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Tag: Bubba Wallace

  • The Final Word – Pocono provided a soothing, pleasant environment…and some race cars

    The Final Word – Pocono provided a soothing, pleasant environment…and some race cars

    Man, Pocono is pretty. It is so green. Watching a race from there is like watching a video on kittens or puppies. You might not be riveted to all you see, but you could calmly drift away to your happy place as you find yourself in the midst of peaceful meditation. Not exactly what you were bargaining for when you tuned in a race, but in these wacky times there are worse things to experience than some ambient video.

    It was 160 laps within a soothing, pleasant environment. After the first 100, it was suggested that the outcome might result in one of a handful of drivers claiming the top prize. Kevin Harvick was again very good. Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, and Martin Truex Jr. were among the best. Even Chase Elliott was among our leaders as he continued his quest for his first Cup win. It was pretty. It was nice. It was relaxing. All that was missing was the back rub, a nice fruity drink and a gentle warm breeze. Maybe a certain Beach Boy song playing in the background.

    I love kittens and puppies, and I really like Bubba Wallace. He is a lot like Danica Patrick. Popular and charismatic, a total package that is just missing the race results just yet at this point in his career. He also missed fourth gear early in that final stage. You shift about six times per lap at Pocono, and a single gear grinding miss and your day is over. Wallace was the first one out, and in doing so damn near increased my level of awareness during my afternoon of peaceful contemplation.

    While everything was just groovy with me, Matt DiBenedetto’s brakes were catching fire. Kyle Larson was on fire, but Derrike Cope was not, as the younger driver pushed the 59-year old into a skid to bring out a late caution. Coming out of the pits, Rowdy got by Harvick to take the lead for the first time on the day. That almost got me to open one eye just a bit.

    With just over 40 miles left out of the 400 scheduled, trash on the track. Another caution, another round of pit stops, another leader. This time, Truex in front, followed by Harvick, and Larson shoved himself into third when they took the green. I was relaxing, sure, but I was still noticing stuff.

    Three laps later, and the boys ruined everything. Denny Hamlin got loose, and while he caused Alex Bowman to scrape the outside wall, Hamlin went for a skid and punched his nose on the inside barrier. Yellow waved, and it was going to come down to a 10-lap shoot-out. Now I was awake. As for that shoot-out, on the re-start, Joey Logano got into Erik Jones to spin him and the autumn colored flag was back out. Meanwhile, the cars that really mattered still belonged to Truex, Larson, Kyle Busch, and Harvick.

    That is how they finished. Truex, who had won the opening stage only to fall back due to a pit miscue, won his second of the season and the 17th of his Cup career. The only change amongst the Chase contenders has Bowman dropping, to be replaced by the 14th place finisher Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Pocono was not boring. It was very, very relaxing, with a few moments to vie for your attention in the late going. Now that I am fully awake, I need some excitement. Time to fire up the lawn mower for a few laps in the yard before supper.

  • The Final Word – Atlanta was like a Happy little children’s song for Harvick

    The Final Word – Atlanta was like a Happy little children’s song for Harvick

    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    Drive your car.
    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    Drive it far.
    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    End the day doing donuts,
    If you’re Happy and you know it,
    Be as you are.

    That pretty much sums up the 500 mile race Sunday at Atlanta. Kevin “Happy” Harvick dominated the opening stage, and though an air gun mishap dropped him back, he was near the front after the second stage. The third, it was all Harvick, with a few cameos as some anticipated rain, others tried different strategies, but all to no avail. It marked his first win at the track on which he claimed his first back in 2001. This victory was his 38th and locked him into the playoff hunt.

    While Harvick led more than half the time, Brad Keselowski was second after holding point for 38 laps. Denny Hamlin was fourth with 26 up front, while Kurt Busch settled for eighth, taking the second stage and leading 52 circuits.

    Only 13 drivers managed to run the full 325 laps, including Top Five finishers Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. Pole sitter Kyle Busch was seventh but did well enough throughout in accumulating extra notches to wind up third best in points on the day. Rounding out the Top Ten was Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott.

    Good days for some, bad days for others who one would think would have done better. A blown tire that did some serious renovations to the front fender did in Jimmie Johnson. After the Daytona disaster, it would be an understatement to say that he is off to a slow start. He already sits way down in 35th in the standings. Others with 10 points or less on Sunday included A.J. Allmendinger, Matt DiBenedetto, Bubba Wallace, and a blown engine parked Trevor Bayne in 35th.

    Next stop is Las Vegas, as the teams answer the call to go west with their young men. Just 36 entries last week marked a 22 year low, but Premium Motorsports will add the uncharted entry of Joey Gase for the trip to the Strip to push the entry tally to 37. It will be the 23rd career Cup start for the 25-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    Truex is the defending race champion, though a second visit to the venue comes up in September, a date that once belonged to New Hampshire. Keselowski has won two of the past four in Las Vegas, sandwiching the 2015 victory of Harvick. It could be a case of the rich getting even richer next weekend. It might be early, but Johnson is not the only one who could use a little luck to come their way on their visit to The Entertainment Capital of the World. Alex Bowman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray, Erik Jones, William Byron, and Daniel Suarez are just some of those who have seen craps come up enough times already. Something better than snake eyes is what they will be looking for the next time they roll ‘dem bones on Sunday.

    As for Harvick and Daytona winner Austin Dillon, they might prefer the wheels on the bus to continue going round and round. However, if the damn things fall off, there is always next week. The pressure is off.

  • Atlanta Could Drive Home Possibility That New NASCAR Generation Is Here

    Atlanta Could Drive Home Possibility That New NASCAR Generation Is Here

    The nature of the Daytona 500 is for everyone to shine at some point during the race. This year, that was especially true of the new class of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup drivers, a group of twenty-somethings who have become the status quo in the sport.

    Just about every one of those drivers played a pivotal part in this year’s 500, from consistent midpack drivers like Matt DiBenedetto (who was running in the top-five before the Lap 198 Big One accident relegated him to a 27th-place finish) to 2017 Cup Series Rookie of the Year Erik Jones, who led 11 laps before crashing on Lap 59 and finishing 36th.

    It didn’t stop there. Twenty-four-old Alex Bowman won the pole in the No. 88 Chevrolet vacated by Dale Earnhardt Jr. while 24-year-old Ryan Blaney and 22-year-old Chase Elliott won their Can-Am Duels. Twenty-seven-year-old Austin Dillon took the win in the 500, with 24-year-old Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. finishing second. The fact that a handful of NASCAR’s freshest faces stole the show at Daytona speaks well for the sport’s future. However, Atlanta could be a deciding factor in whether or not this will be a true changing of the guard.

    For one, keep in mind that although there has been an uptick in new faces in the NASCAR garage, the current crop of drivers, featuring guys such as Kyle Busch, 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski still very much have that competitive fire, while guys like Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson are still out winning races. Denny Hamlin is a perennial contender who is always either on the cusp of a win or lingering near the top of a championship fight.

    While the new crop of drivers is still getting their legs underneath them, these guys continue to dominate and win. Sure, there are a few drivers that have slowly come to prove themselves as adaptable; 27-year-old Joey Logano has 18 Cup wins under his belt including the 2015 Daytona 500 as well as the 2016 All-Star race at Charlotte and the 2017 preseason Clash at Daytona. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Kyle Larson has only come around in the last two seasons, having scored five Cup wins since August 2016 and was considered Truex’s closest threat for the championship before a rash of DNFs left him eliminated after the second round of the Playoffs.

    The road to success in the Cup Series isn’t a guarantee, however. Twenty-seven-year-old Trevor Bayne, despite gradually showing more consistency in his No. 6 Ford, hasn’t done anything of note since winning the 2011 Daytona 500. Twenty-five-year-old Chris Buescher is in the same boat; since his rain-shortened win at Pocono in August 2016, he’s only put together six more top-10s, including just his third-career top-five with a fifth in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

    But if Sunday was any indicator, the younger generation of drivers could be taking over quickly. They’re fast and fearless, with a propensity of taking better care of their equipment than their predecessors 10, 15, maybe even 20 years ago. It also shows that they’re just as quick to learn as they ever were. They’re measuring their aggression, they’re bouncing back quickly from their lumps, and NASCAR may very well be going through a paradigm shift.

    In NASCAR’s case, it needs the younger generation to succeed. Fans are tuning in for the older staples, but they’re also tuning in to see the young guys who are slowly edging their way toward the front of the field race after race. There’s hardly any negative press on those guys which is always a boon for business. So come Sunday, when NASCAR hits the fast banks of Atlanta, an older track that never fails to put on a great racing product as well as a lot of speed, there’s bound to be a few of the new kids that loiter near the top of the pylon through the weekend. For NASCAR’s sake, let’s hope that’s the case.

  • Denny Hamlin’s Post-Race Confrontation with Darrell Wallace Jr.

    Denny Hamlin’s Post-Race Confrontation with Darrell Wallace Jr.

    Even after starting second and finishing third in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, Denny Hamlin was not happy after the race when he and Darrell Wallace Jr. had a post-race confrontation.

    Tempers flared early this year, starting between Denny Hamlin and Darrell Wallace Jr. As Austin Dillon took the checkered flag, there was a close battle for second. As the two battled side by side, contact was made entering the tri-oval. After crossing the start/finish line, both suffered minor crash damage after colliding with the wall exiting the tri-oval. Hamlin didn’t take kindly to Bubba’s actions on track nor his comments after the race.

    While Bubba was quite emotional by placing the famed 43 car in the runner-up position, he did have a few words regarding the incident with Denny Hamlin.

    “I want to see the replay before I say anything stupid, but he might need to take some Adderall for that one,” he told FOX.

    His comment referred to Hamlin’s recent interview with Pardon My Take when pressured into answering if drivers take prescription medication (he claimed 70 percent of the field took Adderall, but more as a ‘blow off’ of the question to continue the interview). Shortly after exiting the media center, the two crossed paths and their interaction was caught on tape.

    Hamlin posted his response in three consecutive tweets.

    All-in-all, this hasn’t been Hamlin’s only rough-up with another driver. Last year, he had a questionable situation with Ryan Blaney at Martinsville. He also made some controversial moves on track with Chase Elliott, which some believe may have prevented the Dawsonville native from reaching the final elimination round of the playoffs in 2017. Plus, there’s also the classic pit road scene with Danica Patrick three years ago.

    Bubba Wallace seems to have put it behind him and is already focused on Atlanta: “We’re both pissed off at each other, but we’re racers. We’re competitive and we’ll go into Atlanta and be fine.”

  • Wallace Overcome With Emotion after Runner-up Finish at Daytona

    Wallace Overcome With Emotion after Runner-up Finish at Daytona

    While most of the Daytona 500 headlines will focus on Austin Dillon’s win in the iconic No. 3, runner-up Darrell Wallace Jr. quietly captured the hearts of NASCAR fans everywhere as his emotions overwhelmed him after the race.

    He’s been under a spotlight since it was announced on October 25 that he had signed to drive in the Monster Energy Cup Series for NASCAR’s undisputed King, Richard Petty. Add in the pressure of representing the African American community in the sport and you get a hint of what the 24-year-old has been dealing with as he prepared for his first Daytona 500.

    But don’t think for a minute that he has any regrets. It’s what Wallace has been working toward since he began racing and he’s determined to make the most of the opportunity. His drive to succeed is evident to anyone who has followed his career. His comments are often unfiltered, a welcome respite from the more polished veterans of the sport who have become masters of the public relations game.

    What you see is what you get, pure unfiltered emotion that reaches out and grabs your attention.

    Wallace sat down to speak to the media after Sunday’s race when he was interrupted by his mother, Desiree Wallace, who came in to congratulate him. He stood up and as they hugged, she said, “We’ve waited so long baby.” As they continued their embrace, Wallace laughed and said, “You act like we just won the race,” to which she replied, “We did, we did!”

    As he said down to answer questions, he fought through tears to gain his composure.

    “It’s a sensitive subject, but I’m just so emotional over where my family has been the last two years, and I don’t talk about it, but it’s just so hard,” Wallace said,  “and so having them here to support me is … pull it together, bud, pull it together. You just finished second. It’s awesome.

    “I just try so hard to be successful at everything I do, and my family pushes me each and every day, and they might not even know it, but I just want to make them proud.”

    It today was any indication; Wallace is on the right track.

    He started the Daytona 500 in seventh place and was able to remain in the top 10 as the race came to a close. Wallace avoided the Turn 1 chaos that brought out the caution on the next to last scheduled lap of completion and passed Denny Hamlin in the closing moments to finish second.

    Wallace made no apologies for his emotions, saying, “No matter what the circumstances are when you have family here and you run good and it’s been a while since you’ve been somewhat competitive, it pulls on the heartstrings. I’m competitive. I love to win. I hate to finish second.  Obviously, that shows for everybody. But I’m human. No matter if I race cars for a living and enjoy doing it, at the end of the day we all get emotional about something, so I’m just the same as you guys.”

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • The Final Word – The Daytona 500 finish reminded us of when giants ruled the asphalt

    The Final Word – The Daytona 500 finish reminded us of when giants ruled the asphalt

    Unstable. Set to go off with the least provocation. No, I’m not talking about CNN or late night talk show hosts, most celebrities, or more than a few politicians. What I am referring to is the Daytona 500.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. weebled, wobbled, and stacked ‘em up. He drove off, for the moment at least, but it was goodbye Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, and Jimmie Johnson before they got 60 laps in. Segment two found Chase Elliott the meat in a Ryan Blaney – Brad Keselowski sandwich and the aerodynamics took care of the rest. Adios Elliott, Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, and Danica Patrick. Then, down to the final couple of scheduled laps on the day, Kurt Busch was near the front but traded paint with Blaney and found himself facing the wrong way. Sayonara Kurt, Alex Bowman, and Matt DiBenedetto, who had looked so good before things went so bad.

    Good was remembering 20 years ago when the No. 3 crossed the finish line first, and car owner Richard Childress looking so happy for his driver, Dale Earnhardt. Sunday we saw Childress looking happy once more as the No. 3 of grandson Austin Dillon took the Great American Race. For a brief moment, we remembered a time when things were not so unstable, when the news was really the news, and you could believe what you had heard and seen. Believe me, what we saw at the end of the Daytona 500 felt so real and good, if only because it reminded us of a time past.

    Of course, Dillon won it because Aric Almirola threw a block in front of Dillon’s freight train, and wound up as one would expect in such a situation. While Dillon went on to win, Bubba Wallace, driving for Richard Petty, was the guy pushing him to victory, edging out Denny Hamlin at the line. Joey Logano was fourth, which was not as surprising as finding Chris Buescher taking fifth. Blaney, who was seventh in the end, was third in the opening stage and took the second to lead the points standings. He sits six ahead of Dillon and Paul Menard, who was sixth.

    It was an entertaining race, assisted by the volatility of the cars that made things a tad unpredictable for us, and for the drivers. The race kept us engaged while the television crew did not drive us off. In fact, the FOX coverage was pretty darn good. I do like the left side of the screen ticker better than the scroll they used to run atop it. Informative and entertaining. What a concept.

    Some were not as enthralled with the action. It was not worth a crap if you were named Kyle. Kyle Larson got some damage in that opening wreck and finished 19th. Kyle Busch had tires going down and fenders smacking the fence and wound up 25th. Stenhouse was blowing more steam than Old Faithful late in the second stage, and the Busch wreck really left him steaming in 29th when the day was over.

    Heading to Atlanta, Suarez, Jones, and Johnson sit with a single point each for their Daytona efforts. Johnson has won two of the last three raced down in Georgia, with Keselowski the defending race champ. With just five points, ole Brad also could use some stability himself come next week. Last Sunday, as oft times happens at Daytona, we were provided with a good show.

    The Daytona 500 finished with some of NASCAR’s most iconic numbers, the No. 3, the No.43, the No. 11 and the No. 22, coming home one-two-three-four. Just for the briefest of moments, the hands on the wheel could have been those of  Earnhardt. Petty. Cale Yarborough (or was it Ned Jarrett or Darrell Waltrip?). Fireball Roberts. Those were the days when giants ruled the asphalt. May such memories of the past merge with the reality that was last Sunday. May they just be the harbinger of more good things for Sundays come.

  • Daytona 500 Report – More of the Same

    Daytona 500 Report – More of the Same

    The 60th edition of the Great American Race was run Sunday under sunny skies in Daytona Beach, Florida. From the start, shortly after 3:00 p.m.,  it was nearly four hours of chaos. At the end, there were only a few competitive cars left to race.

    At Lap 61, nine cars were eliminated or damages. This included stars like Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Larson. At Lap 103, Chase Elliott, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Kasey Kahne were eliminated. It wasn’t over. At Lap 200, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex, Jr., Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., William Byron, Ryan Newman, and Kyle Larson were eliminated or damaged. Then came the “overtime,” and that cost Aric Almirola, who was leading at the time, elimination. That’s a total of nearly half the field.

    Why, you may ask. The answer is restrictor plate (or tapered spacer) racing. It involves cars racing at fast speeds, so close together that there is no room for error. Then include the fashionable practice of blocking. It’s Daytona Roulette. The result is only a few cars lucky enough to have avoided all the earlier carnage can be around at the end. Unfortunately, on this day even the lessening of contenders did not stop the blocking, and a crash ended the race. You may have read my earlier comment on the so-called plate racing from about five years ago. This guy doesn’t like it. Many people do. Some like the fact that almost anyone can win and others like the crashes. With 80 percent of the field either having damage or eliminated from competition, it becomes little more than a demolition derby or as I called it, a train wreck, not racing.

    One proponent of this “racing” told me today that we run nearly 200 mph at several tracks, why is this a problem at Daytona, he asked. High banks and aggressive drivers is the answer. Those tracks don’t have the banking or the aggressive behavior that is required at Daytona because in order to keep up, you have to block, and when you get a push from behind, you are helpless to slow down.

    What’s the answer? I won’t pretend to even think I know. I do take one tidbit from the past. Back in the dark ages before Bobby Allison tore out the catchfence at Talladega when everyone was running seven-liter engines, NASCAR decided to inch away from the big blocks for a more reasonable cost. The late Bud Moore was the first to try it and his No. 15 Fords had a hard time keeping up until everyone changed. Speeds at Daytona were about 176 mph and the racing was great. Now they use these smaller blocks and go even faster with a restrictor plate. Much like the gun debate in society, no one has an answer and no one is even trying to do anything to change it. So, we’re stuck with crash fests. Sad.

    The lesson from all of this is never take anything from plate races that would mean there is a pattern to competitiveness that would ring true for the rest of the season (except for the three remaining plate races). Chevrolet won the 500, but only led 19 laps on the day. Ford drivers led 150 laps and Toyota drivers led 38. Chevrolet, which brought the new Camaro ZL1 to Daytona, led only 19 laps all day. When we get to Atlanta, we’ll have a better idea of the season ahead. No, we won’t anoint Bubba Wallace the most popular driver yet (though he’s got a head start on that), or declare the young kids as not as advertised. It’s back to reality next week and real racing.

  • For Wallace, The Real Rookie Test Begins Now

    For Wallace, The Real Rookie Test Begins Now

    Over the years the racing at Daytona International Speedway has proved that when it comes to the finish, it doesn’t matter how strong a car may be; things become a crapshoot. But with that being said, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace’s Daytona Speedweeks went like a dream as he was fortunate enough to have one of the strongest cars in Daytona Beach.

    He posted a strong qualifying run, finished third in his Can-Am Duel, and ultimately finished second to Austin Dillon in the 500. Afterward, the racing world was treated to a heart-warming show of emotion as Wallace tried to keep it together after getting hugs from both his mother and his older sister.

    But now the real test begins, as the 24-year-old Rookie of the Year contender faces down the next 35 races in what is essentially a brand new team. Richard Petty Motorsports formed an alliance in the off-season with Richard Childress Racing that ultimately switches out the N0. 43 Ford to the No. 43 Chevy, a switch that looks like it could already be paying dividends.

    While Wallace showed serious strength in the 500, how he’ll fare next weekend at Atlanta is anyone’s guess. RPM is still ironing out whatever kinks there may be while traveling to a very fast 1.5-mile track, and in order for Wallace and the No. 43 crew to carry on with their Daytona momentum they’ll need to exercise the same sort of discipline they showed at Daytona. All said, it’s doubtful; that will be a tall order.

    This isn’t a fact that’s lost on Wallace. He’s a rookie with a team that has not had the best of luck over the years, having only won once since 2000 (Aric Almirola’s rain-shortened 2014 Coke Zero 400 win at Daytona). Said team relocated to Welcome, North Carolina to be closer to RCR and their equipment. The driver himself has had a rough go of things as well, having lost his XFINITY Series ride after it was shuttered early in 2017, and not having scored a win to show for any of it.

    Photo By: David Rosenblum
    The No. 11 of Denny Hamlin squeezes the No. 43 of Wallace toward the wall as they cross the finish line in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

    That would be taxing on anyone, understandably, especially with someone who has experienced as much success as Wallace. But considering his work ethic and the way he carries himself on and off the track, it wasn’t a question of if he would get a chance to prove his worth, but when. Now, at the start of his first full Cup season, he’ll have plenty of speed at his disposal and plenty of chances to back his Daytona performance.

    He’s had great showings at various types of tracks, and although success isn’t guaranteed, that yellow stripe on his back bumper won’t hold him down by any means. He drives like a veteran, keeps his equipment clean, and knows how to keep his aggressiveness in check. It’s obvious he’s hungry, and with the potential for RPM to build itself around him, he may very well be the next big thing in NASCAR.

     

  • Hot 20 – Best from last Sunday dream of being the best this Sunday at Daytona

    Hot 20 – Best from last Sunday dream of being the best this Sunday at Daytona

    Forty drivers, 40 spots. Still, despite the lack of interest and resources for additional teams to attempt to enter the iconic competition, we have some high-quality contenders to watch out for. Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin are locked into the front row, as long as their cars last. The rest of the top 20 qualifiers went into Thursday trying to protect their positions from all challengers in the two 20 car heats.

    Some of those trying to turn up the heat were quality drivers who were trying to improve on what took place last Sunday. Heading into this Sunday, does anyone want to count out the likes of Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, Bubba Wallace, or defending Cup champion Martin Truex, Jr.?

    I didn’t think so.

    The Hot 20 prior to the Duels…

    1. ALEX BOWMAN
    Junior who?

    2. DENNY HAMLIN
    Denny who? Okay, I’m just messing with you.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON
    His date with 8 could begin on Sunday.

    4. KYLE BUSCH
    Some days he wins, some days he crashes, but damn near every day we know that he raced.

    5. WILLIAM BYRON
    Jeff who?

    6. ERIK JONES
    I often wear a 2005 Little League coach’s shirt, and Jones would have been too young to play for us.

    7. DANIEL SUAREZ
    Open the border if that means more like him.

    8. KEVIN HARVICK
    Open the border, but what would Harvick do in Canada?

    9. RICKY STENHOUSE JR.
    If bad things happen, he won’t hear about it when he gets home…if you know what I mean.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT
    Has Dad’s old number now needs some of Dad’s old results.

    11. JOEY LOGANO
    To win without penalty is his goal.

    12. PAUL MENARD
    New standard bearer for the Wood Brothers and the sponsor is not who you might think.

    13. ARIC ALMIROLA
    Aric does not look like Danica, but will his results by any different?

    14. AUSTIN DILLON
    If he can grow a mustache better than he wears a Stetson, I might have a suggestion for him.

    15. RYAN BLANEY
    This just in. Ryan is full of it. More at 11 on KB News.

    16. CLINT BOWYER
    Look at that. Sitting in a playoff position at the moment. How long will that last?

    17. KURT BUSCH
    Not the KB is was referring to earlier.

    18. KASEY KAHNE
    In 416 races, the No. 95 has not once won a race but Kahne was hired to change that.

    19. BRAD KESELOWSKI
    A bit slow early last Sunday, a bit fast later in the day seems to be pointing in the right direction.

    20. TREVOR BAYNE
    If he has a career like Mark Martin, the No. 6 is in good hands.

  • The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    The View From My Recliner — Pre 500

    It’s been a while, but the recliner is set for another great season of NASCAR action.

    I hope there is more action in the Daytona 500 than the Advanced Auto Parts Duel at Daytona because riding around in single file and the big one happening on the final lap doesn’t mean action to me.

    It looks like the new ride height rule has crew chiefs and engineers scratching their heads about how to make the car handle at Daytona. Thankfully they have a couple of days to run simulations and get a plan together and hopefully bring us an action-packed Daytona 500.

    The idea behind this column is to share the perspective of a fan. If there is something you want to comment on, feel free to e-mail me jdhwood20@aol.com. I am here for you.

    Time for some Bold Predictions from the Recliner.

    • The five crew members over the pit wall will be a mess and before NASCAR gets to Charlotte for the All-Star Race, that rule will change.
    • Ryan Blaney will win the Daytona 500.
    • I will be the new owner of BK Racing. Well, not really, but Ron Devine won’t be soon.
    • When we hit the intermediate tracks, every Ford driver will be complaining that Chevy and Toyota will have an unfair advantage.
    • The Danica Double will end with wrecks at Daytona and Indy.
    • Chase Elliott will get his first win and they will keep coming after that.
    • Furniture Row Racing will have the Championship hangover and Martin Truex Jr. will not make the final four at Homestead.
    • The final four at Homestead will be: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.
    • The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion will be Kyle Larson.

    There are a few things I will be watching for this year.

    I want to see how Aric Almirola performs in Stewart-Haas equipment. He was respectable at Richard Petty Motorsports, but he knew most weeks that a top-15 was what he could hope for. Now that he is in a top-notch ride, he needs to prove he is the driver who can handle the equipment.

    I hope Bubba Wallace gets enough funding and RPM has the patience to see him develop as a driver at the Cup level. I think he has the talent and I hope he gets the chance to prove it.

    I am looking forward to finding out how the Hawkeye inspection platform works and if we will have 20 cars late for qualifying.

    It truly is an honor to have this space to share my thoughts on a sport I love.

    Enjoy the Duels and the rest of Speedweek.

    We’ll talk soon when I share The View From My Recliner.