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Tag: Daytona International Speedway

  • Jamie Dick anticipating a strong start to 2014

    Jamie Dick anticipating a strong start to 2014

    China Grove, N.C. – Heading into the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) at the legendary Daytona International Speedway, Viva Motorsports driver and owner Jamie Dick is determined to get a solid finish in his fourth career start in the Drive4COPD 300.

    Many changes have been made within the organization to help enhance the team’s performance.  At Preseason Thunder at Daytona in January, the #55 Viva Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro showed lots of speed in the draft, adding to the team’s confidence heading into the 2014 NNS season opener.

    “We had a very good test back in January, and our car looked really good in the wind tunnel.  We will take what we learned and apply that for this weekend,” said Jamie Dick. “Daytona is always a fun and unpredictable place to race. It’s one of the few places where its hard to have a game plan going in, because you just never know what is going to happen, you either get a good finish, or end the day on a wrecker.”

    The Drive4COPD 300 will also be the first race with new crew chief Bill Henderson calling the shots atop the pit box.  Henderson came to Viva Motorsports from Penske Racing after finishing 2nd in the 2013 NNS points battle, collecting two poles and one victory along the way.

    “We have had a very busy off-season getting cars built for this season,” said Henderson. “I’m really happy with my move to Viva Motorsports, and expect many great things from Jamie and the team for Daytona and beyond.”

    About Viva Auto Group. You can visit Viva Chevrolet, Viva Kia-Mitsubishi-Suzuki, Viva Ford, Viva Nissan, and Viva Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep dealerships as well as Bestway Autos, Viva’s Elite Autos, and Viva Powersports in El Paso, TX. The Viva Auto Group Philosophy of customer service reflects its origins as a family business.  Because all Viva Auto Group dealerships are owner-operated, a high degree of personal accountability remains the Viva Auto Group hallmark.

    NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying is scheduled for Friday 2/21 at 1:00pm ET on ESPN2, with the Drive4COPD 300 on Saturday slated for 1:00pm ET on ESPN.

    Connect with Jamie Dick and Viva Motorsports on Twitter: @JamieDickRacing, @VivaRacing55.

    Facebook: JamieDickRacing, Viva Motorsports, and on the Web: jamiedick.com, viva-motorsports.com

     

  • “A Frenchman In NASCAR” Comes Alive at Daytona

    “A Frenchman In NASCAR” Comes Alive at Daytona

    MOORESVILLE, NC – February 17, 2014 – While his story may be quite a bit different than the character Jean Gerard that Will Ferrell created in the popular movie “Talladega Nights” a real life Frenchman is coming to race at Daytona this weekend as Nice, France native Michel Disdier will get behind the wheel of the SS Green Light No. 07 Chevy Silverado for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opening Nextera Energy Resources 250 on Friday night at the Daytona International Speedway.

    Michel visited the USA during a school exchange program years ago and he fell in love with the speed of the high-banked superspeedways. He has spent the last 20 years dreaming about running a NASCAR race at 180 mph on the 2.5-mile Daytona tri-oval. After attending the season ending race at Homestead-Miami in 2002, the French road-racer returned home and has worked twelve years to catch his break racing across the Atlantic from his native homeland. “I have some fans coming to Daytona from France so I hope to put on a good show for them.”

    Michel’s first North America race was in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series back in 2007 and he has made eleven starts in the ARCA Series over the last six seasons with a best finish of eleventh last year at Daytona. “Racing has been my life and although most of my experience has been on road racing circuits in Europe I have always dreamed of racing in NASCAR,” Michel said. “I will have the chance to show what I can do at the Nextera Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway in a NASCAR Camping World Truck and that is all I am focusing on right now. I feel I am ready and am prepared to do well.”

    “With less than one week until the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona, I am of course very excited. For me it has been a long time coming and all the training and preparation will soon be put to the test,” Disdier continued. “I thank everyone who was there for me over the years and I hope I will make them proud.”

    SS Green Light Racing owner/crew chief Bobby Dotter will guide Disdier’s NASCAR debut. “Michel has a lot of enthusiasm and desire to compete in NASCAR, the guys have worked hard in the SS Green Light shop to prepare the No. 07 Silverado. We want him to run well and to help him realize his passion of racing in Camping World Truck Series.”Friday night Michel Disdier will live his life-long dream at Daytona, “I may live in France but now I feel like I am coming home to the USA.”

    The Nextera Energy Resources 250 is the 314th consecutive NCWTS start for the SS Green Light Racing team, a streak that dates back to 2001. The race will prelude Sunday’s 56th running of the Daytona 500.

    Practice for the NCWTS Nextera Energy Resources 250 will be Wednesday February 19th from 2:30 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. and Thursday February 20th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. On Friday February 21st there will be two laps of qualifying at 4:10 p.m. and the green flag will fly for the Nextera Energy Resources 250 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. The race will be shown live on FOX Sports 1 and will also be broadcast via on the Motor Racing Network and on SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

     

  • HOORAHS & WAZZUPS: The Sprint Unlimited

    HOORAHS & WAZZUPS: The Sprint Unlimited

    HOORAHS & WAZZUPS: A FULL MOON OVER DAYTONA

    Just prior to the opening ceremonies for NASCAR’s annual Sprint Unlimited, the Fox Sports 1 Network presented television viewers with a gorgeous shot of a full moon boldly shining over the Daytona International Speedway. For centuries the great philosophers have found themselves staring at the majesty of a full moon while wondering if it indeed had some unknown power source capable of creating unexplainable moments. That may very well be true. There were some rather powerful, and even bizarre, moments underneath that Daytona moon during the Sprint Unlimited.

    ************

    HOORAH. With less than two laps remaining, in the third and final segment, of the Sprint Unlimited, Denny Hamlin, and his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, made a beautiful low line move on the backstretch that placed him in the lead for good. It was the type of driver move that makes fans jump out of their seats while yelling “WHOA, DID YOU SEE THAT?”Hamlin made that move in a car that, later in victory lane, he called “phenomenal.” Actually, the driver was also phenomenal. Hamlin led 27 of the special exhibition event’s 75 scheduled laps. Oh yeah, he also got to collect a huge check worth $201,139 for a job well done. It’s well known that the 2013 NASCAR season was difficult for Hamlin. A savage crash at the Auto Club Speedway last spring led to a serious back injury that caused Hamlin to miss some races and spend the remainder of the season in pain while dealing with an intense rehab program. However he finished the year by winning the season ending race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Now, with the Sprint Unlimited win, he’s two for two in the victory department and his team’s momentum is as powerful as the full moon. Don’t be too surprised if Hamlin and company emerge as major players during the upcoming Daytona 500.

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    WAZZUP. The first of the Sprint Unlimited full moon situations came during lap 28 of the event’s first 30 lap segment. That’s when Jimmie Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet went spinning off of the speedway’s tri-oval and directly into the inside wall of the frontstretch. At first a theory was presented indicating that Johnson may have been tapped by driver Kevin Harvick. However, television replays, from multiple camera angles, quickly proved that Harvick had nothing to do with this incident. This was a rare miscue by NASCAR’s reigning, and six time, champion. Johnson had to settle for a 17th place finish in the 18 car line up.

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    WAZZUP. The next full moon incident hit hard and fast and arrived on lap 37. Fronstretch contact between Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano triggered a Daytona style “big one” that also heavily impacted the cars driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and Kevin Harvick. Kenseth later noted that he was riding behind the Ford of Brad Keselowski which checked up. That led to Kenseth’s sudden move to avoid hitting him which, in turn, led to the contact with Logano.

    HOORAH. Always a class act, Kenseth accepted responsibility for the wreck and said he truly felt bad about the number of cars that got wrecked.

    HOORAH. Everyone at Daytona, as well as everyone watching on television, was delighted to see Tony Stewart climb out of his wrecked car. Stewart is still recuperating from a broken leg sustained from a sprint car racing accident last summer which required three rounds of surgery as well as a lengthy rehab process that is still ongoing. The Sprint Unlimited was Stewart’s first race since that accident.

    HOORAH. Danica Patrick actually did a very good job threading the needle to avoid contact in the big one. But, in the process of taking that evasive action, her left side tires ran into the frontstretch grass which sent her Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet into a spin. Still, at this particular moment, her worst case scenario was a set of flat spotted tires.

    WAZZUP. Patrick’s free pass from the “big one” carnage came to an end when her stopped car was hit hard by, of all people, her boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. His Roush Fenway Racing Ford sustained major front end damage in the crash. Beyond the fact that turning the wheels of the car was just about impossible, there was the added element of a badly buckled hood on the car that made it impossible for the driver to see where he was going. Stenhouse simply didn’t know Patrick was parked in his path until the extremely hard collision.

    HOORAH. Despite the severity of the crash they were involved in, the first couple of NASCAR still managed to maintain their sense of humor. During a post wreck interview Stenhouse said: “I don’t think Jack, (team owner Jack Roush), has insurance on these cars. Maybe that would be a good thing.” Patrick concluded her comments with: “hey, I just got hit by my boyfriend, isn’t that a bummer?”

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    WAZZUP. Imagine, if you will, that you are a NASCAR official on duty in race control located high above the speedway. All of a sudden you receive a bizarre radio transmission that says, “Tower-we’re on fire!”That message came from Brett Bodine, NASCAR’s official pace car driver, after the interior of the Chevrolet SS pace car filled with smoke due to actual flames coming from the trunk of the car. It was later revealed that the trunk of these pace cars contain battery packs that power the emergency lighting system. It’s now believed that there was an electrical short in one of the batteries that caused the fire. Fortunately, there was a back up pace car available and the show went on. NASCAR officials had no immediate comment on the incident and suggested to the media that they should contact the official Chevrolet representative in the garage area. It was later reported that the factory rep absolutely had no comment on the fire.

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    WAZZUP. With a better than good chance to win the Sprint Unlimited, Dale Earnhardt Jr. found himself hitting the turn one wall, with less than ten laps remaining, following some contact with Marcos Ambrose. While making his way to pit road, an incensed Earnhardt found Ambrose and solidly hit his rear bumper followed by placing a scrape mark down the right side of Ambrose’s Ford.

    WAZZUP. More and more, in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing, we’re seeing evidence that indicates victims of crashes really should examine a video replay before taking their frustrations out on another driver. After seeing the replay of his wreck, Earnhardt realized that the incident wasn’t entirely Ambrose’s fault and immediately reduced his anger level.

    WAZZUP. Earnhardt’s post wreck video reality check likely didn’t appease his massive fan club known as the Junior Nation. They’re probably still hissing at the Australian driver who helped their driver find the retaining wall. In fact, they’ll probably start calling him “Kangaroo Meat” again.

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    HOORAH. There were some fast thinking crew chiefs, backed by fast moving crew members, who took advantage of lengthy caution periods to make repairs on their battered race cars that led to strong finishes. These crews effectively made chicken salad out of chicken doo-doo. A perfect example is the Joe Gibbs Racing crew who services Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota. In the opening laps of the third segment of the race, Busch went spinning through turn four and wound up taking a rough ride through the frontstretch grass area. It was a fantastic save by the driver that kept him from wrecking the car, but the ride through the crash did cause a lot of front end damage. The crew went to work, during multiple trips to the pits, and made the effective repairs that allowed their driver to finish third in the final rundown. The same principle applies to Kevin Harvick whose Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet was badly damaged following the race’s nine car “big one.” Multiple visits to the pits allowed the team to give their driver a car that was manageable and the result was a fifth place finish. During the first segment of the race, Ryan Newman lost the power steering in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. That prompted Michael Waltrip, working the Fox Sports 1 broadcast booth, to quip: “he’s a big dude, he can handle that.” Actually, the loss of power steering in a race car isn’t exactly an easy situation, but, again, through multiple stops, Newman’s crew also rose to the occasion, made the repairs, and helped their driver to an eighth place finish.

    This is what it takes to win races and championships.

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    SOME FINAL THOUGHTS:

    HOORAH to the performance levels of NASCAR’s Generation Six race car. It was clearly evident that the detailed process that went into the new 2014 rules package has created an increase in competition and passing ability.

    HOORAH to NASCAR for again allowing the fans to vote on the strategic aspects to the Sprint Unlimited format. The final vote that required mandatory pit stops prior to the third, and final, segment was especially well received.

    DOUBLE HOORAH. The wait is finally over. When the green flag fell on the Sprint Unlimited, it also signaled the official start of NASCAR 2014.

     

  • Grant Enfinger Holds Off Frank Kimmel For His Third Career Victory

    Grant Enfinger Holds Off Frank Kimmel For His Third Career Victory

    Grant Enfinger’s determination assisted him to victory lane in the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. His celebration after the impressive win proved just how much his third career ARCA Racing Series victory meant.

    “This is pretty special,” Enfinger said. “To get this, Iowa and Mobile last year means the world to me. Appreciate everybody at Team BCR. We have some great sponsors and great partners. It doesn’t get much better than this.”

    Enfinger, who began the race in the second starting position, fought off a late race caution and a charging Frank Kimmel to seal the victory. Kimmel wounded up with a career-best second place finish at DIS, but again, his ultimate career goal of winning at Daytona wasn’t accomplished.

    Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President, racked up a magnificent third place finish. Tom Hessert and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five after making many moves in the closing laps.

    The pivotal moment of the event occurred in the beginning laps after Buster Graham was sent around which caused a catastrophe on the front stretch. Justin Boston, Will Kimmel, Justin Allison and Jeb Burton were the notable drivers involved in the multi-car incident.

    Dylan Kwasniewski, who inherited the pole after many competitors failed post-qualifying tech, was shuffled outside the top five in the closing laps and eventually finished a dismal 14th position.

    Chase Elliott, who was certainly a favorite entering the race, finished ninth after having a bad restart with under nine laps to go. John Wes Townely, last year’s Daytona winner, finished a satisfying 11th place finish.

    The ARCA Racing Series returns to the racetrack on March 22nd at Mobile International Speedway, which is Enfinger’s home track and a track in which he captured one of his three career victories.

  • Dylan Kwasniewski Snatches Daytona Pole After Gerhart Fails Tech

    Dylan Kwasniewski Snatches Daytona Pole After Gerhart Fails Tech

    Dylan Kwasniewski continued his impressive resume after capturing the pole for Saturday’s Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAVTV American Real at Daytona International Speedway.

    Kwasniewski, 18, garnered the pole after Bobby Gerhart failed post-qualifying inspection. Gerhart, after his time was disallowed, will begin the event dead last. Gerhart has witnessed victory lane in the ARCA Racing Series at Daytona four times before, including three consecutive from 2010-2012.

    Grant Enfinger, after a multitude of driver’s failed post-qualifying inspection, will inherit the second starting position. Enfinger, 29, recently finished second in the Snowball Derby.

    Buster Graham, like Enfinger, moved up the starting lineup after other competitor’s times were disallowed. Graham will begin the 200 mile event in the third position.

    Chase Elliott, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, and Mark Thompson rounded out the top five. This will be Elliott’s first ARCA event at the famed Daytona International Speedway.

    Leilani Munter, Justin Boston and Spencer Gallagher were among the other drivers that failed post-qualifying inspection. Gallagher, after the penalty, removed himself from the entry list.

    The season opener for the ARCA Racing Series takes the green flag at 4 PM Eastern Time tomorrow, and can be viewed live on Fox Sports One with timing and scoring on the ARCA Racing Series web site.

  • NASCAR Announces Minor Changes to New Qualifying Procedures

    NASCAR Announces Minor Changes to New Qualifying Procedures

    NASCAR announced minor adjustments to its new qualifying procedure Thursday morning at Daytona International Speedway. The changes resulted after feedback received from teams in all three national series.

    NASCAR had previously stated that adjustments would only be allowed during breaks between the qualifying rounds but that has been amended.

    “Starting in Phoenix,” Pemberton, vice president of competition, explained, “the teams will be able to adjust during their qualifying rounds and in the breaks of their qualifying rounds.  If it’s during the round when the track is hot, there will be one crew member over the wall that must wear a helmet and he can perform the adjustments which are tape, tire pressures and wedge.  And then during the breaks, it will be three crew members when the track is cold, and they’ll go over to perform those duties.”

    Pemberton announced one more tweak to the new qualifying procedures. The road courses will now follow the short track procedure, which means that they will have two rounds of qualifying, instead of three.

    “So, as it remains same,” he continued, “there will be three rounds of qualifying on our larger than mile-and-a-quarter racetracks.  There will be two rounds in the mile-and-a-quarter and less.  The difference will be our five road courses will move into the short track version.  Through feedback, they felt like the second or last round needed to be a little bit longer to get multiple laps in on the track, so this should optimize their track time.”

    The new qualifying procedures will take effect in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series next week at Daytona. The Sprint Cup teams will follow suit the following week at Phoenix.

     

     

  • Dalton Baldwin Preview-UNOH Battle At The Beach 2014–Daytona International Speedway

    Dalton Baldwin Preview-UNOH Battle At The Beach 2014–Daytona International Speedway

    Dalton Baldwin is looking forward to the upcoming season of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. The year kicks off with the second edition of the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, February 18.

    Last year Baldwin made his rookie debut in the inaugural Battle at the Beach. He started 32nd but finished strong with a 10th place finish.

    “To avoid all those wrecks and come from 32nd to 10th with a clean car was an amazing feat,” he said. “Our first top 10 and we stayed on the lead lap in just our 3rd race is just awesome, we’re all extremely happy. Words can’t really explain it.”

    This time out Baldwin hopes to exceed last year’s performance.

    “Well, I don’t see why we can’t win it,” he says confidently. “I personally am looking for a top 5, no less than a top 10. But, I believe we can win if the chips fall our way and it all comes together.”

    The inaugural event was filled with drama and culminated with a controversial finish as Steve Park spun out nine-time champion Mike Stefanik to take the flag in a green-white-checkered free-for-all.

    Baldwin is optimistic that the event will run more smoothly this year.

    “Hopefully the track’s laid out better,” he explained. “They’ve changed the length a little bit. So, hopefully it’ll be laid out better. Last year was bad and I think the layout had a lot to do with the wrecks. Other than that, I think it’ll be an exciting race, definitely one to watch on FOX Sports. We just need to get a good qualifying time in and get ourselves a good starting spot.  From there it’ll be survival until the end. If we can get to the end and be inside the top 5, we’ll have a shot at the win.”

    The second annual UNOH Battle at the Beach will air live on television on FOX Sports 2 beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio will begin their broadcast live at 6:45 p.m. with a pre-show. The broadcast will also be streamed live at MRN.com and simulcast by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

    Baldwin Racing, Inc. is thankful for the continued support of his partners including Children’s Dream Racer, Advance Auto Parts of Dunedin, Fla., BG Products, SpeedwayMedia.com, Alpha Graphics and Eibach Springs.

    Children’s Dream Racer will be featured on Baldwin’s car and is an organization that he is proud to be associated with, as he explains below.

    “Children’s Dream Racer is a really cool organization. Mark Smith, “Smitty,” is an awesome guy who started CDR to give children in hospitals something fun to do. A Children’s Dream Racer is essentially a mini-racecar. It’s made with all the same stuff; tubing welded together to make a roll-cage, sheet metal for a body, a seat and so on. They put a TV monitor and a Playstation or Xbox in so kids can play video games while they’re getting tests done or whatever they might be doing. It’s an amazing way to put a smile on a child’s face while they’re in the hospital.”

    Baldwin Racing, Inc. is also working to put a Children’s Dream Racer in their local All Children’s Hospital in Tampa, Fla.

    If you are interested in donating or for more information on Children’s Dream Racer, please visit their website at http://www.childrensdreamracer.com/page/page/7713594.htm.

    For more information about Baldwin Racing, Inc. including driver bio, race schedule, pictures and videos, please visit www.daltonbaldwin.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Dalton_Baldwin and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baldwin-Racing-Inc/567856793233351.

  • NASCAR 2014 Season Predictions

    NASCAR 2014 Season Predictions

    *Kyle Busch leads 54 laps and passes Ryan Newman on the final lap to win the Daytona 500, his first Sprint Cup win at the season opener. In a post-race interview with Erin Andrews, Busch announces that he and his wife Samantha are pregnant with their first child. Busch beams to Andrews that “I’m sure I’ll be a good father, because I know what it’s like to be a baby.”

    Busch finishes second in the Sprint Cup point standings, winning five races, and caps his year with a win at Homestead and his first Sprint Cup championship.

    *Tony Stewart vows to win his third Sprint Cup championship in 2014, and fans and other drivers notice his new attitude. Former teammate Ryan Newman quips in an interview at Daytona that Stewart seems to be “walking with a purpose, as well as a limp.”

    Stewart wins at Watkins Glen and qualifies for the Chase, but finishes a disappointing seventh in the final standings.

    *Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s No. 88 car gets a new sponsor just in time for the Daytona 500 when an online funeral planning service signs on for 12 races. The service, known as “Final-E” sees a boom in business after their logo appears on Earnhardt’s Chevy.

    Earnhardt finishes second in the Daytona 500, and wins at Daytona in July on his way to a fourth place finish in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    *Kevin Harvick coins the name “Two Men And A Babe, And Kurt Busch” to describe the Stewart-Haas Racing stable of Stewart, Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Danica Patrick after a heated drivers’ meeting following wreck at Fontana initiated by aggressive driving from Busch.

    Harvick, aided by new buddy Stewart, exacts his revenge the following week at Martinsville, where the two craft an elaborate hoax in which a phony façade of Busch’s hauler placed in front of a Port-A-Potty lures Busch into a trap. Once inside, Busch is fork-lifted to an outer parking lot, and is forced to walk back and misses qualifying.

    *E! Network and ABC collaborate on a new reality show called “Keeping Up With The Chase Format: Extreme Makeover: NASCAR Edition.” In the show, host Brad Daugherty roams around NASCAR events asking fans if they understand not only the Chase For The Cup format, but Daugherty’s hayseed, mountain drawl.

    *Richard Childress Racing rookie Austin Dillon bulls his way to the win in a wreck-filled race at Bristol on March 16, as only 22 cars are running at the end. In Victory Lane, Dillon salutes his detractors with a middle finger, then pops the top on a beer before shouting “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”

    The outburst makes Dillon a sensation, but also saddles the driver of the Childress No. 3 Chevy with the nickname “The Imitator.”

    *In an interview promoting a partnership between the No. 48 team and Caesar’s Palace before the March race in Las Vegas, Jimmie Johnson coins his quest for his seventh Sprint Cup championship “VIIni, VIIdi, VIIci.”

    Later, after International Speedway Corporation CEO Jim France makes Smith an insulting offer for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Smith slaps France, leading a fallen France to quip, “Et tu, Bruton?”

    Johnson leads the points standings for most of the year, and heads to Homestead with a chance to win No. 7, but engine trouble ends his day. He finishes third in the points standings.

    *Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. elope in Barbados on April 19th at a ceremony presided over by Russell Brand and streamed live on GoDaddy.com. Patrick wears a Vera Wang gown crafted from fire-suit material and accented with a HANS device and also featuring a plunging neckline that leaves little to the imagination.

    Patrick’s good fortune continues when she wins at Talladega on May 3rd, darting from 23rd to first on the final lap as a wild pileup eliminates half the field. A wild celebration ensues in Victory Lane, where Patrick delivers a message to her competitors, “There’s a party at my house. I hate to be ‘Petty,’ but no one’s invited, so you can all go home.”

    *In a new advertisement for ESPN’s Sportscenter, Clint Bowyer leads a spin class in the ESPN company workout facility, while Michael Waltrip is seen guiding a tour group from Finland around ESPN’s headquarters. The commercial ends when Bowyer and Waltrip dupe the tour group into paying a second admission fee before they’re busted by Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman, who accuse the MWR duo of “manipulating the Finnish.”

    *Carl Edwards is scheduled to make an appearance in the March 2nd episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead, in which he portrays the leader of a brainless following of half-dead dimwits, a group eerily similar to the Carl Edwards Fan Club.

    To publicize the event, the No. 99 sports a Subway/The Walking Dead paint scheme bearing the slogan, “Subway: Eat Flesh” at Phoenix. Edwards leads 88 laps and wins in a race that features only three lead changes. In Victory Lane, Edwards performs his trademark back flip while disappointed fans file out like zombies.

    *Matt Kenseth wins the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 6th, and is presented the winner’s trophy by “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson, who oddly comments that his favorite parts of the 1.5-mile track are the “straights.”

    *After a crash at Kentucky Speedway on June 28th, Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards are summoned to the NASCAR hauler for a talk with NASCAR officials. Keselowski creates a firestorm when he tweets a picture from inside the hauler, a photo which shows he and Edwards smoking cigars and playing ping-pong while officials in the background relax in a hot tub.

    Keselowski is placed on probation for two weeks, while NASCAR bans cell phones and all liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces. 5-Hour Energy shots takes advantage of the opportunity, and becomes the official drink of drivers called to the NASCAR hauler.

    *June’s road race at Sonoma is delayed for three hours after a mild earthquake strikes the region, causing slight damage to the circuit’s surface. Swan Racing part-owner 50 Cent is seen inspecting a fissure in the track along pit road, leading to TNT’s Kyle Petty to make the controversial statement, “Well, he was a crack dealer.”

    50 laughs off the comment, and later in the year makes a big splash when, as honorary starter at Dover in June, eschews waving the green flag and instead fires a starters pistol nine times. In doing so, 50 becomes the first rapper to be “shot nine times” twice.

    *Gene Haas abandons his plan to enter Formula 1 and instead opts to field a funny car in the NHRA. Haas car flops, failing to qualify for a single final, and becomes the laughingstock in the drag racing garage, leading to the nickname “Funny Haas Haas.”

    *A healthy Denny Hamlin wins four races on the season, including March’s Martinsville race, where he fights off a challenge from Joey Logano, than challenges Logano to a fight after the race. Hamlin and Logano settle their differences in a charity 1-on-1 basketball game, which ends in a tie, 1-to-1.

    Hamlin qualifies for the “Elimination Round” of NASCAR’s revamped Chase For The Cup format, and wins at Phoenix on November 9th, but tweaks his back shaking an oversized champagne bottle and struggles the following week at Homestead.

  • Ryan Truex’s New Cup Ride ‘Definitely a Surprise’

    Ryan Truex’s New Cup Ride ‘Definitely a Surprise’

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

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

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

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

    “It has definitely been a surprise.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    “I think it will be really competitive.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    “I am very excited for this opportunity.”

  • David Ragan Set for a Milestone Year

    David Ragan Set for a Milestone Year

    For David Ragan, 2014 is set to be a year full of milestones, from his 100th Nationwide start to his impending fatherhood, with baby Ragan set to arrive this summer.

    But as is the case for most racers, Ragan is just happy to be back at the track, even if only for some preseason testing in the Nationwide Series.

    “I’m excited for the Daytona Nationwide race,” Ragan said. “I will be racing with the Biagi-DenBeste Racing team.”

    “I wanted to run a few Nationwide races to get back in the rhythm of running up front and having some fun in the Nationwide Series,” Ragan continued. “It’s something that I really haven’t had an opportunity to do in the last year or so.”

    “I didn’t even realize it would be my 100th start so that was kind of interesting as well,” Ragan said. “It’s something that as the years go on, you look back and say, ‘Man it did go by pretty fast.’

    “But definitely the 100th start will be fun to make at Daytona, which is special to me.”

    Ragan will be behind the wheel of the No. 98 Curb Records Ford for his milestone start in the DRIVE4COPD 300, scheduled for February 22nd.

    “The Nationwide team has built a really nice car,” Ragan said. “We tested down in Dayton for a couple days and thought the car had a lot of speed.”

    “We have won a couple of races, a few poles and I certainly want to add another notch in the win column,” Ragan continued. “That would be cool to do in your 100th milestone start.”

    Another milestone that Ragan is hoping to achieve is being able to compete in even more Nationwide Series races with this Biagi-DenBeste Racing team.

    “We are working hard to attract a few more sponsors to run a few more races,” Ragan said. “This is the kind of team that doesn’t run a tremendous number of races so they can do it a little cheaper than a full-time team.”

    “It’s fun and a great opportunity with a Ford Mustang to get back into the Nationwide Series,” Ragan continued. “So, I’m looking forward to hopefully running a few more races with this team.”

    While Ragan is looking forward to achieving more milestones at Daytona in the Nationwide Series, he acknowledges that he will have a few challenges to face getting back into that seat. And while he enjoys racing at Daytona, the track has also presented some challenges along the way.

    “I enjoy plate racing,” Ragan said. “I didn’t enjoy it the first year or two but I got to learn how to do it well.”

    “But Daytona has been a tough track for me,” Ragan continued. “I think I’ve wrecked the last three or four races there.”

    Several of the other challenges that Ragan will face in his milestone return to the Nationwide Series is the new ‘no tandem racing’ rule, as well as all the new, fresh rookie faces in the garage area.

    “I don’t think that NASCAR will even have a chance to police that no tandem rule because of the configuration of the air intake and the radiator package,” Ragan said. “It’s very similar to the Cup Series so the temperatures will be so high that you won’t be able to even attempt to tandem race.”

    “It is just one of those things that NASCAR is adjusting the rules on a bit that I don’t think they’ll have an opportunity to enforce because we can police it ourselves.”

    “Also, I’m trying to get to know some of the new guys out there that I’m racing with,” Ragan said. “That’s why it was important to go and do the test.

    “A lot of the Nationwide guys I know and know of but I haven’t had the opportunity to race with them,” Ragan continued. “I think it’s important to get to talk to them and let them see me in the car so they recognize who is driving it.”

    “That will pay big dividends when we are out there racing for sure.”

    Ragan is also looking forward to achieving new milestones on the Cup side of his career, especially being back in partnership for another year with Front Row Motorsports teammate David Gilliland.

    “Front Row Motorsports has improved year in and year out since I’ve started there in 2012,” Ragan said. “We’ve got a lot of potential now.”

    “Some of our primary sponsors are coming back and we’re excited about that,” Ragan continued. “We’ve worked on our car inventory this off-season and we’ve certainly improved our team.”

    “We’ve got to keep working hard because as the same time we’re improving our team, the teams around us are improving theirs as well,” Ragan said. “We just have to keep our heads up and keep working hard.”

    “We’re excited to get to Daytona, but really excited to get to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol and see where we shake out in those first few races,” Ragan continued. “I’m looking forward to my third year and having some fun with my team.”

    “And if we could slightly improve on our Cup efforts, continue to build relationships with our sponsors and it has a lot of potential to be a milestone year.”

    Ragan’s final, and most important, milestone in 2014 is more personal. He and his wife Jacquelyn are expecting a new addition to the Ragan clan.

    “We are also having a milestone personally as Jacquelyn, my wife, is pregnant and due in June,” Ragan said. “So, this is going to be a big year off the race track.”

    “It’s going to be a fun time but a very busy time,” Ragan said. “But we’re excited and ready to get the year underway.”