Tag: Daytona 500

  • Michael McDowell Races to California on a Wing and a Prayer

    Michael McDowell Races to California on a Wing and a Prayer

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR ” align=”alignright” width=”218″][/media-credit]NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Michael McDowell is headed across the country, on a wing and a prayer, to Auto Club Speedway for this weekend’s race festivities.

    McDowell will be piloting his No. 98 Ford Fusion for Phil Parson/Curb-Agajanian Racing in California, thanks to a faith-based partnership with the Christian radio network K-LOVE and Curb Records.

    This unique sponsorship mixes McDowell’s passion for his faith, K-LOVE’s commitment to outreach, and Curb Records support of several Christian recording artists.

    “This year, we’ve been fortunate enough to get Curb Records and K-LOVE, a syndicated Christian radio network, to come on board,” McDowell said. “The cool thing about these partnerships is that there are things that I want to be involved, in not just from a racing standpoint but also personally.”

    As with all sponsorship opportunities, the partnership started with an introduction that expanded into a solid relationship. For McDowell, the K-LOVE introduction was made by his friends at Motor Racing Outreach and grew from there.

    “On the K-LOVE side of things, they invited my wife and I to come on the K-LOVE cruise,” McDowell said. “Right before Daytona, they have a Christian cruise, like a music cruise, to the Bahamas.”

    “There happened to be an opportunity where K-LOVE wanted to be involved in NASCAR, not just from the racing perspective but also from the outreach perspective,” McDowell continued. “So, the other partners that came on board with K-LOVE made the sponsorship possible.”

    “It’s cool how it all comes together.”

    The partnership officially started this season at Daytona, where McDowell, working with friend and fellow Christian Trevor Bayne, raced his way into the show.

    “The reach that we had in Daytona was huge,” McDowell said. “I got to work with my buddy Trevor Bayne a lot and we got a lot of exposure.”

    “Because of that K-LOVE has seen a huge response to their sponsorship and message,” McDowell continued. “They will actually have a K-LOVE booth set up in the fan zone at several of the upcoming races.”

    This past weekend in Bristol, McDowell and his team launched a new promotion with his sponsors. The campaign is called “Let It Start With Me” and is dedicated to bringing the gospel message to the NASCAR community.

    “One of Curb Record’s artists No Other Name had a single called “Let It Start With Me,” McDowell said.  “The message behind it is instead of waiting for someone else to do it or get behind a cause, it should start with me.”

    “Let me be the one that goes out and does it.”

    McDowell and his team are now set to head to the other side of the country to race at Auto Club Speedway in California. And he admits that they need prayers to cope with the intense travel schedule, especially with such a small team.

    “You go from Daytona, which got rain delayed so you’re already behind the eight ball,” McDowell said. “We only have five or six guys in the shop so when we lose a day, we lose a lot.”

    “Then we went to Phoenix and Vegas without coming home and then to Bristol,” McDowell continued. “And now off we go to California.”

    “So, it’s pretty crazy.”

    In addition to his faith, McDowell’s family, including his wife and three year old son, are also helping to cope with the rigorous racing schedule. And the driver announced that he has additional plans to add to his brood.

    “My wife and I travel together with our three year old son to all the races,” McDowell said. “For us, we drive to all the races ourselves in the motor home.”

    “My wife is expecting and is due in October,” McDowell continued. “And we are also still in the process of adopting two children from Honduras. That too is an opportunity to share that there are kids out there that need adopted and need a family to care for them.”

    From his family to the race track, McDowell is blending his faith and sponsorship in unique ways that are most personal to him.

    “This is so different from anything I’ve done in the past,” McDowell said. “This is something that I’m passion about, Christian music and outreach in particular.”

    “To be able to partner with other like-minded groups is huge for me,” McDowell continued. “It’s natural and no one has to twist my arm to show up.”

    “For me, this is who I am, what I believe in and what I’m passionate about,” McDowell said.

    “It’s where I want to be with it.”

  • Matty’s Picks 2012 – Race No. 3 – March 4, 2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500 – Phoenix International Raceway

    Matty’s Picks 2012 – Race No. 3 – March 4, 2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500 – Phoenix International Raceway

    [media-credit name=”www.phoenixraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Enter Clint Eastwood; I recon so…

    After the fiasco in Florida last week, I am happy we’re heading to a place that averages just 12 days of rain the entire year. Not counting my chickens before they hatch here, March, historically has been the wettest out of any month. Between the historical rainfall data, and the absolutely perfect weather forecast for Phoenix this weekend, I am confident we’ll be seeing a race on Sunday afternoon.

    This will be the second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on the freshly face-lifted Phoenix International Raceway, and I am hoping a bit of new rubber will have worked its way into the 1-mile tri-oval’ish track in the desert. With the track being re-paved in the summer of 2011, PIR worked its tail off to try and give the cup drivers the absolute best racing conditions possible for the 2011 Kobalt Tools 500. PIR made numerous attempts to foster passing on the new surface including “tons of laps” by driving schools on soft tires.

    Before this weekend’s Subway Fresh Fit 500, PIR has taken strides again to foster passing and work in their new racing surface’s upper groove. Phoenix International Raceway hired Colorado-based Bandimere Speedway to have a tire rotator machine work additional rubber into PIR’s upper groove. The program was conducted Feb. 25-27, one week before this weekend’s big event.

    “The goal was to present the best possible racing surface to NASCAR and the drivers for this weekend’s races,” said Phoenix International Raceway President, Bryan R. Sperber. “This is a very important race in the NASCAR season and we wanted to make sure that the track was ready to perform.”

    I like the races at Phoenix, and am looking forward to what Sunday will bring…

    Daytona 500 Recap

    Where do I start? Despite Mother Nature not cooperating on my Quarter-Century Birthday last week, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. Between the hype of Danica’s debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the re-birth of “the pack”, and simply the fact that it was the Daytona 500, last weekend’s race had a lot of hoopla surrounding it. The fact that last week’s Daytona 500 would be run in primetime on Monday night, Danica’s crash on lap number two, Brad Keselowski picking up 100,000 followers on Twitter, and the “fire heard round the world” all took the place of FOX’s regularly scheduled dramas on Monday night.

    By now, everyone has heard the stories of the fire, Danica’s troubles, Twitter followers and everything other than racing, so I will skip to the recap of my picks. As you may recall, because Daytona tends to be a craps-shoot to pick drivers, my picks last week were determined by the random draw of playing cards.

    My Dark Horse pick last week was a rookie in the Great American Race, however he looked like a seasoned veteran as he dodged accidents and hung around the top 15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. remained patient in the pack for the majority of the laps on Monday night, but my quest to start the season off with a strong Dark Horse finish came to a halt with just four laps to go in the Daytona 500. Stenhouse was caught up in a multi-car accident with just four laps to go. The No. 6 EcoBoost Ford came home 20th.

    Two NASCAR Series Champions got the start last week for Matty’s picks, and two series champions were caught up in the same racing accident.

    Tony Stewart was picked via my random card draw last week, and was on pace for a strong finish just like Stenhouse, but couldn’t avoid the final incident of the marathon weekend. I was happy when the cards fell last Friday and I ended up with Smoke as a starter, but again Stewart will come out of Speedweeks without the Harley J. Earl trophy. Smoke found the front of the pack for laps 59 and 60 gaining confidence in his Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, and with a move of an experienced veteran, slipped back into safer waters for the remainder of the laps on Monday night.

    It was just that move that may have caused Stewart his troubles at the end of the 500, as he was collected in the mid-pack accident with just three laps to go. Smoke brought his battered Chevy home 16th, and sent me home crying with no points last week.

    Phoenix Picks

    Winner Pick


    Kasey Khane wanted nothing more than sending Red Bull Racing on its way with a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win last fall. When the Chase came down to the wire, Khane was in the hunt in a handful of the last 10 races, just lacked that last extra nudge to put him in Victory Lane. That extra nudge came at Phoenix International Raceway in November when he sent Red Bull Racing out of NASCAR with a victory.

    Kasey Khane has this new racing surface at PIR figured out, and his speeds have been great all weekend. If it wasn’t for Khane pushing his Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet just a bit too hard entering turn number 3 on his qualifying lap earlier today, he would be starting P1 tomorrow afternoon. He was 5th fastest in the first practice on Friday and followed up his mishap on his first qualifying lap with a time quick enough for 10th on the starting grid for tomorrow. 10th just happens to be where he started last fall when he claimed victory on the new configuration.

    Khane has been under a microscope since his announcement that he would be moving to Hendrick Motorsports last season, and the time has come for him to shine. The No.5 car has to be the favorite for Sunday, so if you’re able to give him a start, DO IT!

    Dark Horse Pick

    I hate to call a guy with an average finish of 12.0 at PIR a Dark Horse, but with just 312 laps to do business on Sunday, starting positions are critical. He was my Dark Horse for the race in November and he did not let me down, finishing 4th after starting 14th.

    Jeff Burton was one of 36 drivers that tested Goodyear tires on PIR’s new racing surface, and he was the fastest driver on the track over the two-day test. He laid down a lap good enough for the 11th spot on the grid earlier today in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying. Its been a while since Burton has visited Victory Lane at PIR (2001), but watch for the No.31 to be close to the front when the dust settles in the desert tomorrow afternoon.

    That’s all for this week so until next time, you stay classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Sadler to drive for five with MWR

    Sadler to drive for five with MWR

    [media-credit name=”Michael Waltrip Racing” align=”alignright” width=”180″][/media-credit]Elliott Sadler and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) have agreed to a deal where the Emporia, VA. native will drive five races in the No. 55 Toyota Camry.

    As a 12 year veteran in the Sprint Cup Series, Sadler will be competing for the Nationwide Series title once again this season. He signed a two-year deal with Kevin Harvick Incorporated in November of 2010, after struggling to find a competitive ride in NASCAR’s elite series.

    KHI merged with Harvick’s Cup Series team, Richard Childress Racing as Sadler was unable to win the a lone race in the 2011 season. Childress gave Sadler the opportunity to run the Daytona 500 in the No. 33 Impala. Sponsorship came from General Mills in a collaboration with Kroger, but Sadler was unable to race for the win as a fuel pressure issue deflated any chance for Sadler to be competitive.

    Waltrip has always known that Sadler has it in him to run competitively in the Sprint Cup Series, but Sadler has never been given the right opportunity. With Sadler’s signing, Waltrip signs a driver such as himself.

    Though sponsorship has yet to be named, the races Sadler will drive have been announced. The 36 year old will step behind the wheel at both Bristol and Martinsville races with the first New Hampshire race in mid-July.

    Rodney Childers will be Sadler’s Crew Chief. Sadler previously worked with Childers at what was Gillett/Evernham Motorsports in 2008. But, Childers left RPM for MWR. Ironically, the two will now work together once again, even though it is on a part-time basis.

    “We’ll pair him with Crew Chief Rodney Childers who builds really fast cars. We believe Elliott will do a great job,” said team owner, Michael Waltrip, who will race four more times in the No. 55 this year.

    Waltrip and the MWR have an exceeding amount of confidence in Sadler who finished second in the battle for the Nationwide Series championship in 2011.

    The signing could mean Sadler will return to the Cup Series for a full-time schedule in 2013. Sadler may drive for RCR, MWR, or even another team. However, for 2012, Sadler’s goal is to win the Nationwide Series championship.

    Though the season has yet to get into the midst of the points battle, Sadler will likely battle Ricky Stenhouse Jr. once again for the trophy which can lock up Sadler’s return to the elite series of stock car racing.

  • Daytona 500 Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Jet Dryer

    Daytona 500 Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Jet Dryer

    The 2012 Daytona 500 is one that will go down in history as being the longest and most bizarre races of all time. The race was post-poned on two occasions due to a downpour of rain. The race was originally scheduled to start at 1pm est. on Sunday, but was rescheduled for noon on Monday. When the rain continued to flood Daytona the following day, NASCAR was forced to post-pone the race again until 7pm est. Monday night. An estimated 140,000 fans showed up for the event and got their monies worth.

    The Good

    Matt Kenseth Excels in Daytona: Matt Kenseth started out the season with a bang, winning the second Gatorade Duel race and qualifying in fourth position for the Daytona 500. He led the race two times throughout the night for 50 laps total, but most importantly led the last lap to take his second win in the Great American Race. The 2012 season marks the 25th anniversary for Roush Fenway Racing and Kenseth’s win gave RFR their 300th career win.

    Denny Hamlin is back: After a rough and rocky ending to the 2011 season, Denny Hamlin was ready to close the book and start the 2012 season with a fresh outlook. He began that outlook with a new championship winning crew chief, Darian Grubb. They started speedweeks off well, finishing in 5th position in the Bud Shootout. The FedEx Toyota qualified in the 37th position for the Daytona 500, but quickly made that up, going on to lead the race. Hamlin led for 57 laps, earning the 3M Lap Leader award of the race. He also won the USG Improving The Finish award for gaining 27 positions, the most gained during the race. Overall, the No. 11 team finished the race in fourth position.

    Greg Biffle exceeds expectations: After a win-less 2011 season and a disappointing 16th place finish in the championship standings, Greg Biffle was at the top of the leader board at Daytona. He started out speedweeks finishing in sixth position in the Bud Shootout and qualifying on the outside pole for the Daytona 500, along-side his teammate Carl Edwards. He led the race on eight different occasions for a total of 44 laps. On the last lap, while running second, he was passed by Dale Earnhardt Jr to bring home a third place finish in the Great American Race.

    The Bad

    Danica Patrick has rocky NASCAR start:IndyCar turned NASCAR star Danica Patrick did not have her entrance to the Cup series go as planned. I think the media was more saddened over this than Patrick herself. Patrick started the race in the 29th position after taking a hard crash in the Gatorade Duels. The Daytona 500 wasn’t much better for the rookie after being a victim of someone else’s wreck on the second lap of the race. The No. 7 Go Daddy team was able to repair the car and get her back out on the track to finish in 38th position.[media-credit name=”Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”274″][/media-credit]

    Jimmie Johnson starts the season on a sour note: Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona experience was an overall unsuccessful week. On February 17th, the No. 48 car failed initial inspection, resulting in NASCAR confiscating the C-pillars on the car. In the Bud Shootout he was caught up in a late race multi-car incident, leaving him to finish in 14th position. After being involved in a crash on Lap 2 of the Daytona 500, Johnson came home with a 42nd place finish. Unfortunately, the disappointment continued after leaving Daytona.

    NASCAR announced Wednesday that the No. 48 team was in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the rule book or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-2.1E (if in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance will not be permitted — unapproved car body modifications).

    Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec are suspended for the next six Sprint Cup Series championship events and have been placed on NASCAR probation until May 9th. Knaus was also fined $100,000. Johnson and car owner Jeff Gordon have been penalized with the loss of 25 driver and owner points, respectively. As a result of the penalty, Johnson is now 23 points in the negative after earning just two points with his 42nd place finish in the Daytona 500. The team will appeal the penalty, allowing Knaus and Malec to attend the race at Phoenix this weekend.

    And, The Jet Dryer

    With 40 laps remaining in the Daytona 500, the race took a very unexpected turn. While under caution, a suspension piece on Juan Pablo Montoya’s No. 42 car broke, causing the car’s brakes to lock up. This sent Montoya spinning and crashing violently into a jet dryer truck that was on the race track. Jet dryer trucks carry an estimated 200 gallons of jet fuel, which caused a fiery explosion immediately upon impact.

    Thankfully both Montoya and the driver of the truck walked away from the incident without any major injuries. The fire from the incident took several long, frightening minutes to contain. NASCAR used Tide laundry detergent to clean the spilled fuel off of the track surface. Fans were then again forced to sit through a two hour red flag period waiting for the track to be cleaned. During the red flag, drivers were parked on the backstretch, providing the fans with a bird’s eye view of their favorite driver.

    In finishing the Daytona 500 around one o’clock in the morning, NASCAR teams had their week cut short in preparation for the next race. Teams will head to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend and leave the madness of Daytona in their rear-view mirror.

  • NASCAR Suspends Chad Knaus and Ron Malec, But Rick Hendrick to Appeal

    NASCAR Suspends Chad Knaus and Ron Malec, But Rick Hendrick to Appeal

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]On Wednesday, NASCAR issued a list of steep penalties to Jimmie Johnson and team No. 48 as a result of rule infractions found on Febraury 17th during opening day of inspection for the Daytona 500. The penalties include a six week suspension for both crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, plus probation till May 9th. They also fined Knaus $100,000 while taking away 25 driver points from Johnson and 25 owner points from his owner, Jeff Gordon.

    According to NASCAR, they did not agree with the shape of the c-posts and requested that they be changed. The C-post is a piece of paneling towards the back of the car that connects the roof to the rear quarterpanel. The team modified the piece to gain an aerodynamic advantage.

    As per their press release, the posts were in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the rule book or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-2.1E (if in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance will not be permitted – unapproved car body modifications).”

    Hendrick Motorsports has already announced that they will be appealing the penalties, which will see Knaus and Malec remain at the track during the process.

    “Our organization respects NASCAR and the way the sanctioning body governs our sport,” Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, said. “In this case, though, the system broke down, and we will voice our concerns through the appeal process.”

    After NASCAR made the call during Speedweeks to have the 48 team remove the parts, there was a lot of discussion from those involved about exactly what was going on. According to Ken Howes, Hendrick’s Vice President of Competition, he told SBNation.com that crew chiefs are always working around the templates to try and gain an advantage.

    However, NASCAR has made it clear to teams that they do not like them modifying parts “between the templates” and have told Knaus that before, suspending him six weeks in 2007 for modifying the front fenders.

    “We’re pretty serious about the body configurations of the cars for all of the right reasons,” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said. “This one was a modification that had been made to the car that put it outside that box.”

    On that topic, Howes told SBNation.com that the template doesn’t quite cover every square inch of the car and there is nothing written in the rule book to stop them. The rule book just states that the car must fit the templates that NASCAR specifies.

    Hendrick added to that, telling ESPN.com, “You know, I don’t like it if we find some flagrant problem. I don’t like it when someone says I just don’t like the looks of it and never put the plate down on it.” Hendrick says that in speaking with Knaus, NASCAR never used the claw in determining whether the c-posts fit within the rules to begin with.

    By section 20-2.1E of the rule book, it says that NASCAR is allowed to call teams out on parts that they modify. By having that one line in the rulebook, it allows NASCAR to influence judgment calls on certain situations.

    Looking at everything, if the change to the car wasn’t made technically against the templates but isn’t something NASCAR didn’t approve of, couldn’t they had just requested the 48 team change it without further penalty? Beyond that, if they did want to penalize, does it warrant a penalty of this size?

    As Eddie Gossage, who is the track promotor for Texas Motor Speedway, wrote at ESPNDallas.com, “It’s the first race of the year. It was the first time the team presented the car for inspection this season. Only one area of the car failed. NASCAR, rightfully, made the team make changes to the car so it will qualify and sit on the grid only after it completely passed inspection. The car will be 100 percent legal.

    “Isn’t that the point of NASCAR’s pre-race inspection? The integrity of the race and the sport are not tainted. NASCAR found an infraction and caused it to be fixed.”

    Though in a story that involves many sides, there is even more to be said here. Hendrick told ESPN.com before the Bud Shootout that this is the same car that Johnson ran in all four restrictor plate races last season. He added that the roof had not been altered.

    He then continued to say that the car has been at NASCAR’s Research and Development (R&D) Center three times – after both Talladega races and before the Daytona 500 – and was returned without being said to be outside the lines. Looking back to last year if you look back at the October Talladega race, Knaus was caught on film telling Johnson to damage the rear end of the car if he won. Hendrick said that NASCAR took the car back to the R&D center and kept it there till the end of the season.

    The only change that Hendrick says has been done to the car is it has been re-painted.

    David Newton, who wrote the story for ESPN.com, asked Hendrick if maybe this is a response to the incident last year.

    “Maybe you can put it together,” Hendrick said. “I don’t understand. The know the serial numbers on the cars. Our guys swear they have not touched the roof of the car.”

    Some have already said that they believe that NASCAR is only implementing a penalty of this size due to Knaus’ track record, but isn’t that an example of a crew chief trying to find an advantage for their team? That is actually something that Hendrick Motorsports applauds their crew chiefs on as it shows that they are always trying to get better. So is it fair to access a penalty under those parameters?

    Beyond this particular situation looking down the road, what about future situations that arise like this one? What if NASCAR sees something and lets it go? That will stir the fans as they will begin to question if NASCAR is playing favorites or not – is that a road that NASCAR wants to go down? The rule perfectly allows for this to happen with the interpretation that is there.

    With everything that is involved and everything that has been said, it will be interesting to see what happens at the appeal and moving forward.

    In this writer’s opinion, it looks like Hendrick Motorsports has put a solid case together to take to the appeal and have a good chance at winning. But after viewing all of the evidence known to the public, I’ll let you also say what you feel.

  • Danica Patrick Suffers Crashes During Speedweeks, But Continues to Learn

    Danica Patrick Suffers Crashes During Speedweeks, But Continues to Learn

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignnone” width=”270″][/media-credit]Coming into Speedweeks 2012, things were looking up for Danica Patrick as it was supposed to be a weekend of learning and a weekend where she could do well. Instead, the weekend became one that ended in a headach as in each of the three races she ran, she was involved in a wreck.

    The crashes began on last Thursday afternoon with the Gatorade Duel. For the majority of the race, Patrick had stayed out of trouble, testing the waters and running as high as sixth at one point.

    However, she wouldn’t make it to the finish. On the last lap, she hit the inside wall hard after contact from Aric Almirola on the final lap.

    “I got valuable practice time,” she said afterwards. “But it is never a good feeling for me to not be able to drive the car back to the pits and something about me feels guilty when I see that Go Daddy is all broken up along the side.”

    Patrick didn’t let that bring her down for long as the next day, she won the pole for the Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300. She wanted to win the pole for crew chief Tony Eury Jr., as it meant the first Nationwide Series Daytona pole for him despite all the success he had with cousin Dale Earnhardt Jr. in that series.

    “Tony builds really good cars and the guys that helped him do that, did a really good job,” she says “I’m really thrilled for Tony Jr.; this is something that he wanted. So for me to push the pedal and give that to him, it feels really good.”

    The race wouldn’t go as planned as despite leading laps early, she would be taken out on lap 49 after contact from her teammate Cole Whitt.

    “I don’t think it’s ever great when teammates come together,” Patrick said. “We’ll have to figure out what happened and move forward.”

    Patrick quickly displayed her displeasure with Whitt over the radio, which Whitt responded by saying, “I wouldn’t expect her to be happy about it. I wouldn’t be happy about it either. I don’t know why anyone would expect her to be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s great.’ ”

    After her wreck in the Gatorade Duel, she would have to start at the back of the Daytona 500. Her race wouldn’t last long as she would be collected in a second lap incident that started when Elliot Sadler got into Jimmie Johnson. Her team would get the car fixed and she would go back out to run some laps.

    “Any lap that I turn is progression,” she said. “That’s why I was proud of them for getting me on the track. Was there much to gain for me to get back on track? No. But there was experience as I got back up in pack.”

    Patrick would finish in 38th in her cup debut, but picked up valuable knowledge.

    “I honestly I think I picked up a lot of tips and honestly, I wish the race would’ve been a single file line at the beginning like it was when I got back up there,” she said.

    As the weekend went, Patrick learned more about the draft and that was most evident in the Nationwide Series. Before the incident with Whitt, she had led a portion of the race, first with help from Earnhardt Jr., and then with help from Tony Stewart.

    The success she did have within the wrecks shows that she has picked up lessons since beginning in NASCAR in 2010. When she first started, she was barely running at a competitive pace.

    “I’m pleased with some of the stuff that’s gotten better over the year – I can think of the first race here where I was struggling to keep up,” she said. “Then now you can drop the green flag in a Cup race and I’m just hanging out. I know the rules are different, but the level of comfort and proximity of cars next to each other and front and back, and obviously has been improved.”

    Her improvement had Elliott Sadler call her the most improved driver in NASCAR’s top three divisions from the beginning of 2011 till now.

    “That’s appreciated and I have worked really hard and I’m lucky I drive for a good team that has good resources,” she said when told that. “Tony Jr. is a really, good accomplished crew chief. On the Cup side, we haven’t seen a lot of the great people around me there too, and some really good experience teammates.

    “That’s a nice pat on the back; I appreciated that. I still recognize that I have a lot to learn, but I’ve been able to do this in a nice way. I’ve had the backing from the beginning from Go Daddy and it’s been nice because instead of having to go out and show what I’m made of every week, got the most amount spots possible and be desperate. I’ve never had to feel like that. I’ve been able to sit back and observe, not step outside of my comfort zone, because I’ve had a plan since the beginning and so few drivers get that ability to plan long-term and have someone that’s there for them who will follow them wherever they go.”

    One of the keys to Patrick being able to pick up as many as lessons as she has is that she doesn’t rest on her laurels. She knows that there is lots that she is going to have to learn.

    Going into the Nationwide race, despite winning the pole, she knew it was going to be a challenge.

    “It’s going to come down to bump drafting, and being good at that,” she says. “Good at swapping, good at keeping the engine cool, good at keeping in a pack, good at keeping connected, good at strategy so when you pit, you pit with your partner and you don’t get left alone at any point. There’s a lot of stuff that’s going to happen during the race that we’re going to have to manage, so it doesn’t change our strategy.”

    Next week at Phoenix International Raceway marks her next challenge. She won’t be running the Sprint Cup race, but the Nationwide race will have its own challenges. Patrick has made three starts at Phoenix, with her best finish being 17th, which she scored last spring.

    This year is all about learning and getting ready for the full Sprint Cup schedule in 2013. Certainly the tricky oval in the dessert will teach her some more.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: The Daytona 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: The Daytona 500

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Often called the Great American Race, this year’s 2012 Daytona 500 was most certainly one of the most memorable ones, including buckets of rain, a major conflagration, and even texting direct from the track.

    Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the much-delayed, first ever prime time under the lights running of the 2012 Great American Race.

    Surprising:  While the Daytona 500 has always been unpredictable, it was surprising just how many bizarre occurrences there were during this race, causing many to wonder if this superspeedway now possessed some of its own demons, similar to sister superspeedway Talladega.

    The first in the string of strange happenings was the massive amounts of rain that descended on the track on Sunday. This led to the first ever postponement of the Great American Race, which was initially rescheduled until NOON on Monday.

    When the rain continued to fall on Monday morning, the next unpredictable moment occurred as NASCAR then rescheduled the race until 7:00 PM on Monday evening. This ensured the 2012 Daytona 500 a place in history as the first ever Great American Race run not only under the lights, but also in a coveted prime-time slot.

    The final bizarre event happened on Lap 160, when Juan Pablo Montoya lost control of his No. 42 Target Chevrolet and plowed into a safety jet drier, sending both up in flames. The burning of 200 gallons of jet fuel delayed the race for almost two hours as the track safety crews scrambled to not only to douse the flames but repair the track.

    “I have hit a lot of things,” JPM said. “But a jet dryer? I mean, no.”

    When all was said and done, this 2012 Daytona 500 will most likely go down in history for its surprising length, taking a day and half to run. This Great American race started on Monday evening and ran into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, capping off a 36 hour delay from its original start time.

    Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, summed it up best. “That had to be the craziest Daytona 500 I’ve ever seen.”

    Not Surprising:  Since the Ford camp had been strong all Speedweeks long, it was no surprise to see one end up in Victory Lane. Matt Kenseth, in his No. 17 Best Buy Ford, took the checkered flag, giving Ford back to back Daytona 500 victories.

    This was the 13th overall Daytona 500 win for the manufacturer, Kenseth’s second Daytona 500 victory in a Ford, and the second Daytona 500 win for team owner Jack Roush. Kenseth joined Bill Elliott and Dale Jarrett as the only three Ford drivers to win the Daytona 500 more than once.

    “It’s nice to go the whole distance and survive a green, white, checkered because you just don’t know what’s going to happen in these race,” Kenseth said. “I wasn’t expecting to win when I woke up this morning, so it feels good to be sitting here.”

    “It’s really hard to win these races,” Kenseth continued. “The older you get and the more you race, you realize how hard it is and you really try to enjoy all those moments.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising to see just how hard hit the Hendrick Motorsports teams were during this running of the Daytona 500.  With the exception of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished second in his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, the rest of the HMS drivers all finished 29th or worse.

    Five time champion Jimmie Johnson’s troubles started early when he crashed out on Lap 2. The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet sustained a wicked hit to the driver’s door in the early race melee.

    “That side hit was hard,” Johnson said. “I could feel help from behind that just turned me around.”

    “When I was sitting in the middle of the race track, I knew at some point someone was going to come along,” Johnson continued. “David Ragan had nowhere to go and I unfortunately got drilled by him pretty hard.”

    Four time champion Jeff Gordon also had difficulties, but of a different sort. His No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet blew an engine on lap 81 of the race.

    “Boy, it’s a shame,” Gordon said. “This just came out of nowhere.”

    “First it popped and then it sent up in a big ball of flames,” Gordon continued. “That is never good. So, I knew our night was done.”

    This DNF marked the first time that Jeff Gordon failed to compete at least half of a NASCAR race since April 2008 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Not Surprising:  With Fords ruling and Matt Kenseth in the winner’s circle, it was no surprise that history was also made for Roush Fenway Racing, scoring the team’s 300th win. Rough Fenway Racing is the first team ever in NASCAR history to achieve such a milestone.

    “This is a special night,” team owner Jack Roush said. “Matt is a real champion and he is really good at these restrictor tracks.”

    “Our Fords, the guys did a nice job and Ford Motor Company gave us a lot of support over the winter,” Roush continued. “We certainly had several ways to win it tonight and there are always ample ways to lose as well.”

    “Matt did a great job tonight,” Roush said. “It’s great to celebrate our 300th win here with the 54th Daytona 500.”

    Surprising:  While many considered it ‘gimmicky’, it was surprising that the racers seemed to take the halfway bonus pretty seriously. Reminiscent of his lead at the halfway point last year in the Great American Race, Martin Truex, Jr. scored the $200,000 halfway leader bonus, with a little help from ‘friend’ Denny Hamlin.

    “We led laps and led at halfway for the bonus,” the driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota said. “It was a good day all in all. We just didn’t lead at the end.”

    Truex Jr. finished 12th, right behind Michael Waltrip Racing teammates Mark Martin, who finished tenth in his No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, and Clint Bowyer, who scored the 11th spot in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

    Not Surprising:   Given all the machinations NASCAR made in response to the fans’ and drivers’ concerns about tandem racing, it was no surprise that pack racing was back. And the drivers seemed to be please that it was.

    “I like the rule changes,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said. “It definitely suits my style better and I can do things on my own.”

    “In the old package you needed someone else the entire race and that’s not fun.”

    Surprising:  While most of the NASCAR drivers, teams, and yes even the orange cone have gotten into the use of social media, it was surprising to see it taken to yet another level at this year’s Daytona 500.

    Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge apparently had his phone with him during the race and took the opportunity to not only tweet a few pictures when the race was red flagged, but also to check the weather at the request of some of his fellow competitors.

    Demonstrating the power of social media, particularly Twitter, Keselowski actually gained more than 130,000 new followers as a result of his connectedness out on the race track and the media attention that garnered.

    While Keselowski acknowledged the power of the social media, he would have traded it for one thing.

    “I gained a lot of followers but I’ll take the win first,” Keselowski said.

    Not Surprising:  With all the strange happenings on the race track, it was not surprising that the debut of the third female driver to compete in the Great American Race was somewhat eclipsed. Danica Patrick made her Cup debut in the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in cooperation with Stewart Haas Racing.

    Patrick ended up finishing 38th after getting collected in the multi-car crash involving Jimmie Johnson and others on lap 2 of the race. She will not race again in the Cup Series until May 12th at Darlington.

    “I kind of feel like I almost need to put the whole week in perspective,” Patrick said. “It’s just been up and down, from running good in the Duels to crashing on the last lap, to qualifying on the pole, to running well in the Nationwide race to crashing.”

    “A lot of this stuff is obviously out of your control at times,” Patrick continued. “But I learned a lot and I got a lot of great experience.”

    Surprising:  With the Toyota of Kyle Busch looking strong after a win in the Bud Shootout, it was a bit surprising that teammate Denny Hamlin ended up being the highest Toyota finisher in the Daytona 500.

    “We were right where we wanted to be,” Hamlin said of the end of his race, finishing fourth. “But we didn’t have any teammates up there and those two Roush cars up front had a good plan and executed it really well.”

    “We had an awesome effort this weekend,” the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota said. “We didn’t qualify well and we didn’t finish that well in the Duel, but we showed that we had one of the best cars today.”

    As pleased as Hamlin was, Kyle Busch, who took his No. 88 M&M’s Brown Toyota Camry to a 17th place finish, was most disappointed.

    “I thought we were in a good spot late in the race, but a couple of cars got together behind me and I got clipped,” Busch said. “We were in the back of the line and we couldn’t make anything happen.”

    “It’s disappointing to be down here for two weeks and have nothing to show for it.”

    Not Surprising:  Sadly, but not surprisingly, there was no Cinderella winner at this year’s Daytona 500.  Defending champ Trevor Bayne’s repeat fairy-tale performance was thwarted by the wreck that swept up Jimmie Johnson in the early laps of the race.

    “I have no idea what happened,” the driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion said. “I got low and slowed down and at the last second I think it was the 34 car that hit us in the right side door and put us into the grass.”

    “Man, this is tough,” Bayne continued. “I hate this for my Ford Racing team but we’ll be back.”

  • A Race of Rain and Fire: Daytona 500 Lap By Lap

    A Race of Rain and Fire: Daytona 500 Lap By Lap

    [media-credit name=”Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”274″][/media-credit]30 hours after the race was supposed to start, the drivers strapped into their cars and got ready to run the first Daytona 500 run at night. The rain delayed Daytona 500 also marked the first 500 that rescheduled for a day other than Sunday. The rain delay would be just the beginning for this race, though…..

    Lap 1 Biffle leads Kenseth and Edwards

    Caution Lap 2 – Johnson, Bayne, Patrick, Kurt Busch, Ragan – Sadler gets into Johnson as Johnson get loose, turning him into the wall followed by hard driver’s door contact from Ragan. Sadler passed along his apologies.

    Restart Lap 8 as Biffle leads with help from Edwards over Kenseth

    Lap 11 Regan Smith and Biffle run side-by-side for the lead

    Lap 12 Biffle leads as Edwards and Smith run side-by-side for second

    Caution as Newman goes for a spin as he has a flat tire…..Pit stops as everybody takes fuel….Newman loses tire leaving pit, Allmendinger runs in back getting enough damage to send him behind the wall

    Restart lap 17 as Menard leads after staying out

    Lap 18 Denny Hamlin dumps Carl in the sucker hole to take the lead

    Lap 25 Top 10 are single file as Hamlin leads Menard, Smith, Logano, Burton, Ambrose

    Lap 35 Top six single file as Hamlin leads Menard, Smith, Logano, Burton, Ambrose

    Lap 44 Burton to the lead with help from Biffle and then they went to the bottom

    Lap 54 Menard and Hamlin pit

    Lap 55 Labonte, Bowyer and others pit.

    Lap 57 The back group pits – Harvick, McMurray, Montoya,

    Lap 58 Truex, Logano, Ky Busch and others pit

    Lap 59 Half of the pack pits – Biffle, Burton, Edwards, Biffle and others. Stewart leads

    Lap 60 Gordon, Blaney, Earnhardt Jr. pit

    Lap 61 Stewart pits, giving the lead back to Burton.

    Caution Lap 64 for debris as Landon Cassil gets the Lucky Dog…….Pit stops for fuel for some while leader Burton stays out

    Restart Lap 68 as Biffle and Burton run side-by-side to the green. Biffle pulls ahead with from Ambrose.

    Lap 70 Top 8 are single file with Biffle leading Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Bowyer, Logano, Burton, Reuitmann, Truex Jr., and Bowyer

    Lap 79 Truex leads after Hamlin pushed him up the outside.

    Lap 80 Truex leads the field as Hamlin and Biffle run side-by-side for second.

    Caution Lap 81 Jeff Gordon blows up…..Everybody pits for tire as Biffle wins the race off pit road over Ambrose

    Restart lap 85 as Biffle leads Terry Labonte

    Caution Lap 89 Terry Labonte spins after contact from Ambrose, sending him for a spin but no contact with walls

    Restart Lap 92 as Bile and Ambrose lead them to the flag side-by-side. Biffle leads the field through turns with help from Truex

    Lap 94 Biffle leads while Ambrose and Truex run side-by-side

    Lap 98 Top four are single-file as Biffle continues to lead.

    Lap 100 Biffle leads Truex, Hamlin, Burton and Bowyer….Coming off turn four, Truex gets the lead with help from Hamlin. Truex gets the halfway payday of $200,000.

    Lap 102 Stewart to the lead with help from Hamlin on the back shoot but Hamlin goes under Stewart going into the turn 3. Hamlin is the new leader.

    Lap 116 Top 8 are single file as Hamlin leads Truex, Biffle, Burton and Bowyer. Elliott Sadler is blowing up.

    Lap 121 Hamlin leads Truex, Biffle, Burton, Bowyer, Almirola

    Lap 128 Bowyer is out of gas, misses pit road due to other cars, as Hamlin continues to lead.

    Lap 129 Stewart, Mark Martin, Logano pit as the caution comes for Bowyer being stalled. Logano didn’t stop as he skipped his stall while Stewart and Martin finished their pit work. Burton comes on while pit road is closed as he is out of fuel………Everybody pits as they are all low on fuel so its four tires and fuel. Regan Smith wins the race off pit road followed by Biffle. Sadler couldn’t find his pit stall so he causes a mess and then begins to look at engine issue

    Restart 68 to go as Mark Martin and Stewart lead the field to the green. Martin pulls down in front of Stewart in turn 1 and Martin leads the field with Stewart on his bumper. Biffle takes the lead out of turn four with help from Hamlin.

    64 to go Biffle leads Hamlin, Martin, Stewart, Smith, Almirola, Truex, Harvick, Kenseth and Burton.

    63 to go as the top eight continue to run single file.

    58 to go Joey Logano took the lead from Hamlin after help from Biffle

    54 to go Kenseth to the lead with help from Biffle

    53 to go Kenseth leads Earnhardt Jr., Harvick and Biffle

    49 to go Kenseth leads Earnhardt Jr., Biffle and Casey Mears as Keselowski and Logano run side-by-side for fifth

    42 to go Caution as Stremme blows up……Pit stops as everybody needs fuel. Casey Mears leads McMurray, Harvick, Biffle, Logano and Earnhardt Jr. off………….Montoya’s car breaks and slides up into the jet dryer, causing the jet dryer and Montoya’s cars to catch fire…….Red Flag….Kyle Busch and Edwards to the back for pulling off a windshield tear off under the red……. Red Flag was 2 hours, 5 minutes, 29 seconds

    The race is under yellow……..Casey Mears has run out of fuel on the apron

    The top 4 – Blaney, Cassil, Gilliland – pit to give the lead to Kenseth.

    Restart 34 to go as Kenseth takes the strong charge through one with help from Biffle

    30 to go Kenseth leads Biffle, Earnhardt Jr., Harvick, Logano, Martin, Menard, Hamlin, Truex Jr and Burton. Top five are single file

    25 to go Kenseth leads Biffle and Earnhardt Jr. as Hamlin and Harvick run side-by-side for fourth

    Caution 23 to go Casey Mears and Marcos Ambrose go for a slide. Stenhouse went into Ambrose, who then hit Mears, sending him for a spin while and Ambrose spins in the aftermath. Clint Bowyer gets the lucky dog.

    Restart 18 laps to go as Kenseth gets the jump on Biffle on the start, slides up in front of him and they pull ahead

    15 to go Kenseth leads Biffle, Earnhardt Jr., Harvick as Menard and Harvick are side-by-side for fifth

    Caution 13 to go- big wreck – Kahne, Smith, McMurray, Edwards, Keselowski, Stewart – McMurray had a cut tire and Logano made contact with him. McMurray actually just said on the radio that he felt that something was broken. So Biffle leads Kenseth, Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin, Harvick, Burton, Menard, Mark Martin, Newman, Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Stenhouse Jr., Logano, Reuitmann, Stewart

    Green flag with 7 to go as Earnhardt Jr. gives Kenseth a big push on the bottom while Biffle pushes Hamlin on the outside. Kenseth dumps Jr so its now Kenseth, Biffle, Harvick and Earnhardt Jr. now

    Caution 4 to go Stewart spins due to contact from Stenhouse after he made contact with Logano, collecting Kyle Busch, Blaney, Newman, Reuitmann, Gilliland

    Green – White – Checkered

    Green flag as Kenseth and Biffle start the race lined-up. Kenseth gets the jump and moves up to pick up Greg Biffle, setting Earnhardt Jr. in third and Hamlin in fourth

    Kenseth holds everybody off to win the Daytona 500 as Dale Jr. passes Biffle at the line for second

  • Matt Kenseth Wins Daytona 500 After Rain and Fire

    Matt Kenseth Wins Daytona 500 After Rain and Fire

    [media-credit name=”Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]NASCAR fans have seen strange things happen before – animals on the track, a rolling plastic inflated orange – but after this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, it certainly takes the cake.

    The race was supposed to begin on Sunday afternoon, however was delayed due to rain. The weather caused NASCAR to postpone the race till 7pm on Monday night, making it the first Daytona 500 to be started on a non-scheduled day and the first primetime 500. This wouldn’t be the end of the chaos, as during the race, a broken part on Juan Pablo Montoya’s racecar would cause him to crash into a jetdryer, setting it on fire.

    After all the craziness and on Day 3 of the Daytona 500 (early Tuesday morning), Matt Kenseth came home victorious for his second Daytona 500 victory.

    “We had a lot of problems – we had the engine spew out water, fuel issue, radio issue – the team could hear me but I couldn’t talk to them,” Kenseth says. “I gotta thank Greg Biffle for working with me; we had fast rockets. It was all about who was in front of who at the end.”

    The victory for Kenseth marks his second Daytona 500 victory and the 300th NASCAR victory for Roush-Fenway Racing.

    “It is very fitting for Kenseth to win the 300th victory,” Roush said. “It’s fitting to do it with Jimmy Fenning (crew chief) who has been with Roush Racing for a long time. It’s fitting to do it with Matt Kenseth has been with Roush Racing for a long time. It’s very nice to celebrate our 300th win, winning the 54th Annual Daytona 500 and with it being Kenseth’s second, it’s pretty special.”

    A green-white-checkered would conclude the Daytona 500 as contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would send Tony Stewart for a spin, collecting Kyle Busch, Dave Blaney, Ryan Newman, David Reuitmann and David Gilliland.

    On the restart, Kenseth made the quick move to get in front of teammate Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Biffle followed Kenseth all the way around the track, looking for the right time to make his move, but that never came as Biffle was behind Kenseth across the finish line.

    “I think it’s a combination of everything, but I think it’s the combination of what would give us the best finish,” Kenseth said of their teamwork.

    Biffle would come home third in the end as Dale Earnhardt Jr. would pass him at the start-finish line for second.

    “I would have liked to have won, but I told Greg that I was going to push him on the last restart,” Earnhardt Jr. said afterwards. “I thought he was ‘waiting waiting’ and I waited till the last minute for him to make a move, and then made a move.”

    Biffle said that he tried to win the race, but couldn’t get a run on Earnhardt Jr.

    “All night, Jr had been shoving me against the back of the 17 car at will and at granted, he had someone pushing him,” Biffle explained. “We weren’t locked together but anytime you get locked together, you just go. But once he was against my bumper and I knew he was, I pushed the gas down and I thought we would drive up on the back of the 17 without a problem. It must have just pushed enough air to push the 17 out. So I thought I had to get out from behind him. So I tried to move out and Matt isn’t stupid, but we needed a run. I was also watching my bumper as I had him on me and didn’t know what pressure he had him.”

    In contrast, Kenseth said Biffle could’ve made the move while Roush said, “Greg was unselfish and worked with Matt tonight.”

    In looking back at the final laps now, Biffle said he should’ve dragged the brake and created some space between himself and Kenseth to get a run.

    Denny Hamlin would finish fourth, followed by Richard Childress Racing teammates Jeff Burton, Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick. Pole sitter Carl Edwards would finish eighth, followed by Joey Logano and Mark Martin.

    The halfway payday of $200,000 would go to Martin Truex Jr., who would finish the race in 12th behind Clint Bowyer.

    The race would see a red flag last for more than two hours after an odd incident that happened under caution with 42 laps left in the event.

    As Juan Pablo Montoya came out of pit road and tried to catch up with the back of the field, something would break in the back end of his Chevrolet, causing him to slam into a jetdryer in turn 3. The contact caused a huge jet fuel fire that would take the two hour period to clean up in an 11-step process.

    “Well, I thought when I left the pits, I felt a weird vibration,” Montoya said. “I got my crew to check it and they said it was fine. Everytime I got on the gas, I felt the rear moving slightly and just as I asked my spotter about it, it turned right.”

    The condition of the race track was in great question after the massive clean-up, but the surface became unharmed and the drivers were able to run the full distance. President Mike Helton said it was important for him to that they take the time to do the necessary clean-up and get the full race in due to the dedication saw from the fans who had stuck around both days.

    Montoya’s teammate Jamie McMurray would also have something break on his car, causing a five car wreck with 13 to go that collected Kasey Kahne, Regan Smith, Edwards and Tony Stewart.

    The jetdryer incident wasn’t the only big piece of action on track during the Daytona 500. When the race started, contact from Sadler to Johnson on lap two would see Johnson for a spin, and then get hit hard in the driver’s door by David Ragan.

    “I’m good,” Johnson said afterwards. “That last hit in the door was pretty hard. We were all just trying to make our lane work. There was a lot of energy there and Elliott got into the back of me, turning me into the wall. I knew sitting in the middle of the track that was someone was going to hit me and Ragan had no place to go. It sucks to be done this early after all the effort into this car.”

    “I just want to see the replay to see what bonehead would make a move like that early in the 500,” Ragan said of the incident.

    Other drivers collected in the accident would include 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick.

    “I have no idea what happened,” Bayne said. “This is devastating. We wait a whole day for a race and this happens on lap 1.”

    “Any lap that I turn is progression,” she said. “That’s why I was proud of them for getting me on the track. Was there much to gain for me to get back on track? No. But there was experience as I got back up in pack.”

    Patrick would finish in 38th in her cup debut, but pick up valuable knowledge.

    “I honestly I think I picked up a lot of tips and honestly, I wish the race would’ve been a single file line at the beginning like it was when I got back up there,” she said.

    Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon also wouldn’t make it to the finish as he would blow the motor on lap 81.

    “It’s pretty strange that we’ve been through some liability testing and if I saw some high temps, I would have expected this,” he said. “I saw some low temps so I thought we were in good shape. It’s just a shame. This is not the way we wanted to start the season with the Daytona 500.”

    With everything that happened in Daytona, the rest of the 2012 NASCAR season ends and we’ve certainly learned to expect the unexpected.

  • Race No. 2 – 54th Annual Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway, February 26, 2012

    Race No. 2 – 54th Annual Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway, February 26, 2012

    [media-credit name=”daytonainternationalspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”288″][/media-credit]Happy Birthday to Me!

    This year’s Great American Race happens to fall on my quarter-century milestone, and what a better way to spend my birthday than with some 200 mph high octane pack racing! My living room will be transformed into a pit of NASCAR fans on Sunday afternoon, but could never rival the ‘stadium-seating’ that was brought in during my brother’s collegiate days in the Delta Sigma Phi house at Clarkson University. This was hands-down the coolest Daytona 500 party I was ever able to (and will probably ever) attend, however I am excited for this year’s racing season to formally kick-off on Sunday.

    In an effort to expand the sport’s following I’ve decided to share my Daytona 500 this Sunday with some non-NASCAR/non-racing fans. My living room will be full on Sunday of half die hard’s and half newbies; the die hard’s pleading their case on why each of their drivers are the best and cheer for. Nonetheless, it will be exciting to watch the action in my living room and exciting to see the pack duke it out for one of the most prestigious crowns in all of motorsports.

    Bud Shootout Recap

    Just like each restrictor plate race, last weekend’s Bud Shootout turned out to be a roll of the dice. It’s either feast of famine with these races, and I (just like most fantasy players) ended up on the short end of the stick when the dust settled last Saturday Night.

    My Dark Horse pick wasn’t really a Dark Horse because he does have 2 wins at Daytona, but like I said last week, the criteria for entrance to the Bud Shootout doesn’t yield many Dark Horses in general. Jamie Mac found the front quickly last week in the first segment, reaching the point just four laps in. He showed that the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet would be a contender all night, leading a total of 5 times for 11 of the 75 laps. My misfortune came on the final lap of the Bud Shootout last week when McMurray was collected in a multi-car incident, which sent the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon for a wild ride on his roof, netting McMurray a 16th-place finish when all was said and done.

    My Winner Pick last week is the guy that can “see the air” on the Superspeedways (despite the fact that he hasn’t won in 3 years). Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a fan of the way the racing has morphed back to the pack at Daytona, “I like it better. The closing rate is a little fast. Guys will go flying backwards and forwards. I think we made a lot of great improvements don’t get me wrong. I think we have really made a lot of great improvements and I have more of my destiny in my hands in this type of racing.” said Jr. following his Bud Shootout efforts.

    Despite being a bit more comfortable behind the wheel on Saturday Night, Dale Jr couldn’t make it through a lap 55 incident that collected his No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet. Jr. finished 20th and I finished the weekend looking like a buffoon.

    Daytona 500 Picks

    With complete disregard for claiming to know what I am talking about, I’ve decided to make my picks a little bit differently this week…
    It is probably not a great idea because of Ford’s complete dominance of Daytona 500 practice and qualifying sessions, but I would like to have a little fun this weekend for my birthday and also bring in some outside help in making my picks.

    Because of my rocky start last week, and the complete craps-shoot it is to choose a driver to win a restrictor plate race, I’ve decided to make my picks based off a total random draw. My picks this week will be based off my girlfriend’s random draw of playing cards (0-9), and I will provide historical data and insight as to why that driver stands a chance to take the Checkered Flag on Sunday Afternoon.

    So using Price is Right rules, I will have my girlfriend Casey select four cards at random, and the closest driver (by car number) to the cards selected (without going over of course) will be the drivers I will pick this week for Matty’s Picks.

    Here’s a photo of the draw:

    [media-credit id=24 align=”aligncenter” width=”169″][/media-credit]

    Dark Horse Pick

    Via random draw (and a pre-determined list of possible Dark Horses and Winners), Casey selected the 10 of Spades (0) and the 6 of Diamonds. So on the nose for the Dark Horse this week is a Roush Fenway Racing driver that everyone can agree on as a Dark Horse, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Not much Sprint Cup history here for my Dark Horse pick, as Stenhouse will make just his second start in the Sprint Cup series on Sunday, but based off his practice speeds, it looks like Casey didn’t do too bad picking my Dark Horse this week.

    Last year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion didn’t stretch his points lead when it came to the three races on Superspeedways in 2011, (8th at Daytona in February, 38th at Talladega in April, and 28th back at Daytona in July), but his practice speeds for this year’s Daytona 500 have been nothing to frown at. He was 12th quick in the first practice session, 14th in the second, his highest mark on the leaderboard came in the third practice session, and his most recent efforts landed him seventh in the sixth session earlier today.

    I’m not emptying my bank account on Stenhouse for Sunday’s race, but with his Roush-Fenway FR9 Ford Fusion looking strong in practice, I will not count him out just yet.

    Winner Pick

    Casey selected the Ace of Clubs and the Deuce of Spades when it came down to my winner pick, and via Price Is Right rules, (with no driver in the No. 12 car) this would bring us to the No.13 of Casey Mears. I’m not sure that Mears is shown on anyone’s list of ‘Winner Picks’, so I will bypass that pick and head for the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet of Tony Stewart.

    Now how can I be mad at the random draw of the No. 14 car this week? Coming off a second-place (closest finish of the Bud Shootout by the way) in last Saturday’s race at Daytona, and a win in the first of the two Dual races Thursday, what is there not to like? Yes, I know he’s not in an FR9, but really, what is there not to like about this pick?

    Smoke will be making his 14th start in the Great American Race on Sunday, a race that has evaded him 13 times before. Despite being winless in the big dance, Smoke has tallied an impressive 16 victories at the World Center of Racing including:
    3 – Sprint Cup wins in the July race
    3 – Bud Shootout Wins
    2 – Gatorade Dual Wins
    2 – International Race of Champions (IROC) Wins
    6 – NASCAR Nationwide Series Wins

    This Stewart-Haas racing team is so confident in their chances that after his win on Thursday, Stewart came across the radio and said “Keep it clean, please“. Spotter Bob Jeffrey added “Don’t put anything on our race car. That’s going to be the Daytona 500 winner.

    Seriously, what’s not to like about this? He’s starting third on Sunday and has a race record that rivals anyone in history…

    That’s it for this week. I’d like to thank Casey for her help with my picks this week and until next time, you stay classy NASCAR NATION!