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Not for the Points: Budweiser Shootout Could Set the Tone for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Season

There must be a sense of déjà vu for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he enters Speedweeks 2011 at the Daytona International Speedway.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”180″][/media-credit]Much like he did in 2008, Earnhardt Jr. will be racing with a new team and new cars for the upcoming season. This time, however, it won’t be at a new organization just a new shop at Hendrick Motorsports.

He moves from a shop with the No. 5 of Mark Martin to the shop that holds defending five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. Earnhardt Jr. now inherits cars and team from Jeff Gordon as well as his crew chief, Steve Letarte.

The success of Earnhardt Jr.’s season will be measured by his performance in the 36 Sprint Cup Series events but no race may be more important than this Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout. Coming out of the gate strong with Letarte and setting the tone will be critical for momentum heading into Phoenix, Las Vegas and the first half of the schedule.

Think of Kevin Harvick, who won last year’s shootout and continued to ride the wave through the season, nearly winning the championship. Or even back to Earnhardt Jr. when he won it in 2008, he went on to have one of his best seasons, regardless of the win count, where he stood second or third in points the first half of the year.

He stumbled in the Chase however, and finished 12th. Now, three years later he gets to start fresh again.

The driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet knows what’s in front of him; he’s had to sit home since two days after Homestead when the changes were announced and wait. And wait.

When asked Earnhardt Jr. said he felt like a kid again, knowing what he was going to get for Christmas but having to wait until Christmas day to play with it.

The same could be said about 2008 when he left Dale Earnhardt Inc. for HMS. And much like then, Earnhardt Jr. needs to win soon and Junior Nation desperately needs something to hold onto. They too want wins and results and they want them now.

Saturday is the first and one of the greatest opportunities for Earnhardt Jr.

His second Shootout win in 2008 led many to believe that Earnhardt Jr. was finally going to cash in at HMS. So much so that during his burnout at the start/finish line, Mike Joy stated, “I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship.”

Darrell Waltrip chimed in and said it was the start of something big.

It’s been anything but. Since that 2008 season NASCAR’s Most Popular driver has been off the map: winless, Chase-less and finishing 25th and 21st in points.

Things though, have a way of coming back to you and Earnhardt Jr.’s back on the map with the changes have been made. You can’t escape the déjà vu.

Letarte is in the same boat. When he became a crew chief in late 2005, he was expected to be the man that led Jeff Gordon to his fifth championship. It never happened and like any crew chief, he became the scapegoat by the Gordon fans.

Now he inherits a driver that is also expected to do great things, but listening to Letarte, he isn’t thinking about his goals or legacy. He’s more concerned about his drivers.

This past offseason he made the comment that his motivation was “to show everybody in the world how talented Dale Earnhardt Jr. is … “

That time has arrived, as has the 2011 NASCAR season. The talking and predicting is over and all the work that has gone in over the past two and three months will be hitting the racetrack.

Have Letarte and Earnhardt Jr. hit a winning setup?

The 33rd annual Budweiser Shootout will be the first race run on Daytona’s new pavement. The excitement and intensity won’t have changed from last season no matter how crazy it gets.

For Earnhardt Jr. he’ll be looking for another win at a restrictor plate track. The hope is that the first race on this new pavement doesn’t end the way the last track who was repaved did … where he was spinning through the grass down the backstretch on the last lap at Talladega.

February 10, 2011
Daytona’s Magical Aura: Kevin Harvick’s 2007 Daytona 500

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Daytona has always had this magical aura with stories surrounding the Daytona 500 that everybody loves to tell over and over. As we near closer to the Daytona 500, here is a look back through some of the highlighted moments in Daytona 500 history.

February 18th, 2001 marked the death of the NASCAR’s biggest star and Richard Childress Racing’s lead driver Dale Earnhardt.

Six years later, the Daytona 500 fell on February 18th. Coming into the event, emotions were high considering what had happened six years earlier and everybody’s thoughts. For Richard Childress Racing, there was one way that they could make the pain easier – win the race.

With 20 to go, Harvick made his charge as he went from 29th to second. The final lap marked a battle between Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin. As they raced off of turn four, a wreck happened behind them and had NASCAR called a caution, the winner would’ve been Martin. Though NASCAR let them race to the finish line and instead, Harvick won the race, 0.2 seconds over Martin.

“I knew when I got out of the car I wasn’t going to be the good guy (after passing Mark Martin),” Harvick said. ” But that’s just the way it works. Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. And fortunately today was our day to win. I got so excited at the end of the race, and I knew we had won. I just didn’t realize how excited I was, and I punched the dang mirror out of the car. Just overexcited, I guess. Knocked the mirror right out.”

“I didn’t ask for a win in the Daytona 500, I asked for a chance and I let it slip through my fingers…No one wants to see a grown man cry and I’m not going to cry,” Martin said afterwards.

With the win, Harvick dealt the medicine that was needed for Richard Childress Racing. It was also fitting with Harvick winning as after Earnhardt’s death, it was Harvick that Childress chose to fill the team’s third car, changing the No. 3 to the No. 29. It marked an impressive moment for Harvick as one of his biggest wins, though let him come out of the shadow to become his own man.

Emotions were seen across the board as everybody was crying, excited and angry with the finish. Even Harvick’s wife Delana was overcome to her emotions as she cried.

With the dramatics of the race and how it played out with Harvick winning, its no question that this Daytona 500 is yet another example of Daytona’s Magical Aura.

February 10, 2011
SM Pick’Em: Bud Shootout

Editor’s Note: Ed Coombs’ pick was wrongfully omitted. It is shown below.

New for 2011 is the SpeedwayMedia.com Pick ‘Em game! Each week, our panel of writers will make their picks for Sprint Cup Series races, picking a driver they really think will win, a darkhorse driver and tell us why they picked the way they did.

Throughout the season, we’ll collect, tally and tabulate the points. They’ll get five points if their “Who I Really Think Will Win” pick wins, three points for a top-five finish, one point if the pick finished 6th through tenth, and no points if they finish outside of the top-ten. The same points apply for darkhorse picks, except points are doubled. So, if the driver the writer thinks will actually win does win and the writer’s darkhorse pick finishes second, they will earn 11 points.

Every Thursday, the Pick ‘Em column will be posted along with updated points standings.

RACE: Budwesier Shootout
DATE: February 12

Ed Coombs

Who I Really Think Will Win: Tony Stewart
Dark Horse Pick: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

I think that Stewart, whose record at Daytona is pretty good will be a major factor in this race. He typically drafts well with his good friend, Earnhardt which is why I have him as the dark horse. As sad as it is, Earnhardt is a dark horse just based on recent history. He runs well then has a mishap on pit road, on the track or in his head. However, he’s got a great new team that has served Jeff Gordon well for years.

Matt LaFlair

Who I Really Think Will Win: Kyle Busch

Dark Horse Pick: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Well its my first picks and I’d like to make it clear that I like to stir up NASCAR Fans whenever possible. Lets face it, Dale Jr is really a dark horse pick after the past two seasons of riding around in 30th. And as for Kyle, lets face it 85-percent of the NASCAR community hates Kyle Busch. I think that JGR has their restrictor plate package dialed in for 2011 and look for the 11, 18, and 20 to mix it up this year at Daytona and Talledaga. Let the games begin!!!

Roberta Cowan

Who I Really Think Will Win: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dark Horse Pick: Tony Stewart

I think you will see Dale Jr. and Steve Letarte come out with guns blazing. I think they will make a fast and definite statement that will carry over into the Daytona 500.

Kyle Brandt

Who I Really Think Will Win: Kevin Harvick
Dark Horse Pick: Tony Stewart

Kevin domianted the restrictor plate races in 2010 and has ECR engines, which are arguably the best engines in the Sprint Cup Series. Being the winner of the last two shootout isn’t too shabby either. Although Tony typically doesn’t fit into the dark horse category, restrict plate races have been feast or famine for him. Tony was fast in testing at Daytona last month and has three career shootout wins, with the last being in 2007.

Mark Odor

Who I Really Think Will Win: Kevin Harvick
Dark Horse Pick: Regan Smith

Ben Gunby

Who I Really Think Will Win: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dark Horse Pick: Juan Pablo Montoya

If there’s anywhere Junior can win, we know it’s Daytona. This new crew chief/driver combination desperately wants to get off to a good start and build some momentum, and winning the Shootout again would do just that. We know the Hendrick cars will be fast, and few can get to the front at a plate track with a good car like Junior can. The plate racing program at Ganassi is among the best in the sport at this point in time. We know Jamie McMurray will be strong, but don’t count out Montoya. The short, sprint style race fits his driving style perfectly, and Montoya really wants to got to victory lane at a track that doesn’t require right hand turns.

Ahsley McCubbin

Who I Really Think Will Win: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dark Horse Pick: Michael Waltrip

Known as one of the best restrictor plate racers, Earnhardt is always up from and in contention. With the need to start the year on a good foot with new crew chief Steve Letarte, a win will do all that justice and atleast quiet the critics for a little bit. Waltrip has been known as a good restrictor plate driver as well. He has won the Daytona 500 twice and with bringing back the NAPA Paint Scheme driven then, it may bring him the luck he needs to win the Great American Race again.

Barry Albert

Who I Really Think Will Win: Tony Stewart
Dark Horse Pick: Mark Martin

Kyle Ocker

Who I Really Think Will Win: Jeff Gordon
Dark Horse Pick: AJ Allmendinger

Jeffrey Boswell

Who I Really Think Will Win: Jeff Gordon
Dark Horse Pick: Sterling Marlin

Fittingly, the hard-luck Gordon will end his losing streak with a win that, in fact, won’t end his losing streak.

February 10, 2011
Daytona’s Magical Aura: Hendrick Motorsports’ 1997 Daytona 500

Daytona has always had this magical aura with stories surrounding the Daytona 500 that everybody loves to tell over and over. As we near closer to the Daytona 500, here is a look back through some of the highlighted moments in Daytona 500 history.

While the boss was going through his fight with cancer, his drivers were trying to keep having success on track. With Rick Hendrick’s brother John leading operations, they headed to Daytona in 1997 with one goal.

Late in 1996, Hendrick was diagnosed with leukemia and had to undergo treatment. He was also given 12-month house rest sentence by the courts for mail fraud with his dealerships while undergoing the treatment. As a result of the sentence and sickness, Hendrick put his brother John in charge and the three-car team headed down to Daytona.

As they ran up front near the end of the race, Gordon took the attitude on the radio with the words, “We’re doing this thing. Never die. Never quit.” Those words not only symbolized the attitude of the race, but yet the attitude they wanted their boss to keep. The attitude that they wanted him to recover.

Gordon knew with the win that he could help in making Rick feel a little better so he took the attitude to go out and do it no matter what. When it came to the pass on Bill Elliott, he made the bold move of going under him, partly on the flat part of the track, knowing he had to make the move.

Following behind Hendrick, Terry Labonte and Ricky Craven passed Elliott to make it a Hendrick 1-2-3.

“Congratulations,” crew chief Ray Evernham came on the radio as the caution came out late in the going. “This is a great gift for Rick.”

“You won’t believe it buddy,” Gordon said back. “Let’s come across here one-two-three.”

On the last lap, they crossed the finish line three wide, doing it all for Rick. As Gordon said on the radio, “This is for you, Rick.”

Their emotions gave them reason to push further and led to them to victory and classic Daytona style. It was the perfect type of medicine that they could have given their boss.

Gordon added an extra dose of medicine at the end of the year when he won the championship, capping off a great season for Hendrick Motorsports.

As the story goes, Hendrick fought through his cancer and made it through, pushing forward to continue his team to a whole new level. Hendrick fought through more emotional battles, though still reigns as one of the top owners in racing.

Looking back even today at the finish, tears still come to the eyes as the emotions are brought forth of that exact race.

February 9, 2011
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: It’s b-a-c-k and it starts Saturday

After what seems like an eternity of waiting for the fans, NASCAR will officially drop the green flag on its 2011 season this Saturday, February 12th, with the 33d annual running of the Budweiser Shootout on the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway. Waiting at the end of this traditional non-points event will be a winner’s check worth in excess of $200,000 for a 75 lap sprint to the checkers. Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout will be broadcast live by Fox Sports with the pre-race show beginning at 8 pm eastern time.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]This race has a rather storied history that dates back to 1979. It began, as “The Busch Clash” and was an invitational only race for those drivers who won the Busch pole on qualifying day for races held the prior year.

This inaugural event was a 20 lap shoot out with $500,000 winner take all on the line. Needless to say that was astounding money for winning a race back then and the intensity level of this event went through the roof. NASCAR veteran Buddy Baker won that first race and crossed the line just a mere car length ahead of runner up driver Darrell Waltrip.

Over the years there has been some fine tuning to the race format as well as the driver eligibility requirements. In 1981 the race only had seven entries. That was because qualifying day, from the 1980 season, was completely dominated by only seven drivers. That led NASCAR to consider some fine tuning for the eligibility requirements for the Shootout.

The format for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout will be 75 laps, 187.5 miles, around the Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5 mile oval. Yellow flag caution laps will count towards the 75 lap total. The race will be conducted in two segments of 25 and 50 laps with a ten minute break between segments to allow teams to make adjustments and repairs

The eligibility changes that evolved over the years led to a possible 30 entries for this year’s race. As of last Monday, it now appears that 25 of those teams will take the green flag Saturday night. The eligibility criteria for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout is:

All 12 drivers who participated in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship

Former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions.

Former Budweiser Shootout winners.

Past winners of the two Daytona Speedway points races: the Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400.

Former NASCAR Rookie of the Year winners from the 2001 through the 2010 racing seasons.

The 2011 Budweiser Shootout will also contain a variety of rather interesting story lines. Chief among them is Daytona’s brand new track surface which will be raced on for the very first time. Following last year’s pot hole debacle, it was decided to completely repave the track. That led to last month’s pre season testing where the new surface received extremely high marks from the drivers.

That new surface has also led to a new tire compound from Goodyear. The new Daytona tire, reported to be very similar to the one used last year at Talladega, also received high marks from the teams during last month’s testing sessions. But, like the new surface, the Goodyear tires will be under first ever bonafide racing conditions so tire wear will be closely monitored by everyone Saturday night.

Also taking the green flag for the first time ever Saturday night will be the newly designed front end of NASCAR’s stock cars. The new nose, now minus the front end splitters and fasteners from last year, also received high marks during the January test sessions especially in the areas of bump drafting. But it’s also an area that will be heavily monitored by crew chiefs.

Also making its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be the new self venting Sunoco Race Fuel can. This newly designed fuel can is largely a cost cutting measure for the teams because it eliminates the need of the catch can man standing behind the car during pit stops. This new can was tried and tested last year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and received some good reports. But, still. it’s still a major change for the Sprint Cup teams that will warrant the attention of the crew chiefs.

On the topic of fuel the Budweiser Shootout’s second segment of 50 laps could present a challenge for crew chiefs. They could find themselves making a decision relative to fuel mileage including the possibility of a gas and go only stop.

Pre race set ups and subsequent adjustments in Saturday night’s race will also become a key point of focus for crew chiefs. That’s because the car set ups for the Budweiser Shootout and the upcoming Daytona 500 are virtually identical.

The starting line up for the Budweiser Shootout will be determined by a Friday night blind draw ceremony. By the way, this drawing in the past has often been the source of some very funny entertainment. The blind draw ceremony will be presented live by the SPEED Channel Friday night beginning at 8 pm eastern time.

Weather could also become a factor leading up to the Budweiser Shootout weekend. The Friday forecast, for the Daytona Beach area, calls for showers and a daytime high of 59 degrees. That forecast could curtail, or even cancel, a scheduled practice session for the Shootout teams. Saturday’s forecast calls for a return to sunny skies with a daytime high of 60 degrees.

If there’s any driver that warrants a great deal of attention Saturday night it’s Kevin Harvick. He won the Budweiser Shootout for the first time in 2009 and then won last year’s race. No one in the history of this event has ever won this race three consecutive and Harvick would like to be the first to accomplish that extremely difficult feat. Harvick would also love to deliver a win for his brand new primary sponsor. He will be driving his first race with Budweiser on the hood of his Richard Childress Chevrolet. Anytime a primary sponsor is also the race sponsor then that team has a tendency to dig a little harder to pull off the win.

Interestingly enough, the numbers from Las Vegas has a totally different opinion regarding the outcome of the Budweiser Shootout. Micah Roberts, from “Las Vegas Insider Dot Com”, recently released his top five finish list for the race. That list is topped by Clint Bowyer, from Richard Childress Racing, who is favored to win the Budweiser Shootout at 14 to 1 odds. Speculated to finish second is Joey Logano, from Joe Gibbs Racing, at 25 to 1. The remainder of the “Las Vegas Insider” top five includes Juan Pablo Montoya at 20 to 1, Kevin Harvick at 5 to 1 and Jeff Gordon in fifth at 8 to 1.

The 2011 Budweiser Shootout entry list, presented in order by car number along with eligibility status, is as follows:

#09. Bill Elliott. Phoenix Racing Chevrolet. Past series champion, past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 winner, 1987 Shootout winner.

#1. Jamie McMurray. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, presented by Felix Sabates, Chevrolet. Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 winner, past Rookie of the Year winner.

#4. Kasey Kahne. Red Bull Racing Toyota. Past Rookie of the Year winner.

#5. Mark Martin. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. 1999 Shootout winner.

#11. Denny Hamlin. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 2006 Shootout winner.

#14. Tony Stewart. Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. 2010 Chase contender, two time series champion, past Coke Zero 400 winner, 2002 and 2007 Shootout winner.

#15. Michael Waltrip. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota. Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 winner.

#16. Greg Biffle. Roush Fenway Racing Ford. 2010 Chase contender, past Coke Zero 400 winner.

#17. Matt Kenseth. Roush Fenway Racing Ford. 2010 Chase contender, past series champion, past Daytona 500 winner.

#18. Kyle Busch. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 2010 Chase contender, past Coke Zero 400 winner.

#20. Joey Logano. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Past Rookie of the Year winner.

#22. Kurt Busch. Penske Racing Dodge. 2010 Chase contender, past series champion.

#24. Jeff Gordon. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. 2010 Chase contender, past four time series champion, past four time Daytona 500, past Coke Zero winner, 1994 and 1997 Shootout winner.

#29. Kevin Harvick. Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. 2010 Chase contender. past Daytona 500 winner, 2009 and 2010 Shootout winner.

#31. Jeff Burton. Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. 2010 Chase contender, past Coke Zero 400 winner.

#33. Clint Bowyer. Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. 2010 Chase contender.

#39. Ryan Newman. Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Past Daytona 500 winner, past Rookie of the Year winner.

#42. Juan Pablo Montoya. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, presented by Felix Sabates, Chevrolet. Past Rookie of the Year winner.

#47. Bobby Labonte. JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota. Past series champion.

#48. Jimmie Johnson. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. 2010 Chase contender. five time series champion, past Daytona 500 winner, 2005 Shootout winner.

#64. Derricke Cope. Max Q Motorsports Toyota. Past Daytona 500 winner.

#78. Regan Smith. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet. Past Rookie of the Year winner.

#88. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 winner. 2003 and 2008 Shootout winner.

#97. Kevin Conway. Nemco Motorsports Toyota. Past Rookie of the Year winner.

#99. Carl Edwards. Roush Fenway Racing Ford. 2010 Chase contender.

February 9, 2011
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Rusty Wallace deserves phrase for his quick response to the Michael Annett situation

It’s a very safe bet to assume that Rusty Wallace had planned to spend last Sunday afternoon watching the Super Bowl along with the rest of his fellow Americans. Instead the former NASCAR champion, turned team owner and auto racing television broadcaster, found himself having to deal with some rather shocking news. That would be official notification regarding Michael Annett, his recently hired NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, who had been arrested for a quartet of charges including DWI, driving while intoxicated.

[media-credit name=”FMCM” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]According to reports from the Mooresville-North Carolina Police Department, as well as follow up reports from WCNC Channel 36 News in Charlotte, Annett was arrested following an auto accident that occurred sometime between 1:30 and 2 am last Sunday morning. An officer on the scene noticed Annett filling his mouth with a significant amount of breath mints and ordered a field sobriety test. The results of that tested turned up a blood alcohol count, (BAC), of .32 approximately four times the legal limit. The BAC limit for intoxication in North Carolina, like many other states, is .08.

According to the reports, Annett was alleged to have explained that the accident was caused while he was sending a text message on his cell phone. That resulted in additional citations for driving while texting as well as failure to reduce speed. The final charge was resisting arrest which allegedly stemmed from Annett’s initial refusal to be handcuffed by officers at the scene. He has been scheduled to appear in court sometime next month.

But one has to speculate that appearing before a judge pales in comparison to facing an angry Rusty Wallace. In a prepared team statement he said “Rusty Wallace Racing, (RWR), does not condone, nor tolerate, substance abuse by any of its employees.”

In fact, Wallace deserves high praise for his quick response by levying team sanctions on his new driver. Those sanctions include the successful completion of a comprehensive alcohol awareness program, a zero tolerance policy by Annett towards alcohol use and a mandatory participation in a year long community service program. Wallace also indicated that there was going to be additional “internal sanctions” against the errant driver but did not specify what those sanctions were going to be.

Wallace also noted that he was glad to see that Annett was not taking this incident lightly and truly believed that the public embarrassment that followed his arrest was a personal wake up call. Those sentiments were echoed in a prepared statement from the driver issued by RWR last Monday.

That statement said “I am deeply remorseful for my actions and my extreme lack of judgment. I let down my team, my sponsors, my fans and my family. I sincerely apologize to everyone that I hurt. This was truly a life changing moment for me. Despite all of the negativity that will undoubtedly arise from it, I am going to strive to use this incident as the impetus to make a lot of changes in my life.”

Whether or not Annett is going to face sanctions from NASCAR remains to be seen at this point in time. From a statement, issued last Monday, they said “NASCAR is in contact with Michael Annett’s owners at Rusty Wallace Racing to determine the facts of what happened. NASCAR will address the issue accordingly once we have a clear understanding of all the facts.”

Actually this incident is not the first time Annett found himself publicly apologizing for a moment of bad personal judgment while driving. Last Monday WCNC Channel 36 news produced a document, from the Charlotte area Department of Motor Vehicles, that indicated Annett triggered a three car accident, in July of last year that resulted in major damage to the vehicles as well as physical injury to one of the drivers. While this accident absolutely had nothing to do with alcohol, it was caused by Annett sending a text message while driving.

Last November 19th Michael Annett was practically jumping out of his driver’s uniform with joy. He had just been named to take over the wheel of RWR’s #62 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Making the deal even sweeter was the fact that his long time sponsor, Pilot Travel Centers, was only too happy to make the move with their young driver.

The true shame of this matter is the fact that it somewhat negates Annett’s hard work over the past three years towards developing his racing career. The 24 year old Des Moines-Iowa native moved to the southeast where he joined the ARCA Racing Series in 2008. He made quick work there by winning two races including ARCA’s annual signature event at Daytona. The 2009 and 2010 seasons found Annett driving for Germain Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series where he finished 10th and 13th in the points standings.

It was very easy to see how a young, up and coming, driver with his own sponsorship contract would attract the attention of a team owner like Rusty Wallace. Despite the team embarrassment, resulting from last Sunday morning, Wallace announced that he was going to allow Annett to drive his car in the February 19th NASCAR Nationwide season opener at Daytona.

Annett’s forward progress in this race will be most interesting to watch. If there ever was a time for a young driver to run the race of a lifetime this is it.

February 9, 2011
Joey Coulter and Rip It Energy Fuel Ready for ARCA Series Opener at Daytona

Earlier this month, Joey Coulter and Coulter Motorsports announced the continuation of their sponsorship with Rip It Energy Fuel in 2011. They will kick off the season together on February 12th with the ARCA season-opening Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Coulter will be driving the No. 16 Chevrolet again, sponsored by Rip It Energy Fuel and the Darrell Gwynn Foundation.

[media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignleft” width=”233″][/media-credit]”I am thrilled at the chance to go out and represent Rip It Energy Fuel again in select races during the 2011 ARCA Racing Series season,” Coulter said in a press release. “They have become an integral partner in not only my career but Coulter Motorsports as a whole. Daytona is one of those tracks everyone wants to win at, and showcasing our sponsorship with Rip It makes it that much more special.”

Last year, Coulter earned one win, seven top fives and 10 top-10 finishes, along with the Bill France Four Crown Championship.

This year, Coulter is schedule to race five races during the 2011 ARCA Season – Daytona, Talladega, Michigan, Lucas Oil Raceway and Kansas. In preparation for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, Coulter piloted the car to the 10th-fastest position on the chart at 49.543 seconds.

“The (Daytona ARCA) test proved to be very beneficial, allowing me to adapt to the new, smoother pavement, and my Coulter Motorsports team to work on our cars,” Coulter said. “My guys did a great job and I want to especially thank Randy (Renfrow) for stepping in for me when I was gone. He really got the cars dialed in and setup for drafting. Michael (Chapman) did a good job setting the cars up identically, and I know he will make sure we bring back a rocket ship. I am excited to be back racing in 2011 and can’t wait for Daytona!”

Also this season, Coulter also will be competing for Rookie of the Year in the Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 22 Silverado for Richard Childress Racing. Rip It Energy Fuel also announced they’d serve as an associate sponsor on his truck.

“It just all fell together so fast,” Coulter said. “It was unbelievable. For me, it’s like a dream come true. Best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Coulter got a phone call from Richard Childress following the final race of the season at Rockingham, where the opportunity was offered. The season opener at Daytona next week for the Camping World Truck Series will be his first truck race.

“We’ve gotten to test twice,” Coulter said. “We went down to Disney World Speedway in Orlando and tested for a good, solid day and a half. Then just last week, I was in Gresham for a day, doing a short-track test.

“Man, what a piece of equipment. It’s unbelievable the caliber of equipment that comes out of these shops. Compared to an ARCA car, they’re different but they weren’t as different as I thought they were going to be. I really expected it to be something I hadn’t ever really felt before but it was pretty close.”

Coulter has already got the chance to work with teammate Austin Dillon at Disney World Speedway.

“Yeah, he gave me lots of advice,” Coulter said. “It helped out a ton. After talking and testing it at Disney World for that day and a half, we kind of figured out that our driving styles are pretty close. We’re able to share information and our crew chiefs can communicate real well, so we’re really going to be able to learn a lot off each other.

“They learned a lot already off our short-track test. They weren’t able to make it down there, but they were able to learn off the notes we brought back. Being able to use all their notes from last year should be able to give us a baseline for the places I’ve never been before.”

About Rip It Energy Fuel:

Rip It Energy Fuel by National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: FIZZ) is available in fifteen exhilarating flavors, including three sugar-free varieties. Great-tasting and power-packed, Rip It provides REAL energy for REAL people at a REAL value. In an office, on the job, on a mountain, riding waves, doin’ flips, doin’ tricks, jammin’ all night, crammin’ all night, whatever your life calls for, Rip It is there to fuel you. Crack open an ice-cold Rip It Power and Feel the REAL Taste of BOLD energy surge through your body. Or maybe you prefer the sweet taste of Sugar FREE Citrus X to slap your tongue back to life. Rip It Energy Fuel has the complete line of Regular and Sugar FREE flavors in both 16 oz. cans and 20 oz. resealable bottles to make Rip It a REAL part of your everyday life.

February 9, 2011
A points system an Alabama mathematician can work out

It has been an interesting off-season in NASCAR, and I’m not just talking about the snow in Dallas. We learned things, like the best mathematicians hail from such places as Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and the Carolinas. For more than 30 years, afficionados in those locales have been able to figure out the sport’s points system, but it was deemed too tough for the newbees to master.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”189″][/media-credit]So, that brings us to the latest revamp of the way NASCAR determines its season champions. One point to the 43rd placed entry, 43 points for the winner, a 3 point victor bonus, a point for leading a lap, and one more for leading the most. I’m guessing that should be easy enough for those beleaguered Princeton and Harvard types to decipher.

The top ten make the Chase, have their points rejigged to 2000 to put them out of reach of the mere mortals, with three bonus points for each win up to that point. Among those sitting 11th to 20th, the most wins combined with the most points determines two more wildcard Chasers. If that proves too much for a potential fan to figure out, might I suggest soccer as a sport of choice. I mean, all one needs to is a field, a ball, and two pairs of rubber boots to play and the point count is usually so low anybody can calculate the winner.

In case you are wondering, according to my calculator, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick would have tied for the most points in the Chase using the new system, with Johnson getting the nod based on wins. You can’t get much closer than that. In a perfect world, wins should be worth more, but fans would quit watching if the final events merely led to a coronation. Too bad they can’t promote each race based on its own merits, but this is not a perfect world.

In a perfect world, Tony Stewart could take a working holiday to Australian and not get into a dust up. A flying helmet followed by some flying fists highlighted a trip that apparently also involved some actual racing, but no one is too interested in that aspect of the story. If that did not provide enough gossip, then surely the court ruling that makes the details of the Brian and Megan France divorce public should. Hey, it is not that I don’t love hearing things that are none of my damn business. I mean, I am human after all.

Crew Chief Frank Stoddard has a new racing team. That should give us another contender for that single point for each race, provided they qualify, before parking due to handling or vibration issues, or just not having enough money to buy tires or fuel to run an entire event. At least we won’t see anymore catch cans leaving the pits, as the new fuelling system eliminates that can and the guy holding it. No doubt another example of technology eliminating American jobs.

We hear Mark Martin will keep racing beyond 2011 and his tenure with Hendrick. Hopefully he really will get a chance to actually race, and not be just a part of the not-ready-for-prime timers. You just don’t tie a race horse, even an aging one, up to a beer wagon.

Sometimes the champagne set isn’t worth getting tied up with. Richard Petty Motorsports lives again, but no thanks to former partner George Gillett. After taking over Ray Evernham’s operation, merging it with Petty’s, Gillett is now long gone. It only took him three years to hit the bricks in NASCAR, only four years before losing his Liverpool soccer ownership, and just over nine before walking away from the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. Anyone else notice a trend here?

Yet, some things last. Like a big track at Daytona, engines roaring to life, and a multitude of drivers, owners, crews, sponsors, and fans getting together to open yet another NASCAR season. The track is the same, but new asphalt now covers it which should make things very interesting when action resumes in a few short days.

There are questions that we seek answers to. Is Jimmie Johnson going to raise the hardware again come November, or is it Jeff Gordon’s turn for five. Maybe Tony Stewart, or a Busch brother has a date with destiny, or a fairy tale finish for Mark Martin? Will we see a return of Dale Earnhardt Jr to prominence? Will we notice a difference in the cars with a more streamlined splitter and factory inspired noses? One thing is for certain, with the curtain dropped on football and baseball still a few months away, the time for the cars to return has returned. You don’t have to be an Alabama mathematician to figure out that this is a good thing.

February 8, 2011
Daytona’s Magical Aura: The Michael Waltrip Story

Daytona has always had this magical aura with stories surrounding the Daytona 500 that everybody loves to tell over and over. As we near closer to the Daytona 500, here is a look back through some of the highlighted moments in Daytona 500 history.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]Michael Waltrip’s Daytona stories extends to include several chapters, each containing their own special aura.

Waltrip’s journey of Daytona goes back to the 2001 Daytona 500, which was his first start with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Waltrip had been racing in the Sprint Cup Series since 1985 for various teams, though had yet to find himself in victory lane. He had finished in the top 10, the top five and even finished top 10 in points, though never found himself in victory lane. The 2001 season was set to mark a change of this via Waltrip being given a chance to drive a third car for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated by his best friend Dale Earnhardt.

The entire 2001 Daytona 500 played out as a dream to Waltrip (of course till the last lap crash) as he was up front throughout the race, in contention ready to take the win. When it came to the final lap, there he led the race, followed by his teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., set to win and complete the dream. With his brother Darrell Waltrip’s voice calling the final lap, excited spewed over the top as DW called in it dramatic fashion as Michael finally broke his 467 race winless streak.

Of course, the entire mood of the day changed to the complete opposite as on the final lap, Waltrip’s car owner Dale Earnhardt crashed in turn three and died. The entire excitement that Waltrip felt in victory lane disappeared as now the NASCAR Nation went into mourning.

Though, with the Daytona’s Magical means, the story can never end there. When it came to NASCAR’s return to Daytona in July of 2001, everybody knew it’d be an emotional time via February’s events. Instead of tears of sadness, it became tears of joys as Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the win with Waltrip second. The outpouring of emotions afterwards on Daytona’s infield grass allowed Waltrip to finally be able to celebrate and pull some weight off the shoulders via another win at Daytona for the team.

However, Waltrip wasn’t done there. He wanted his own win at Daytona to celebrate as his own. That came in 2003 when Waltrip won the Daytona 500 for a second time, able to celebrate under the rain drops that had fallen to call the race early. Finally, Waltrip got to experience his own Daytona celebration without any distractors.

Waltrip ran for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated from 2001 to 2005, before being release due to a string of events that led to poor results. In his time with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, Waltrip got two other wins besides his Daytona 500 victories – 2002 Summer Daytona July race and 2003 Fall Talladega race. Waltrip spent the 2006 season at Bill Davis Racing, where he found his confidence sink lower in his ability of a driver with more poor finishes.

“Confidence is more important in this sport than people realize,” Waltrip wrote in NASCAR Illustrated’s February issue. “I lost mine when I moved to Bill Davis Racing in 2006 after a great year at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2005. We didn’t run well right from the start. It beat me down to the point where it basically ended my career.”

Waltrip went and raced for himself for a few years, before hanging up the helmet and taking on the ownership role. Waltrip also has found himself in a position that works better for a man of his personality with working in the booth during the Camping World Truck Series races with Rick Allen and Phil Parsons.

For the 2011 Daytona 500, Waltrip will try to add another chapter to his Daytona story as he runs a paint scheme paying tribute to Dale Earnhardt.

“This is a very special day,” Waltrip said during the media tour. “Ten years ago I won the 500 in my first race with NAPA and we know February 18, 2001 is a day that NASCAR fans will never forget. What looked to be a storybook ending turned to tragedy seconds later. To mark the 10th anniversary of that race and my 25th consecutive 500 will be quite emotional for me and fans alike.”

Also to go with the 10th anniversary, Waltrip has released a book that tells the events that happened on February 18th and other challenges in his life in his perspective in his new book In the Blink of an Eye, which went on sale Feb. 1st.

“I’ve spent much of last year writing the book,” Waltrip said. “It forced me to put into words a lot of emotions from that weekend and how we and the whole NASCAR world dealt with the loss of Dale. When I got my first copy the other day I told people that I felt like I had given birth. The book has become a part of me and I know fans are going to love it.”

The color will be black and blue, following along the lines of the yellow and blue paint scheme that Waltrip drove for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

“Hard to believe 10 years have passed since that fateful day in 2001 when we celebrated Michael’s Daytona 500 win and unfortunately mourned the loss of our friend, Dale Earnhardt,” Bob Susor, NAPA President, said. “We could not think of a better way to honor our friend Dale as well as mark this milestone in Michael’s career than to bring the NAPA No. 15 back to the Daytona 500 with a special paint scheme. We are hopeful fans, family and friends enjoy the tribute to both Michael and Dale.”

Regardless of how the 2011 chapter plays out, Waltrip’s story will always remain in the Daytona history books forever and touches the magical aura of Daytona.

February 8, 2011
Time for a No Tolerance

A DUI is one of the worst offenses a NASCAR driver can have. Drivers who are suppose to set an example on how to drive correctly and safely, driving under the influence and risking people’s lives. Add that to a fan base that doesn’t see brushes with the law much, a DUI is unacceptable.

[media-credit name=”michaelannett.com” align=”alignright” width=”181″][/media-credit]The latest ordeal of a DUI in NASCAR belongs to 24 year old Michael Annett, who currently races in the Nationwide Series for Rusty Wallace Inc. Annett was pulled over early Sunday morning with a blood alcohol content of .32, four times the legal limit. This is one of a few incidents NASCAR drivers have had with drinking and driving.

Though never convicted of any wrong doing, Michael Waltrip found himself in two situations in the last 4 years. The most recent one said that Waltrip blew a .06, under the legal limit after Waltrip collided with a motorcycle at an intersection. The other incident however, ended up with Waltrip wrecking his SUV early in the morning and walking home in his socks. When police found Waltrip in his home the next morning, he blew a .06, under the legal limit. Both incidents saw no action taken by NASCAR.

AJ Allmendinger was stopped for a DWI. Allmendinger who blew .08. Allmendinger was placed on probation by the sport until Dec. 31.

Now here is Michael Annett, a 24 year old driver whose career has had its ups and downs. He moved from Germain Racing to Rusty Wallace Incorporated for the 2011 season. Annett situation is very similar to something NASCAR has seen before.

For folks who remember, 1990 was a devastating year for the sport. That’s when rising star 21 year old Rob Moroso was killed in a similar situation to Annett’s. Moroso was killed when his motorcycle veered into oncoming traffic. Both Moroso and the victim in the other car were killed due to the incident. The autopsy revealed that Moroso’s BAC was .22, which at the time was two times over the legal limit of .10. Moroso’s story is a perfect example of a promising young life and career thrown away by stupidity.

NASCAR has a zero tolerance for drugs, now it’s time for a zero tolerance with DUI’s. NASCAR is one of the few sports left without the problems of their players getting in trouble with the law. Baseball, football and basketball have all had their troubles with players breaking the law; no one wants to see NASCAR get like that.

It’s time for NASCAR to nip this in the bud. Stop putting it in the owner’s hands to suspend drivers. Suspending Michael Annett would be good for him and the sport. It’s time for John Darby and Robin Pemberton to step up and do the right thing.

A no tolerance is called for. Not only would the sport benefit from it, but it would make everyone stop doing it. In the NFL, if you are out at a bar and you feel like you have had too much to drink you can call a number and the league will send a limo to pick you up and bring you back to the hotel room. If a player is found guilty of DUI they receive a four to six game suspension. Why should NASCAR be any different?

I am not even asking for that. Annett easily could have called a cab on his way home Sunday. Instead, he did the careless act. Annett wasn’t only careless for himself and the other drivers on the road, but careless to his fans, family and the sport all together.

It’s time for these drivers to grow up and realize how good they have it. Some make millions to drive a car everyweek. This writer and a lot of readers alike, would kill to have that chance. Acts like that show they don’t care.

Rusty Wallace is in a touch situation. Pilot Travel Centers is Annett’s main sponsor for 2011, a company that has supported Annett throughout his career. If Rusty Wallace suspends the driver he may not have sponsorship for his second car something that may kill a small owner like Wallace.

NASCAR can do it though. Dave Moody has said it best “NASCAR can do whatever they want.” Thank you! It’s time for John Darby, Robin Pemberton, Mike Helton and Brian France to step up to the table and show that there is integrity in this sport and acts like that will not be tolerated, before we have another Rob Moroso incident to deal with.

February 8, 2011