorsports.

Meanwhile the girl friend, still a T shirt wearing card carrying member of the Junior Nation, spent Sunday evening strutting her stuff, in her Junior Nation official clothing, while grinning like the proverbial cat who ate the canary. I, on the other hand, had to sit there and take it because I’m old enough and smart enough to know not to make wise cracks the day before Valentines.

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HOORAH to young rookie driver Trevor Bayne who guaranteed himself a start in the 500 by qualifying his Wood Brothers Ford third on the speed chart. After the run, the happy young driver said “I didn’t know I could hold my breath for a minute and a half.”

But the Wood Brothers had a back up plan to make the Daytona 500 via the NASCAR Stock Exchange. In other words they made a deal to acquire owner’s points which would place them in the top 35 of the owner’s points standings. As we all know, any team within the top 35 is guaranteed a start in Sunday’s race. It also guarantees them a WAZZUP from yours truly.

This arrangement was made with Richard Petty Motorsports who had 2010 owner’s point available from their now defunct #19 team. The details called for the creation of a new racing organization that was named Wood Brothers 2 LLC with Richard Petty being named as the official owner of record of the #21 Ford Fusion. This move, approved by NASCAR, is being referred to as an equity partnership.

Seriously? Equity partnership? I call it buying your way into the Daytona 500.

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The final WAZZUP of the week involves a bizarre incident from a jet dryer belonging to the Daytona Speedway. Following a crash, suffered by driver Jamie McMurray during Friday’s practice session, the speedway clean up crew came out onto the track. All of a sudden the engine of this very expensive jet powered dryer burst into flames. It was a sight we may never see again.

We have two final HOORAHS for you. The first goes to SPEED Channel analyst Kyle Petty who was participating in a lively panel discussion regarding NASCAR’s very popular have at it boys, police yourselves, policy initiated last year. During the course of the topic there was a video overlay of last year’s alleged fight between drivers Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon. I refer to that moment as alleged because I still say I’ve seen girls in cocktail lounges fight better than that.

Apparently Kyle Petty has a similar opinion because he said “I’m still not sure if that fight was Ali versus Frazier or Laverne and Shirley. That’s just one more reason why everyone loves Kyle Petty.

The final HOORAH of the week goes to Fox Sports for their very limited appearances from their animated mascot “Digger.” I honestly can’t tell you exactly why that cartoon fat rat bothers me. Perhaps I should seek professional help and deal with this issue once and for all. Then again, I could spend the money on Budweiser at which point, following a certain point in time and libation, “Digger” simply won’t matter anymore.

The NASCAR season must be underway because there was no shortage of opinions following Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]After hitting speeds past the 200 mph mark in practice, NASCAR officials made a change for the race. Instead of messing with the restrictor plates as was expected, they decided to change the water-cooling system on the cars so that in the two-car drafts it wouldn’t take long before a car overheats.

It didn’t help; speeds still hit over 200 with Michael Waltrip being clocked as the top speed of the night at 208.29 mph.

Yet, it wasn’t the speeds that were the problem. It was the drafting.

Much like has been seen in the past, the two-car tag teams became the top story. There was no large pack; there was no side-by-side, inches away from each other for eight, nine, ten rows deep that have made Daytona and Talladega the chess matches they are.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the racing was ridiculous. Fun, he said, but ridiculous. Matt Kenseth called it “stupid racing.” And Jeff Gordon summed it by saying that it was like playing chess on the edge of a cliff as the wind blew at 50 mph.

As Speedweeks have now begun it appears that the two-car drafts are going to be key. Find a good dancing partner and don’t upset them for the race and you’ll be in good shape. Being in a two-car draft is almost four mile per hour faster than being out there all alone and with no help.

That’s how Kurt Busch ended up winning the Budweiser Shootout. Jamie McMurray was stuck like glue to his back bumper and they rode to the front and a one-two finish.

Mike Calinoff the spotter for Kenseth, put it, “Green flag. Push, push, push!”

Are the days of, “Green flag, inside, inside. Two-by-two behind you …” going away? Will it become about pushing and pulling and having spotters play dealmakers of when to the driver pushing wants to be the one pushed?

Have no fear; strategy will still be in effect when it comes to restrictor plate racing. Just that the biggest strategy is when the driver whose pushing deciding when he wants to make his move for the win.

Unfortunately that’s not what everyone would prefer, drivers or fans. Both of those groups are never at a shortage of opinions.

Both Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch said they would prefer the 30-pack of cars screaming around the track then two-car breakaways.

Said Busch, “I think it would be a better race to see us all grouped up rather than the two-car deals.”

Many fans agreed. Some didn’t.

And then there were others who were just confused.

That included Mark Martin. Going into turn three Martin got into the back of Kyle Busch and sent them both spinning. He was completely confused as to why that occurred. According to Martin he had done nothing different with Busch than with anyone else.

Ryan Newman, who finished third, told the media afterwards, “That was the most unexpected race I’ve ever been a part of.”

Unexpected but record breaking. Heading into the night the record for lead changes was 23 and at the checkered flag there was 28 lead changes. There was also the big wreck, reminding everyone that it was still restrictor plate racing.

Winner Kurt Busch said come this Thursday in the Gatorade Duels and Sunday in the Daytona 500, it will be all about two-car packs. Instead of having a 40-car pack, there will be 22 car packs consisting of two-cars each he said.

Welcome to the new NASCAR – at least for now. Vice president of competition, Robin Pemberton said that NASCAR has until Wednesday to decide if they want to make any changes heading into the Daytona 500.

Until then, everyone can digest this new form of racing that has changed the perception of restrictor plate racing.

I know beforehand that this article probably won’t go down well with Kurt Busch fans and I understand that, but I also know that a lot of old school fans will like this article because it pertains to the yellow line rule that Mike Helton implemented in 2001 and the first driver to get nabbed with the rule was Tony Stewart at the 2001 Pepsi 400 when he was inadvertently blocked by Johnny Benson, which forced him below the yellow line. NASCAR didn’t seem to care and penalized him anyway after Stewart refused to acknowledge the penalty.

But anyway, back to the race. I thought the finish could have been way better than it looked. Daytona has become too much like Talladega and it is definitely lost some of its luster, but hey the speeds tonight were incredible and as long as the fans are enjoying it that is all that really matters, but tonight we saw Denny Hamlin make a move on Ryan Newman at the start-finish line and was forced below the yellow line. Here is the thing, Hamlin had the lead by an inch or two before he went below the yellow line and according to Mike Helton’s statement after the 2003 Aaron’s 499 ruling for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin should be the victor.

Now, for those of you who didn’t get to see that race, I will put it in detail for you. Jr. makes move on Matt Kenseth for lead in Turn 3 and goes below the yellow line slightly and takes the lead. Jr. goes on to win the race and NASCAR does not penalize him for the infraction. Mike Helton comes out and claims Jr. was ahead of Kenseth before he went below, which still makes Jr. the winner and according to the amazing invention of instant replay and television we saw that Helton was wrong, but Jr. still won the race. So, what do we have here? A double standard perhaps? I voiced this on my video podcast all last year that NASCAR needs to have consistent rulings and not let popularity dictate their decision. Was that the case tonight? No. Kurt Busch isn’t all that popular, but NASCAR seems to forget their past and a lot of us fans have really good memories.

You know what would be even better? How about we get rid of this stupid yellow line rule altogether and that will solve the problem. Lets let the drivers use the entire surface and let them make their decisions. NASCAR is getting too much like a totalitarian society where you are nagged on what you can and can not do. I’m pretty positive that Mike Helton couldn’t drive one of these things, let alone at Daytona. Let the drivers drive and maybe we can get that popularity like we did back in the 90’s. Jeff Gordon’s move on Rusty Wallace during the 1999 Daytona 500 to get in the lead group would have been banned today. Gordon’s move on Bill Elliott to take the lead at the 1997 Daytona 500 would be banned today and last, but certainly not least, Dale Earnhardt’s attempted move on Gordon on the final lap in 1999, but ended up in 2nd.

Denny Hamlin was clearly robbed tonight of his second Budweiser Shootout victory. He knows he was. He absolutely knows, but if he says anything, NASCAR will probably fine him like they did last year with Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman. Like I said before, NASCAR is getting too much like a totalitarian society. Think about it. “Hey! You said we robbed you!! That’s a crime!” You have been fined and placed on probation. “Hey!! Ryan!! You said our points system is like a lottery!” (It is) You are fined as well! “You spoke out against our dictator.” You have been thrown in jail.

Do you see where I’m going with this? NASCAR please get the heck of the way and let the drivers drive. If we wanted you to drive we would have let you know a long time ago, but I’m afraid you are too enormous to get in one of these things. A little common sense to start 2011, which we desperately need.

How do you explain the aftereffects of the 2001 Daytona 500 to someone unfamiliar with the sport? How do you explain an event that, even ten years later, can cause the burliest of men to shed a tear? How do you explain how one singular event can so deeply affect a legion of fans?

For the last ten years there has been countless times where I have attempted to explain why the death of someone I have never met is nonetheless still profound. My wife doesn’t understand, most of my friends don’t understand, and anyone else I explain it to provides an inescapable look of confusion on their face.

It seems silly to some in numerous respects, but in order to understand that fateful day one has to understand the context in which it occurred.

NASCAR Cup racing prior to Nextel, prior to the Chase, prior to the COT, was a massively different sport. On paper, the changes seem minute, but there was an intimacy to the sport that has been lost over the years.

In this era it was our sport and our drivers. Rebuked by the media and fans of the more typical stick and ball sports, we sat alone… and cherished it. Much criticism is expressed about today’s coverage, namely because in those days it almost seemed as if you were watching a race with your buddies.

Whether it was Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons, Eli Gold or the late Neil Bonnett, you felt as if you were sitting on the couch right next to them. Truly, that was the beauty of that era, the feeling as if there was no divide between the sport and the fans.

Today much is made about the accessibility of sports starts today. From how stars like Shaq or Chad Johnson will respond to fans on Twitter to the way someone like Deion Sanders gives back to his community. The media will tell you that this is the most intimate era of sports in history.

But that isn’t true because in those days it was different. Much, much different.

Drivers were often as accessible as you were to your family and friends. It wouldn’t be unheard of to be hunting deep in the woods of North Carolina and bump into Dale Earnhardt. Or visit a Bill Elliott dealership and actually chat with Elliott himself.

When Harry Gant was in the midst of his record setting winning streak in 1991, a reporter searched high and low for Gant in order to interview him. Eventually resorting to a phone call to Gant’s wife, she informed him where he had been all week… perched on the roof of his house doing some shingling.

These drivers were the same as you, as I, as everyone else. They were truly the every man of the sporting world… and we loved it.

So on Sunday afternoons we weren’t just cheering on our favorite drivers, we were cheering for what could be a family member or a close friend. There was no facade of a public image, what you saw was a person whom, presumably, was just like you and trying to make a living.

They just so happened to be doing so at 200 miles per hour.

[media-credit name=”nascar” align=”alignright” width=”284″][/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt was the epitome of this notion. When I was younger, he was as close to as a deity as anything I had seen. He was my Michael Jordan, a person beyond greatness whom I, and many others, deemed to be infallible.

Over his career, we had witnessed Earnhardt perform remarkable feats on the track that defied belief. Watching him wheel a stock car was like watching Picasso with a brush. It was an utterly breathtaking experience.

Even more so when the camera would pan towards him and you would see Earnhardt’s typical smirk. Sliding a car sideways and snaking it between others would be enough to dirty the shorts of most drivers, but for Earnhardt it was just good ole fashioned fun.

Ironically the last race he completed, the opening IROC event at Daytona, was a micro-chasm of who he was as a man and as a driver. After performing what is arguably the most spectacular save in the history of Daytona International Speedway, he retaliated by spinning the instigator, Eddie Cheever, after the race.

Upon exiting their vehicles, one would expect anger and malice. Instead, their stood Earnhardt, grin and all, mucking it up with Cheever. It was like it was nothing more than a squabble you or any of your bodies would have, culminating in a cold beer and a good laugh.

It was what we loved not only about Earnhardt, but the sport itself.

As the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 drew near, we noticed a different Earnhardt. Instead of the Intimidator, there raced the protector as he watched his son and his previously snake-bitten driver, Michael Waltrip, streak to victory.

Much has been written and said about what had happened inside of that black number three on the last lap, but the only certainty is that he possessed his trademark smirk heading into that final corner.

What happened then seems as unbelievable today as it did that day. The epitome of the sport, the infallible driver who once raced with a sternum so shattered and broken it overlapped, was gone.

Every fan has some indelible image stamped in their memories from the first moments after that race. For me, it was the slowness of the ambulance as it made its way to Halifax Medical Center and the scramble to find out what was happening afterwards.

The most popular analogy we give other sports fans is having to watch Michael Jordan die on the court in the midst of a game winning pass or score.

Only it’s not that simple. Fans were not as intrinsically and emotionally connect to Jordan, or any other sports star, during their period of greatness. They were always above the fans because of their greatness, but their death would be nonetheless tragic.

This is different. This is personal.

It’s disconcerting to witness something of this nature. I can only surmise that it is like witnessing the sudden last moments of a loved one or close friend’s life. Every second is re-livable… and every second is just as painful.

Its why, ten years later, I personally have not been able to sit down and watch Earnhardt’s funeral. I’m not sure if that VHS tape will ever move from the shelf in my office. Ten years later it’s still… too real.

A monumental amount of good has come from that inauspicious day. No amount of good will ever be able to erase the pain that we all feel this time of year.

Perhaps it’s easier to explain to others that on that day, part of ourselves died as well. It’s a sore that is as real as if a family member had died. And that each year it becomes a bit easier, but it is something which will never heal.

That’s what happens when you see your hero die before your eyes. That’s what we live with every Daytona Speedweeks.

Is that so hard to understand?