Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

  • RCR Post Race Report — Daytona 500 and NextEra Energy Resources 250

    RCR Post Race Report — Daytona 500 and NextEra Energy Resources 250

    RCR Post Race Report — Daytona 500 and NextEra Energy Resources 250

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    RACE: Daytona 500

    TRACK: Daytona International Speedway

    DATE: February 20, 2011

    Race Highlights:

    RCR drivers finished ninth (Paul Menard), 17th (Clint Bowyer), 36th (Jeff Burton) and 42nd (Kevin Harvick) in the 2011 Daytona 500

    RCR drivers led a total of 19 times for a combined 52 laps – 31 (Bowyer), 11 (Menard), five (Burton) and five (Harvick)

    Menard earned his best career finish to date of ninth

    Bowyer posted the best average running position of 8.6

    The last time Burton wasn’t running at the end of the Great American Race was in 2004

    Harvick suffered his first DNF due to an engine failure since September 2006, a span of 152 races

    The event produced a race-record 74 lead changes among 22 drivers

    16 cautions for a total of 60 laps were produced

    Trevor Bayne claimed the win with Carl Edwards, David Gilliland, Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch rounding out the top five

    Bayne also earned the honors of being the youngest Daytona 500 winner (20 years and one day)

    Paul Menard and the No. 27 PEAK/Menards Team Collect Top-10 Honors in Daytona 500

    Richard Childress Racing’s newest team showcased their talents at Daytona International Speedway and proved that they intend to be a force to be reckoned with by demonstrating a solid performance and bringing home a ninth-place finish in the 2011 Daytona 500. Menard lined up the No. 27 PEAK/Menards Chevrolet in the 19th position to kick off the “Great American Race.” With the first 11 laps slowed for two cautions, forward progress for the PEAK Impala was difficult; however, following the second yellow flag, the Eau Claire, Wis., native found a drafting partner in Tony Stewart and the pair powered their Chevrolets to the front, taking the lead for the first time on lap 18. Menard remained inside the top 10 while drafting with a number of different drivers for the next 60 laps, falling out only once after a four-tire pit stop on lap 33. He found himself in the lead again on lap 37 while working with RCR teammate Clint Bowyer, and again on lap 52. Following a lap-77 visit to pit road while under the seventh caution of the afternoon, Menard was separated from his recent successful drafting partner and was shuffled backwards. Near the halfway point, he was reunited with Bowyer and the pair powered forward once again. Proving they were a forceful combination, they charged into the lead once again. Following the lap-182 caution, spotters scrambled to negotiate who-was-drafting-with-who for the final shootout. Separated from his teammate and without a solid dancing partner to work with, Menard found himself slipping out of the top 10. His position allowed him to navigate around a late-race incident that collected the front-running cars and set the stage for a green-white-checkered finish. In the final laps, Menard powered his No. 27 PEAK/Menards Chevrolet to a top-10 finish in the season opener.

    Start – 19th Finish – 9th Laps Led – 11 Points – 8th

    PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

    “We had a really strong PEAK/Menards Chevrolet at Daytona. The guys have worked incredibly hard to prepare for this season and I think we have showed that since we’ve been down here. We were keeping a close eye on our temperatures after the (No.) 29 and (No.) 31 had engine problems. We ran a solid race and kept out of trouble. We ran well with Clint (Bowyer) and were able to lead laps today – just not the most important lap. The key was finding the right drafting partner, someone who had a strong car and who could work with you, swapping spots to keep the temperatures down. We had a several great drafting partners today; we just didn’t have that combination to keep us in the front at the end. I’m still very proud of our finish and look forward to the season with the No. 27 guys and my RCR teammates.”

    Early Engine Failure Cuts Daytona 500 Short for Harvick, Budweiser Team

    Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team finished 42nd in the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 after an engine failure ended their day on lap 22. Prior to the engine problem, Harvick led twice for a total of five laps and had worked his way back into the top 15 after the team’s first pit stop at lap 12. The engine failure was the team’s first since September 2006 which occurred at Dover International Speedway, a span of 152 races.

    Start – 9th Finish – 42nd Laps Led – 5 Points – 37th

    KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:

    “Obviously, you come to the first race of the year and to have that happen right off the bat is just something you don’t really want to have happen and it’s just one of those things. We go years and years without engine failures and they (Earnhardt Childress Racing Engines) do a great job on that. So, it happens. The oil temperature was 10 – 15 degrees more than what we had been (running). I pulled out from behind the No. 17 (Matt Kenseth) when I felt like I got to the point where I needed to pull out, and the bottom fell out of it. I hate it for everybody on this Budweiser Chevrolet team and everybody from Jimmy Johns and Budweiser. It’s a tough way to start the year, but man, we never blow motors. Everybody at ECR does a great job.”

    Rare Occurrence in Blown Engine Results in 36th-Place Finish for Burton, Cat Racing Team in Daytona 500

    Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar team showcased a strong performance in the first half of the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, but eight laps shy of the race’s halfway mark, the engine expired in the extremely fast black and yellow machine that relegated the team to a 36th-place result. At the drop of the green flag, Burton and Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer picked up where they left off from Thursday’s Duel 150 event, choosing each other as their dancing partner for much of the showdown’s first 92 laps. For the most part, they competed in the top 10, avoided multiple incidents and only dropped to as low as 24th the entire time. Burton led on two different occasions for a total of five laps on the 66th, 67th and 75th – 77th circuits before retiring the RCR entry to the garage 16 laps later when the engine broke – a rare occurrence that last happened in October 2007 at Talladega Superspeedway.

    Start – 4th Finish – 36th Laps Led – 5 Points – 32nd

    JEFF BURTON QUOTE:

    “We are asking a lot out of the engines here for sure. These are tough situations. To run at all, you have to run them 240 (degrees) or so and that may be a little more than we need to be running. We thought we were well within our limits, but maybe not. But listen, I’m proud of everybody. This whole Cat Racing team busted their butt to come down here and put their best foot forward. We ran well all week and I am proud of everybody. I’m disappointed – exceptionally disappointed. But, I’m not going to hang my head. The effort was too good to be disappointed about.”

    No. 33 Team Salvages 17th-Place Finish after Late-Race Incident at Daytona

    After leading 11 times for 31 laps and being involved in a late-race incident with only four laps remaining, Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet team salvaged a 17th-place finish in the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Rolling off the starting grid in the sixth position, Bowyer immediately hooked up with Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton and the two drivers found themselves a mainstay in the top 10 for the first part of the “Great American Race” until the caution flag flew on lap 29 for the infamous “big one”. Bowyer and Burton were then joined by RCR stablemate Paul Menard, who pushed Bowyer to lead his first lap of the day. The three RCR Chevrolets continued to run up front until Burton’s car retired near the halfway point after suffering engine problems. After that, Bowyer and Menard stayed close together in the running order and bounced throughout the top 15 until finally finding the right combination and working their way through the field, where the Emporia, Kan., native led a majority of laps. The two drivers were separated on the track and shuffled back throughout the field joining other competitors in three-wide packs. Bowyer worked his way back to the front with the help of the No. 18 car and, with only four laps to go, made a move on the outside for the lead while running third. However, contact between three cars in the inside lane caused a massive pileup on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile superspeedway, severely damaging the No. 33 car and eliminating any chances of bringing home the 2011 Harley J. Earl trophy. The Helping Hands pit crew managed to repair the car and get it back out for the last three laps of the event without losing a lap to the leaders, salvaging a 17th-place finish.

    Start – 6th Finish – 17th Laps Led – 31 Points – 15th

    CLINT BOWYER QUOTE:

    “What can you say? It was just one of those racing deals. We had one of the best cars out there today and got caught up in someone else’s mess. To tell you the truth, I still don’t know what happened. It was all so fast. Shane (Wilson, crew chief) called a great race today and, once again, we were right there at the end.”

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

    RACE: NextEra Energy Resources 250

    TRACK: Daytona International Speedway

    DATE: February 18, 2011

    Race Highlights:

    Austin Dillon led the field to the green flag after earning his eighth career pole award on Thursday evening.

    Dillon’s No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet did not fall outside of the top five until an incident with just four laps remaining ended the team’s night early.

    Joey Coulter started eighth in his first NASCAR national touring series start and, along with Dillon (pole), was one of nine Chevrolets to start the race in the top-10.

    RCR teammates finished 20th (Dillon) and 34th (Coulter).

    Michael Waltrip earned his first NCWTS victory and became the 22nd driver to post wins in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. He was followed to the finish line by Elliott Sadler, Clay Rogers, Miguel Paludo and Kyle Busch.

    The next NCWTS race is a 150-miler at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, February 25th, televised live on SPEED and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard

    Late Race Multi-Car Incident Spoils Austin Dillon’s Shot at Daytona Victory

    Austin Dillon and the Danny Stockman-led No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Team showcased the strength of Richard Childress Racing’s NCWTS program on Friday night at Daytona by earning the pole award and battling within the top three for much of the 250-mile race. Unfortunately, a late-race incident effectively eliminated any chances of finding Victory Lane and relegated the team to a disappointing 20th-place finish. Dillon was scored in the third position on lap 98 of 100 when a multi-car incident broke out just behind him. Another competitor made contact with the left-rear fender of the No. 3 Chevrolet and Dillon was turned into the outside retaining wall in the tri-oval. The 10-car incident left Dillon’s Chevrolet damaged beyond repair and brought out the red flag for just over 10 minutes. When racing resumed with just four laps remaining, Dillon was unable to continue and finished 20th.

    Start – First Finish – 20th Points Position – 16th Laps Led – 0

    AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

    “I felt like we were in the position we needed to be in. I had already been talking to (spotter) Andy (Houston) about what we were going to have to do on the white-flag lap. We were sitting third, and I felt like that was the spot to be in. It was just a struggle there at the end. I mean, it happens. It’s Daytona. I’m really upset for all these No. 3 fans.”

    Blown Tire Relegates Coulter, No. 22 Team to 34th-Place Result at Daytona

    Joey Coulter and the No. 22 RCR team showcased a strong Chevrolet Silverado in the opening laps of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway, but an unexpected right-front blown tire just 37 laps in forced the Harold Holly-led crew to head to the garage and make repairs, resulting in a 34th-place finish. After rolling off the starting grid from the outside of row four, the Miami Springs, Fla., native flexed his rookie patience and held his own inside the top 15 in the opening 10 laps. He soon found himself boxed in behind a slower truck, and with nowhere to go, dropped to as low as 22nd on lap 12 before drafting his way back toward the front of the field. A brief fuel-only stint on pit road on lap 31 returned the Rookie-of-the-Year contender to eighth on the board. While running 13th in the draft six laps later, an unanticipated occurrence in the form of a blown tire directed the No. 22 RCR Chevrolet to the outer retaining wall, causing heavy damage to the right-side of the machine. After extensive repairs, Holly and his team were able to get Coulter back onto the race track with 25 laps remaining where the young driver ran at a safe, yet competitive, pace.

    Start – Eighth Finish – 34th Points – 28th Laps Led – 0

    JOEY COULTER QUOTES:

    “I hate it that we had a tire blow out. The RCR Chevrolet Silverado was fast – credit goes out to Harold Holly (crew chief) and all the guys on the team. They did an amazing job getting the truck repaired as much as they could to get me back on the track. I wish we had better luck in starting the season but I’m looking forward to getting back in the truck at Phoenix.”

  • Bayne Brings the Wood Brothers Back to Victory Lane in the Daytona 500

    Bayne Brings the Wood Brothers Back to Victory Lane in the Daytona 500

    Over the past 61 years, the Wood Brothers of Stuart, Va., have played a part in some of the most memorable moments in motorsports. But Trevor Bayne’s victory in Sunday’s Daytona 500 topped them all. Bayne, making just his second career Sprint Cup start and his first in the Great American Race, scored a stunning victory, ending a 10-year losing streak for NASCAR’s oldest race team and giving Ford Motor Company its 600th Sprint Cup victory.

    The win was special in many ways. It was a dramatic victory by a clean-cut fresh-faced youngster, and it was a popular triumph for the Woods, who remain some of the most respected people in the NASCAR garage. But for the Woods themselves, their fifth Daytona 500 triumph was a way for the current members of the team to pay back all the people that have stood behind them all these years.

    “I walked in Victory Lane with Richard Petty and Edsel Ford and my dad,” said Eddie Wood, co-owner of the winning Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion. “I don’t know how much better that can get.”

    Wood went on to say that the victory is important not only for his father, team owner Glen Wood, but also for the original members of the family race team, people like Glen’s brothers Leonard, Ray Lee, Delano and Clay, as well as all the others who have been a part of the team over the years.

    Wood also mentioned the leaders at Ford Motor Company, who stuck by the Woods even as they struggled on the race track in recent seasons. He pointed to people like Edsel Ford, Alan Mulally Jim Farley and Mark Fields who not only helped the Woods get back on track but did the same for Ford Motor Company itself.

    “They knew what to do,” Wood said. “We’re so proud to be a part of those guys. We have raced Ford Motor Company products exclusively since 1950. One of the most important things to our racing family is our relationship with Ford Motor Company.”

    Wood said it meant even more to be the team that gave Ford its 600th Cup victory.

    “For us to be the guys that gave it to them with Trevor at the wheel is just a storybook ending for it,” he said. “I’m just so proud to be a part of their world. They mean the world to us.”

    Crew chief Donnie Wingo also found himself talking about long-term relationships during his part of the winner’s interview.

    “I’ve known these guys here for probably about 30 years,” he said of Eddie and Len Wood.

    “With everything the way it worked out last year, the opportunity for me to come over and work with this great group of people, you know, I couldn’t be prouder, couldn’t be happier.”

    Bayne, who held off a pack of veteran drivers in a green-white-checkered-flag dash to the finish and beat Carl Edwards by .118 seconds, said he felt fortunate to be a part of one of the greatest moments in NASCAR history.

    “I almost feel undeserving because there’s guys like Donnie and all these guys out here that are racing against us that have been trying to do this for so long,” he said. “But there’s nobody that deserves it more than any of these guys sitting up here. I’m just glad I got to be the guy sitting behind the wheel for these guys to get this win.”

    For 85-year-old Glen Wood, who has been to Victory Lane with some of auto racing’s all-time great drivers, Sunday’s trip was about the sweetest he can remember.

    “It’s the greatest thing we’ve ever had happen to us,” he said. “It’s certainly put us in the spotlight more than I can ever remember.”

    He said he was especially proud for his sons Eddie and Len and daughter Kim, who now manage the day-to-day affairs of the family race team. He said the second generation racers are responsible for forging a relationship with Roush Fenway Racing that helped them get a Roush car, and it was that trio that decided to hire Donnie Wingo as crew chief and Bayne as the driver.

    “It was their call,” he said.

    And he had high praise for Bayne, who was a front-runner from the first day of practice for the 500.

    “Trevor deserved to win,” Wood said. “He earned it. He didn’t luck into it at all.

    “He ran as good or better than any of them did all day long.”

    Bayne’s victory continues a streak that has seen the Woods improve their performance over the past year or so, an uphill turn that the team badly needed.

    But Eddie Wood said that even as the team struggled through tough times and failed to qualify for races, no one in the family ever considered giving up.

    “You begin to think you can never get back, but you keep trying,” he said. “Just the fact that you want one more trophy, one more trophy, you just can’t quit. And we never did quit. We just kept trying.”

    And on Sunday, just like in the team’s glory years, the red and white Ford with the gold 21 on the doors was in the hunt all day and in Victory Lane afterward.

    The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion was painted in those throw-back colors to honor David Pearson’s upcoming induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, but Wood said the colors seemed to do much more than honor a famous former driver.

    “Bringing back the red and white car with the gold numbers that Pearson drove, that just seemed like it put things back to normal,” he said.

  • STEVE WALLACE REBOUNDS FOR IMPRESSIVE LEAD LAP FINISH IN SPRINT CUP DEBUT

    STEVE WALLACE REBOUNDS FOR IMPRESSIVE LEAD LAP FINISH IN SPRINT CUP DEBUT

    –Top-Ten Effort Halted Only by Flat Tire in Final Laps of Daytona 500–

    DAYTONA BEACH, FL (February 20, 2011)–For Rusty Wallace Racing’s Steve Wallace (No. 77 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry), this afternoon’s 53rd annual Daytona 500 left the 23-year old thinking not only of what was, but also of what could have been.

    On one hand, the 5-Hour Energy pilot defied a bevy of critics in a big way–with an impressive lead-lap top-20 finish in what was his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut and NASCAR’s most prestigious event.

    On the other hand, with just 20 laps to go, Wallace’s finish in his first run at the Great American Race was shaping up to be even more impressive.

    After fighting a lack of drafting partners for the first part of today’s race, Wallace found eventual drafting partner David Gilliland in the second half of the event.  The duo made an impressive march towards the front of the field, storming from outside the top-20 to inside the top-ten with less than 30 laps remaining.

    Unfortunately, the right front tire failed on Wallace’s Camry with approximately 20 laps to go, forcing him to pit road under green flag conditions and knocking him off the lead lap. 

    A determined Wallace refused to give up, however.  He ultimately clawed his way back onto the lead lap for the final green-white-checkered finish, but any additional progress was limited by a pass-through penalty on the final restart.

    Meanwhile, drafting partner Gilliland went on to record a third-place finish in the 53rd Great American Race, leading Wallace and team members to think not only of their strong result, but also of what might have been.

    Said Wallace, “Today was definitely a frustrating race to drive.  As a rookie, it was hard to find drafting partners and it took a lot of patience not to get overly-frustrated.  We had a pretty good car, but I can’t tell you how many times we got drop-kicked from the front to the back or the back to the front.

    “We eventually got hooked up with the 34 car (Gilliland) though and for one reason or another, our two cars worked really well together.  My car was especially good pushing his.  I really have to thank him for working with us.  A lot of guys didn’t want to draft with a rookie driver, but he went with us and it really worked out.

    “We drove all the way up to the top-ten towards the end of the race.  Then, the six car (David Ragan) and two other guys decided to make it four-wide going into turn-three with like 30 to go.  I knew it wasn’t going to work and backed off to keep from wrecking all of us.  The six car still got into my right front though and it eventually cut the tire down.

    “When you look at where we were running with just 20 to go and see that the 34 car–the guy we ran nose-to-tail with all day–finished third, it makes you kind of sick.  I mean, if not for that flat tire, we could have very likely finished in the top-ten at the Daytona 500–or possibly even the top-five.

    “Still, I’m really proud of this 5-Hour Energy team and our effort down here.  For us to have a lead-lap top-20 finish at the biggest race of the year–in the first-ever Cup race for either me or the team–it’s pretty cool.”

    # # #

    About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

    North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace-one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time.  The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively. RWR entries have been among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons.  For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

  • CHEVY DRIVER NOTES & QUOTES – Harvick, Gordon, Burton

    CHEVY DRIVER NOTES & QUOTES – Harvick, Gordon, Burton

    NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES 2011 DAYTONA 500 DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER NOTES & QUOTES February 20, 2011  

    KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET – Sidelined with engine failure on lap 22 (Note: last engine failure was 9/24/06 at Dover): YOU NEVER BLOW MOTORS. WHAT HAPPENED TODAY? “We had just a 10 – 15 more degree oil temp than what we had been (running). I pulled out from behind the No. 17 (Matt Kenseth) when I felt like I got to the point where I needed to pull out, and the bottom fell out of it. So, I hate it for everybody on this Budweiser Chevrolet and everybody from Jimmy Johns and Budweiser. A tough way to start the year but man,  like you said, we never blow motors. Everybody at ECR does a great job.”  

    THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKE WHEN YOU PULLED IN THE GARAGE, DO YOU SPECIFICALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? “I don’t know for sure. I just blew the water out of the bottom of the thing. I hadn’t done anything different. We had a little bit more oil temp, but nothing out of the ordinary.”  

    DO YOU THINK THIS IS A RESULT OF PUSHING AND OVERHEATING? “I don’t think so. Like I said, overheating would be getting it to the point where it blows off and you see the water start to come out. We had a touch more oil temp, but nothing out of the ordinary. And I had just pulled out. And that early in the race, even if you do get it hot, it’s usually not a catastrophic failure like we just had.”  

    DID YOU HAVE ANY WARNING? “No, it just let loose.”  

    ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE POINT SITUATION NOW THAT YOU’RE STARTING OFF THE SEASON SO FAR BEHIND? “This is the first race. You don’t come very much do you? (laughs).  

    YOU’RE A FAVORITE AND HAVE A STRONG CAR, HOW FRUSTRATING IS THIS FOR YOU? “Obviously, you come to the first race of the year and have that happen right off the bat is just something you don’t really want to have happen and it’s just one of those things. It happens. We go years and years without engine failures and they do a great job on that. So, it happens.”  

    JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET, INVOLVED IN MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT ON LAP 29: ACCESS THE DAMAGE TO YOUR RACE CAR:”It doesn’t really matter at this point, our chances to win the Daytona 500 are over. That is the disappointing part. The Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet was really fast. I had just got with Trevor Bayne again, I had some help from Kasey Kahne in the beginning. We were having a lot of fun. You know, I totally get the two-car drafting and I think we are going to see a lot more of it. What I don’t understand is why guys are doing it three-wide, three-deep running for 28th. We need to let it thin out a little. As soon as it thins out, then go to it and they can do it pretty safe and pretty harm free. Like right there, I was sitting there just kind of riding along just waiting for it to thin out. I probably should have waited even farther in the back, but you see them and they are pushing and shoving up the middle down the back straightaway. I’m like ‘what are they doing’, you know. You can understand those guys in the front two or three rows, go ahead…they are going to go out there and do it.  But, anyway, it is disappointing. It is going to be a heck of a race to watch. I think the finish is going to be unbelievable. We are going to see a lot more of what we just saw. It is hot and a little slicker today. The cars aren’t sticking quite as good as they were the other day. Unfortunately for us, the damages are going to take awhile for us to fix. We will get back out there and get as good of laps as we can.”  

    WHAT HAPPENED?”We got into the NO. 7 (Robby Gordon) when the No. 29 (Kevin Harvick) blew up. He got down in front of me, I just couldn’t get slowed down enough and got in the back of him and tore his car up. We had a little damage to the grill opening so we came in and patched that up. That got us in the back and we lost our drafting partner Trevor Bayne and Kasey Kahne. Back there you could actually just use the draft, you didn’t need a partner. I was watching these guys in front of me like bumper cars. Bumping off of one another, three deep, four deep and three and four wide. Unfortunately we go caught up in it. I saw the 00 (David Reutimann) get turned and I was doing everything I could to avoid it and we got caught up in it.”  

    HOW DISAPPOINTED ARE YOU?”It is such a bummer. We had such a fast race car, such a great race team. You have to take what you can from this. The most disappointing thing is we don’t have a shot at winning the Daytona 500. We prepared so long and hard, these guys worked so hard and built me such a great race car. So that is the bummer. But at the same time, this could be a good lesson for us to repair this car and get back out there and get ourselves prepared to win a championship.”  

    HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RACING OUT THERE?”In the first eight or 10 cars, it is good, it is fun. But everybody is trying to do this two-car draft all the way to 38th and that is where you have to be careful. You can’t be three and four wide and five rows deep trying to push and shove one another. You have to use your head a little bit more and you have to be a little more patient. When it thins out, then we can go. A lot of guys aren’t waiting for it to thin out, they are just pushing and they are getting themselves in trouble.”  

    DO YOU KNOW HOW THE WRECK HAPPENED?  “I don’t know, somehow the 00 got turned, I’m not really sure how. I’m pretty sure somebody was pushing him and he had to check up or something happened. You are going to see a lot more of it. It is just not going to work until we thin out the field. Unfortunately we are one of those cars that got thinned out of it. We’ll do what we can to get this Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet repaired and get back out there and get as many points as we can.”  

    MICHAEL WALTRIP WAS JUST DISCUSSING HOW INTENSE IT IS OUT THERE WITH THIS TYPE OF DRAFTING…”That’s true and I don’t think that is very smart.  For the first 10 cars, I think, yes, that makes sense. And when the field thins out, yes that makes sense. But on the restarts when they are two and three wide, to be that intense at the start of a Daytona 500, it is a long race. That is the part I don’t quite understand. Everybody is getting on the brakes backing up to the guy to get the push when you are running 26th, 28th, 30th. I think we saw yesterday in the Nationwide race that you can kind of ride there in a pack if you don’t get connected out there early and you can survive and ride. You don’t want to get too far back, but you also don’t want to be shoving people and spinning people out early in the race. That is what we are going to see here. It is new for all of us. First time with 43 cars in this type of situation. It is going to be a learning situation for a lot of them. We were learning. We were out there having fun with Trevor again and having some fun with Kasey Kahne. We had a fast race car so it is very disappointing we aren’t going to win the Daytona 500.”  

    JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET, SUFFERED ENGINE FAILURE ON LAP 94: WAS IT THE SAME ISSUE AS YOUR TEAMMATE KEVIN HARVICK?”We are asking a lot out of the engines here for sure. These are tough situations. To run at all, you got to run them 240 (degrees) or so and that may be a little more than we need to be running. We thought we were well within our limits, but maybe not. But listen, I’m proud of everybody. Everybody busted their butt to come own here and put their best foot forward. We ran well all week and I am proud of everybody. Disappointed. Exceptionally disappointed. But I am really proud of everybody.   “It is a little early to know [what happened] yet. It could be [the same issue] but it is a little early to know. They had similar reactions and that is a possibility that is the case.”  

    SO STRONG OUT THERE WITH CLINT BOWYER, DESCRIBE THE RACING CONDITIONS:”It is hard. I know it’s not a 30-car pack, it is a lot of twosomes. It is very very difficult to do this. You can run nose to tail all day long but to keep the temps down like you need to and do that, it gets very difficult. I am really proud of everybody on the Cat Chevrolet. Everybody worked hard and came down here trying to put their best foot forward but it didn’t work out for us. But I’m not going to hang my head. The effort was too good to be disappointed about.”  

    About Chevrolet:Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • Motocraft / Quick Lane Ford Fusion wins Daytona 500

    Motocraft / Quick Lane Ford Fusion wins Daytona 500

    MOTORCRAFT / QUICK LANE FORD FUSION WINS DAYTONA 500 FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION 2011 RACE SEASON KICKS OFF WITH SPRINT CUP VICTORY  

    DEARBORN, Mich., February 20, 2011– There have been big wins and championships for the Motorcraft brand in its long and storied motorsports history, but never has a season kicked off quite like 2011. 

      Trevor Bayne, a 20-year-old NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie making just his second Sprint Cup series start, piloted the Wood Brothers No. 21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford Fusion to victory in the Daytona 500. The victory was the first for the Wood Brothers since 2001 when Elliott Sadler was driving for the team.   “Our first 500, are you kidding me,” said Bayne, who became the tenth Ford driver to win the Daytona 500. “To win our first one? Our second ever Cup race?  I can’t thank the guys that worked with me enough. There were 10-15 different drivers that helped us get across that line. Wow. This is unbelievable. Ford, Motorcraft, Quick Lane, the Wood Brothers, there are a lot of people to thank. It is just amazing. How cool is it to see the Wood Brothers back in victory lane. We have Leonard [Wood] here and he is the man. Thanks to the fans. I have never been to a race track with so many people. To win on this platform is incredible.”   “We’re so tickled to be here,” said Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Len Wood.  “Ford Motor Company has stood behind us for 61 years now to be exact.  We’ve been Ford all of our entire racing and to be a part of NASCAR, like I say; this is the greatest feeling you can have. You think, ‘Well, what’s your biggest win?’  Well, this is the top of the stack right now.”   Motorcraft is now in its eleventh season as a sponsor of Wood Brothers racing, and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers is now in its second season with the iconic NASCAR team.     “Congratulations to Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers on an outstanding start to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season,” said Brett Wheatley, Director of Marketing, Ford Customer Service Division. “We are proud of our long-standing relationship with the Wood Brothers, and today’s Daytona 500 victory will be a highlight that we will look back on for years to come. Motorcraft and Quick Lane are thrilled to be associated with such a tremendous group of people and with a team which has such a rich and successful history and one that continues to build on that legacy.”   The Motorcraft / Quick Lane program with the Wood Brothers is one of two season long motorsports sponsorships by Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD).  FCSD brands Motorcraft, Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center and FordParts.com are also partnering with Bob Tasca III and the Tasca Racing to compete in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series with a Mustang Funny Car.   Tasca and the Motorcraft / Quick Lane Shelby Mustang will kick off the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle season with the Winternationals next weekend at Pomona, Calif.

      ###   About Motorcraft Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors, and automotive parts retailers and are backed by Ford Motor Company’s Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com. 

    About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models.  Quick Lane’s nationwide network of 600 facilities, each providing the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians).  Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com.

    About FordParts.com FordParts.com allows repair shops, body shops, fleets and do-it-yourselfers to purchase online over 280,000 Genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts quickly and easily.  As well as the convenience of ordering parts online 24/7, FordParts.com provides full line catalogs with VIN look-up, parts pricing, inventory availability, FedEx over-night shipping, and technical illustrations of over 22,000 parts and assemblies.  For more information, visit www.fordparts.com.

    About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents.   With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s brands include Ford and Lincoln.  The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.  For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

  • Team Chevy Fast Facts – Daytona 500

    Team Chevy Fast Facts – Daytona 500

    CHEVY FAST FACTS DAYTONA 500 DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY February 20, 2011  

    ·        A total of 17 Team Chevy drivers will start the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Daytona International Speedway, the opening round of the 2011 season.

    ·        Chevrolet drivers starting in the top-10:

    ·        Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet is the pole winner

    ·        Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet starts 2nd

    ·        Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet rolls off 4th

    ·        Regan Smith, No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet qualified 5th

    ·        Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet starts 7th CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

    ·        Chevrolet drivers have won 21 of 52 Daytona 500 races

    ·        A Chevrolet driver has won seven (7) of the last 10 Daytona 500 races

     ·        Team Chevy drivers have won 40 of 127 previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races at Daytona International Speedway (DIS)

    ·        Chevrolet drivers have won 40 poles at DIS

    ·        Team Chevy drivers have scored 175 top-five finishes and 339  top-10 finishes at DIS

     ·        A Chevrolet has led 6,640 laps (34.5% of possible 19,233) at DIS TEAM CHEVY IN 2010 NASCAR SPRINT

    CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:

    ·        Chevrolet has won 34 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championship

    ·        Team Chevy drivers have scored 669 wins in NSCS competition

    ·        In 2010, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team scored their unprecedented fifth consecutive drivers’ and owners’ NSCS championships

    About Chevrolet:Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • The Final Word on the Daytona 500

    The Final Word on the Daytona 500

    So, what did we learn at the Daytona 500?

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”270″][/media-credit]Well, we learned that if the rest of the races this season are comparable to the first, 2011 will be one hell of a year in NASCAR. To start with, you have a 20 year (and one day) old driver winning his first race in his second Cup start in an event it took Dale Earnhardt 20 years to finally claim. Trevor Bayne demonstrated throughout all the practices and his duel qualifier that he has that certain something. Jeff Gordon recognized it, and now most race fans should as well. The only question remaining is, what is the kid going to do now for an encore?

    We learned that Dale Earnhardt, even ten years after his death, is still held in reverence. In sports, only hockey’s Maurice Richard comes to mind as being even close. Only Elvis can still spark such emotions. Few people in this world can still bring tears to the eyes of strangers after a decade as the memory of the Intimidator did over the past week.

    We learned that his son can still run strong at the big track and remains as popular as ever. Too bad he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as Junior went from a Top Ten to sit 24th. David Ragan messed up the re-start of a green-white-checkers, which started a chain reaction of misfortune behind him that concluded Junior’s day. Earnhardt’s three team mates all got caught up in the 15-car Big One of Lap 29, with Jimmie Johnson and Gordon limping around to finish in 27th and 28th place. At least Mark Martin recovered to wrap up 10th.

    We learned that Hendrick engines can, and did, fail. Kevin Harvick was gone from the scene within 20 laps, while Jeff Burton didn’t even make half way. J.J. Yeley got in ten before he was done, deemed the day’s Biggest Loser and collecting his single point for coming out.

    We learned that eight cylinders beats seven, which is why last year’s Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray had to settle for 18th. We learned that Furniture Row’s Regan Smith is another fellow to watch for this season as he did himself proud to wind up seventh. Of course, we learned that two cars in tandem not only move fast at Daytona, but if the manoeuver isn’t done just right one can help ruin the day of the guy you were trying to help.

    We learned that FOX came in with some new toys. They had cameras that showed heated tires and images that showed how much the drivers were turning the wheel. Nothing as stupid as ESPN’s bogus draft track, but unfortunately someone there insists on keeping Digger alive. Digger is dead, so let’s move on.

    We learned on Friday night that Michael Waltrip still has some racing left in him, as he won the truck event 10 years to the day after he won the Daytona 500. Tony Stewart was 13th Sunday, but won his sixth season opening Nationwide race in his last seven attempts at Daytona on Saturday.

    Next Sunday, a most welcome schedule change moves up our first visit to Phoenix by more than a month. Last April, Ryan Newman was the man, with Gordon and Johnson finishing right behind him. After their Daytona experience, I’m thinking those two could use a little history repeating itself in Arizona. By the way, as Bayne isn’t in the running for a Cup title this year, Carl Edwards leads the standings by a single point over David Gilliland and Bobby Labonte. Huh? Oh, it could be a very interesting season.

    Enjoy your week.

  • Fairy Tales Do Come True, Just Ask Trevor Bayne, Daytona 500 Winner

    Fairy Tales Do Come True, Just Ask Trevor Bayne, Daytona 500 Winner

    For Trevor Bayne, fresh off his 20th birthday and in only his second race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, dreams really do come true.  Bayne became the youngest winner of “The Great American Race”, the Daytona 500.

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”281″][/media-credit]”I keep thinking I’m dreaming, I really do,” Bayne said in Victory Lane. “We said a prayer before the race and this just shows how powerful God is and the good job these guys did on this race car. This is just incredible.”

    “I drove down here in my F150 and I was planning to drive back, but I think someone else will have to drive it back for me,” Bayne said, acknowledging that he must now do his Daytona 500 duties in New York City as the race winner. “I guess I will have to call someone to get some clothes down here.”

    “This is so crazy,” Bayne continued. “I felt a little undeserving, but I’m just glad that I got to be the guy behind the wheel to get the win.”

    Bayne’s team owners Eddie and Len Wood were beside themselves after the win. It was so emotional that they both, particularly Eddie Wood, had to stop talking several times to get their tears in check.

    “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” owner Eddie Wood said, with a hitch in his voice. “We’ve struggled just to make the Daytona 500.”

    “It’s unbelievable we are sitting here,” Wood continued. “Trevor Bayne did such a good job. Now he is a Daytona 500 winner.”

    Donnie Wingo, Bayne’s crew chief, was also elated at his driver and team’s success.

    “I couldn’t be happier and the job the kid done today, you couldn’t ask for anything else,” Donnie Wingo, crew chief, said. “At the end, he did what he needed to do.”

    “He just might be the next big deal.”

    The race not only left Trevor Bayne and his car owners and crew chief shaking in disbelief, but many of the other drivers as well. There were a record 74 lead changes, a record 22 different race leaders, and a record 16 cautions in the event.

    “I’ve never run one like that,” veteran Terry Labonte, driver of the No. 32 U.S. Chrome Ford Fusion, said. “It’s a good thing the race wasn’t much longer because we were about done.” Labonte finished the race in the 15th position.

    Just as in the Bud Shootout and the Gatorade Duels, this running of the Daytona 500 necessitated a dance partner, with all cars running in the now familiar duo pack. The tandem racing put even more pressure on the spotters, who were not only having to guide their drivers around the track but strategize on the spotter stand as to who to partner up with next.

    “It was a pretty crazy day overall,” Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, said. “Everything was just all over the place and pretty nuts.”

    Busch had his own set of challenges, spinning early in the race on lap 4 after getting tagged by his pusher, who was at the time Michael Waltrip.  Busch managed to recover and snag a top-ten finish, scoring in the eighth spot.

    Another major factor in the race was engine failure, especially given the hotter ambient temperature at Daytona. Both Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton lost their engines, an anomaly for sure for ECR engines.

    Harvick denied any forewarning of his engine failure, saying “No, it just let loose.”

    “I just blew water out of the bottom of the thing,” Harvick continued. “I hadn’t done anything different.”

    Burton echoed his teammate’s sentiments about the engine failure.

    “We are asking a lot out of the engines here for sure,” Burton said. “These are tough situations. I thought we were well within our limits but maybe not.”

    It would not be a Daytona 500 without the “big one” and this was delivered at lap 29 of the race.  Fourteen cars were involved, including three of the Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin, taking them for the most part out of race contention.

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the spotlight due to the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of his father’s death at Daytona, also had a good run, at least until the final laps of the race when a crash took him out of contention. Earnhardt came in 24th, after claiming the pole, wrecking in practice, and starting from the rear of the field.

    “We run good,” Earnhardt, Jr. said. “I had as much fun as I could under the circumstances. It was wild.”

    Carl Edwards took the runner up spot to Bayne’s fairy tale ending.

    “Trevor, he did a good job of blocking the bottom,” Edwards said. “All day we waited and waited, trying not to tear up the race car.”

    “There at the end, it almost worked out perfectly,” Edwards continued. “We didn’t have a chance to be able to mount up a real charge on him.”

    “I think that I can tell you that second place in the Daytona 500 feels way worse than any other position I’ve ever finished in the Daytona 500,” Edwards said. “But that is made better by listening to Trevor and how excited he is. He is really a nice young man, a great guy to represent this sport with this win.”

    David Gilliland, veteran Bobby Labonte, and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five in “The Great American Race.” The rest of the top ten included Juan Pablo Montoya in sixth, Regan Smith in seventh, Kyle Busch in eighth, Paul Menard in ninth, and Mark Martin, who rebounded from the big one to finish tenth.

    Unofficial Race Results

    Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway

    February 20, 2011 – Race 1 of 36

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 31 21 Trevor Bayne Ford 0 0 208 Running
    2 12 99 Carl Edwards Ford 42 0 208 Running
    3 5 34 David Gilliland Ford 41 0 208 Running
    4 6 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 41 1 208 Running
    5 25 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 40 1 208 Running
    6 4 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 39 1 208 Running
    7 27 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 38 1 208 Running
    8 39 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 37 1 208 Running
    9 1 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 36 1 208 Running
    10 34 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 34 0 208 Running
    11 35 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 34 1 208 Running
    12 42 9 Bill Elliott Chevrolet 32 0 208 Running
    13 3 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 31 0 208 Running
    14 18 6 David Ragan Ford 31 1 208 Running
    15 37 32 Terry Labonte Ford 30 1 208 Running
    16 16 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 29 1 208 Running
    17 15 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 28 1 208 Running
    18 2 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 27 1 208 Running
    19 29 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 26 1 208 Running
    20 36 77 Steve Wallace Toyota 0 0 208 Running
    21 38 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 24 1 208 Running
    22 20 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 24 2 206 Running
    23 11 20 Joey Logano Toyota 21 0 206 Running
    24 13 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 21 1 202 Running
    25 17 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 19 0 199 Running
    26 21 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 19 1 198 In Pit
    27 24 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 17 0 189 Running
    28 23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 17 1 173 Running
    29 8 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 16 1 166 Running
    30 10 0 David Reutimann Toyota 14 0 164 Running
    31 30 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 13 0 160 Running
    32 7 38 Travis Kvapil Ford 0 0 153 In Pit
    33 33 71 Andy Lally * Chevrolet 11 0 149 Running
    34 26 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 10 0 133 Running
    35 14 16 Greg Biffle Ford 9 10 126 Running
    36 32 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 9 1 92 Out
    37 19 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 7 0 82 Running
    38 40 37 Robert Richardson Jr. Ford 0 0 45 Running
    39 22 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0 0 29 In Pit
    40 9 115 Michael Waltrip Toyota 4 0 28 In Pit
    41 41 192 Brian Keselowski* Dodge 3 0 28 Running
    42 28 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 3 1 22 Out
    43 43 46 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 1 0 10 Out
  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    The kickoff race for NASCAR, the Daytona 500, is always one of the biggest and most prestigious races of the season. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 53rd running of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500:

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]Surprising:  In a race that set the record for lead changes, different leaders, and cautions, the biggest surprise to all, including himself, was Trevor Bayne, channeling his inner David Pearson in the famed Wood Brothers No. 21 car, to take the checkered flag.  Bayne is the second youngest race winner, accomplishing the feat on the second green, white, checkered, even while running low on gas.

    Bayne is the tenth different Ford driver to win the Daytona 500.  This was the youngster’s first win in only his second Cup Series start.

    Not Surprising:  Carl Edwards, exhibiting great patience, came in the second spot. Edwards, however, took solace in “how nice a guy Trevor is” as he savored his runner up status.

    “I don’t know if you guys noticed, but it was pretty wild out there today,” Edwards said. “But I was there at the end and that’s what I had to do.”

    Surprising: It was indeed surprising that there were no Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, or Richard Childress Racing representatives in the top five finishing order. The story instead was one of the underdog teams, with the Wood Brothers, Front Row Motorsports and JTG Daugherty instead in the top five.

    Not Surprising:   Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a great day, leading laps and staying competitive.  Unfortunately, as has happened to Junior all too often, he was caught up in a tussle on the final laps, pushing him back to a 24th place finish.

    Surprising:   Incredibly surprising was the amount of deal making prior to the race, as well as throughout the race itself. Crew chiefs and spotters were exchanging frequency numbers, and probably cell phone numbers, in the garage area so that they could communicate and work together during the race.  Even on the spotter’s stand, it was “like the New York Stock Exchange,” according to Darrell Waltrip, with deals aplenty being made.

    Not Surprising:  All of this deal-making seemed to wreak some degree of havoc on the track, including some tandem drivers causing each other to wreck. Some of the drivers, crew chiefs, and spotters seemed almost lax on their primary responsibilities as they focused instead on coordinating with other drivers and teams.

    The best example of this confusion was a radio exchange between Kyle Busch and defending Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray, who thought they would be working together until McMurray remembered that he had a deal with his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.

    Surprising:  One of the biggest surprises was the expiration of Team Childress engines. Kevin Harvick was the first to lose his engine, early in the race on lap 22. At about lap 96, teammate Jeff Burton lost his engine.

    “We had just a 10 to 15 more degree oil temp that what we have been running,” Harvick said. “We never blow motors. Everybody at ECR does a great job.”

    “We are asking a lot out of the engines here for sure,” Burton said. “I am disappointed. Exceptionally disappointed. But I am really proud of everybody.”

    Not Surprising:  Daytona, infamous for the big one, had one of course.  Early in the race on lap 29, Michael Waltrip, former Daytona 500 winner, got into the back of his teammate David Reutimann and the big one was on.  Fourteen cars were involved in the crash, including the three Hendrick cars of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin. Other drivers involved were Joe Nemechek, Andy Lally, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, A J Allmendinger, and David Gilliland.

    “Our chances to win the Daytona 500 are over,” Jeff Gordon said after the wreck. “It is such a bummer. We had such a fast race car, such a great race team.”

    Surprising:  While it is the Daytona 500 and this is the first race of the season, the crowd on hand was healthy and the excitement in the air was palpable.  Hopefully the start is a harbinger for what is in store for NASCAR for the rest of the season.

    Not Surprising:  Probably the most moving moment of the race occurred on lap 3, when the track went silent, except for the roar of the engines. The crowd stood as one, holding up three fingers in memory of the Intimidator.  There is no doubt Dale Earnhardt would have like that.

  • Second Really is the First Loser As Carl Edwards Discovers in the Daytona 500

    Second Really is the First Loser As Carl Edwards Discovers in the Daytona 500

    For the longest time Carl Edwards was considered a menace on the restrictor plate racetracks of Daytona and Talladega.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Three years ago Edwards started the ‘Big One’ at Talladega and a week later it led to a shoving and choking match between he and Kevin Harvick. Harvick wasn’t pleased with Edwards and called him a pansy. Edwards responded with by leaving a note in Harvick’s plane.

    Sunday though, during the 53rd annual Daytona 500 it was Edwards who did everything right and came home second to rookie and Cinderella story Trevor Bayne. To many a second place finish is nothing to sneeze at but in the Daytona 500 it doesn’t mean much.

    “I can tell you guys that second place in the Daytona 500 feels ways worse than any other position I’ve ever finished in the Daytona 500,” Edwards said afterwards.

    “That is made better by listening to Trevor [Bayne] and how excited he is. He is a really nice young man and a great guy to represent this sport with this win.”

    Edwards lead the charge for Roush-Fenway Racing. After Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle were knocked out of the race, Edwards and teammate David Ragan were able to preserve their cars and get to the front of the field for the frantic finish.

    Ragan in fact, much like Biffle last year, was leading the Daytona 500 on the first attempt of a Green-White-Checkered finish. On the restart though he changed lanes before the start-finish line and was black-flagged by NASCAR. He finished 14th and said he would be going to NASCAR for clarification of what he did wrong.

    Ragan’s mistake and coinciding caution cleared the way for Edwards to get a push from David Ragan all the way to third on the final lap. Coming off turn four Edwards had one chance at Bayne who perfected the block and won the race.

    “David [Gilliland] just pushed me and that’s what we needed,” said Edwards.

    “All day we waited and waited and tried not to tear up our racecar and there at the end it almost worked out perfectly. Trevor [Bayne] just blocked the bottom and that was a rocket and took off to the finish line and we didn’t have a chance to mount up a real charge on him.”

    Edwards will be the point leader heading into the Phoenix International Speedway next weekend, where just three months ago he won. He also won the season ending race a week later to end the 2010 season on a high note. He’s picked right up where he left off.

    “If we had gone to the high side I think we would have gone around them if we didn’t get broken up,” said Edwards in talking about he and Gilliland trying to get around Bayne and Bobby Labonte.

    “I think I was pretty much in trouble no matter what,” Edwards thought.

    “I think the experience of running with the chance to win these races is what I need to break through to the next level and win some of these restrictor plate races. I think I got some of that today.”

    Behind Bayne and Edwards came Gilliland to help Ford pull off a 1-2-3 sweep of the Daytona 500. Much talk leading to the big race was how the Ford came had perfected their water-cooling system to help their cars be able to push a little bit longer than everyone else.

    The RFR cars were on the top of a few lists to be contenders. Not only were they contenders, no driver using a Ford engine had to leave the race because of a blown engine.

    “Doug Yates and those guys build great engines,” said Edwards, also saying the old engines were great as well. “Now that we have this new engine we may have a lot to look forward to.  That was a really good day for the engine. I don’t want to jinx it or anything but I’m really excited to run that engine for the whole year.”

    Through all the good though, it won’t stop him though from trying to figure out what he could have done differently to make it three in a row.

    “Right now this is going to be a long night for me,” revealed Edwards.

    “I’m going to go back motorhome I’m going to watch the replay, I’m gonna think about 100 different things I could have done. I’m gonna think ‘Man, what would it have been like to win the race.’ BUT, when I roll into Phoenix next week I’m going to look at those points and go, ‘Hey, this is OK.’”

    Edwards then continued, “We’ll go race the Daytona 500 again next year. There is a very, very bright side to our day today. We are going to have bad days but it’s nice to get out of this one considering the chaos that was going on, it is nice to get out of here with a great points run.”