Tag: Daytona 500

Despite What Has Gone On to Date, the Daytona 500 Is a Crap Shoot

I’ve often wondered about the first race of the season. It’s called Speedweeks for a reason. Of course, it really lasts only 11 days. I guess they count the 24 Hours of Daytona in that, and that’s alright. Regardless, it usually begins on a Thursday. After that, we practice for the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race, practice for the Daytona 500 pole qualifying, run the exhibition race, and by Sunday, we establish the front row. Then it’s three days until the two qualifying races, now known as the Budweiser Duels. Once upon a time, they used to be called the “Twin 125’s,” but that was a long time ago. It makes the beginning of the season a big event.

The two qualifying races are unique to Daytona and I’m so happy they didn’t change that format when they changed the rest of the qualifying. It gives the underdog a chance to qualify for the season’s biggest race, for one thing. It also puts Daytona on the map as the World Center of Speed, which has been the track’s motto for years. I look forward to the two qualifying races each year.

From early indications, it’s apparent that Richard Childress engines seem to have the edge in power and durability this year. Dominating the practice sessions, the ECR engines have been strong and propelled Austin Dillon to the pole in the resurrection of the No. 3 by putting it on the pole for the big race. Alongside will be Martin Truex, Jr. in the Furniture Row car which also had an ECR engine under the hood. With Hendrick engines having three failures in practice, it appears that the hiring of more crackerjack engineers by Childress has paid off. More surprising was the performance of the Fords.

It’s been a long time since any of the Fords seemed even competitive. Yes, Matt Kenseth in a Roush Fenway Ford has won the Great American Race lately, and David Ragan won Talladega last year using a Roush-Yates engine, but the whole team has seemed overmatched by the Toyota, Hendrick and Childress contingent. That may be changing. In the Sprint Unlimited, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano from the Penske shops looked strong. In looking at qualifying speed, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Keselowski were fast. It also appeared, even with Denny Hamlin’s victory in the Unlimited, that Toyota was a little behind, but the bigger story was that a rookie, with his car sporting a famous number, sits on the pole for the big race. It was more than NASCAR could have wanted. The No. 3 was on the pole, and that’s ratings magic.

Truth is, like Truex said after he nearly nipped Dillon for the pole, anyone can win this race. I’m sure the rookie will come out in Dillon, Hendrick will solve his engine problems, the Toyotas will prove that Denny Hamlin’s Unlimited was not a fluke, and Biffle and Edwards will somehow find a way to drop to the back of the pack, but calling a winner for this race is more than difficult. In fact, it’s impossible.

And yet, the multitudes will insist Junior Earnhardt will win and others will insist that Dillon has the inside track to victory lane. Truth is, they could be right in a race that lasts 500 miles. The likely winner will be someone you never thought of in this crap shoot. As one who hates plate racing, I wouldn’t dare pick a winner without first seeing the Duels. As for now, it looks to be ECR power vs., Toyota handling vs. Hendrick Engines getting things sorted out vs. the Fords getting in a big wreck that includes all their cars early on. In other words, it is a crap shoot. And that’s part of what keeps them coming back.

February 18, 2014
Give Austin Dillon a Chance

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 18, 2014
1/7th of a Human Hair

The warm Floridian sun illuminated the Daytona International Speedway as cars were on track to complete the only single-car qualifying round of the season. Then there was Jimmie Johnson, once again struggling to get his car through inspection.

Naturally, Twitter exploded with comments about Knaus’ cheating habits and his troubles with pushing the envelope too far. Just how far did Knaus push the envelope this time? Johnson’s car was too wide by 0.0001 inches.

I realize that NASCAR has to draw the line somewhere, but a ten-thousandth of an inch is ludicrous. To put that into perspective, the width of a human hair can be as thin as 0.0007 inches. Take a very thin hair, cut it in sevenths length-wise, and take one of those microscopically thin pieces. That’s the difference between a legal car and an illegal car. This tells me that NASCAR has become way too stringent with its rules, and the line in the sand should be moved back. In other words, instead of having 0.0001 inches being illegal, they should have anything above 0.01 inches be illegal.

Although I wasn’t watching NASCAR in 1997, I know the story about Jeff Gordon’s T-Rex car, and it’s unfortunate that we will never see another T-Rex car again. There simply aren’t enough gray areas in the rule book to allow for some serious experimentation. The elimination of the ride height rule gives teams some area to experiment, and I can picture many teams trying out a plethora of different ride heights, especially at rough tracks such as Auto Club Speedway.

And as much as non-Johnson fans are bored of seeing him win all the time, you have to give Chad Knaus credit for at least trying to find some gray areas in the rule book. However, with the way things are in NASCAR these days, I don’t see them making their rules any less strict, and that’s a shame, because I know all of us want to see T-Rex Car 2.0.

February 18, 2014
The Final Word – They are baaack

The long season, well it might have been just three months, of our winter discontent has come to a close. The engines are running, our hopes and dreams have been renewed, and NASCAR keeps trying its damndest to drive us to watching something else. Still, they have yet to turn it into basketball or soccer, so I continue to tune in.

Good to see the slant 3 back on the pole at Daytona. Some are not fond of Austin Dillon taking the sedan out for a ride, but even though I know where such folks are coming from, they are dead wrong. Dale Earnhardt did not want the number retired and his son did not want to carry the number. Earnhardt made it iconic, his best friend paid for its upkeep every year since his loss, and finally after 13 years Richard Childress turns it over to his grandson and keeps it in the family. As for Dillon himself, at 23 he already has a truck and junior circuit championship under his belt. NASCAR does not retire numbers, and I believe the time is right, with the right guy behind the wheel.

Dillon will start next Sunday on point, with new Furniture Row driver Martin Truex Jr right beside him. Under the hood was another Earnhardt-Childress engine. Funny, just seven minutes down I-95 from the Speedway is Furniture Row’s Daytona store. You would almost think they put the place there on purpose.

On Thursday, the rest of the boys and girl make their run for the other 41 spots in the Daytona 500. Last year’s pole sitter, Danica Patrick, was 25th in Sunday’s qualifying. She does not have a secure spot as of yet, though a dozen do.

The two front row cars are locked in, along with the next four best qualifiers. That would include Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, and Brad Keselowski. The best six from 2013 also get a free pass. So, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jeff Gordon are in. Finally, the latest former champion not in yet is included, and that would be Tony Stewart.

The first to qualify are the pole sitters, followed by those who finish among the Top 15 in each race on Thursday, then the top four best qualifiers not yet in, followed by the six best from 2013 still on the outside, seven if there is not still a former champion needing a freebie. Six will go home early. Danica Patrick is not a sure thing, but the odds are in her favor.

Looking at qualifying and owner’s points from last season, I would expect Dave Blaney, Alex Bowman, Joe Nemechek, Michael McDowell, Josh Wise, and Morgan Shepherd to be those slated to get the bad news. Something tells me I might be wrong about somebody from that group.

As we go in, I still wonder if NASCAR is about to strip its champion of any relevance in its quest to keep folks watching right to the bitter end. I wonder if those fans upset by the return of the No. 3 will be even more upset after Homestead. I wonder how long SPEED will continue running its race positions by blocking out the right side of the screen instead of its usual crawl, out of the way, across the top. Lord help us if FOX decides to follow their lead or we will wind up just watching 2/3 of the action that remains visible on the left hand of the screen. I wonder if one of the rookies not named Austin or Kyle will be able to make an impact while driving for teams not considered top tier, at least for the moment.

Saturday night introduced us to what NASCAR’s championship game..er..race might eventually look like. Reduce the field to just the contenders, then let ‘er rip. They did manage to rip half of the field out of the event before they were done, with Denny Hamlin emerging as the night’s survivor. It was a nice selection of hors d’oeuvres to go with Thursday’s appetizers, to be followed by Sunday’s main course.

You always hurt the one you love, or so Ricky Stenhouse Jr demonstrated. Nice way to treat your valentine, buddy.

I hear that Richard Petty has received some backlash regarding his recent comments where he stated that Danica would win a race provided everyone else stayed home. Why? Does anyone actually disagree with his comments?

There are those who continue to criticize the Waltrips’ work in the broadcast booth. It is as if they have never even heard of Rusty Wallace or Brad Daugherty.

That was a nice looking pace car leading the way at the Sprint Unlimited last Saturday. Does fire come as part of the basic package or is it optional?

On Sunday, it does not matter how a champion will be declared in the fall. It does not matter if they have 10, 12, 13, 16 or 43 drivers making the Chase. All that matters is that we celebrate the 56th running of the Daytona 500. Enjoy your week, as I certainly will.

February 17, 2014
Daytona 500: Three Important Questions Answered

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 17, 2014
Dillon Wins Pole: Can He Win the Race?

In what came as a shock to almost nobody, Austin Dillon drove his Earnhardt-Childress Racing powered No. 3 Chevrolet to the top of the leaderboard in qualifying. Dillon was very fast in both testing and practice for the Daytona 500, so him winning the pole was no surprise. This was also the second year in a row that a rookie has won the pole for the Great American Race.

However, if you’re a Dillon fan, or just a fan of the 3 for that matter, I’m afraid I have some bad news. In recent years, the pole sitter for the Daytona 500 hasn’t had the best finish in the actual race. The last two pole winners, Danica Patrick and Carl Edwards, both came home eighth. 2011 fared worse for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who could only muster a 24th place finish. The 2010 and 2009 pole sitter finished 12th and 11th respectively. As a matter of fact, the last Daytona 500 pole winner to even finish in the top five was Bill Elliott in 2001, when he finished fifth.

Who was the last person to win from the pole? That was Dale Jarrett in 2000.

These statistics indicate that fans should not get too excited about Dillon’s chances in the big race. However, I still see the 3 car being a formidable opponent all race long. The ECR engines have been strong all throughout testing and practice, so that shows some promise that Dillon can run up front. When all is said and done, I see the 3 car coming home with a solid top 10 finish.

February 17, 2014
What the Sprint Unlimited Taught Us

The 2014 Sprint Unlimited is in the books and we can put this one under the “odd” category….but I’m sure the ominous full moon above the track had nothing to do with it. We had big wrecks, angry Earnhardt’s, three wide passes for the lead, the pace car going back to the garage on the hook, and even a dancing orange cone. Yeah, it was a wild and wacky night.

Expect More Passing in This Year’s Daytona 500

This year’s Sprint Unlimited was a big step up from its 2013 predecessor, which was fairly forgettable. There was passing galore and cars were able to suck up to each other better and actually bump draft, contradictory to last season. The closing speed was hard to judge for spotters and drivers alike, which resulted in a massive pileup in the tri-oval during the second segment. Slingshot moves for the lead were abundant and even after the crash that left just eight raceable cars on track, the drivers continued to put on a heck of a show and race hard for the lead. The race was very exciting and bodes well for what we will most likely see in the Daytona 500, when we put 43 cars on the track and dangle a Harley J. Earl trophy in front of them.

When in Daytona, Start Stuff on Fire

Well, this is becoming some kind of odd tradition at Daytona International Speedway – in the last two years, we’ve watched a jet dryer, the race track, and now, the pace car catch fire during a race. While Brett Bodine led the field under caution, smoke started to pour out of his Chevy SS pace car, so he and his co-pilot bailed out of the machine as the trunk area started to burn. A statement from Chevrolet regarding the strange incident…

“The pace car experienced a fire in the trunk area, which contains a purpose-built auxiliary electrical kit to operate the numerous caution lights during the race. The pace car driver and passenger safely exited the vehicle. An assessment is underway.”

2013 Injuries Not Bothering Stewart & Hamlin Anymore

The Sprint Unlimited was Tony Stewart’s first race back since he broke his leg last summer and not surprisingly, he was one of the first to try to mix it up early on, picking off drivers who were riding around the outside one-by-one. During the second segment though, Matt Kenseth cut across Joey Logano’s nose and consequently, carnage ensued. Nine cars, including Stewart were involved; seven of which were destroyed. Tony was unhurt in the crash and walked away under his own power. Denny Hamlin, who suffered a broken back at Auto Club Speedway last year, picked up where he left off in 2013 when he won the season finale. He took the pole (due to a fan vote), and then won the every segment en route to the victory after an enthralling three wide pass for the lead with less than two laps to go.

Fox Sports New Running Order Graphic Needs to go Away

Fox Sports has decided to replace the ticker that runs across the top with a box that takes up the entire far-right side of the screen. Many fans have complained about it, Brad Keselowski has expressed his displeasure with it, and hopefully it will be changed before the Daytona 500. Brad Keselowski tweet – “Not cool- @FOXSports1 new graphic that covers the right side of the screen.”

Jimmie Johnson’s Love-Hate Relationship with Daytona Continues

Jimmie Johnson and Daytona International Speedway have had an interesting relationship since 2006. In the last eight Daytona 500’s, he has finished 27th or worse six times. The two races that he finished higher than that were wins. In this year’s Sprint Unlimited, he was attempting to make a pass on Denny Hamlin for the lead at the end of segment one when he lost control and crashed into the inside wall off of turn four. It was the third time in as many years that the six-time series champion has DNF’ed in the exhibition race.

February 16, 2014

2014 Daytona 500 Official Entry List Released

49 drivers will be vying for 43 spots in the 56th annual Daytona 500 this year. It’s an increase from 2013, which had a rather low entry list, predominantly due to it being the first year with the Generation Six car. The race is set to take place on February 23rd, at 1pm est. on FOX. The complete entry list can be seen below, along with more details in regards to the entrants.

No.	Driver	Sponsor	Owner	Make
1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald’s	Felix Sabates	Chevrolet
2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite	Roger Penske	Ford
3	Austin Dillon	Dow	Richard Childress	Chevrolet
4	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet
5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance	Linda Hendrick	Chevrolet
7	Michael Annett	Pilot Flying J	Tommy Baldwin	Chevrolet
9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley	Richard Petty	Ford
10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet
11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express	JD Gibbs	Toyota
13	Casey Mears	GEICO	Bob Germain	Chevrolet
14	Tony Stewart	Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1	Margaret Haas	Chevrolet
15	Clint Bowyer	5-Hour Energy	Rob Kauffman	Toyota
16	Greg Biffle	3M	Jack Roush	Ford
17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Nationwide Insurance	John Henry	Ford
18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s	Joe Gibbs	Toyota
20	Matt Kenseth	Dollar General	Joe Gibbs	Toyota
21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane	Glen Wood	Ford
22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil	Walter Czarnecki	Ford
23	Alex Bowman	Dr. Pepper	Ron Devine	Toyota
24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger	Rick Hendrick	Chevrolet
26	Cole Whitt	Speed Stick GEAR	Brandon Davis	Toyota
27	Paul Menard	Peak-Menard’s	Richard Childress	Chevrolet
30	Parker Kligerman	Swan Energy	Brandon Davis	Toyota
31	Ryan Newman	Caterpillar	Richard Childress	Chevrolet
32	Terry Labonte	C&J Energy Services	Frank Stoddard Jr.	Ford
33	Brian Scott	Whitetail	Joe Falk	Chevrolet
34	David Ragan	CSX – Play It Safe	Bob Jenkins	Ford
35	Eric McClure	Hefty-Reynolds Wrap	Jerry Freeze	Ford
36	Reed Sorenson	Golden Corral	Allan Heinke	Chevrolet
38	David Gilliland	Love’s Travel Stops	Brad Jenkins	Ford
40	Landon Cassill	Hillman Racing	Michael Hillman	Chevrolet
41	Kurt Busch	Haas Automation	Gene Haas	Chevrolet
42	Kyle Larson	Target	Chip Ganassi	Chevrolet
43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield	Richard Petty	Ford
47	AJ Allmendinger	Kroger-USO	Tad Geschickter	Chevrolet
48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet
51	Justin Allgaier	BRANDT Professional Agriculture	Harry Scott Jr.	Chevrolet
52	Bobby Labonte	Phoenix Construction	James Finch	Chevrolet
55	Brian Vickers	Aaron’s Dream Machine	Michael Waltrip	Toyota
66	Michael Waltrip	PEAK BlueDEF/AAA	Jay Robinson	Toyota
77	Dave Blaney	Humphrey Motorsports	Randy Humphrey	Ford
78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row	Barney Visser	Chevrolet
83	Ryan Truex	Borla Exhaust	Ron Devine	Toyota
87	Joe Nemechek	300 Rise of an Empire	Jay Robinson	Toyota
88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard	Rick Hendrick	Chevrolet
93	Morgan Shepherd	Support Militry.org	Wayne Press	Toyota
95	Michael McDowell	K-Love	Bob Leavine	Ford
98	Josh Wise	Curb Records	Mike Curb	Ford
99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal	Jack Roush	Ford

– Eight Former Sprint Cup Champions (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte)

– Nine Former Daytona 500 Winners (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Waltrip, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Trevor Bayne)

– Nine Drivers Hoping to Make First Daytona 500 Appearance (Michael Annett, Alex Bowman, Parker Kligerman, Cole Whitt, Brian Scott, Eric McClure, Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Truex)

– Four Drivers Have No Provisionals to Fall Back on & Must Make the Race on Speed or via the Duels (Dave Blaney, Morgan Shepherd, Michael McDowell, Cole Whitt)

– Morgan Shepherd is the oldest driver in the field at 72 years and four months.

– Alex Bowman is the youngest driver in the field at 20 years and 10 months.

– The field is made up of 22 Chevrolet’s, 15 Ford’s, and 12 Toyota’s.

February 13, 2014

Sprint Media Tour – Day Three Continued – Front Row Motorsports and Wood Brothers Racing

Day Three of the Sprint Media Tour concluded with visits by Front Row Motorsports, the Wood Brothers racing team and Team Penske. Team Penske will be addressed with a separate article. It was all a part of Ford Day at the four-day program. Front Row introduced their returning drivers – David Ragan, winner of their first race at Talladega, and David Gilliland, but there was a new face on the stage.

Eric McClure will pilot a Ford Mustang in the Nationwide Series for FRM during the 2014 season. He also will start the 2014 Daytona 500 in the No. 35 Ford Fusion.

“I’ve only recently been cleared to compete so a lot of dominoes are starting to fall into place,” McClure said. “The plan is the Daytona 500 for sure, Speedweeks too, and hopefully we will qualify.” McClure admitted that the Daytona 500 is on his bucket list and his ride will be sponsored by Hefty.

Front Row Motorsports drivers agreed that the new qualifying procedure could benefit small teams.

“I think that we’ve got to continue to evolve our sport based on the fans that we have in the world as it changes,” said Ragan, who drives the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. “The fundamental parts are always going to be there. You’re going to have 43 cars you’ve got to go and race, and the best guy is going to win. But I’m excited about the upcoming season, the possible changes. I think that it definitely fits into our favor as a smaller team trying to grow in this world. It’s a big benefit if we can be in the Chase, for our sponsors, for our team, for everyone. I think it’s a good thing to help everybody grow.”

Gilliland went a step farther.

“I think they said with David (Ragan) winning at Talladega last year, if the points were the exact same this year, he possibly would have made (the Chase),” Gilliland said. “That’d be a huge shot for Front Row Motorsports, so that’s kind of what we’re focusing on, all the while keeping focus on getting our whole team elevated to run better each and every week.”

Appearing with the Front Row gang was the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team. The Woods’ will once again feature Trevor Bayne in its Ford Fusions for 2014. Only 12 races are scheduled this year, but Ford Racing boss Jamie Allison mentioned that the Woods only needed two wins to reach 100 all-time NASCAR wins and looked at Bayne for approval. “That would be a tall order if we’re only running 12 races.”

Bayne has had his ups and downs on and off the track with Wood Brothers Racing, but through it all, including a Daytona 500 win and being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he’s kept an even keel.

“It is a diagnosis, but to me it has not changed my way of life or any daily activities or anything like that so for me that’s all it has to be right now is a diagnosis,” Bayne said of learning to live with MS. “It changes one thing about your mindset… you appreciate every day and you make the best of it.”

Team co-owner Eddie Wood says that with sponsorship, the team could run 15-16 races a year.

“We’d love to do it (more races), but the money just isn’t there,” Wood said. We bought four new cars this year—four intermediate cars and our Daytona car, and that’s about all we can do. We have all the good stuff that Roush has. Donnie Wingo, (crew chief) has all the stuff they’ve learned right on his computer every day. We’re ready to roll, but the sponsors just haven’t stepped up.”

January 30, 2014
Ryan Truex’s New Cup Ride ‘Definitely a Surprise’

While Ryan Truex was thrilled about landing a full-time Cup ride in the No. 83 Toyota with BK Racing, he was also just plain taken by surprise by the opportunity that developed a month before the start of the 2014 season.

“They had kind of been looking at bringing in younger drivers for a little while now,” Truex said. “Ron Devine (team owner) has always talked to me at the race track.”

“They needed a driver for the off season to go test with them and luckily I was available,” Truex continued. “And it just snowballed from there to where we are now.”

“I’m pinching myself a little bit,” Truex sad. “I don’t think it has fully set in yet.”

“It has definitely been a surprise.”

Prior to receiving the offer from BK Racing, Truex has been working with team Petty to trying to find funding to run some Nationwide races on a part-time basis.

“So, this deal just came out of left field,” Truex said. “That’s usually what happens though and was a nice surprise.”

“Everything worked, the stars all aligned and now we’ve got thirty days to get ready and the season starts.”

Truex is stepping into the already formed 93 team, complete with crew chief Dale Ferguson, who we just recently met at the Daytona test.

“So, I’m just basically stepping in,” Truex said. “Those guys all know each other and they know the system and how everything works.”

“They’re just kind of plugging me in.”

“I just met Dale a few weeks ago before the Daytona test,” Truex continued. “We seemed to get along pretty well and everybody on the team gets along really well.”

“We gelled well and going forward I think it will be a good combination,” Truex said. “Dale knows the ins and outs of the team and the cars so it should be a pretty easy transition.”

Truex is not only looking forward to having a full-time Cup ride but also to working with his teammate Alex Bowman, as well as competing in one of the most competitive rookie classes in recent history.

“I think it will be good because Alex and I know each other a little bit and we’ve raced each other in Nationwide,” Truex said. “We’re both young and we’re both rookies.”

“We’re eager to go out and do the things we need to do to be successful,” Truex continued. “We both have the same mindset.”

“So, we should be able to feed off each other and make each other better.”

“I think it’s the biggest rookie class since 2001,” Truex said. “The best thing about it is that everyone in it is a proven winner.”

“And they’ve all climbed their way to the top, shown that they deserve to be there and they have done a great job in every kind of race car,” Truex continued. “I think it will be a battle until the end.”

“There are some really heavy hitters in there, like Austin Dillon,” Truex said. “I think he will definitely be the point that we’ll all base ourselves off of.”

“I think it will be really competitive.”

While Truex is optimistic about the upcoming year, he is also realistic in his expectations going into the 2014 season.

“BK Racing is still a young team in Sprint Cup,” Truex said. “They’ve gone through the growing pains and they know what they have to do to be successful.”

“They are putting the right people and pieces in place to do it,” Truex continued. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t go out, run all the laps, stay on the lead lap and get a top-25 finish.”

“If we do all that and don’t make any mistakes, there is no reason why we can’t do that.”

While Truex is now experiencing the ‘high’ of a full-time Cup ride, he also has known the struggles of coming up through the ranks, from K&N East Champion to being a brand new rookie again.

“The past few years, even just running part-time and struggling to find funding, it’s been pretty frustrating,” Truex said. “But you can’t let any negative thoughts set in.”

“You’ve got to keep fighting for it and stay optimistic,” Truex continued. “I think it will be the same mindset this year.”

“Every team has ups and downs and it’s the good teams and good drivers that can pull through,” Truex said. “You have to realize your mistakes and improve from them.”

“That will be the biggest thing for me this year,” Truex continued. “You’ve got to have the right mindset and execute.”

So, what will the youngest Truex brother think when he gets the chance to be on the sport’s biggest stage in the first race of the season, the Daytona 500?

“That’s a good question,” Truex said. “I haven’t even thought about it.”

“It still hasn’t set in yet that I’m running full-time,” Truex continued. “Places like Daytona and racing in the Daytona 500 with all that history and with people like Earnhardt and Petty, it’s pretty crazy.”

“And it’s pretty crazy just to think that I’ve made it this far,” Truex said. “Driving in the Sprint Cup Series has been a goal since I started racing, and to start this next chapter with BK Racing makes it extra special.”

“I am very excited for this opportunity.”

January 26, 2014