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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished second at Phoenix and maintained the Sprint Cup points lead. He leads Brad Keselowski by six.

“It easily could have been my second win this year,” Earnhardt said. “And two consecutive wins would have sent Junior Nation into a frenzy, which is another word for ‘alcohol-induced coma.’

“But I’m really pleased with our start to the season. This could be the year that I finally fulfill my destiny and win the Sprint Cup championship. I’m hoping fate can lead me there, because no one else has been able to.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 224 of 312 laps in winning the Profit For CNBC 500 at Phoenix, his second consecutive spring win in the desert. Harvick kept his challengers at bay on a number of restarts in the final 50 laps.

“It was great to celebrate in Victory Lane with Miss Sprint Cup,” Harvick said. “Richard Childress is not a woman, but you can call him ‘Misses Kevin Harvick’ anyway.

“And speaking of the ‘misses,’ I celebrated my 13th wedding anniversary. After 13 years, my wife DeLana has assured me that she has no intentions of replacing me with Austin Dillon.”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski won the pole and finished third, leading a strong Penske Racing at Phoenix. Teammate Joey Logano started alongside Keselowski and came home fourth.

“I won the pole in NASCAR’s first knockout qualifying session,” Keselowski said. “In my book, that’s called a ‘BKO.’

“And congratulations to my crew chief Paul Wolfe. He missed the race to be by his wife’s side for the birth of their first son. I’ve already bought little Caden a gift. It’s a Kyle Busch driver’s suit he can wear on Halloween. That way, he’ll be a ‘Wolfe in sheep’s clothing.’”

4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished fifth in the Profit For CNBC 500 as Hendrick Motorsports again placed three driver in the top 10, duplicating their feat from Daytona. Gordon is fourth in the point standings, ten behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“Most importantly,” Gordon said, “I finished eight spots ahead of Clint Bowyer. That was weird, because I always feel like Clint is only two steps behind me.”

5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson posted his second top-10 result with a sixth at Phoenix, following a fifth at Daytona. The six-time Sprint Cup champ is fifth in the points standings, 12 behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“Have you heard?” Johnson said. “Texas Speedway president Eddie Gossage is upset that Formula 1 has a race scheduled in Austin on the same day in November that NASCAR is in Fort Worth. I’m not sure what Eddie stands to gain. Of course, it’s not the first time NASCAR has been accused of ‘running in circles’ where Formula 1 is concerned.”

6. Joey Logano: Logano finished fourth at in The Profit On CNBC 500, joining Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, in third, in the top 5. Logano is sixth in the points standings, 15 out of first.

“In case you didn’t know,” Logano said, “’The Profit’ is a show on CNBC. It’s only slightly more informative than Michael Waltrip’s pre-race walk through the pit lane on Fox. But you’ve got to commend Michael. He’s not afraid to ask to tough questions. Heck, he asked if he could kiss 50 Cent at Daytona. And I don’t even think it was a rhetorical question.”

7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished seventh in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Home Depot car, posting his first top 10 of the season. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings, 20 out of first.

“That car was made famous by Tony Stewart,” Kenseth said. “What else has been made famous by Tony Stewart? This Danica Patrick-Richard Petty feud. One would think that after starting his own race team, Tony would learn to mind his own business.

“Personally, I would love to see Patrick and Petty in a race. It could be huge. All that’s needed is a pay-per-view audience, Stewart to continue his role as hype man, and a catchy slogan, like ‘The King And Eye (Candy),’ or ‘Age Before Beauty?,’ ‘Is This Really Necessary?’”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin followed up his second-place run at Daytona with a disappointing 19th at Phoenix. Hamlin pitted during a late caution while most of the leaders stayed out, costing him track position which he could not recover.

“The No. 11 FedEx Toyota dealt with handling issues all day long,” Hamlin said. “I can’t tell you how many pit stops we made. Luckily, with the race being in Arizona, I wasn’t denied service based on my sexuality.”

9. Carl Edwards: Edwards led the Roush Fenway Racing contingent at Phoenix, scoring an eighth-place finish in the Profit For CNBC 500. He is ninth in the points standings, 25 out of first.

“What a performance by Kevin Harvick,” Edwards said. “He was so much better than everyone else, especially on restarts. Just ask Richard Childress—when Kevin says ‘goodbye,’ he means it.”

10. Ryan Newman: Newman posted a seventh at Phoenix, leading the way for Richard Childress Racing as former RCR driver Kevin Harvick won easily.

“I’m driving the No. 31 car formerly piloted by Jeff Burton,” Newman said. “But I’m not your typical RCR driver. Two things to remember: I’m not Richard Childress’ grandson, and Wadd Button is not my brother.”

March 5, 2014
Daytona 500 and Olympics End With Similar Storylines

This past weekend, the 56^th running of the Daytona 500 kicked off the 2014 NASCAR season, while the Winter Olympics wrapped up business in Sochi, Russia. Yet, as disparate as the competition was, from stock car racing to ice dancing, there were some surprisingly similar story lines when all was said and done.

Gold Medal Pressure Packed Performances

Both the Daytona 500 and the Winter Olympics undoubtedly featured gold medal performances, including the first US gold medal in Alpine skiing, as well as the Great American race win by NASCAR’s most popular driver.

And yet interestingly enough for both competitors, Ted Ligety and Dale Earnhardt Jr. respectively, their gold medal, award winning performances ended up like weights being lifted off their shoulders.

“This is the event I wanted most,” Ligety, the first American man to win two Alpine skiing gold medals, said. “It’s the event I’ve been putting so much pressure on myself to win, so to pull through is an awesome feeling. I’m super happy.”

“It’s a big race and you want to win it so badly, and your team wants to win so badly,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “You realize at that moment that there are countless people watching on television and there are countless people sitting in the grandstands with your shirts and hats on, and your team is over on the pit wall and your family back home — there are so many people pulling for you and want to see you win.”

“It was a heavy weight that was lifted.”

Silver Medal Disappointments

While the runner up position might feel like a triumph to many athletes, to the US Women’s Hockey team and to Joe Gibbs racer Denny Hamlin, second place was an absolute disappointment.

The US Women’s Hockey team surrendered a two goal lead in the final period of the game, losing to their Canadian rivals, who scored the gold.

“We were up two goals, so it’s heartbreaking and shocking that we didn’t win the game,” forward Kelli Stack said. “It feels like a bad dream.”

Just like the US Women’s Hockey Team, who appeared to have everything going for them until the bitter end, Denny Hamlin, behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota, was having a stellar Speedweeks, winning the Sprint Unlimited and one of the Duels.

But then along came the Daytona 500, where the driver had an almost catastrophic situation develop in that he had not radio communication with his spotter. Between the radio issue and the loss of speed, Hamlin finished a disappointing second in the Great American Race.

“Our cars just weren’t as good as the week progressed,” Hamlin said. “Maybe we were the same, but the competition definitely got better. It wasn’t as easy to pass as it was early in the week.”

“It’s a tough business,” Hamlin continued. “Our car was OK. Given the right circumstances, it was a race winner.”

Cinderella Stories

Another similar storyline that emerged from both the Daytona 500 and the Winter Olympics were those inspiring Cinderella stories. In the Olympics, one such story was Mikaela Shiffrin, who became the youngest slalom champ in Olympic history at age 18.

Her run, however, was not completely smooth as she lost her balance a bit going through the gates and also lost her left ski which rose way too far off the course.

She persevered and did not give up, moving from having what she described as a “terrifying” run to an Olympic gold medal run.

“It’s going to be something that I chalk up as one of my favorite experiences for the rest of my life,” Shiffrin said. “But my life’s not over yet.”

In the Daytona 500, another Cinderella story unfolded with rookie driver Austin Dillon, who was bringing the storied No. 3 car back to the track after being driven by the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

Dillon actually started the Great American race from the pole position, battled some difficulties and some crashes throughout the race, yet finished in the top-10 as the highest finishing rookie.

“I think the yellow stripe on the bumper (signifying a rookie) showed a little bit tonight, but we made it through it,” Dillon said. “It was fun. I had a blast. The car was fast.”

Agony of Defeat

Every Olympic athlete, as well as every NASCAR driver, goes into competition with the full intent on doing their very best. Unfortunately, things sometimes go awry and the defeat can be a most bitter pill to swallow.

Both Shaun White, infamous snow boarder, and Martin Truex, Jr., behind the wheel of his new ride in the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, shared their own versions of the agony of defeat.

White lost out on a medal after crashing in the halfpipe competition, ending his ‘three-peat’ effort.

“I didn’t really get to break out everything, which is frustrating. Tricks were still in my pocket,” White said. “I definitely knew what run I wanted to put down, and my dream scenario was I was going to land that first run and then maybe have the opportunity to do something that hadn’t been done before. I tried to win. I went for it.”

Martin Truex Jr. had a similar experience to White in that he started out with high hopes on the outside pole for the Daytona 500, only to crash out in the qualifying race, relegating him to the back of the starting field in a backup car.

Then on lap 32, Truex’s backup car blew an engine and his hopes and dreams went up in smoke with the car.

“It’s definitely a tough break for the team,” Truex said. “I went to bed the night before the race thinking this was my best chance to win the Daytona 500.”

Just Happy to Be in the Show

In both the Olympics and the Daytona 500, there are competitors that are just happy to be part of the even itself, no matter where they finished. And for the Jamaican bobsled team as well as for Michael Waltrip, sometime racer and broadcaster, that was just the case.

“It’s a great race for the fans and it was really fun to be out there and to be part of it,” Waltrip said after finishing 41^st in his No. 66 Blue-Def/AAA Toyota.

The Jamaican Bob Sled team finished 29^th in their two-man competition, yet remained as upbeat as ever, channeling their inner ‘Cool Runnings.’

“We have the athletic ability. We have shown we can do it,” Chris Stokes, president of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation, said. “We just have to pull things together in Jamaica itself.”

In the End, It’s All About Family

Whether in NASCAR or the Olympics, the athletes and teams who compete only do so with the support of their families and extended families.

For Olympic Skeleton racer Noelle Pikus-Pace, it was all about her loved ones as she slid to a silver medal, all with her family by her side. In fact, the mother of two, a 6 year old daughter and a 2 year old son, said that her children were her inspiration as she trained for the international competition.

“After all of the hard work that not only I but my family put in to achieve this dream, it came in those minutes, those seconds,” Pikus-Pace, 31, told PEOPLE of her Sochi success. “It really was a fairytale ending.”

The same fairytale ending was true for the Hendrick family in NASCAR, with Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in victory lane and HMS teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in the top-five.

“Oh my God, I am so excited for the Hendrick family and Hendrick Motorsports right now,” Jeff Gordon said. “This team did an amazing job and gave me a great race car at the end of the show.”

And so as the Olympic flame was extinguished and as the confetti flew at the end of the Daytona 500, the competitions ended with very similar storylines.

For the Winter Olympians, there will be a four year hiatus and wait until the next big event. But for the NASCAR competitors, the next race is simply around the bend at Phoenix International Speedway next weekend.

February 25, 2014
Dale Earnhardt Jr. & the Intangible That’s Stopped Him From Reaching His Full Potential

February 18th, 2001 … the final lap of the 43rd annual Daytona 500 …. the black No. 3 entered turn three in third position, but never made it to the tri-oval. 13 years and five days later, the iconic number finally exited that corner, and it did so as the leader of the Great American Race. The No. 3 was back. A side note of this historic occasion is that it would have been the 86th birthday of the Earnhardt family patriarch, Ralph. This day would not belong to that venerable number and rookie Austin Dillon though, but rather another third generation racer, who carried the surname of Earnhardt. This Daytona 500 belonged to Dale Jr. … and I can still hear the rapturous cheers from Jr. Nation two days later. His unequivocal understanding of plate racing and sheer determination against a snarling pack of cars led to yet another Harley J. Earl trophy for the pied piper of Daytona, as Mike Joy put it.

On the ten year anniversary of his first triumph over Daytona International Speedway, the stars aligned once again for NASCAR’s most popular driver. After an enthralling late-race duel with the likes of Johnson, Biffle, Edwards, Gordon, and Hamlin; Jr. held on and emerged as a Daytona 500 champion for the second time in his career. It was a combination of a powerful race car, luck, a plate racing ace behind the wheel, and fate that led to this very popular and widely celebrated victory.

I don’t know Jr. personally, but those who do would agree …. Dale is more confident right now than he’s ever been before. He is a different driver, and a different person. He’s got that swagger that he showcased in the early 2000’s back. In the 500, he drove aggressively and gave no quarter as he just about single-handily held off two lanes of cars late in the event; denying charges mounted from some of the best drivers in the sport. He sliced and diced from the outside wall to the inside apron at speeds upwards of 200mph without trepidation or hesitation, only instinct.

He walked into the media center that night with a pep in his step as he howled triumphantly before sitting down. One of the first statements out of his mouth was that he and his No. 88 team are “going for the jugular this year.” If you didn’t know any better, you’d think we were listening to Brad Keselowski or Tony Stewart … not the somewhat reserved and timid Dale Earnhardt Jr. we’ve seen on TV in the past. He hasn’t stopped smiling since the victory, and I doubt his enthusiasm will wane any time soon. Jr. has been giving funny, engaging, and well-spoken interviews to every media outlet he’s talked to thus far, and even joined Twitter! The clandestine life of NASCAR’s most popular driver is now being broadcast photo by photo, on social media. One of the first tweets he sent out was of him standing with the statue that immortalized his late-great father outside of the speedway.

He is a driver whose demeanor usually corresponds with his performance on the track, so this is a very good sign for the legion of Earnhardt Jr. fans out there. No, he’s not on the level of Gordon, Stewart, or Johnson; nor will he obliterate the competition in 2014. But, he is perfectly capable of being a formidable championship opponent and confidence can go a very long way for a race car driver …. just ask Denny Hamlin. What happened Sunday night at Daytona International Speedway epitomizes just how empowering a win at Daytona can be, and it will certainly leave an indelible mark on Jr.’s career. The raw, uninhibited emotion from him after the win resonated with the NASCAR community and is quite refreshing to see. It’s almost like that endearing feeling we get when an underdog captures the checkered flag, even though the driver of the No. 88 is nowhere near underdog status.

Or is he? The tumultuous career of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one that will make you feel a wide range of emotions from all across the spectrum. He’s driving equipment that is superior to most of his competitors, he is a perfectly capable driver, has plenty of money, and has battled a different kind of adversity in his career. Himself. Imagine being a young kid, the world at your feet, and then you lose one of, if not the most influential person in your life. In this case, his father. Suddenly, millions turned to him to fill Dale Sr.’s shoes and presumed that he’d be as good as, if not better than his dad. Imagine the immense pressure he must have felt. How does one deal with that?

As if that wasn’t enough to bring him down, he watched the team his father created fall to pieces before his very eyes. Think about looking at everyone around you, knowing that they all expect you to be something you’re not, and never will be. Think about all those who constantly and relentlessly asked Jr. why he wasn’t meeting their unrealistically high expectations for him. After the barrage of unanswerable questions, he was left to cogitate about all those he disappointed, who felt he wasn’t good enough, and labeled him a failure. If you keep piling weight on someone’s back, they will not grow stronger; they will break, and consequently, never reach their true potential.

But now, Dale realizes that it’s not incumbent of him to attempt to emulate his famous father and repeat his successes in order to suffice the contingent of people out there who yearn for the second coming of “The Intimidator.” No longer does he worry about disappointing those who unfairly expect him to be just like Sr. He just wants to be the best that he can be. The mindset has changed from what does everybody else want from me, to what do I want from me? Now that he’s done that, he can be a Sprint Cup champion.

I only see more good things coming from Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2014. He’s confident in himself and is comfortable with where he’s at in life. That’s been the missing piece all these years. He’s always had the equipment and the talent, but the intangible that is self-confidence is what will take him to the next level. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always had the will to win, but he’s now got the complete package, and can finally, after so many years, attain his full potential as a race car driver.

February 25, 2014
Surprising and Not Surprising: The Daytona 500

In spite of the unusual happenings that perpetually occur at Daytona, this year a six hour plus rain delay with tornado warnings, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 56^th running of the Great American Race.

Surprising: With so much focus pre-race on the return of the No. 3, formerly driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr. and now by rookie Austin Dillon, the son of the Intimidator and NASCAR’s most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. instead stole the show with his second Daytona 500 victory.

This was Junior’s 20^th victory in the Cup Series and, with the win, he joined Bill Elliott, Michael Waltrip, Sterling Marlin, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson as two-time Daytona 500 winners.

“I’ll never take this for granted,” Junior said. “We’re two time Daytona champions.”

In addition to the coveted win at Daytona, Earnhardt Jr. had a big weekend overall. The team bearing his name, JR Motorsports, won the Nationwide Drive4COPD 300 race with driver Regan Smith at the wheel.

Not Surprising: In spite of several on-track incidents, the driver of the aforementioned No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing, did quite well for himself, starting from the pole and finishing ninth.

Austin Dillon was also the highest finishing rookie of the race, taking the early lead in a Sunoco Rookie of the year battle.

“That’s what this year is about — experience, trying to finish races and getting better each week,” Dillon said, “We have a long year ahead of us, I’d like to use some of this momentum going forward. I know it’s going to be a long, tough year, and hopefully we’ll be there at the end of these races and try to learn something.”

Surprising: Goodyear had a little scare early in the race when both Kyle Larson and Greg Biffle had tire problems, causing hard hits into the wall for the rookie and veteran racers.

Larson, in the No. 42 race car formerly driven by Juan Pablo Montoya, actually hit the wall twice in the opening laps, going a lap down and soldiering on to finish 38^th.

In spite of his blown tire early in the race, Biffle had a much better finish than Larson, taking the checkered flag in the eighth spot in his No. 16 3M Ford.

“It was a good night,” Biffle said. “We had a really strong car but the 88 was real fast. We just couldn’t hold him off.”

Not Surprising: With the combo platter of the rain delay, potential for additional weather coming in, and the pent up energy of the first race of the season, it was not surprising that there were a number of pit road incidents that created some major mayhem for several drivers.

Early in the race, Matt Kenseth had contact on pit road and ended up spinning to pit backwards in his box. Both Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola removed equipment out of their pit boxes and had to serve costly penalties.

And then there was one of the more controversial calls, with Kasey Kahne called for speeding, all of which he did in an effort not to get hit by Michael Annett who had lost control of his vehicle coming to his pit.

Surprising: After dominating most everything during Speedweeks, from the Sprint Unlimited to the second Duel race, it was a bit surprising that Denny Hamlin did not claim the big prize. He did, however, come home in the runner up position in his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota, which was his best finish ever in the Daytona 500.

“I thought — the Duels and the Unlimited — I felt like our car didn’t have quite the speed,” Hamlin said. “It was a solid run for us and really it was a fun race.”

Not Surprising: Given the manufacturer change to Chevrolet and a new alliance with Richard Childress Racing, it was not surprising that Casey Mears and his GEICO No. 13 team had a great run in the Great American Race.

In fact, team GEICO finished in the top-10, getting their driver and crew chief Bootie Barker off to a great start for the season.

Surprising: The Labonte brothers, Bobby and Terry, not only made the race but had surprisingly good finishes, 15^th and 20^th respectively.

Brother Bobby extended his consecutive start street for the Great American Race to 22 while elder brother Terry most likely ran his last Daytona 500 competition.

Not Surprising: Because it was after all Daytona, there were several big crashes, collecting many good drivers, to no one’s surprise. One of those hard hits, however, impacted the only female in the field Danica Patrick.

“I think more than anything I am just upset because the GoDaddy car felt really good and it was the best car that I had all Speedweeks,” Patrick said. “I felt like everything was going pretty well, so it’s just upsetting.”

“It’s a bummer, but you know that is the excitement of speedway racing that anything can happen, and it was unfortunate that I was on the short end of the accident.”

Surprising: With a more than six hour rain delay, some of NASCAR’s finest were up to some surprising activities to pass the time away. In fact, several of the racer dads were busy with their children, from Jeff Gordon making Lego creations to Keelan Harvick suiting up in his dad Kevin’s fire suit.

Probably most novel, however, was David Ragan, still clad in his own fire suit, who went out to pick up pizza for his team during the break.

Not Surprising: While Junior reigned triumphant in Victory Lane, just like in the Olympics, there was some agony of defeat in this year’s running for the Great American Race.

Most agonizing were those drivers impacted by engine or fuel pick up woes, including Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex, Jr. and Tony Stewart.

“If it was going to blow up, I wish it would have blown up four hours ago,” Clint Bowyer said. “I could have been home watching. Just disappointing — the guys work so hard for this race. Everybody is out there having fun and we broke our toy.”

“It’s definitely a tough break for our team,” Martin Truex Jr. said. “I went to bed thinking this was my best chance to win the Daytona 500.”

The Cup Series moves on next to Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona for The Profit on CNBC 500 on March 2^nd.

February 24, 2014
It’s Not Just a Number

The No. 3 has been looming in the shadows for the past thirteen years. We saw it on the back windows of cars, on the shirts of long-time fans, on flags in the infield, but now, we will see it where it belongs…leading the pack in the Daytona 500.

On pole day, rookie Austin Dillon took the “Return of the Three” moniker to new levels when he asserted himself as the fastest man in Daytona, and in doing so, conjured up memories of the days when “The Intimidator” once ruled over the massive super-speedway.

Some fans were delighted to see the three earn pole position, others were appalled. A few even declared that no one should care because, and I quote, “it’s just a number.” That erroneous, shortsighted, and somewhat audacious remark got my attention and is what led me to put together the proceeding article.

The three is the mark of an icon….a symbol of a legend who’s untimely and tragic death only helped further solidify his place among racing’s immortals. It represents the legacy of a man who changed the sport of NASCAR forever with what he did on the track, and also with what he lost on it. The No. 3 stopped being “just a number” the day Dale Earnhardt entered turn three on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

The No. 3 has been personified far beyond the simplistic and modest form of any other digit. The three to NASCAR is like a flag to a nation, or a coat of arms to a family. It may be a simple stroke of a paint brush or the cutting out of a vinyl sticker that creates it, but the second it takes the shape that Farrell Hinker and Richard Childress once envisioned so many years ago, it instantly becomes so much more than a simple number on a car.

It has a certain mystique about it that can’t fully be explained. The three is like a torch, that only a few are worthy to carry. When the No . 3 races, it doesn’t just carry a driver, but a story and the hearts of millions of fans with it. There are intense emotions, and for some like myself, childhood memories tied to it. Numbers in their most fundamental form don’t make people cry, but the three does.

The No. 3 is a salute we give with three fingers, to commemorate a fallen hero….an allegory for what NASCAR racing was, is, and always be.

February 19, 2014
Give Austin Dillon a Chance

Sunday afternoon most of us waited for one thing and one thing only and it wasn’t about winning the pole for the Daytona 500. We waited with bated breath for the one thing fans have argued about for a while, the return of the No. 3. Many fans were happy to see it return to the track while just as many felt the hurt and sting as it took to the track.

For many fans, they never wanted to see it back. Actually remembering the promise made by Richard Childress that it would not come back. At the time not realizing there were loopholes with that statement that has brought us to where we are today, fans divided and the car carrying the No. 3 is back. Some fans watched with tears as it went around the track feeling betrayed by Richard Childress Racing, but it was back and fans had no say in it.

Now not only did the car come back but it is sitting on the pole for the biggest race of the year. Some fans are finding that a little hard to swallow, going as far as saying it was fixed by NASCAR for ratings. Which at this point does not even matter. It’s back and not going anywhere. Now it’s time to focus on the things fans can do, which is give Austin Dillon a chance.

Now many fans will not give Austin a chance but hopefully some will. If you think about it from his perspective, there is a lot on his shoulders. How would you like to be the driver and sit in that car knowing the legacy that goes with it? He will have to find a way to create his own legacy in a car that already has a legacy of its own. He needs to figure out how to forge his own path in the racing world and not be in the shadow of the man that made magic in that car, Dale Earnhardt Sr. He needs to prove to fans he deserves to sit behind the wheel of that car and that he will make everyone proud. That is a lot for a young driver to deal with.

My point is this; like it or not the No. 3 is here and Dillon is driving it. We need to think with our heads and not our hearts. Dillon may rise to the occasion and earn the respect of the fans or he may become his own worst enemy sitting in the biggest shoes in NASCAR to date. He won’t be able to do any of that if he isn’t given the chance by the fans.

Dale Earnhardt would want Dillon to be given the chance to prove what he’s got, but he would also expect Dillon to live up to his potential. The jury is out right now, so let’s do the right thing and give Dillon the chance to prove everyone wrong. Let Dillon prove that he deserves to be where he is today, carrying the famous number 3.

February 18, 2014
Daytona 500: Three Important Questions Answered

With all the rule changes, driver swaps, and format modifications, this has been one of the most hectic off-seasons in recent memory. But, a fresh season of NASCAR awaits as the Daytona 500 draws nearer. Plenty of questions are still buzzing around the heads of many fans. Will Jimmie Johnson win back-to-back Daytona 500s? Will Austin Dillon be a legitimate contender? Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. be a bridesmaid once more? I can tell you without hesitation that the answer to one of those questions is no.

The notion that Jimmie Johnson will win the Daytona 500 is just as preposterously outlandish as predicting Danica Patrick to bring home the Sprint Cup Championship. Regardless of the fact that it’s Jimmie Johnson we’re discussing, his recent record in the Great American Race is abysmal. Other than winning it twice, he crashed and finished 39th in 2007, came home a mediocre 27th in 2008, and finished a lowly 31st in 2009. The succeeding year was not much better as a broken rear axle led to a 35th place finish. Let’s also not forget that the last time a driver won back-to-back 500s was in the mid-90s, and the last time a driver won three in a row at Daytona was in the late 60s. I realize that Jimmie Johnson is one of the sport’s greatest drivers, but the evidence suggests that it’s unlikely he’ll win it again.

One of the top storylines of the off-season was the re-emergence of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Chevrolet. This historic number hasn’t been used in NASCAR’s premier series since Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death in 2001. Now, Childress’s grandson Austin Dillon will get behind the wheel and attempt to get the 3 car back in victory lane. The craziest part about it is that there is a very real possibility that he will end up there. If testing was any indication, all of the RCR cars showed tremendous speed around the 2.5-mile oval, and Dillon was the fastest of them all. Couple that with the fact that RCR always has a strong restrictor plate package, and we could be reliving 1998 all over again.

As much as fans would adore seeing the No. 3 car back in the winner’s circle at Daytona, they may even be more ecstatic to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. holding the Harley J. Earl trophy. Unlike his Hendrick stalemate Johnson, Junior’s record in the 500 has been pretty solid over the past few years. He’s established himself as a Daytona 500 bridesmaid after finishing second in 2010, 2012, and 2013, and fans are left to question whether or not he’ll win it again.

Feel free to start the party early Dale Jr. fans, because not only will he run up front for the majority of the race, there’s an extremely strong chance he’ll wind up in victory lane. If the fall Talladega race is any indication, the 88 team can produce one heck of a restrictor plate package, and they will bring the best they have for race day. In the closing laps, Junior may methodically slice his way through the field and be the first driver to cross the start/finish line.

Jimmie Johnson won’t win, the No. 3 will be a serious contender, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t be a bridesmaid this year. Right about now, 90 percent of the NASCAR fan base is grinning ear-to-ear, and they should keep grinning, because this is going to be an outstanding opener to an exceptionally exciting NASCAR season.

February 17, 2014
NASCAR 2014 Season Predictions

*Kyle Busch leads 54 laps and passes Ryan Newman on the final lap to win the Daytona 500, his first Sprint Cup win at the season opener. In a post-race interview with Erin Andrews, Busch announces that he and his wife Samantha are pregnant with their first child. Busch beams to Andrews that “I’m sure I’ll be a good father, because I know what it’s like to be a baby.”

Busch finishes second in the Sprint Cup point standings, winning five races, and caps his year with a win at Homestead and his first Sprint Cup championship.

*Tony Stewart vows to win his third Sprint Cup championship in 2014, and fans and other drivers notice his new attitude. Former teammate Ryan Newman quips in an interview at Daytona that Stewart seems to be “walking with a purpose, as well as a limp.”

Stewart wins at Watkins Glen and qualifies for the Chase, but finishes a disappointing seventh in the final standings.

*Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s No. 88 car gets a new sponsor just in time for the Daytona 500 when an online funeral planning service signs on for 12 races. The service, known as “Final-E” sees a boom in business after their logo appears on Earnhardt’s Chevy.

Earnhardt finishes second in the Daytona 500, and wins at Daytona in July on his way to a fourth place finish in the Sprint Cup points standings.

*Kevin Harvick coins the name “Two Men And A Babe, And Kurt Busch” to describe the Stewart-Haas Racing stable of Stewart, Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Danica Patrick after a heated drivers’ meeting following wreck at Fontana initiated by aggressive driving from Busch.

Harvick, aided by new buddy Stewart, exacts his revenge the following week at Martinsville, where the two craft an elaborate hoax in which a phony façade of Busch’s hauler placed in front of a Port-A-Potty lures Busch into a trap. Once inside, Busch is fork-lifted to an outer parking lot, and is forced to walk back and misses qualifying.

*E! Network and ABC collaborate on a new reality show called “Keeping Up With The Chase Format: Extreme Makeover: NASCAR Edition.” In the show, host Brad Daugherty roams around NASCAR events asking fans if they understand not only the Chase For The Cup format, but Daugherty’s hayseed, mountain drawl.

*Richard Childress Racing rookie Austin Dillon bulls his way to the win in a wreck-filled race at Bristol on March 16, as only 22 cars are running at the end. In Victory Lane, Dillon salutes his detractors with a middle finger, then pops the top on a beer before shouting “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”

The outburst makes Dillon a sensation, but also saddles the driver of the Childress No. 3 Chevy with the nickname “The Imitator.”

*In an interview promoting a partnership between the No. 48 team and Caesar’s Palace before the March race in Las Vegas, Jimmie Johnson coins his quest for his seventh Sprint Cup championship “VIIni, VIIdi, VIIci.”

Later, after International Speedway Corporation CEO Jim France makes Smith an insulting offer for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Smith slaps France, leading a fallen France to quip, “Et tu, Bruton?”

Johnson leads the points standings for most of the year, and heads to Homestead with a chance to win No. 7, but engine trouble ends his day. He finishes third in the points standings.

*Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. elope in Barbados on April 19th at a ceremony presided over by Russell Brand and streamed live on GoDaddy.com. Patrick wears a Vera Wang gown crafted from fire-suit material and accented with a HANS device and also featuring a plunging neckline that leaves little to the imagination.

Patrick’s good fortune continues when she wins at Talladega on May 3rd, darting from 23rd to first on the final lap as a wild pileup eliminates half the field. A wild celebration ensues in Victory Lane, where Patrick delivers a message to her competitors, “There’s a party at my house. I hate to be ‘Petty,’ but no one’s invited, so you can all go home.”

*In a new advertisement for ESPN’s Sportscenter, Clint Bowyer leads a spin class in the ESPN company workout facility, while Michael Waltrip is seen guiding a tour group from Finland around ESPN’s headquarters. The commercial ends when Bowyer and Waltrip dupe the tour group into paying a second admission fee before they’re busted by Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman, who accuse the MWR duo of “manipulating the Finnish.”

*Carl Edwards is scheduled to make an appearance in the March 2nd episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead, in which he portrays the leader of a brainless following of half-dead dimwits, a group eerily similar to the Carl Edwards Fan Club.

To publicize the event, the No. 99 sports a Subway/The Walking Dead paint scheme bearing the slogan, “Subway: Eat Flesh” at Phoenix. Edwards leads 88 laps and wins in a race that features only three lead changes. In Victory Lane, Edwards performs his trademark back flip while disappointed fans file out like zombies.

*Matt Kenseth wins the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 6th, and is presented the winner’s trophy by “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson, who oddly comments that his favorite parts of the 1.5-mile track are the “straights.”

*After a crash at Kentucky Speedway on June 28th, Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards are summoned to the NASCAR hauler for a talk with NASCAR officials. Keselowski creates a firestorm when he tweets a picture from inside the hauler, a photo which shows he and Edwards smoking cigars and playing ping-pong while officials in the background relax in a hot tub.

Keselowski is placed on probation for two weeks, while NASCAR bans cell phones and all liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces. 5-Hour Energy shots takes advantage of the opportunity, and becomes the official drink of drivers called to the NASCAR hauler.

*June’s road race at Sonoma is delayed for three hours after a mild earthquake strikes the region, causing slight damage to the circuit’s surface. Swan Racing part-owner 50 Cent is seen inspecting a fissure in the track along pit road, leading to TNT’s Kyle Petty to make the controversial statement, “Well, he was a crack dealer.”

50 laughs off the comment, and later in the year makes a big splash when, as honorary starter at Dover in June, eschews waving the green flag and instead fires a starters pistol nine times. In doing so, 50 becomes the first rapper to be “shot nine times” twice.

*Gene Haas abandons his plan to enter Formula 1 and instead opts to field a funny car in the NHRA. Haas car flops, failing to qualify for a single final, and becomes the laughingstock in the drag racing garage, leading to the nickname “Funny Haas Haas.”

*A healthy Denny Hamlin wins four races on the season, including March’s Martinsville race, where he fights off a challenge from Joey Logano, than challenges Logano to a fight after the race. Hamlin and Logano settle their differences in a charity 1-on-1 basketball game, which ends in a tie, 1-to-1.

Hamlin qualifies for the “Elimination Round” of NASCAR’s revamped Chase For The Cup format, and wins at Phoenix on November 9th, but tweaks his back shaking an oversized champagne bottle and struggles the following week at Homestead.

February 12, 2014
Ryan Gifford Confident As 2014 Drive for Diversity Contender

NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) recently announced its 2014 class of young, up and coming multicultural and female drivers and one of the headliners of the group is Ryan Gifford.

Gifford, a 24 year old from Tennessee, made history in 2010 by becoming the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East pole position. He also scored his first East win at Richmond last year, as well as making his Nationwide debut for Richard Childress Racing.

“First of all, it’s awesome to be back with the team,” Gifford said as he returns to his same Rev Racing team from last season. “It’s rare to get this opportunity this many times and I’m looking forward to having a really good year.”

“I think we’re going to bring back most of the same guys on the team and I’ll have the same crew chief Mark Green,” Gifford continued. “We had a good run last year and I really like all my guys.”

“They work their guts out for me and I think that’s what it takes.”

“I know Mark’s really excited and they’ve put a lot of work into the cars over the winter,” Gifford continued. “Really for me, I’m excited to have new cars coming together. And when I go to the shop and see everyone working, I think it will be a really cool year.”

While Gifford admits that he learned many lessons from last year, the biggest lesson learned sounds easier said than done.

“I’ve learned just to be confident in myself really,” Gifford said. “To know that I can go out there and be fast and know I’m capable of doing it this year, which means everything to me.”

“I want to go out and win the championship this year.”

Gifford has also learned a great deal about the tracks on which he has competed. This has been especially challenging for the young D4D competitor as his background has primarily been on the local dirt tracks.

“For me, my best tracks where I feel most comfortable are the companion races and the faster tracks,” Gifford said. “I don’t have a lot of experience on pavement even though I’ve driven in the K&N Series for four years.”

“Before that, I raced all dirt,” Gifford continued. “So, all those kinds of race tracks compare more to the dirt than the little, slower short tracks that we go to. I think the slower places are the ones I struggle at more.”

“But last year, I did really well there too so I think this year will be fun,” Gifford said. “I know I still have a lot to learn but I’ve learned some of them the hard way. I think I’ve got a little experience under my belt and I’m ready to go for it.”

While Gifford will most certainly be concentrating on asphalt racing, his heart and roots remain in dirt and he will continue to race late models whenever possible.

“I think I’m looking at about 15 races this year,” Gifford said. “So, it will be exciting to fit all that into the schedule and try and make everything work.”

“But I’m really excited to be able to do all that and it really helps to stay in the seat when we have two or three weeks off.”

How does the young D4D competitor intend to balance the rigors of racing so often and on so many different surfaces?

“I think just staying in the race car is the biggest thing that helps me balance it all,” Gifford said. “And staying in different kinds of race cars helps me adapt.”

“I need to be a really versatile driver so that part will keep me mentally focused and not thinking about other things,” Gifford continued. “Aside from that, I stay busy at the shop and every now and then I try to squeeze in a work out to try to keep myself in shape. That keeps me comfortable when I’m in a race car.”

Gifford has been significantly influenced by Richard Childress Racing, from the choice of his racing idol to his two best friends in the sport.

“In the past, my racing idol has always been Dale Earnhardt but then, once I moved here, I’ve gotten to know the Dillon brothers and they are kind of like my brothers now,” Gifford said. “They have let me live with them for a couple of years and they’re really good friends.”

“Seeing them go up through the ranks and handle everything has been really cool and I really look up to both of them.”

Fans of the up and coming racer may also be surprised with his day job and his ability to work on his own race cars.

“I still work at the shop and I still work on Austin and Ty’s cars,” Gifford said. “That’s pretty much my during the week job.”

“Even K&N racing is still not the big time yet so you have to do what you can to pay the bills,” Gifford continued. “It’s a lot of fun to work on those cars.”

“I can pretty much build a race car from the ground up so I’m for sure a gear head,” Gifford said. “I’ve always had to work on my own race cars and to build them and keep them up so, I’ve learned pretty much every angle of the sport that I can, including building the cars and servicing them.”

“I think that’s a cool fact for fans to know.”

But what Gifford really wants fans to know is how he intends to approach his 2014 Drive for Diversity K&N Pro Series season.

“If I could choose one word to describe how I feel about the year and participating in the Drive for the Diversity Program it would be confident,” Gifford said. “I’m really excited for this year and can’t wait to get started.”

February 8, 2014
The Sprint Media Tour – Day Two – Chip Ganassi Racing, Furniture Row, and Richard Childress Racing

Day two of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Sprint was Chevrolet Day. The NASCAR media met with Chip Ganassi Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Furniture Row Racing, and Hendrick Motorsports. First was Chip Ganassi Racing, newly renamed for this season. It was formerly known as Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.

Ganassi was impressed with the way the season ended for the team, with Jamie McMurray winning at Talladega, and hopeful with the addition of Kyle Larson to the team, replacing Juan Pablo Montoya in 2014, but the most glowing report came from Felix Sabates who owns part of the team with Ganassi.

“I watched this driver for a long time and I believe that he has what it takes to be very successful in this sport,” Sabates said. “Change makes things more interesting and change is inevitable. This kid will be great.”

Larson, who admitted that most things don’t excite him too much, was quite reserved about 2014.

“I don’t think too much is being expected of me,” Larson said. “I think you can look at other rookies and you can see what the story is. I think they expect me to be like any other rookie.”

Richard Childress Racing entered the auditorium minus the owner at first. An accident on the road to the Charlotte Convention Center delayed him, but he got there late, knowing full well that his lectures to grandsons Ty and Austin about being on time would lead to some good-natured ribbing by the two drivers.

RCR will have new sponsors for 2014, including Dow (Austin Dillon, No. 3), Yuengling Light (Ty Dillon, No. 3 in the truck series), and WIX Filters (company wide). It was also announced that Lucas Oil would become the official oil of Richard Childress Racing.

Paul Menard stated that he was looking forward to 2014.

“I’m really anxious to work with Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman,” Menard said. Menard is the senior member of the Cup group now, with Newman coming over from Stewart-Haas Racing this year. “We hired two new engineers and that should help a lot.”

Newman felt like he was in the best position of his life with RCR, and it felt good to be with an established team.

“When I started with Penske, it was a startup team and then I went to Stewart-Haas, and it was a startup team. It’s good to be with an established team.”

Austin Dillon will be making his first start in the famed No. 3 Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway in three weeks. Dillon has already turned the fastest lap among his peers in practice there, and he knows that making “3 Fans” proud, with the car’s reputation means the whole team will have to be on its toes.

“Things have been great,” Dillon said. “But I’m most excited with the group they put around me. I’m looking forward to learning from Ryan and Paul.”

Brendan Gaughan will move from the truck series to the Nationwide Series with Ty Dillon. He will keep the No. 62—the same number he used in the truck series. Gaughan praised the RCR marketing department and said that very few unsponsored races are on the schedule for the team. “I teamed with Ty last year in the truck series and now I’m teaming with him in the Nationwide Series. It’s great. Who could ask for more?”

Team Owner Richard Childress called 2014 the most exciting year he could ever remember.

“We’ve brought in new engineers and feel like this is our best shot in years to win consistently,” Childress said. Then, he was asked about the No. 3.

“It’s important that Austin run well, but we saw Austin and Ty in the 3 car or truck the last few years. The decision was made more thane 14 years ago before Dale got killed. We talked to Dale about retirement and what to do with the car and number when he did quit. We agreed not to put anyone in the car unless they were ready and we agreed it would be an Earnhardt or a member of my family. That happened a long time ago.”

When asked about the new qualifying rules, Newman said it would get most interesting when the cars got to Daytona the second time. Menard still had questions about the new procedure. “It’s going to be a learning process for everyone,” Menard said.

January 29, 2014