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Dalton Baldwin Preview: UNOH Battle at the Beach – Daytona International Speedway

Dalton Baldwin is eagerly anticipating the next step in his racing career. The 18-year old from Clearwater, FL will compete in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour in 2013 and challenge for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year trophy.

The race season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway on February 19^th at the UNOH Battle at the Beach during Budweiser Speedweeks. This will be Daytona’s debut of its new 0.4-mile short-track oval located on the superstretch and will feature two 25 lap qualifying races. How you finish in the qualifying races, determines where you will start the 150 lap feature event, which is sure to bring national bragging rights to the winner.

In 2012, in only his second start, Baldwin finished second at the newly NASCAR sanctioned New Smyrna Speedway. Baldwin and his team enter Daytona with the confidence of a team that has had success at five different tracks in his home town state of Florida, including three wins.

“It’s taken a lot to just get here, and we’re just scratching the surface. We’re underfunded compared to a lot of these guys, especially the northern tour teams. But we make up for that with determination and integrity. I don’t believe any other team has a will to win as high as we do.

So what does Baldwin think of the new track?

“This is the first event for the short track since they laid it out last year. So, it should be exciting seeing how the track works, and who can pick it up quick and who will struggle with it.” Baldwin said.

With bragging rights on the line, Baldwin and his team would love to capture the home state victory in his first start.

“It would be huge for us. Winning an inaugural race at a track is awesome because it sort of makes you king of the hill for the years to come. But, it’s also a combo race with the Whelen Modified Tour and a Southern team has never won a combo race, so that would be a big deal as well. Plus, it will be a pretty prestigious event to win.”

Whatever challenges that the team faces, Dalton is certain that he has the perfect crew for the job.

“My Dad and our part-time crew chief, Rich Arend, are really amazing when it comes to setting up a car. We may not always have the power down the straightaway, but you can be sure we’ll be fast in the corners.”

Dalton Baldwin Racing (DBR) is family owned and operated and they feel the daily pressure to perform and to win.

“It is more pressure to run well because we don’t have many sponsors. So, being that we fund it almost entirely on our own, it can be a lot of pressure to run well. That’s why I try to separate myself from the money aspect. I have a lot of pressure to run well because I want a career as a driver, so I have to run well if I want to move up to the top 3 NASCAR series.” Baldwin said.

With all of the demand on and off of the track, you would think that stress and a lot of sacrifices have to be made each week in order to race. But DBR does not consider any of this a “sacrifice”.

“Well, to us, racing is our lives. So, we don’t have to make many sacrifices, it’s just what we do. We don’t want to do anything else but racing. Anything we put towards this isn’t a sacrifice to us; it’s a way of life.” Baldwin said.

Dalton’s goals are to win the 2013 Rookie of the Year and the championship in his following season.

“I’d like to finish in the top-3 in points as well. But ultimately, I’m really just trying to prove myself to everyone. So, I want to just be competitive and up front, showing that we can compete with these guys.” Baldwin said.

“I’m not entirely sure where this NASCAR road is going to take me, but I do know that it will be a wild one if we take off on it.” Baldwin added.

More information on the UNOH Battle at the Beach can be found at hometracks.nascar.com.

For more information about Dalton Baldwin Racing including driver bio, race schedule, pictures and videos, please visit www.daltonbaldwin.com. You can also find his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DaltonBaldwinRacing and Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/DaltonBaldwinRacing.

February 14, 2013
Baldwin Determined to Make the Most of Rookie Season in NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour

Photo Credit: daltonbaldwin.com

Dalton Dalton’s love of racing began as a young child. If there was a NASCAR race on the television, he stopped whatever he was doing to watch the action on the screen. His career began at the age of nine when he began racing go-karts with his father, Bobby.

He was a natural, winning 3 feature races and multiple heat races running a part time schedule at the East Bay Raceway Park dirt track. Dalton eventually progressed to modifieds at Desoto Super Speedway and became known for his hard charging, on the edge, aggressive racing style. In 2009, he won the Flyin’ 4 Rookie of the Year award.

Dalton’s father, Bobby, was known as one of the best Florida Modified drivers in the state. In 2010, he made the decision to step aside and put Dalton in his car. It was a bold move. His son would be moving up from a 100 horsepower car to a 600 horsepower open wheel modified. Much of the racing community thought Dalton was not ready for the transition. They were wrong.

Under his father’s guidance, Dalton was soon racing up front with the veterans. He finished the season third in points and won Rookie of the Year.

He found even more success in 2011. In only the second race, he started on the pole, led every lap and collected his first win. The season ended with an impressive four wins and the Florida Modified Championship at Desoto Super Speedway.

2012 would be a year of transition as the team prepared to move forward into the Modified Touring Series. In August, they drove to North Carolina and bought the necessary car. The remainder of the year was all about gaining experience and soaking up knowledge from more experienced drivers.

This year, Dalton will run a full-time schedule in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour division. His goals are to win at least one race and to earn the Rookie of the Year award.

“But ultimately,” he says, “I’m really just trying to prove myself to everyone. So, I want to just be competitive and up front, showing that we can compete with these guys.”

Dalton also has another reason for wanting to succeed this season. He’s a proud advocate for the World Motorsports Breast Cancer Foundation and will donate part of his winnings to the organization.

“This is our first season together,” he said, “and I really hope we can make big things happen for the foundation.”

Dalton Baldwin Racing is a family owned and operated business without the resources of many other teams. When asked about the sacrifices his family had to make, Dalton offers a different point of view.

“Well, to us, racing is our lives. So, we don’t have to make many sacrifices, it’s just what we do. We don’t want to do anything else but racing. Anything we put towards this isn’t a sacrifice to us; it’s a way of life.”

What they lack in funds, they make up for with passion and the will to succeed.

“It’s taken a lot to just get here and we’re just scratching the surface,” Dalton told me. “We’re underfunded compared to a lot of these guys, especially the northern tour teams. But we make up for that with determination and integrity. I don’t believe any other team has a will to win as high as we do.”

More information on the UNOH Battle at the Beach can be found at hometracks.nascar.com.

For more information about Dalton Baldwin Racing including driver bio, race schedule, pictures and videos, please visit www.daltonbaldwin.com. You can also find his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DaltonBaldwinRacing and Twiiter at https://twitter.com/Dalton_Baldwin.

January 29, 2013
As championship sets in, Keselowski prepares for new year

Brad Keselowski’s defense of his 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship doesn’t begin until the green flag falls on the Daytona 500 in a little over a month. But during winter testing at Daytona he was already warming up.

Photo Credit: David Yeazell

Keselowski was quick to call out his competitors in a ploy to get them to draft. He continued to speak in a champion’s manner about the future of the sport and the potential of NASCAR’s new car. And there was the fact that Keselowski wasn’t hiding the continual glow of his greatest accomplishment.

“I am slowly soaking it in so I don’t have a great answer for you but to me it has been a lot of fun just seeing some of the doors that open up,” he said Thursday in Daytona on how life has been the last few months. “It is really a vague way of putting it but some of the doors that open up, whether it is people showing you more respect or opportunities to do different events you may never have had before.

“To me that is the most fun and more honoring moments of being a champion. I am really looking forward to seeing how those open up. The great thing that separates winning a championship from winning a race is that you are a champion for a whole year. I feel like I won a race but you get to celebrate it for a whole year. That is a really good feeling.”

The upcoming season will be just his fourth full year. It comes with Paul Wolfe still atop the pit box, the man who has led him to both a Nationwide and Cup title. However, the flagship Dodge banner is gone from the iconic organization as Penske begins their coalition with Ford.

But Keselowski’s young career has taught him the importance of adaption and perseverance. The new make and model of his car will be another one of those lessons, one Keselowski confident his team will be able to do. Recently visiting the Ford team in Detroit, Keselowski said showed him that there are the necessary tools and resources to get the job done.

In addition, we know about new teammate Joey Logano. And the story of how he came to join Penske and Keselowski’s involvement. The goal is for Logano and Keselowski to make each other better, which in turn will make the company better. There’s a lot of potential, attitude and youth of Logano believes Keselowski and he’s ready to see how it all plays out.

“It is just a matter of putting the other pieces together with him. I feel like what I look for out of him is to do just that, make that car a contender week in and week out and if he is able to do that then I think it will make everyone at Penske stronger,” noted Keselowski.

“That is in all categories whether it is increasing the level of funding because of sponsorship or the other side of it of pushing me to be a batter driver and be more engaged. I am hoping for all those things across the board and it might be something as simple as attracting more talent throughout the pit crews or what not.”

Always with the company on mind and becoming better, Keselowski expects the same for his own team. Winning the championship last year doesn’t mean they’ll be content with however their 2013 campaign plays out.

“If you win a championship you are going to come in the next year with extremely high expectations. I don’t think that will surprise anyone,” said Keselowski. “You have to look at our history, and we have been a second half team the last two or three seasons and I would expect nothing different this year.

“If you look at the past and know that we are stronger the second half of the year and that is what we have done to be successful the last two seasons then that will carry you through any short comings at the start of the year. I am nervous that if we start strong we won’t be as good the second half.”

They won five races last year – three of which came after late June – and went toe-to-toe with five-time champion Jimmie Johnson during the Chase. The Miller Lite team did things their own way. Planned and never shied away from their own strategy, notably through fuel mileage races.

When they didn’t build the fastest cars they ran the perfect race and took what it gave them. More of the same is what Keselowski expects and should there be anything less, don’t expect Keselowski to defend it.

“I feel like I don’t want to build in an excuse for our team so I am not going to say that if we don’t run well at the start of the year we have nothing to worry about,” Keselowski stated.

“I am not going to build in that excuse. But I think you can apply things logistically and know we are the type of team that gets stronger throughout the year. That is probably the best way to be.”

January 13, 2013
The Future of NASCAR – Spotlight on Larry Barford Jr.

At first his story sounds familiar. For as long as he can remember, all he has ever wanted to do is race. But it’s the differences in his story that make you sit up and pay attention. His journey has been littered with roadblocks and detours.

However, as Larry Barford Jr. will tell you, he’s never taken the easy route and his determination finally paid off.

On August 17, 2012, he announced that he will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with Deware Racing Group. His schedule this year will include at least three races in the series and a few select NCWTS races in the K&N Series. In 2013 he will run a full schedule in the NCWTS.

“I’ve been involved in racing my whole life. My Uncle Bob Ballantine raced in the Grand National Series.”

His uncle Jim served as crew chief for Bob and as mentor to Larry.

“It was really my mother’s brother, my Uncle Jim, who taught me how to drive and put the bug in my ear. That bug stayed with me my whole life.”

He couldn’t pronounce uncle as a kid and called his uncle, “Kunkle.” The name stuck and was later shortened to “Kunk.” Sadly,”Kunk” passed away in 1987 at the age of 30.

Larry started racing go karts when he was five years old and continued until he was twelve. At the same time he hung out with the local late model racers and learned everything he could. In his later teenage years he began competing in late models and hobby stock. It was mostly for fun although the desire to make it a career was always in the back of his mind.

As often happens in life, his career goal was interrupted.

“Life had other plans for me,” Larry says.

Those plans included marrying his high school sweetheart, Alicia, and the impending arrival of their first son, Tyler. Larry realized that he had to “get a real job” to provide for his family. A full time career in racing would have to wait.

He decided to pursue another dream and become a police officer. He stayed on this path for about ten years. During this time, his second son Jacob was born.

While working as a police officer, his schedule stabilized and he found a way to continue racing. He formed a late model race team and named it Kunkle Motorsports in honor of his late Uncle Jim. Larry also developed a trademark featuring angel wings and checkered flags that he continues to use as inspiration.

His law enforcement career ended abruptly after a severe knee injury sustained in the line of duty forced him into early retirement. When it became clear that his career in law enforcement was over, he decided to make racing his primary focus.

“I never gave up on racing,” he told me, “I just had other obligations.”

That’s not to say that it’s been easy.

In 2009 while he was racing late models, a friend suggested he give Derrike Cope a call. This led to a truck test with Cope and the chance to drive in the series but the funding didn’t materialize.

Larry decided to purchase some cars to run in the ARCA Series and began the process of marketing himself to obtain sponsors. In 2010, life threw another curve ball.

His wife Alicia became ill and the possibility of brain surgery was discussed. Surgery was ruled out but a diagnosis of fibromyalgia meant a regimen of painful and costly injections. They sold most of the race cars to pay for anticipated medical bills. Larry didn’t know if he would ever be able to race again.

A few weeks after selling off most of his equipment, Larry received a call from good friend, Donnie Neuenberger.

“Let’s go to Daytona for the ARCA test,” he told Larry.

The chance to drive at the famed Daytona International Speedway was an opportunity Larry couldn’t pass up.

“I didn’t think I’d ever get back into racing because of Alicia’s health,” he said. “We weren’t sure if financially we’d be able to afford it or if I would be able to travel. I just wanted to drive Daytona to say that I had done it.”

Roger Carter agreed to take a look at Larry and assess his driving skills during the ARCA test. In December 2011, Larry went to the test and ran one of the fastest times at the track for the team. Carter subsequently offered him a ride in the ARCA Series for C2M Racing. His first race with them was on February 18, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway.

Larry admits that getting the chance to race at Daytona brought tears to his eyes.

“It didn’t really hit me until I was sitting in the car and I just thought to myself, I’m racing at Daytona.”

His partnership with Roger Carter and C2M Racing ended at the beginning of August due to lack of sponsorship. Larry ended the association with them eleventh in the points standings.

Less than two weeks later, Larry announced that he would be driving for Deware Racing Group.

“What impressed me most about Deware Racing is the way they want to market and develop me. They want me to shadow Kevin Lepage, to teach me and train me. It’s more than anyone had ever done for me. I’ve never had that kind of coaching and advice.”

Larry credits much of his success in life to his wife, Alicia.

“I look up to my wife because of the things she’s overcome and the way she’s helped me with my career. She keeps me focused.”

When it comes to racing, he relies on the advice of fellow driver, Donnie Neuenberger.

“I’ve known him for years but we’ve become really close friends over the last year or so. He gives me the best advice in the world. He’s been there, he’s done that and he knows what’s going on. He pushes me in the direction I need to go.”

As the interview came to an end, we spent the last few minutes talking about our mutual love of racing. I told him how thrilling it was for me to take a pace car ride around the historic track at Darlington Raceway.

He laughed as he told me about the exhilaration of driving 200 mph at Pocono going into the front stretch, coming up on turn one and thinking to himself, “I gotta turn now, are you kidding me?”

As he talked about racing and his anticipation of the 2013 season, the excitement in his voice was contagious.

Larry knows better than most that the future is uncertain but the word quit is not in his vocabulary. He also has some advice for those whose dreams are yet unfulfilled.

“Fight for your dream, protect it, defend it, and I promise you’ll make it through.”

August 27, 2012
Eddie D’Hondt, Jeff Gordon’s Spotter, Sees a Team on the Verge

[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]While Eddie D’Hondt has done just about everything in his career, from racing modifieds in the Northeast to spotting for four-time champion Jeff Gordon, he is absolutely sure of one thing.

D’Hondt is firmly convinced that the No. 24 team is on the verge of taking the checkered flag and, once that occurs, that there will be other wins to follow.

“We’ve had some awful good races and we’re so close and on the verge of busting out,” D’Hondt said. “Working with Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and getting to know Jeff (Gordon) more and more has been very rewarding.”

“Once we finally have our day, it will all come together.”

D’Hondt brings years of racing experience to the spotter’s stand for team 24. He has worked for drivers the likes of Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace and Bill Elliott, as well as owning his own Nationwide team with Tommy Baldwin and working for Yates Racing.

“Since I left Yates, I’ve been pretty much spotting for teams,” D’Hondt said. “I’ve worked for Kyle Busch the last year and a half and now Jeff Gordon.”

“So, that’s my journey.”

Because of his diversified background, on and off the track, D’Hondt feels that he brings multiple characteristics to the spotter’s stand. But he credits his time behind the wheel as the key to effective spotting from the sky.

“I think having been a driver helps me understand a little bit of the driver’s aspect of it and understanding the cars,” D’Hondt said. “I stay on top of that as best I can.”

“A lot of spotters were drivers at one point so it helps.”

D’Hondt also acknowledges that his spotting style varies, depending both on the type of track and on the type of driver.

“It may vary for sure,” D’Hondt said. “At a speedway race, the driver and spotter talk a lot more.”

“Here at New Hampshire, it’s more the crew chief than me talking,” D’Hondt continued. “I also spot for Justin Allgaier in the Nationwide Series and Miguel Paludo in the Truck Series, so whatever feedback, like tire wear or other trends, I’ll bring it to their attention.”

In his career, D’Hondt has seen many changes in the role of the spotter. And that evolution has kept him constantly busy on the stand, with breaks in the action being few and far between.

“The evolution of the spotter has changed over the last few years,” D’Hondt said. “It used to be when a caution came out, you could take a drink or relax a little bit.”

“Now, there’s a lot more action,” D’Hondt continued. “We’re looking for cars coming around so we don’t hit them or looking for problems in the pit stalls. Pit road is tight and cars are coming at the last second.”

Because of all this action, D’Hondt advises preparation for each and every race is key. And once the race starts, focus is all important, especially with juggling multiple radios as well as seeing the activities on track.

“Two hours before a race, I’ll go up and start getting into my mental mode,” D’Hondt said. “Once the race starts, you could blow a bomb up next to me and I would never notice.”

“I have five radios on, so I’m listening to a tremendous amount of things,” D’Hondt continued. “I listen to the race broadcast, NASCAR, myself, and I have a digital radio when the crew chief talks to me.”

“So, it’s pretty dizzying,” D’Hondt said. “But that’s all just part of me being able to give information when it’s applicable or warranted.”

Of course, because spotters are human too, there are other preparations that have to occur before they came atop the stand.

“There’s a lot of goofy stuff we have to do to prepare for a race, like make sure we got to the bathroom before it starts,” D’Hondt said. “Like at the Charlotte 600, you’ve better have gone because there’s no time once you’re up there.”

“I generally won’t drink anything two hours before a race,” D’Hondt continued “Once the race starts, I’ll take a drink every once in awhile.”

“I also chew gum to keep my mouth going,” D’Hondt said. “The only time we’ll eat anything is in between practices because that’s a decent enough break.”

One of the more recent challenges that spotters like D’Hondt have had to face is the ever changing paint schemes on their drivers’ cars. This played special havoc for D’Hondt last weekend at Daytona when driver Jeff Gordon was in the black Pepsi Max race car.

“We had a black car at a dark race track last Saturday and when the wrecks started happening and there’s smoke, it’s really hard,” D’Hondt said. “You just have to feel your way through it.”

“It’s almost a sixth sense.”

“I come early and walk around the garages to make sure I know what the sponsors are and whose car number is whose because a lot of times, Jeff will ask,” D’Hondt continued. “So that’s part of my job.”

While many consider the role of spotter as glamorous and exciting, D’Hondt affirms the most serious aspect of the job.

“It’s got its glamorous side to it,” D’Hondt said. “But at times, it can be pretty intense.”

“It’s our job to keep the drivers safe first and foremost.”

While safety is supreme, spotters also play important roles as information givers, as well as cheerleaders and encouragers. And of course, that balance depends greatly on the driver, his tenure in the sport and his own expertise behind the wheel.

“Sometimes I feel like cheerleading might be a good thing, but there are other times when you just have to let them concentrate and do their jobs,” D’Hondt said. “So, there’s a little bit of a fine line there.”

“I think it depends on the driver,” D’Hondt said. “With Jeff, as a four-time champion, I don’t have to tell him much.”

“With a second year driver in the Truck Series, he still has a lot to learn,” D’Hondt continued. “I can say, in the right moment, a lot to help him.”

Of all the drivers he has worked with, D’Hondt expresses highest admiration for his current driver and four-time champion.

“Jeff has been there, done that and he knows,” D’Hondt said. “So, I talk a whole lot less when it comes to Jeff.”

“I’ve worked with a lot of drivers with tenure in our sport, but Jeff Gordon to me is the consummate professional,” D’Hondt continued. “He amazes me how he never gets rattled, never takes his anger out on his guys and is just very professional.”

“I like that and I like to carry myself the same way.”

With D’Hondt atop the spotters’ stand and Jeff Gordon behind the wheel, this spotter knows it is just a matter of time until he, his team and driver finally reach Victory Lane. And with one win will no doubt come others as well.

“We’ve had a pretty rough year, not because we haven’t had fast cars or cars capable of winning,” D’Hondt said. “I feel like once we win our first race, it won’t be our last.”

“I feel like now, we’re in a pretty good rhythm,” D’Hondt continued. “And having won in the past, I know I will never lose sight of what winning will mean.”

July 13, 2012
Nicole Briscoe finds ‘everything happens for a reason’ in life and racing

Nicole Briscoe wasn’t working last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway. She got paid to be there. She again hosted NASCAR Countdown on ESPN for the Nationwide Series Friday night.

But it wasn’t work. At least, she doesn’t consider it to be. She’s simply doing what she loves and having a blast in the process. Briscoe, who started hosting the Countdown show full-time just last season, repeatedly smiled and tried finding words to express how much she loves her job.

Or at least the part of her job that has her at the track. Getting there’s a different story and Briscoe didn’t hesitate to say she could do without airport delays and TSA checkpoints.

“I feel like I’m kind of lucky because I really have fun and I work with a great group of people and I enjoy the challenges that come with it,” said Briscoe Thursday in Daytona. “It’s not that I find them challenging in a frustrating sort of way, I find them challenging in a fun and new environment.

“I’ve always said I don’t find my job difficult. I find it fun and entertaining. What I find difficult is the sacrifices you have to make in your personal life to make it happen. I get paid to do that kind of stuff. Miss out on family reunions or miss out on holidays. You miss Father’s day, you miss Mother’s day. You get stuck in airports, 200 nights a year away from your family.”

According to Briscoe that’s the hard part, the part that drains on motorsports professionals the most. For her, she’d love to be able to live in a vacuum, away from those challenges. That way she’d be a happy camper or at least happier than she already is.

“Fun,” she said of her job. “There are fans that pay to come here and pay to get to see what I get to do. I get paid to do this. This is my job. I think if everyone had as much fun doing what they do as what I do, the world would be a happier place. There isn’t a Countdown that I have done – and it hasn’t been that long – that I finished the show, looked to my left at the guys, whoever it is, and smiled and left.”

Take Daytona for instance. She flew in Thursday morning and immediately headed for the track. Her day was mostly prep work; meeting with producers and those she’d be working with. At some point there’d be a get together with the other analysis on the Countdown show, this week Rusty Wallace and Ricky Craven. What were their thoughts for the weekend?

Afterwards she’d take time to walk around the garage and get a feel for the weekend before going back and meeting with her producer. That’s the time to toss around ideas and other bullet points they think need to be in the show.

It’s during that time Countdown starts to take shape. If there’s a need to meet with NASCAR about questions or concerns, that’s the time to do it. Thursday is the short day.

Friday’s the big day. A bigger production meeting takes place with every individual who will be involved in the broadcast.

“Countdown, you know in advance in theory the topics you want to discuss,” said Briscoe. “You have it in outline form and you go into the race broadcast with that at least. You’re going to start with ‘Hi, hello,’ we’re going to show the anthem at this time. Those things are scripted and then it goes to hell from there.”

There’s no scripting a live race. But at least you can be prepared for it. There’s meetings, talking, writing and talking some more. Talking to people in the garage and those on the track. Then there’s the rehearsal for what’s called the traveling circus. Just to make sure everything is working and ready for when the lights come on.

It’s not all about NASCAR for Briscoe, but it is about speed and racing. Married to IndyCar star Ryan Briscoe, she’s never far from a track. On Thursday Nicole headed for Daytona, Ryan to Toronto for his next race. Work first for her then shed head to Toronto to be with Ryan.

“This is my last IndyCar race that I get to go to this year,” she said. “Probably the last IndyCar race I’ll even get to watch. Most of the time, they’ll be on the air and we’re on the air.”

It’s nothing new for Briscoe because as she makes it known, she had her job and career before she met Ryan. While sometimes it can be hard to keep up with it all, she reveals, “When I get to go there and I’m there, it’s like that’s the treat. That’s the special occasion. And it’s actually more relaxing.

“The only time it’s hard is when he’s on an oval. Then I get worried and I’m a little more nervous.”

Last year during the Chase, Briscoe and ESPN were in Dover while Ryan was racing at Kentucky. A fast, mile-and-a-half track where the action’s normally a big pack in tight quarters. Just like Las Vegas and Texas. Briscoe said she and even Rusty Wallace were keeping one eye on their job and the other on Kentucky. And even though she couldn’t watch what Ryan was doing or where he was, she knew he was safe.

“If that makes any sense,” Briscoe said. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens [this year]. I think we’re in Chicago and they’re in Fontana. We’ll see.”

It’s not as hard as one thinks for Briscoe to split her time. She has yet to find herself in a position where she’d rather be with Ryan than working. But that doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen.

“If it was Indy. I won’t miss Indy,” she said. “Indy is too cool, Indy is like the track, the race. I can’t – that was hard. I missed it one year and I won’t ever do that again.”

While Daytona, Richmond and the Bristol night race are on her list, the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway is Briscoe’s favorite track. For good reason: it’s played a major part in her life.

Indianapolis was the track where she hosted Countdown for the first time as its permanent host. Something she was more nervous about than anything she’s ever done professionally.

That’s when it became her job, when it became her seat. It was exciting, new, a little bit scary with a hint of don’t mess it up. There were thoughts of wanting people to like her, to like the broadcast. Being the new person fearing being the weak link. All those emotions wrapped into one.

“Indy hands down is my favorite racetrack,” she says. “I love Indianapolis for everything that place is because I think one, that was my introduction – my true introduction into American motorsports. And everything that place is, it gives me chills.

“When I was working at Indianapolis you’d get there for a race morning to do the five o’clock broadcast and you’d get there at three o’clock in the morning and it’s quiet and the pagoda is all lit up blue and purple and it feels like you have to whisper and tip-toe around because you’re walking on hallowed ground.

“The track is coming to life and you have to be respectful of everything. And so much has happened there that effects what we see today. Not just what we see on the racetrack, but the cars we drive. That’s where it started. So I love that track.That’s the track that’s aaahh”

There’s no stopping her from getting to Indy. For both herself and Ryan.

“That’s a really important part of his life and when you’re in a relationship you have to be able to share those important things and be apart of that person’s life,” said Briscoe.

“It’s also helpful because he’s stressed and there’s a lot of things going on and there’s not always family that can go. You want to be able to be there for each other and that’s the one.”

Something Briscoe never thought would happen. As she, or her mom could tell the story with a laugh, her career never took the path she expected. At 11-years-old she had a fascination with needing to know what was going on in the world around her.

So everyday she’d come home from school, do her homework then pull out her bright pink beanbag chair and plant herself in front of the TV. She’d watch “Nightly News” with Tom Brokaw and absorb all she could. That was her thing, back before the 24-hour news cycle and the ever-evolving Internet. And no newspaper she said, because her house didn’t get it.

In collage her life quickly found the fast track. A professor told her to immediately go find an internship. Figure out what she liked and if it was going to live up to expectations. Her internship led to a job, then another. All while she was still in school.

Then came a job in another city. Then she had an interview in another city and an eventual move to Indianapolis and switch to motorsports. That’s where Briscoe’s life changed forever.

“I was never a race person before I moved to Indy,” she said. “I had seen a racecar on the track before when watching a NASCAR race on TV. But my family was stick and ball like football, basketball, and baseball.

“Racing was never a part of our lives. So I moved to Indianapolis and when you move to Indianapolis in the month of May, [you get sucked into it]. And it happened to be the time the Pacers were playing the Heat in the playoffs and my boss wanted to go to Miami and hang out on South Beach and so he was like, let’s send the rookie [her] to the track.”

A classic case of everything happens for a reason. One things leads to another and Briscoe has experienced it her whole life. Something she’s grateful of and can now look back and laugh about.

“If you would have said to me 10 years ago, ‘You’re going to be working in racing,’ I would have thrown a bulls— flag at you,” she said with a wave of her hand and chuckle. “I would have said there’s no way, I don’t know anything about it, it didn’t even make sense.

“Now it’s crazy how much it’s so much apart of my life, both personally and professionally that literally I would have hoisted the flag, I would have saluted it. No way in hell would I have believed you.”

Now, as close as Briscoe is to racing there are still those unbelievable moments. She admits racing at Daytona and Talladega freak her out because of the unpredictability and dangers.

Talking to Briscoe though about those topics and many more is easy. She’s open and willing to talk. She gives well thought out and honest answers. When the discussion turns to Dan Wheldon and his death last October in Las Vegas in the IndyCar Series it doesn’t take long for Briscoe to become emotional.

It hasn’t even been a year yet and it’s still tough. It will most likely always be tough. Made tougher by the fact that just a week later she and the rest of her ESPN cast went on air at Talladega. It was during that time Briscoe delivered a heartfelt sendoff to Wheldon.

She becomes quiet, puts her head on her hand and glances off. The emotions coming back to her and she seemed to be fighting them.

“I can tell you now, it’s a blur a little bit,” she finally said about that weekend. “Ryan went to Australia right after the Vegas race to do a race that he had been planning on doing. I had to fly home alone. My best friend is getting married that weekend. My best friend is getting married, like my sister, the highest of the highs. But on the other side the lowest of the lows.

“I drove overnight after my friend’s wedding to Talladega. I left my friends wedding at eleven o’clock at night and arrived at the racetrack in the morning to do the broadcast.”

Briscoe pauses as she relives the memories. Having been much closer to the situation than most, it’s not surprising how much it affected her and still does.

“That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in terms of my career,” she said of the broadcast. “I just wanted to say the right words to honor his wife and his kids and to honor him. I was so afraid – I wanted to get through it, I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to cry because I didn’t want my emotions to get in the away of what I was hoping to do and to achieve.

“I think Brad Daugherty said something like, the drivers compartmentalize. They go out there and that’s their job and that’s what they do, it’s all they know. And it’s not scary for them because it’s what they do; it’s what they know. It’s scary for the people who watch and I think I pointed it out because that’s the part everyone else forgets about.”

Something Briscoe clearly remembers from Talladega is what took place during the race. When there was a crash fans cheered. Even from inside the pit studio in the infield, she heard those cheers.

“People were applauding for an accident and that bothers me,” Briscoe said. “It would have bothered me before Vegas in IndyCar. It bothers me. I remember being really, really uneasy with it that day. It was hard.”

Even harder was Briscoe talking about Wheldon. She talked about his life, his career and said his greatest gift was his legacy in the family he left behind. Many watching applauded Briscoe for the courage and strength she had of getting through the 1:15 second piece.

It was touching, it was appropriate and it well said. It was something that when asked about the idea Briscoe quickly put her hand to her heart but said it was a team idea to include it in the broadcast.

“He was a champion, he was an Indy 500 winner, he was an amazingly talented, gifted driver,” she said of Wheldon. “He’s going to go down as one of the legends in IndyCar racing. When something like that happens, the motorsports family – something happened in our family and it was natural to acknowledge it.

“What I said was something that came from me. I write what say; it comes out of my own mouth. So, I said that. I wrote it. But it was a group decision to do something about him.

“Look at what happened here eleven years ago [Dale Earnhardt’s death]. That’s a part of this sport that we can’t go out there and see what we see on a weekly basis without the dangerous sides of it and when something, whether it’s absolute tragic or someone just gets hurt like Eric McClure, things come out of it.

“The sport gets better and sometimes it takes a really awful thing to get there but you learn from it, you learn from those mistakes, you learn from those tragedies. IndyCar did, IndyCar’s still learning. NASCAR is still learning. But that’s what good about it too.”

Added Briscoe, whether she was back at the track at Talladega or somewhere else, it still would have been hard. It was still fresh. The emotions were still flowing.

Yet, for as much as Briscoe still thinks about Wheldon and his family, she and the rest of the motorsports family race on. There’s plenty of work to be done and things to watch for. On the NNS side, Briscoe has been impressed with the “emotional roller-coaster of the points battle.”

From Elliott Sadler and Ricky Stenhouse to Austin Dillon and Sam Hornish climbing into contention. It’s Hornish who Briscoe is particularly interested in watching. She calls him “a freaking legend in IndyCar, he is awesome” who came to NASCAR and was knocked down from the perch he had been on.

Now he’s back up, fighting for a NASCAR title. On the other hand, Dillon, a rookie, isn’t making very many mistakes or wrecking cars. He’s completed every lap this season. It’s making all four drivers a great storyline, each fighting and looking to prove something.

However it plays out, Briscoe feels certain about one thing, it’ll go down to Homestead. As will she, sitting in her chair in the ESPN studio covering not only the NNS but soon the NSCS, starting of course at Indianapolis on July 29.

July 10, 2012
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”246″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart: Stewart zoomed past the Roush Fenway duo of Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle to win the Coke Zero 400, Stewart’s fourth Coke Zero win and 18^th overall at Daytona. Stewart started 40th and slowly but surely worked his way to the front as the night wore on.

“I hit all my marks,” Stewart said, “and I’ve never failed a drug test. You could say ‘I’ve minded my P’s and cues.”

“I knew I had to separate the Kenseth-Biffle tandem, and I did so. Apparently, Joe Gibbs isn’t the only one able to split up Roush Fenway teammates.”

2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole at Daytona and nearly held on for the wire-to-wire finish. But Tony Stewart’s last-lap pass spoiled Kenseth’s ambitions, although he held on for the runner-up spot and extended his points lead to 25 over Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“Tony ran a heck of a race,” Kenseth said. “Apparently, A.J. Allmendinger isn’t the only one ‘Smoking’ in NASCAR.”

3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt was in position to dash for the win at Daytona, but a final-lap crash sent him spinning, where he slammed the wall. He was able to guide his damaged No. 88 across the line in 15^th and remained second in the Sprint Cup point standings, 25 behind Matt Kenseth.

“It’s certainly not the first time I’ve hit a wall,” Earnhardt said. “I hit one after winning at Michigan in 2008, and felt the effects for nearly four years.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson was bumped from behind while attempting to enter pit road on lap 125. His No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet slammed the Turn 4 wall and Johnson finished 36^th, his third super-speedway DNF this year.

“It appears I’m cursed on superspeedways,” Johnson said. “Therefore, I curse at superspeedways.

“Speaking of ‘cursing,’ A.J. Allmendinger had to utter a few after getting busted by NASCAR. I would never make that mistake. Not because I’m a prude, but because I‘d never want to be the subject of the headline ‘Highs And Lowe’s.’”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was running third with eight laps to go when he got loose entering Turn 1 and triggered a wreck involving 14 cars. Hamlin’s No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota returned to the track after extensive repairs and finished 25^th, four laps down. Hamlin fell two places to seventh in the points standings, 92 out of first.

“I may drive a Toyota,” Hamlin said, “but I don’t think anyone ordered ‘Japanese take out.’ At Fed Ex, regardless of the circumstances, we deliver. Hopefully, affected drivers can forgive me. I surely don’t want to hear other drivers whispering about my supposed lack of driving skills. I already have back problems; I certainly don’t need ‘behind the back’ problems.”

6. Greg Biffle: Biffle led 35 laps at Daytona and was pushing Matt Kenseth on the final lap before Tony Stewart, with help from Kasey Kahne, disrupted the Roush Fenway draft and took the win. Biffle then turned down on Kevin Harvick and started a huge pileup as Stewart hurtled towards the finish. Biffle finished 21^st and is third in the point standings, 44 behind Kenseth.

“I’m sure a lot of drivers are unhappy with me,” Biffle said. “My lane change was a lot like Kenseth’s team change—I still can’t tell you where I was going.”

7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowki finished eighth in the Coke Zero 400, following up his Kentucky win with a solid top-10 result. He is ninth in the point standings, 103 out of first.

“As you’ve probably heard,” Keselowski said, “my Penske teammate A.J. Allmendinger was suspended for failing a drug test. That’s too bad. I like communicating on Twitter, with 140 characters. It’s seems A.J. likes communicating with ‘4:20’ characters.”

“But I can’t discuss A.J.’s situation, despite my burning desire to talk it up on Twitter. Roger Penske told me the same thing he told A.J.—‘pipe down.’”

8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was caught up in a final lap wreck that likely cost him a top-10 finish, which would have been his first since a second at Dover on June 3^rd. Harvick is sixth in the point standings, 90 behind Matt Kenseth.

“How is DeLana Harvick like A.J. Allmendinger?” Harvick said. “Her urine test turned up positive as well.

“I used to drive the Shell/Pennzoil-sponsored car. Not once did I ever have an ‘intake’ problem.”

9. Carl Edwards: Edwards broke a five-race slump with his first top-10 result since a ninth at Charlotte, finishing sixth in the Coke Zero 400. He is now 11^th in the point standings, 34 ahead of Paul Menard in 13^th.

“Despite my first top 10 in six races,” Edwards said, “Daytona left me with an empty feeling inside. How, of all people, could I find any enjoyment in a race won by Tony Stewart in Florida in which a Roush Fenway driver finished second? If I didn’t know better, I’d say this was Homestead in 2011.”

10. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished 17^th at Daytona, limping to the finish after getting sucked in to a last-lap crash. Truex now sits seventh in the point standings, 92 out of first.

“Notable casualties in Daytona wrecks included me, Dale Earnhardt, and Juan Montoya,” Truex said. “In other words, two ‘Juniors’ and a ‘Senor.’”

July 10, 2012
Coke Zero 400 Review: Daytona Knows Drama

NASCAR announced 90 minutes before the start of the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday that driver AJ Allmendinger would be temporarily suspended from competition after failing a drug test taken at Kentucky Speedway last weekend. The Penske Racing organization scrambled to find a replacement driver; the team flew in Penske’s Nationwide driver Sam Hornish Jr. from Charlotte, NC to Florida to fill the ride. Hornish arrived with police escort in Daytona just in time for pre-race ceremonies to begin.

“You know it’s a disappointment at this particular time, but we’re going to wait and see what the second test results are before we make any comment or decisions. I don’t think it’s fair to him,” team owner Roger Penske said Sunday before the IndyCar race in Toronto. Penske was vacationing in Europe and was traveling to Toronto when the news was released.

[media-credit name=”Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”311″][/media-credit]The fate of Allmendinger rests with the results from his “B” drug test sample. He has 72 hours from the time he was notified of testing positive on Saturday to request his “B” sample be tested. If the sample comes back positive, Allmendinger will be subject to being suspended from NASCAR indefinitely.

Allmendinger’s will remain suspended for the upcoming Cup race at New Hampshire and Hornish will continue to pilot the No. 22 Pennzoil Dodge until the results of the “B” sample are released.

Penske Racing hired the former Red Bull driver in late December after the team parted ways with Kurt Busch at the end of the 2011 season. Allmendinger was 23rd in the Sprint Cup Series standings heading into Daytona, where he won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race in January.

Allmendinger is the most well-known driver suspended from NASCAR for a failed drug test since Jeremy Mayfield in 2009. Mayfield has fought NASCAR over the test for many years and has not raced a NASCAR event since. If Allmendinger’s “B” test does come back positive, he may have the opportunity to go through NASCAR’s drug rehabilitation program and return to competition in the future.

Roush Duo Comes Up Short

Matt Kenseth won the pole for the Coke Zero 400 and with the help of Roush Fenway Racing teammate, Greg Biffle, led the first 41 laps of the race. The No. 17 was trying to accomplish something that no driver has done since 1982 – win both Sprint Cup races at Daytona in the same year.

The duo was a force to be reckoned with all throughout the race, despite Biffle being penalized and sent to the rear of the field for making a pit stop while pit road was closed under caution. The RFR teammates were able to reconnect and rebound to take over the lead once again.

With half a lap remaining in the Coke Zero 400, Kenseth remained in the lead with Biffle following closely. The No. 17 Ford was passed by Tony Stewart after Kenseth slowed down to reconnect with his teammate on the back straightaway. The No. 16 was involved in a multi-car wreck that unfolded coming to the checkered flag, resulting in a disappointing 21st place finish for Biffle. Kenseth finished in third position, with Jeff Burton passing him for second on the final lap.

“I guess you need to be happy when you finish that good, but also when you have restrictor plate cars that fast, that doesn’t happen very often and sure want to figure out how to win with so the last two I feel like you always second-guess your moves, but I feel like we had one of the fastest cars all three races this year really”, Kenseth said in the media center after the race.

“Happy to get third but on the other hand, I am incredibly disappointed. My team kind of deserved to be down there holding the hardware and I kind of let them down. But overall, we had a really fast car, we had a pretty good race, made our way back to the front after the pit road thing and were in contention, just didn’t get it done that last lap.”

Kenseth remains the point’s leader with 25 points over Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 15th after being involved in the crash on the final lap. Biffle was able to gain one position in standings, moving him to third position.

Point’s Battle Heats Up

[media-credit name=”Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images” align=”alignleft” width=”285″][/media-credit]Tony Stewart scored his 18th overall victory at DIS, second-most all-time to Dale Earnhardt. This is the No. 14 team’s third win of the season and has propelled him in Cup standings. The Stewart Haas driver and team owner gained four position’s in points with his win Saturday night and is now in 5th position, 84 points out of the lead. The three-time series champion looks to be on another championship run heading into New Hampshire, a track where he has three previous wins.

Clint Bowyer has fallen three positions to 10th place in standings after a 29th place finish in the Coke Zero 400. After riding in the back of the pack for most of the night, Bowyer looked to be heading to the front in the final laps of the race. His potentially good night came to a halt with eight laps to go after being involved in a multi-car accident, ending his night. The No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota is now 104 points behind the leader, just three points behind 9th place of Brad Keselowski.

The Michael Waltrip racing team has high hopes heading to Loudon, where Bowyer has won twice; including his first Cup series victory in 2007, where he started on the pole and led 222 of 300 laps.

The Wild Card battle – the two positions in the Chase given to the two drivers with the most victories ranked 11th to 20th in points – is heating up between some of the sport’s most popular contenders. The battle is as close as it’s ever been after top-five runs by Joey Logano and Ryan Newman at Daytona. A seventh-place finish for Kasey Kahne has increased the intensity of the wild-card hunt; with only eight races remaining until the Chase, anything can happen!

July 9, 2012
Surprising and Not Surprising: Coke Zero 400

[media-credit name=”Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”214″][/media-credit]From drivers on ‘baby watch’ to the suspension of A.J. Allmendinger for failing his random substance abuse test, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona.

Surprising: One of the most sought after drivers for this race weekend was surprisingly Kenny Wallace. This Nationwide driver and Speed on-air personality actually had two offers to drive, first as back up for Kevin Harvick, whose wife DeLana held off on delivering ‘Baby Otis’ (now Keelan Paul Harvick) until after the race and then for Sam Hornish, Jr., just in case he did not make it to the race track to sub for suspended driver Allmendinger.

“Well, that was drama,” Wallace said. “It was a feather in my cap for these car owners to think of my superspeedway driving.”

“It was a little uncomfortable for everybody,” Wallace continued. “What happened with all the sponsors and all the automakers, this was all people helping people at this point.”

Not Surprising: In the midst of a heat wave and in spite of starting at the back of the field due to post-qualifying tech issues, the proverbial Smoke rose to the top, of the leader board in this case.

Tony Stewart, in the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, sliced and diced his way to the checkered flag to score his 47^th victory in the Cup Series, now 14^th on the all-time win list.

This was Smoke’s third victory of the season, putting him in a tie with Brad Keselowski for Cup Series wins this year. This was also Stewart’s 18^th win at Daytona International Speedway, second most all-time to Dale Earnhardt.

“The great thing about restrictor-plate racing is that 43 cars all have the same shot at winning the race,” Stewart said. “But that’s also part of what makes it frustration too.”

“It’s just being at the right place at the right time,” Smoke continued. “And when those last two big wrecks happened, we were in the right spot.”

Surprising: In spite of wrecking both on the track and on pit road, this driver salvaged a surprisingly good finish. Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Pepsi Max Chevrolet, survived the melee of the race and the final laps to bring his bruised vehicle to the checkered flag in 12^th place.

“There were moments tonight when I felt like we had a car that could win,” Gordon said. “And then that wreck happened when we were trying to come to pit road that just changed our night.”

“I even got in the wreck on that last lap and still finished 12^th,” Gordon said. “We don’t have much of a race car, but we got a 12^th place finish.”

Not Surprising: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. continued to keep his streak of consecutive laps finished alive, in spite of being caught up in the final wreck of the race like so many others.

Although poised for a top-five, the driver of the No. 88 National Guard ‘An American Salute’/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet crossed the finish line in 15^th.

“My mama told me she hoped the Cup race wasn’t as wild as the Nationwide race, but they always are, you know?” Junior said. “All these races are always like that and you just try to survive.”

“We just came up a little short.”

Surprising: After a tough season to date, Jeff Burton, in the No. 31 Wheaties Chevrolet, had a surprisingly good second place finish. This was his 11^th top-10 finish in 38 races at Daytona and his best finish of the season to date.

“Well it certainly feels good to have a good finish,” Burton said. “We’ve had a miserable year.”

“To get out of Daytona with a second tonight is probably more than I can expect with all the wrecks and stuff,” Burton continued. “Hopefully we can build on this.”

Not Surprising: From starting from the pole to having a car at the front of the field for much of the race, it was not surprising that Matt Kenseth scored a strong third place finish. Yet it was also not surprising to see just how bereft the driver of the No. 17 Zest Ford was when the race was done.

“I’m really disappointed,” Kenseth said. “We thought we had one of the best cars.”

“I was hoping it was going to be me or the 16 in Victory Lane,” Kenseth continued. “I feel like my team kind of deserved to be down there holding the hardware.”

“We were in contention but we just didn’t get it done that last lap.”

Surprising: After a pit road mishap that turned this driver backwards and almost into Brad Keselowski’s pit stall and crew, Ryan Newman made a surprising recovery. The driver of the No. 39 Aspen Dental Chevrolet managed to finish top-five.

“After what happened on pit road, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Newman said. “But the guys did a great job with the repairs.”

“I’m just happy to bring a car home in one piece from one of these races.”

Not Surprising: Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, continued to dig for a potential Chase spot, finishing fourth. Logano moved up two spots to 14^th in the point standings after the Daytona race.

“It didn’t go as planned, but ended up pretty good,” Logano said. “So, we’ll take that for sure – a fourth place finish.”

“That’s how we’ve got to keep fighting.”

Surprising: Two drivers known primarily for past glories did surprising well at Daytona. Michael Waltrip, driving the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, and Bobby Labonte, behind the wheel of the No. 47 Kingsford Charcoal Toyota, finished ninth and tenth respectively.

“At the end of the race, I was confident I could push,” Waltrip said. “We just had a damaged car and probably pretty lucky we got a top-10.”

“We got close, but that was all we could do is get close.”

“We were a tortoise out there tonight,” Labonte said. “We just ended up missing those wrecks and that’s all that saved us tonight.”

Not Surprising: There were plenty of hard hits out there to no one’s surprise and one particularly hard hit befell five-time champ Jimmie Johnson. The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet was involved in one of the ‘big ones’ on lap 123.

“We were all getting ready to pit so I was waving my hand out the window,” Johnson said. “And as soon as I let off the gas, someone got into the back of me.”

“I went down on the inside wall,” Johnson continued. “As I was spinning, I could see a lot of other cars were collected too.”

Surprising: Father of Chase Elliott, who has been tearing up the NASCAR ladder, made some headlines himself in the No. 50 Walmart Chevrolet. ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’ was having a heck of a good race until crashing with many others on lap 123.

“We were just a victim of circumstances,” Elliott said. “But man I was proud of all those guys on Turner Motorsports and Walmart.”

“That’s the best I’ve run in a long time.”

Not Surprising: Frustration, to no one’s surprise, was the feeling of the day at Daytona International Speedway under the lights. Perhaps Carl Edwards, driving the No. 99 Subway Ford Fusion, summed it up best.

“Frustrating describes this whole type of event,” Edwards said. “It’s very difficult.”

“You’re just really trying hard not to wreck and ruin your day or other people’s day,” Edwards continued. “It’s a tough race.”

July 8, 2012
Kenseth ‘incredibly disappointed’ in not completing Daytona sweep

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”240″][/media-credit]For the first time in 30 years it looked like Daytona was going to be swept. Matt Kenseth came within half a lap of winning the 2012 Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 before Tony Stewart passed him on the backstretch.

Kenseth ended up finishing third after leading a race high 89 of 160 laps. His No. 17 Zest Ford for Roush Fenway Racing was the class of the field and dominated early from the pole. But when it came down to tandem drafting at the end, he and teammate Greg Biffle were again unable to make it work.

“I guess you need to be happy when you finish that good, but also when you have restrictor plate cars that fast it doesn’t happen very often and you sure want to figure out how to win with them,” Kenseth said afterwards. “You always second guess your moves but I feel we had one of the fastest cars here all three races this year so I’m happy to get third, but yet on the other hand I’m incredibly disappointed because I feel my team kind of deserved to be down there holding the hardware and I kind of let them down.

“But overall, we had a really fast car. We had a pretty good race and made our way back to the front after the pit road thing and we were in contention, we just didn’t get it done that last lap.”

Right from the green flag it was clear that Kenseth was the driver to beat. Easily picking up where he left off in February. He and Biffle teamed together and stuck their Fords on the yellow line, where they were stayed and were able to fend off all challenges.

The competition repeatedly tired to overtake them on the outside, but were continually unable to make the lane work. The only problem that Kenseth had all night was pit road, when he came down for his pit stop on lap 124 and seven cars wrecked behind.

Instead of stopping for service he continued through pit lane and escaped without penalty. But he gave up all his track position. No worries, he and Biffle wasted no time in showing their strength and rejoining the fight at the front.

The final restart put Kenseth back together with Biffle, Stewart with Kahne on the outside. Going down the backstretch Stewart got a hard enough push from Kahne to charge ahead of Kenseth and take the lead. It was the winning pass and Kenseth fell to third when another wreck started off turn four.

For Kenseth he did everything he could to keep Biffle with him, deciding to drag the brake when Biffle got disconnected. That move was just enough for Stewart to clear Kenseth and take another win away. Kenseth had been unable to charge for the win at Talladega when he and Biffle became disconnected there.

“If he was by himself [Stewart], I knew we would pass him as long as me and Greg could get rolling again,” said Kenseth. “I knew we would pass him somewhere over by turn four, hopefully, so I got him [Biffle], made a run and tried to go outside of Tony and he made a block real high and I still kind of had position and then from there I’m not really sure what happened. They just started wrecking behind us.”

Hindsight is always 50/50 and it’s no different for Kenseth and what he might have been able to do differently. There were a few things he said, but you never know how they would have played out or what turn the race would have taken.

He remains the point leader heading into New Hampshire, now 25 up on Dale Earnhardt Jr. But, it won’t make missing out on a rare NASCAR accomplishment any better.

“Daytona has been wonderful to us this year, really starting last July when we were able to push David [Ragan] to his win and finish second,” he said. “Obviously, we had a really good Speedweeks [this year] and then to come down here and sit on the pole and be able to lead – the most laps I would think – so, we were up front most of the night and had one of the fastest cars.

“We didn’t get caught up in a wreck and still got a good finish, so it’s hard to be disappointed with that, but the racer in you, when you have a car like that, you certainly want to figure out how to try to win with it.”

July 8, 2012