Category: Featured Stories

Imagine, if you will, this scenario: Mr. Rick Hendrick arrives at the official home of his North Carolina based NASCAR empire. As he walks through the building, with a typical smile on his face, he waves at his employees and greets them with a cheerful good morning.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”208″][/media-credit]The boss is in a great mood. He’s ready to turn a brand new day into a great day and take care of business. Upon arriving at his office, Mr. Hendrick is greeted by his executive assistant who hands him his first cup of coffee of the day. He’s handed the first round of telephone messages and next is informed that his itinerary for the day has been downloaded into his personal computer.

Prior to exiting the office, the executive assistant says: “oh by the way, it seems that your brand new race driver has an issue with breastfeeding.”

That’s right! The final controversy of NASCAR’s 2011 racing season involves mild mannered, everybody loves him, Kasey Kahne. Making this even more amazing is the fact that the issue is indeed over breastfeeding a baby in a public location: an act that has, for too many generations to count, been widely regarded as perfectly natural and to many even beautiful.

This issue stems from a December 27th visit to a super market where Kahne was caught off guard by the sight of a woman nursing her infant. One has to understand that element of surprise here. It’s not exactly something you expect to see while buying groceries. However, most people would simply go about their business and realize that this was nothing more than a woman feeding her hungry child.

Kasey Kahne took this super market experience to the worst possible level. He fired up his cell phone and activated the “T” word. That, of course, stands for “Twitter.” Then it got interesting.

In a series of “Tweets” Kahne wrote: “just walking through the supermarket. See a mom breast feeding a little kid. Took a second look because obviously I was seeing things. I wasn’t”

But it was the next “Tweet” that launched the controversy. In that message, Kahne wrote: “one boob put away one boob hanging. Nasty. I don’t feel like shopping or eating anymore.”

In this age of political correctness that second comment alone was more than enough to light up a public fire anytime anywhere. Compounding the situation was the fact that the very popular Kahne has a reported 100,000 plus followers on “Twitter.” In less time than it takes for a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to turn a fast lap at Daytona, the responses to the driver’s observations came fast and furious.

One of those responses, that received a lot of national attention, stated “I hope someday you have a kid and someone tells your wife that feeding your child looks nasty. Stay classy a**hole.”

At this point one would think that Kahne should have realized that some of his “Twitter” followers were angry and this would be a great time to stop sending messages. Wrong! Apparently Kahne’s index finger moves faster than his race car because he responded to this “Twitter” criticism by calling the lady a “dumb b***h.”

A mere matter of seconds after Kahne hit the “send” button to let that message fly, the war was ON and that’s when it hit on a national level.

This was followed by the obligatory statement of apology, published on Kahne’s “Facebook” page, the following day which stated: “I understand my comments regarding breastfeeding posted on “Twitter” were offensive to some people. For that I apologize. It was no way my intention to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breastfeeding children. I want to make that clear.”

Referring to being surprised by what he encountered at the super market, Kahne’s apology went on to say: ” In all honesty, I was surprised by what I saw in a grocery store, I shared that reaction with my fans on “Twitter.” It obviously wasn’t the correct approach. and, after reading your feedback, I now have a better understanding of why my posts upset some of you. My comments were not directed at the mother’s right to breastfeed. They were just a reaction to the location of that choice, and the fashion in which it was executed on that occasion. I respect the mother’s right to feed her child whenever and wherever she pleases.”

In the aftermath, all of Kahne’s “Twitter” messages regarding this incident have been deleted. Obviously he should have hit the “delete” button before he hit the “send” button.

It raises the question: when will Americans realize that one has to be ultra careful regarding what they post on the so called social networks?

When the aforementioned Rick Hendrick began the process of turning a brand new day into a great day, it was assumed that one or two challenges might land in the middle of his desk. Somehow I don’t think that Mr. H ever dreamed that the issue of breastfeeding might be one of those challenges.

AJ Allmendinger has asked the jolly man from the north pole to ignore the wish list he previously sent him. There’s nothing else Allmendinger could find under the tree that will top what he received on Wednesday afternoon, that being a ride at Penske Racing.

[media-credit name=”Al Bello/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]Allmendinger was named the new driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge, which had been vacated by Kurt Busch a few weeks ago. Driving for Roger Penske is something Allmendinger says he’s always dreamed about being able to do and now he feels he’s got the best shot he’ll ever get in NASCAR’s top level.

“To give me this chance has just been amazing, “said Allmendinger on Wednesday about Penske. “It’s been quick. It’s happening real fast but I’m ready to go. Going into next year, obviously we’ve got a short amount of time with how late this is all happening. I met [crew chief] Todd Gordon and everybody and just trying to make sure that I get to the shop as much as possible over the next six weeks and get in the car and get ready for it. I’m ready to go.”

What drew the attention of Penske officials is how Allmendinger had been able to progress over the years. Coming into the Cup Series with Red Bull Racing, back when they too were getting their feet wet, he was doing more with less. Then moving to Richard Petty Motorsports he contended for wins but found more bad luck and mechanical failures than decent finishes.

Penske Racing President Tim Cindric associates Allmendinger with the word potential, something that they were very serious about when looking for their next driver. Speculation ran wild for days following Busch’s release that notable drivers on the market such as David Ragan, Brian Vickers or David Reutimann would get the call.

Then at the 11th hour it was Allmendinger. While thinking he was all set at RPM for 2012 and working with his No. 43 team to prepare for a strong season, he started to hear the same rumors as everyone else: Busch was on his way to replace him. Then with sponsor Best Buy moving to Roush Fenway Racing, it couldn’t stop Allmendinger’s internal red flag from going up.

But before he could become too worried about being out of a job, he was walking into his new home, thinking he might need a map to find his way around. Now he’s taking time to learn everyone’s names, trying to connect with his new crew chief and fitting his seat into brand new cars.

It’s a good fit, believes Cindric. Working with now senior driver Brad Keselowski, who won three races and contended in this year’s Chase, will also be a good fit for the organization. Both are young and talented there’s nowhere to go but up. The relationship between Keselowski and Allmendinger will need to develop though, as the two barely know each other, having only exchanged pleasantries in the past.

What Allmendinger knows is that he’s got everything he’s ever wanted in a team. Stability, a rich history and confidence moving forward as well as the pressure. There will be a lot of pressure, Allmendinger knows it and embraces it.

“To have Mr. Penske personally want you to drive his race car is a thing that gives me a lot of confidence,” said Allmendinger. “It’s the same thing as when Richard Petty asked me to come drive his car. It gives you confidence when you have somebody with that background and with the accolades and everything that they’ve went through in their lives to make their organizations where they’re at. It gives me a lot of confidence.”

He continued though, “At the same point I know there’s a lot of pressure there. I’m not blind to the pressure with Shell-Pennzoil and with the organization and what they’re used to, having their ideas about winning. I know there’s a lot of pressure there to go out and perform but for me, if I didn’t feel like I could do that I’d just be wasting everybody’s time and then I wouldn’t be here.”

Allmendinger though says he knows he’s at the level where he can win races and be a championship contender. One of his strongest tracks is Dover International Raceway, where he has continually shown he can drive with the best in the business like Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. There’s now a feeling that Allmendinger is one step closer to getting over the hump and finally breaking through.

“This is going to be my best chance I’ve ever had in the Sprint Cup Series to go out there and perform and I’m ready to do that,” he said.

Cindric is being more reserved when it comes to predictions. Making it clear that this is not a test session or one-year job audition for Allmendinger, it’s a partnership aimed to better the two sides for a while to come. Fulfill the potential Cindric likes to talk about.

“I think you have to be realistic and I think we have to hit singles in the beginning before we can worry about hitting the doubles and triples and home runs,” he said. “There’s no preconceived notion that we’re going to walk into this thing and just hit the ground running. We’re going to have to work toward it. If that happens, great, but I think we have to be realistic in the fact that we’re replacing a world-class drive and we’re trying to figure out how we get to the next level.”

Walk before you run is the echo around the No. 22 team now a days. For Allmendinger though, it’s really nothing new. He’s been down and out, from one team to another and rumored to be on his way out of the series for good. Every year he’s come back and his quiet plugging away has paid off with one of the best rides on the track.

“It’s easy to keep my confidence when Mr. Penske wants you to drive his race cars and come to his organization,” Allmendinger says about his recent roller coaster. “It makes me be able to look in the mirror and wake up in the morning and feel confident knowing that such a guy like Mr. Penske and everything that he’s had as race teams and all the great drivers, to have him come to me and say, ‘hey, I want you to drive my race car.’ That gives me all the confidence I need right there. He knows talent when he sees it and if he thinks I have enough talent to be a part of his organization, that’s all I need right there.”

(RacingWire) – Just weeks after mutually agreeing to part ways with Penske Racing, 2004 Sprint Cup Champion Kurt Busch has landed a full time ride in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series with James Finch’s Phoenix Racing.

 

After suffering injuries in an October plane crash, Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick was at home resting during the Sprint Cup Series season finale in Homestead.

[media-credit name=”Mike Finnegan” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Like many, Hendrick had a front row seat to the closest championship finish in NASCAR history. Tony Stewart won his third Cup title in a tiebreaker over Carl Edwards, after Stewart won the race and Edwards finished second.

It couldn’t have been a better way to end the 2011 season, with many still talking about the Chase and its finish. Hendrick included. While none of his four drivers were in contention to bring him another championship, he was still as impressed with the finish as those involved.

“That was the most unbelievable finish,” said Hendrick. “Number one, when I saw that part go through his [Stewart’s] front end, I thought it had to get the radiator and then it’s over. And Carl [Edwards] was so good that I was watching the lap times, and I though, ‘Well, it’d be a heck of a race if they get together.’”

They did and Hendrick rode the emotions of the race with everyone else. There was Stewart coming from the back, twice. Then came a rain delay, followed by what was looking to be a fuel mileage race. Unlike seeing his driver Jimmie Johnson lock up the championship early the last five years, Hendrick sat and ran through many difference scenarios.

“That gas mileage deal, stretching that fuel mileage, that was brave,” Hendrick said. “It was kind of like a gunslinger race. Tony appeared that he had a ton of confidence, and Carl was super-fast, and his car was super-good, and they made no mistakes. I think if the cautions hadn’t fallen the right way, and Carl had been out front, I don’t know that Tony could have caught him.

“It was an exciting race from a spectator’s point of view. It was kind of cool to be able to watch it and not have a lot of skin in the game. Just being a fan. It was a heck of a race.”

In one regard, Hendrick didn’t have a horse in the fight. Yet in another way he did with Stewart who gets his chassis and engines from HMS. When Stewart-Haas was formed prior to the 2009 season, Hendrick was one of its biggest supporters, seeing first hand how hard Stewart was working to put the team together. He even went to victory lane with Stewart on a few occasions and is continually thanked by the No. 14 team as if he’s the team owner.

This year it was no different. Even though Stewart struggled through the first 26 races, failing to in a race and almost missing the Chase, he never doubted his equipment. There was never any criticizing of the parts, just the team for not putting together the performances they should have been.

The Office Depot/Mobile 1 team wasn’t finishing poorly because of part failures or blown engines, they simply weren’t executing. Bad luck bit them often and bad strategy such as in Las Vegas, kept them from victory lane.

After Stewart won the title in Homestead he made sure to thank Hendrick. For other team owners it might have been just a little weird or even bittersweet. A man who uses the same equipment just beat his drivers but not so for Hendrick.

He says he’s had talks with his HMS teams about situations like this. Instead of looking at other organizations who beat them and feeling they had better equipment or motors, with a situation like Stewart being in-house, it comes down to what each individual teams is doing.

“Getting beat by your own stuff, then you’ve got to look in the mirror and say, ‘OK. They had the same thing we did and they whipped us. Now we’ve got to go to work,’” Hendrick said.

“I think most of the equipment in that garage area is pretty even. I’m real proud of our engine shop for winning [the championship] six years in a row. I think the people make the difference. You’ve just got to give it to Tony [Stewart] and Darian [Grubb] and Gene Haas and that whole organization.”

It hasn’t been lost on Hendrick or anyone else the incredible run that Stewart went on when the Chase started. Even if he had a driver in contention for the title, such as Johnson, there’s no guaranteeing that he could have beaten the red hot Indiana driver. Because of which Hendrick sat back and watched Stewart win five of 10 Chase races and come from behind to overtake Edwards for the title.

“They just turned it on there at the end and they just were not going to be denied,” Hendrick said. “You don’t have to look at the motor shop. You don’t have to look at the chassis shop. You’ve got to look at the people and what adjustments they’re making and the commitments of the drivers and how bad do you really want it. I personally think it’s not a bad thing.”

It wasn’t a bad thing to lose to your own equipment; it keeps the success all in house. It also helped ease the disappointment of seeing his own five-year title run come to end, something he acknowledged would happen sooner or later. Hendrick will now enjoy seeing good friend and supporter Gene Haas have the success he deserves.

“I’m real happy for him,” said Hendrick. “He’s sure paid his dues and Tony’s done a great job. It’s well deserved. I’ll tell you, they put on a show there at the end.”

MAHLE Clevite Inc has named Santee-California’s Dave Arce as the winner of the prestigious MAHLE Clevite Champion Technician Contest. It was an announcement heralded by many who said this veteran engine builder and race driver truly deserves this special honor.

Arce, the proprietor of the El Cajon-California based Arce Engines as well as a competitor in the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, also won a special VIP trip to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.

The concept of the MAHLE Clevite Inc Champion Technician Contest was announced in early October by Ted Hughes, the company’s Marketing Manager, who at the time said: “we wanted to salute the hard work of the thousands of engine technicians around the country. The Champion Technician Contest is just one of the many ways we want to roll out the red carpet for those who support us day in and day out.”

One of the requirements for entering this contest involved the submission of a 250 word essay about an engine technician or specialist who demonstrates passion, talent and a forward thinking mindset that exemplifies a champion in every aspect.

The essay nominating Dave Arce for this award was written by one of his biggest fans: his daughter, Hollee Arce. Her dad’s experience and accomplishments were well known. But it was Hollee Arce’s vivid description of dad’s passion for building the best engine possible that turned out to be a major selling point for the contest judges.

In his announcement, MAHLE Clevite’s Ted Hughes said “from rebuilding engines in his spare time to building several winning race engines and fulfilling his dreaming of owning his own business, Dave Arce’s accomplishments show that he is truly a champion in every aspect. We are pleased to present Dave with this award and wish him continued success in his career.”

Arce’s career as an engine builder first presented itself at age 16. Typical of high school students, Arce wanted something to drive and he set his sights on a beat up 1963 Chevy Truck parked at his family home. The task of rebuilding the truck’s engine turned out to be challenging and Arce soon realized he needed a better source of tools and equipment. That’s when he pulled the cylinder heads out of the truck and took them to school where he performed a valve job utilizing the school’s auto shop class facility. The result was his first ever successful engine rebuild. However there was a rather interesting wrinkle to this story: it seems that Dave actually wasn’t enrolled in the school’s auto shop class and was, in fact, an electronics major. The engine rebuild turned out to be an early example of his ability to think and work outside of the box.

By the way, his interest in electronics paid off well for Arce and led to a lengthy and successful career in the aerospace industry. At this point in life, his love for building engines was primarily a hobby.

However the love of all things automotive was very much on Dave Arce’s mind. In 1990 he established Arce Engines headquartered in El Cajon-California. His vision and hard work quickly paid off and, in virtually no time at all, Arce Engines grew into a complete machine shop and engine remanufacturing business. Recognizing that diversity was a key element to any growing business, the shop soon expanded its operation to include automotive maintenance and repair and now provides its customers with a full service line up that ranges from simple oil changes to engine rebuilds and installations. Also at this time Arce became a Master Machinist certified by Automotive Service Excellence, ASE. Arce Engines was also awarded the honor of being named the top engine builder in San Diego during the year 2000.

While the shop continued to flourish, there was just one more item on Dave Arce’s automotive checklist: racing. For someone who was so passionate about building engines, it was only natural that it would eventually lead Arce to a race track. He began his racing career in 1996 at the former Cajon Speedway. He used the speedway’s street stock program as a racing learning curve and then quickly graduated to the more powerful and faster late model stocks.

It turned out that Dave Arce was also very good at race car fabrication as well. The pristine appearance of his car’s paint jobs alone proved that point. It also wasn’t very long before those cars began winning races. When the Cajon Speedway closed its gates in 2003, due to alleged progress, Arce began towing his race cars to the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino where he became a formidable, race winning, competitor during the 2004 to 2007 racing season as well as the 2009 late model season.

At the beginning of the 2007 season Arce decided to take his racing act on the road and joined the then newly formed Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. It’s a racing format he really enjoys and still continues to race in the series. “The Lucas Oil Modified Series has been an absolute success since its inception in 2007 by series promoter Greg Scheidecker,” Arce noted adding “the series is extremely challenging and competitive. You have some 25 to 30 race teams together in a special ten race points series that runs on five different tracks in three different states. The series is extremely driver, and team owner, friendly as well as being a huge hit with the fans.”

Racing a Lucas Oil Modified also turned out to be a big customer boon for Arce Engines as well. This was especially true prior to the start of the 2010 racing season. That’s when Arce was contacted by Jim Mardis, one of the premiere drivers in the series, who challenged him to build him a power plant that had the maximum power for the money he had to spend yet remain legal per the series’ rule book.

The Lucas Oil Modified Series 2010 season began in March of that year at the Lucas Oil I 10 Speedway in Blythe-California. Mardis and his new Arce built engine won the season opener that night. In September Mardis was the series points leader and won his second race of the season at the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. At the onset of the post race winner’s interview, Mardis screamed “Dave Arce you are the man !” It was during that same interview that Mardis introduced a new term that is still being used today in the Lucas Oil Modified Series: “the Arce Bullet.” That’s what he called the power plant Arce built for him. Also that year Mardis won the series championship and, with the “Arce Bullet” and repeated the feat in 2011 making him the only driver to win back to back championships in the series. That’s also when Arce Engines earned the title of championship engine builder. Needless to say a lot of race teams, from all genres of the sport, have become interested in the “Arce Bullet.”

Dave Arce is understandably elated over winning the MAHLE Clevite Technician Contest. It is especially meaningful to him because it was his daughter, Hollee, who personally wrote what turned out to be the winning essay. The fact that the essay was judged by personnel from NASCAR, the NHRA and MAHLE Clevite also meant a lot to him. “As far as Arce Engines goes, I can only hope that this national exposure signifies the effort that we put into our products along with our business and ethics as well towards the services that we provide our customers,” he said.

As the MAHLE Clevite Technician winner, Arce received a VIP trip to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion’s week in Las Vegas held November 30th through December 3d. The prize package included coach airfare for two, a three night hotel stay as well as special meet and greets with NASCAR personalities. The award also included a special dinner with MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Of The Year Doug Yates, the mastermind of Roush Yates Racing Engines. There were also VIP tickets to the NASCAR Victory Lap and NASCAR After The Lap fan festivals as well as two tickets to attend the official NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony. The value of this special package was estimated to be worth well over $3,700.

Arce really enjoyed dinner with MAHLE Clevite’s Ted Hughes and Doug Yates. It was a professional networking experience that was very valuable to him. He called it “a meaningful exchange on subjects that included building race engines, engine products, new innovations such as fuel injection coming to NASCAR and even operating a business during these troublesome economic times. Let me conclude by saying that Ted Hughes and Doug Yates are two fantastic people who have worked very hard in their businesses. They are very family orientated, they go to work each day just like I do and have schedules and work loads just like most of us. They are truly genuine people.”

[media-credit name=”PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY ARCE ENGINES.COM” align=”alignright” width=”210″][/media-credit]However, the Las Vegas trip was not just about business. Dave Arce, and his lovely wife Sandy, thoroughly enjoyed what they termed “a trip of a lifetime.” There were many highlights during their Las Vegas stay with one of them certainly being receiving a beautiful plaque for winning the MAHLE Clevite Technician Award.

Arce also enjoyed the photo ops with newly crowed Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart along with NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. Arce also noted that he enjoyed having lunch with 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Andy Lally.

The Arces described having dinner with 1,600 NASCAR luminaries as being amazing. Recalling a funny moment, Arce said “we were walking into the Wynn Hotel and were surprised to discover a hallway filled with NASCAR fans who were trying to figure out who we were as we made our way down the red carpet to the banquet room. Then I received a text message from a friend who said he saw Sandy and I on national television while walking down the red carpet. I just can’t thank MAHLE Clevite enough for this amazing trip.”

Since his return from Las Vegas, Arce has been receiving accolades from friends and his fellow racing competitors regarding his award. It’s only right. Dave Arce is the personification of how you can achieve your great American dream if you’re willing to combine the elements of vision, determination, hard work and good personal ethics.

Ask any customer at Arce Engines or any colleague from the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series and they will tell you the same thing: Dave Arce truly deserves this award and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

Daytona: “I keep thinking I’m dreaming.” — Trevor Bayne

It wasn’t just 20-year-old Bayne who was dreaming as the start of the 2011 started with his win in one of the biggest races of the year. Bayne, who celebrated his birthday the day before, won the event in his second career Cup start. It was a sign of things to come in the NSCS.

Phoenix: “There’s always got to be one car out there to ruin the whole weekend. [Sunday] it was the 24.” — Kyle Busch

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]In August of 2010 Busch completed a feat that had never been done before: he won all three NASCAR events on the same weekend at Bristol. He’d come close to accomplishing it before then and after he did he came doing it again. At Phoenix he came up one race and one position short of another triple.

Las Vegas: “We just gave one away today. This Mobile 1 Chevy was the baddest thing on the West Coast today. Second sucks.” — Tony Stewart

Perhaps it was all in the cards for Carl Edwards and Stewart in 2011, which might have started in Vegas. On this day it was Stewart who dominated but Edwards who won. In the season final at Homestead it would be Edwards who dominated but Stewart who won the race and championship.

Bristol: “It’s simple, I should have hit him harder. He’s still got one coming from Phoenix.” — Carl Edwards

There have been classic Bristol moments in NASCAR and looking back it seems that Edwards knew he let a potential one get away. Racing Kyle Busch for the win he tried to race him hard and clean then regretted not taking the shot that he said back in Phoenix following the Nationwide race he owed Busch from 2010.

Fontana: “All in all a good day but it’s like kissing your sister running second. And I don’t have a sister.” —- Jimmie Johnson

Johnson was that close to winning another race in California until Kevin Harvick arrived on the scene. Harvick flew past Johnson on the final lap in turns three and four to take the win, which Johnson had taken from him in 2010.

Martinsville: “I’m frustrated that I got close, I was out there leading and I was thinking I’m gonna try to take me home a clock and I don’t know. Hate I didn’t win.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

For the first time in three years Earnhardt Jr. was within two laps of winning his first race and his first at Martinsville. Until again Harvick arrived on the scene to take another win from a Hendrick Motorsports driver. The two would meet again for a win a few weeks later.

Texas: “Show me where to park this thing. It’s been a while.” — Matt Kenseth

He normally takes a bad rap for the lack of personality that he shows to fans but Kenseth was plenty emotional following his first win since California in 2009. Kenseth dominated at Texas for his first of three wins in 2011.

Talladega: “Hell, no, that sucks. It’s never very good to know you made NASCAR history by losing. Sooner or later I need to start making history by winning. That guy’s won enough.” — Clint Bowyer

In the fall of 2010 it was Clint Bowyer by inches over teammate Kevin Harvick for the win. This time around Bowyer was on the other end when he was involved in a photo finish with Jimmie Johnson, the closest finish in NASCAR history. Bowyer laughed about it afterward but the loss would sting the driver for weeks to come.

Richmond: “Every time Montoya has damage, you see who did it, they usually end up getting wrecked. You usually know that’s coming.” — Denny Hamlin

It was rare that NASCAR’s boys have at it mentality didn’t appear on a race weekend this season. At Richmond it was Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman disagreeing over space when Montoya retaliated for contact Newman had made with him. Montoya’s competitors such as Hamlin said they aren’t surprised anymore.

Darlington: “This is the Southern 500. We’re not supposed to win this thing.” —- Regan Smith

First it was Trevor Bayne then Smith followed it up with a big win of his own. The prestigious Southern 500 crowned another first time winner in Smith and his No. 78 Furniture Row team who bested Carl Edwards.

Dover: “Never thought I’d say I’d kiss a guy before but if Doug Yates was here I’d probably give him a kiss. We had so much horsepower today that made our job so much easier.” — Matt Kenseth

It was horsepower and two tires for Kenseth at Dover. After watching teammate Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson dominate the race the 17 team decided they would take the win away from calling for two tires on their last pit stop. Kenseth was ever grateful in victory lane.

Charlotte: “I feel so stinkin’ bad for him.” — Kevin Harvick

His nickname used to be ‘The Closer’ but following 2011 it might be known as Junior slayer. After taking the win away at Martinsville Harvick went on to win at Charlotte when Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas in turn three on the final lap.

Kansas: “It’s because of the hard work, it’s because of the bad finishes and the struggles it’s been to get here that I really appreciate this win.” — Brad Keselowski

A week later Earnhardt Jr. finished second to the man that he helped put on the NASCAR map. Keselowski won a fuel mileage race in Kansas for his first of three wins in 2011 when he went from also ran to championship contender.

Pocono: “Maybe it kind of shows his character and who he is and how he feels he needs to race on the racetrack. But it’s not my fight, he’s trying to turn it into one.” — Kyle Busch

The biggest rivalry of 2011 in the Sprint Cup Series will go down as Busch vs. Harvick. Following their antics at Darlington the two were put on probation but when that ended the weekend heading into Pocono the two found themselves around each other constantly. Early in the event Harvick ran Busch all the way down the frontstretch, leading the two to be warned by NASCAR to calm down.

Michigan: “Just ran us slap in the wall, I don’t know how else to explain it.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Along with boys have at it in 2011, there was the recurring theme of teammates getting together. At Michigan Mark Martin came up the track and sent Earnhardt Jr. into the wall, which would later cause him to blow a tire. It was the start of a bad summer streak that cause Earnhardt Jr. to nearly miss another Chase birth.

Sonoma: “Last year when his cars were really, really good and Jamie McMurray was the man, Juan still couldn’t win a race. Shows about what he can do in NASCAR.” — Kasey Kahne

It wasn’t just at Richmond that Juan Pablo Montoya was rubbing people the wrong way. Road rage was at its best in Sonoma when drivers started dropping like flies from retaliation. Montoya claimed that others didn’t know how to drive on road courses while Kahne believes Montoya just can’t drive.

Daytona: “We got one back at Daytona, it would have been tough to lose another one.” — David Ragan

Perhaps lost in the midst of the Bayne’s win in the Daytona 500 was how it was lost for Ragan. He was leading on the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish but was penalized for changing lanes before the start-finish line as he attempted to get hooked back together with Bayne. Had he not been penalized it could have been him in victory lane.

Kentucky: “This is cool man, this is right up there with the best of them. I haven’t won the big ones, this is as good as it gets right now.” —- Kyle Busch

Unfortunately for both the Kentucky Speedway and Busch, the inaugural race will be remembered for the horrible traffic jam. Some fans arrived late and left late, others didn’t arrive at all. Meanwhile, Busch dominated the event for his third win of the season.

Loudon: “Got to thank the U.S. Army, this one’s for the soldiers, thank you guys. We’ve been working so hard get this U.S. Army Chevrolet into victory lane.” — Ryan Newman

The site of Newman’s first career Cup win was also the site of his first win with the U.S. Army on board his Chevrolet. When Newman joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009 he didn’t win a race that season and his 2010 victory at Phoenix came with Tornadoes on the car. But on the weekend when he and Stewart started and finished first and second, the true heroes got to go to victory lane.

Indianapolis: “We’re winners in Sprint Cup and that’s a big deal. And to do it at Indy, even bigger deal. You can’t change people’s opinions.” — Paul Menard

There had to be something in the water this season. Bayne and then Smith and then came Menard with his first career Cup win. All three drivers won their first race in the biggest races of the year. For Menard, it was a long time coming and something that he doesn’t care changed the opinions of those who believe he isn’t worthy of a Cup ride.

Pocono: “I’m no hero. The heroes are the guys who died in Afghanistan this weekend … those are the heroes. I just drive racecars for a living.” —- Brad Keselowski

Winning at the Tricky Triangle in Pennsylvania is tough enough but doing so with a broken ankle seems nearly impossible. Not so for Keselowski who notched his second win of the season with one good leg. With all the focus of his gutsy performance, Keselowski tried to turn the attention to those who gave him the inspiration.

Watkins Glen: “He is the most unprofessional little scaredy cat I’ve ever seen in my life. He wouldn’t even fight me like a man after. So if someone texts me his address, I’ll go see him Wednesday at his house and show him what he really needs.” — Boris Said

The road rage from Sonoma travelled with the Cup Series to Watkins Glen just a few weeks later. While Marcos Ambrose raced his way to victory it was Said getting into David Ragan who hit the wall hard and then hit David Reutimann who flipped over. Afterwards drivers like Ragan’s teammate Greg Biffle made Said aware of his opinions of a man who is supposed to be a road course specialist.

Michigan: “I’ll be perfectly honest, at this point of the deal if we’re gonna run this bad it really doesn’t matter whether we make the Chase or not because we’re going to be occupying a spot in the Chase that somebody else that actually can run for a championship trying to take because our stuffs so bad right now we’re wasting one of those top 12 spots right now.” — Tony Stewart

Uttered in the garage after the race, this might be the quote of the year. Reason being is that after the 14 team heard their boss’s confidence in their Chase chances things quickly changed. They made the Chase and won the first two races and then two more weeks later leading into the season finale which they won to earn the championship.

Bristol: “I’ll tell ya, the pit road thing is interesting here. I think they got to look at that because if you look at how the 2 and the 17 were able to shoot out there, I think it defeats the purpose of a pit road speed.” — Jeff Gordon

Even when finishing well there are always unhappy drivers at Bristol, such as the case of Jeff Gordon. During the event it was repeatedly shown that Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth were getting off pit road much faster than the competition because of where the timing lines were. Keselowski went on the win the race and Gordon found it interesting that such a thing was able to take place.

Atlanta: “What a lot of fun. To race that hard, to be that sideways at 180 miles per hour lap after lap, is a good time.” — Jimmie Johnson

Gordon’s disappointment didn’t last long. A week later he won his 85th career race to move to third on the all-time wins list. Gordon held off a furious charge from teammate Johnson as they both slide around the high-speed, high-banked facility.

Richmond: “I know Paul Menard well enough that he wouldn’t have spun out on purpose even if he had been asked.” —- Richard Childress

Gordon however, wasn’t done finding something to talk about. He wasn’t the only one though that saw something fishy about Kevin Harvick’s Richmond win. As Gordon closed in Harvick for the lead late there was communication going on with RCR teammate Paul Menard the need for a caution. When Gordon finally got around Harvick the 27 team switched radios and soon Menard was spinning on the frontstretch to bring out the caution. On the restart Harvick retook the lead and won the race.

Chicago: “He shouldn’t count himself out, that’s pretty funny.” — Kevin Harvick

After his strong words about their chances in Michigan Tony Stewart wasn’t done talking his team out of the championship. During Chase media day heading into the first race at Chicago he counted five drivers as contenders but excluded himself. Stewart went on to win the race.

Loudon: “Well, we got rid of some dead weight earlier this week so it’s made it a lot easier.” — Tony Stewart

Then he won again the following week and the talk went from being out the Chase to being the favorite. Asked about the turnaround Stewart uttered this memorable moment that lead to much speculation around the garage about what or whom he meant. It was later found that his relationship status had indeed changed.

Dover: “To be able to conquer the Monster Mile, to have that Miles trophy now on the trophy shelf, I felt like I was missing something over the years.” —- Kurt Busch

The year wouldn’t end like either Busch brother would have imagined but both put up valiant fights for the championship. Older brother won his second race of the year after conquering the concrete and ranked the win among his best.

Kansas: “I feel like I won. I feel like we won that race, that was an unbelievable comeback.” — Carl Edwards

He didn’t win the race but had he Edwards might not have lost the championship. After getting off to a horrible start to the day, losing a lap and racing near the back of the field, the No. 99 came roaring back in the end to finish fifth. At the time it looked like it was another championship weekend.

Charlotte: “He just flat out drove right past me like I was standing still.” —- Kyle Busch

When Busch is running away from the competition on Friday and Saturday night’s they call him the restart king. But on this Sunday he was one upped by Matt Kenseth for the win in Charlotte. It left Busch short again of his first win at Charlotte and in the Chase.

Talladega: “He’s been a great teammate and I’ve learned a lot from him, but he’s already won a lot of races and I’ve only won five.” — Clint Bowyer

Whereas Johnson stung him in the spring, Bowyer retuned in the fall to back up his 2010 win. It was another photo finish and again he beat a teammate, this time Jeff Burton who had come so close to snapping his winless drought.

Martinsville: “He’d better be worried, that’s all I can say. He’s not going to have an easy three weeks.” — Tony Stewart

From talking about being down and out to suddenly throwing down the gauntlet. With his third win in the Chase Stewart was ready to make it aware that he was going after his third championship. That meant point leader Carl Edwards was on notice.

Texas: “This ones a tough one for us but sometimes in life you go through tough things, you don’t like it. But we’re certainly going to try and work our way through this one and do the right thing and try to handle it the right way.” — Joe Gibbs

His actions in Friday night’s Truck race with Kevin Harvick Inc. driver Ron Hornaday left Kyle Busch parked for the remainder of the weekend. That meant it dragged his Nationwide and Sprint Cup teams into his mess. Owner Joe Gibbs spoke to the media on Saturday morning after the punishment was handed down by NASCAR and said that Busch was remorseful and would be better moving forward.

Phoenix: “It’s been one hell of a run.” —- Jimmie Johnson

It wasn’t the way that anyone envisioned his five-year reign as king of the NASCAR mountain ending. Johnson struggled by his standards in 2011, winning only twice and never seriously contending for the championship. The ‘it’ magic just wasn’t there and following a 15th place finish in Phoenix he was officially eliminated from Chase contention.

Homestead-Miami: “They’re going to feel like [expletive] after we kick their ass after this.” — Tony Stewart

It seemed fitting that Stewart wouldn’t get to win his third championship the easy way. After fighting all season long to win to make the Chase and win a race, Stewart would have to fight all race long when his a hole was punctured in his Chevy’s grille. He had to drive from the back of the field twice – his confidence as shown never wavering – passing a total of 118 cars, on his way to the lead over Edwards. The two finished first and second with Stewart owning the point tiebreaker in wins.

In late January of this year NASCAR officials announced a new championship points procedure based on a 43 to 1 concept. In other words the winner of a Sprint Cup race received 43 points with a one point descending deficit from second, 42 points, all the way to one point for the driver who finished 43d.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”248″][/media-credit]There were two basic ideas behind this new plan. The first was to place greater emphasis on winning races, along with consistent finishes, towards winning the Sprint Cup championship. The second idea was to simplify the system and create a clearer understanding for the fans regarding tracking the points of their favorite drivers. This was especially relevant for the newer fans of NASCAR racing.

Obviously it worked well as evidenced by the conclusion of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship. The drama of Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards racing for that title in the final laps of the final race only to be tied in points at the checkered flag had to be an unexpected dream come true for NASCAR officials.

Having said that, there was an aspect of the new points structure that made me cringe. It was the words “WILD CARD”. The new points reconfiguration called for expanding the Chase line up to 12 drivers that included two wild card berths primarily based on the two drivers who had the most wins during the regular, 26 race, season as long as they were within the top 20 in the points standings.

As I sat in my office last January reading this announcement I vividly recalled yelling “W-T-F”. Although wild card playoff berths have been a factor in the other major American sports for many years now, I have never really cared for them. Yes, I understand that the presence of wild card teams expands the playoff period which translates into more television time and money from the broadcast networks. Yes, I understand that this expanded playoff period creates more drama for the fans and, in turn, raises television rating which also leads to future increases in advertising revenue. I’ve spent enough time in radio and television over the years to develop an awareness of how this concept can work.

An example of how a wild card berth can work in major American sports can easily be found in the National Football League. The league has a roster of 32 teams. At least 12 of them are going to make the post season playoffs. Consider this hypothetical situation: a team in the National Football League finishes the regular season with an 8-9 won/loss record. Despite those disappointing numbers, this team can still qualify for a wild card berth.

Now let’s say that this team goes into round one of the playoffs facing an opponent with far superior regular season stats. It’s possible that the favored to win team could arrive at this game thinking they have a lock on a round one win. That mental aspect could actually lead to a major upset on the scoreboard. It’s also very possible that the 8-9 team could get extraordinary lucky and actually find themselves in the Super Bowl.

Despite the all American never give up, Cinderella story, aspect, I’ve always found his wild card concept to be unacceptable. I truly believe that the only thing a NFL team, with an 8-9 record, should receive is a plane ticket home at the conclusion of the regular season.

So, you can well imagine my initial thoughts when I learned that NASCAR had implemented a wild card system in their play off procedures. In the days that followed last January’s announcement, some of the NASCAR conspiracy theorists ran a muck and referred to the new wild card concept as “the Dale Earnhardt Jr Rule.” In other words, it was viewed as a ways and means to make sure that NASCAR’s most popular driver made the Chase line up.

In total honesty, I must admit that there were a short period of time where I actually considered signing off on that theory. My apologies to Earnhardt and the “Junior Nation.”

For that matter it’s time to admit that I was wrong and forward an apology to NASCAR for jumping to conclusions, regarding the new wild card policy, instead of taking a more appropriate wait and see approach to determine how this program could actually work.

That’s because it worked extremely well. As the summer of 2011 turned into the fall, it was apparent that the wild card scenario was going to become a major NASCAR story line. Tony Stewart was a perfect example of that. At the conclusion of the second event at Daytona, held in early July, Stewart’s team was mired down with performance issues. They were still seeking their first win and were 12th in the points.

Meanwhile young David Ragan finally flexed his racing muscles and won his first ever Sprint Cup race at Daytona. The win elevated him to 17th in the points and in a prime position to possibly claim one of the wild card berths. Ragan’s victory created the possibility that Stewart, the driver who ultimately won the championship, might not make the Chase line up at all.

The one wild card scenario that really electrified the fans involved Brad Keselowski and his Roger Penske Racing/Miller Lite blue deuce team. In January, NASCAR observers were in complete agreement that this team was going to experience a break out season in 2011. However, following the Memorial Day weekend running of the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, it appeared the break out wasn’t coming. Keselowski was still seeking his first win of the season and was mired down at 25th in the points.

That all changed a week later when Keselowski scored his first win at Kansas. The victory elevated him to 21st in the standing, and only seven points away from the all important top twenty wild card requirement. But it was the month of August where the driver really caught fire. He began that month by scoring his second win at Pocono and virtually locked up a wild card berth in the Chase. He finished the month of August by winning his third race at Bristol. Keselowski had now accomplished the one thing we thought impossible: he had driven his way into the 12 man Chase line up.

The team began the Chase as the 11th seed. They finished the Chase in fifth based on three wins, ten top five finishes and 14 top tens. Now those were the stats we were expecting from this team last January.

It was also absolute proof that NASCAR’s new wild card system was a very viable part of its new championship format.

That’s also why it’s time for your truly to admit I was wrong.