Tag: David Pearson

The Final Word – Dover and the FedEx 400 Benefiting Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson. Four wins in 2015. Ten wins at Dover. Seventy-four wins over the course of his career, just two shy of Dale Earnhardt’s total. Six championships. Gee, I wonder if he might ever make the Hall of Fame?

He becomes only the fifth driver in NASCAR history to claim such dominance at a single track. Mind you, we’ve long been placing his name alongside such drivers as…

-Richard Petty (Daytona – 10, Martinsville – 15, North Wilkesboro – 15, Richmond – 13, Rockingham – 11)

-David Pearson (Darlington – 10)

-Darrell Waltrip (Bristol – 12, Martinsville – 11, North Wilkesboro – 10)

-Dale Earnhardt (Talladega – 10)…not counting the nine each he won at Atlanta, Bristol, and Darlington.

Kevin Harvick was the runner-up and with two wins he holds the same position amongst the season leaders. Kyle Larson was third, but like the fourth place Aric Almirola, a win is what they need to be in the Chase. Martin Truex Jr. was sixth, but with a 140-point advantage over Clint Bowyer in the standings, he is still very good to go. Bowyer is 17th on the season and ninth on Sunday. The rest of the day’s Top Ten, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard and Jeff Gordon, remain solidly in the Top Sixteen, at least for now.

For some, this day was in the pits, or at least that is where great days went to die. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick were in the Top-Fifteen, but were left wondering if not for pit penalties just what kind of day they might have had. Same for the 19th place Carl Edwards.

Truex was amongst two that dominated early while Denny Hamlin led 118 laps including the opening 41 circuits. After a wreck caused by Bowyer that also caught Kurt Busch, Hamlin finished 21st, Busch 31st.

As for brother Kyle, he looked strong the entire race, or at least the 90 percent he ran. With 25 to go, he and Brian Scott wrecked, leaving the younger Busch 36th. After missing so much of the season due to his Daytona injuries, he will need to win at least once and make up the 168 gap between himself and the 30th ranked Justin Allgaier over the next 13 events to make the playoff hunt. That is a gain of 13 per race. On Sunday, he gained just seven points on the 42nd placed Allgaier. It still can be done.

Landon Cassill was 23rd on the day. The 26-year-old has been making the news, though off the track. After the World 600, he ran the 14-miles from the track to the Hall of Fame…on foot. Last Wednesday, he became Beckham Bear Alan Cassill’s dad. Pretty sweet.

What is better, Cup action or IndyCar? Whatever you believe, it is not worth choking your fiancé over. It was a lovely domestic scene in Indiana as both were hitting the suds all day, then with he making dinner and her listening to the action from Indianapolis, the topic reared its ugly head. It appears that both are fine, but he does need a lawyer. No word as to whether the engagement is off or not.

Dover had its moments and a few surprises. Actually, not a bad way to spend your Sunday afternoon. As for Pocono next weekend, Earnhardt comes in after sweeping 2014 while each of his Hendrick teammates has claimed the previous three. Gordon has six in total, Johnson three, but Hamlin could spoil the party having four of his own. Now, if only Bowyer will let him get to the finish.

June 1, 2015
NASCAR Champions Featuring David Pearson

Cup Champion: 1966, 1968, 1969
Born: December 22, 1934
Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina
Career: 1960 – 1986

Premier Series Stats:
Starts: 574
Wins: 105
Poles: 113

David Pearson was not only fast in a race car, he was also quick on his feet. NASCAR’s “Silver Fox,” could outrun and outthink most of his competitors on any given day.

Pearson made the most out of each opportunity. He never ran every single race in any season during a career that spanned 27 years, making his three Cup championship titles even more impressive.

He won his first championship in 1966, competing in 42 of 49 races. Pearson’s second championship was earned in 1968 after running 48 of 49 events. His third and final title came in 1969 when he ran 51 of 54 races.

Over the course of his career, Pearson raced his way to 105 victories and 113 poles in only 574 starts which ranks second all-time in both categories. His winning percentage of 18.293 is the third highest all-time. Only Herb Thomas (21.053) and Tim Flock (20.856) were more productive on the track. Any time he showed up to race, Pearson was a threat to win.

Richard Petty once said of his rival, “If anybody asks, who is the best driver you ever drove against? I don’t hesitate. It was David Pearson.”

Pearson drove for fellow Spartanburg, South Carolina native Cotton Owens from 1962 to 1967 and won his first championship in 1966 with Owens. Their partnership produced 27 wins and fostered a lifelong friendship.

“He meant more to the sport than a lot of people thought,” said Pearson. “He won a ton of races in modifieds. He built the cars himself. He built the motors himself. He drove them. He won at Daytona on the beach. And he was just a good, honest fella.”

His second and third titles came as a driver for Holman-Moody in 1968 and 1969. The two championship years included 27 wins (16 in 1968 and 11 in 1969), 26 poles and 78 top-fives in 99 starts.

In 1968 while driving for Holman-Moody, Pearson began his rule of “The Track Too Tough To Tame,” capturing his first win, followed by another victory in 1970. His domination continued throughout the 1970s with Wood Brothers Racing as he collected six more checkered flags at Darlington Raceway between 1972 and 1977. Two more first place finishes in 1979 and 1980 gave him a grand total of 10 wins and 12 poles, securing his place as the all-time wins leader at one of the most difficult tracks on the NASCAR circuit.

Pearson’s 10 Darlington victories included wins with three different manufactures between 1968 and 1980.

Ford – 1968, 1970 – Holman-Moody
Mercury – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976 (twice), 1977 – Wood Brothers
Chevrolet – 1979 – Rod Osterlund
Chevrolet – 1980 – Hoss Ellington

Parson joined Wood Brothers Racing in 1972 for one of the most potent combinations of driver and team in NASCAR history. Although he didn’t compete in enough races to contend for a championship while with the team, he was always a formidable opponent wherever he raced.

Pearson’s dominance on the track was never more evident than in 1973 when he won 11 of the 18 races he entered. “It was just enjoyable to go to a race track, he said, “knowing you had a chance of winning that race before you ever got there.”

His career with the Wood Brothers also included a dramatic win of the Daytona 500 in 1976 in a car built by renowned car builder Banjo Matthews. Richard Petty was leading as the race wound down when Pearson made his move to the inside for the pass. At the same time Petty dove to the bottom of the track and the two collided as they were racing off of turn four. Pearson managed to keep his car running and inched across the finish line for his lone Daytona 500 win.

Pearson also had an affinity for Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 46 starts, he earned a record 14 poles, including 11 consecutive poles from 1973 to 1978. Three of those poles translated into wins for Pearson.

In 2011 he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame by Leonard Wood. Pearson called Wood, “the smartest man in the world,” in his acceptance speech. “If they needed something for that car and they couldn’t find it or couldn’t buy it, he made it.”

He went on to thank Richard Petty. “He’s probably the one who made me win as many as I did. I’d run hard because he’d make me run hard. Sometimes he’d even make a mistake and I’d pass him. Of course I didn’t ever make no mistakes,” he said laughing.”I always accused him of having big engines when he passed me.”

Pearson concluded by saying, “I knew if I ever went to a race track and he was there, if I could beat him, I’d win the race.”

Pearson’s natural talent plus the ability to outwit his competitors made him one of NASCAR’s most successful and influential drivers both on and off the track.

Accomplishments:

1960 Rookie of the Year
1966, 1968, 1969 Sprint Cup Champion
1979 and 1980 Most Popular Driver Award
1990 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee
1991 National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame Inductee
1993 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Inductee
1998 Named One of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
1998 Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends
2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee

January 15, 2015
Hot 20 – Pepsi and Coke be Damned…It is the Firecracker 400

It is the Firecracker 400, stupid.

The distance run and the sponsors may have changed, but for thirty years the gateway to summer race at Daytona was known as the Firecracker 400 (250 for its first four runs). It might not be as big as the 500 or have the glamour of the Southern 500, but winning this one means something. Its name should mean something as well.

This was a race won five times by David Pearson. Four times by Cale Yarborough. Multiple winners included Fireball Roberts, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and A.J. Foyt long before NASCAR and the race track (pretty much one and the same) sold out to Pepsi. They dropped the Firecracker brand and then, less than 20 years later, we discovered why it is so stupid to re-brand a race to please a sponsor. Pepsi was gone, Coca Cola replaced it, and now we have the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola. What bovine excrement that is, and I’m drinking a damn Diet Coke as I type this. Love the taste but I wonder how much it would take me to sell out to become Coke Zero Thornton, Esq., powered by Coca-Cola.

Then again, unless my wife or my mother gets paid off, I am guessing they would continue calling me by the name they have always done so. As Coke has not paid me a dime, forgive me for being a traditionalist. The Firecracker 400 it is.

I do not mind change if it betters tradition. I think points earned over an entire season still best recognizes the best over the course of that season, not through a contrived playoff. I think wins should be worth more than they are, like 70 points instead of a maximum of 48. I think this Saturday night’s Coke Zero Firecracker 400 will be one hell of a good race to watch. I think someone working for Rick Hendrick is going to win it. As that is what has happened over the past three events raced there, I see no reason to think it is going to change this weekend.

Yes, I guess tradition can be a bit of a pain sometimes, especially if you happen to be driving a Ford or a Toyota this Saturday night at Daytona.

(Based on points, with winners awarded 25 bonus points, rather than 3)

Pos – Driver – Points – Wins
1 – Jimmie Johnson – 660 – 3
2 – Jeff Gordon – 640 – 1
3 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 638 – 2
4 – Brad Keselowski – 604 – 2
5 – Carl Edwards – 580 – 2
6 – Joey Logano – 563 – 2
7 – Matt Kenseth – 555 – 0
8 – Kevin Harvick – 553 – 2
9 – Kyle Busch – 530 – 1
10 – Ryan Newman – 514 – 0
11 – Paul Menard – 488 – 0
12 – Denny Hamlin – 477 – 1
13 – Kyle Larson – 474 – 0
14 – Greg Biffle – 474 – 0
15 – Clint Bowyer – 473 – 0
16 – Kasey Kahne – 465 – 0
17 – Tony Stewart – 460 – 0
18 – Austin Dillon – 455 – 0
19 – Brian Vickers – 442 – 0
20 – Marcos Ambrose – 438 – 0

July 3, 2014
Hot 20 – The season’s best driver does not always claim the Cup championship

There is something about having a single win and getting into the Chase. It gives everyone a chance, one that for some would have pretty much been gone in the wind. Kurt Busch is having about as much luck as Danica Patrick right now, but he has his win. If Danica could just get one, somehow, somewhere, she also could launch herself amongst our contenders. It is that simple. Heck, even Josh Wise could make some noise if he could win, and work his way into the Top 30. Everyone in the Top 36, in fact, still has hope, and that might be a good thing. If not, then the debate as to who will be our new champion would be down to talking about no more than nine or ten drivers.

Using today’s point system, but giving the winner 25 points instead of just 3, the Hendrick duo of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson rise to the top. Yet, should Matt Kenseth take the prize at Pocono on Sunday he would take over the top rung no matter what the other two boys did. Winning has its privileges, and while it is not as generous or as forgiving as the official method, this does offer a truer reflection of who is hot and who is not.

If you are a sponsor of Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, or Kevin Harvick, you should be pleased. At the one-third mark of the season, those drivers and the aforementioned trio have been the most relevant each week, with a nod to Denny Hamlin. He remains close even after having to take an extra week off. Yes, that win does help.

Being the best over the course of the season has never ensured a driver of a championship, no matter what points system or method has been used in the past. Jimmie Johnson (2004), Ryan Newman (2003), Jeff Gordon (1996), Rusty Wallace (1994), Bill Elliott (1985), Darrell Waltrip (1984), and David Pearson (1973) are just the most recent examples. Come to think of it, I wonder how we would look at Newman today had his 8 wins trumped the single victory of Kenseth in determining the crown that season? How would our perceptions have changed in regards to the likes of Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Terry Labonte, and Benny Parsons?

While we will watch each week to see if a win can salvage somebody’s season, to witness which 16 will be eligible for the title, and who gets eliminated from contention over the final ten events, we should try and remember the drivers who gave us cause to watch each and every week. Here are the hot 20 who have done just that this season.

(Win bonus increased from 3 points to 25)

Driver – Points (Wins)
1 Jeff Gordon – 483 (1)
2 Jimmie Johnson – 480 (2)
3 Matt Kenseth – 463
4 Carl Edwards – 460 (1)
5 Joey Logano – 458 – (2)
6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 451 (1)
7 Kyle Busch – 433 (1)
8 Brad Keselowski – 426 (1)
9 Kevin Harvick – 417 (2)
10 Denny Hamlin – 401 (1)
11 Kyle Larson – 377
12 Ryan Newman – 374
13 Brian Vickers – 366
14 Paul Menard – 362
15 Austin Dillon – 358
16 Greg Biffle – 357
17 Clint Bowyer – 350
18 Kasey Kahne – 349
19 Aric Almirola – 344
20 A.J. Allmendinger – 337

June 5, 2014

Hot 20 – In search of the Sprint Cup series 2014 driver of the year

As justly proud I am of my ancestors, there is a downside to not being born a France. I could have a dream, wake in the morning and jot it all down on a napkin, and there is no chance in hell that it could be NASCAR policy by the afternoon. Some might think that a good thing. I think the circuit’s new emphasis on winning is also a good thing.

Just win baby, and it is a philosophy many of us can agree with. As I do not have to worry about television numbers or game seven moments, abandoning the Chase and adding 22 points to the winner’s total to a maximum of 70 seems just as good a way as any to determine just who was the most successful any given season.

Unless the champion at the end of the season turns out to be someone most can not accept, the new Chase elimination system will eventually be accepted. I mean, unless wins and wins alone determine who is king, then there has always been room for argument as to whether a champ was worthy or not.

We think back to 2003 when one race winner Matt Kenseth won the title over eight race winner Ryan Newman. Still, Kenseth won his crown using the same points system that had been in place for more than thirty years. Back in 1973, David Pearson won 11, Richard Petty had six, but the title that year went to single race victor Benny Parsons. No one seems to be arguing about that outcome today.

As I am not a France, I have no championship to bestow. However, I am interested in what keeping the present points system, but making a win worth between 25 and 28 points more than the runner-up, would have given us over a 36 race, non-Chase, season. The leader might not wind up our champion, but he sure would be my driver of the year.

Our Hot 20 as we head to Las Vegas are…

Pos	Driver	Points	Wins
1	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	112	1
2	Kevin Harvick	101	1
3	Jeff Gordon	80	0
4	Jimmie Johnson	78	0
5	Joey Logano	75	0
6	Kyle Busch	71	0
7	Matt Kenseth	70	0
8	Denny Hamlin	68	0
9	Carl Edwards	65	0
10	Casey Mears	64	0
11	Greg Biffle	64	0
12	Jamie McMurray	64	0
13	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	63	0
14	Ryan Newman	60	0
15	Austin Dillon	56	0
16	Marcos Ambrose	49	0
17	Kasey Kahne	47	0
18	Reed Sorenson	41	0
19	A.J. Allmendinger	37	0
20	Tony Stewart	37	0

March 6, 2014

Surprising and Not Surprising: Bojangles’ Southern 500

On what has become a Mother’s day weekend tradition at the historic Darlington Raceway, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 64^th annual Bojangles’ Southern 500.

Surprising: While bad news often comes in threes, Matt Kenseth had the opposite experience, with only good news in threes for this Joe Gibbs Racing team member. Kenseth scored his third Sprint Cup win of the season and advanced one spot to third in the point standings.

Not only was it a stellar evening for JGR with Kenseth in Victory Lane, but teammate Denny Hamlin gutted out a surprisingly good full-race performance after returning from his back injury. Hamlin finished in the runner up position, scoring his seventh top-10 at Darlington and his second top-10 finish for the season.

“I think our whole team, we’ve just got a great team from top to bottom,” J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “Gosh, I couldn’t feel much better about our year so far.”

Not Surprising: For the other member of the Joe Gibbs Race team, however, three times was nowhere near a charm. JGR driver Kyle Busch, who was the dominant driver all evening long, in fact leading 265 laps, tussled with competitor Kasey Kahne for the third time this season to finish a disappointing sixth in the race.

“He’s pretty tore up that they’re racing hard and Kasey Kahne tore up another car,” Dave Rogers, crew chief of the No. 18 Doublemint Toyota, said. “This is the third time we’ve been involved in an incident with Kasey and all of us over here have a ton of respect for that program.”

“Well, he needs to quit,” Kasey Kahne, recipient of the three incidents with Busch, said simply. “Three times this year. I mean he’s got to just race me.”

Surprising: While enjoying a much celebrated 700^th career start, Jeff Gordon, at the tender age of 41 years, also managed to set yet another record. Gordon posted his 300^th top-five finish, becoming only the fourth driver to accomplish this feat, along with NASCAR legends David Pearson, Bobby Allison and Richard Petty.

“Well, we all wanted this 700^th start to be a memorable one,” the driver of the No. 24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet said. “I’m very proud of this.”

Not Surprising: As so often happens, David Ragan experienced the highs and lows of the sport, from his previous week’s win at Talladega to overheating and struggling to finish 39^th at Darlington at this weekend’s race.

“Yeah, that’s how it goes sometimes,” the driver of the No. 34 Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts Ford said. “That’s a character-building weekend for sure.”

“You’ve just got to work hard and stay focused and keep the right attitude.”

Surprising: In spite of decent race finishes for two of the Roush Fenway drivers, with Carl Edwards taking the checkered flag in seventh and Greg Biffle in 13^th, both expressed the feeling that they are lacking something so far this season.

“We struggled a lot and ended coming back to seventh so I’m proud of our effort,” Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Geek Squad Ford, said. “But we’re just missing something.”

“It’s a little disappointing,” Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Meguiar’s Ford, said. “We still don’t have the grip that we need.”

“We’re missing it ever since the season started with this car.”

Not Surprising: All good things must come to an end and so it was not surprising that Aric Almirola’s streak of top-tens came crashing down at Darlington. The driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford finished 20^th at the track ‘Too Tough to Tame.’

“That’s not the result we wanted at all,” Almirola said. “We fought hard, but just weren’t quite good enough.”

“That was a tough night.”

Surprising: The struggles of Tony Stewart surprisingly continued at Darlington and the trip to Victory Lane that he so badly wanted at a track where he had never won eluded the former champion yet again.

Stewart was poised to get a good finish, in fact starting eighth on a restart with under 60 laps to go. But the Lady reached out and grabbed the driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, putting that old Darlington stripe right down the side of his race car.

Stewart finished a disappointing 15^th when the checkered flag finally flew.

“Darlington is such a tough track to get a handle on,” Stewart said. “You don’t see a lot of guys who have a lot of success there.”

Not Surprising: In spite of scoring a pole run, with a track record to boot, and a record number of laps led for his team, Kurt Busch still did not get the finish he wanted at Darlington.

The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Serta Chevrolet ran strong all night but slipped at the end after getting hit by the No. 13 of Casey Mears. Busch finished 14^th in the Bojangles’ Southern 500.

“We could not keep up with the changing conditions of the track,” Busch said. “We made a number of chassis and air pressure adjustments but couldn’t get the car hooked up.”

“We let it slip away and that’s disappointing,” Busch continued. “But we won the pole, led laps, ran up front for a good portion of the race and came away with a respectable finish.”

Surprising: Penske Racing had a surprisingly bad day, especially for reigning champ Brad Keselowski, who had never finished outside the top 15 in his four starts at Darlington. The driver of the Blue Deuce was caught up in an accident and finished 32^nd.

While teammate Joey Logano has had an admittedly up and down relationship with the track, with two top-10 finishes and two finishes outside the top-25, he struggled as well. The driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford finished in the same position as his car number, 22^nd.

Not Surprising: Although the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Emerald Green Chevrolet admitted that the track is tough, his love affair with Darlington continued, especially after scoring another top-five finish. Johnson now leads the point standings by more than a full race worth.

“It was just a great 500 miles here at Darlington,” Jimmie Johnson said. “I love this place.”

“I wish we could race here three or four times a year.”

Surprising: It was a bit surprising that there were just enough cars at Darlington for a full 43 car field. For the first time in quite a long time, no one was sent home unhappy after qualifying for this Southern 500.

Not Surprising: Juan Pablo Montoya’s focus on execution continued at the ‘Lady in Black’. He and his No. 42 Target Chevrolet team had a great run, finishing eighth.

“Well, we didn’t unload as good as we wanted, but we got it really good,” Montoya said. “I keep telling the guys we have got to execute.”

“If every person here does their best, we are going to be looking like heroes here.”

May 13, 2013
A Jeff Gordon story – Sometimes the little things mean the most

A few times a year, I’m privileged to be able to go to a NASCAR race as part of the media. It’s a unique experience that allows me to be a small part of something that has an enormous impact on so many. What may surprise you is that it is often the little things that make it a special experience.

One of the most enjoyable aspects is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. During several conversations with one of the women who helped prepare our food at the media center, she talked about being a lifelong NASCAR fan and proudly told me, “I’m a huge Dale Jr. fan but my Dad likes Kasey Kahne. Can you believe that?” The look on her face was priceless.

The young man who stood watch at the door to the media center told me how he begged a friend to switch assignments with him so that he could work the race at Darlington.

My favorite moment was shared with a photographer at Darlington Raceway who has been working the NASCAR circuit for over 30 years. I was surprised to hear he drove all the way from Canada to cover the Darlington race. He was accompanied by his daughter.

He began talking about how it was in the “old days’’ when drivers like David Pearson and Richard Petty would spend hours signing autographs for their fans. “I don’t know why,” he said “but they had such an appreciation for the fans, especially the kids. You don’t see that much anymore.”

But then he related a story about his daughter. She has been his constant companion since she was old enough to travel with him. “She grew up in NASCAR,” he told me.

When his daughter was a small girl, she had a Jeff Gordon Pepsi trading card and desperately wanted it autographed. When the opportunity arose, they approached Gordon who was surrounded by fans. It was beginning to rain but they were determined to wait. When Gordon saw the girl, he politely told the rest of the crowd; “children first.”

“Gordon took the card from her, placed it face down on his pants leg, covered it with his hand so it wouldn’t get wet, and told us to follow him to his hauler. He signed the card and spent several minutes talking with my daughter and me.”

The photographer’s eyes were glistening as he looked at me and said, “Signing autographs, that’s business. But this, (he pantomimed covering up the card on his leg), this was from the heart.”

You never know who you will meet at a NASCAR race. It could be a famous driver, a celebrity, or just the guy next door. But, one thing is certain; you’ll come home with some stories to tell.

May 12, 2013
Countdown to Daytona: 85

With just 85 more days to Daytona, the focus can be on none other than Jeff Gordon’s 85^th historic win this season. With his 85^th victory, Gordon moved from being tied with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to sole position in third on the all-time career win list.

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]Gordon also joined even more elite company, now behind Richard Petty, with 200 career victories, and David Pearson, with 105 career wins. The Hendrick Motorsports driver earned his 85^th win at the track where he made his Cup debut in 1992.

The historic 85^th win also came with some drama as weather wreaked havoc with the AdvocCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway that weekend this season. Gordon scored the historic 85^th after a two-day rain delay and by surviving a race delayed by several showers, as well as several late-race wrecks.

In fact, Gordon’s historic win came in an historic race, as the AdvoCare 500 was only the second Cup race since 1978 to run on a Tuesday. The race was originally scheduled for Sunday evening, but Tropical Storm Lee forced the two-day rain delay.

While Gordon led 146 of the 325 laps during the Tuesday race and was out front for the final 38 laps, the finish was more than challenging. And it was none other than his teammate, nemesis and five-time champ Jimmie Johnson battling him for the race win at the end.

Gordon was so intent on holding off Johnson to win the race, that he totally lost track of his historic 85^th.

“I totally forgot about that,” Gordon said in Victory Lane on receiving a special plaque from NASCAR saluting his 85^th win. “Eighty-five, wow. That is unbelievable.”

“We really used the car up at the end,” Gordon continued. “I was slipping and sliding. It was a lot of fun racing with Jimmie (Johnson).”

While securing his 85th, Gordon was also at that time primarily focused on making the Chase for the Championship and a run at his own fifth title. With his 85^th victory and third win of the 2011 season, he also scored sole possession for the fifth spot in the point standings.

“I’m just blown away by the kind of day we had; the kind of year we’re having,” Gordon said. “I just feel rejuvenated in such a big way.”

Gordon’s crew chief Alan Gustafson shared his driver’s sentiments, but also admitted that he had been worried going into the 1.5 mile Atlanta race track.

“This was one of the race tracks that we felt like, to be an elite team and contend for the championship, we’ll have to do well on these styles of tracks,” Gustafson said. “There were times when I felt like we were going to win the race and times that we were 10^th and it look like it was going to rain out.”

“That’s all Jeff Gordon right there,” Gustafson said of his driver and his historic 85^th win.

There was other drama on the race track that might have impacted Gordon’s historic 85^th win, however, the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger managed to stay out of the fray. Involved in ‘Boys have at it, Atlanta style’ were Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer, the former sending the latter into the wall, damaging his Chase hopes.

After that encounter, Bowyer had a few choice names for JPM, as well as saying it was impossible to race around him.

“We’re out here racing for a spot in the Chase,” Bowyer said. “He’s racing for nothing.”

In addition to dodging the wrecks at race end, Gordon also had to survive a very close finish to score his 85^th career victory. He won by just about half a second, 0.598 seconds to be exact, over his teammate Jimmie Johnson, who at the end of this race took over the top spot in the Chase standings.

Johnson was running so fast at the end trying to catch Gordon that he literally was sideways coming to the checkered flag.

“I’m so glad I grew up racing on dirt,” Johnson said. “I could have spun out four or five times at the end. To race that hard, that sideways at 180 mph, lap after lap, is a good time.”

“That was fun,” Gordon said of his Atlanta win and his 85^th career victory. “We’ve been able to send a message of how strong this team is and just how good our race cars are.”

December 3, 2011
Bristol Motor Speedway Promises to Deliver – Sprint Cup Preview

Bristol Motor Speedway had humble beginnings.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”241″][/media-credit]In 1960 Larry Carrier and Carl Moore visited Charlotte Motor Speedway and came away with a dream. They wanted to build a race track in Tennessee.

But the goal was not to imitate. They had a vision of a half-mile track with turns banked at 22 degrees and amphitheater style seating that would offer a more personal experience for race fans.

With the help of R.G. Pope, the dream of Bristol International Speedway became a reality and the first race was run on July 30, 1961. The seating capacity was 18,000.

A practice session was held for ‘The Volunteer 500’ on July 27, 1961 and Tiny Lund was the first driver on the new track. Fred Lorenzen won the pole for the first race with a speed of 79.225 mph. The 1960 Rookie of the Year, David Pearson, was there, becoming the first driver to drive the No. 3 at Bristol.

Jack Smith became the first winner at Bristol even though he wasn’t in the car when the race ended. He made it to lap 290 but had to turn the car over to relief driver Johnny Allen, due to severe blistering on his feet.

Throughout the years, there have been many changes. The name has changed, ownership has changed and the track has undergone a few makeovers.

In 1969 the banked turns were increased up to 36 degrees, the track size was enlarged to .533 miles and in 1992, they switched to a concrete surface. Today the seating capacity is approximately 160,000. The current Sprint Cup qualifying record is 128.709 mph and was set by Ryan Newman on March 21, 2003.

There has however been one constant. Bristol Motor Speedway is short track racing at its best. The drivers love it and the fans can’t get enough.

Dale Earnhardt got his first Cup win at Bristol in 1979. Other first time winners include Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan, Elliot Sadler and Kurt Busch.

The 2011 Sprint Cup season has already seen five first time winners. Will we add another name to the list at Bristol Motor Speedway?

Anticipation is building for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol this Saturday as drivers try to snare a spot in the Chase.

Kyle Busch has already clinched at least a Wild Card slot in the Chase with his win at Michigan. He is also a favorite to win this weekend. He swept all three series last August and has 11 wins at Bristol, including five in the Cup Series. Those five wins tie him with Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch, for most among active drivers.

Darrell Waltrip currently holds the record for most driver wins with 12 (7 consecutively).

We could also be looking at a little rivalry between the Busch brothers. Kyle’s win at Michigan was his 23^rd Sprint Cup victory which mirrors brother Kurt’s 23 total wins.

Brad Keselowski is another one to watch at Bristol Saturday night.

Only a month ago he was 23^rd in points and didn’t appear to have any chance of making the Chase. Three weeks ago, he broke his ankle and everyone counted him out. But then the unthinkable happened. Instead of giving up, he used the injury as motivation and has rebounded to 12^th in the points standings.

His win at Pocono plus a second place finish at Watkins Glen and a third place finish at Michigan have moved him up to only 52 points outside the top ten.

For all the Chase contenders, the number to remember this weekend is 97. Any driver leaving Bristol with a 97 point lead over 11^th place will guarantee themselves a spot in the Chase. All of the top eight drivers can mathematically reach this goal.

On the Wild Card front, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin have laid claim to the top two spots. Keselowski has two wins and Hamlin has one victory. Hamlin scores the second spot because of points position.

Paul Menard in 18^th place and David Ragan in 20^th, each have one win and are still in the running for a wild card slot. Marcos Ambrose and Regan Smith each have victories, but currently sit outside the top 20.

Bristol is also the final race for drivers to become eligible for the Sprint Summer Showdown. The Bristol winner will join Paul Menard, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch, who have all secured a spot. If one of these eligible drivers wins at Atlanta, they will claim a million dollar payout. The driver’s charity and one fan will also receive a million dollars.

It’s getting crunch time in the ‘Race to the Chase’ and Bristol Motor Speedway promises to deliver a night of excitement. You never know what will happen but one thing is certain. You don’t want to miss it.

August 25, 2011
NASCAR Beginnings Featuring ‘Suitcase’ Jake Elder

J. C. Elder only had a third grade education. He never learned to read and write but he was a natural born genius when it came to working on cars.

Elder was a man of few words but he knew exactly what he wanted in a race car. If someone disagreed or questioned his decisions, more often than not, he would just pick up and leave. He soon became known throughout the racing community simply as “Suitcase.”

Despite his cantankerous disposition, Elder was one of the most popular men in the garage. Some said he could just watch a car take a lap around the track and know what was wrong with it. People will put up with a lot for that kind of brilliance.

“I have a problem getting people to understand how I want things done,” he once said. “Usually, I can get it done myself quicker than I can explain to them how I want it done.”

Jake Elder began his NASCAR career as a fabricator for Richard Petty Enterprises around 1960.

Jake came to work for us in Level Cross in the ‘60s, down from the Hickory area, and he was a fabricator,” Richard Petty said. “Jake was old school. There was no engineering; it was all off the cuff. He’d put something on the car and say, ‘OK, now it’s right. Here, you go drive it. And don’t come back in complaining to me, because I got the car fixed. You go learn how to drive it.’”

He later went on to partner with the Holman-Moody Ford factory team. While there, Elder worked with Mario Andretti and led him to a 1967 victory of the Daytona 500.

Elder also crew chiefed for David Pearson. Together they won 27 races and two championships in 1968 and 1969.

He later helped Dale Earnhardt get his first Cup victory in 1979 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Earnhardt went on to win Rookie of the Year that season. Suitcase started out the 1980 season with Earnhardt but quit before the season was over. Even so, part of the credit for Earnhardt’s first Cup championship rightly belongs to Elder.

His brief partnership with Earnhardt also produced one of the most colorful quotes in NASCAR history. After Earnhardt’s first win, Elder told the rookie, “Stick with me kid and we’ll have diamonds as big as horse turds.”

Ironically it was Elder who left Earnhardt.

Dale Earnhardt never forgot Elder. When jobs were scarce, Earnhardt hired Elder to crew chief for his Busch team.

Elder helped mold the careers of some of NASCAR’s most legendary drivers including Darrell Waltrip, Fred Lorenzen, Terry Labonte, Fireball Roberts and Benny Parsons.

During the 1970s and 1980s, he probably worked with almost every driver on the track, moving on whenever his mood or circumstances called for a change.

Elder worked with Darrell Waltrip many times over the years and was with Waltrip for his first and last Cup victories.

“He was my crew chief about 10 different times,” Waltrip said. “I fired him a lot, and he’d go on and work with Dale, or somebody else, and then he’d be back with me.

“He helped me, he helped Dale Earnhardt, he helped Terry Labonte — every young driver that came along, Jake made winners out of them because he gave you a car and taught you what a car is supposed to feel like.”

Jack Roush entered the Cup series as an owner in 1988 and describes Elder as having an almost supernatural ability to diagnose problems.

“If you had a demon, if your team was beset by bad luck, he would bring his little bag of templates and stuff to check out a car with,” says Roush. “And he would go in and the guys would get out of his way, and he would make his adjustments, and when he was done, if there was a demon in there, he’d have it chased off.

In the 1990s, more and more teams began using engineers and specialists. Jake Elder and his kind were becoming obsolete.

But at one time, Jake Elder was the man to call whenever someone had a problem that needed fixing.

Jeff Hammond described Elder as unique.

“Jake was into precision before we knew what precision was. Think about the people he worked with: Fireball Roberts, Dale Earnhardt, and David Pearson. He had a huge influence. A lot of the time, if people needed their car fixed, they called Jake Elder. He wasn’t a people person and he was as rough as a corn cob, but if you got to know him, there wasn’t a better guy to know in that garage area. There is not another Jake Elder. That is one thing we do not have anymore.”

Winston Kelley, the executive director of the NASCAR Hall of fame, called Elder “one of the true pioneers and classic personalities of our sport.”

“One of my most vivid memories of Jake is asking him what happened to one of his meticulously prepared cars and Jake putting it so succinctly and simply in saying, ‘It blowed up.’”

In 2006 “Suitcase Jake” Elder suffered a stroke and his health slowly began to deteriorate. He battled dementia and ended up in an assisted living facility in Statesville, North Carolina. On February 24, 2010, Jake Elder passed away.

Some called him a miracle worker. Others said he had a magic touch. One thing is certain. Suitcase Jake Elder was one of a kind and his influence on NASCAR should never be forgotten.

Achievements:

1968 Cup Championship with David Pearson

1969 Cup Championship with David Pearson

1980 Cup Championship with Dale Earnhardt

Quotes courtesy of The Associated Press, Mike Hembree, Speed TV, Sports Illustrated, Scene Daily and NASCAR.

December 27, 2010