Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Daytona International Speedway

The Earnhardt Legacy Continues to Evolve

With Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway, thoughts of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and his legacy on the sport of NASCAR are only natural.

Yet, in spite of his being gone for thirteen years now, with his fatal crash in the Daytona 500 in 2001, his legacy continues to not only live on but evolve significantly.

One of the biggest evolutions in the legacy of Dale Earnhardt Sr. is of course the return of his infamous No. 3 car to the track with Richard Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon behind the wheel.

Both Childress and Dillon were most mindful of their impact on the Earnhardt legacy as they made the announcement prior to the start of the season.

“I know in my heart, today, as I sit here, Dale Earnhardt is smiling down,” Childress said. “He would want to see this 3.”

Childress also stated that he believes the return of the No. 3 car actually will serve to preserve the legacy of his friend ‘The Intimidator’ and will provide teachable moments about his place in the sport to new and the new and up and coming fan base.

“My hope is that Dale Earnhardt fans will be re-energized,” Childress said. “We are going to do our best to make them proud and I know Austin will.”

“I think the new fans will learn a lot about the great Dale Earnhardt by watching this.”

Indeed, the No. 3 car has indeed been the talk of the town during preseason testing, atop the speed charts at 195.109 mph when the rain finally stopped enough for the Cup cars to take the track.

An additional evolution in the Earnhardt legacy occurred this week with the announcement of the dropping of the Earnhardt name from the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates banner.

While Dale Earnhardt’s widow Teresa Earnhardt has not been involved in the ongoing operations of the team, it is unclear what, if any, her role is moving forward.

“It’s been an honor to have the Earnhardt name affiliated with our team,” Chip Ganassi Racing President Steve Lauletta said. “Dale and Teresa have done a tremendous amount for the sport.”

“We’ll continue to do business with those (DEI) companies,” Lauletta continued. “The relationship with Teresa and DEI was a benefit to the organization and we certainly want to continue to be affiliated with them.”

“But for our partners and for the way we operate the organization, we’re changing the brand to Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.”

While the Earnhardt name may be going away at the Cup level, the legacy continues on with another team that is affiliated with that famous moniker, JR Motorsports.

This team, headed by General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller, daughter of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., recently announced their new up and coming driver Chase Elliott. The 18 year old will be behind the wheel of the No. 9 NAPA car in the Nationwide Series and will team with Regan Smith.

“This will be the strongest lineup we’ve put on the track since we started racing full time in 2006,” JRM General Manger Kelley Earnhardt Miller said. “He’s that good.”

Another major evolution in the Earnhardt legacy occurred this week as well, with the announcement that NASCAR’s most popular driver and reigning Earnhardt heir Dale Junior will be losing his crew chief Steve Letarte in 2015.

NBC Sports made it official that Letarte will be joining the network in the broadcast booth, leaving the pit box of Earnhardt Jr. after this season.

“I had a pretty good understanding what his decision was going to be when I left Homestead, so I’ve had time to really wrap my brain around it,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It was a huge shock at first, just for me personally.”

“I sat down with him and talked about it, the more it made sense and the more I understood his situation and I could put my own selfishness aside and kind of understand what was important to him and how this was good for him.”

While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is experiencing his own changes, the next generation of Earnhardts are experiencing their own evolutions on the track.

Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr., announced this week that he will be racing full-time in the Nationwide Series. The 24 year old driver will be behind the wheel of the No. 4 Chevrolet, teaming up with Landon Cassill, for JD Motorsports.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” Jeffrey Earnhardt said. “This sport runs in my family, and it’s where I want to be every week.”

“Racing with Johnny and Gary and the guys will give me a shot at running well every week and adding on the experience I need.”

The final cog in the Earnhardt legacy evolution is another grandchild, however, this one is female. Twelve year old Karsyn Elledge, daughter of Kelley Earnhardt Miller, has been making her own name in the sport, racing her grandfather’s No. 3 in sprint cars with sponsor Nickelodeon.

“I didn’t get to meet him, but I know that it makes my mom and my dad proud that I run this number,” Earnhardt Elledge said. “I’ve only heard how great it was with this number and this legacy and I am excited to carry it on.”

Perhaps Dale Earnhardt Jr. summed up the evolution of the Earnhardt legacy best, as he discussed the changes in his own professional career including his crew chief.

“Life is full of change,” Junior said. “And we have to adjust and be able to move forward.”

January 11, 2014
Daytona 500 Testing: What should we expect?

NASCAR’s off-season will be briefly interrupted, Thursday, as teams are set to begin testing for the 56th annual Daytona 500, which is set for Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway.

The off-season was also interrupted in early December as teams ran sprint races, testing modifications made to the Gen-6 car. However, these modifications will not be used at the opening race, but the following weekend, at Phoenix.

This leaves some fans to wonder, what will be any different from the racing we saw last season at Daytona? That is a point that is leaving many fans with a sour taste in their mouths, including Zak Thompson, a prominent up-and-coming racer, who was not very pleased with the product last season.

“There was no passing,” he stated. “There should have been more testing conducted with the Gen-6 car. NASCAR didn’t put in the adequate amount of time to develop and test the car, as they should have.”

Many fans agree with Thompson’s statement. Most of the ideas that have been given the green light in recent years sound great on paper. But that is not good enough. As a sport and a business, NASCAR has to think about the fans. What do they think? I want everyone reading this article to do a simple assignment: watch some old races.

What do I mean by old races? I’m talking about pre-COT era races. Therefore, the 2002 Daytona 500 compared to the most recent 500 event. Compare and contrast what you see between those two races. I will let you know right now, you will notice a big difference and it is not even the racing. It is the attendance.

The stands were full of fans. There were multiple teams, not just Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, making headlines on the race track. Given, the economy was in a much better state. However, the steps NASCAR has taken to improve the attendance have not been beneficial. To benefit from the current state of the economy, NASCAR must abide by what the “market” is demanding. Therefore, NASCAR needs to lower ticket prices, as well as encouraging teams to innovate and pursue better ways to make their cars go fast!

Remember the 90s? We all remember the 90s. What about the sound that came out of the engine of the No. 4, driven by Sterling Marlin? That car had a very distinct sound to it. That was the sound of innovation. The No.4 team, owned by Larry McClure at the time, was such a dominant force at the restrictor plate races. Who was the last driver to score back-to-back Daytona 500 victories? Well, that was Sterling Marlin. It was all because that team had great chemistry and a package that was very difficult to beat. We can bring that back. It takes a whole group of people to spread the message. Without fans, there would be no NASCAR.

Therefore, the fans need to speak. As for the testing, I am not really sure where my emotions are. I am certainly excited to see the cars back on the race track. As for the racing, I do not know what to really say. I have not seen anything, particularly with the tests done at Charlotte, that would make me think otherwise. Besides, like I said, those changes will not matter at Daytona, anyway. On the other hand, testing is an opportunity to make some changes.

With that being said, please do not take everything I say the wrong way. I am actually quite optimistic about the 2014 racing season. It isn’t wrong, however, to ask questions. So, I encourage all of you to ask questions. If there is something that concerns you, contact a NASCAR executive and speak your mind. The more people that speak out could make a huge difference. Who knows? What you say tomorrow, could impact NASCAR at some point in the future. Do not think short term. How can my idea impact NASCAR in the future? Think in a very positive way. Those ideas could soon become a reality.

January 9, 2014
Recapping ‘Monday Madness’ in NASCAR

Daytona must be getting closer as Monday was filled with news concerning the quickly approaching NASCAR season. From a deadly duo ready to battle for the Nationwide Series’ Owner’s Championship to a retired driver set to take some laps at Daytona, the day in news never let up.

Sam Hornish Jr. to Compete in 7 Races for JGR’s No.54 Nationwide Series Entry

Sam Hornish Jr. announced today that he will compete in seven NASCAR Nationwide Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2014. He will be behind the wheel of the No.54 car in the events Kyle Busch does not compete in. Hornish Jr.’s first race will be at Talladega in May.

After finishing runner-up to Austin Dillon in the Nationwide Series standings last season, Hornish Jr. was left without a ride for 2014 due to lack of sponsorship. Hornish Jr. will not have a chance at redemption for the driver’s championship but he will play a crucial role in the No.54 car’s owner’s championship bid. The No.54 car came up short on the owner’s title last season but a revamped effort for 2014 makes them an early favorite to capture the crown.

Chase Elliott Partners with NAPA, JR Motorsports for Full-time Nationwide Series Ride in 2014

Chase Elliott was able to announce his plans for the future today. After losing Aaron’s as a sponsor following the 2013 season, Elliott went sponsor hunting in order to continue his racing career. Rick Hendrick and Elliott met with NAPA towards the end of 2013 and now NAPA will sponsor him full-time in his first Nationwide Series season. Elliott will get behind the wheel of the No.9 NAPA Chevrolet in 2014. The deal with NAPA is a multi-year agreement.

Elliott initially broke the record for being the youngest winner in NASCAR history last season until Erik Jones broke the record again in the penultimate race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season. Elliott competed in a select number of NCWTS events last season, but no Nationwide Series races due to the age limit. The now 18 year-old will be able to compete for the Nationwide Series title in 2014 as he continues building his racing career.

David Reutimann Out at BK Racing, Bowman, Truex Considered Favorites for Ride

BK Racing announced today that they have mutually split ways with David Reutimann. Reutimann had competed for the team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the previous two seasons.

With Reutimann gone, a ride has opened at BK Racing. It is unknown whether BK Racing will terminate the ride or if they will sign a new driver. Alex Bowman tested the No.83 car at Charlotte last month. Bowman will also test the car later this week at Daytona. He is currently without a ride for 2014 and appears as the favorite for the No.83 car.

Ryan Truex’s name has also come up as he will test BK Racing’s No.93 car at Daytona. Truex is currently under contract with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Bill Elliott to Test No.5 for JR Motorsports at Daytona

On the heels of the Chase Elliott announcement, JR Motorsports laid out their testing plans for Daytona International Speedway. With Dale Earnhardt Jr. unavailable, Bill Elliott will be behind the wheel of the car Earnhardt Jr. will pilot at the Nationwide Series season opener in February. Elliott’s last NASCAR venture came in 2012 when he raced a Turner-Scott Motorsports entry in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. According to JR Motorsports, this is a one-time deal.

January 7, 2014
Dakoda Armstrong Sees New Ride as ‘Greatest Opportunity’

Twenty-two year old former Truck Series driver Dakoda Armstrong has been tapped by the ‘King’ to drive the iconic No. 43 Ford Mustang full-time in the Nationwide Series. And for Armstrong, he sums up his new ride simply as the ‘greatest opportunity.’

“Obviously, the iconic number has so much behind it that it would be impossible to live up to the expectations of that,” Armstrong said. “But the fact of knowing that I’m going to be able to run a full season is the greatest opportunity, especially with Richard Petty Motorsports.”

“I’m very excited and really ready to get going on it and get everything working.”

As with so much in the sport of NASCAR, Armstrong acknowledged that the deal with RPM came about quickly.

“One thing in this sport, stuff happens overnight,” Armstrong said. “We were looking for a deal where we could do as much racing as we could.”

“This deal opened up with Michael Annett leaving and it just worked out perfectly.”

Armstrong is grateful to not only Richard Petty Motorsports for the opportunity but is also thankful to his sponsor, Winfield, for stepping up to the next level with him.

“Winfield came on board all this year and helped us out in the Truck Series,” Armstrong said. “They are really, really new to the NASCAR scene but everything they’ve done, they have done a great job with, being able to activate the sponsorship and making sure it’s not just a car and a number.”

“I think it’s going to be a great fit and our sponsor is really happy to be on board and have that No. 43.”

Winfield, a Land O’Lakes Company, is a natural fit for Armstrong because of the young driver’s farming background.

“We deal with them a lot on our family-owned farm so that is how we got in touch with them,” Armstrong said. “It’s all worked out on a local level, then a national level, and now on this new NASCAR level.”

“They are really excited and I’m really excited for this year and to be able to slap the No. 43 on with their logos puts a big smile on their faces.”

Although Armstrong will be the new kid on the block, he will have continuity with his crew chief, Philippe Lopez, and the team at the shop and at track.

“Everyone at the shop, which I’ve just recently met, were already there,” Armstrong said. “Philippe is going to be our crew chief and he has been the crew chief for the last couple of years with the Annett deal.”

“He’s staying there and I don’t think anyone has left,” Armstrong continued. “So, it’s going to be a team that’s ready to go, which should be good.”

Armstrong acknowledged that it will take some time for the team, crew chief and himself to gel. But he has every confidence that will occur, especially when they get to their first race together.

“I’m still learning everybody and they are still learning me,” Armstrong said. “We’re all trying to figure it out.”

“Once we get to Daytona we’ll be together and ready to go for the season.”

One of the greatest opportunities that Armstrong has enjoyed so far since the announcement of his No. 43 ride is getting to spend some quality time with the big boss Richard Petty.

“I’ve talked to him a few times that I’ve been there,” Armstrong said. “He’s just so humble and just like a normal guy that you forget when you’re talking to him that he is the ‘King’.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Armstrong continued. “He’s told me some stories and how different racing is nowadays. So, that’s pretty cool.”

The ‘King’ is equally impressed with his new young driver.

“Dakoda will help us continue the success of our No. 43 Nationwide Series program,” Richard Petty said. “Dakoda is a driver who has grown up in the sport and has paid his dues.”

“He has proven himself at every level and we will now give him the tools he needs to be successful in the Nationwide Series and believe he can win races for us.”

So, what is Armstrong doing in the off-season to prepare himself for the next leap in his career? Why racing of course.

“I’m actually at Pensacola to do the Snowball Derby right now,” Armstrong said. “I’ve never run a late model in a big race like this.”

“I did one race when I was 16 years old, so it’s been awhile,” Armstrong continued. “I don’t really know how these things drive so I’m just going to go out and have a lot of fun and a good time.”

After he finishes his Snowball Derby racing, Armstrong plans to head home to the farm and family in Indiana before he starts the hectic race season.

“I think I’ll get to see my family a little bit for the holidays,” Armstrong said. “Anytime you can get home to Indiana, I want to and try to.”

“Definitely after New Year’s I want to really get focused, go to the shop and get ready for the season.”

An important part of getting ready for the new race season for Armstrong, however, has been taking at least a moment or two to reflect on his good fortune in securing this new ride for a full race season.

“A month ago, I really didn’t know what would happen,” Armstrong said. “I thought we would just do a partial deal.”

“Being able to compete for points and being there each and every week is a great benefit,” Armstrong continued. “We’re going to have to make sure that we’re competitive and getting better every week.”

“One thing about this sport is that you can’t win every week but you can get better each time and that’s what we have to work on.”

So, what does this new ride really mean to the young driver taking the next step in his career?

“In one word, other than to be boring and just say like it’s awesome or exciting, I’d have to say it’s the greatest opportunity,” Armstrong said. “Nowadays in this sport, you never know what’s going to happen.”

“There are so many people looking in from the outside that to have a ride and know I’m doing something full-time for this team is great,” Armstrong continued. “It’s something I’m really excited about.”

“And now we just have to get ready for Daytona and have some fun.”

December 4, 2013
SHR continues to get stronger

On the last edition of The Inside Pass (www.theinsidepass.net), heard on Tuesday November 26th, my co-host Randy Miller and I spoke at length with veteran spotter Tim Fedewa. The conversation ranged from the new Gen 6 car and the struggles of the Ford camp to find speed through out the season to what Tim is looking forward to doing during the off season (hunting for those wondering).

The telling point in the interview was when Randy Miller asked Tim what his plans were for next season. Tim broke the news that he would be moving to the number 4 car and would be spotting for Kevin Harvick moving forward into the 2014 season. Tim is still currently under contract with Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) until the end of the year, which for those that do not know the NASCAR year typically ends on December 31st of each year. Tim expected to be spotting for RPM during the early December testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tim believes that he will be spotting for Aric Almilrola during that testing session, but nothing is firmed up yet. During the off air conversation, Tim also confirmed that this would be a year to year contract.

When asked Tim stated that he is excited about thae move, and that he is very appreciative of everything that working at the legendary Richard Petty Motorsports has done for him personally and professionally. He enjoyed working with Marcus Ambrose and felt strongly that they as a team were really close to getting the Australian driver his first oval track win. As the interview progressed, I asked Tim exactly what does a spotter do to help build the level of trust up that is needed between a spotter and a driver moving into the January testing at Daytona, which is where Kevin and Tim will be working together for the first time. Tim’s response was enlightening, they are going to be sitting down to lunches together along with recently named crew chief Rodney Childers, who is leaving Micheal Waltrip Racing (MWR), along with the car chief to try and get on the same page moving forward.

As the title of this article implies gaining a veteran spotter such as Tim bodes well for the fans of Kevin Harvick and does not bode well for the rest of the field. Tim has been spotting in the national series dating back to when the Sprint Cup was known as the Nextel Cup. Tim is a former racer turned spotter. He understands how to help a driver navigate the traffic and track in order to help his team and driver get the very best out of the car. When teamed with a driver who is known for taking care of his equipment and being “there” at the end of a race, this could potentially be the new powerhouse driver/spotter combination. When asked what he had already been doing to prepare for the potential move to Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Tim replied that he had been scanning the 29 cars channels in order to pick up on the lingo and the meter that Billy O’Dea and Kevin used throughout the latter stages of the year so that he would be better prepared for his new role with Kevin.

Tim’s pedigree in racing is not a short lived one, he was born into a racing family. His father Butch raced in several series eventually reaching the ARCA/ReMax series before retiring and began helping Tim with his racing career. Tim made limited starts in the Camping World Truck and some 300 Nationwide Series starts, with four wins in that series, along with one start in the Winston Cup Series, and also ran in a relief role for John Andretti with Petty Motorsports at the Coke 600 in 2000 when John was injured. Tim understands the nuances that help make a car go fast, this role with the new number 4 team is not something that Tim simply fell into over night. He has been doing this for awhile now, and he has the respect of his peers atop the spotter’s stand. While NASCAR may have mandated rules changes that there would no longer be “deals” made from the spotters stand, I hope no one is naive enough to think that the spotters don’t work together to try and help their driver out when trying to make their way through the field.

When you take a look at the cache of talented members continuously being added to the stables over at Stewart-Haas Racing, I think that we could see a few new/old faces challenging Jimmie Johnson (six time) for the championship next season.

November 28, 2013
Matty’s Picks 2013 – Vol. 16 Camping World RV Sales 301 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway – July 14, 2013

On to New Hampshire this week before a much needed one week break before the series heads to the Brickyard.

The site of Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301 is the one-mile flat track in Loudon, New Hampshire. It is the eighth and final stop during the regular season at a track which also hosts a race in this year’s Chase – the two tracks not in the regular season are the first and last races in this year’s chase – Chicago and Homestead.

The funny part about all this is 7 different drivers have taken the new Gen-6 care to Victory lane on the chase tracks so far this season, and all but the Cinderella in David Ragan are in the top 10 in the points as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire.

There is a bit of importance at the one-miler this week in the sense that a year ago, 7 of the top-10 finishers in the July race at New Hampshire, punched a ticket to the Chase in September. Its also noted that each member of the top 10 in the posts standings after the 19th race of the 2012 season also moved on to the NASCAR Postseason, so as boring of a race as this might be, there is some significance in finishing well in this race.

New Hampshire’s summer race has seen 8 different winners in as many seasons and 10 straight different winners overall. Last year’s race-winners are both outside the top-10 in points, that’s Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin.

Daytona Recap

Not much to recap this week because of the relatively boring race at Daytona last week. My Winner Pick, the hottest guy in NASCAR right now, Kevin Harvick collected his eighth-consecutive top-10 finish after he finished third last weekend. Harvick started in 26th, and quickly dropped back in the field in the early stages of the race. A fuel-only pit stop on lap 127 would vault the team to 4th were he would remain for the green-white-checkered finish, picking up one spot on the final lap and finishing third.
Harvick’s teammate, Paul Menard was my Dark Horse and finished dead last in 43rd after experiencing a terminal engine issue early in the 161-lap event.

New Hampshire Picks

I had a roster of guys on my list on Thursday when I previewed the race with Greg on the Prime Sports Network, and promised I would narrow down my picks for my column this week.
As far as the Winner Picks went, I had four guys on my list who I thought were not longshots and had the best chance of winning on Sunday. Those guys were Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, and Jeff Gordon. Only one of those guys has qualified inside the top-10 and that’s Jeff Gordon, but that stat doesn’t scare me because 5 of the last 8 races at New Hampshire have been won from starting spots 10th or worse, including 32nd by Denny Hamlin last season.

Winner Pick

It was Clint Bowyer who was the only one of the four guys to be shown in the top 10 in both practice sessions yesterday, and it’s Clint Bowyer who I’m going with as my Winner Pick.
Clint Has:
• Two wins, four top five’s, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 15.1
• Average Running Position of 12.0, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 97.2, fifth-best
• 230 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 124.466 mph, sixth-fastest

Considering he was 3rd and 4th here last season in his first year with Michael Waltrip Racing, he’s 2nd in points WITHOUT A WIN, and the practice speeds, he’s my winner pick this week.

Dark Horse Pick

He might not be a Dark Horse any longer given the practice speeds and the fact that he will start the Camping World RV Sales 301 outside the front row, but he started the week as a 25 to 1 longshot and he’s my Dark Horse again this week.It was only a matter of time before we talked about Kurt Busch in the top 10 in points. This team is making strides, and jumping 5 spots in the points after last week’s run at Daytona is awesome for this one-car team. It’s remarkable to see these Furniture Row guys mix up the powerhouses like Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs, etc. with this team putting together some solid finishes since their unfortunate luck back in May at Talladega.

The New Hampshire Stats look good with Kurt’s 3 wins and 7 Top 5’s.
• Average finish of 14.8
• 835 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
• 479 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Granted, the majority of Kurt’s success at New Hampshire came with Penske and Roush, this one-car team has shown they belong in the talk with some of the powerhouse teams over the past two months, and Kurt is my Top Longshot again this week.

That’s all for this week, so until we head to the Brickyard in TWO weeks…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

July 13, 2013
Surprising and Not Surprising: Coke Zero 400

In addition to a dose of roof flap drama, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the 55^th annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

Surprising: Who knew that the magic between driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, leading to their record-setting night of sweeping both the 500 and 400 at Daytona in the same year, all started over a beer and a game of horseshoes?

“People make the difference,” five-time champ Johnson said. “Chad and I have a relationship since the first time we drank beer in my backyard throwing horseshoes.”

“It was the start of many good things to come,” Johnson continued. “The relationships, the people make the difference.”

“That’s where the magic lies.”

Johnson also gave Team Hendrick its first sweep at Daytona since 1986 when Geoff Bodine and Tim Richmond accomplished the same feat. This was Johnson’s 64^th career Cup Series win and his fourth victory of the season, tying competitor Matt Kenseth in the win column.

Not Surprising: While Tony Stewart finished runner up in his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops Ducks Unlimited Chevrolet, regaining the six spots in the point standings to the tenth position, he finished off the night ‘testy’ in the media center after the checkered flag flew.

When asked whether or not his retreat to the rear of the field for much of the race was pre-planned, Stewart showed his dismay for what he considered perhaps not the best question of the evening.

“You guys act like you’ve never seen me do that before,” Smoke answered. “I’ve been doing that for 15 years and we’ve had good results on it.”

When next asked about whether or not he liked this type of racing at this stage in his career, Stewart again reverted to past practice.

“Go back to your old notes,” Smoke said. “My opinion hasn’t changed in 15 years.”

“If you don’t have them, somebody else in the room will have them, you know that.”

Surprising: Rookie of the Year contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. thought that he had successfully broken a barrier in his 2013 career. Unfortunately he was unpleasantly surprised after NASCAR showed him the photo finish, realizing that he still had more work to do.

“We’ve been working all year long and we’ve got a couple of 11ths, 12ths, and it’s good to break that barrier of top ten,” Stenhouse Jr. said, before learning that he had really finished in the 11th spot. There is no doubt that he will be aiming for that barrier again at New Hampshire and with a vengeance.

Not Surprising: Kevin Harvick was not happy in spite of being the third place finisher in his No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet.

“Yeah, we didn’t win,” Harvick said. “That was our expectation coming here.”

“I felt like we were in the right position,” Harvick continued. “We couldn’t get everything lined up to get going.”

Surprising: Probably the most surprised driver at Daytona was Paul Menard, who lost an engine with absolutely no warning in the early going on Lap 22.

“Something just let go,” the driver of the No. 27 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet said. “I felt the heat come up.”

“It gave no indication,” Menard continued. “I haven’t had a motor failure in forever.”

“Just unfortunate.”

Not Surprising: NASCAR’s biggest loser in addition to Menard was Joey Logano, who brought out the second caution of the race with a tire failure and a crash into the wall. The driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford fell hard in the point standings, losing five positions and dropping from the 10^th to the 15^th position.

“It was a big hit,” Logano said of his trip into the wall. “But it was a bigger hit in the points really.”

“We’ve lost a lot but we’re not out of it by any means.”

Surprising: While Daytona is known for its share of ‘big ones’, there were some particularly hard hits in this version of the Coke Zero 400, including crashes for Denny Hamlin, A.J. Allmendinger, and Kasey Kahne.

Hamlin was involved in two crashes, the second just a few laps away from the checkered flag. The two wrecks added insult to his already injured back, as well as a sore knee and head from a crash just last week at Kentucky.

Allmendinger, in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet for James Finch, described his wreck as a ‘Days of Thunder’ moment, one that injured him in his ‘man parts’ and sent him stumbling out of his car in pain.

“Everybody moved down and Denny (Hamlin) appeared right in front of me,” Allmendinger said. “I just hit him as hard as I could unfortunately.”

One of the most bizarre but hard wrecks occurred at the end of the race, knocking a strong player out of contention. On Lap 155, Kasey Kahne got slammed while running at the front of the field, crashing hard into the inner wall.

“I got slammed and shot to the left,” Kahne said. “It’s kind of how these races go.”

“You don’t have a lot of control over what happens.”

Not Surprising: Michael Waltrip, behind the wheel of the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota often driven by Mark Martin, scored a top-five finish. Waltrip, who has a stellar resume on plate tracks, pulled off another good finish in spite of being a bit rusty behind the wheel and having some struggles in the pits.

“We were just really fortunate after getting into a wreck on pit road,” Waltrip said. “I’m just happy for the team because it was a well-deserved finish.”

Surprising: MWR teammate Clint Bowyer also had such a surprisingly good run, finishing fourth in his No. 15 Blue DEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid Toyota. And with that finish, he ousted Carl Edwards from second place in the point standings, sitting 49 points behind leader Johnson.

“I was pushing Michael and got him passed,” Bowyer said. “I looked in the mirror and all hell broke loose.”

“That’s Daytona,’ Bowyer continued. “But I’ll take a top-five anytime in one of these races.”

This was Bowyer’s third top-five finish in a row.

Not Surprising: With team owner and driver Tony Stewart setting the bar in the runner up spot, the rest of the Stewart-Haas Racing team also finished well at Daytona, in spite of final lap mishaps.

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet, scored bloomin’ onions for all with a top-ten finish. This was Newman’s sixth top-ten at Daytona and his eighth of the season

“I’m glad we got a top-10 for Outback Steakhouse, but I hate that we destroyed another race car on the final lap,” Newman lamented. “That just seems to be the norm for us when it comes to restrictor-plate racing.”

SHR teammate Danica Patrick was also involved in the multi-car melee at the end of the race, finishing 14^th in her No. 10 GGoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

This was her fourth top-15 finish of the 2013 season.

“Well a green-white-checkered finish is always exciting,” Patrick said. “All in all, it was a solid day.”

Surprising: Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, continues to amaze with his performance, finishing sixth and putting himself in Chase contention with a five spot move up in the point standings to ninth.

This is the highest in the point standings that Kurt has been so far in the 2013 season. This was also his third straight top-ten finish and his eighth top-10 finish of the season.

“We stayed out of trouble, had smooth pit stops and had a big points night for our Furniture Row team,” Busch said. “These guys are working hard and it’s paying off.”

Not Surprising: Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished top-ten at Daytona, in spite of some challenges with his race car.

“I had fun,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet said. “We just didn’t make our way to the front.”

“We had a problem with the car,” Junior continued. “Something broke and we could hardy steer it coming into the pits.”

The eighth place finish at Daytona moved Earnhardt Jr. up one position in the points standings to fifth.

July 10, 2013
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson was dominant at Daytona and held on after several late restarts to win the Coke Zero 400. Johnson became the first driver to sweep both Daytona races since Bobby Allison in 1982.

“I did something Allison did at Daytona,” Johnson said, “but instead of Cale Yarborough, I punched the accelerator. Just call it a 2.5 milestone.

“I’ve apparently overcome my problems with restarts. Now I know that if you can’t restart, you can’t finish.”

2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth’s race ended on lap 149 when he swerved to avoid Denny Hamlin’s spinning No. 11 only to be hammered by Jeff Gordon’s No. 24. Kenseth finished 33rd and fell one spot to sixth in the point standings, 118 out of first.

“I’m not sure what caused Hamlin to spin,” Kenseth said, “but he’s seen more walls than China. What’s Hamlin’s favorite concept album? Pink Floyd’s The Wall. His favorite Clint Eastwood movie? Sudden Impact. His favorite mixed drink? A Harvey Wallbanger.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick seemed to be primed for a late flourish at Daytona, lined up with Tony Stewart with race leader Jimmie Johnson in his sights. However, late cautions prevented Harvick from challenging, and he settled for third in the Coke Zero 400.

“One would think more restarts would be to Johnson’s disadvantage,” Harvick said. “However, much like he did to my No. 29 car, he put his problems with restarts behind him.

“Johnson’s car was just too strong. The No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy seemed to have an extra gear. And judging by his lead in the points, I can understand why Johnson calls it ‘sixth.’”

4. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer charged late at Daytona to take fourth in the Coke Zero 400, earning his seventh top-5 result of the year. He assumed second in the point standings, only 49 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“Several cars, all three Michael Waltrip Racing cars included, “Bowyer said, “failed inspection last Thursday for having illegal roof flaps. You could say NASCAR ‘razed’ the roof.”

5. Kyle Busch: Busch survived two crashes, one on lap 98 and one on the final lap, to salvage a 12th at Daytona. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, 125 out of first.

“After that first wreck,” Busch said, “my car was held together with duct tapes and prayers, much like A.J. Allmendinger’s career.

“Shaquille O’Neal, Adam Sandler, and Kevin James gave the command to ‘start your engines. I ‘acted’ excited, which probably makes me more of an actor than either one of them.”

6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished eighth at Daytona but was never a factor to win at one of his favorite tracks. He improved one spot in the point standings to fifth, and now trails Jimmie Johnson by 110.

“How about that post-race fireworks show?” Earnhardt said. “It was awesome! And speaking of things that were ‘lit’ in the infield on Saturday, the fans of Junior Nation were in rare form. They are the most patriotic fans in NASCAR; not only do they show ‘spirit,’ they drink it.”

7. Carl Edwards: Edwards was snagged in a final-lap pileup at Daytona and finished a disappointing 29th, the lowest finish among Roush Fenway Racing drivers. Edwards is now third in the Sprint Cup point standings, 71 out of first.

“The No. 99 Subway Ford just got tore up at the end,” Edwards said. “And speaking of Subway, they missed a heck of an opportunity to promote the World War Z movie. Zombies and Subway? That’s ready-made for a ‘Subway-Eat Flesh’ advertising campaign.”

8. Tony Stewart: Stewart’s late run to the front resulted in the runner-up finish at Daytona, a result that shot him up six places in the point standings and into the top 10. He is tenth in the standings, nine ahead of Kasey Kahne in 12th.

“Kurt Busch and I made huge strides to enter the top 10 of the point standings,” Stewart said. “And that’s reason to celebrate. Kurt and I high-fived; I missed, and hit Kurt in the face.”

9. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 17th at Daytona after getting caught in a late-race accident on the 2.5 mile circuit. He is now eighth in the point standings, 142 out of first.

“I’m disappointed,” Biffle said, “but encouraged that our second trip to Pocono is less than one month away. That race will be called the ‘GoBowling.com 400.’ I’m guessing there will be a lot of spare tires there. Who talked the sport of bowling into sponsoring a stock car race? I’d pin it on the NASCAR marketing department. Groan if you must, but it takes big balls to find the nerve to offer such bad jokes.”

10. Kurt Busch: Busch was strong all night at Daytona, racing to a sixth in the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet. Busch moved up five places to ninth in the point standings, 157 out of first.

“Five places is a big leap in the standings,” Busch said. “I guess I was feeling froggy, and for once, it seems, I jumped.”

July 9, 2013
Matty’s Picks 2013 – Vol. 15 Coke Zero 400 – Daytona International Speedway – July 6, 2013

Daytona needs no introduction this week. Since it’s the Crown Jewel of NASCAR, everyone knows the history of the track and the races its produced over the years, so I’ll keep it short and talk a little bit about what I was able to gather from the February races – including that “HISTORIC” Daytona 500.

If you got past the fact that Danica was on the pole for the Daytona 500 and all the hoopla that surrounded that story, you would have seen that the Daytona 500 this year was pretty boring as far as plate races go. It could have been because of that early crash that put a lot of the top guys out of contention – Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, Brad Kesolowski, and Kyle Busch, – that was all about 30 laps in, so a lot of the heavy hitters were out early.

The race was boring in the sense that nobody could really pass. Matt Kenseth led 86 laps before he blew up, and it seemed like anyone who stepped out of line really paid the price, even if they had a car to help push. It was pretty much follow the leader and a lot of the guys complained over the two weeks about not being able to pass in the then brand new Gen6 racecar.
One word of caution this week is with the Toyotas, and there has been talk about their engine issues the past few weeks. These engines haven’t been tested since Michigan where it was announced they would not be scaling back the horsepower any further, but the series hasn’t been at tracks where engine longevity has been a factor since Greg Biffle’s win at Michigan. Toyota has won JUST ONE points race at Daytona in 132 races. Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch both blew up in the Daytona 500, and Martin Truex Jr. had engine issues as well, certainly something to consider this week when making your picks.

Kentucky Recap

I picked Kyle Busch last week at a place where it is impossible not to mention him where his performances over the years have been nothing less than exemplary. Busch started his No. 18 Doublemint Toyota in fourth and raced inside the top five through the early portion of the race before he got loose and caused a caution. Busch would have to restart in 37th but would climb all the way back to the top 15 by lap 83 and great work by his Doublemint team and a little pit strategy would help him get back inside the top five for a restart on lap 93. Busch would continue to run up front with the leaders while battling changing handling conditions. Despite the challenges all night, Busch and the Doublemint team managed to scrape together another Top-5 at Kentucky.

As for my Dark Horse, Joey Logano, also known as the hottest driver in NASCAR not named Kevin Harvick, had another solid week in the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion. The team qualified 11th for the Quaker State 400, and with solid pit stops and consistent adjustments by Crew Chief Todd Gordon, Logano began to climb through the front of the field by lap 110. Logano never ran outside the Top 5 in the second-half of the race, until the final restart with about 20 laps to go. He restarted 7th and made a bold move on the restart, moving up to 4th where he would cross the finish line, netting himself his 5th top-five of this 2013 season.

Daytona Picks

Winner Pick
I didn’t pull out my dice and roll them to pick my winner this week, but I did, I think the dice would have revealed the numbers two and nine meaning the guy I’d be looking at this week is the hottest guy in the sport right now and that’s Kevin Harvick.

Harvick was unlucky earlier this year when he crashed early in the Daytona 500. He won the Sprint Unlimited, won his Duel race, and was certainly one of the cars to beat. As far as the stats go, he’s won two races at Daytona and if you throw in the duel races he’s won, the count is 7 wins on restrictor plate tracks – 5 of which coming in the last 3 years.

This team brings 7-straight top-10’s to Daytona and considering he’s due for a good restrictor plate finish (finished 42nd in the Daytona 500 and 40th at Talladega in May) Harvick was my top pick on Thursday and remains my top pick for the win tonight.

Dark Horse Pick

Paul Menard is a guy who manages to stay out of trouble at Daytona. He has completed 99.3% of the 2148 laps of his 12 starts at Daytona, leading 38 laps in the meantime. Daytona is second on his list of tracks with an average finish of 17.3 and that number comes with a 38th place finish averaged in those numbers (2009 Daytona 500). He’s been good at Daytona, might not be the BEST longshot pick this week with the Front Row Motorsports teams showing speed in both practice sessions, but working with Harvick in the draft will prove to be beneficial for this team tonight.

That’s all for this week, be sure to tune in on Thursday as Greg and I preview next week’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

So until next time, You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

July 6, 2013
The Great Debate: Tandem Drafting vs. Pack Racing

This argument has been in the back of our minds for a few years now and always seems to get reignited every time we show up to Daytona or Talladega and rightly so. Fans and media alike debate which style of plate racing is better and opinions vary greatly. There is no correct answer obviously; only opinions formulated by observations and personal preference. The Nationwide races still play out using the tandem draft but the implementation of the Gen-6 in Cup has resulted in the abatement of tandems and a return to old school pack racing. Which one puts on a better show though?

Tandem Draft

I am ambivalent when it comes to the two-car tandem style of drafting. It’s incredible and breathtaking to watch but I believe constantly relying on another driver’s help and unable to race for the win without a dancing partner hurts the integrity of the race. Every driver has to rely on a “buddy” to get to the front and their fate is in the other driver’s hands at all times. They have little to no control over their own destiny and can’t do anything alone which isn’t how a race is supposed to work.

In NASCAR, there is a great disparity between the super teams and the single car operations but the the wonderful thing about tandems is that it levels the playing field. Everyone has an equal shot of leaving the track with the trophy in hand which heightens excitement going into the event; everyone loves an upset. Also, never do these tandem races produce a boring finish unless a caution flies on the final lap ending the party early. These races always seem to end in a photo finish and/or a shower of sparks. Cars are usually wrecking everywhere and drivers go full throttle through the carnage as they chase down that checkered flag hoping to emerge from the smoke unscathed which most do not.

Pack Racing

The pack has been around since the day NASCAR decided to put restrictor plates on these cars and is a familiar sight at every Talladega and Daytona event. Like the tandem, luck plays a huge role in the outcome of the race but at least the drivers can make their own decisions without needing a wingman hanging with them at all times. The bad thing about pack racing is that when there is a wreck, a good chunk of the field gets taken out instantly. You definitely still see the “Big One” with the tandem but one and two car wrecks are the norm until the closing laps usually. With the pack, half the field may get wadded up 10 laps into the race which is bad for the fans and for the teams. The finishes are always intense but the race to the line in tandem races are even better most of the time.

In the end, both styles put on great shows but tandem drafting tends to be more exciting and lacks the calming point that pack racing produces when everyone settles down and gets into a single file line for 1/4 of the event. With that being said, the pack is a purer form of racing compared to the tandem draft so I’m happy that’s what we have in Cup right now. I do love the tandem though and it is awesome that we still have it in Nationwide races.

They both have some desirable qualities and some not so desirable ones. My favorite form of restrictor plate racing is actually a hybrid of both. I’m talking about big packs with some two-car tandems here and there but a partner isn’t a necessity. That’s what we saw at the end of Talladega this year with 20 cars fighting for the win in the end and out of nowhere, the Front-Row Motorsport teammates came tearing through the middle of the pack to steal the win in one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history. I’d like to see them be able to push on each other a little bit more though…a happy medium between full blown tandem drafting and no bump drafting whatsoever. No matter what your opinion may be, we can all agree that both the Nationwide and Cup race this weekend will provide us with some spectacular and crazy moments that will be talked about for years to come.

I’m interested in reading your opinion regarding which is better so feel free to express yourselves below!

July 4, 2013