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Surprising and Not Surprising: Kentucky Quaker State 400

After dealing with inclement weather, qualifying cancellation due to rain, weepers on the track and a new aero package, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway.

Surprising: The Chase season has not even officially started, yet one driver has already secured his spot, at least mathematically.

Last year’s champ Kevin Harvick has clinched his place in the Chase to pursue a back to backer after his eighth-place finish at Kentucky.

“I’m really proud of everyone on our Budweiser/Jimmy John’s team for the work they did this weekend getting ready for this new package,” Harvick said after scoring his third top-10 in five career Sprint Cup starts at Kentucky and his 16th top-10 this season.

“We were definitely sliding around more often on restarts, but as you got going the cars just kind of got spread out and I thought the gaps were a little bit bigger. Definitely a lot of information to take away from this and looking forward to Indy in a couple of weeks to see what we take away from there.”

And with his multiple wins, all the driver of the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet has to do is start the remainder of the races to ensure that he will compete once again for the Cup.

Not Surprising: Although many drivers are still focusing on getting that elusive win to qualify for the Chase for NASCAR’s championship, at least one driver is points racing to the max, pedaling as hard as he possibly can to earn his chance at the prize.

“That right there is what we have to do,” Kyle Busch said about points racing from Victory Lane, winning his second race of the season after being out due to significant injuries to his leg and foot sustained early in the race year. “Just to score as many points as we possibly can and score those wins, that’s what’s going to get us where we need to be.

“We led the most laps and we won the race so that’s all you can score. We’ll just continue to push on and drive and try to strive through our deficit and get ourselves in position to be in the top-30.”

With the two wins, Busch just has to continue to inch his way forward in the point standings, as he did after this race, moving two spots to where he currently sits in the 35th position.

Surprising: In spite of men down in the pits, with both Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon having contact with pit crew members during difficult stops, the teams and drivers impacted manned up to score top-10 finishes for Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports respectively.

“Yeah, he was about to be road kill for a second,” Keselowski, who rebounded to finish sixth in his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford after nearly running over his tire carrier, said after the race. “I’m glad he wasn’t.”

“As usual in Kentucky it is never easy,” Gordon said after finishing seventh in his No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet. “The team did a really good job. We had to fight through a few handling issues and some restarts and pit road and a bunch of things, but there at the end everything kind of came together.

“We got the car working really well, got a couple of good restarts and a good pit stop. It was a solid evening. It wasn’t a winning evening, but I’m still real proud of the effort.”

Not Surprising: At race end, it almost seemed like Avis should have been sponsoring the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford of Joey Logano, who scored a number two finishing spot.

“We tried,” Logano said. “We cleared the 11 on the restart, which got us clean air and I thought we were in good shape. And then as tires started wearing the 18 was really good on the long run and he figured out the top before me.”

“That’s the advantage you have as the second-place guy is you can go up there and play around more. I was just trying to keep the gap, so I didn’t want to take the penalty of losing three or four laps trying to figure out the top and he would have been closer, but he figured it out before me and got around me.”

“We raced the heck out of each other, I tried hard, but I figured it out too late. Second always hurts.”

Surprising: Trevor Bayne seems to be on a roll after a dismal start to the season, finishing 13th in his No. 7 AdvoCare Ford at Kentucky, after a top-ten finish the week before at Daytona.

“We had a better car than 13th, believe it or not, and we just got beat with some pit strategy there a couple of times,” Bayne said. “A couple got by us with tires and the 41 had four tires, the 48, 24 – we ran that whole last bit on two tires for a long time, so I was glad we could hang on to what we did.”

“It’s just fun to be able to race and make changes on our car and go for it. We ran in the top 10 most of the night. We’re making gains and we’ve got to keep rolling with it.”

“Yeah, it’s going the right way. It wasn’t just a fluke to finish in the top 10 just once. We’re proving that we can be there every week and that’s what we have to do.”

Bayne also is on a roll off the track, announcing to the world via Twitter that he and his wife are expecting a girl, #elliekatebayne.

Not Surprising: Carl Edwards had the most entertaining words to share on his in-car radio, saying that his Minions, who were on his car to promote the new Minion movie debut, were ‘no match’ for those M&Ms, referring to race winner Kyle Busch’s car sponsor.

Edwards finished fourth in his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Minion Toyota.

“Just an awesome race – I can’t thank Comcast XFINITY enough for having the Minions on board along with ARRIS, Stanley, Toyota, TRD (Toyota Racing Development), Subway,” Edwards said. “It was an awesome show. Just an awesome, fun day and I’m glad Kyle (Busch) got the win.”

Surprising: In spite of the dust-up with Danica Patrick due to brake issues and the bumps and colorful words that followed, Dale Earnhardt Jr. put it all in surprising perspective, paying tribute to his No. 88 Nationwide team via Twitter after the race.

“Thanks for all the @nationwide88 guys working hard to try and fix our brake issues. Working on 1000 degree parts takes a lot of courage.”

Earnhardt Jr. finished 21st, while Patrick finished an even more disappointing 34th. Both drivers dropped two spots in the point standings, with Jr. falling to fourth and Danica falling to 22nd.

Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin might just be the poster boy for the new rules package, rebounding to finish third in his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota.

“What a fun race,” Hamlin said enthusiastically after the race. “For us to be able to come back from two laps down and really pass a ton of cars, that’s just encouraging to me that we’ve finally got something that we can really work on and pass guys when your balance is better.”

Surprising: For Martin Truex Jr., the glass was half full and then half empty, running in the top five to top-ten for the first half of his race, but then falling off after damage to the car for a 17th place finish.

“We had too many issues to overcome in the second half of the race,” Truex said. “We had problems with handling — the car kept on plowing through the corners, especially after taking a few hits to the right front. I gave it all I had, but when the car is aerodynamically handicapped it’s difficult to make anything happen.”

“The good news is that we ran up front for plenty of laps and the bad news is that we didn’t stay up front. If we ran the entire race where we finished I would be much more disappointed. But for at least half the race we were up front.”

Not Surprising: At a track that is grueling, bumpy and with drivers having limited practice time, it was no surprise that the rookies did not fare well. Brett Moffitt was the highest finishing rookie in the 32nd spot, with Alex Kennedy, Jeb Burton and Matt DiBenedetto finishing 40th, 41st and 42nd respectively.

NASCAR next heads to the northeast for the New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 19 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

July 13, 2015
Hot 20 – Kentucky is no Daytona…and for some of us that is not a good thing

The thrills and the moments of dread of Daytona are behind us. Kentucky is next on the agenda, yet something tells me it arrives with not quite the same sense of anticipation. It still is racing, there is still a measure of danger attached to it, but it is not the same thing. Some think that is a good thing.

Things can be made safer, less risky. In 2012, Nik Wallenda walked the high-wire above Niagra Falls. The danger was minimized when Canadian authorities insisted he make the trek wearing a safety harness. In 2013, he walked across the Grand Canyon without the harness. Both involved great skill, both were successful, but which impressed you the most?

There is an iconic photograph of 11 iron workers sitting on a suspended beam 89 stories up during the construction of Rockefeller Center in 1932. Not one of the workers was wearing a safety device as they were shown reading, eating, and smoking with nothing but the void beneath them. I wonder how iconic that photo would have been with a large safety net stretched out beneath them?

Last Monday morning, we saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. up front, eyes on his mirrors as he jumped from lane to lane to stall the pursuit of his challengers at 200 mph, en roue to claiming the checkered flag. We also saw the No. 3 of Austin Dillon punched high into the catchfence, hitting wheels first, to be torn up and spit back onto the racing surface as its engine bounced away on its own. We saw fans sprayed with debris and we saw the wreckage containing the driver hit late by a sliding Brad Keselowski. We watched, we worried, and we felt relief when we got the sign Dillon was okay.

Some do not care for such scenarios and want it changed in some way to make it even safer for all concerned. Some of those proponents of change are drivers. You would think that any civilized person would embrace such change. Of course, while we are at it and in the interest of safety, we could welcome the NFFL and the NSL, that is the National Flag Football League and the National Shinny League. All it would take us to be more civilized and less risky would be to just remove contact from football and hockey.

In fact, let us remove the engines and let the entries coast down the banking in a newly constituted NASBAR, or the National Association of Soap Box Auto Racing. Little risk, little danger, and obviously very few fans watching. That is the trade off.

Do not get me wrong, I understand there is danger and risk in NASCAR, especially at the super speedways. I know that one day a crewman will be in the wrong place at the wrong time, a fan will be sitting too close to the action when parts fly, or all the driver safety features will prove to not be enough on some fateful day we pray is a long way off. We would be naive to think otherwise.

NASCAR has tried, especially so for more than a decade, to make the sport safer. The fact that this accident involving the No. 3 at Daytona did not result in a fatality is proof of that. For fans, crews, and drivers, they should continue to fight for improvements to safety, but at some point they must either accept some degree of real risk or move on to something they believe to be safer.

We watch, not to see disaster, but to witness those who can do what for us would be the impossible, and leave us in wonder at their skill and success.

Our Hot 20 heading into Kentucky on Saturday night include…

1. Jimmie Johnson – 4 WINS (589 Points)
Even Jimmie thought we had lost Austin last week.

2. Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS (656 Points)
It is official…Keelan can drive. What were you doing as a three year old?

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 2 WINS (593 Points)
Outwitted, outplayed, outlasted…but Dillon was the survivor.

4. Kurt Busch – 2 WINS (508 Points)
I agree with Kurt that we can make NASCAR safer…but at one point do we drive fans off?

5. Joey Logano – 1 WINS (581 Points)
Knew within three laps that last weekend would be a bit of a test.

6. Martin Truex Jr. – 1 WIN (569 Points)
The best thing about his race weekend was leaving.

7. Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN (520 Points)
The last hit was the scariest.

8. Matt Kenseth – 1 WIN (501 Points)
The oldest driver to win at Kentucky…and that was two years ago. Time to set a new record.

9. Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN (480 Points)
One little spin, one hell of a mess.

10. Carl Edwards – 1 WIN (408 Points)
Bad weekend at Daytona, bad week for Subway.

11. Jamie McMurray – 528 POINTS
A win would be nice but, as of yet, still unneccesary.

12. Jeff Gordon – 500 POINTS
They have not raced long at Kentucky, but a first win here would prove sweet.

13. Kasey Kahne – 496 POINTS
Sharks recently reported a Kahne sighting.

14. Paul Menard – 480 POINTS
One of four driving XFINITY at Kentucky, along with Brad, Junior, and…Kyle???

15. Ryan Newman – 472 POINTS
Being a race car driver can be dangerous. That is one reason I am not, but why is he?

16. Clint Bowyer – 465 POINTS
Patience is a virtue and Virtuous Clint is finally in the Top Sixteen.

17. Aric Almirola – 441 POINTS
One bad finish and bad things happen in the standings. Case in point…

18. Kyle Larson – 395 POINTS
Some like him as a dark horse candidate for this Sunday. If it proves true, a win and he’s in.

19. Greg Biffle – 392 POINTS
The Biff is interested with how the new rules package pans out…and he could use some good panning.

20. Danica Patrick – 386 POINTS
Dillon destroys his car, still finishes seventh, and is now just seven points back of Ms. Patrick.

July 9, 2015
Austin Dillon’s Airborne Crash – Fluke or Cause for Concern?

As Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line to claim his second win of the season at Daytona International Speedway, celebrating the victory was the last thing on his mind.

He had just driven the last two laps of the race focused on the traffic behind him, moving around the track as needed to protect his position when he saw the wreck unfolding in his rearview mirror.

“Oh my God,” he exclaimed when he saw the horrendous crash as Austin Dillon went airborne crashing into the catchfence. During his press conference with the media after the race, Earnhardt described the accident as, “frightening.”

He went on to say, “You’re just on the verge of tears, to be honest with you, because I think that the first thing that goes through your mind is, I saw everything in the mirror pretty clearly, and that car really went up in the air pretty high, and he hit the, I could just see that it was a black object that hit that fence, and so I’m assuming I’m looking at the undercarriage of the car. I’ve never seen… I’ve never really seen a roll cage handle those catch fences very well, and I just was very scared for whoever that was. I didn’t even know what car it was, so I was just very scared for that person.”

He was not alone in his reaction. As fans watched the No. 3 car sailing through the air, it was impossible not to reflect back on the heartbreaking incident in 2001 that took Dale Earnhardt’s life in another No. 3 car at this same track.

Crew members from the No. 88 team were among the first to reach Dillon and when they quickly gave the thumbs up sign indicating that he was okay, the racing word let out a collective sigh of relief.

Dillon was treated at the infield care center and released. He suffered a bruised tailbone and forearm as a result of the accident and is expected to be back racing next week at Kentucky. After viewing the almost unrecognizable carnage of his car, minus its engine which sat yards away, it seems almost miraculous.

Thirteen spectators received injuries due to debris that made its way through or over the catchfence, but eight declined treatment. Four were treated at the track and one fan was transported to the hospital, examined and quickly released. It could have been much worse.

In fact, it was, just a couple of years ago when Kyle Larson’s car hit the catchfence at Daytona during an XFINITY Series race and 28 fans were injured with 14 sent to the hospital for treatment. After the Larson accident, Daytona reinforced its fencing and the recent renovations at the track have moved the seating further back in an effort to prevent just such injuries.

Dillon voiced concerns after he was released from the infield care center, stating, “It’s not really acceptable, I don’t think. We’ve got to figure out something. Our speeds are too high, I think. I think everybody could get good racing with slower speeds. We can work at that, and then figure out a way to keep the cars on the ground. That’s the next thing. We’re fighting hard to make the racing good. I hope the fans appreciate that. We don’t, but it’s our job. You go out there and hold it wide open to the end.” He summed it up saying, “Its checkers or wreckers, you just hope you make it through.”

On the matter of safety, Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood stated that he was “proud of the fact that the fence worked” and said they will analyze the incident to “see if there are any additional things that we can learn to get better the next time.”

NASCAR chairman Brain France, said Monday during an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that, “We live and breathe delivering the closest, tightest and safest competition in the world and when we have a problem, we solve it,” France said.

While Earnhardt was obviously upset after witnessing Dillon’s wreck, he shared a different perspective, reminding us that racing is inherently dangerous and that, in reality, no amount of safety initiatives is going to change that. He suggested that the wreck was due not to a lack of safety measures but as a result of a perfect storm of particular conditions on this one day merging together to cause a singular event.

“Racing has always been very dangerous,” he began. “Fortunately for us we’ve gotten better and safer in the last 100 years. It’s changed tremendously. Hopefully, we can continue to learn and continue to get better, get safer, but there’s always going to be that danger.”

“They did a good job putting that catch fence up because that catch fence took a hell of a shot,” Earnhardt continued. “I mean, I don’t know what else you could throw at it besides what it saw tonight. So we’re just getting better at not only keeping the drivers safe but keeping the fans safe to where they can come and trust everyone to be able to enjoy an event and not be in danger.”

“I just think it’s always been dangerous, and I think that’s part of the appeal in a way that makes it exciting, but you hate to see it get to that extreme, but the potential is always there,” he explained.

“NASCAR knows a lot about this information. I myself don’t know exactly all I would like to know about it, Earnhardt said, “but there’s a speed that NASCAR would kind of like to stay under, and that’s why they incorporate all this safety into these cars like the roof slats and everything, so that when a car does get turned around, it can get under that speed and not become a flying object. But in rare occurrences where there’s an oddity how those cars collided tonight that Dillon didn’t get that chance for his car to slow down. So it just gets air under it, and it’s just going to go up in the air.”

Whichever theory you ascribe to, there’s no question that the safety of the drivers and the spectators is of utmost importance. While NASCAR strives to provide its fans with competitive racing, Dillon’s horrific crash should serve as a wake-up call. We cannot control the myriad of unforeseen circumstances that occur on any given race day, but we can, and should, minimize their impact. Above all else, safety should come first.

July 7, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished third at Daytona as a massive crash developed back in the field as the leaders crossed the finish line. Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race while HMS cohort Jeff Gordon took sixth.

“I don’t think you can necessarily blame anyone for the carnage on the last lap,” Johnson said, “so I don’t think anyone should be punished for it. But Austin Dillon should certainly be ‘grounded.’

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took fourth at Daytona, but not before making contact with Denny Hamlin, who hit Austin Dillon’s No. 3 and sent it airborne into the fence. Dillon was not hurt, and Harvick remained atop the Sprint Cup points standings.

“Dillon’s No. 3 car went flying in the air,” Harvick said. “I know exactly what it’s like to be a Richard Childress Racing driver and feel like things are ‘up in the air.’ But I knew he’d be okay because I’m an optimist, not a pessimist, and certainly not a nepotist.”

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: After qualifying was rained out, Earnhardt started on the pole at Daytona and won the rain-delayed Coke Zero 400, which ended at well past midnight.

“That race ended at 2:41 on Monday morning,” Earnhardt said, “and it ended with a scary crash that really freaked me out. So, the night ended with an ‘A.M.’ on the clock and a ‘B.M.’ in my pants.

“I’m up to second in the points standings. And my two wins puts me in great position in the Chase For The Cup. But if I don’t win the championship, I’ll be all right. I’m in love with the idea of winning the Sprint Cup title, but I’m not married to it.”

4. Martin Truex Jr.: One week after a miserable day at Sonoma, Truex was collected in a crash triggered by Kasey Kahne that left Truex with a 38th-place finish.

“My accident was nothing compared to the last-lap incident,” Truex said. “That was frightening. You’ve heard of ‘three-wide’ racing. Austin Dillon went ‘three-high.’”

5. Joey Logano: Logano, who won the Daytona 500 in February to open the season, finished 22nd despite falling four laps down early in the race.

“It was a grueling day at Daytona,” Logano said. “The race didn’t go green until 11:42 Sunday night and ended at 2:41 Monday morning. So, like most NASCAR races, fans were asleep by the end.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch, seeking his third win of the season, brought home a fifth-place finish in the Coke Zero 400, the culmination of a crash-filled weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

“Brad Keselowski wrecked my brother Kyle in Friday’s practice,” Busch said. “And NBC, back covering NASCAR, was there to broadcast it. They’re proud as a peacock while Keselowski is still a chicken.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski’s No. 2 Alliance Truck parts Ford was damaged in a mid-race pileup that eventually left him with a 29th-place finish in the Coke Zero 400. He is now seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings, 136 out of first.

“It was a tough day for Penske Racing,” Keselowski said. “Both Joey Logano and I found our fair share of trouble on the track, plus we didn’t have the speed anyway to match the Hendrick cars. On the plus side, it’s a good time not to be considered ‘race-ist.’”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 23rd at Daytona while Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin spun across the finish line in third after contact sent Austin Dillon’s car rocketing over three lanes of traffic in a spectacular final lap crash.

“Dillon went airborne and slammed into the catchfence,” Kenseth said. “Carl Edwards knows exactly what it feels like to be Dillon, because Carl’s never won a championship either.

“Daytona offered a ‘flag exchange in which you could turn in your Confederate flag for an American flag. It’s just too bad Alan Kulwicki can’t be there to provide a ‘Pole.’”

9. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 15th at Daytona and moved up one spot in the points standings to sixth, 130 out of first.

“Thank goodness everyone’s okay following that huge last-lap crash,” McMurray said. “As it was, the race itself was the only thing that was ‘in morning.’”

10. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished sixth in the Coke Zero 400 on a strong day for Hendrick Motorsports, as teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson finished 1-2, respectively.

“What a great race by Dale and Jimmie,” Gordon said. “I’m proud to call those guys my teammates. I can also call them business partners, associates and friends. Heck, I could even call them my confederates. Now, all that remains to be seen is what will fly longer, the Confederate flag, or our race cars themselves.”

July 7, 2015
The Final Word – Junior wins at Daytona as Dillon scares the hell out of us all

“That scared the hell out of me.”

With those post-race words, race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. summarized exactly how every fan felt as they watched the end of the Sunday night/Monday morning race at Daytona. That track. That team. That car number. That wreck as they came to the line was scary and, until we saw those upraised thumbs of all those crewmen who had raced onto the track to lend assistance, we all feared what we may have just witnessed.

It took three hours to outlast the rain, but it was worth every moment, from a fan’s perspective. The action was incredible as those 3400-pound machines thundered around in close formation at more than three times highway speeds. We had wrecks, including one that caused Aric Almirola to tumble out of a Chase place, allowing Clint Bowyer to slide in. We saw Kyle Busch scrape the wall, lose a couple of laps, yet dig down to finish 17th. In his bid to move up into the Top Thirty on the season, so his win at Sonoma might count for a pass to contend for the title, he only made up eight of the 136 point gap, with just nine events to go before the Chase spots are finalized.

We watched to see if we would have a repeat winner or if a new victor might take it to complicate someone’s race to the Chase. We soon discovered that Junior had come home, as he demonstrated all his superspeedway talent to drive at 200 mph while watching his mirrors and blocking the lines that moved up to challenge him. It marked his second of the season and 25th of his Cup career. Then all hell broke loose.

As they hit the line, Kevin Harvick touched the left rear of Denny Hamlin. It was enough to allow Jimmie Johnson to claim second as Hamlin’s car whipped around counter-clockwise and speared the following No. 3 Chevy of Austin Dillon. Combining the angle of the hit, the speed of the cars, and aerodynamics, Dillon’s car launched from the inside lane over the next two for a terrifying impact above the wall, directly into the catchfence.

Two posts snapped, the catchfence disappeared, but the cables held it all together long enough to abruptly stop the car’s momentum and return it, in pieces, back to the track. Dillon’s engine bounced unattached into the grass on the infield, as what was left of the shattered chassis spun back on the track upside down, with no nose, no back end, and just three tires. Then Brad Keselowski slid hard into it to make beating hearts beat that much faster.

Crews, led by Earnhardt’s, rushed on to the track to lend immediate assistance, beating all emergency personnel to the scene. They bent down to check into the cockpit. Agonizing seconds later, they stood, thumbs raised up to indicate our worst fears were not to be realized on this day. Three fans were injured, one taken to hospital in stable condition. Considering that the car hit the fence wheels first and stayed out is almost a miracle.

If only all races promised this kind of action. There are those who dwell on the dangers, and I must admit that my first automatic response would be to tell them to “go to hell.” If you pay to go, if you pay to sit anywhere near the fence, if you sit anywhere anything can be flung from a crashing car to reach where you sit, you better realize there is inherent danger just being there. Maybe as much as that flight to Orlando, or the car trip to Daytona Beach. But…

As one driver noted, what if two cars get launched? What if they arrive a split second apart? What is there is no longer a viable catchfence left to catch that second car? NASCAR, in fact, no form of motorsport, needs another Le Mans tragedy, which claimed the life of a driver, 83 spectators, and injured 120 more in a 1955 inferno.

There is a reason you do not see seats right up to the fence. Still, if you can see through the fence, some car parts can make it through to you. I think fans know this, understand this, but all that knowledge and understanding goes out the window should tragedy strike. All they can do is try to reduce the risk,

Daytona, this past weekend, proved to be damned exciting, as exciting as it gets, but it comes with risk, and it is shared by drivers, teams, and fans alike. A risk that can be reduced, but never totally eliminated. Everybody needs to know that.

July 6, 2015
It’s Time for NASCAR to Wake Up and Look at the Debris

Everyone has to still be stunned to see Austin Dillon walk away from the horrifying last-lap crash that sent his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet flipping into the catch fence at the end of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. The multi-car incident occurred as the field raced to the checkered flag, Dillon was clipped by another car, sending him airborne into the tri-oval catch fence and then back onto the track sliding on his roof. The No. 3 came to a rest upside down and was lastly clipped by the spinning, out of control No.2 car of Brad Keselowski.

“The No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) car got turned by the No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) car across the start/finish line and I thought the race was going to be over right there. We were almost there and I was just pushing the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) car and the next thing I knew, I was looking at my roof for a long time. I thought it was all over when I was sliding there and the No. 2 car came in and really got me. It was a wicked ride, but thank the good Lord above for taking care of me. I am just going to be really sore. It got my tailbone pretty good and my arm. I should be fine,” Dillon said.

Luckily safety equipment, enthusiasm and extremely good luck prevailed and no one was killed.

“I am just going to be really sore. It got my tailbone pretty good and my arm. Should be fine, just go ice it up and get ready for Kentucky,” Dillon added.

Race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to take a moment in victory lane to collect himself after seeing the carnage in the rear view mirror.

“Yeah that scared the hell out of me, I will be honest with you. I saw the whole thing happen. You are looking in the mirror the whole last lap. I saw Denny (Hamlin) get turned. I guess that is kind of how it started. That was terrifying to watch. You know a wreck like that has such a high potential for someone to get injured and you saw the car get high and get into the fence. You just worry about everybody else in the grandstands and all that stuff. You just don’t want to see that happen.”

Jeff Gordon described the restrictor-plate style of racing as more like a video game, but in real life. Dillon agreed, saying, “It definitely is a video game. With three to go you are just going to push somebody until the end of the race. It’s wreckers or checkers. It’s like Talladega Nights out there.”

Gordon said after the race, “It is literally like a video game out there these days, except for it’s real life. It’s crazy. It’s really crazy. I love Daytona. This place has been amazing for me. I can’t believe this is my final race here, but after going through that experience I’m glad I only have one more restrictor plate race left.”

Clint Bowyer summed it up as, “This is entertainment. It’s certainly dangerous as hell, but its part of the sport.”

I expect seeing the No.3 crashed up at Daytona had to be a horrible experience for team owner Richard Childress. But there’s no need to get into that part of it. The racing is what it is, as they say.

With that said, why exactly are we racing like this?

NASCAR will do all of the political head nodding and hand shaking this week while it all goes in one ear and out the other. We will hear them take the usual stance that they are checking for any safety issues and improvements that can be made for future races. Hey NASCAR, how about not doing it at all?

Do we really need four of these restrictor plate races? Do we really need video game roulette during the chase races? I believe those are the questions that need to be answered and no more changes that end up creating the same ole, same ole, four times a year.

I keep holding my breath during these races and hoping that no one will get hurt. But it seems like the inevitable “big one” always rears its ugly old head. I just keep thinking there has got to be a better solution.

July 6, 2015
Coke Zero 400 Qualifying Canceled Due To Rain, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets Pole Based On Top Practice Speed
- Austin Dillon Will Start Second in RCR No. 3 Chevrolet
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Qualifying for Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca Cola was rained out Saturday, giving the pole position to Dale Earnhardt Jr., based on his chart-topping, 200 mph-plus practice speed.

Earnhardt led the first of two practice sessions on Friday in the No. 88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet, with a fast lap of 202.284 miles per hour – one of 14 drivers to post fast laps exceeding 200 mph. Austin Dillon will start second in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, on the strength of his 202.066 lap.

Last season, NASCAR instituted a new procedure, setting fields based on speeds from a weekend’s first practice session, when qualifying is cancelled. Previously, fields were set based on season point standing. Earnhardt said that with rain in the Saturday forecast, there was extra effort to find serious speed in practice.

Tickets for the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola – set for 7:45 p.m. Sunday – can be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or visiting www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #CokeZero400 and #SubwayFirecracker250. Fans also can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest news all season long. Fans can follow the latest on DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation at the “World Center of Racing” by using #DAYTONARising on Twitter or visiting www.daytonarising.com.
July 4, 2015
Finley Factor: Daytona Nights-The Ballad of Ricky Allen
Sunday night under the lights at Daytona will be both an ending and a beginning.

NBC will be covering its first Sprint Cup race since 2006 and I’m excited to see what they have after FOX kicked the season off with some of the worst coverage I’ve ever seen. Constant production mistakes, announcers giving false or misguided information, biased studio analysts, constant commercials, and a terrible pre-race “grid walk.”

The walk, in particular, ripped off from Will Buxton’s Formula One segments, is a constant embarrassment and has got to go next year. Instead of Buxton’s professionalism and talk of things relevant to the in-race action, FOX has Michael Waltrip run from car to car, breathing hard and making poor attempts at comedy. Quite possibly the lowest point of the entire NASCAR season has been Waltrip spilling a taco over Denny Hamlin’s race car.

To be completely honest, Waltrip is completely useless on the FOX broadcasts. Jeff Hammond is on hand and can provide just as good, if not better, analysis. Hammond also doesn’t have a bias like Waltrip does, which is always a negative when it comes to sports broadcasting. I don’t like it when analysts have a stake in the game/race they are talking about. It is just unfair to all other teams talked about during pre and post race coverage. I wasn’t thrilled when Brad Daugherty worked for ESPN while covering NASCAR but at the very least JTG Daugherty wasn’t really that relevant until the end of ESPN’s run.

So far, I like what NBC is doing. Nobody in the broadcast booth has called a Cup series race, but I’ve felt for years that Rick Allen’s call of the Truck Series has been the highlight of FOX’s coverage of the series. Jeff Burton did a great job covering XFINITY races for ESPN part-time while Steve Letarte has potential but needs some seasoning.

I even like the pre-race crew. Nobody really has a bias in today’s NASCAR. The closest would be Kyle Petty with Richard Petty Motorsports, but even then I don’t believe Kyle has a stake in the team. Dale Jarrett is better in the studio than he is in the booth while Krista Voda has been very good in her role as host for FOX’s Truck Series coverage for years.

The closest thing I have to a problem is with Rutledge Wood, who is only really bad when he has a show all to himself, Trackside, and is fine in small spurts.

There’s definitely talent in the NBC crew, but now let’s see how the actual coverage is. If anything, they should be better than FOX at the very least.

Sunday will mark the final start for Jeff Gordon at Daytona. Gordon holds six points victories at this track, including three Daytona 500’s, along with two Sprint Unlimited wins and five Budweiser Duel wins. Gordon, however, hasn’t won at Daytona since 2009 and hasn’t won a points race since 2005 when he won his third Daytona 500.

Although unconfirmed, it may also be the final Daytona race for Bobby Labonte in the No. 32 Ford for Go Green Racing. The 2000 Cup champion holds no points wins at Daytona, but has a single Duel win and finished second to Dale Earnhardt Sr. when he won the 1998 Daytona 500 in one of the most famous races in history.

Daytona Predictions

From now on I’ve decided to name two drivers for each category instead of just one. The reality is that most weekends there is no clear cut favorite/sleeper/dark horse, and with 43 teams in each race it’s hard to talk about only three teams.

Favorites

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a better average finish than any other driver in the past 10 plate races at 10.5 and is tied with Jimmie Johnson in both wins and top-10s. Johnson has an average finish of 12.1 and one more top-five than Dale Earnhardt Jr. in those same races.

Sleepers

Although Clint Bowyer hasn’t won a plate race since joining Michael Waltrip Racing, the Kansas native is typically out front and center near the end of these races.

Dark horses

Casey Mears has been super impressive in plate races the last few years and he knows this is the last real shot the small Germain Racing team has at winning and making the Chase. It’s strange to call the defending race winner a dark horse, but that’s what Aric Almirola is this week. Although he hasn’t been too impressive in these races, the reality is that he was leading, not in the middle or a pit cycle or anything like that, when the race was called last year, and under the unpredictable Florida sky, anything can happen.

I try not to bring politics into any NASCAR writings, but this week I’m making an exception to that.

As most who are reading this have heard, NASCAR has come out against the public display of the Confederate Flag at races. Having been to Martinsville and Richmond, I can, in fact, confirm that many NASCAR fans believe the Civil War is still going on.

Many of these fans have complained about their first amendment rights being taken away by NASCAR, and constantly claim that the Confederate Flag has more than one meaning. They believe that they are in the right and NASCAR, for condemning the flag, is in the wrong.

Here are some basic facts about this issue that these people need to read:
1. A racetrack has the right to tell you not to fly any flag, just like how you have the right not to go to said racetrack.
2. NASCAR is not the government and thus cannot tell you not to fly a flag when not at their racetrack.
3. The Confederate Flag was the symbol of a traitorous non-country that helped to usher in the worst war in the history of the United States.
4. In said war, white men fought under said flag for their right to enslave African Americans. Even though some fought for other reasons, at the end of the day this was the principal reason for the Confederacy’s existence to begin with.
It simply doesn’t matter if the Confederate Flag stands for something else. The Swastika is and was a symbol for luck, eternity, and even God himself in most Asian cultures long before Hitler got his hands on it. Does that make it right to be flown in this country? No, but you have the right to fly it on private property, just like with the Confederate Flag.

Not to mention, if the flag is really such an integral part of our sport, why is nobody in it defending its usage? The fact is that it’s a niche flag being flown by people who do it just because they hate the government. Not one person I’ve ever seen flying it has been happy with the administration in power at the time, and within this commonality, most don’t think about what needs to be looked at such as those who hand out political flyers at racetracks; disdain and an annoyance. Political statements shouldn’t be made at races.

All stats for the Finley Factor are provided by Racing Reference unless otherwise noted.
July 2, 2015
Hot 20 – Daytona’s banner should wave over the land of the free, not the home of the enslaved

As the action returns to Daytona, Florida this weekend, I must admit something. I love the look of the Confederate battle flag. I love the stories of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and James Longstreet. I loved the Dukes of Hazzard, good ole boys, and good ole girls even better. Junior was the name of Mr. Johnson or Hank’s boy. I think Copperhead Road is one hell of a song, and even Lincoln liked the tune of Dixie. Then there is Nathan Bedford Forrest, Jim Crow, and an additional century of institutionalized racism to consider, all equally associated with the rebel banner.

Many years ago, while visiting Florida, I bought a belt buckle bearing that symbol. I cannot wear it for the same reason it should no longer fly at NASCAR tracks. Variations of it flew from 1861-1865 leading the way for Confederate armies into battle in their fight to defend the southern way of life, of which slavery was a main component. Maybe it could have survived that connection, as it has up to this point. Still, you cannot ignore its association since with segregation and the racist policies and actions of the following hundred years since the Civil War, all of which has made it a contemporary political and social lightening rod.

Some will argue that such a ban also treads on the southern way of life, forgetting that southern blacks especially are not newcomers to the party. Their ancestors have also been part of the fabric of the region since the very beginning. As much as its reminds some of bravery on the field or a romanticized lost cause, it is also an insulting, insensitive reminder of a people held in bondage, a denial of civil rights and white supremacy. I cannot see how the two views can be reconciled today. Can you?

The Hot 20 returning to Daytona Sunday night include…

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (546 Points)
One darn caution too many spoiled his road tour.

2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (616 Points)
Jack car up, take tire off, put tire on…before dropping the damn jack.

3. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (469 Points)
He wins one week, his brother wins the next week. See, sharing with siblings can be fun.

4. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (563 Points)
This week, Martin remembers his family, his friends, his country and, no doubt, David Ragan.

5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (559 Points)
Seemed to do alright the last time he was at Daytona.

6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 1 WIN (545 Points)
Sonoma was fun, but Daytona is a family tradition.

7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (505 Points)
If you call him Joey, that is how he’ll sign the autograph.

8. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (479 Points)
Going from one of his worst venues to one of his favorites.

9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (438 Points)
Has yet to win at Daytona, but he has come close enough to bear watching.

10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (405 Points)
Had he done to Ragan what Ragan had done to Martin, all would have been well.

11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 497 POINTS
Won on only four tracks; once at Indy, twice each at Charlotte, Talladega, and Sunday’s venue.

12. KASEY KAHNE – 483 POINTS
Last two summer races at Daytona resulted in fireworks of the unappreciated kind.

13. JEFF GORDON – 462 POINTS
Memo to crew: Take out spring rubber, walk with spring rubber, gently place it over the wall.

14. PAUL MENARD – 452 POINTS
Being consistently 14th or 15th is okay, but being consistently ninth or 10th would be even better.

15. RYAN NEWMAN – 435 POINTS
If this becomes a horse race to be won by just a neck…

16. ARIC ALMIROLA – 431 POINTS
When he shaves, he sees Clint standing behind him in the mirror.

17. CLINT BOWYER – 430 POINTS
Sixteenth in actual accumulated points…but Carl has the win and he does not.

18. KYLE LARSON – 390 POINTS
To my knowledge, has never posted a yoga video.

19. DANICA PATRICK – 377 POINTS
Okay, her yoga video is hard to ignore, just like her appearances on this list week after week.

20. GREG BIFFLE – 368 POINTS
The Biff needs a win, but few think he has a car that can. That must bug him.

July 1, 2015
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished sixth at Sonoma, passed by eventual winner Kyle Busch with six laps remaining. Johnson is fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 70 out of first.

“Maybe we should have pitted during that final caution,” Johnson said. “But we had a strategy and we wanted to stick to it. I’m not one to question any decision Chad Knaus makes. If he says ‘Jump,’ usually I say ‘How high?’ Chad then says, ‘1/32 of an inch beyond NASCAR specifications.’

“Busch was driving like a man possessed. He really took this Sonoma ‘making wine from grapes’ thing to heart and ‘stepped on it.’”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth at Sonoma, posting his eleventh top-five result of the year. He’s on top of the points standings with a 53-point lead on Martin Truex Jr.

“Congratulations to Kyle Busch on his win,” Harvick said. “He’s one step closer to making the Chase. That means that Kyle, along with his brother Kurt, will both likely make the Chase. And just when I thought I was done with the ‘terrible two’s.’”

3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s day at Sonoma ended early when he was wrecked by David Ragan on lap 31. Truex finished 42nd, his worst finish of the year.

“Ragan just plain ran me off the road,” Truex said. “He was driving that Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 sponsored by Aaron Rents. I promise there will be revenge. Much like a sucker who rents furniture at outrageous interest rates from a place like that, there will be ‘hell to pay.’”

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished seventh in the Save Mart 350 as Hendrick Motorsports drivers took positions 6, 7 and 8. Jimmie Johnson finished sixth, Kasey Kahne took eighth and Jeff Gordon came home 16th.

“We’ve got Microsoft 10 sponsorship on the No. 88 car,” Earnhardt said. “That just shows you how times have changed in NASCAR. My father used to call some of his rivals tiny and weak, or ‘Microsoft.’

“As you know, I became engaged a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure I disappointed a lot of female Junior Nation members. But let’s face it, I’m just a bit out of their league. I wouldn’t touch them with a 10-Foot Coors Light Pole,’ much less ask them to marry me.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Sonoma, posting his eighth top-five result of the year.

“What a run by Kyle Busch,” Logano said. “With Sonoma being wine country and me being ‘Sliced Bread,’ I’d like to propose a ‘toast.’”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch started second on the grid at Sonoma and finished second to younger brother Kyle Busch in the Toyota Save Mart 350.

“Kyle celebrated with a glass of wine in Victory Circle,” Busch said. “And I’m so happy for him. People like it better when the Busch brothers are happy. When we’re not, it’s a case of fortified ‘whine.’”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski struggled to a 19th-place finish in the Toyota Save Mart 350.

“Brian France wants to remove the Confederate flag from NASCAR,” Keselowski said. “And he’s not just whistling Dixie. But let’s be real. The one flag NASCAR needs to get rid of most is the yellow.”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started third at Sonoma and finished 21st as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch charged to the win.

“Now all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have a win this season,” Kenseth said. “This time, Kyle Busch drove his tail off, as opposed to his leg. Then he did donuts in Victory Lane and donuts are the closest he wants to get to the police these days.”

9. Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished eighth in the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, recording his sixth top 10 of the year.

“Now that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is engaged,” Kahne said, “I’m now NASCAR’s most eligible bachelor. But I’m in no hurry to get hitched. Let’s just say I like to play the field, which means I’m currently involved with 43 women.”

10. Kyle Busch: Busch won for the first time this year and a mere five weeks after returning from a broken leg suffered at Daytona in February, taking the Toyota Save Mart 350.

“For those who doubted my ability after such an injury,” Busch said, “this win in Northern California wine country should put a cork in it.

“The road course at Sonoma has more twists and turns than the Kurt Busch-Patricia Driscoll saga. I think Kurt now knows better than to get involved with an assassin. We’ll see whether women will know better than to get involved with an ass.”

June 30, 2015