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  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Dave Marcis

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Dave Marcis

    Dave Marcis was one of the last of a dying breed. He chose to walk his own path as an independent owner/driver with little or no factory support. The life he led was not an easy one but Marcis was never afraid of a little hard work.

    If you look at his statistics alone, you won’t see a lot of wins or any championship titles. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll soon discover why he is one of the most respected drivers in NASCAR history.

    Dave Marcis was born in the small town of Wausau, Wisconsin on March 1, 1941. Often described as hard working, stubborn and opinionated, Marcis was determined to do things his way. He set himself apart from the other drivers right down to his shoes. If you mention Marcis’s name, people will likely remember two things; his work ethic and the wingtip shoes he wore to protect his feet from the heat while driving his racecar.

    His first NASCAR start was in 1968 at the Daytona 500. Over the course of his career, he set two records at Daytona International Speedway that still stand today. Marcis has the most career starts at 33 and the most consecutive starts at 32, from 1968-1999.

    He remembers his first race in Daytona and how Smokey Yunick came to his aid when he was having problems with his car. Yunick was famous for reading between the lines of the rule book and thinking outside the box.

    “When I went to my first race in Daytona, I went and talked to Smokey about how to fix the problems I was having. He gave me a set of special push rods to put in the engine and said I should order some more,” Marcis said. “He gave me a part number, and when I called the company, they said there is no such thing. Yet I had a set in my hand that Smokey gave me.”

    In a career that lasted over 30 years, Marcis made 883 career starts that included five wins and 222 top ten finishes. He ended his career at the Daytona 500 in 2002, at the age of 60.

    When Marcis retired, he was second on the all times starts list in NASCAR behind Richard Petty. Since then, Ricky Rudd has passed him, putting Marcis in third place on the list today.

    Marcis drove for some of the top teams of the day including Nord Krauskopf, Penske Racing and Osterlund Racing. His best season was in 1975 when he drove Krauskopf’s K&K Dodge Charger, and finished second in the points standings.

    In 1978, driving for Rod Osterlund, Marcis had 30 starts and finished in the top 10 an unbelievable 24 times. However, at the end of 1978, he abruptly left Osterlund Racing and decided to field his own team. He was replaced by the late Dale Earnhardt who became a close friend.

    Between 1974 and 1982, Marcis finished out of the top ten in points only twice. By the mid 1980s, however, his performance took a downward turn as it became more difficult to compete with the big money of the factory teams.

    Marcis began testing cars for Richard Childress including Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 GM Goodwrench car. In return he received cars, engines, technical support and sponsorship.

    Throughout his career Marcis also did most of the testing for the IROC series along with Dick Trickle and Jim Sauter. He was originally hired by Mark Donohue, winner of the 1972 Indy 500. Donohue gave Roger Penske his first win of the historic race and won the inaugural IROC championship. Marcis’s association with IROC lasted for 30 years.

    Marcis may have retired from NASCAR in 2002 but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.  He took his love of racing and turned it into a successful business venture named ‘Street Rods by Dave Marcis.’

    Among his racing buddies, Marcis is quite well known for his huge appetite. His second love led him to open a hotel/restaurant in Wisconsin called Camp 28 Resort Hotel.

    The end of Dave Marcis’s career closed a chapter in NASCAR history. The day of the independent owner/driver is almost extinct but Marcis has no regrets when he looks back on his life.

    “I think what I accomplished, the way I did it and the money I had to do it with, I personally think I done very well. I think that I was a good racecar driver, a hard racecar driver. I never gave up. I raced hard every lap, harder than I should have in a lot of instances.”

    He went on to say that “a lot of people said I raced them too hard, even if I was a lap or two down. But I always had hopes of getting that lap back and getting some better finishes. I believed that the spectators came to see a race, and I raced. I always put my heart and soul in it, and I raced hard, hard, hard all the time.”

    Marcis treasures the friendships he formed along the way.

    “To me, the guys today, when they reach our age, they’re not going to have a lot to talk about.” They fly to the races and they fly out.”

    “We were in a caravan and we used to eat in the same restaurants. The fans would meet us there and get autographs. That’s just how it was. It’s just completely different today.”

    His memories tell a story of days gone by when fierce competitors on the track became lifelong friends off the track.

    “What are they going to talk about when they retire? Us guys, we could sit around and talk for weeks,” Marcis said. “At Rockingham, after practice was over in the evening, Buddy Baker and a bunch of us, we’d go in the pine trees over there, get a crow call and shoot crows. Down at Darlington, in some of them ponds, we’d go fishing and catch bass. It was just a whole lot more fun.”

    Marcis’s life is a reflection of a time when it wasn’t all about fame and fortune. It was about accomplishing extraordinary things with little money, great determination and tremendous ingenuity.

    “Radioman” Doug Taylor of Taylor Communications remembers a conversation with Dave Marcis at Daytona in 1975. At the time Taylor was working to provide better two-way radio communications between drivers and their pit crews. Although the driver helmets had speakers in them, the engine noise made communication iffy, at best.

    “Dave approached me at Daytona back in 1975 and said that his two-way radios didn’t work.  At the time my system worked but only on the Yellow Flag laps. Dave showed me what he had been working on and I about died laughing at first. But the more he talked, the more I listened.”

    “What Dave had was a tiny transistor radio earpiece that he had in his ear with bubble gum pushed around it to seal out the noise. He told me he knew he was on the right track, but just couldn’t perfect it.”

    “He suggested that I take his idea and use my engineering expertise to make a better design.  I came up with the ear mold which fit inside the driver’s ear and shut out all outside engine noise. It provided clear communication with no distortion. I used about 30 different ear mold models over 25 years.”

    The legacy of Dave Marcis is best summed up in his own words.

    “We have done so much, with so little, for so long, that now we can do almost anything with nothing.”

    Accomplishments:

    Daytona 500 Most Career Starts – 33
    Daytona 500 Most Consecutive Starts – 32
    IROC Test Driver – 30 Years

  • Grant Enfinger’s Team Takes Top Honors in ARCA Daytona Test Drafting Speeds

    While Venturini Motorsports took top honors in the single-car runs, Grant Enfinger’s team took top honors in drafting.

    Yesterday, Benny Gordon drove Grant Enfinger’s car to the lead position and has the quickest overall draft speed at a lap of 48.414 seconds.

    Today, Grant Enfinger drove his own car to the top of the charts and second overall at a lap of 48.418 seconds.

    Brian Rose and James Hylton were tied for second in the session at 48.664 seconds (184.942 mph). Joey Licata Jr., Jason Bowles, Milka Duno, Kevin Swindell, Randy Renfrow, Brent Brevak, and Bobby Gerhart comprised the remainder of the top 10.

    Today concluded the Daytona test for the ARCA Racing Series. The next time they will be at Daytona will be on February 8 to begin preparation for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 12.

    Overall Draft Speeds

    1. 09 Benny Gordon – 48.414 seconds -Wednesday Afternoon
    2. 36 Grant Enfinger- 48.418 – Thursday Afternoon
    3. 1 Chad McCumbee – 48.427 – Wednesday Afternoon
    4. 41b Ty Dillon – 48.431 – Wednesday Afternoon
    5. 82 Sean Corr – 48.432 – Wednesday Afternoon
    6. 77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 48.473 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    7. 58 Chad Hackenbracht – 48.522 – Wednesday Afternoon
    8. 55 Hal Martin – 48.609 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    9. 15 Kyle Fowler – 48.652 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    10. 25 Steve Arpin – 48.660 – Wednesday Afternoon
    11. 4 Brian Rose & 48 James Hylton – 48.664 – Thursday Afternoon
    12. 63a Milka Duno – 48.673 – Wednesday Afternoon
    13. 6 Jason Bowles – 48.724 – Thursday Afternoon
    14. 2 Kevin Swindell – 48.727 – Thursday Afternoon
    15. 66 Mark Thomson – 48.779 – Wednesday Afternoon
    16. 36b Brett Hudson – 48.834 – Wednesday Afternoon
    17. 16 Randy Renfrow & 22 Dakoda Armstrong – 48.844 – Wednesday Afternoon
    18. 3 Brent Brevak – 48.960 – Thursday Afternoon
    19. 11 Bryan Silas – 49.031 – Thursday Afternoon
    20. 31 Tim Geroge – 49.084 – Wednesday Afternoon
    21. 5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.175 – Thursday Afternoon
    22. 68 Steve Blackburn – 49.142 – Wednesday Afternoon
    23. 17b Chris Buescher & 5c Damon Lusk – 49.191 – Thursday Afternoon
    24. 14b John Ferrier – 49.199 – Wednesday Afternoon
    25. 12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.203 – Thursday Afternoon
    26. 18e Leilani Munter – 49.501 – Thursday Afternoon
    27. 62 Drew Charleson – 49.637 – Wednesday Afternoon
    28. 14a John Graham – 49.690 – Wednesday Afternoon
    29. 10b Rick Clifton – 49.724 – Wednesday Afternoon
    30. 18a Ryan Glenski – 49.760 – Thursday Afternoon
    31. 10a Ed Pompa – 49.762 – Wednesday Afternoon
    32. 12a Jarod Marks – 49.781 – Wednesday Afternoon
    33. 75b Benny Chastain – 49.788 – Wednesday Afternoon
    34. 95 Tommy Joe Martins – 49.927 – Wednesday Afternoon
    35. 18d Jill Georgs – 50.417 – Wednesday Afternoon
    36. 3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.452 – Thursday Afternoon
    37. 18d Sloan Henderson – 50.532 – Thursday Afternoon
    38. 80a Ricky Byers – 50.627 – Wednesday Afternoon
    39. 75a Hannah Baker – 50.661 – Wednesday Afternoon
    40. 80c Chris Davis – 50.870  – Thursday Afternoon
    41. 80 Russell Henderson – 59.108 – Wednesday Afternoon

  • Kyle Fowler Holds Best Time of ARCA Test Single Car Runs for Venturini Motorsports

    Teammate Hal Martin made of had the quickest time for Thursday morning’s session, however Kyle Fowler holds serve of being the quickest car on the property for single car runs.

    Martin drove the No. 55 Toyota to a best lap of 48.815 seconds (184.37 mph) to lead the Thursday morning session. That lap ranks fifth-best over the single-car runs only for the entire test session. Overall, the lap ranks 16th-best of the test week as Benny Gordon’s 48.414-second effort holds the top from the drafting session.  

    “It’s windier today, that’s for sure,” Martin told the ARCA Racing Network. “We had a little bit of a headwind going down the backstretch, which slowed us down a little bit. Other than that, our cars are quick. The Venturini guys put in a heck of a lot of work coming in and leading into this week and this test session, and the cars are all fast. The cars are performing like they should be.”

    Fowler ranked second on Thursday’s board with a lap of 48.943 seconds (183.887 mph), though holds first on the board for the entire test in single-car runs with a time of 48.668-seconds in the No. 15 Chevrolet.

    For Thursday’s board, teammates Steve Arpin and Mark Thomspon followed behind Martin and Fowler in third and forth.  Arpin drove the No. 25 Toyota to a lap of 48.978 seconds (183.756 mph), and Thompson drove his best lap in 49.208 seconds (182.897 mph). 

    Venturini Motorsports officials said that they have elected not to run the afternoon session as they’ve accomplished their goals. 

    “We had a game plan coming into this test session,” Martin said. “We were able to run through our list of things we wanted to try and see what benefited the car and what hampered our performance. We got our checklist done and completed, so we’re done.”

    Finishing out the top 10 for Day three was Brian Rose, Bobby Gerhart, Randy Renfrow, Patrick Sheltra, Grant Enfinger, and Jason Bowles. A number of teams, including Richard Childress Racing, Kimmel Racing, and Enfinger Motorsports, chose not to participate in the final day of testing.

    ARCA Racing Series testing at Daytona will conclude this afternoon with a drafting session, scheduled for 1-5 p.m.

    Gordon, who led yesterday’s drafting session, does not plan on running this afternoon.

    “I think we’re done,” Gordon said. “We were only planning on two days. (The team) has some stuff they want to do back at the shop, so I think we’re going to get out of here and pack it up, let them do their work, and see if they can’t make it better for when it comes back.”

    Meanwhile, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, son of Kerrry Earnhardt, is looking to use these three days as a learning experience.

    “It means a lot coming here,” the 23-year old said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for this track. With everything that’s happened here, it’s really awesome being here.

    “I’m just hoping to learn a lot. They say this track is pretty much in my DNA, but I guess we’ll find that out.” 

    Single-Car Run Speeds Combined From The Test

    1. #15 Kyle Fowler – 48.668 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    2. #55 Hal Martin – 48.697 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    3. #25 Steve Arpin – 48.796 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    4. #31 Tim George Jr. – 48.985 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    5. #66 Mark Thomson – 49.208 seconds – Thursday Morning
    6. #4 Brian Rose – 49.290 seconds – Thursday Morning
    7. #17a Chris Buescher – 49.315 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    8. #63a Milka Duno – 49.371 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    9. #41a Ty Dillon – 49.383 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    10. #22 Dakoda Armstrong – 49.438 – Wednesday Morning
    11. #42a Scott Stenzil – 49.457 – Wednesday Morning
    12. #36 Grant Enfinger – 49.486 – Tuesday Afternoon
    13. #16a Joey Coulter – 49.543 – Tuesday Afternoon
    14. #77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 49.549 – Wednesday Morning
    15. #14b John Ferrier – 49.562 – Tuesday Afternoon
    16. #18a Ryan Glenski – 49.578 – Wednesday Morning
    17. #5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.624 seconds – Thursday Morning
    18. #16 Randy Renfrow – 49.659 seconds – Thursday Morning
    19. #63 Patrick Sheltra – 49.660 seconds – Thursday Morning
    20. #75b Benny Chastain – 49.680 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    21. #10a Ed Pompa – 49.686 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    22. #6 Jason Bowles – 49.709 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    23. #18c Jeremy Frankoski – 49.714 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    24. #09 Benny Gordon – 49.743 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    25. #36b Brett Hudson – 49.804 seconds – Thursday Morning
    26. #12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.853 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    27. #12c Chase Austin – 49.925 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon 
    28. #5c Damon Lusk – 49.945 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    29. #97 Matt Lofton – 49.946 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    30. #2 Kevin Swindell – 49.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    31. #11 Bryan Silas – 49.977 seconds – Thursday Morning
    32. #1 Chad McCumbee – 49.978 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    33. #54 Will Vaught – 50.007 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    34. #42b Joey Gaze – 50.048 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    35. #95 Tommy Joe Martins – 50.049 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    36. #68 Steve Blackburn – 50.059 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    37. #75a Hannah Baker – 50.075 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    38. #42c Ryan Lynch – 50.080 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    39. #23a Jake Crum – 50.113 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    40. #14a John Graham – 50.145 seconds – Thursday Morning
    41. #10b Rick Clifton – 50.355 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    42. #3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.477 – Thursday Morning
    43. #3 Brent Brevak – 50.540 – Thursday Morning 
    44. #18e Lelani Munter – 50.544 – Thursday Morning
    45. #44 Frank Kimmel – 50.596 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    46. #82 Sean Corr – 50.607 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    47. #08 James Hylton – 50.694 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    48. #80b Richard Herriman - 50.773 seconds – Thursday Morning
    49. #18d Sloan Henderson – 50.790 seconds – Thursday Morning
    50. #62 Drew Charleson – 50.821 seconds – Thursday Morning
    51. #23 Levi Youster – 50.939 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    52. #18b Tyler Speer – 50.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    53. #58 Chad Hackenbracht – 51.244 seconds – Tuesday Morning 
  • Budweiser Shootout Eligibility Criteria Expands For What Purpose?

    Budweiser Shootout Eligibility Criteria Expands For What Purpose?

    NASCAR announced that the eligibility criteria for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout would be expanded.

    Last year it included the previous year’s 12 Chase for the Championship drivers and drivers who have competed in the past two seasons who are past Cup champions, past Budweiser Shootout winners and past Daytona Cup points race winners.

    This year it includes the criteria, along with including Rookie of the Year winners from the past 10 years.

    “When you take a look at the field for this year’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, it’s loaded with all-star caliber drivers,” said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition, in the press release. “From former series champions and Chase drivers, to the past 10 rookie of the year performers, to drivers who have had success at Daytona, we believe the fans are in store for a terrific and highly competitive event on a brand new racing surface.”

    The new format allows Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Kevin Conway, Juan Montoya and Regan Smith to be qualified in to the field.

    The old format of the Budweiser Shootout included only pole winners and past winners of the race. The idea was to give those who had worked hard to win a pole throughout the year a bonus – just like the Sprint All-Star Race gives race winners a bonus.

    Though when Coors Light took over the rights of the Pole Award, it was demanded that the format get changed from Budweiser.

    So what is the bonus now for pole winners? Besides starting first and getting first pit selection with some extra cash, pretty much nothing. With the way the races are, on most tracks it doesn’t matter where you start as you can always work your way to the front to win one way or another. The pole isn’t as big as it was before.

    Therefore qualifying day is off of people’s radars a lot as they don’t count that towards if their driver will run well. They just care how their driver is in practice. With that being said, the views on qualifying are down, making things look bad there.

    How can this be fixed? Either go back to the old format or give bonus points for qualifying. 15 for the pole, 10 for second and five for third sounds right – that is what the ARCA Racing Series does and in the end, that could seperate first and second.

    Now NASCAR just comes up with something that looks like an interesting format that has some “criteria” to get as many big faces as they can in. If they want to do that, they might as well just say, “Okay, look – everybody is allowed in. It’s just a non-points race with a big cash bonus.” That is the way it is going as the only drivers in the top 35 not locked in are David Reutimann, A.J. Allmendinger, Martin Truex Jr., Paul Menard, David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose, Elliott Sadler, Sam Hornish Jr., Scott Speed, David Gilliiland, Travis Kvapil and Robby Gordon.

  • Kyle Fowler Leads Venturini Motorsports 1-2 in ARCA Wednesday Morning Speed Chart

    Kyle Fowler Leads Venturini Motorsports 1-2 in ARCA Wednesday Morning Speed Chart

    Kyle Fowler led the speed charts following day one and after the morning session day two, Fowler was still on top of the standings.

    Fowler completed 12 laps in the morning session on Wednesday with a best lap of 48.668 seconds (184.926 mph). This lap stands as the best of the two days, also.

    “I’m really pleased with (Kyle) Fowler in the 15,” general manager Billy Venturini said. “That’s been a real pleasant surprise. That car has been awfully good, and was really good in the wind tunnel. It’s good to see a kid that’s never been here before run that well.”

    His teammate Hal Martin ran 15 laps to end up second on the charts with a lap of 48.697 seconds (184.816 mph).

    “Wow, we have fast cars! The PME engine we’re using, that’s a lot of horses under the hood,” Martin told the ARCA Racing Network. “The car is driving really well; we’re hugging the yellow line and slamming the nose to the ground into the corners. It’s driving really fast and flat into the turns. We’re going to continue with single-car lines this afternoon. I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a really solid day so far.”

    The 25-year old Louisiana native will race five races for Venturini Motorsports in 2011 – Daytona, Talladega, Chicagoland, Pocono and Michigan.

    “I’m really looking forward to hitting the track again at Daytona,” Martin said. “I had a bit of a head start on the field by being able to participate in the Hoosier Tire test here in December for Venturini Motorsports – so I feel I had a good chance to get somewhat acclimated to the track with some laps logged.”

    Martin has made six career ARCA Racing Series starts, including one with Venturini. He finished 10th at Talladega last season.

    “We’ve got strong talent among all of our drivers, and our reputation stands behind the equipment and support we’re able to provide each and every one of them,” Tom Venturini, a team representative said. “Hal has proven his talent for our organization in the past, as well as on the Gulf Coast Late Model tracks. We’re really excited to see how he’ll perform this season. He has tremendous talent. We’re hopeful he will not only add more top-10s to that resume, but also top-fives and maybe even a trip to Victory Lane.”

    Along with Martin, Venturini Motorsports will run rookies Alastair Jackson, Max Gresham, and Darren Hagen in the 2011 season.

    Richard Childress Racing development driver Tim George Jr. drove 11 laps to end up third on the charts with a lap of 48.985 seconds (183.73 mph).

    “That’s the car we ran at Talladega, and it was really fast at Talladega,” George said after yesterday’s test. “I was comfortable with the car right out of the box; it’s not like getting used to a new car. I’ve been running the banking for the past four days here in the Rolex Series, and we were third on the board there, so it feels good to be back on top of the board with a different tire and a different car.”

    Venturini Motorsports driver Steve Arpin finished the morning fourth with a lap of 49.222 seconds (182.845 mph) while Cunningham Motorsports’ driver Dakoda Armstrong ended up fifth with a lap of 49.438 seconds (182.046 mph).

    Armstrong, the 2010 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year, plans to run both the February 12th Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway and the April 15th Talladega ARCA 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, as according to Cunningham Motorsports. Armstrong won two races – Talladega Superspeedway and Salem Speedway – last year for them driving the No. 22.  

    Scott Stenzel, Ty Dillon, Joey Licata Jr., Grant Enfinger, and Ryan Glenski rounded out the top 10 for the morning.

    For Dillon, it marked his first laps ever on a Superspeedway as he looks to run his first full ARCA racing season.

    “It’s awesome,” Dillon said of the experience yesterday. “It’s really exciting. You go really fast. The track’s really smooth, so it’s fairly easy to get up to speed. We have a good car and there’s still some speed to gain. We’re just going to keep working on it. I just want to learn. I’ve got to learn to make our car better, and I’ve got to learn a lot, especially in the draft. We’ll just get as many laps as we can get and hopefully keep it up.”  

    Dillon’s teammate George Jr. said he looks forward to working with Dillon after having some years of ARCA experience under his belt.

    “He’s been racing cars way longer than I have,” George said. “You know, he’s much younger than I am. I’m going to lean on him for some stuff and he’ll probably lean on me for some stuff on the road courses and maybe the superspeedways. There’s a lot that he’s done in his racing career that I’m looking forward to doing, including winning in the ARCA Racing Series. It’ll be good to have support between him and I, and I’m looking forward to it.”

    IndyCar star Milka Duno was 16th on the speed charts today after being in the top 10 throughout the day yesterday.Other notables include six-time Daytona ARCA winner Bobby Gerhart ended the three-hour session tied for 21st, at 50.007 seconds (179.975 mph), and nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel finished 36th, at 50.733 seconds (177.399 mph).

    “Well, we wanted to go out and make sure the thing runs real fast,” Kimmel said. “Unfortunately, it’s not running real fast right now. We’ve got some work to do. This is the car we tore up here last year in the race. We qualified 13th, and we expect to be there or in the top 10 by the time we’re done. We have some work to do right now.” 

    Drafting testing will take place this afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. and lasting for four hours. A maximum of six cars per pack will be allowed to test.

    DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – 1/11-13/11  
    ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY MENARDS  
    JANUARY 12, 2011, MORNING SESSION    
               
      CAR # DRIVER MAKE TIME SPEED
    1 15 Kyle Fowler Chevy 48.668 184.926
    2 55 Hal Martin Toyota 48.697 184.816
    3 31 Tim George Chevy 48.985 183.730
    4 25 Steve Arpin Toyota 49.222 182.845
    5 22 Dakoda Armstrong Dodge 49.438 182.046
    6 42a Scott Stenzil Ford 49.457 181.976
    7 41a Ty Dillon Chevy 49.517 181.756
    8 77 Joey Licata, Jr. Dodge 49.549 181.638
    9 36 Grant Enfinger Dodge 49.559 181.602
    10 18a Ryan Glenski Ford 49.578 181.532
    11 14b John Ferrier Ford 49.621 181.375
    12 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 49.679 181.163
    13 10a Ed Pompa Chevy 49.686 181.138
    14 63a Milka Duno Dodge 49.708 181.057
    15 6 Jason Bowles Toyota 49.709 181.054
    16 18c Jeremy Frankoski Ford 49.714 181.036
    17 09 Benny Gordon Ford 49.743 180.930
    18 16 Randy Renfrow Chevy 49.763 180.857
    19 36b Brett Hudson Dodge 49.849 180.545
    20 1 Chad McCumbee Ford 49.978 180.079
    21 5 Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.007 179.975
    22 54 Will Vaught Chevy 50.007 179.975
    23 12b Maryeve Dufault Dodge 50.021 179.924
    24 5c Damon Lusk Chevy 50.054 179.806
    25 75b Benny Chastain Chevy 50.065 179.766
    26 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.070 179.748
    27 17a Chris Buescher Ford 50.106 179.619
    28 11 Bryan Silas Ford 50.139 179.501
    29 14a John Graham Ford 50.145 179.480
    30 68 Steve Blackburn Dodge 50.213 179.236
    31 2 Kevin Swindell Toyota 50.280 178.998
    32 95 Tommy Joe Martins Dodge 50.281 178.994
    33 75a Hannah Baker Chevy 50.339 178.788
    34 10b Rick Clifton Chevy 50.355 178.731
    35 82 Sean Corr Ford 50.729 177.413
    36 44 Frank Kimmel Ford 50.733 177.399
    37 3 Brent Brevak Dodge 50.811 177.127
    38 23 Levi Youster Chevy 50.939 176.682
    39 08 James Hylton Ford 51.070 176.229
    40 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 51.443 174.951
    41 17b Chris Buescher Ford 52.126 172.659
    42 62 Drew Charleson Chevy 54.853 164.075
    43 4 Brian Rose Dodge    
    44 16 Brian Smith Chevy    
    45 12 Jared Marks Dodge    
    46 18 Tyler Speer Ford    
    47 25 Hal Martin Toyota    
    48 48 James Hylton Ford    
    49 97 Matt Lofton Chevy    
    50 12c Chase Austin Dodge    
    51 16a Joey Coulter Chevy    
    52 23a Jake Crum Chevy    
    53 42b Joey Gase Ford    
    54 42c Ryan Lynch Ford    

     
  • Speedway Mailbag: Top Stories Eclipse Lunar Light Show

    Speedway Mailbag: Top Stories Eclipse Lunar Light Show

    “When the moon is in the Seventh House
    And Jupiter aligns with Mars
    then peace will guide the planets
    and love will steer the stars”
    Aquarius[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]

    Last night’s lunar eclipse wasn’t exactly Jupiter aligned with Mars, but it was a spectacular event.

    For those race fans from Venus and Mars who did not see the rare celestial congregation, I have enclosed a picture for your viewing pleasure.

    Bulging at the seams, the Speedway Media mailbag is proof positive there have been other noteworthy events this past week.

    Since our last installment, the hard working e-mail man has filled our Tupperware bowl with cards and letters from fans around the short track.

    Denny in Detroit writes: Dear Speedway Media: Did Rick Hendrick really buy a car for $225.000?
    Rick Hendrick did buy a new Chevrolet Volt, the first one available for sale to the general public, for $225,000 via an online auction. Proceeds of that sale will go to benefit various portions of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

    A successful hard core business man, Hendricks latest round of philanthropy is also a wise business decision.

    Because it is a charitable donation, all of the money above the original $40,000 MSRP of the car, approximately $185,000, is a tax deduction.

    Also, since the purchase was made before the end of 2010, Hendrick will also receive an additional $7500 federal energy tax credit for purchasing an electric car.

    Hendrick, a collectible car enthusiast, also has a first issue Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 in his museum.

    Bob in Boston writes: Dear Speedway Media, was the repaving of Daytona International Speedway a success?
    The repaving of DIS was an absolute success Bob. It was done in record time, within budget, and, with the help of DIS President Joie Chitwood III, the most publicized construction project in recent NASCAR history.

    Even with all that success, there is one little issue here. It is still Daytona, and the racers are still harnessed by restrictor plates.

    While visiting the track last week for tire testing, it was difficult not to think about how much money ISC had spent, how great a job their newly acquired construction company had done, and how refreshed the track looked with its new face lift.

    But still, other than a smoother ride, the cars will really not go any faster.

    To add some perspective, just imagine this.  A hurricane is only moments away and all you have is a handkerchief. It’s obvious you need to do more, but chose not to.

    Not a good analogy? Still confused?  Ok, lets look at it from a racing perspective.

    Consider Dale Earnhardt Jr. who basically got a complete makeover after leaving DEI. He partnered with a new owner, received new equipment and has acquired several new crew chiefs.

    He still doesn’t go any faster.

    Ron in Roanoke writes: Dear Speedway Media: Is Kasey Kahne’s new car number a good sign or a bad sign?
    Kasey said the No. 4 was his favorite number Ron. Looking back at a few things, I find the No. 4, alone and in a group, might just be a lucky charm for KK.

    Let’s do a little “by the numbers.”

    Kasey was Rookie of the Year in 2004.

    Ernie Ervin’s second win (a divisor of 4) came in the Daytona 500 driving the No. 4 Kodak Chevrolet.

    Sterling Marlin’s first and second career wins were the Daytona 500, driving the No. 4 Kodak Chevrolet.

    Kahne has now raced for all four NASCAR manufactures, had four different team names and will be the fourth driver in the Hendrick Motorsports stable starting in the year 2012, which happens to be divisible by four.

    And finally, should Kahne win the season opening Daytona 500, it will be the fourth for the No. 4.

    Well that’s about it for this weeks edition of Speedway Mailbag. I usually comment on more letters, but I was distracted by the overwhelming amount of advertising in this week’s e-mailbag.

    Who knew you could get 50 million dollars from an unknown rich widow in Bangladesh, check your credit score, and buy non-prescription prescription medicine, all by e-mail.

    Feel free to send your questions, comments and suggestions to mailbag@speedwaymedia.com.

    Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of management.