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  • Bowman Takes the Pole Position for the Daytona 500

    Bowman Takes the Pole Position for the Daytona 500

    Shaking with joy as he climbed out of his car, Alex Bowman shook hands with and hugged team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the pole in the same race he failed to qualify for three years earlier.

    “I mean, if you talked to me in 2015 and told me that in 2018 I was going to be driving the 88 car for Hendrick Motorsports, I would have called you nuts,” Bowman said. “You know, everything happens for a reason. My career had a lot of ups and downs, and I’ve been able to lean on my past experiences a lot to make me better and to better prepare myself for this job.

    “Honestly, I think I’m better because of the things that I had to go through. I got to make a lot of mistakes without anybody watching. Just never give up.”

    Since Bowman was driving a chartered car and the number of cars entered was only 40, he was going to make the race no matter the outcome. But winning the pole for the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race, for him is “a little surreal.”

    Bowman’s final round lap of 46.002 and a speed of 195.644 mph earned him his second career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole. Given he went out early in the first round, he thought he was at a “disadvantage” for the second.

    “Just a little nerve-racking. Our Nationwide Camaro ZL1 has been great since we unloaded. All the guys back at the chassis shop, body shop, the Hendrick Engine Shop is top notch. They all work so hard and we knew we were going for the pole. That’s what we were here to do. I thought we were at a little disadvantage letting the car cool down as long as we did, since we went pretty early in that first round. I was a little nervous for that second round, but I’m glad it took off well off pit road. And (I) did everything I could do, but this really comes down to the crew, all the guys back at the shop. Whether it’s the aero group, the engine shop, the chassis shop, everyone works so hard at these speedway cars, especially for the (Daytona) 500. Which means the world to have Nationwide’s support and to be able to put it on the pole.”

    Joining him on the front row is Denny Hamlin, who’s lap of 46.132 and speed of 195.092 mph was on top of the board for roughly 90 seconds, before it was usurped by Bowman.

    But that didn’t diminish his enthusiasm for starting front row of the Daytona 500.

    “No, I literally am so ecstatic. It’s just so out of the blue because obviously I thought that today was going to be a tough day qualifying,” Hamlin said. “We focused so much on race trim yesterday. We stuck in a pack and I think we did one real mock run which wasn’t really even a mock run and we were so far off that we just switched and made sure our car was going to handle real good on Thursday and obviously next Sunday. This car is ready to race. It’s handling well and we’re looking forward to Thursday. Now, obviously to the 500 being on the front row. I’m so proud of FedEx and TRD (Toyota Racing Development). All of the hard work that the fab shop at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) has done. This is really about them and their preparation for the Daytona 500. I couldn’t be prouder to represent them and hopefully we’ll get us another Daytona 500 next Sunday.”

    Every driver from third on down must race for their official position in the Can-Am Duel races on Thursday night.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/01dis2018qualresults.pdf”]

  • Byron Fastest in Second Practice at Daytona

    Byron Fastest in Second Practice at Daytona

    William Byron topped the chart in second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 44.625 and a speed of 201.681 mph.

    With less than 13 minutes in the second of five practice sessions for the 60th running of the Daytona 500, the lead went back and forth between Byron and Kevin Harvick. Both drivers were part of a 12-car pack.

    Byron took the lead from Denny Hamlin, who took it from Danica Patrick.

    Taking to the track as part of a six-car pack, along with Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez, Brendan Gaughan, DJ Kennington and Ty Dillon, she hopped to the top of the leaderboard with roughly 30 minutes to go in the second of five practice sessions for the 60th running of the Daytona 500.

    It ended 20 minutes of single-car runs.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished the session second, with a time of 44.632 and a speed of 201.649 mph. Joey Logano was third with a time of 44.641 and a speed of 201.608 mph. Hamlin was fourth with a time of 44.673 and a speed of 201.464 mph. David Ragan rounded out the top-five with a time of 44.764 and a speed of 201.054 mph.

    Paul Menard, Trevor Bayne, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell rounded out the top-10.

    First Practice Results

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/01dis2018prac2.pdf”]

  • Kyle Busch Fastest in First Daytona Practice

    Kyle Busch Fastest in First Daytona Practice

    Erik Jones topped the chart in first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 45.058 and a speed of 199.743 mph.

    He was part of a four-car Gibbs pack in the closing minutes of the session that included teammates Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin and Daniel Suarez. Jones jumped to the top of the leaderboard with less than three minutes to go, but was usurped by Busch the following lap.

    This came only a few minutes after Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray ended the run of single-car laps and posted the fastest time.

    Hamlin finished the session second, with a time of 45.085 and a speed of 199.623 mph. Suarez finished third with a time of 45.088 and a speed of 199.610 mph. Jones finished fourth with a time of 45.109 and a speed of 199.517 mph. Dillon rounded out the top-five with a time of 45.621 and a speed of 197.278 mph.

    McMurray, Ty Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson rounded out the top-10.

    The session was red-flagged with roughly 30 minutes remaining after a car dropped gear fluid on the backstretch.

    Second Practice Results

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/C18S1_PRAC1.pdf”]

  • NASCAR and Its Fans Do Not Need #DaytonaDay

    NASCAR and Its Fans Do Not Need #DaytonaDay

    Stating the obvious, Daytona Speedweeks is the biggest time of year for NASCAR. It’s every driver’s, crew member’s, media member’s, and die-hard fan’s birthday, Christmas, and July 4th all rolled into a couple of weeks of speed. It’s huge, it’s prestigious, man…it’s Daytona. What more needs to be said other than that it is a big deal?

    Starting in 2016, NASCAR figured they’d do their part by trying to promote it across social media by calling it #DaytonaDay. Now, a noble, honest effort was undoubtedly put into this. We live in a social media-driven society, so naturally, the sport figured it would do its part by trying to reach beyond the current fan demographic and to try to put its image out into the mainstream. But one has to ask if #DaytonaDay, in its current form, is what NASCAR needs at the moment. Short answer? No. It doesn’t.

    Long answer, there aren’t a bunch of goofy commercials celebrating #NBAFinalsDay, #SuperBowlDay, or #MLSPlayoffsDay. Scores of MTV rejects aren’t prancing around a pool in the shape of Tom Brady’s mug, astronauts aren’t waving flags with the FC Dallas logo on them, no unfunny jingles are being written for #WorldSeriesDay. So, what’s the end goal with #DaytonaDay?

    It’s a promotion that does nothing but dumb down the sport to outsiders looking in. Oh, yeah, great; Justin Bieber once tweeted the hashtag in 2016; Bieber isn’t an influence that the sport needs. Scores of drivers, media, and fans have spoken out against the promotion, all agreeing that it does nothing to show what makes this sport great. It doesn’t showcase the drama, the adrenaline rush, or the characters that the sport continues to cultivate and grow. Outsiders don’t need song and dance, they need examples of what makes NASCAR such an awesome sport and what makes Daytona such a huge deal.

    One such excellent television spot would have to be for the 2014 Daytona 500:

    No song and dance, no gaudy pastel colors, no ridiculous hashtags floating about. This is a promotion that does just that – it promotes. It doesn’t try to convince viewers to party or break into a flash mob. Instead, it brings in viewers for the race. It captures the mystique of Daytona, the adrenaline of the competition, and the prestige of the event – three ingredients that make the Daytona 500 such a big deal in the world of motorsports.

    Why change that? Why step away from something that was tried and true and hyped up not only the event but the sport itself? The #DaytonaDay promotion has repeatedly been slammed due to criticisms that it “dumbs down the sport.” That’s not a direction NASCAR needs to take. NASCAR fans are an intelligent, motivated lot and are undoubtedly some of the best fans in the professional sports world. Don’t change that. Don’t insult that.

    It’s disheartening that this promotion is now in its third year despite fans and competitors virtually disowning it. If NASCAR wants to promote the Daytona 500 into the mainstream, #DaytonaDay isn’t the way to go. Twitter and Instagram users will only join in to be included on the hashtag swarm that gets involved on the day of the event (see above: Justin Bieber. Have yet to see him at Daytona).

    Bring back the mystique. Bring back the nostalgia. Bring back the majesty of the Daytona 500. It’s a race, but it’s also more; it’s one of the biggest pillars of the American motorsports world. Make outsiders wonder why this is such a big day for NASCAR like they wonder why the Indy 500 is such a big day for IndyCar or Monaco is such a big day for Formula One. Don’t simplify it like what’s being done right now.

     

  • The Final Word – Ricky and Danica…or…when romance passes the checkered flag

    The Final Word – Ricky and Danica…or…when romance passes the checkered flag

    It is over. I am not just talking about my writing hibernation. It is not like I was just jumping at the bit to return, but sometimes you hear some news and you feel the need to say something, to make comment, to share your observations. Today is that day.

    Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a.k.a. Daniky, Ricica, Stentrick, is no more. The end came last month, hopefully in time to prevent the buying of an awkward gift. Five years ago, of all the race tracks, in all the towns, in all the world, Danica drove into Ricky’s. We sweet scribes were joyous, as they gave us an easy out when troubled with writer’s block. They allowed us to raise speculation to ridiculous heights on the possible issues arising at home when one of them crumpled the metal of the other on the track. Now, we are left with the reality of Paradise Lost. Now, it is back to rounding up the usual suspects for storylines, commenting solely on the results of Stenhouse in the car. Ricky, here’s looking at you kid.

    As for the heroine of our saga, she has moved on. When she left NASCAR, she truly left it. What is actress Olivia Munn’s loss, who I loved in The Newsroom, is Patrick’s gain. She is now the quarterback’s girl. Green Bay pivot Aaron Rogers, Super Bowl champ and MVP, twice judged the top dog in the NFL, and six-time Pro Bowler, is now her guy. She is lost to us, no doubt the future subject of some fellow writing for FootballStadiumMedia.com. Yet, she left us with memories.

    After leaving IndyCar as its six-time Most Popular Driver, and a win in Japan in 2008, she came to NASCAR. They loved her in Nationwide back in 2012, winning Most Popular there, too. In 2013, she opened her full-time Cup career with taking the pole for the Daytona 500. The lady appeared about to kick ass. Well, so it appeared.

    In 61 Nationwide events, she claimed a pole and seven Top Tens. In 190 Cup races, she claimed that one pole and another seven Top Tens. Her best finish was sixth in a 2014 Atlanta race. As a driver with top-flight equipment, she was not notable. As a woman, she was something of a pioneer. Patrick was the first to lead a lap at both the Indianapolis and Daytona 500 races, she took the pole at Daytona, and there is that IndyCar win in Japan. She was the first active driver to date one of her competitors, and now the first part-time driver to date a Green Bay Packer. Now we have something in common. Danica and I will both be cheering on the Packers next season.

    Yet, the Packers are done until next fall and NASCAR and Stenhouse do not return to action for another month. While I wish the new couple all the best, as I have no reason not to, I shall return to my hibernation. As for racing, at least we will always have Daytona and Patrick’s probable final run in the Great American Race.

    Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow that I’ll say goodnight until tonight becomes tomorrow…or more truthfully, until sometime in February.

  • The Final Word – Homestead sees the end of the Junior era, as another Junior wins it all

    The Final Word – Homestead sees the end of the Junior era, as another Junior wins it all

    It was an amazing two weeks. In that time, Kevin Harvick locked his way into the final four, along with Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. We got to see Matt Kenseth win, spoil things for Chase Elliott, and allowed Brad Keselowski to round out our championship contenders. During that time, I was among eight family members enjoying 80 plus degree temperatures in Hawaii.

    I know you did not click in to let me reminiscence about our time in paradise, but I do have one question. When did WestJet, what had been a very special, passenger orientated airline, become just like Air Canada? It appears that if you want to fly the friendly skies in comfort these days, you need to be Leonardo DiCaprio winging his way to Europe on a private jet to pick up an environmental award…but I digress.

    Less than 24 hours after arriving back to the land of snow and ice, once again I could witness palm trees and 80 plus degree temps under the sunshine as NASCAR wrapped up its season in Homestead, Florida.

    Of course, more than four would have our attention. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in his final race as a full-time driver, though by the end of the second stage he was outside of the top twenty. Danica Patrick will be in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 next season, but she failed to make the end of this one when she crashed out. Kenseth’s career might be coming to an end, and after winning last week he concluded this campaign with a top 10 result. As for the next face of the sport, Elliott finished fifth at Homestead, giving in him a top 15 in 10 of his final dozen events. His time is coming, and right soon.

    All that was left to decide was the championship, and all four contenders were in the top five heading down the stretch. Keselowski faded to seventh, while Harvick would wrap things up in fourth. That left a duel between Truex and Busch. Truex held the lead as the laps counted down, but Busch had pit strategy working in his favor. Well, he did until his brother Kurt brought out the caution with less than 40 laps remaining.

    Busch remained within a second of his rival from that point onward. However, the closest he got was 0.20 seconds…as they crossed the line. Martin Truex Jr. won his eighth of the season, just the 15th of his career, to become the 2017 Cup champion. It is his first, and the first for team owner Barney Visser and Furniture Row Racing out of Denver, Colorado.

    It was a satisfying conclusion to the season. As for the broadcast, well, you cannot win them all. In 2007 I was part of another group of family members who flew in to watch the Daytona 500. Harvick beat out Mark Martin at the line while Clint Bowyer ended the race on his lid. It was an amazing experience. We flew in on WestJet, even watching the Duels run live on the television provided for each and every passenger. It was an amazing experience. That was in 2007. Those were the days of “how bad have you got it.” I sure miss those days.

     

  • Hot 20 – Dorothy returns to Kansas after spending last weekend in the Talladega tornado

    Hot 20 – Dorothy returns to Kansas after spending last weekend in the Talladega tornado

    This Sunday, NASCAR action takes us to Kansas. We just cannot get enough of Kansas, which is why we find ourselves watching the action from there for a second time this season. If not Kansas, I guess there is always Kentucky, Chicago, Dover, Fontana, or Pocono , but allow me to calm down my beating heart.

    Coming out of Talladega to Kansas, and I am just taking a guess here, probably will not increase the ratings. Entertainment value and tradition go a long ways to attracting and keeping the fan base. Last week was the Alabama 500. We started with the Daytona 500. Darlington delivered the Southern 500. We know the early race in Charlotte is really the World 600. How high on your list of must-see traditional spectacles do you rank the Hollywood Casino 400 in Kansas?

    If you are Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, it would rank pretty high. The pair split the last four of these fall classics.

     

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – SEGMENT WIN – 3120 Pts – 6 Wins
    Earned his pass into the next round and has secured full sponsorship for 2018. Good times.

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – SEGMENT WIN – 3101 Pts – 3 Wins
    No communication for much of the race, but a whole lot when it ended.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 3096 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Things were looking good for a while before Suarez and Elliott thought they were in a cartoon.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 3089 POINTS – 1 Win
    A repeat of last year’s Hollywood Casino 400 finish would be just fine with Harvick.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 3088 POINTS – 2 Wins
    The Roush boys have fancy pit guns no one else has. All that goes out the window next season.

    6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3087 POINTS
    Found a hole, filled a hole, and then someone tossed dirt in the hole.

    7. RYAN BLANEY – 3076 POINTS – 1 Win
    Tough luck last week cost him some points, but he has emerged as a top-tier talent.

    8. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3074 POINTS – 3 Wins
    22 Kansas races, 17 Top Tens, along with three wins. Jimmie likes Kansas just fine.

    9. KYLE BUSCH – 3067 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Rowdy Busch? He is more like a Battered Busch.

    10. MATT KENSETH – 3066 POINTS
    Maybe he will become the fastest damned school bus driver who ever lived next season.

    11. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 3052 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Best Kansas finish is 11th. Twice. Well, the Chase was fun while it lasted.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 3045 POINTS
    21 Kansas races, 4 Top Tens. This does not look good.

    13. KASEY KAHNE – 2104 POINTS – 1 Win
    Chase is over, time at Hendrick is near done, but Kansas marks his 500th career start.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 2103 POINTS – 1 Win
    Newman is a NASCAR ninja. Unseen, unnoticed, and then late Sunday afternoon he appeared.

    15. AUSTIN DILLON – 2099 POINTS – 1 Win
    This season has come down to trying to catch Newman and Kahne and staying ahead of Kurt.

    16. KURT BUSCH – 2089 POINTS – 1 Win
    Turning left is expected, but that sharp right-hand turn was not.

    17. JOEY LOGANO – 794 POINTS – 1 Win
    Best damn driver not to make the Chase.

    18. CLINT BOWYER – 775 POINTS
    Best damn driver not to make the Chase who was born in Emporia, Kansas.

    19. ERIK JONES – 749 POINTS
    Got a whole face full of McMurray the other day.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 708 POINTS
    Looking good last Sunday, but when he forgot to look to his left things started to look real bad.

     

  • Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    When one of the legends in the sport leaves us, we remember. If a man is known simply by the company he keeps, Robert Yates did very well.

    As a team owner, he was the boss to such NASCAR luminaries as Davey Allison, Larry McReynolds, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, and Ricky Rudd. His boys led him to 57 Cup wins over parts of nearly 20 campaigns. Jarrett and Allison allowed him to celebrate three Daytona 500 wins and a pair of July races. They each brought him a World 600 victory. He was a five-time winning owner at Talladega. Thanks to Jarrett, he got to kiss the bricks twice at Indianapolis. The boys helped him to a pair of Bristol wins. Six Richmond triumphs, two each delivered by Irvan and Jarrett, with Allison and Rudd chipping in the other two. In 1999, Jarrett delivered a Cup championship. Yes, Yates knew talent, and they produced for him.

    Robert Yates also knew engines. Not only was there a Yates engine powering Jarrett, they also sent Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to the top of the mountain. Yates Engines provided the gusto that provided 77 Cup wins, and continue to do so under the guiding hand of his son, Doug.

    NASCAR owner, engine maker, and Hall of Fame inductee in the class of 2018, Robert Yates leaves us at 74 years of age.

    When the engines come to life this Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, a third of the field will have Roush-Yates power plants under the hood.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3059 POINTS – 5 Wins
    Could sit Saturday night and still rank among the top dozen.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3041 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Elliott did not try to block him or send Kyle into the fence and lost. Chase needs a new plan.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 3034 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Ganassi has won 16 titles – 7 IndyCar crowns, 5 Grand-Am, 4 Champ Car. One appears missing.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3020 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Not sure if he be a Hatfield or McCoy, but Rowdy wants to womp him low and womp him high.

    5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3017 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Not only is he NASCAR’s most decorated active driver, but also its highest paid. Sorry Junior.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 3015 POINTS – 1 Win
    Wants the future of the sport, Mr. Elliott, to win soon. As for what Mr. Busch thinks…

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 3013 POINTS – 2 Wins
    “NASCAR drivers should be making NBA, NFL money.” I wonder if track owners will pony up?

    8. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 3010 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Sometimes a gamble earns you seven points and advancement in the Chase.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 3008 POINTS – 1 Win
    Give a kid a checkered flag, and that Kyle Larson cap he was sporting comes right off.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3006 POINTS
    The day he decides to be a selfish jerk on the track is the day he will head to Victory Lane.

    11. MATT KENSETH – 3005 POINTS
    Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the next WWE heavyweight champion.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 3003 POINTS
    Ganassi came close in 2005 to a title, but Stirling Marlin broke his leg. This was his replacement.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 2067 POINTS – 1 Win
    No doubt he loves his crew chief, but probably loves Stenhouse’s just a bit more.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 2065 POINTS – 1 Win
    Won the last time he was at Charlotte. Another would be a lovely consolation prize.

    15. KASEY KAHNE – 2046 POINTS – 1 Win
    Can he do for Leavine Family Racing what Kurt did for Furniture Row?

    16. KURT BUSCH – 2044 POINTS – 1 Win
    19th was his best first-round finish, and that is just not good enough. It really is not good at all.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 750 POINTS
    Sixth place finish at Dover was good. His crew chief’s $10,000 fine…not so much.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 741 POINTS – 1 Win
    If Kim Jong-un had launched those bad boys on Wednesday, Joey would have been safe.

    19. ERIK JONES – 728 POINTS
    If Hamlin is right, we might need a bottle drive to help top up Erik’s salary for next season.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 653 POINTS
    Suarez could take the next three races off, and still would easily claim a spot in our Hot 20.

  • The Final Word – Kyle Busch sweeps Bristol to claim his 180th NASCAR victory

    The Final Word – Kyle Busch sweeps Bristol to claim his 180th NASCAR victory

    Bristol is where the legends win. Darrell Waltrip won a dozen times there. Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, and Rusty Wallace each had nine. Then there is Kyle Busch, who’s victory on Saturday night pushed him to six, one more than his brother Kurt and David Pearson. Each one in the Hall of Fame, or will be. No exceptions.

    As far as races go, Bristol provided a decent amount of excitement. It was not one for the ages, but few are. Rowdy claimed his 40th career Cup win, to go with his wins in the junior and truck series on the weekend at the same locale. I guess I should be all a quiver that he pushed his career totals to 91 XFINITY and 49 Camping World victories. That is 180 when all three are combined, just 20 short of Richard Petty’s record in Grand National and Cup. Do the records compare? Let the debate begin.

    Erik Jones is 21-years-old, with 15 wins in the two secondary series but still looking for his first Cup victory. His second place finish Saturday night was fine, but he still needs that victory if he is to make the Chase. With the exception of one other car, he earned it. Busch just earned it more.

    At this time of the year, when all but three playoff positions are written in stone, it has come down to winning. No one is going to catch those hanging on to those three spots except by a win. The best Jones could do was move past Joey Logano into 18th on the ladder and that is just not good enough. Unless Logano, Jones, or someone still winless comes through at Darlington or Richmond, our list of contenders for the championship has been set.

    However, Saturday night was a good night for racing, a good points day for some racers. Very good for the younger Busch and Jones, pretty good for Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Matt Kenseth. For the latter, he moves three points ahead of Jamie McMurray into 15th, but with Clint Bowyer still 58 points behind him, McMurray has nothing to worry about. Well, unless the wrong guy wins one of these next two races. The gap between McMurray and Chase Elliott sitting in 14th is just 11 points. Should one of those not yet in come up with a win, then things could get pretty darn exciting, but only then.

    Brad Keselowski had a tire go down six laps in, and that was the last we saw of him last Saturday. Austin Dillon broke loose and got into a wreck during the second stage to end his day. Still, each is locked in the Chase, so the impact was minimal.

    Winning the next race, however, can help make a career. Win the Daytona 500, and you become somebody. Just ask Michael Waltrip and Sterling Marlin. Win the World 600, and you have passed the test in the longest race on the schedule. Win the Brickyard 400, and you get to kiss the masonry at the finish line.

    Coming up is the fourth jewel among NASCAR’s iconic events. One you will be remembered for even if it is the only checkered flag you ever get. Darlington and the Southern 500. Kenseth won it in 2013. Regan Smith has just one Cup win, but it was there in 2011. No one else currently not locked into the Chase has claimed the prize. Now would be the time to make a little history in South Carolina.  Action resumes on Sunday, September 3.

  • Has Dale Earnhardt Jr’s popularity stunted NASCAR growth or did he save it from itself?

    Has Dale Earnhardt Jr’s popularity stunted NASCAR growth or did he save it from itself?

    Heading into Michigan, Kevin Harvick made some headlines on his radio show when he laid blame for the sport’s lack of progress in recent years in the lap of Dale Earnhardt Jr. That never is a good thing to do.

    “For me, I believe that Dale Jr. has had a big part in kind of stunting the growth of NASCAR because he’s got these legions of fans and this huge outreach of being able to reach different places that none of us have the possibility to reach, but he’s won nine races in 10 years at Hendrick Motorsports and hasn’t been able to reach outside of that,” Harvick said. So, is Junior a “big part in kind of stunting the growth of NASCAR?”

    Junior is an interesting, unique story. In fact, his life story from the date of his father’s death to his winning the 2004 Daytona 500 is pure Hollywood gold. His win when they returned to Daytona in 2001, his four straight Talladega victories, to 2004 when the 500 was his first of six victories that season. Pure gold, damn near fictional if we had not lived to see it happen with our own eyes. The Legend’s fans became those of the Legacy, and those 15 wins in his first five seasons put the focus squarely on him.

    After 2004, he went from extraordinary to ordinary, yet his legion of fans remained. Is it his fault Jimmie Johnson has not been marketed properly? I mean, you shouldn’t see a poster of Jimmie without seeing him flanked by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. He is NASCAR royalty. Still, he was not the son of a legend.

    Junior is popular because he is the son of that Legend, a young man who had tremendous early success to allow the Earnhardt fans to keep on cheering. He also had enough of a good ole boy personality to keep them loyal through all the tribulations to come.

    Did his lack of success over recent years stunt NASCAR’s growth? Maybe, it was his continued presence that kept it from sliding further down the tubes. In fact, the champion has only taken the Most Popular Driver award six times in the season they won the championship. The last was Bill Elliott nearly 30 years ago. So much for Harvick’s theory.

    The Most Popular Driver award has been handed out 66 times. On 50 occasions, the most popular driver had the last name of Petty, Allison, Elliott, or Earnhardt. In fact, since 1970 only David Pearson and Darrell Waltrip (twice) has interrupted that dynasty.

    Mr. Harvick is wrong. It is a combination of success and personality and royal jelly that makes one the Most Popular. Neither Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart laid claim to the award. Neither has Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, or either Busch brother. Neither has Kevin Harvick.

    I guess next year we will have to find another Most Popular Driver. My guess? How about another Elliott. These families have carried NASCAR on their back for decades. Why stop now?