Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Front Row Motorsports

  • David Ragan Talks Talladega, Darlington and Just Plain Going Nuts

    David Ragan Talks Talladega, Darlington and Just Plain Going Nuts

    [media-credit name=”www.davidragan.com” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]David Ragan, driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, has had so much going on, from an intense run at Talladega to his upcoming race at historic Darlington, that no one would be surprised if the young driver was also going just plain nuts.

    After a scorching weekend at ‘Dega, where drivers not only battled heat in the race car to heat in their engines, Ragan managed to escape relatively unscathed to score his first top ten of the 2012 season.

    “That was a track that we had circled at the beginning of the season and a track that I’ve performed well as has Front Row Motorsports,” Ragan said. “At restrictor plate racing, when you run in a pack and when you can draft with other cars, it puts everyone on more of an equal playing field.”

    “I felt like if we went down and didn’t make any mistakes, we would have a chance for a top-10 and that’s exactly what we did,” Ragan continued. “It was good to get a top-10 finish and hopefully we can improve on that for the rest of the year.”

    Ragan certainly seems to have a knack for the superspeedways, a talent that has enabled him to keep his cool in spite of the craziness that often ensues at restrictor plate tracks.

    “I’ve been fortunate enough to drive some good race cars over the years, with Ford engines and Roush prepared cars,” Ragan said. “You have to be patient and not push the issue.”

    “You have to make the best decisions possible and we’ve always been able to come out of the superspeedways clean.”

    Ragan recognized that some drivers were driven a bit batty by not only being back in the pack but also by trying to manage their temperature and pressure gauges.

    “I think there were some issues with overheating and you just had to manage them,” Ragan said. “We were all fighting the same issues, all 43 cars.”

    “It is annoying and it is frustrating,” Ragan continued. “But it’s just another element that makes NASCAR racing what it is.”

    “I’m partial to the pack racing,” Ragan said. “I think it’s more fun for the fans.”

    “I have an open attitude either way but I am partial to the pack racing because I’m a fan and that’s what I’d like to see.”

    With the pack in back of him, Ragan is ready to tackle the track dubbed ‘Too Tough to Tame’ this weekend.

    “I think we need to finish on the lead lap,” Ragan said of his Darlington plans. “We need to race the race track and run our own race. I think a top-15 to a top-20 would be a solid day for us.”

    Ragan also fully plans to let himself go just a little nuts at Darlington for the race weekend. He will have Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts as the primary sponsor on his car for the historic Bojangles Southern 500.

    “McCall Farms, with their division the Peanut Patch, is going to take a dip into the NASCAR world and be the primary sponsor on the No. 43 car,” Ragan said. “I grew up in Georgia where there were a lot of peanuts planted near the cotton. So, I’m a big boiled peanut fan.”

    “They’re located right down the road from the race track,” Ragan continued. “They have a lot their employees that are going to be coming to the track.”

    In addition to the peanuts, a definite concern at the race track for those who are superstitious, Ragan will also be driving a green race car, a color that again is one that is shunned by most. But neither seems to both the young driver in the least.

    “I’m not a big superstitious guy but maybe if they see us in their rear view mirror in the peanut car, they’ll get out of our way,” Ragan said.

    For any fans that want to join Ragan in going nuts this weekend, the Peanut Patch is running a special promotion on Front Row Motorsports Facebook page. All fans have to do is upload a video stating whey they want to “Go Nuts for David Ragan.”

    “I haven’t seen any of the videos but I’ll have to check it out for sure,” Ragan said. “I don’t know who has the final say but I’m sure I can check it out and then hopefully influence whoever that’s going to be.”

    Ragan is also balancing his nutty schedule on the track with his many off-track activities. The young driver is involved in everything from volunteer work with the Shriners to some old fashioned asphalt racing.

    “I just completed one of the final steps in Free Masonry to become a Shriner,” Ragan said. “So, hopefully by summer we will be an official Shriner and a member of the Oasis Temple here in Charlotte.”

    “We’ll also be at the Summer Shoot Out at the Shrine 100 in August.”

    “We’re in the process of putting together another asphalt late model to do some racing around the southeast later in the year,” Ragan said. “I’ll drive and we run a young kid from Texas Andy Hogan and his next race is in Huntsville, Alabama next weekend.”

    Ragan freely admits that his season has been a bit crazy to date. But in order to combat that, Ragan said strongly that consistency is the key.

    “The season’s been OK,” Ragan said. “I’d give us a B minus.”

    “We need to be more consistent,” Ragan continued. “We’ve been able to achieve some of our top 20 goals but we can certainly be more consistent.”

    “And as long as we can keep getting better, that’s a good thing.”

    Ragan fully intends to capitalize on his seventh place finish at Talladega with another good run at the ‘Lady in Black.’ And if he wins, Ragan predicts all kind of going nuts.

    “We were all happy to get that good run at Talladega,” Ragan said. “But we need to continue to expect to get those good finishes.”

    “You’ll see us get real crazy if we’re able to catch the checkered flag for one of these races.”

     

  • Kvapil’s future is still in doubt

    Kvapil’s future is still in doubt

    Getting a job in the Sprint Cup Series is tough as it is. The economy doesn’t help either.

    Travis Kvapil is a former Camping World Truck Series champion. One would believe teams would be throwing themselves at him after his departure from Penske Racing several years back at the completion of the 2005 season.

    For the past few seasons, Kvapil drove for the underfunded Front Row Motorsports team. FRM is owned by Bob Jenkins, who owns a series of restaurants such as Taco Bell, Long John Silver, and other multi-million dollar businesses.

    At the end of 2011, rumors swirled around the garage about David Ragan signing with FRM once he was released from his former team Roush Racing. Eventually, Ragan signed with FRM. The team also resigned David Gilliland and Josh Wise in the team’s second and third cars, leaving Kvapil without a job heading into 2012.

    “That was tough, last year we didn’t have the results we hoped and by the end of the season we put some good runs together. But speaking for them, they were looking at different sponsorship opportunities and eventually landed with David Ragan and they had more sponsorship for things like that and it was a decision they made and they had to look at all opportunities and they’re definitely looking better,” said Kvapil on what made him leave FRM.

    Lucky for Kvapil, a new team was forming out of the defunct Red Bull Racing shop.

    Kvapil reached out to one of the new owners, sparking talks across the board as both sides were interested in working with one another.

    “It all happened pretty quick, but it was a bit of a process for them,” said Kvapil. “It took longer than they expected to get everything together and we didn’t get everything going and the green light until February first, but we have great equipment and some really good people with guys that work really hard.”

    It was announced that Kvapil will drive the car after the Daytona 500 where David Reutimann drove the No. 93 Toyota Camry to a 26th place finish in the team’s debut. But, it remains unclear if he will step behind the wheel for every race, or he will be replaced by Reutimann in the select races where he does not drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

    “It’s not a done deal from what I’ve been told. They’ve talked to me about David Reutimann running for the team, but I think that’s still to be determined as time gets closer to those races. Hopefully, I can go out there and run competitively and have a chance of staying in the car,” said Kvapil.

    But, if Kvapil is replaced by Reutimann, it could mean the partnership may last only one year, if that.

    “They’ve been straight up with me from day one. They might do something with David in those races, they might not, they didn’t promise me anything that they can’t do. I knew the deal going into it so either its 26 races or the rest of the races,” Kvapil said. I’m thankful for the opportunity. They didn’t promise me more than 26 races, but there’s a possibility of running 35.”

    The last time Kvapil qualified for all 36 races was back in 2008, the year he drove for Yates Racing, finishing 23rd in the standings. After the first six races in 2009, Kvapil was released from Yates as the team eventually shut down, due to sponsorship woes.

    This time around, Kvapil’s situation is different, much different.

    With a possibility of being replaced in several races, Kvapil has to focus on himself more than ever.

    “I think it’s harder for the team to work with multiple drivers as the relationship between the driver and the team takes some time to build and you’re changing drivers then you kind of mess up the chemistry,” said Kvapil on whether or not it’s a good idea for BK Racing to split the No. 93 Burger King Toyota throughout the 2012 season.

    Expectations for the new team are rather high, well at least according to Kvapil. He believes the team is capable on finishing in the top 25 on a weekly basis and eventually, making it to the top 20.

    Fortunately enough, Kvapil took a car which qualified 41st and turned a bad run into an exceptional one as he drove up to 19th place by the time the checkered flag flew this past Sunday at the Phoenix International Raceway. The team proved they’re at the track to run competitive and not just ‘start and park’ like many expected.

    Kvapil will head into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend with a renewed outlook on what it takes to run upfront. He and teammate Landon Cassill are ‘dark horses,’ but the two have much to prove.

    For the entire BK Racing organization, the plan is to run the entire season with Cassill in the No. 83 with Kvapil and possibly Reutimann in the No. 93 with cars from the former Red Bull Racing team. How will they fare remains to be seen. They are off to a strong start, continuing this will easily look themselves in the top 35 in owner points by Bristol.

    As a pure racer, Kvapil is determined to revamp his career once again. He is off to a strong start in 2012. His season may progress in a positive or negative way. But, it’s the chance he needed to prove he didn’t forget how to drive considering he outran both FRM drivers, Ragan and Gilliland on Sunday at Phoenix.

  • David Ragan’s Season of Change On and Off the Track

    [media-credit id=40 align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]When the checkered flag dropped at Homestead officially closing the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the season of change for David Ragan began on, as well as off, the track.

    The biggest change for Ragan was learning that his sponsor was leaving, jeopardizing his continuing relationship with Roush Fenway Racing.

    And although Ragan was mentioned as the prime candidate for several open seats during ‘silly season’, his future in the sport was not secured until this week when it was announced he would pilot the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports.

    “My heart was at Roush Fenway Racing all year, hoping to continue,” Ragan said. “But we just couldn’t make that happen.”

    “When we got back from Homestead, a lot of the guys were taking other opportunities and they laid off some employees,” Ragan continued. “So, I could see the writing on the wall that it just wasn’t going to happen.”

    “The Front Row guys have always had a relationship with the Ford Racing team so with me being in the Ford camp, I knew some of them,” Ragan said. “I understood their goals and as a young team, I could see a lot of potential.”

    “I had a few other opportunities on the table but those opportunities did not materialize,” Ragan continued. “So, I just stayed in touch with them.”

    “In order to stay in the Sprint Cup Series and in order to stay in a Ford, it was important to sign with them for the year.”

    While Ragan’s world changed dramatically, the young Cup driver acknowledged that the world, including the NASCAR community, has also dramatically changed. This is particularly true as it applies to NASCAR corporate sponsorship.

    “In this day and age in the NASCAR world, you have to have some connections in the corporate community to help bring some revenue to the team,” Ragan said. “I worked as much on that side of the coin as with the teams and owners.”

    “I’ve brought a lot of contacts to the team that I’ve made in the sport,” Ragan continued. “It’s something that collectively we’re going to work on.”

    Ragan also anticipates another change, that of moving from one of the sport’s bigger teams to a smaller team primarily funded by the team owner. Yet he acknowledges that moving from a large to a more intimate team also has its advantages.

    “Front Row has primarily been funded from the car owner, Bob Jenkin’s, side to keep it going,” Ragan said. “So, that’s going to be a big change.”

    “But you’ve got a group of guys working together to run the two cars and that’s going to be better because you feel more of a personal relationship with the team,” Ragan continued. “I think there’s a lot of room to grow the Front Row team.”

    “The landscape is certainly changing and the gaps between the haves and the have nots is closing up a little tighter each day.”

    Another major change on the track for Ragan will be dealing with the new fuel injection in the race cars. Although he did not participate in the recent Daytona testing, Ragan feels confident that he will be able to easily cope with these changes.

    “From a driver’s standpoint, there’s really not much difference,” Ragan said. “The cars drive and respond in pretty much the same way.”

    “I’ve driven quite a bit of the fuel injection stuff over the past year doing testing for the Roush Yates engine department,” Ragan continued. “That’s something that will help the Front Row Motorsports team and we will utilize our Ford partnership.”

    Ragan is also focused on coping with another major change on the track, that of getting to know a whole new team, owner and crew chief. And he also is in the getting acquainted stage with new teammate David Gilliland.

    “I’m spending as much time as possible at the race shop, meeting the guys and learning their system,” Ragan said. “We’re starting to talk schedule and traveling and then we’ll get down to business, with set ups and cars.”

    “My teammate David Gilliland ran third in the Daytona 500 and me winning the race in July, I feel like we should have a good pairing for the race,” Ragan continued. “David is a good speedway racer so it should be fun to plan out our strategy.”

    “I think things are going well and it will help us that we’re in the Bud Shoot Out,” Ragan said. “That will help break the ice for the Daytona 500.”

    Ragan is, however, expecting one major change, particularly at Daytona. He is predicting that tandem racing for the entire race may be a thing of the past and the pack may indeed be back.

    “I expect a combination of both tandem and pack racing,” Ragan said. “The engine has been restricted so much that you just can’t have the tandem racing all race long.”

    “I think you’ll see spurts of it all race long but the meat of it will most likely be pack racing with guys conserving cars to be there at the end.”

    With the many changes on the track for David Ragan, he added one more change to his repertoire. This change, however, applied more to his off track activities than his racing career.

    Ragan proposed to his long-time girlfriend Jacquelyn Ann Butler. They are planning for their wedding in December of this year.

    “I wasn’t quite brave enough to ask her at a sporting event on the jumbotron before 50,000 people,” Ragan said. “Her and I went off for a little weekend and I was fairly traditional.”

    “I got down on one knee and the good news is that she said yes,” Ragan continued. “I wasn’t going to get up until she did say yes. That was good and I was glad to have her not expecting it.”

    One thing that has not changed in Ragan’s life is his devotion to his work as a Shriner. The other is his love for racing super late models.

    “I’m still doing a lot of work with Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, getting our dates planned out for the Shrine Bowl at Carolina Speedway,” Ragan said. “And I’m going to race my super late model car a few times in January and run the first CRA race of the season in Georgia at Speedfest.”

    “So, I’m looking forward to getting back on the track with that and then Daytona will be here before you know it.”

    So, what has Ragan learned through the many changes in his life on and off the track?

    “It makes you appreciate your program and your job when you have a full-time sponsor when you know your plans going into the off season and during the holidays,” Ragan said. “But this sport is so tough and there’s a lot of great drivers and teams and things are changing.  The world we live in is changing and the sport is too.”

    “We just look forward to a great opportunity at Front Row,” Ragan continued. “They have a great deal of potential and we look forward to taking the team to the next level.”

  • David Ragan to drive for Front Row Motorsports

    David Ragan to drive for Front Row Motorsports

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images North America” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]David Ragan is no longer standing in NASCAR’s unemployment line.

    It has been reported by The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter that Ragan has signed on to drive for Front Row Motorsports full time in 2012. Front Row Motorsports is owned by restaurant entrepreneur  Bob Jenkins (not the ESPN commentator), who took full ownership of the team from Jimmy Means in 2005.  The team had just two top-10 finishes by David Gilliland last season. One being a third place finish in the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. Also driving full time for the team last season was Travis Kvapil who didn’t fair as well. His highest finish during the 2011 season was a 16th place finish at Martinsville in October.

    The Unadilla, GA native moves on from Roush Fenway Racing’s 6 car with one Sprint Cup Series win coming at Daytona last July.  Ragan lost his ride with the team due to the cut back of primary sponsor UPS and was released to find another full time ride in the series.

    Among the remaining unemployed Sprint Cup drivers are Brian Vickers, Landon Cassill and J.J. Yeley. It is unclear whether or not David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil will keep their rides with Front Row Motorsports this season.

    Sources have said to expect an official announcement of the new deal early this week.

  • David Gilliland Shares Racing Pride with Son Todd on Race Finale Weekend

    David Gilliland Shares Racing Pride with Son Todd on Race Finale Weekend

    David Gilliland not only finished up the 2011 NASCAR season at Homestead-Miami Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, but he also played the part of proud dad, watching son Todd do some racing of his own, all for charity.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Breaking Limits LLC” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]During the Ford Championship weekend, the younger ‘Gilly’ competed in ‘NASCAR Unleashed’, a newly released racing video game. The ‘race’ competition was held at the Speedway with each NASCAR kid choosing a charity for which to donate the winnings.

    “I did good,” Todd Gilliland said. “I finished second out of the NASCAR kids. There was one kid that was a wild card and he went all the way to the finals but then he lost. I finished third over all.”

    Each NASCAR kid also had to choose a charity for which to compete. Gilliland chose the Sherrills Ford Optimist Park, a recreation center in the family’s hometown that suffered fire damage to their concession stand.

    “I chose it because I played soccer there and I might play baseball there,” Todd Gilliland said. “Their concession stand burned down so I thought it might help rebuild it.”

    “I got $5,000 for them.”

    “I’m very proud of him,” David Gilliland said of his 11 year old son. “He picked the park for his charity.”

    “We just moved into the neighborhood and their concession stand burned down,” Gilliland continued. “He chose that charity all on his own and I’m very proud of him.”

    Although the youngster enjoyed playing the new X-Box game, ‘NASCAR Unleashed’, Todd Gilliland is a racer in his own right, hoping to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Although the youngster chose to wear a fire suit sporting his dad’s number, he deserted his dad for Carl Edwards’ No. 99 car to race in the video game.

    “I hope I will race like my dad,” Todd Gilliland said. “I race quarter midgets at Bobby Labonte’s track.”

    Dad Gilliland is also extremely proud of his son’s desire to follow in his racing footsteps.

    “He wants to race and we do as much as we can,” Gilliland said. “We’re trying to think of the next step to take. He’s a good little racer.”

    Unfortunately, Gilliland does not feel quite so positively about his own season behind the wheel in the Cup Series. In fact, he would give himself the grade of a ‘C’ for his 2011 performance.

    “Our main focus is to get better each week,” Gilliland said. “We started off that way and made progress but we kind of lost it along the way.”

    “We are a less funded team and we don’t have the resources like the other teams we race against,” Gilliland continued. “If we blow an engine or wreck, we just dig a hole deeper and deeper. So, we’ll use the offseason to rebuild and make progress to get more competitive.”

    While Gilliland is looking forward to improving for 2012, he is not totally sure that he will be back behind the wheel of the No. 34 again next year. As with so many teams in the sport, Gilliland’s team is also one of those struggling with sponsorship.

    “I’m not 100% sure about next year,” Gilliland said. “We’re hoping to be back and hoping we can get that worked out.”

    “We’ll know shortly,” Gilliland continued. “We definitely need sponsorship but everybody does right now.”

    “It’s been a difficult time for NASCAR but we’re going to work through it.”

    Now that the season is completed, Dad Gilliland, son Todd and the rest of the family are most looking forward to some down time, celebrating the holidays and recharging their batteries.

    “We’re going to go to California,” Todd Gilliland said. “And we will go to the desert and go to the sand dunes.”

    “I’m looking forward to some time off,” Dad Gilliland said. “We have some fun things planned with the family.”

    “I’m excited for the off season,” Gilliland said. “I’m as ready as I’ve ever been for it.”

    “But most of all, I’m very proud of my son and all he’s been able to do,” Gilliland said. “Both my kids are on honor roll and do well in school.”

    “I’m just a proud dad to have such a great family.”

     

  • J J Yeley Does Double Designated Driver Duty at Dover

    J J Yeley Does Double Designated Driver Duty at Dover

    J. J. Yeley is pulling double designated driver duty in Dover, Delaware this weekend.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]On the track, Yeley is the designated driver to get the No. 38 Ford team of Front Row Motorsports not only into the race, but also into the top 35 in the point standings by the season end.

    And off the track, Yeley is participating in a special promotion entitled, “J.J. is My D.D.”, encouraging all to “Drive Sober, Arrive Alive” by using a designated driver.

    For Yeley, his primary focus this race weekend as the team’s designated driver is getting the car into the show. This will be especially daunting due to the fact that Yeley wrecked his primary car in practice, with a too close encounter with the Monster’s wall.

    “There are a lot of things that make Dover unique and there is a reason they call Dover the ‘Monster Mile,” Yeley said. “The straight-aways at this race track have more banking than other tracks where we go.”

    “It is by far the fastest race track we go to,” Yeley continued. “What makes this place the toughest is the transitions from the corners to the straight-aways.”

    “That’s what bit me in practice,” Yeley said. “As I exited Turn Two, the car jumped sideways and there was no time for recovery.”

    “They call it a self-cleaning race track but it’s more a gobble them up and spit them out track.”

    Is Yeley worried about having to be the designated driver of his back-up car? While he might be confident, he also admitted that it makes for an even more unnerving situation.

    “The back-up car is actually going to be better,” Yeley said. “That’s the beauty of having a multi-car team.”

    “Me and David (Gilliland) have a compatible driving style,” Yeley continued. “So, I’m not worried about jumping into a back-up car. Most likely it will just be a lot of fine-tuning.”

    “We will have to make it in on time,” Yeley said. “But we should easily make the race based on my practice averages.”

    “It’s still very difficult because you cannot afford to make any mistakes,” Yeley continued. “The difference between who makes the race and who goes home is the matter of a thousandth of a second.”

    “It always makes you nervous, no matter if you’re a veteran driver or one with a short amount of experience,” Yeley said. “I talked with Bill Elliott last year and he even got nervous when he had to qualify in and perform under those circumstances.”

    “The team has to prepare the car as good as possible and I as a driver cannot make any mistakes.”

    Yeley has a singular focus as the team 38 designated driver.

    “The goal for this weekend is to gain points on the No. 71 team,” Yeley said. “We’ve been making up an average of 5-7 points per race.”

    “So, by the end of the year, we should get the car back into the top-35 in points,” Yeley continued. “Ultimately for 2011, that’s the goal for the No. 38 team.”

    “It makes 2012 so much easier,” Yeley said. “Those first five races, you don’t have to worry and it makes getting sponsors so much easier.”

    “All we can do is go out there and do our best,” Yeley continued. “This is a particularly tough race track but I think we can capitalize.”

    Yeley’s other Designated Driver duty is even more critical, as this one is designed to save lives. Yeley is partnering with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety to call attention to the dangers of drinking and driving.

    “When I was here in the spring race, I worked with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety on their seatbelt promotion,” Yeley said. “I had some friends who were killed in accidents where they were not wearing their seat belts so we just built that relationship.”

    “Anytime you can have a sponsor, it’s a fantastic thing but when you can promote such a great cause, it is perfect.”

    The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is also thrilled to be working with Yeley yet again.

    “The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is very excited to partner with J.J. and Front Row Motorsports to promote the Drive Sober message,” Jana Simpler, Director of the OHS, said. “NASCAR is a very popular sport with lots of loyal fans.”

    “We think that promoting Designated Driving and a Drive Sober message with a NASCAR racing team will create more buzz among 18- to 34-year old males about driving sober and arriving alive.”

    Both Yeley and the DOHS agree that the partnership between their office and Yeley is the best way to reach a maximum number of people, especially in that targeted age group.

    “When you have over 100,000 people at a race, most of them having a good time, it’s very important to pass along the “Drive Sober, Arrive Alive” message,” Yeley said. “You have so many people show up at these races that sometimes people forget the fact that they have been drinking all day, which just magnifies the alcohol.”

    “Having a designated driver because usually there is so much traffic leaving the races, getting caught with a DUI is not only costly but very dangerous.”

    For Yeley, being the designated driver is not only a passion, but it is personal.

    “The previous team that I was with, one of the sponsor’s had a niece that was almost killed by a drunk driver six months ago in Dallas,” Yeley said. “She almost lost her life but she was one of the lucky ones.”

    “Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who don’t give it a second thought,” Yeley continued. “That is what this promotion is all about.”

    Yeley will actually be participating as a designated driver for a fan this race weekend. He will be traveling with a contest winner, Andy Anderson, to several local pubs as his DD.

    “We will start signing autographs at a local pub and then travel to another bar at Dover Downs,” Yeley said. “Andy Anderson was the lucky recipient. He will have more than a good time than I will as I won’t be drinking obviously.”

    For more information about the ‘Drive Sober, Arrive Alive’ campaign, visit www.duirealtime.com or www.jjismydd.com.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    The kickoff race for NASCAR, the Daytona 500, is always one of the biggest and most prestigious races of the season. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 53rd running of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500:

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]Surprising:  In a race that set the record for lead changes, different leaders, and cautions, the biggest surprise to all, including himself, was Trevor Bayne, channeling his inner David Pearson in the famed Wood Brothers No. 21 car, to take the checkered flag.  Bayne is the second youngest race winner, accomplishing the feat on the second green, white, checkered, even while running low on gas.

    Bayne is the tenth different Ford driver to win the Daytona 500.  This was the youngster’s first win in only his second Cup Series start.

    Not Surprising:  Carl Edwards, exhibiting great patience, came in the second spot. Edwards, however, took solace in “how nice a guy Trevor is” as he savored his runner up status.

    “I don’t know if you guys noticed, but it was pretty wild out there today,” Edwards said. “But I was there at the end and that’s what I had to do.”

    Surprising: It was indeed surprising that there were no Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, or Richard Childress Racing representatives in the top five finishing order. The story instead was one of the underdog teams, with the Wood Brothers, Front Row Motorsports and JTG Daugherty instead in the top five.

    Not Surprising:   Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a great day, leading laps and staying competitive.  Unfortunately, as has happened to Junior all too often, he was caught up in a tussle on the final laps, pushing him back to a 24th place finish.

    Surprising:   Incredibly surprising was the amount of deal making prior to the race, as well as throughout the race itself. Crew chiefs and spotters were exchanging frequency numbers, and probably cell phone numbers, in the garage area so that they could communicate and work together during the race.  Even on the spotter’s stand, it was “like the New York Stock Exchange,” according to Darrell Waltrip, with deals aplenty being made.

    Not Surprising:  All of this deal-making seemed to wreak some degree of havoc on the track, including some tandem drivers causing each other to wreck. Some of the drivers, crew chiefs, and spotters seemed almost lax on their primary responsibilities as they focused instead on coordinating with other drivers and teams.

    The best example of this confusion was a radio exchange between Kyle Busch and defending Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray, who thought they would be working together until McMurray remembered that he had a deal with his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.

    Surprising:  One of the biggest surprises was the expiration of Team Childress engines. Kevin Harvick was the first to lose his engine, early in the race on lap 22. At about lap 96, teammate Jeff Burton lost his engine.

    “We had just a 10 to 15 more degree oil temp that what we have been running,” Harvick said. “We never blow motors. Everybody at ECR does a great job.”

    “We are asking a lot out of the engines here for sure,” Burton said. “I am disappointed. Exceptionally disappointed. But I am really proud of everybody.”

    Not Surprising:  Daytona, infamous for the big one, had one of course.  Early in the race on lap 29, Michael Waltrip, former Daytona 500 winner, got into the back of his teammate David Reutimann and the big one was on.  Fourteen cars were involved in the crash, including the three Hendrick cars of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin. Other drivers involved were Joe Nemechek, Andy Lally, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, A J Allmendinger, and David Gilliland.

    “Our chances to win the Daytona 500 are over,” Jeff Gordon said after the wreck. “It is such a bummer. We had such a fast race car, such a great race team.”

    Surprising:  While it is the Daytona 500 and this is the first race of the season, the crowd on hand was healthy and the excitement in the air was palpable.  Hopefully the start is a harbinger for what is in store for NASCAR for the rest of the season.

    Not Surprising:  Probably the most moving moment of the race occurred on lap 3, when the track went silent, except for the roar of the engines. The crowd stood as one, holding up three fingers in memory of the Intimidator.  There is no doubt Dale Earnhardt would have like that.