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Trevor Bayne and Charlie Kimball Race With Passion In Spite of Illness

While Trevor Bayne, NASCAR Cup and Nationwide Series driver as well as Daytona 500 winner, and Charlie Kimball, IZOD IndyCar Series driver, may compete in very different worlds, they are indeed united in their passion to race in spite of battling major illness.

Bayne, the 22 year old Roush Fenway Racing driver, was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Charlie Kimball, who drives for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, was diagnosed in 2007 with diabetes.

Both share the distinction of being one of the few race car drivers to reach the top levels in their respective series to compete with significant health challenges. Yet both had very similar reactions after their diagnosis, wondering just how this would affect their racing careers.

For Bayne, it took several years of testing after experiencing double vision, nausea and fatigue, before his diagnosis of MS was confirmed. Bayne’s sister also has the disease, however, it was still a most unexpected revelation for the young driver.

“Back in 2011 I started going to Mayo Clinic after I’d been out with double vision,” Bayne said. “It’s kind of relieving to finally have a diagnosis.”

“When you’re 20 you want to think you’re superman and you’re really not and there’s going to be hard times you have to overcome,” Bayne continued. “I hope this won’t slow me down, especially because our job is to go really fast.”

Kimball was diagnosed with diabetes almost six years ago after going to the doctor with a skin rash.

“When I mentioned I had been drinking a lot of water and I jumped on the scales and had lost 25 pounds in just five days, the doctor told me he thought I had diabetes,” Kimball said. “I really didn’t know what it was and my first thought then was wondering if I would ever drive again.”

“I remember the doctor looked me square in the eye and said he didn’t see any reason why not,” Kimball continued. “There are incredible people with diabetes doing amazing things all over the world.”

“I was told I may have to make some adjustments but that it shouldn’t slow me down at all,” Kimball said. “And as a racing driver, not slowing down was something I could really get behind.”

To date, Bayne has not had to make any adjustments for his illness in the race car, including not having to take any medication. He has been advised, however, that he will have to manage fatigue, stress and heat in order to effectively cope with the potentially disabling disease.

Kimball, on the other hand, has to manage a myriad of steps with his diabetes that begins even before he climbs into the cockpit of his race car.

“My diabetes management happens before I get in the car, especially at the race track,” Kimball said. “It comes down to managing hydration, my nutrition and my blood sugar levels as well.”

“For me it’s taking insulin and using my NovoLog Flex Pen so that my blood sugars are where they need to be when I climb into the race car,” Kimball continued. “So, ideally, when I’m in the race car all I have to think about is driving and hopefully winning.”

In spite of having to carefully monitor his blood sugar levels and adjust accordingly, Kimball’s diabetes has never interfered with his performance in the car. In fact, the racer has had a breakout season, with a win in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio and a podium sweep for team Ganassi at Pocono this past year.

Kimball and his teammates were also the overall Rolex 24 at Daytona winners for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in January 2013.

“I’ve never had any issues where my diabetes has affected what I do in the cockpit,” Kimball said. “My IndyCar experience is a little bit different because I wear a glucose monitor so I can keep track of where my blood sugar is during the race.”

“I actually have two drink bottles in the cockpit, one for hydration and one full of orange juice,” Kimball continued. “That way, if my blood sugar is getting low for some reason, I can drink that juice and I don’t have to stop.”

Both drivers have expressed how important it is to not only compete but to also share their stories with others, including their teams, fellow racers and fans. In fact, that passion about helping others realize that they too can succeed in spite of their health challenges has been what has motivated the two drivers most.

“I know there a lot of people out there dealing with these things,” Bayne said. “It’s something I want to be able to share with people.”

“I know people can relate to struggles.”

“I think the biggest message is that you can overcome challenges and still live your dream,” Kimball said. “When I get to meet a newly-diagnosed patient, the biggest thing I try to impart to them is that they can still live their dream, whatever they want to do in life.”

“They may have to make some adjustments but the challenges they face should not slow them down.”

Bayne and Kimball share one other important characteristic. Both want not only continue to pursue their racing passions but also succeed at the highest levels in both NASCAR and the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“I’ve never been more driven to compete,” Bayne said. “My goals are the same as they’ve been since I started racing.”

“I want to compete at the highest level and I want to win races and championships,” Bayne continued.
“I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in, and I feel good.”

“Our team had a great year, with a top-ten in points in a season that was so competitive,” Kimball said. “It was a great, great result not just for myself but the whole team.”

“The team has built a foundation and with Tony Kanaan coming on board and switching to Chevy power, I hope to be fighting for race wins and the championship, from the first race in St. Pete.”

While both racing series take a break until next year, allowing Bayne to enjoy a long-awaited honeymoon and Kimball some travel to California for family time and rest and relaxation, both drivers are absolutely committed to their dreams, even with their own physical challenges.

“I’ve been racing since I was 5 years old and this doesn’t change a thing,” Bayne said. “I want to do things I’ve always dreamed of, and we have high hopes we can continue to do that.”

“With November being Diabetes Awareness Month, it’s a great opportunity for me to share my story,” Kimball said. “Driving a race car is what I do for a living but the fact that I have diabetes means that I’m a living example that you can still live your dream.”

“Overcoming the challenge of diabetes is very close to my heart….and to my pancreas as well,” Kimball said with a chuckle. “Seriously though, it’s a great opportunity to get the awareness out there and encourage people to understand it and still live their own dreams.”

November 24, 2013
Surprising and Not Surprising: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500

With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Junior Johnson giving the command to get the action started and a grandfather clock trophy on the line, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 65th annual Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Powered by Kroger at Martinsville Speedway.

Surprising: Jeff Gordon had some pretty surprising thoughts in the waning laps of the race as he battled with Matt Kenseth for the race lead at Martinsville and then motored on to Victory Lane.

“I was thinking, what would Jimmie Johnson do?” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said. “Or better yet, maybe what would Richard Petty do?”

“I was just hoping that no cautions were going to come out and they didn’t,” Gordon continued. “That clock, there’s nothing better than getting a clock at Martinsville.”

This was Gordon’s first win of the season and his 88^th victory in his career, tying him with Jimmie Johnson and trailing only Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip on the all-time wins list at Martinsville.

And with the win, Gordon climbed two spots in the all-important point standings to third, now 27 points behind the leaders.

Not Surprising: While the inside lane was definitely the preferred one at Martinsville, the outside lane seemed especially cursed during this seventh race of the Chase at the short track.

“It’s just the nature of the beast here,” Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota said. “That’s how important it is to get to the inside on these restarts.”

“You’d better get your business done quick,” Bowyer continued. “If you don’t, within two corners you’re in trouble because they’re stacked up on the bottom.”

Bowyer survived the curse of the outside lane to finish third, his tenth top-10 finish in 16 races at Martinsville Speedway.

Surprising: While Matt Kenseth was surprisingly confident at a track where he has no wins, only three top fives and a 15^th best driver rating of 80.5, his confidence did indeed bear fruit, with a runner up finish in his No. 20 Dollar General Toyota and a bump back up in the Chase standings.

“I felt like today was an opportunity to get the points lead back,” Kenseth said. “I know Jimmie (Johnson) is always the man here, and he’s still the man here along with Jeff (Gordon) and Denny (Hamlin) for sure.”

“I haven’t had that many good runs here, but we ran good in the spring, we were terrific at Loudon which has always been my worst track and this has probably been my second-worst track, and Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and the whole group at JGR gave us such good cars to drive.”

“I couldn’t be much happier, but I am disappointed I got beat there at the end,” Kenseth continued. “I feel like we can go do some racing here in the next three weeks.”

With his good finish, Kenseth actually tied Jimmie Johnson for the point’s lead, however, has the advantage due to his number of overall wins.

Not Surprising: Tempers abound at any short track so it was not surprising that some apologies were due, some were made, and some will remain to be made potentially in the upcoming week as a result of the Martinsville race.

Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet, made several apologies, first to Ty Dillon for his harsh words after the Truck race and then to Ryan Newman for hitting him during the Cup race.

“Yeah, first thing I want to do is apologize to Ryan Newman,” Harvick said after finishing sixth. “I tried to shoot in a gap there and just barely clipped the right rear of his car.”

Carl Edwards also acknowledged that he owed a few apologies after a ‘terrible’ day at the race track.

“I caused the first two cautions when the car was real hard to drive on entry,” the driver of the No. 99 Geek Squad Ford said. “I felt bad about that.”

“The car was real, real loose in and that was the reason I hit Kvapil there like that,” Edwards continued. “I’m going to apologize to him right now.”

There were two drivers, however, who were in no way, shape or form in the apologizing mode, at least after the race ended.

“We made contact, but I couldn’t quite understand why he was down here pulling on my collar like he just did,” Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, said after his pit road interview was interrupted by a visibly upset Greg Biffle.

“You knocked my (expletive) back bumper off mother (expletive)”, the driver of the No. 16 3M Ford said to the five time champ after finishing ninth. “You (expletive) ran into the back of me.”

“Dude, if you want to talk about it, let’s talk about it” Johnson said during the exchange.

“We just did,” Biffle countered as he walked away after being separated from Johnson by a NASCAR official.

Surprising: Brad Keselowski finally had a surprisingly good day, with his career best finish, fourth place, at Martinsville Speedway. And with that, the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford said that he took the checkered flag exactly where he thought he had a car to do so.

“It was a decent day,” Keselowski said. “We weren’t where we wanted to be at the start, but we worked on our car and got it better at the end.”

“The last run was by far the most competitive we were and had probably about a fourth or fifth-place car and that’s where we finished at the end,” Keselowski continued. “It was a solid effort.”

Not Surprising: Chevrolet yet again secured the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup manufacturer’s championship and did so even with three more races left in the season.

This was the 37^th manufacturer’s title for Chevrolet and the eleventh year in a row taking the honors. This was also the 16^th win of the season for Team Chevy.

“To wrap it up with a win, with a great, exciting finish battling it out with a Toyota (the No. 20 driven by second-place finisher Matt Kenseth) is awesome,” Jeff Gordon said. “I know how much that means to Chevrolet.”

Surprising: In spite of his record setting qualifying effort, putting his No. 34 Taco Bell Ford in P8 in time trials, engine woes bit David Ragan and he finished dead last with a broken valve spring.

The driver, however, found the bright spot in his surprisingly bad finish with the positive evolution of his team over this past season, from testing to better work coming from the shop.

“We’ve built some new cars in-house and that’s doing the chassis work, the body work and building the components, so we’ve really evolved a lot,” Ragan said. “We’ve done it from within and I think long-term that’s a big positive for the whole Front Row Motorsports team.”

Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin, traditionally strong at Martinsville and pole sitter for the race, not surprisingly scored another top-ten run in his No. 11 FedEx One Rate Toyota, even with some damage incurred from one of the race’s early wrecks.

And with that finish, Hamlin pronounced the team as finally going in the right direction after a very difficult season.

“We ran decent,” Hamlin said. “Even though the car drove as bad as it did, we still were able to be at least somewhat competitive.”

“Seventh isn’t what we like here at Martinsville, but still it’s a step in the right direction,” Hamlin continued. “We’re just trying to get our feet under us.”

“Then that’s going to set us up pretty good for next year.”

Surprising: Sticking with the theme of blown engines, another one bit one of NASCAR’s most promising young drivers Kyle Larson who blew up for the second race in a row. The driver of the No. 51 Target Chevrolet suffered the mechanical issue on lap 165, spinning in his own fluid and bringing out the caution.

“We just can’t seem to catch a break in these two Cup starts that I’ve had,” Larson said. “We blew up in Charlotte and not sure we had a rear end blow up here or what.”

Larson’s day went from bad to worse as he tweeted after the race.

“What a bad last couple of hours. Engine blew up, got a speeding ticket, now my cat just puked and pooped in the car.”

Not Surprising: Kurt Busch admitted right up front that he does not have Martinsville Speedway circled on his calendar. And the track again was a struggle yet again for him as he finished 18^th with a banged up race car.

“We didn’t qualify well (19th), didn’t practice well and obviously didn’t race well,” the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet said. “I don’t know what it is but there’s something about this track that doesn’t suit me.”

“It was a very disappointing performance today,” Busch continued. “Our Furniture Row Chevrolet got banged up early when it took a big hit to the right side.”

“But no excuses, we just didn’t have it.”

The Cup Series next heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the AAA Texas 500, the eighth race in the Chase.

October 28, 2013
Sprint Media Tour – Day Three – Earnhardt Ganassi Announces New Partnershop

Photo Credit: Brad Keppel

Day three of the NASCAR Media Tour came early in the morning at a hangar at Concord Regional Airport. It might seem strange to have a NASCAR function at an airport hangar, but it was soon to be very clear as the principals of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing took the stage.

After the usual introductory remarks by Dr. Jerry Punch, it was announced that a new sponsor had been signed for all Ganassi racing teams. Cessna Aircraft Company announced a strategic partnership with Ganassi for multiple races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, the IZOD IndyCar series, and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. This partnership extends Cessna’s presence across all three series.

“Clyde Cessna founded this company on our customers’ need for speed. Today, performing with precision to drive success is the purpose of business aviation,” said Scott Ernest, Cessna’s President and CEO. “The racing industry is built on those same principles—each day teams are moving as fast as they can to get from point a to point b and win, which is why this partnership is such a natural fit for both Cessna and Ganassi. This gives us a strong presence as we invest in the sport.”

Cessna, along with sister companies Bell Helicopter and E-Z-GO, is incorporated into every race to showcase transportation solutions to the industry including air travel to and from host cities, helicopter transport from airports to racing venues and ground transportation on site.

Cessna will sponsor multiple races on the No. 1 Chevrolet SS of Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, sharing assets with Bell and E-Z-GO, one race on the No. 10 Honda with Dario Franchitti in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one race with Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the GRAND-Am Rolex Sports Car Series on the 01 Dinan-prepared BMW.

Ganassi looks forward to the partnership.

“With almost 70 races a year separated by hundreds of miles with little time in between, I rely on business aviation to help me keep driving my business and to keep winning,” Ganassi said.

It also was mentioned that Bass Pro Shops had lessened their support to the Sprint Cup teams to only two races in 2013, making the Cessna announcement very important to the organization.

January 23, 2013
Team Chevrolet Unveils New SS Race Car for 2013 NASCAR Season

From Chevrolet’s first win 57 years ago at Columbia Speedway in South Carolina in a Chevy driven by Fonty Flock to Chevy’s current claiming of ten consecutive manufacturer’s championships, the brand has run deep in NASCAR racing.

Today in the Encore Theatre at the Wynn in Las Vegas, team Chevrolet unveiled its newest addition to the race line, the 2013 Chevrolet SS race car. It will be powered by a V8 engine and will be rear wheel drive.

“It’s been an ongoing process to help our fans make the link between what they see on the track and what they see in the showroom,” Mark Reuss, President of GM North America, said. “We are focused on putting the ‘stock’ back in stock car racing.”

Reuss described the process of developing the 2013 SS, from the initial scale model, which endured wind tunnel testing, to then working with the passenger design team to integrate the features of the passenger car with the race car.

A full-scale model of the SS race car was then developed and intensive wind tunnel testing continued, as well as testing on various race tracks, all while hiding the car under the checker board camouflage.

Both the front end and the rear in the new Chevrolet race cars are representative of the production car. The cars will be available in 2014 in the showroom next fall.

After the buildup, Reuss then unveiled the new SS Chevrolet, with the assistance of one of their most recognizable drivers, four time champion Jeff Gordon.

“This thing looks amazing,” Gordon said after seeing the car unveiled. “I’m so excited to race this car.”

“I had a chance to test it at Charlotte a couple weeks ago and it drove great.”

Team Chevrolet also acknowledged the partnership with NASCAR in the development of their new racing machine.

“This is exciting,” Mike Helton, President of NASCAR, said. “All year long as we were working on the 2012 season, we were completing the roll out of our 2013 race cars.”

“We are delivering what the fans have asked for,” Helton continued. “This completes the roll out of the new cars and we are very excited to get them to Daytona.”

Team Chevrolet then introduced the cars of not only Jeff Gordon, but also Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray. Team owners Rick Hendrick, Gene Haas, and Chip Ganassi were also on hand to show off their new race cars.

“I’m really excited,” Jamie McMurray said of his new No. 1 Chevrolet SS. “Chevy did a great job on this.”

“I think it’s really important for our sport to have some brand identity between the different manufacturers,” McMurray continued. “Obviously the look of the car is completely different than what we had last year.”

“The one thing we haven’t had is something to distinguish the makes and now the shapes of the cars are different,” McMurray said. “So, I think that’s really cool.”

“I know they’re really proud of what they have built and I’m really proud to get to drive it.”

“I haven’t driven it yet as far as the performance side of it but from a manufacturer’s side with the relevance from the show room floor to the race track, I think the new body style is definitely the most exciting part for me,” Kevin Harvick, soon to be driver of the No. 29 SS Chevrolet, said. “The way it drives is secondary to how the car even races.”

“I think it’s all about the car being relevant to what is being sold on the show room floor,” Harvick continued. “I don’t know that you can ever really put the ‘stock’ back in the stock car compared to what you drive on the street, but the styles are really similar and that’s what is important.”

“I haven’t driven it but one time…but I know there’s going to be a lot of differences,” Tony Stewart, 2011 Champion and driver of the new No. 14 SS Chevrolet, said. “It helps to simplify to where it’s not so much a science project.”

“It’s got a lot more potential to make the field that much tighter.”

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Not only is team Chevrolet celebrating the unveiling of its new Cup car but the manufacturer is also enjoying the fruits of its labor in both the Truck and Nationwide Series. Chevrolet won the 2012 Truck Manufacturer’s Championship and clinched its 15^th Manufacturer’s Championship in the Nationwide Series this year.

November 29, 2012
Surprising and Not Surprising: Dover AAA 400

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”233″][/media-credit]As all at the Monster Mile mourned the passing of Chris Economaki, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the third Chase race, the 43^rd annual AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway.

Surprising: While Chevrolet has been dominant at the Monster Mile in the past, particularly with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel, and Toyota strong in qualifying this race with Denny Hamlin on the pole, it was surprising that neither manufacturer ended up in Victory Lane.

Instead the lone representative of the Dodge brand took the checkered flag, waved the American flag, and even did a stellar burnout in spite of being almost out of fuel.

“Dodge has really performed with us,” Roger Penske, the ‘captain’ of the victorious No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Penske team, said. “They committed to us three or four years ago as we became the only team.”

“The greatest thing we could do would be to bring a championship to Dodge this year,” Penske continued. “At the moment, we represent them.”

“They’re partners,” Penske said. “We’re going to do our best.”

Penske’s driver Brad Keselowski not only score the win for Dodge, but also got his first win at the Monster Mile. Even more important, Keselowski grabbed the points lead in the Chase standings and is now five points ahead of Jimmie Johnson.

Not Surprising: One driver that had to have a good run in order to even stay with spitting distance of the Chase contenders pulled it off and tamed the monster for a second place finish.

“I thought it was a solid effort,” Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet, said. “Our car was pretty good right from the start.”

“It was a great finish to come home second,” Gordon continued. “This is nice to follow up what we had last week.”

“We’re running good,” Gordon said. “We got seven more weeks to get it done.”

Surprising: For a track known as the ‘Monster Mile’, it was surprising that the monster was in the fuel tank and not on the race track itself.

There were just five cautions total in the race, most for debris, and the final laps were nail biters to see who would make it on fuel rather than who would wreck or have other on-track incidents.

Even five-time champ Jimmie Johnson, behind the wheel of the No. 48 Lowes/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, had to back it down because of his fear of running out of Sunoco, finishing fourth instead of first just to be sure about that pesky fuel mileage.

“Well, for starters, we’re not very good at fuel mileage races,” Johnson said. “So, when I heard that, I’m like, man, we’re in big trouble.”

“And Chad asked me to start saving fuel,” Johnson continued. “It’s tough; it really is.”

“I wished we could have raced for it,” Johnson said. “But it is what it is.”

“You’ve got to be good on all fronts and we did a decent job today.”

Not Surprising: They say that races can be won or lost in the pits and that proved true for many drivers trapped a lap down after a cycle of pit stops gone awry with a caution. But for one Chase contender, Kasey Kahne, his entire race was impacted by what happened on pit road.

“We don’t know why I had to pit the first time, but the car just started shaking really bad,” the driver of the No. 5 Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet, said. “Right before it did that, we were fast, we finally got our laps back that we lost early and we were coming.”

Then the No. 5 team made a critical mistake on the stop with a lug nut and Kahne again had to visit pit road, losing track position and precious time.

“We were sitting really good because we had just pitted and topped off on fuel,” Kahne said. “It’s too bad whatever it was.”

“We’ll figure it out and hopefully we don’t have it happen again.”

Kahne finished the race in 15^th and fell to sixth position in the point standings, 32 points behind the leader.

Surprising: Although the non-Chase Fords fared surprisingly well, with Carl Edwards finishing fifth in his No. 99 Fastenal Ford, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., in his new Ford Cup ride finishing 12^th, the Chase Fords of Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth had surprisingly bad days at the Monster Mile.

In fact, Biffle and Kenseth had such surprisingly bad days, finishing 16^th and 35^th respectively, that they both fell to the basement in the Chase point standings, facing an incredibly uphill battle to get back into the championship hunt.

“It’s tough,” Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Scotch-Brite Ford Fusion said, after contending with a loose wheel and having a meltdown of epic proportions on his scanner. “We were in great position, but that really kind of takes us out of the title hunt.”

“We really needed to finish in the top three here to be a factor, but now we’ll just work on being in the top 10.”

“In two of three Chase races, something either fell off or broke, so obviously that’s not good,” Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 EcoBoost Ford Fusion, said. “This is probably the worst we’ve run here for as long as I can remember.”

“From the first lap on the track to the last lap on the track, we were pretty much junk.”

Not Surprising: There is no doubt that Kyle Busch, who had yet another great race going, including leading the most laps until fuel mileage concerns forced him to pit road at the race end, has become the modern day racing equivalent of the biblical character Job.

The driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota just cannot seem to catch a break, whether it is fuel mileage, engine failure or other strange on-track incidents. And, just like Job, Busch has done his share of vociferously and vehemently questioning the racing gods, as well as his team and manufacturer.

“It’s frustrating,” Dave Rogers, Busch’s crew chief said. “I knew if it came down to a fuel mileage race that we were going to be in trouble.”

“There was no doubt that we had the fastest car,” Rogers continued. “We played our best cards and we came up short.”

Surprising: Denny Hamlin, a physical force behind the wheel at any track, stepped up his mental game for a surprisingly good finish at the Monster Mile. The driver of the No. 11 Fed Ex Office Toyota Camry and pole sitter, finished top-ten, one of his best results at a track that admittedly is not his favorite.

“Top-10 day on a race track like this and to battle for the win all day – I’m not going to complain,” Hamlin said. “We ran our ass off today.”

“Like I said, there’s nothing we can’t handle on the race track,” Hamlin continued. “I think our performance today is a testament to where we’re heading.”

Not Surprising: Veteran Mark Martin, the ‘Energizer Bunny’ of the Cup Series, just keeps getting it done on the race track whenever he is behind the wheel of the No. 55 Aaron’s 2000^th Store, Bronx, NY Toyota. Martin finished 3^rd, announcing that, although not part of the Chase, he is still a contender.

“I don’t know if everybody really noticed or not, but we had a rocket ship, super fast car,” Martin said in the media center after the race. “We were passing cars left and right.”

“I have a fantastic race team,” Martin continued. “We were just having a blast.”

Surprising: In contrast to veteran Martin, three-time and reigning Cup champion Tony Stewart and his race team had a surprisingly challenging day. Smoke finished 20^th in his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet and teammate Ryan Newman, in the No. 39 US Army Chevrolet, finished right behind him in 21^st.

“We just got caught behind the eight-ball there,” Stewart said. “We got a lap down and the next run we pitted, came back out and the No. 36 crashes.”

“It was just a domino effect,” Smoke continued. “As soon as we’d pit, the caution would come out again.”

Not Surprising: In addition to the stellar run of Mark Martin, the other two Michael Waltrip Racing cars, both in Chase contention, had decent, top-10 finishes at the Monster Mile. Martin Truex Jr. finished sixth and teammate Clint Bowyer finished ninth.

“Well, it wasn’t pretty at the beginning,” Truex Jr., driving the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, said. “But it was pretty damn pretty at the end.”

“It’s great a great finish for where we started,” Truex continued. “What a crazy day.”

“When you have days like that, you just have to keep fighting and we kept fighting and came out with a good results.”

Both Truex and Bowyer advanced two positions a piece in the point standings. Martin Truex Jr. is now eighth in points, 42 behind the leader, and Clint Bowyer is now fourth in points, 25 behind leader Keselowski.

Surprising: One racer, making her first start at the Monster Mile, expressed surprising comfort with the concept of a fuel mileage racing, in spite of finishing 38^th in her No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

“I’m so used to the concept of fuel mileage racing that I don’t have any problem with it,” Patrick said. “Even at the start of the run I’m saving fuel already and they told me not to.”

“I was a little slow to start,” Patrick continued. “But we worked our way through it and made it better most every stop.”

“That is a good starting place for next year when we get here and that is the point of these races.”

Not Surprising: While pronouncing the finish ‘decent’, it was not surprising that the crew chief for NASCAR’s most popular driver was not particularly thrilled with the 11^th place finish of the No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mount Dew Chevrolet.

“We had a good car and we are fine with what we had,” Steve Letarte, crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., said. “To come here and not be good in practice and have a good car and feel like we could run in the top-five – that’s heading in the right direction.”

“We just need a little luck on our side.”

October 3, 2012
Who wins the Chase? Lots of history and recent performance are telling

[media-credit name=”Noel Lanier” align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]It may seem silly, but there are those who have already decided that the Chase has two favorites, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson. There is something to be said for that, but the thought needs more investigation. It’s also useful to look at history and recent statistics. Those two categories tend to color things a bit.

First, history tells us a lot. Chevrolet drivers, especially Hendrick Motorsports drivers and those teams he supplies cars for, seem to have the upper hand. The fact is that for the last 20 years, Chevrolet drivers have won 16 championships, with 11 of them coming from Hendrick Motorsports. That’s quite a record. Only Ford drivers Alan Kulwicki, Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth, and Kurt Busch have dented that streak. And most of them are ancient history with the last Ford championship coming way back in 2004 when Busch did the trick. In this two decade period, Toyota and Dodge haven’t accomplished a championship.

Part of the reason for this is the tremendous advantage Chevrolet has in top teams competing week after week. On any given Sunday (or Saturday night), Chevrolet fields 11 top teams running Hendrick and Richard Childress motors or chassis. Ford usually fields only five similar teams, which is one of the reasons Penske Racing was added to the mix. That’s a huge advantage. With Hendrick or his satellite operation winning the last six championships, you have to consider them the favorites—and there are four of them.

Another thing to consider is recent performance. Surprisingly, the strongest performers over the last six races are Keselowski, Kyle Busch (who isn’t in the Chase), Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, and Kasey Kahne. If momentum has in factor in this championship, you have to consider that. Notable is that Hendrick drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Johnson, and Jeff Gordon rank down the list. It makes things more confusing.

It would be a tremendous surprise to me if the champion is not one of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers. History is with them. Brad Keselowski. Bowyer, and Biffle have had their consistency problems and Johnson looks like he is ready to dominate. Kahne is surprisingly at the top of the field every race and the rest of the field is, to be honest, chasing (no pun intended).

It’s a little early to tell, but history and recent performance gives us a little insight to how this thing will play out. If I was a betting man, and I’m not, I would put my money on a Chevrolet driver and one from the Hendrick camp. We’ll visit this all during the Chase, but as for now, that’s the way I see it.

September 18, 2012
IndyCar: Chevrolet Teams Change Engines For Long Beach, Incur Penalty

[media-credit name=”INDYCAR/LAT USA” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Following the tear down and inspection of an engine, the majority of the Chevrolet team changed their motors on April 12^th.

“We are still learning the limitations of the new engine controls calibration,” Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing’s IZOD IndyCar Series program manager, says. “Through our testing in Sonoma, as indicated by an engine issue, we uncovered a problem that we believe could affect all engines. So, as a result, we feel it is prudent to change all engines prior to the start of the on-track activities this weekend.”

As a result, the following drivers are effected by the decision: Penske Racing’s three-some (Helio Castroneves, Will Power and Ryan Briscoe), Andretti Autosports’ three-some (Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti), KV Racing Technology’s threesome (Rubens Barrichello, Tony Kanaan and E.J. Viso), Ed Carpenter, and Panther’s Racing JR Hildebrand.

As per the IndyCar rulebook, each driver will be given a 10-grid position penalty prior to the start of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The event is set to take on April 15^th on the 1.986-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit.

“We intently discussed the situation with our partners and our teams prior to determining that this was the best course of action to preserve the integrity of the racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series,” Berube continues.

The engine inspected was that of Hinchcliffe’s No. 27 GoDaddy.com car of Andretti Autosport after it had an issue during a test on April 9^th at Infineon Raceway.

“I was already penalized the 10 spots before the decision to change out all Chevy engines,” Hinchcliffe says. “It’s a bummer, but now at least I’m not alone. There will now be some good racing happening mid-pack. The engine mileage rule is a tremendous engineering challenge and ultimately helps improve technology for the automotive industry.”

Teams are allowed to change engines if they have reached a minimum of 1,850 miles. However, if they choose to change them before, they are subject to penalty on rules 15.3.1 and 15.6.1.1.

Hinchcliffe says he’s proud to wear the bowtie (Chevrolet’s logo).

“It would be easy to complain about how harsh (the penalty) is, but I think the attitude of everyone on the Go Daddy crew is that when the going gets tough, it’s time to nut up, buckle down and push hard for the best result possible,” he adds.

Team owner and driver Carpenter says it’s going to make things interesting heading into this weekend.

“It’s obviously not ideal, but we’re all playing by the same rules,” he says. “It’s the safest choice and, even though we’re starting at a disadvantage from the get-go, it’s better than potentially having an issue later on. It’s a learning process for all of us, and it’s not a decision they made lightly.”

Despite the issues, Chevrolet has had success this year as they have recorded two wins and two poles in the first two races with Castroneves and Power scoring one each. Castroneves leads the points, two points over Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who is running a Honda powerplant.

Along with the issues for Chevrolet, the No. 7 Lotus Dragon Racing car driven by Sebastien Bourdais will also suffer the same penalty due to engine change.

April 13, 2012
Jeff Gordon’s On Track Drive to End Hunger Takes Off Track Twists

[media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”196″][/media-credit]With the partnership between Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger initiative heading into its second year on the track, this special promotion has taken some new twists and turns off the track as the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet readies for the 2012 season.

The first twist on one of the most successful cause-related marketing campaigns in the sport is a new partnership with Quaker State, who has joined the Drive to End Hunger effort by pledging portions of its product sales at Walmart. This new fundraising effort will take place from February 1^st to March 31^st.

“We are proud to initiate this cause-related effort to support the AARP Foundation in its quest to help those in need through Jeff Gordon and the Drive to End Hunger,” Chris Hayek, Quaker State Global Brand Manager, said. “By partnering with Walmart, the promotion is elevated onto the national stage.”

“We’re really thrilled that Quaker State engaged with us,” Jim Nedohon, Interim Vice President for AARP Foundation’s Hunger Initiatives, said. “By allowing us into Walmart, this ensures that we can attract national attention to the need to alleviate hunger for seniors.”

The idea for taking the Drive to End Hunger promotion off the track and into stores was hatched in discussions between the AARP Foundation and Quaker State right at the track. And it all came about in an effort to elevate Drive to End Hunger to another level.

“We were at the track talking,” Nedohon said. “My background is in cause-related marketing and we were brainstorming about how to activate our sponsorship of Jeff Gordon in a brick and mortar store.”

“This is a new opportunity for Quaker State to have a cause related marketing campaign on one of their products,” Nedohon continued. “It developed over a couple of months.”

“We worked through all the details, such as having a bottle flag with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger car,” Nedohon said. “Jeff is on the bottle and has a relationship with Quaker State as an associate sponsor.”

“So, Jeff was thrilled to be able to extend his brand to support our cause.”

The best part of the new twist in the Drive to End Hunger sponsorship is that it furthers the mission of the AARP Foundation, which is to raise awareness about the issue of older Americans who are facing hunger, as well as fulfilling Quaker State’s social mission.

“Quaker State is very socially oriented and they were totally onboard with helping us execute our mission,” Nedohon said. “It’s one more corporation that embraces the mission that we have to end hunger.”

“Quaker State could have easily written a check for $50,000 but we are focused together on efforts that have long-term, sustainable impact,” Nedohon continued. “This Quaker State promotion is taking us off the track and into Walmart stores.”

“This allows people to really take the time to read the materials and it will mean even more to our work at the Foundation.”

The new sponsorship twist off the track has also permitted the AARP Foundation to make grants to other nonprofit organizations focused on sustainable solutions for ending senior hunger.

“We sent out an RFP to identify organizations that are trying to address stable solutions to hunger,” Nedohon said. “We had over 750 letters of inquiry and 150 completed applications and awarded ten grants throughout the United States for $1.9 million for sustainable solutions to ending hunger.”

“Every time we put this effort in a new place, it reminds people about the hunger issue,” Nedohon continued. “And it may even be occurring for someone they know.”

The second twist on the Drive to End Hunger took place at the recent Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, where a Corvette donated by team owner Rick Hendrick was auctioned off for $700,000.

“I got to go out with Mr. Hendrick to Phoenix to the Barrett-Jackson auction,” Nedohon said. “It’s incredible because this again is reaching another level of enthusiasts around the automobile industry.”

“This was a special limited edition Corvette and only 60 will be made,” Nedohon continued. “This was the first one to be auctioned to benefit Drive to End Hunger.”

“When the bidding started and Mr. Hendrick sweetened the deal by inviting the new owner to Daytona, it just erupted,’ Nedohon continued. “ It went to $300,000 and kept going.”

“It was just phenomenal,” Nedohon said. “After the auction was finished, another bidder donated an extra $100,000 to the Drive to End Hunger effort.”

“I can’t tell you how amazing it was to see how the cause resonated with thousands of people watching.”

While the AARP Foundation is ecstatic about these twists and turns, as well as their partnership with Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick, they have not been completely surprised about the success of their sponsorship.

“It’s not completely surprising,” Nedohon said of the sponsorship. “It’s amazing to see how many NASCAR fans care.”

“We’ve found that the NASCAR fans want to know how they can help,” Nedohon continued. “That’s why we’ve been so pleased to support our local food banks at track and now with this new initiative off-track.”

“It helps when you have partners like Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick,” Nedohon said. “We couldn’t really think of any better partners to help fight this good fight.”

And for his part, the Drive to End Hunger driver could not agree more.

“Honestly, I don’t know if 10 years ago I would have gotten behind something like this but with just the experience of life and the things that become more important to you, I’ve gotten into it,” Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger, said. “I feel like it did come at the right time in my career.”

“We’ve sort of set a trend in NASCAR that will be catching on.”

February 10, 2012
Surprising and Not Surprising: Kansas Hollywood Casino 400

With the wind whipping as is so typical in the land of Toto and Aunty Em, the fourth race in the Chase, the 11^th Annual Hollywood Casino 400, was run at the 1.5 mile paved tri-oval that is Kansas Speedway. Here is what was surprising and not so surprising from the 267 laps, 400.5 mile race.

[media-credit id=2 align=”alignright” width=”231″][/media-credit]Surprising: It has been a bit surprising just how much the race winner has seemingly been toying with not only the media, but the race fans. At the beginning of the Chase, five-time champion Jimmie Johnson had fallen from eighth to tenth in the point standings, particularly due to his 18^th place finish at Loudon.

At that point, many media pundits had begun to write off the chances for a sixth consecutive championship, especially since the tension seemed to be mounting between the driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet and his crew chief Chad Knaus.

Yet Jimmie Johnson again proved that he still has what it takes by scoring his 55^th career victory and his 20^th career victory in the Chase, the latter being the most ever, tying him with Rusty Wallace for eighth on the all-time wins list.

And, yes, ‘old five time’ has yet again made his way toward the top of the leader board, up two positions to third, just four points out of the coveted top spot.

“I told you not to count him out,” Hendrick Motorsport teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said. “I think the media made a big deal out of the runs he was having and they were a long ways out of the lead in the points.”

“But that’s a great race team,” Junior continued. “You don’t win five in a row on luck, you know? You don’t just trip over the championship trophy; you do it because you’re great.”

“And they’ll win the championship this year if anybody doesn’t get going.”

Not Surprising: Although most often it is the female fan base flirting with this driver, Kasey Kahne, behind the wheel of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota for the remaining races of the season before heading to Hendrick Motorsports next year, continues to flirt with a race win.

To no one’s surprise, Kahne finished second, scoring his third top-10 finish in nine races at Kansas, as well as his 10^th top-10 finish in 2011.

“The biggest thing to me would be to leave on a good note,” Kahne said. “There are a lot of people there working really hard and unsure about maybe their future and where they’re going to work next year, and they’re still putting everything they have into our race cars each week.”

“That’s pretty awesome on their part.”

Surprising: In addition to the wind, there was also a good deal of smoke, of all sorts, in Kansas City. The driver known as ‘Smoke’, was instead the cause of some, smoking his tires on a pit stop, causing him to not only slide wildly through his box but also lose eight positions on the track.

Tony Stewart, piloting his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, finished the race in the 15^th position and fell four positions to seventh in the Chase standings.

‘Smoke’ immediately admitted his error, telling his team that his foot had accidentally hit the accelerator when he was trying to brake. But the uncharacteristic error caused the driver to come out as the last car on the lead lap, relegating him to a less-than-stellar finish.

Another surprising bit of smoke at Kansas was the one that erupted on lap 265 when four-time champ Jeff Gordon’s engine expired. The driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet, who looked strong all race long, finished 34^th, dropping him to tenth in the point standings, 47 points out of first.

“I started seeing smoke inside the car,” Gordon said. “We had a really bad restart and got shuffled back.”

“Our day was pretty much over and we were going to finish maybe 15^th or something,” Gordon continued. “I started to smell burning oil and saw the oil temp start to come up.”

“I felt like it was just a matter of time before it blew up.”

Not Surprising: Although actually gaining one position in the point standings, from tenth to ninth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the HMS No. 88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet, to no one’s surprise now seems to be focusing more on race wins than a championship.

“I just want to win a race,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It’s a goal of mine right now to just go out there and win.”

“Man, if we could do that, that would really, no matter what happened in the Chase, I think we’d be real happy with our season.”

Surprising: While loose and tight are most often descriptors for action on the track, it is surprising that those words also apply to Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch.

On one hand, the driver of the No. 2 Blue Deuce seems to be looser than loose, finishing third in the Kansas race. This was Keselowski’s second top-10 finish in four races at Kansas Speedway.

And that top-5 finish moved the driver up two spots to fourth in the Chase, just eleven points behind the leader.

“This year, it seems like as a group, we’re just clicking,” Keselowski said. “We’re doing a good job of maximizing our day and taking care of everything that’s in our control.”

“I’m really proud of our team for doing that.”

On the flip side, Keselowski’s teammate Kurt Busch just seems tight, tight, tight behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge. Busch managed to finish 13^th, but still lost two spots in the Chase standings to the sixth position.

“We got behind in qualifying and had to start 17^th,” Busch said. “We ran from 15^th to 20^th most of the day and caught a break; we got the lucky dog to get back on the lead lap.”

“We were still a top-10 car when the green-white-checker came out but just couldn’t hold on to a top 10,” Busch continued. “The fresher tires got us.”

Not Surprising: There were at least two ‘come back kids’ that surprised no one. The first was the driver of the No. 99 Alfac Ford, Carl Edwards, who rallied from a too-aggressive set up prior to the race, relegating him to needing to be the ‘lucky dog’ to finish fifth.

With that top-five finish, Edwards scored the points lead, just one point over second place Kevin Harvick.

“I cannot believe we finished fifth,” Edwards said. “It feels like a win.”

“That’s the best we’ve done with the worst,” Edwards continued. “I just cannot believe from the way the day started to finish like that is spectacular.”

The other ‘comeback kid’ was Greg Biffle. Although not in the Chase, the driver of the No. 16 Sherwin-Williams Ford and pole sitter for the race, rallied back from a pit road speeding penalty to finish eighth.

“Our car wasn’t that good,” Biffle said. “I don’t know what happened with the speeding on pit road.”

“That was stupid,” Biffle said. “My car just wasn’t that good in traffic, which is where I got hurt there at the end.”

Surprising: There was a surprising rash of drivers missing driver introductions prior to the Hollywood Casino 400. A.J. Allmendinger, David Reutimann and Reed Sorenson all had to move to the back of the field for the start of the race due to their absence at the pre-race intros.

Allmendinger, driver of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford, finished the best of the group at 25^th. Reutimann, behind the wheel of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, finished 35^th and Sorenson, who had lost his Turner Motorsports Nationwide ride, finished 38^th in his No. 7 SPEED Energy/MAPEI/Menards Dodge Cup ride.

Not Surprising: With his career decided, it was not surprising that the driver of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing finished top-10. Prior to the race festivities, Bowyer confirmed that he will move in 2012 to the Michael Waltrip Racing stables.

“All in all, it wasn’t a bad day,” Bowyer said. “That’s the last time I’ll be able to run here with these cars.”

“Hopefully, we’ll get one next time.”

Surprising: Hendrick Motorsports is surprisingly close to scoring a record of its own thanks to driver Johnson taking the checkered flag. HMS is just shy of their 200^th win, which would put them squarely behind Richard Petty Motorsports with 268 all-time wins.

Not Surprising: To no one’s surprise, again thanks to Johnson’s win, Chevrolet clinched their 35^th Cup manufacturer’s championship, assuming a Chevrolet will start each of the final six races.

October 10, 2011
Speed Weeks: A War of Attrition

Well the long awaited start to the season is in the history books. The racing was long hard and not overly exciting at times. History did indeed repeat itself. But not the history folks believed would repeat.

The Bud Shootout left most fans feeling disappointed and flat. The two car tandems were not fun to watch. Although NASCAR and the broadcast partners touted more lead changes and one of the closest finishes in the history of the race. The truth is the numbers are skewed. When cars have to run in pairs and have to switch places every 4 – 6 laps the number of lead changes is going to go up.

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”270″][/media-credit]NASCAR assured a record number of lead changes in the top two series by making sure the tandems could not run for long periods of time. They made sure the cars would over heat if they did. In order to avoid blowing an engine they had to change up which would increase the number of lead changes recorded but the number is artificially skewed. You would have to divide the number by 2 to get an actual number of changes.

The race had an exciting conclusion but the only real racing occurred with 25 laps to go. The only problem with that, the race was 75 laps long. Which made the first 50 a time to scratch one’s head and say exactly what is this we are watching?

Take nothing away from Kurt Busch. He figured out how to work the situation to his benefit and he got Regan Smith to go along for the ride. Ryan Newman was in the worst place he could possibly be on the last lap he was leading coming to the checkers. Denny Hamlin choose to go below the yellow line and throw away both cars chances of beating the Busch and Smith tandem and then claim it was for the purpose of avoiding a wreck. Of course the next day it was because he was forced down there and had already taken the lead when he did it or so he thought. The controversy attempt did not work this time around and most simply ignored the attempt including race winner Kurt Busch. The big controversy was yet to come. But we wouldn’t see it until later in the week.

Qualifying was a series of surprises from the 88 on the pole to young Trevor Bayne in the top ten. But when the smoke cleared it was once again an all Hendrick front row with Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon on the front row.

Could it be? Was it possible? Could Junior really have a chance to win the 500 yet again and on the anniversary of his father’s death? It looked for all the world as though that was the scenario playing out in front of us. The 88 was fast. It was slick and scary fast. Dale Jr had that swagger back and a confidence in his voice and demeanor that had been gone too long. It appeared that the man once referred to as NASCAR’s Legacy, The Pied Piper of Daytona was back. But fate was not done yet.

On Wednesday, Dale Jr and the team had decided they didn’t want to practice. They had a fast car. They were comfortable and they were confident. But NASCAR would have none of it. They were required to take the car out and practice in order to enter the Gatorade Duels. It didn’t take long for disaster to strike after the several hours of rain delay.

A group of cars led by Robby Gordon and David Gilliland slide up in front of 5 time series champion Jimmie Johnson and his team mate Dale Jr. The 48, running at speed had to check up to keep from running over the slower cars. The pushing 88 checked up and steered away from his team mate just as Kasey Kahne gave the 56 of Martin Truex Jr a shove, right into the back of the 88. Around they went into the inside wall and through the grass.

The pole sitting car was destroyed. The Amp Energy Team immediately unloaded the back up with the assurances that it was just as good as the primary. Well not quite but really close. The 88 would start in the rear of the duels and the 500. He was one of only two cars that had actually qualified.

It didn’t matter what Dale Jr did in that race on Thursday he was going to start in the back. He could win by 2 laps and he would still start the Daytona 500 from the back. So why take the chance with the back up car. Rumors flew he wouldn’t run it. He would run it and he would start and park it. He would run it but he would run it in the back. NASCAR immediately made the statement that the 88 HAD to run the Duel. He was obligated by entry blank to run the Duel if he failed to start the duel he would not be allowed to run the 500 at all.

The rules for the Duels came under fire. With the changes NASCAR had mandated to the cooling system after the Shootout the field had already seen 4 engine changes due to heat damage or failure. There were 3 back up cars in the field because of the tandem racing. Speeds were still over 205 mph. Common sense should rule the day. But this is NASCAR and the only common sense that counts is the common cents that governs the profit ratios. Suddenly the cost containment concerns were out the window. It was not a secret that TV ratings and ticket sales for the Duels on Thursday were at risk if that 88 didn’t start the race. And the growing price of the junk yard was no longer an issue.

The duels saw more wrecks and a repeat of the Shootout in race one. The race was long with a few highlights and shining spots namely the consistency of a one car team from Denver Colorado with Ragan Smith at the wheel. Once again the young driver pushed past series champion Kurt Busch to the checkers. Smith showed the composure and the instincts of a wily veteran at speeds that made many cringe.

The second duel offered prophetic foreshadowing of the 500 when 4 time champion and winner of the 500 Jeff Gordon teamed up with 19 year old rookie Trevor Bayne who was piloting a historical Woods Brothers Ford. Their speed and Bayne’s consistency was not only surprising but refreshing. A car in the race not on points bought by a car owner. A ride earned through hard work and talent. And a driver with the humility to watch learn and emulate the master’s of the draft. It was only a last lap misfortune that ruined the young man’s day. But still there was a message there this rookie was not going to go quietly. He was going to be a factor in the race and he wasn’t afraid.

Friday, brought a beautiful day with little practice from the 500 field. But the NNS and the CWTS were out in full force. The truck series would start under the lights in its season opener but missing from the field for the first time in 7 years was past champion Mike Skinner.

Due to an error on the entry blank Skinner was not afforded the past champion’s provisional and his time did not put him in the race.

The pole went to Austin Dillon driver of the number 3 Bass Pro Shop Chevy. The race was nose to tail for most of the race. It wasn’t until there were 35 laps to go that the racing began.

The last 25 laps saw a race of attrition with only 6 trucks on the final restart that were had not been in a wreck or did not have serious damage. The final restart saw a determined Michael Waltrip take the lead out of 4 to take the checkers 10 years to the day after his first career win in that tragic running of the Daytona 500 that claimed the life of 7 time champion Dale Earnhardt. Waltrips truck was a tribute to his friend and car owner from that race carrying his number from that day and the NAPA sponsorship on the hood.

A very emotional Waltrip had a hard time explaining what the victory meant to him. Joined in victory lane by his daughter Macy, it was clear that Michael wanted to pay tribute to the life of a friend and mentor and then spend a few quiet moments with his daughter in victory lane.

He was not given that respect. Pit Reporter Jamie Little continued to badger Waltrip in victory lane and put the veteran’s emotions on display as though they were entertainment fodder for the race. Her search for TV time in victory lane proved to be distasteful and disrespectful to Michael Waltrip his team and his memory of his friend.

The first race of the weekend in the books it was time for the second tier series to take the center stage on Saturday morning. With an all JR Motorsports second row, Jr Nation’s hopes were high. Would Dale Jr draft with Danica? Would he push her to the front? Would she push him to the front? It didn’t take long to find the answer. At the drop of the green Earnhardt Jr would set his Hellman’s Chevrolet to the front without Danica Patrick.

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”218″][/media-credit]Patrick’s radio was filled with whining and complaining that no one would draft with her. Yet when she did get a partner willing to take a chance on her in Clint Bowyer who was driving the KHI number 33, when it came time to switch she raced for him for the position. Bowyer needing air to cool the car backed away from her and picked up another dancing partner. Patrick whined that she would do what needed to be done she “didn’t know how to push but she would try.” It was clear even amongst the boredom of the middle part of the race that she had lead her last lap and she lead it thanks to the partner she didn’t not want to give up a position to for the sake of the two car tango.

The entire first and middle part of the race was dubbed by past Daytona winner and series Champion Dale Jarrett, as “synchronized racing.” Featuring two car drafts that more resembled horse and cart racing than automobiles, which combined with a very poor broadcast whose camera work once again showed that ESPN is no longer the leader in motorsports coverage made for a long afternoon for TV viewers.

The broadcast team attempted to direct the camera team to the action with Brad Daughtery saying all the real racing action is from 12^th on back. Still what we watched was 3 pair of cars who lead the pack around and around the 2.5 mile track.

It wasn’t until the final 25 laps that we actually saw racing as we know it. The exciting finish was close. The contenders fierce in their determination to take the win, but it would be Tony Stewart in the closest finish in series history at a super speedway.

It is important to add here that the finishes for all of the races thus far in speed weeks were close ones. The competition in the final laps was incredible. But in almost every single case the race was actually not a lot longer than a Saturday night race at your local track. With the go time being 25 to 35 laps to go, the real issue with that remains the length of the entire race.

The 500 now loomed large but the teams had not met their final obstacle from NASCAR as of yet. NASCAR announced shortly before the beginning of the NNS race that it had changed the grill opening for the Sprint Cup Cars by a half inch. Allowing them 3 inches of air intake instead of 2.5 inches, the move was made in response to the obvious over heating and engine failures that had been seen in the week preceding the 500. This change was announced less than 24 hours before the green flag was to fly.

The Daytona 500 began under conditions that were hotter than the rest of speed weeks. 43 beautiful, fast works of art and technology were led to the green flag exactly on time by three awesome tributes in the form of the Transformers cars of Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jr. and Juan Puablo Montoya. Team engineers and crew chiefs uttered a sigh of relief. It was time to race. Time to deal with the obstacles that they made a living dealing with every single week of the 36 week season no more changes, no more chances just time to go racing for the Harley J. Earl trophy.

The first blown engine was quick to appear when on lap 10 J.J. Yeley’s engine let go. Very shortly after on lap 20 one of the major surprises of the day would occur when Kevin Harvick’s Budweiser Chevrolet also had an engine let go. The war of attrition had begun. But the lap 29 17 car wreck that would take out 2 of the HMS cars and damage a third and damage the Roush teams chances severely. That incident would contribute heavily to the rising totals of the million dollar junk yard that is always seen at Talladega and Daytona.

The two car tango was again the order of the day with NASCAR bragging about record amounts of lead changes, cautions, and close front runners. Again numbers that did not allow for the switching of lead cars to allow for the over heating of the pushing car. Although we did see some brief multi car drafts they quickly broke down into 2 car drafts.

Wrecks, Spins, Blown Engines were fairly evenly spaced throughout the event keeping the monotony broke up. But the real truth is that the quality of racing did not improve with the super bowl of NASCAR. What did improve was the honesty of the broadcast. Larry McReynolds relaying Tony Stewart’s comment of being white knuckled and holding his breath. Dale Jr’s comment of this racing sucks to his crew chief who agreed with him.

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignleft” width=”281″][/media-credit]The feel good story of the year however, was the winner of the race. 20 year old rookie Trevor Bayne in only his second Sprint Cup start won the Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers. The car a replica of David Pearson’s Daytona winning car and carrying the Hall of fame inductee’s name on the side sparked memories of when real men raced for 500 miles in real cars and what won on Sunday sold on Monday. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer kid or a nicer group of people. Miracles do happen and dreams do come true if you believe and Trevor Bayne will always remember the day his came true at Daytona.

There were high points in speed weeks. Dale Jr won the pole. He ran good in the Nationwide race and he ran well being in the top ten most of the day and leading on multiple occasions until being taken out in a wreck 6 laps from the end of the 500. He and crew chief Steve Letarte proved who they are and what they are made of. They gave Jr. Nation something to be proud of and to look forward too.

Stewart Haas Racing was the strongest of all multiple car teams with both cars making it to the end. Even though Ryan Newman was also taken out in the same wreck as Earnhardt Jr which was caused when Robby Gordon attempted to re enter the track from the apron into a line of cars at speed.

Hendrick Motorsports showed their strength and dominance through out speed weeks with the front row and 4 cars and drivers that were pumped and primed and would undoubtedly have been a threat had they not been victims of circumstances.

Ford is back on track. For all the worshippers of the blue oval the long drought is over. Ford is once again a force to be contended with.

And finally, we have said our goodbyes, we have celebrated the life of one of the greatest heroes our sport will ever have, a man that continues to influence and change our sport and its fans even today 10 years after his passing. Now the time has come to move on. As his son put it, it’s time to go on with life. He will never be forgotten. But at last 10 years later perhaps the media can allow him to rest in peace and allow his son a measure of peace as well.

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Congratulations to Kurt Busch and the Penske team on their Bud Shootout win and their Gatorade Duel win. Congratulations to Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports on their front row positions. To Jeff Burton and Richard Childress Racing on their victory in the Second Gatorade Duel race. To Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing on his moving truck series win. And to Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick Inc on his repeat performance in the Nationwide Series. And of course to Trevor Bayne and the Woods Brothers on their return to victory lane in the Daytona 500.

That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

February 21, 2011