Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Jeff Gordon

NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Cale Yarborough

On Tuesday, June 14, 2011, the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced the 2012 class of inductees. It should come as no surprise that Cale Yarborough’s name is at the top of the list. Yarborough received the highest percentage of votes with 85 percent.

Driver, car owner, businessman, author and actor, Cale Yarborough has done it all. This hard-charging three-time Cup champion was known for giving 100 percent from the first to the last lap.

Richard Petty said of Yarborough, “It didn’t make no difference if he was two laps behind or 20 laps ahead, he drove that car as hard as he possibly could.”

Cale Yarborough ruled NASCAR in the 1970’s with three consecutive Sprint Cup championships from 1976-78. No one had ever shown such dominance and his record stood until 2008 when Jimmie Johnson won the championship for the third straight year.

During those three years, Yarborough won 28 races – nine in 1976, nine in 1977 and 10 in 1978. He not only won those championships, but by a huge margin. In 1978, Yarborough won by a margin of 474 points.

His 31-year career total of 83 victories ranks fifth all-time and his 69 poles rank third all-time. Yarborough won the Southern 500 at Darlington five times. He also managed to win the Daytona 500 four times (1968, 1977, 1983-84), second only to Richard Petty’s seven.

William Caleb Yarborough was born in the small town of Timmonsville, South Carolina in 1939. He was the oldest of three sons born to Julian and Annie Mae Yarborough. As a small boy, he attended races in the nearby towns of Florence and Columbia with his father and fell in love with racing. Yarborough remembers the first Southern 500 in Darlington in 1950. His father had been looking forward to it and he was hoping his Dad would take him to see it.

“We’d certainly talked about the Southern 500,” Yarborough remembers. “I don’t know whether he was going to take me or not.”

Sadly, he never got the chance to go. That summer Yarborough lost his father when he was killed after his small plane crashed. Yarborough made it to the Southern 500 the next year, crawling under the fence to get in. He had a ticket but was too excited to wait in line.

“I wasn’t sneaking in to be sneaking in,” he said. “I was just too anxious to get inside and see my heroes.”

It seems like no coincidence that Yarborough made his racing debut at that very same track in 1957. It was not the start he had envisioned. Yarborough finished in 42^nd place after a broken hub took him out of the race.

Yarborough only drove in three more races over the next four years but in 1962, he earned his first top ten finish when he placed tenth in the Daytona 500 qualifying race. Over the next few years, he drove for various owners on a limited schedule including Herman Beam, Holman Moody and Banjo Matthews.

In 1965, he ran in 46 races and captured his first win at Valdosta, Georgia. That year he also had one of the scariest moments of his career at the Southern 500 while trying to pass race leader, Sam McQuagg.

“We went in the corner side by side, and for some reason my car just got airborne,” said Yarborough. “I went over the hood of his car, never even touched the guardrail, and went out into the parking lot. I ended upside of a telephone pole.”

In 1966, Yarborough began to find some success. He won both the Atlanta and Firecracker 500 while driving for Bud Moore and finished out the season driving the No. 21 car for the Wood Brothers team.

Yarborough started to make a name for himself after his partnership with the Wood Brothers and won six races in 1968 including his first Daytona 500 win. That year also saw him in victory lane for the first time at the Southern 500. Yarborough considers it the biggest of his 83 career wins. This was the track where he had watched so many of his heroes race as a young boy. More importantly, it was the last race on the old track before it was repaved.

“It’s still hard to drive today,” Yarborough says, “but back before they changed it, it was almost impossible to race on. The difference between the old track and the new one is like night and day.”

“I think Jeff [Gordon] ought to have to win six to equal my five,” he jokes, “because my first one was on the old track, and it was twice as hard to win.”

Finally, in 1973, Yarborough was able run a full schedule. He won four races that year, including the Southeastern 500 at Bristol International Speedway, where he led every lap from start to finish. What makes it even more unusual is that the race took two weeks to complete because of rain.

Yarborough finished second in the points standing in 1973, behind Richard Petty. In 1974, he captured ten victories but again finished second to Petty in points. But Yarborough was not to be denied.

With nine victories in 1976, Yarborough won the first of his three consecutive championships, driving for the legendary Junior Johnson. According to Johnson, winning with Yarborough was easy.

“When you got a driver you know is going to give you everything he’s got,” Johnson said, “you can take away 30% of the car and he’ll still give you enough to beat everybody.”

One of Yarborough’s most memorable moments was in 1979 at the Daytona 500. It was the first stock car race ever televised in its entirety. Yarborough and Donnie Allison were fighting for the lead and wrecked when Yarborough tried to pass for the lead during the final laps. The wrecked cars slid into the infield and both drivers jumped out of their cars. Fists started flying with Bobby Allison joining in to help his brother. The entire episode was captured on television and has become one of the most notorious NASCAR fights in its history.

Yarborough retired as a driver in 1988, ending his driving career with a phenomenal 83 wins. He remained on the NASCAR scene as a car owner until 2000. He had limited success as an owner and recorded only one win with John Andretti in 1997. After leaving NASCAR, he opened a successful Honda dealership in Florence, South Carolina.

Cale Yarborough was a small town boy with big dreams. He joined the ranks of the heroes he watched race as a young boy to become a NASCAR legend. He remains one of NASCAR’s most beloved drivers and an integral part of its history.

*Achievements:

1967 NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award
1976 Cup Championship
1976 Five Consecutive Race Wins – Single Season Record
1977 Cup Championship
1978 Cup Championship
1980 Won 14 Pole Positions – Single Season Record
1984 First driver to qualify at the Daytona 500 at over 200 mph
1986 Wrote his autobiography, with William Neely: ‘Cale: The Hazardous Life and Times of the World’s Greatest Stock Car Driver’
1993 Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
1994 Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
1994 Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
1996 Inducted into the Court of Legends at Charlotte Motor Speedway
1996 Talladega Walk of Fame inductee
1998 Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
2009 Monument on the Darlington Legends Walk
2010 Nominee NASCAR Hall of Fame
2011 Nominee NASCAR Hall of Fame
2012 Will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame
4-Time Winner of the Daytona 500
5-Time Winner of the Southern 500
83 Career Wins (Fifth All-Time)
69 Poles (Third All-Time)

Trivia:

Yarborough appeared in two episodes of the TV show ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ playing himself.

1979: ‘The Dukes Meet Cale Yarborough’
1984: ‘Cale Yarborough comes to Hazzard’
1983: Yarborough appeared in the Burt Reynolds movie, ‘Stroker Ace’

Thanks to darlingtonraceway.com and NASCAR Hall of Fame for Cale Yarborough quotes.

*NASCAR statistics as of May 31, 2011

May 31, 2011
Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Coca Cola 600

After exceptionally exciting finishes in the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day, all signs pointed to a stellar finish in one of NASCAR’s biggest races of the season. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]Surprising: With several of the sport’s biggest races won by first-timers this season, including Trevor Bayne’s story book win at the Daytona 500 and Regan Smith’s unpredicted win at Darlington, it was a bit surprising that no first time winner stood in Victory Lane after the Coke 600.

One driver, however, came mighty close. David Ragan, who had snagged the Showdown win to make it into the All-Star Race the weekend before, almost pulled off his own Cinderella-like story, falling short of the win by just one position.

Ragan, in his No. 6 UPS “We Love Logistics” Ford, finished second, scoring his highest career finish in the Coca Cola 600.

“We had a strong car all day,” Ragan said. “That’s a finish that we deserved, but we just went about doing it the hard way.”

Not Surprising: After all those laps and all those miles, it was not surprising to see the Coca Cola 600 come down to a green, white checkered finish. And it was equally unsurprising to see one driver that is becoming well-known for his stealth finishes to come from nowhere and snag another victory.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Armed Forces Tribute Chevrolet, did just that to lead the last 400 feet of the race and take the checkered flag for his fifth top 10 and second top five in 21 starts at Charlotte.

“We were lucky,” Harvick said. “It’s nothing against the race track, I just don’t like racing here. But to be in Victory Lane, it says a lot about this Budweiser team.”

“This is a huge accomplishment for us,” Harvick continued, admitting that he had struggled with his car and team throughout the race. “This is a hell of a race to win. We’re going to celebrate it like it’s our last one.”

Surprising: After leading the race on the final lap, seeing the checkered flag, and then running out of gas, it was surprising how positive Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was after the race. Junior limped to the finish line on fumes to finish seventh in his No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet.

Echoing his ever upbeat crew chief Steve Letarte, Earnhardt, Jr. said, “I’m disappointed we didn’t win, but if we would’ve won, it would have been a gift.”

“We ran good tonight,” Junior continued. “I’m proud.”

Not Surprising: In contrast to the positive, proud vibes in the Dale Jr. camp, it was not surprising that there was a whole lot of swearing going on in his teammate Jimmie Johnson’s camp. In fact, crew chief Chad Knaus dropped the F-bomb on national television when Johnson’s engine expired with just five laps to go in the race.

This was the first engine failure for Hendrick Motorsports this season and it forced Johnson to a 28^th place finish in his No. 48 Lowes Summer Salutes Chevrolet. Johnson also fell one spot, from second to third, in the point standings.

Surprising: Although the Coca Cola 600 is the longest race of the season, it was surprising to see the number of engine failures that occurred. In addition to Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart all experienced engine issues.

For Jamie McMurray, behind the wheel of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shop/Convoy of Hope for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, this engine failure signified the sixth of the season for the ECR engine builders.

“It started shaking and one second later, it was ‘boom,’” McMurray said.

Hamlin, on the other hand, was able to recover after his engine issues, with his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota team doing a yeoman’s job of changing out the carburetor. Hamlin managed a top ten finish, which boosted him into the top twelve Chase contenders.

Stewart also suffered engine woes in the waning laps of the race, radioing crew chief Darian Grubb that something was amiss with less than 20 laps to go. Stewart, in his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, finished 17^th, scoring his 10^th top-20 finish to date.

Not Surprising: In addition to engine woes, it was not surprising that many other teams were plagued with other types of mechanical problems, from overheating to radio problems.

Greg Biffle, behind the wheel of the No. 16 3M Ford, seemed ready to implode from overheating issues in his car early in the race. Biffle was, however, able to overcome, rallying back to lead laps at the end. Unfortunately, he too succumbed to not having enough gas, having to make a splash and go stop at the end, which relegated him to a 13^th place finish.

Jeff Gordon, piloting the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, also struggled and battled radio issues early in the race. Gordon too looked strong at the end of the show, only to have to pit for gas as well. Gordon finished 20^th, falling two positions to 16^th in the point standings.

Surprising: Serving as a substitute driver for Trevor Bayne and making his Cup debut, it was surprising how well Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. did in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford. Stenhouse, Jr. managed to bring his car home in the 11^th position even after having several close encounters with the wall.

“That was interesting,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I hit the wall a couple of times, the caution came back out and it worked great for us.”

“I’m just glad I got this opportunity.”

Not Surprising: It was not surprising that after Stenhouse, Jr. and Bayne prayed together before the race, Bayne playfully pushed his friend out of the way and tried to get behind the wheel of his race car. After five weeks of being out of his car due to a mystery illness, Bayne was most certainly chomping at the bit to get back to racing.

Bayne reinforced that desire by tweeting after the race, “This was by far the hardest weekend to sit back and watch! Can’t wait to be back in action!!”

Surprising: In the battle of the Busch brothers, it was surprising that this weekend Kurt Busch prevailed, finishing fourth in his Shell/Pennzoil No. 22 Dodge, while baby brother Kyle took a wild ride through the grass and then another spin, finishing 32^nd in his No. 18 M&Ms Toyota.

“The race was 600 miles and it felt like 800,” Dave Rogers, Busch’s crew chief, said. “Kyle was trying to make something out of nothing and it got away from him. We ended our day a little early.”

Not Surprising: Not surprisingly, one driver who never expected to even make the show captured the true spirit of the Memorial Day race weekend. David Starr, behind the wheel of the No. 95 Jordan Truck Sales.com Ford Fusion crashed early in the race, finishing 36^th. Yet this is what he had to say.

“This was a great weekend,” Starr said. “I’m just honored and blessed to be driving this Ford Fusion.”

“It was awesome out there,” Starr continued. “It was a big honor to race in the Coca Cola 600 even though it ended up like this. I’m really blessed.”

May 30, 2011
Is the Gordon and Johnson Domination Over at CMS?

Charlotte Motor Speedway has in recent years been dominated by the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup teams. They might not have won every race, but they’ve dominated in many ways. Early on it was Jeff Gordon, but these days it has been Jimmie Johnson. What happened Saturday night and what does that mean for the 600 mile race next weekend?

[media-credit name=”(c) CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”246″][/media-credit]Once upon a time, Charlotte was Jeff’s place. Gordon was almost a sure win at Bruton Smith’s track in the heart of NASCAR country. Slowly, Gordon’s driver (remember, he is the official owner of the No. 48), Jimmie Johnson took over the crown. Johnson had a good run of wins at CMS, but this weekend these two were not at the front at the end. What’s going on?

As we now know, a group of Fords out of Jack Roush’s stable dominated the Sprint Cup All Star race. Carl Edwards dominated the event. David Ragan, another Roush-Fenway Ford won the first segment, and Edwards won the rest. Johnson was up front during some of that, but what of what the commentators call “Big Daddy” — Jeff Gordon?

Gordon has had a long stretch of pretty much a drought of wins the last few years. The once dominator of Charlotte’s 1.5-mile track, has fallen on hard times. Yes, Gordon has won this year (at Phoenix), but he seems to struggle to get to the front. What’s the difference? It’s the big question. The same could be said for Johnson. Maybe it’s NASCAR, but it’s more likely what has become parity. Roush-Fenway has finally caught up to the standard HMS set for the rest of the field. But that doesn’t explain the nosedive for the No. 24 and No. 48 teams. The constant crew chief changes by Rick Hendrick’s teams have maybe caused part of the problem.

Last year we saw HMS change crews change during the Chase with Gordon’s crew going to Johnson’s, and the constant changes to make Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s more competitive have had a negative effect on everyone concerned, or some it seems. In the meantime, RFR’s teams have become constant and the result is a point leader in Carl Edwards and tremendous performances. So what do we learn from this?

Maybe the struggles of especially Jeff Gordon have more to do with changes than the actual driving abilities of the four-time champion. Chemistry is a very important part of this sport and chemistry is hard to explain or define. The HMS boys might prove me wrong in the future, but I see better chemistry in the RFR Ford camp than what I’m seeing at HMS. Time will tell.

As we head to the big Coca-Cola 600 weekend, it will be interesting to watch what these two organizations do in the sport’s longest race. Will one or the other dominate or will a surprise winner come and spoil the show? My money’s on some organization other than the Hendrick gang. It’s probably a bad bet, but so far the performance isn’t there. Of course, that may change before Sunday night.

May 24, 2011
Steve Letarte: Encouragement Key to Crew Chiefing Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

When listening to the in-race audio channel for the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, many credit crew chief Steve Letarte with being the consummate cheerleader and encourager for his driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

[media-credit name=”Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”220″][/media-credit]While Letarte admits that he is a positive kind of guy, he also credits NASCAR’s most popular driver as being equally encouraging.

“Being positive is not something that I consciously do,” Letarte said. “I think it’s just my personality.”

“Mr. Hendrick is big into personality tests and I’m a green,” Letarte continued. “I normally look at the brighter side of things.”

“They all think it’s a plan or a theory on how we’re going to run the best,” Letarte said. “It’s just who I am and how I work.”

“I’ve always worked this way,” Letarte continued. “I worked the same way with Jeff (Gordon) and Mr. Hendrick decided that I’d work very well with Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) and so far it’s worked out.”

“It’s different for each race car driver but for Dale, I think being upbeat on the radio helps him,” Letarte said. “But there’s a line too. You can’t be a cheerleader with no facts, because that gets old and you kind of see right through it.”

“I think Dale understands that I’m realistic about what I’m talking about and I’m not going to sit there and try to motivate him to do things I don’t think we are capable of doing,” Letarte said. “I think we’ve found a very good line of what’s a realistic goal and then we try to motivate and encourage each other to get to those goals.”

“And it’s worked,” Letarte continued. “Dale’s done a tremendous job in the race car and he’s encouraged us and given us a lot of confidence in ourselves setting up race cars.”

“His driving style suits our cars very well,” Letarte said. “So, overall it’s been a success. It’s still early but so far, so good.”

While Letarte admits that his team owner no doubt purposely paired him with Earnhardt, Jr., he feels that a positive and encouraging crew chief is good for any driver, particularly at NASCAR’s highest level, the Sprint Cup Series.

“It’s good for anybody,” Letarte said. “I always put myself in their shoes.”

“The difference between a crew chief and a race car driver is that I can take a break,” Letarte continued. “I can get down off the pit box and go get a water and relax and take a 30 second break from the race, and they can’t.”

Letarte has indeed learned his encouraging crew chief style from some of the best in the business, from Ray Evernham to Robbie Loomis, both former crew chiefs for four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

“The biggest thing I’ve done is been able to work with so many good motivators and encouragers that I’ve been able to take a piece of all of them,” Letarte said. “Ray (Evernham) was the ultimate motivator.”

“Ray motivated by the fear of not being good enough,” Letarte continued. “Robbie (Loomis) was the opposite. He motivated with the excitement of being good enough.”

“And I try to be somewhere in the middle,” Letarte said. “I want everybody to have enough desire to try and succeed but at the same time be balanced.”

While Letarte works hard to be that consummate encourager and motivator, Letarte admits that he sometimes succumbs to the dark side.

“I’m the guy that everyone has to be careful of because I’m a little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Letarte admits. “I’m really, really easy going but when practice or the race starts, I’m really, really not.”

“The guys that have been around me a long time have learned that and they almost go two separate ways because they know,” Letarte continued. “It gets some of the newer employees in trouble because they will come across light-hearted and I’m not light-hearted at that moment.”

Letarte also admits that he has little tolerance for driver to crew chief chatter that in any way is not encouraging or worse yet, berates the team. He acknowledges that his driver may get animated or excited but he would in no way allow his driver to throw the team under the bus.

“I don’t think I would have the tolerance that some of the other crew chiefs have,” Letarte said. “I’m fine with the driver being frustrated and I’m fine with him being animated or disappointed.”

“But I’m not OK with any personal attacks on the race team or anyone on the team,” Letarte continued. “If you put me with a driver like that, we wouldn’t last very long.”

“I handle all my issues behind closed doors,” Letarte said. “That’s how Dale and I handle all our stuff.”

“We close the door and he can say anything he wants to me and I can say anything I want to him,” Letarte continued. “That’s the only way you can move forward.”

With that open communication style, Letarte is most encouraged that his driver, and most important, his team will soon be in Victory Lane.

“I am absolutely hungry for a win,” Letarte said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Victory Lane.”

“Of course, I would like to get to Victory Lane but more than anything else, my driver and these guys deserve to get to Victory Lane,” Letarte said. “I have a group of guys who have stuck with me through the ups and downs. They work tireless hours. They’re the guys that deserve to have that feeling.”

Given that he has not been to the winner’s circle yet this season, to whom does Steve Letarte turn to when he needs a little encouragement? For that, he moves from his driver and race team to his family for encouragement, particularly his children.

“I think having kids has also helped me,” Letarte said. “I have a 5 and 7 year old so maybe I take things a little slower and enjoy it a little more.”

“Family, I think, it puts it all in perspective,” Letarte said. “I remember in 2005 when I took over as crew chief, we went to Martinsville and we won.”

“And I came home and I was so excited and my little boy at the time was not quite two and he could have cared less,” Letarte continued. “He didn’t even realize there was a race that day.”

“I realized at that point that the whole world didn’t revolve around the garage and the whole world didn’t revolve around my performance at the race track,” Letarte said. “And while that’s hard to understand because you’re caught up in it so much, that’s true.”

“Life is way more important than your job,” Letarte continued. “While our jobs here feel like life, and they are, at some point you have to pull away.”

“I think that’s my ticket as I have an outlet outside this garage where I spend time with my kids and my family,” Letarte said. “I realize at that point that the world’s not coming to an end if we run bad.”

“I enjoy my job and I love what I do,” Letarte continued. “I don’t take that for granted. I love to race but I race for a living.”

“At the same time it’s important to be successful and to be successful in this sport, it’s all about having to run well on Sunday afternoon,” Letarte said. “And that’s what Dale Junior and I encourage each other to do.”

May 17, 2011
DeLana Harvick’s Advice for Women in Business: Be Who You Are

DeLana Harvick, co-owner of Kevin Harvick, Inc., was recently recognized as an extraordinary businesswoman and for her outstanding contributions to her profession by The Business Journal at their 12^th annual Women in Business Awards ceremony.

While Harvick was flattered, as well as surprised to be counted in such great company, she shared just one piece of advice to all women in business, “Be who you are.”

“Honestly, it caught me off guard,” Harvick said of her award. “I was really honored to be included in such an impressive group of women.”

“When I got there, I really enjoyed learning about all the other accomplishments that these fourteen women had made in their lives,” Harvick continued. “Accolades and awards, it’s not that they don’t mean much to me, they do. But in order to be included in such an impressive group actually means more to me.”

“The awards are really flattering, but I would say to anyone, just be you,” Harvick said. “Be who you are.”

Harvick was nominated for the award by UNC Greensboro, where she graduated from college. She was specifically honored for turning a negative, the wearing of the fire suit issue, into a positive, using the controversy to develop a T-shirt which raised money for charity.

Harvick’s role in the sport of NASCAR was also honored, particularly as a female team owner in a primarily male-dominated sport.

“To me, I grew up in the sport so I never really viewed this as a male-dominated sport,” Harvick said. “Clearly it has been in the past, but in the last ten years or so you can see the impact that women have had in the sport from the business side and even women engineers and drivers.”

“This was where I was going to be whether it was male-dominated or not.”

Harvick has indeed been involved in the sport, growing up in fact as the only daughter of a racer. Her father, John Paul Linville, was a contractor by profession but a racer by passion, sinking all of his earnings into his race car and shop.

“When I grew up and my dad raced in the Nationwide/Late Model Sportsman/Busch Grand National Series, we didn’t have a lot of money,” Harvick said. “My dad was a contractor and what he was able to put into the racing is what he made. There were no sponsors so I really learned a whole different side of the business based on how I grew up in the sport.”

“I spotted for my dad and I did the travel,” Harvick continued. “I learned by just having to do.”

“I’m a doer and I think that has played a big part into why Kevin and I and KHI are successful because we both grew up that way,” Harvick said. “We both had to do things and were not handed things.”

Before KHI was even a glimmer in anyone’s eyes, however, DeLana Harvick as she was growing up wanted to be a racer herself.

“Growing up I always envisioned myself racing,” Harvick said. “But my dad was a very old-school, Southern kind of guy. Women didn’t do that at the time.”

“My dad was quite surprised with my level of determination about racing,” Harvick continued. “I definitely didn’t grow up the Southern belle that I think he may have wanted. So, I pushed and pushed and pushed but it just wasn’t something that he was willing let me do.”

“Our deal was that if I graduated college, he would get me a car,” Harvick said. “Well, he got me a chassis so I had to build me a car and that took, between trying to work and everything else, a couple of years after I graduated.”

“And at that point, I had met Kevin and really my life was in a different place,” Harvick continued. “So, it just never worked out for me.”

“I did run a late model and my dad and Kevin were both there at the time,” Harvick said. “But I don’t think either one of them could have taken it with their nerves. They just couldn’t bear it.”

“It never worked out and that’s okay,” Harvick said. “I think it was probably meant to be.”

Rather than being behind the wheel, Harvick graduated college and went to work interning at Performance PR Plus. She shadowed the staff who handled Jeff Gordon’s public relations at the height of the Gordon frenzy which she acknowledges was a great learning experience.

“I think that has served me well and I think I’ve probably gained the respect of people in this sport,” Harvick said. “I started out in PR so I certainly knew a lot of the media at that time. But I also knew a lot of the crew members, owners, and drivers because I had grown up in the sport.”

In addition to her mother and father, Harvick also credits role model, mentor and friend Richard Childress as one of the most important influences in her life.

“Richard (Childress) has been a very, very integral part of what Kevin and I have done,” Harvick said. “He’s always had the door open.”

“He could have easily have seen this as a distraction for Kevin but he hasn’t,” Harvick continued. “Richard has embraced everything that we’ve done and for that we have truly been fortunate.”

Harvick says that her other role models have been her parents, both of whom she admires for their passion and determination, especially after her father’s diagnosis of cancer when she was a young girl.

“When I was twelve, my dad was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer and they told him he only had six months to live,” Harvick said. “Well, he lived for over twenty years.”

“So, I think that spirit of pushing forward no matter what the challenges are, whether an illness or not having as much money as the guy parked next to you in the pits, is just to continue to press forward,” Harvick continued. “I learned so much from my dad in that aspect that really helped me in everything that I do.”

Although Harvick’s father passed away in November 2005, she is still quite close with her mother, who lives nearby her home and the race shop.

“While my dad went through his treatment, my mother had to work in order to support the family,” Harvick said. “I actually had gone to NC State for school and then came home because I had to take my dad to treatments while my mom worked.”

“I really admire my mom’s strength,” Harvick continued. “She is way more outgoing and fun-loving than I am. I’m more straightforward and focused like my dad. I admire that about her.”

Harvick has also learned from her parents, as well as through her own experience, that dealing with challenges is one of life’s most important lessons. She also credits having supports around her as a key element to her success.

“I have good days and bad days and some turn out better than others,” Harvick said. “You have to surround yourself with good people and come to the realization that you cannot do it all.”

What’s next for this accomplished woman, who has not only built her own career but also a thriving race team business?

“A lot of people assume that Cup has to be the next step,” Harvick said. “That’s interesting to me and I certainly believe that KHI has built a foundation that could support that.”

“Whether that happens or not, I don’t know,” Harvick continued. “I believe it has to be the right situation and the right time and place. And certainly sponsorship plays a huge part in that.”

“More than anything I think KHI solidifies our place in the sport,” Harvick said. “At some point when Kevin stops driving, and he will, we still have an avenue to be involved in a sport that we’re both passionate about.”

“So, I think that’s what I’m most proud of,” Harvick said. “You have to live out your dreams and do what makes you happy and what you’re passionate about, because you only get a chance to do this once.”

May 16, 2011
Joey Logano Dishes on Dover, His Season, Boys Have at It, Turning 21 and Farmville

From his most eventful Nationwide race that featured everything from rain delays to a late race crash that sent him from second to thirteenth in the final green-white-checkered attempt, Joey Logano always seems to have a most eventful time at Dover International Speedway.

Here are just a few of the musings from the driver of the JGR No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry on everything from racing the Monster Mile to playing his favorite game, Farmville.

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]“This is my favorite race track,” Logano said of Dover International Speedway. “We did roll over there a few years back but this is where I started my first Nationwide race.”

“I’ve always run good here,” Logano continued. “I’ve always had fast cars and I like the place.”

“I have no reason to not like it,” Logano said. “It’s not the track’s fault that I rolled over. You always remember it, but it’s no big deal.”

While he enjoys Dover, Logano acknowledges that he has not enjoyed the struggles his team has experienced so far this season. In fact, he would give himself a ‘C’ so far if he had to assign a letter grade for his performance.

“It’s a passing grade,” Logano said. “But it’s not a stellar one.”

“This season has not been so hot,” Logano said. “We’re not where we want to be in points or where we thought we would be.”

“From the beginning part of the year, we had fast cars but everything you could ever imagine has gone wrong,” Logano continued. “Now our cars are not as fast as what they were, so we’re trying to figure out what we need to do to get them where we need to be.”

Logano believes that most of his struggles, as well as his team’s, have been as a result of not fully understanding the tires this year.

“The big thing is really the tires this year,” Logano said. “It suits some guys driving styles better than others.”

“I think it plays right into Kyle’s (Busch) hands the ways he drives the race car,” Logano continued. “But for me and Denny (Hamlin), we’ve had to do a lot of different stuff to try to make a go of it.”

Although struggling with the tires, Logano has taken some solace, and even finding some amusement, in the ‘boys have at it’ controversies currently surrounding the sport.

“Lucky for me, I don’t have any problems yet so far, but last year I had plenty,” Logano said. “I just think it’s funny that all of them are fighting each other now.”

“I’m just standing here watching,” Logano continued. “It’s pretty funny and really cool when you get to watch them all fighting and you’re not involved with it.”

“I like it,” Logano said, with his trademark grin. “It’s very entertaining.”

Logano grew more philosophical, however, when talking about the balance between standing up for yourself and crossing that ‘boys have at it’ line.

“That’s a hard question to answer,” Logano said. “Every situation is different.”

“But if it happens over and over, you’ve got to do something different,” Logano continued. “You talk to them first and if not, I don’t know, then if you’ve got to wreck them, you’ve got to wreck them.”

Unlike Jeff Gordon, who in the media center said that he never made or took a call from a driver with whom he had had issues and did not want anyone to call him, Logano definitely thinks a call is warranted.

“Every time I’ve had an issue that’s my fault, I’ll call,” Logano said. “I feel like people should call me if something happens or at least talk to me if it’s before practice or before the next race.”

“Just talk to me, Logano continued. “That’s just how I feel about it. It may or may not settle the waters but at least you’ve talked.”

While continuing to enjoy the fracas around him, Logano is also looking forward to several other events coming up on his horizon. One of those events is personal as Logano will also turn 21 years of age in the next few weeks, a major milestone for anyone.

What has the young man planned for his special day?

“I won’t do anything,” Logano said. “I hate going out.”

“I’ll probably grill out at my house with a group of friends,” Logano continued.”We’ll probably play ping pong, or other games. My house is full of games like that. I enjoy that.”

After his birthday celebration, Logano has another date circled on his calendar, that of the Prelude to the Dream race at Eldora Speedway.

“It’s cool,” Logano said of the Prelude race. “We’ve done it the past two years. It’s interesting because it’s completely different.”

“I’ve never, ever been on dirt,” Logano continued. “It’s not what I grew up doing. The way you drive your car is backwards.”

“When you’re naturally doing something, you have to tell yourself not to do it,” Logano said. “It’s weird until you get used to it.”

One of the other weird factoids about Joey Logano is one that many fans may find surprising.

“I play the hell out of Farmville,” Logano said, sharing one of his most surprising features. “That and the fact that I really do smile that much.”

May 15, 2011
NASCAR Bad Boys: Top Ten Most Fined Sprint Cup Drivers

[media-credit name=”Joe Dunn” align=”aligncenter” width=”225″][/media-credit]

This weekend’s race at Darlington provided a storyline to the viewer that will be talked about for weeks to come. It was a simple phrase that we have heard several times throughout the year…..”Boys, have at it!” And that, they did!

We saw a sucker punch thrown. Overheard a name-calling shouting match between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick’s team. We listened to rumors of a possible punch during a NASCAR meeting between Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman.

We also saw Montoya accidentally get into the back of Johnson while Montoya’s actions were being scrutinized. We even got to see a runaway car endangering the lives of NASCAR officials and crew members.

After such an epic event, “Boys have at it!” will have consequences for the first time in 2011. Those consequences come with a price tag in the form of a penalties.

Let’s take a look at the Top 10 Most Fined Sprint Cup Drivers…..

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”233″][/media-credit]

#10. Jeff Gordon, the four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, finds himself ranked #10 on our most fined list with $126,000 in assessed penalties.

In 2007, Gordon’s car was found to have a fender flare which created an unfair advantage. This infraction led to the single highest penalty of $100,000 for the team.

Good Boy Gordon did manage to lose his temper and decked Jeff Burton after being wrecked at Texas Motor Speedway in 2010.

Since the two were able to work through their spat, NASCAR did not penalize either driver.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”255″][/media-credit]

#9. Car owner/driver and published author, Michael Waltrip and his team have been fined a minimal $140,500 despite some of his crazy antics.

After initial qualifying for the 2007 Daytona 500,  NASCAR inspectors found evidence in the engine manifold that Waltrip’s team had used an illegal fuel additive. This became known as the “jet fuel” scandal, costing his team $100,000.

An inappropriate gesture during a television broadcast in 2005 set him back $10,000.

[media-credit name=”Motorsports Images and Archives” align=”alignleft” width=”250″][/media-credit]

#8. Kurt Busch, winner of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship using the “Chase for the Cup” point system, is a bit of a hothead.  Busch and his team have been levied $156,000 in penalties.

Tempers flared after some on-track antics between Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart at Dover in 2007. Busch ran into Stewart’s car on pit road, barely missing the jack man.

The No. 2 Penske Dodge driver was fined $100,000 for endangering crew members on pit road.

In another on-track scuffle, Busch bumped Robby Gordon’s car from behind, spinning him out and causing a caution to “allegedly” improve his position. The bump cost Busch $10,000.

[media-credit id=2 align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]

#7. Some would say that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a chip off the old block.  Naysayers would argue Jr. has a chip on his shoulder. With $168,000 in penalties, we will let you decide.

Dale Jr. took a hit when the COT debuted in 2007. He and other Hendrick teammates were each fined $100,000 for unapproved modifications.

2004 was the year of “Poop-gate.” Earnhardt Jr. was fined $10,000 for using profanity during a live post-race interview.

When asked about the significance of his fifth victory at Talladega, Jr. replied, “It don’t mean s— right now. Daddy’s won here 10 times.”

#6. The No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry driver, Martin Truex Jr. lands on our Top Ten list at no fault of his own. Crew Chief, Kevin Manion, has garnered a whopping $175,000 in penalties for the Truex Jr. team.

Manion’s biggest folly came in 2008 when the No. 1 Chevrolet failed a template inspection before the Coke Zero 400. The penalties levied were $100,000 and a six-race suspension.

[media-credit name=”Steven Iles” align=”alignleft” width=”225″][/media-credit]

#5. Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch is a force to be reckoned with. Holding the record for most NASCAR wins in a season between the top three NASCAR series comes with a price…$190,000 in penalties to be exact!

We have all seen the endless replays of the skirmish between “Rowdy” Busch and Kevin Harvick from this weekend’s race at Darlington.  The tiff cost each driver $25,000 and earned them a four-race probation.

Kyle is known for his garish antics. He was recently penalized $25,000 for giving an obscene gesture to a NASCAR official during a live televised race.

#4. Carl Long holds the record for the single largest penalty handed out by NASCAR at the tune of $200,000.

What could Carl do to cost his team so much money you ask?

After making just 23 career Cup starts and not appearing in a points-paying Cup race since 2006, Long felt he could qualifying for the 2008 All-Star Race and the Daytona 500. Preliminary to the All-Star race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Long overheated the engine. His team made an engine switch.

Under the NASCAR rules, the bad engine was examined. It was later determined that the engine exceeded the maximum cubic-inch displacement specifications.

In layman’s terms, Long was using an engine that was far bigger than NASCAR allows.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”227″][/media-credit]

#3. NASCAR elite driver and five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner, Jimmie Johnson, has managed to rack up the fines on his way to supremacy.

Crew Chief, Chad Knaus, aka “Cheating Chad” has earned $202,500 in penalties for the team with his Go Big or Go Home mentality.

Johnson was fined $10,000 for his role in the “Bottlegate” fiasco when he placed a Lowe’s logo in front of some plastic Powerade bottles after he got out of his car in Pocono Raceway’s Victory Lane.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignleft” width=”259″][/media-credit]

#2. When it comes to drama, Kevin Harvick is where it is at! Don’t get me wrong….I am a proud firesuit- T-shirt wearing fan who loves the Harvicks! However, I was surprised to find $236,000 in penalties for all that drama.

This weekend, Harvick landed a punch on Kyle Busch through an open window net. This netted Harvick with a $25,000 fine and a four-race probation.

Kevin has on-track altercations involving Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Gregg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Burton.

In Kevin’s defense…not all of the $236,000 were fines from altercations. Harvick’s team had issues with aerodynamics, oil and fuel filters, rear suspension and a few other miscellaneous penalties to the tune of $156,000.

[media-credit name=”FMCM” align=”alignleft” width=”120″][/media-credit]

#1. Yes, you read that correctly! Robby Gordon takes the cake with an whopping $325,000 in NASCAR penalties.

This driver/owner has been fined for just about everything thanks to his never-ending supply of crew chiefs. Most notably, $150,000 for an unapproved front bumper while under the direction of Frank Kerr.

Robby Gordon remains on probation after an altercation in Las Vegas with Kevin Conway regarding money and pending litigation.

FAQ:

What data was used for this article? We used the Jayski penalties posted from 2001-May 10,2011. All data is assumed under the umbrella of each driver. Article assumes readers will know a driver name, but not a crew member name.

Example…..If the stated driver’s crew chief was fined $50,000 for unapproved modifications..then that driver’s penalties will reflect that amount.

Where did we get the data? http://jayski.com/pages/penalties.htm

What happens to the money from the penalties? Starting in 2008, all money collected from fines issued to drivers go to the NASCAR Foundation for its charitable initiatives; before, the money collected from driver/crew member penalties are generally placed into the Drivers Points Fund awarded at the end of the season.

May 12, 2011
Surprising and Not Surprising: Darlington Showtime Southern 500

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”283″][/media-credit]Honoring one of NASCAR’s most historic race tracks, as well as celebrating their mothers, NASCAR’s most elite drivers battled the track dubbed as “too tough to tame.”

Here is what was surprising and not surprising for the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway this Mother’s Day weekend.

Surprising: With his mother Lee unable to accompany him due to her work with animals impacted by the tornados in Alabama, a most surprised and emotional Regan Smith, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, finally got that elusive first Cup win.

Smith led just eleven laps during the race. The 27 year old driver had his fastest lap at the end when it counted, just barely holding off a hard-charging Carl Edwards.

With his voice choking and tears dotting his cheeks, Smith sincerely thanked his crew chief and his team for enabling him to finally achieve his dream to win a race.

“I can’t believe it, you guys,” Smith said. “This is the Southern 500. We’re not supposed to win this thing.”

“This race is so special and so meaningful,” Smith continued. “We were standing there looking at the names and the faces on the trophy, and you think, ‘My face is going to be there right next to these guys, and it’ll be there forever.’”

Not Surprising: After attending to the birth of his second child, son Michael, it was not surprising that Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 Aflac Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, continued his big week with a runner up finish at Darlington.

“First of all, congratulations to Regan,” Edwards said graciously. “I’m sure that will feel good tomorrow, but right now, I wanted to win that race.”

“I guess if I had to get beat, it’s all right to get beat by him,” Edwards continued. “We’re leading the points so we’ll just go to the next one.”

Surprising: At the track where getting the infamous ‘Darlington stripe’ is more a question of when not if, it was surprising to see the number of problems on pit road instead of on the track.

Several drivers had a tough time getting into their pit stalls, including Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the No. 88 Amp Energy Sugar Free/National Guard Chevrolet, who just nicked the commitment cone coming in for his pit stop.

Martin Truex, Jr., in the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, also had trouble getting to his pit box. Yet Truex was trumped by Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Turtle Wax/Menards Chevrolet, who spun into the pits ending up head first into his stall.

Four-time champion Jeff Gordon, this week in his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, also experienced pit difficulties, dragging his gas man almost out of the pit stall on exit.

His Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson was unlucky in his pit stall as well, hanging a lug nut on the No. 48 Lowes/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, and having to return to pit road for repairs.

Not Surprising: While it was not surprising that the ‘Lady in Black’ brought out the dark side of many drivers’ temperaments, it was Kyle Busch versus Kevin Harvick, rather than Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman, that took center stage after the race’s overtime finish.

The two tangled dramatically on the track in the waning part of the race, trading pushes and shoves, which then carried over as both tried to make their way to pit road.

Harvick struck first, blocking Busch’s entrance to pit road. Busch tried has best evasive action, going back onto the track and even backing up to get away from the driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet.

Unhappy Harvick continued the pursuit, hopping out of his car to confront the driver of the No. 18 Wrigley’s Doublemint Camry. Busch had the last ‘word’, bumping Harvick’s driver-less car into the wall on pit road.

“It was tight racing after the restart there,” Busch said. “I gave him (Harvick) room but he came off the wall and lifted early and then drove in the back of me,”

“It was just uncalled for, just unacceptable racing.”

For his side of the story, Harvick had little to say as he emerged from the NASCAR hauler.

“Obviously, we were just racing hard and doing what we had to do at the end,” Harvick said. “And things happen. That’s it.”

Busch finished the race in eleventh, while Harvick came in 17^th. Both drivers held position in the point standings, third and fifth respectively.

Surprising: While Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, continued his struggles, wrecking his primary car during practice and not having much better luck in his back up car during the race, the other half of the Penske duo had a surprisingly good finish.

Piloting the Blue Deuce, Brad Keselowski, mirroring Smith’s decision to stay out on the late caution, had a good run at race end, taking the checkered flag in third.

“To have a chance at it I was going to have to get the first restart and I just wasn’t strong enough to do that,” Keselowski said. “I ended up giving Regan a whale of a push and once he cleared Carl, he was gone.”

“I’m really happy for Regan and wanted to make sure that if I couldn’t win, he would and it looks like it worked out for him and his whole team,” Keselowski continued. “It’s a win for the underdogs tonight.”

Not Surprising: Kasey Kahne, after qualifying his No. 4 Red Bull Toyota on the pole, was strong from the drop of the green flag to the end of the race. Although he led the most laps, Kahne also had a collision with the wall, which relegated him to a fourth place finish.

“We were tight and we had to keep tuning the car up and fixing the car,” Kahne said after the race. “I killed the crush panel so I’m covered in fumes and rubber and stuff.”

“We didn’t finish as good as we should have,” Kahne continued. “But fourth’s good for as hard as I hit the wall.”

May 8, 2011
Jeff Gordon Ready to Tame The Lady in Black

As the Lady in Black begins to carefully prepare herself for the upcoming weekend, the drivers already know that she will be more then ready to take on all comers whether young or old.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”256″][/media-credit]The history this track has instilled in the minds of some of NASCAR’s most notorious drivers is nowhere close, to the pain, and the affliction which this almost untamable black beauty can inflict in one single blow.

The mind games which she can play at any given moment do not come cheap, because when this lady comes to play, she always plays for keeps even though she only measures a mere 1.366 mile in length. Don’t ever let her length deceive you, because before you know it her deceiving looks quickly turn into one of the most explosive, and exciting races that only she can generate lap after lap.

Along with her infamous stripe that she hands out free of charge, will also be the mystique that has made her a fan favorite for over 60 years. Now coming into Saturday nights main event, she may have looked dormant while sitting around all year long waiting her turn to dance with 43 of NASCAR’s finest, but that was not to be, instead she spent her free time planning and plotting on who will be her next victim.

One of those victims will be Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon, who will be seeking to show this temptress who runs the show, and he will not be intimidated by her spoiled ways.

Gordon is not coming alone, instead he is bringing his arsenal of seven victories, 18 top-fives and 21 top-10’s to the dance. Gordon has also lead the most laps with 1,720 – more than double the amount of laps led by the nearest active full-time driver (Jeff Burton – 817), which makes him the biggest threat even though he is sitting 16th in points after nine races.

Gordon’s seven victories came before the facility received its new surface after the 2007 season, and with the newer more smoother surface Gordon has yet to finish outside the top-five since then., “It’s just one of those tracks where you can be riding around by yourself but make the slightest little bobble and end up in the wall. Because the track can just reach out and bite you so easy, you must race the track.

“This track used to be so tough because the surface was so abrasive. It’s still an awesome race track that is much faster now, and it can still bite you.” said Gordon, who will drive the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet in Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500.

Gordon also added that before, “You had to use a lot of finesse as a driver while dealing with the two very different ends of the track. Now it’s smoother and it has more grip, but it’s still pretty treacherous because you run right up next to the wall.”

Not only will Gordon have his hands full as he gently caresses his away around her beastly curves, but in the back of his mind will be the memories of just how dangerous she can be when provoked.

“There’s just a small margin for error because you’re running so fast so close to the wall. If you focus too much on trying to out run the competition, then you’ll make a mistake,“ Gordon said while talking about how challenging the track is to navigate.

“Gordon also added that, “You’re never going to have a perfect car or perfect setup. Both ends of the race track are totally different. That means you have to compromise as a driver and as a team with the setup.”

So as the Lady in Black is just about ready to make her grand entrance, its time to get the music started, and see what kind of dance moves Gordon has left over from his last victory back in 2002.

The track that is nicknamed, “Too tough to tame,” is not a place for the faint of heart, and to say anything less would be an insult to her integrity.

So far the track has been the victor, and with the victory has come many years of anguish, and disgust for the 43 drivers who will do their best to bring this lady under complete control. She will not go down without a fight, but it’s up to these brave asphalt warriors to pull her out of the mosh pit, and gently slow her down to a very graceful waltz.

“It’s just one of those tracks where you can be riding around by yourself but make the slightest little bobble and end up in the wall. Because the track can just reach out and bite you so easy, you must race the track.”

May 7, 2011
Jeff Gordon’s Mother Approaches Darlington Race With Pride

This weekend, prior to the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the time-honored tradition of giving the command to start engines will once again be afforded to the NASCAR moms in honor of Mother’s Day.

[media-credit name=”sp.ask.com” align=”alignright” width=”106″][/media-credit]Amongst the group again this year will be Carol Bickford, four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon’s mother. And there is just one word that she has to sum up her feelings about her son this Mother’s Day, proud.

“We always go to Darlington and we do the little Mother’s Day ‘Sons start your engines’ thing,” Bickford said. “Then we get introduced with our sons.”

“And I get to see some of the other mothers that I’ve met over the years,” Bickford continued. “That’s always nice to catch up. We do it once a year and it’s really fun, as well as a proud moment.”

For Carol Bickford, being the mother of one of NASCAR’s brightest stars has most certainly had it joys, as well as challenges. But it has been a journey that Bickford will always treasure.

“It’s been fun,” Bickford said. “It’s been interesting. It’s been filled with a lot of pride and some great moments. Some not so great moments sometimes, but that’s all part of life.”

“I think that every parent is faced with some big challenges in raising children, period,” Bickford continued philosophically. “It’s one of the greatest challenges that I think a parent can have is raising their children. Your biggest joy is to know that they turn out happy, successful in any direction that they go, and that they turn out to be good people.”

Bickford and her husband John, who will celebrate their 38^th wedding anniversary after Mother’s Day, knew early on that their son Jeff Gordon would have a career in racing.

“Very early on, we knew that Jeff would be interested in racing,” Bickford said. “John, his step-father, has been a very big part of our lives for a good many years. He saw something in Jeff, the hand eye coordination type thing.”

“Jeff would play Atari video games and he was riding a two-wheel bike without training wheels at three years old,” Bickford continued. “That takes a lot of coordination.”

“Then he was racing BMX bikes when he was four years old and then we got into the quarter midget racing when he was four and a half,” Bickford said. “Jeff started going to the driving school at that time too. So, we knew pretty early on.”

While Bickford and her family did not have a racing connection when she was growing up, Bickford caught the racing bug herself in an unusual way.

“When I was growing up, my family wasn’t involved in racing but my father used to work for Continental Baking Company and he used to deliver hot dog and hamburger buns to Vallejo Speedway,” Bickford said. “Every Saturday night if they ran out of hot dog and hamburger buns, they always called him and I always wanted to go out there with him. I don’t know what the fascination was but I was probably ten or twelve years old at the time.”

While Bickford has always loved racing, she never quite felt the urge to get behind the wheel herself.

“The only thing I’ve ever done is drive a quarter midget with Jeff when we were teaching him how to set up and pass,” Bickford said. “I have no desire to drive but it’s fascinating to watch.”

Bickford still gets to the track as often as she can and, if she is not there in person, she is glued to her television set watching her son compete.

“These days, I don’t get to the track nearly as much as I used to a few years ago,” Bickford said. “There are still two race tracks that I’ve never been to, Fontana and Chicago.”

“But I’ve been to every other race track on the circuit many, many times,” Bickford continued. “I’m able to pick and choose the races and Jeff is understanding about that fact.”

Gordon’s mom did not miss watching the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 this past weekend at Richmond either. Unfortunately, she had to see her son’s good run ruined by a wickedly hard crash into a non-safer barrier wall.

“He was having a very good night when unfortunately that happened,” Bickford said. “He got out of the car right away and I knew he was OK.”

“It just comes along with any sport,” Bickford continued. “If you focus on everything that can go wrong, you’ll drive yourself crazy.”

While she did not get to experience it this weekend, one of her biggest thrills as a mother is being in Victory Lane with her son.

“It’s wonderful!” Bickford said. “It’s the best feeling there is.”

“They are very proud moments and very happy moments when you’re fortunate enough to be standing in that position,” Bickford continued. “It’s a great feeling.”

But there is no better feeling, according to Bickford, than getting that phone call on Mother’s Day from her children.

“I won’t go into anything else they give me, but the phone call from all my children is the thing that makes me happiest,” Bickford said.

How will Carol Bickford feel this Mother’s Day when she not only gets those phone calls from her children but also gives the command for her son to start the engine on the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet? She sums it up in one word.

“Proud,” Bickford said simply. “I’m proud not just for what Jeff’s done on the race track or with his career but for what he’s done with his life.”

“Watching Jeff with his wife and his family and how he’s grown and matured,” Bickford continued. “There is just a very big sense of pride.”

May 4, 2011