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  • Inaugural Century Poll Picks Jimmie Johnson as 2015 NASCAR Champion

    Inaugural Century Poll Picks Jimmie Johnson as 2015 NASCAR Champion

    There is a new poll making its way through the NASCAR garage and media center. The Century Poll, instituted by Mike Siberini, asks a question a month of the NASCAR community to get a pulse of what is really happening in the world of stock car racing.

    There are currently 100 voters in The Century Poll, 50 from the NASCAR media and 50 from the NASCAR garage, which includes drivers, crew chiefs, crew members, team owners, PR reps, sponsors and even track officials.

    For the first question of The Century Poll, all voters were asked to choose their pick for the driver that will win the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.

    The results showed that the early championship pick was none other than six-time champ Jimmie Johnson. The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports garnered 23 of the 100 votes. He captured 10 of the 50 garage votes and 13 of the 50 media votes.

    The second highest vote getter was perhaps the most sentimental. Jeff Gordon received 22 total votes, 10 of which were from the garage and 12 of which were from the media.

    There were only two other drivers with double digit votes, Carl Edwards, who received 18 total votes, and Kevin Harvick, who garnered 14 votes to go back to back as champ.

    The fifth highest vote getter was Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver scored 4 garage votes and 5 media votes for a total of 9 votes. His teammate Brad Keselowski scored only a total of 3 votes, all of which were from the media.

    Matt Kenseth received 3 garage votes and 1 media vote for a total of 4. Surprisingly perennial fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. only received 3 total votes to be this year’s champion, all of which were from the garage.

    The final vote recipients were Denny Hamlin, with a total of 3, including 2 from the garage and 1 from the media, and Tony Stewart, who received 1 vote, the sole one being from the garage.

    As one of the voting members, I was one of the many who picked Jimmie Johnson. So apparently I am in good company!

    But we need to hear now from our loyal Speedway Media readers…..who would you pick right now with the second race looming as your 2015 champ?

    Weigh in and let’s see where YOU fit in The Century Poll!

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Joey Logano: Logano surged to the lead late at Daytona and held off Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin to win his first 500.

    “Oh what a feeling,” Logano said. “I feel like this win validates my nickname. So, this is the greatest thing, hence ‘Sliced Bread.’ And enrollment in my fan club, ‘Flour Power,’ is growing exponentially.

    “I guess I have to thank my father, Tom Logano, for much of my success. I fondly remember fondly being strapped unwillingly to the seat of a midget car at a very young age. I guess that was my introduction to racing ‘restraint’ systems.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second in a tightly-contested Daytona 500, taking the runner-up spot behind Joey Logano.

    “Logano is lucky I couldn’t get close to his bumper,” Harvick said. “After what he did to me in the Sprint Unlimited, I owed him. But I’m sure Joey doesn’t want to mess with me. To Logano, I’m like a weight scale to Tony Stewart—-he wants no part of it. If you’re gonna tell Tony to ‘step on it,’ you might want to be very specific.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started 42nd and methodically worked his way to the front and into position for a last-lap run at Joey Logano. Hamlin came up short for the win, but posted a solid fourth as Toyota’s top finisher.

    “I tangled with Danica Patrick in the second Gatorade Duel,” Hamlin said. “I found out that there’s only one thing worse than racing with Danica, and that’s talking to her.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt led 32 laps and fell back late before a strong, final charge gave him a third-place finish. On a restart with 19 laps to go, Earnhardt lost the draft and was shuffled back to 19th before charging back to the front.

    “I let down the fans of Junior Nation,” Earnhardt said. “When I fell back, you could hear the collective gasp emanate from the mouths of the Nation. What’s worse, you could smell it.”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson overcame an early drive-through penalty, charging from the back of the field to claim fifth, joining Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished third, in the top five.

    “At first,” Johnson said, “NASCAR officials wouldn’t tell us why we were being penalized. Usually, they can’t wait to tell us what we did wrong.

    “We were penalized for having too many men over the wall,” Johnson said. “As we found out, it’s easier to get over the wall than get over the hump.”

    6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon won the pole and dominated early, leading 87 laps at Daytona, but found himself mired in traffic late and vulnerable to the inevitable accident. It happened on the final lap, when the No. 24 was clipped and spun by Austin Dillon. Gordon finished 33rd.

    “That’s certainly not what I meant when I said this would be my last ‘go-round,’” Gordon said.

    “But let’s be serious. Do you really think I’ll never race in a 500 again? I just got a retirement gift from Mark Martin. It’s a shirt that says, ‘Retirement is for quitters.’”

    7. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer gave Joey Logano a push to the front late at Daytona, a lead Logano maintained while Bowyer finished seventh.

    “Penske drivers are always getting a ‘push’ when they least expect it,” Bowyer said. “I don’t think Logano’s been pushed that hard by anyone except his father. Ton Logano is the Joe Jackson of NASCAR.”

    8. Casey Mears: Mears finished sixth at Daytona after starting 41st, giving Germain Racing a huge boost to start the season.

    “The No. 13 car is sponsored by Geico,” Mears said. “Usually, when you see a reptile in NASCAR, you’re looking at one of the repulsive track owners.

    “A good showing for me at Daytona always draws comparisons to my more famous uncle, Indy car great Rick Mears. I like to tell myself I’m just like him, and I am—he never won a Daytona 500, either.”

    9. Greg Biffle: Biffle quietly finished 10th at Daytona after qualifying eighth and avoiding trouble throughout the day. Biffle was the top finisher for Roush Fenway Racing, as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne finished 29th and 30th, respectively.

    “With Carl Edwards gone,” Biffle said, “I’m now the face of RFR. And that’s scary.”

    10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished eighth at Daytona, giving Furniture Row Racing a strong start to the 2015 season.

    “We had a great run,” Truex said, “and it was great publicity for Furniture Row. By the way, Furniture Row has some of the best furnishings in the business, especially our tables, which are varnished to a brilliant sheen. You could say they all come with a ‘top 10 finish.’”

  • Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Hot 20 – Weights and measurements not a good Jeopardy category for Logano

    Three of last Sunday’s top drivers failed to make the cut simply due to not being registered to run for Cup points. Regan Smith, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter all were within the Top Twenty, but their focus is on one of the other two national series. Smith will be kept busy, though, as he sits in for the suspended Kurt Busch. Considering the ride was especially created by Gene Haas for Busch to wear his company colors, one has to wonder about the long-term fate of the No. 41.

    What is 3100 pounds yet weighs in at under a ton? It appears Logano did not just have the winning ride at Daytona…he had a magic car.

    The Hot 20 after Daytona

    1. Joey Logano – 1 Win – 47 Points
    Daytona 500 winner provided a “ton” of laughs on Letterman.

    2. Kevin Harvick – 42 Points
    If only it were the Daytona 505, all green, all of the time.

    3. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 42 Points
    A late change to the slow lane proved costly.

    4. Denny Hamlin – 41 Points
    Got yelled at so much, he thought he was Stenhouse for a moment.

    5. Jimmie Johnson – 40 Points
    Car was fast at Daytona, his pit crew even faster.

    6. Casey Mears – 39 Points
    Car just got better and better thanks to a Bootie call…or two.

    7. Clint Bowyer – 37 Points
    If you cannot be the man to beat the man, be the man who makes the man unbeatable.

    8. Martin Truex Jr – 37 Points
    Last year he was no Kurt Busch, this year that is a good thing.

    9. Greg Biffle – 35 Points
    This season you can discover “What’s Buggin’ Biffle.”

    10. Kasey Kahne – 35 Points
    Won just once in 2014, but Atlanta was the place.

    11. David Gi_ _i _ and – 33 Points
    I’ll take an “L”, Pat Sajack.

    12. Michael Annett – 32 Points
    14th on Thursday, 13th on Sunday, a Top Ten in Atlanta?

    13. Sam Hornish Jr – 32 Points
    Welcome back to Cup, Sam.

    14. Austin Dillon – 30 Points
    The No. 3 now driven by the man in the black hat.

    15. Aric Almirola – 29 Points
    Somewhere there has to be someone named Eric Elmirola.

    16. David Ragan – 27 Points
    Loaned out by Front Row to sit in for Kyle at Gibbs.

    17. A.J. Allmendinger – 25 Points
    No sponsor, no Sprint Unlimited.

    18. Danica Patrick – 23 Points
    Kurt sits, Tony wrecks, and Danica gets a written warning. Thank God for Harv.

    19. Carl Edwards – 22 Points
    Is there a doctor in the house? Why yes, yes there is.

    20. Cole Whitt – 22 Points
    Good funding stems from good finishes. I hope this helps.

  • The Final Word – Daytona saw no Kyle, no Kurt, but for Joey, oh my

    The Final Word – Daytona saw no Kyle, no Kurt, but for Joey, oh my

    Speeds over 200 mph. Three wide racing to the end. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had time at the front. So did Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Excellent announcing on FOX. Nice weather. What was there not to love about the Daytona 500?

    Okay, if you were not a fan of Joey Logano and saw that caution come out as they were wrecking behind them on that final lap, maybe you were upset. Especially so as Kevin Harvick and Junior were trying to challenge at the end. Yet, they kept wrecking back there so NASCAR decided to err on the side of safety.

    Gordon was involved in the melee, and was ranked 33rd, the final car on the lead lap of a race that went to green-white-checkers. If you were a fan of Tony Stewart or Matt Kenseth, early damage left them non-factors the rest of the day, with Smoke finishing 42nd. With 40 laps to go, Brad Keselowski went up in smoke to sit 41st. Danica Patrick was 21st, but rarely to be seen on the day.

    If you are a Busch fan, any Busch, you were left cheering for Matt Crafton, who was 18th in his Cup debut, while Regan Smith was 16th. Neither picked up drivers’ points with each being registered in one of the other two national series. Both Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr. each earned a Top Ten, with David Gilliland, Sam Hornish Jr., and Michael Annett all in the Top Fifteen. Now if they can only follow that up with solid results next week in Atlanta.

    Still, not a Busch to be found in Georgia, either. I have always thought that by running an average of 25 races in the junior circuit, Kyle Busch was taking a seat away from an up and comer. That has been solved for the time being, but not in a fashion any of us wanted. That was a damn scary hit last Saturday, on a regular concrete wall, causing Busch a broken right leg and left foot. If there is a need for a wall, it is due to the possibility a car might hit it, and if the possibility exists, so does the need for a safer barrier to exist. I dislike Kyle driving so much in the Xfinity Series, but I dislike even more him having to be in hospital.

    A Daytona 500 with neither Busch brother. At least Kyle’s situation is straight forward, which is more than one can say about that of Kurt. From my understanding, a despondent Busch texted his former girlfriend who then sent these along to his coach driver who encouraged her to visit. This she did, out of either compassion or to get Kurt to tell her son the relationship was over, I am no longer sure as to which. Kurt was naked the entire time of the visit, an image I am trying to keep out of my head. He tried to get her to leave by either cupping her face aggressively or choked her and slammed her head into a wall. No charges have yet been laid and a judge says he believed more of her story than that of the driver yet stated she lied during her testimony. In the end, he gave her a protection order to keep Busch away, causing NASCAR to react with the suspension. I find this whole situation a train wreck with more drama than most of us can be bothered to dwell upon. I wish them both well.

    For most others, the season opened well, especially for the fans. While Junior had a strong car, Logano had the one that could challenge him. Sometimes luck decides how things work out, but Sunday at Daytona the car that was the stoutest when it counted, won. Sure, he was helped when Junior made a lane change that cost him too much for too long too late into the event, but Joey was the one guy who could, and did, take full advantage. Now it is off to Atlanta for 500 miles, the scene of Kasey Kahne’s lone victory of 2014. If you loved Daytona, you might as well stick around to see how Atlanta might measure up.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Daytona 500

    After an incredibly eventful Speedweeks, here is what was surprising and not surprising from NASCAR’s first and one of the biggest races of the season, the 57th annual Daytona 500.

    Surprising: The various Daytona 500 race watching venues were definitely most surprising, from Kurt Busch watching from who knows where after his indefinite suspension due to domestic violence allegations to his brother Kyle watching from a hospital bed after breaking his leg and foot in an Xfinity race crash.

    The other two unusual seats for the Daytona 500 were for Regan Smith and Matt Crafton, who substituted for the Busch brothers, in the No. 41 and No. 18 race cars respectively. Smith finished 16th for Stewart Haas Racing and Crafton finished 19th for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “Started off really tight with the race car and never got it turning,” Smith said from his race seat. “I don’t know, kind of frustrating. I actually anticipated a much better day and nothing much more to show for it. Those guys did a nice job all weekend but we just plowed through the corners.”

    “It was a learning curve,” Crafton said from his unexpected race seat. “The first half we just rode around and tried to learn, learn, learn.”

    “It was very, very tough, but that’s what we get paid to do – drive race cars and figure it out quick. I felt fine, just my back from being in that seat hurt. Under yellows I would loosen up the belts as much as I could and just try to bow myself up in the seat just because my back was just cramped so unbelievable bad.”

    “I should have had a little better finish there at the end, but it is what it is.”

    Not Surprising: There was a visual dichotomy, from Jeff Gordon greeting the fans with his two children at the start of the race to the 24 year old Joe Logano embracing his father in Victory Lane, truly signifying the passing of the torch in the sport.

    This was Jeff Gordon’s last Daytona 500 and Joey Logano’s first ever win in the Great American race.

    “Congratulations to Joey Logano,” Jeff Gordon said after finishing 33rd in a late race crash. “That moment you saw there with his dad that is what it’s all about. These types of moments, such a big race it means so much to all of us. You want to share that with the people that you are closest to that have been there along the way.”

    “Congratulations to him and I don’t know what else to say other than I enjoyed it.”

    Surprising: Even great plate racers can make a mistake and yet still manage finish in the third spot and that is just what the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet did. Even with the miscue, Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed his 18th top-10 finish in 31 races at Daytona International Speedway.

    “I made a really bad decision on that restart with 19 to go,” Junior said. “I made a poor choice and you can’t afford to do that. I got shuffled back and lost a ton of spots.”

    “I had one of the best cars out there and that gave me a ton of confidence to keep digging. We were able to get back up to third place. It’s really disappointing because the Nationwide team gave me the best car and we should have won the race.”

    “It was a fun day out there. Just came up short and a little disappointed about that.”

    Not Surprising: With the exception of Kevin Harvick, who finished in the runner up position, Stewart Haas Racing continued its struggles of the previous year, with Kurt Busch suspended, Tony Stewart hitting the wall and finishing 42nd and Danica Patrick being a non-factor, finishing 21st.

    Stewart wrecked his No. 14 Chevrolet on Lap 41 when his car turned right, slammed into the wall, and completely wrecked his steering. This extended Stewart’s losing streak to seventeen races.

    “I take the blame for that one,” Smoke said. “One-hundred percent my fault.”

    Surprising: After winning one of the Duel races and starting at the front of the pack alongside teammate Jeff Gordon, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson saw the race win slip through his fingers in the final restarts. Johnson finished fifth in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet instead.

    “With about 10 to go, I thought we were in position to win the Daytona 500,” Johnson said. “I wish we were in Victory Lane right now but with plate racing you honestly have no clue what’s going to happen.”

    “Really the last two restarts just didn’t work for us. I was ahead of one lane and the guys behind us just weren’t bumper to bumper. Then on the last restart the same thing on the bottom. So it is just the way things happened.”

    “A fun day here in Daytona, of course I wish I was in Victory Lane right now, but we had a very strong day nothing to be embarrassed about.”

    Not Surprising: At restrictor plate tracks, where anything can happen and anyone can win, it was not surprising that two single-car race teams had great runs and emerged from Daytona with great optimism for the season ahead.

    “It was a good run and has been a good 10 days down here,” Martin Truex, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet said after finishing eighth. “I had a lot of fun today. We had to go to the back a few times but our car was strong enough to drive up through there.I thought we had a shot there until that last caution. I got in the wrong lane on the last restart and got held up a little bit. All in all, we came out of here last year with a 43rd and to come out of here today with an eighth-place and top-10 is a good start to the year for us.”

    “It was a really solid day,” Casey Mears said after finishing sixth, his fourth top-10 in the past five restrictor-plate races. “We have run up front at a lot of these things now or towards the front. We are getting a little bit greedier. We definitely want to win one of these races. I think our standards are getting a lot higher. From going from possibly not being in the show to finishing sixth that is definitely a good spread and a good way to start the season for sure.”

    Surprising: In spite of being dubbed a good pusher by race winner Logano, Clint Bowyer was surprisingly ticked after his seventh place finish in the Great American race.

    “I don’t know what I could have done different,” the driver of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota said. “I have to go back and look at it. Just you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t there. I had them stacked up – some pretty good cars there behind me and I knew they were going to shuffle me out. I was kind of the lone wolf in the whole group other than the 22 (Joey Logano) and he happened to be leading.”

    “Once they got me in the middle, three-wide, I just didn’t really have – I was stuck and screwed.”

    Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin in his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing was the highest finishing Toyota, scoring the 4th spot.

    “You know, you’ve got a 50-50 shot of winning it when you’re on the green-white-checkered on the front row,” Hamlin said. “Our line didn’t form up and it’s typically whatever line gets organized the most usually goes forward on these green-white checkers and we just – inside line didn’t get going.”

    “We came up a little short again.”

    Surprising: In spite of feeling helpless, Greg Biffle still managed a top-10 finish for Roush Fenway Racing, a great accomplishment after a disappointing 2014 season.

    “It’s a little disappointing because we want to win the Daytona 500,” the driver of the No. 16 Ortho Ford said. “It just seemed like our car didn’t quite have the speed it needed. I really struggled to try and stay in line and handling was a huge issue. My car was so tight. There was nothing I could do at the end because I was totally boxed in.”

    Not Surprising: Forget girls that just want to have fun, boys wanted to have fun as well and Carl Edwards did just that, in spite of finishing 24th with his new Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 ARRIS Toyota team.

    “Actually I had a very strong car and I had a lot of fun,” Edwards said. “I just didn’t pick the right lines there at the end – it just didn’t work. We got far enough back that it made it kind of hard to get back to the front. I had fun – I really did.”

    “Had a great car and we didn’t tear anything up – just had a good time.”

  • Scott Lagasse Doubles Down Twice at Daytona

    Scott Lagasse Doubles Down Twice at Daytona

    Scott Lagasse Jr. is not only doing double duty on the track at Daytona, running the Camping World Truck and the Xfinity Series, but he is also doing double duty off the track as cyclist and new father.

    “I’m excited about running both the Truck and Xfinity Series at Daytona,” Lagasse said. “Daytona doesn’t tend to be a physically demanding track. So, I don’t know that there is anything in that regard that I’m concerned about.”

    “I would tell you that I think it is actually an advantage to do more racing.”

    “We’ve all been off for a couple months. You do everything you can to stay sharp and be sharp with your starts, but the more seat time you get, the better you are, especially on the plate tracks which is so unique. So, I think it’s an advantage to be able to run both.”

    Lagasse also thinks that doing double duty will assist him in planning for the mental strategies needed in both races on the high-banked track and in the draft.

    “I think strategies will be similar across the board between the Truck and Xfinity Series,” Lagasse said. “I think it’s going to be more about learning the individual vehicles. Last time I drove the race truck, they sucked up so much more aggressively than the cars. So, learning and adapting to what each vehicle wants to make it go is going to be the task. I think overall, general drafting principles will apply across the board.”

    As Lagasse prepares for double duty at Daytona, his two race teams are preparing as well. But Lagasse said that dual preparation started well before the race truck and car headed to Daytona.

    “My work with both teams has been going on for about a month or so since I found out I would be working with both teams,” Lagasse said. “The great thing is that I’m with two great groups who are experienced. NTS is a great Truck program and you are going to see them win a lot of races this year I believe; hopefully with me in them. And then what Mark Smith is doing at Tri-Star is just really impressive to me. Mark has got some great people in there and he has really ramped the program up.”

    “The people are what matters the most at the end of the day. I’m excited to be with both groups, both teams and both crew chiefs and I’m looking forward to it.”

    While Daytona is not an audition per se, Lagasse admits that in spite of the double duty, his future on the track is still a bit up in the air.

    “I know it will not be a full schedule in the trucks,” Lagasse said. “I don’t know that answer yet. I know there are a lot of people working to make things happen but I don’t know if timing wise if that will happen.”

    “I’m looking forward to doing both races,” Lagasse continued. “I grew up racing all different kinds of things and I think it makes you better that away. So, whether it’s dirt, asphalt, road racing, I’ll run whatever opportunities are there where I can be competitive.”

    “My goal is to do a great job for both organizations and grow from there.”

    In addition to the double duty at Daytona, Lagasse is doing double duty off track, with his cycling safety program and his adventure as a new father.

    As far as his cycling program, last week, the driver participated in a 40-mile bicycling event, from Marineland to Daytona International Speedway to raise awareness about safety for cyclists and pedestrians through the Alert Today Alive Tomorrow Safety Program.

    “Last Friday’s cycling event turned out to be way more fun than I anticipated and we made some great friends out of it,” Lagasse said. “We rode out from St. Augustine to the Speedway. It was supposed to be more drivers but schedules got difficult at the end.”

    “So, it was just two of us, myself and Jimmie Johnson. And then we had some professional cyclists, Tim Johnson, Christian Vande Velde and Dirk Bockel, an Ironman and professional triathlete.”

    “The goal was to raise some awareness and to really humanize cyclists. I think from both sides there is a disconnect between cyclists and drivers, both of whom believe the road is theirs. And at the end of the day, we’re going to have to work together.”

    “We hope everybody will to be safe. That was the goal of it and it turned out to be a lot of fun. In fact, I’ve been texting back and forth with Christian and now he is coming to the track to check out some racing. So, hopefully we have made some new fans for our sport too. We need to see people like that enjoy our sport.”

    During the bike ride, Lagasse not only gained respect for his fellow cyclists, including six-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, but also gained a whole new perspective of the track.

    “Jimmie is a monster,” Lagasse said. “He’s in killer shape. There was probably fifteen of us and everyone pulled their load.”

    “The highlight of it was a last minute surprise with a lap around the race track on our bikes. That was a totally different perspective. I’ve been around on rental cars but to cruise around on a bike and to stop and climb the banking was pretty neat.”

    “Tim Johnson rode the bike on the bank but he’s nuts. The rest of us rode around the bottom. Tim was up there playing. You don’t realize how much banking there is until you try to climb it. It was great and I thank the speedway for that opportunity. I hope that is the beginning of an annual event. So, hopefully we’ll be able to do it again next year.”

    Lagasse’s other double duty off track is the one of which he is most proud, new dad. He and his wife welcomed Emelia, born just a month ago.

    “She has me completely wrapped around her finger already,” Lagasse said. “It’s our first and she has pretty much figured out how to control me already. It’s been an amazing experience and I’m having a lot of fun with it. I’m lucky that I’m sleeping more than a lot. For the most part, she’s been very good.”

    “She is going to come down and stay on Saturday night after the race to hang out. She’s still pretty young so we won’t spend too much time around the track.”

    Whether double duty off the track, or double duty on the track, Lagasse is ready for all of it to begin in earnest this weekend.

    “I’m excited to race at Daytona International Speedway in the NEXTera Energy Resources 250 and the Alert Today Florida 300,” Lagasse said. “I enjoy racing at Daytona because it is the home track for me and the team.”

    “I am also honored to have the ‘Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow’ on both cars during Speedweeks. The campaign is to raise awareness for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists. As an avid cyclist it’s an honor to be able to carry the ‘Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow’ safety message. My goal is to get everyone to just take a couple extra seconds to think about the safety of others on the road.”

    “It’s just humbling for sure to be a part of it all.”

  • The Final Word – A Lack of Love at Daytona

    The Final Word – A Lack of Love at Daytona

    We have just gotten the season underway, and already we got guys torqued. I mean, some got downright ornery.

    Take the Sprint Unlimited race last Saturday. Joey Logano seemed just a flying fist of fate away from being all gums, no teeth. In fact, the best save of the day came when one of his crew grabbed his driver by the scruff of the neck and dragged his butt out of harm’s way. Down to the final couple of laps, Logano was driving up Kevin Harvick’s exhaust when that battered car tagged the wall. That was enough for a post-race discussion, but when Joey decided to stick his mug into Harv’s face to drop the f-bomb, he was suddenly hauled away. In doing so, he avoided a possible sock-it-to-me moment.

    Oh, by the way, Matt Kenseth won the race, ahead of Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards.

    The next day, NASCAR’s wacky method to determine the front row for the Daytona 500 came into play. Instead of just finding out who is the fastest, we now include cars actually racing during qualifying, blocking to maintain position and to interfere with another’s time, along with jockeying on pit road as to who goes when to take advantage of what. The result is a nonsensical farce just to provide some kind of show for the fans. If you do not believe me, ask Clint Bowyer. He ignored his crew chief’s pleas to leave his smoking wreck to yell at Reed Sorenson, who had tried to block, which caused one hell of a mess. By being taken out early, the best Bowyer could do was record the 41st best qualifying time.

    Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson survived it all to take the front row spots in the Daytona 500. On Thursday, the duels will decided the other 41 positions.

    So, Bowyer is not happy. After getting out of his car to jaw with Sorenson, a rule violation, he could wind up even unhappier. The fact he called the new qualifying format idiotic, saying “It’s NASCAR’s fault for putting us out here in the middle of this crap for nothing,” it is doubtful he has endeared himself to the powers that be. However, among the drivers, he is not alone in that observation.

    If Kurt Busch’s ex is some kind of trained assassin, she must truly suck at her job if Busch can assault her, and live. The judge must think so, too, according to his ruling, ordering that Kurt stay away from her. If she is fearful of mean ole Kurt, she must be scared crapless of Jimmy Spencer.

    Having to go home is a fear for a few on Thursday, but with Carl Edwards securing a spot last weekend in his new entry, all the familiar faces are locked in. Almost. 13 are in, with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on the front row. Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Edwards and Jamie McMurray are in through their qualifying times. Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano get a pass from their 2014 owner’s points, with Tony Stewart in as the most current past champion.

    On Thursday, a Top 15 finish in one of the duel races locks a driver into the Daytona 500. If that driver already has a secure spot, the pass goes to the driver with the most 2014 owner’s points not already in the field. The six with the fewest owner’s points need to race their way in Thursday, with Ryan Blaney, Reed Sorenson, Michael Annett, Cole Whitt, Justin Marks and Ron Hornaday currently on the outside looking in. Those they are hoping to leap over include, in order, Michael McDowell, currently on the bubble, Johnny Sauter, Ty Dillon, Mike Wallace, Bobby Labonte, with Josh Wise the most secure of the bunch. Of course, if any of those bubble boys finish 15th or better in their Thursday race, they lock themselves into Sunday’s field. Simply put, for those high in 2014 owner’s points, it is less crucial to do well on Thursday. For those who are not, Thursday could mean everything.

    Fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr have to love the fact that the next available spot would go to their guy, who has the best total in 2014 owner’s points among those not yet locked in. There is a chance, a very small chance, that Junior could fail to make the field. For that to happen, he would need to miss the Top 15 in his duel, as well as see every one of the 13 drivers currently locked in to finish their race 16th or worse. If just one of them finishes 15th or better, Earnhardt is in, and his fans have to love that.

    Thursday they run the duels, Friday the trucks (except in Canada), Saturday the junior league, and Sunday it is the Daytona 500. What is not to love?

  • 2015 NASCAR Predictions

    2015 NASCAR Predictions

    *Kurt Busch debuts the No. 007 car at Daytona and executes a last-lap pass of Denny Hamlin to win the 500. In post-race interviews, Busch goes on a 10 minute rant and bad-mouths the entire NASCAR community, earning him the nickname “American Sniper.”

    Busch then fires his agent on the spot and when asked, refuses to divulge the name of his new representative, instead saying he/she is a “secret agent.” Busch also decrees that his spotter should be called a “spy” for the rest of the season.

    *Clint Bowyer, in the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Chevrolet, leads with two laps to go at Richmond on April 25, but falls asleep and crashes out, finishing 39th. The following week at Talladega, Bowyer’s car sports a brand new, one-race sponsor, ‘8 Hours Sleep.’

    Bowyer makes the Chase For The Cup and wins the Chase opener at Chicagoland, but fades afterwards, with no finishes in the top 10 in the remaining nine races.

    *Tony Stewart throws a punch at Brad Keselowski after the two tangle at Sonoma, leading NBC to introduce the “Fist Cam” the following week at Daytona on July 5. The “Fist Cam” is a small camera deployed in one of two places: either on the fist of the driver deemed most likely to take a swing at someone, or on Keselowski’s face.

    The “Fist Cam” delivers its best footage at Martinsville on November 1 when Danica Patrick throws a haymaker at A.J. Allmendinger, leading to the ESPN.com headline, “The Swinger And The ‘Dinger.”

    *At Kid Rock’s pre-race concert at Daytona, the “American Bad Ass” performs his new single “First Kiss,” then urges fans in attendance to kiss the person to their right. An all-out brawl ensues, and NASCAR waves a giant red flag, resulting in a three-hour delay to the start of the race.

    *Kevin Harvick’s quest to repeat as Sprint Cup champion gains the unofficial tag line “This Bud’s For 2” in a contest on Twitter sponsored by Harvick’s wife Delana. “This Bud’s For 2” beats out a host of other slogans, such as “Two-Timing S.O.B.” submitted by a Brooke Gordon, “Make It Reign,” the Al Unser, Jr.-inspired “I’ll Have A Double,” and “Two Knock-Knock-Knocks On Kevin’s Door.”

    Harvick qualifies for the Chase For The Cup, but slumps after a shove from Brad Keselowski sends him over the edge, of the stage at a Jason Aldean concert at Spartanburg, South Carolina in September.

    *Carl Edwards gives Joe Gibbs Racing its first win of the season by winning at Texas on April 6. Edwards performs his signature back flip, but flubs the landing and sprains his left ankle. Edwards misses two races recovering, and to add insult to injury, Aflac denies his claim for worker’s compensation, saying the accident did not take place on the job.

    *TMZ posts some candid photos of NASCAR CEO Brian France frolicking in the raw on the beaches of Saint-Tropez. The photos, titled “The ‘South’ Of France In The South Of France,” create a stir in NASCAR circles and embarrassment to the France family.

    France files a suit, claiming mistaken identity, and TMZ is forced to submit an apology, which they do on their website, where they say “they sincerely regret mistaking France for some other pudgy white man.”

    The Charlotte Observer comically joins the paparazzi act when they post a scandalous headline reading “France Caught Topless!” along with a photograph of France cruising in his vintage 1955 Thunderbird convertible.

    *Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces a misdemeanor drug charge at a traffic stop after offering a lift to a few stranded, good-for-nothing Earnhardt fans in Daytona Beach. At his court date in April, an understanding judge throws out the charge, famously quipping that ‘there’s no way ‘Little E’ is going to jail for a ‘little E.’”

    Earnhardt wins three races, including May’s race in Charlotte, and later stars in NASCAR’s most entertaining commercial, in which Jeff Bridges pilfers a Mountain Dew from Junior’s cooler, to which Junior replies, “Dude, The Dew?”

    *At Loudon on July 19, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots serves as the race’s Grand Marshal, blandly ordering the drivers to start their engines. After the race, Belichick is impounded, later becoming the first Grand Marshal in NASCAR history to fail inspection.

    *In May, Kyle Busch’s wife Samantha signs a modeling contract with Venus Swimwear. Coupled with Kyle’s No. 18 sponsorship, the couple becomes the living embodiment of the “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” adage.

    Busch starts the Chase For The Cup in fourth place, but his title hopes are dashed when he wrecks in “The Big One” at Talladega in October.

    *Jeff Gordon dominates at Indianapolis, leading 127 laps en route to his sixth Brickyard 400 victory. In Victory Lane, an ecstatic Gordon douses his crew with a new Brickyard staple, carbonated milk, from the good people at Gordon’s longtime sponsor of Pepsi.

    The win propels Gordon to two more wins prior to the Chase, and he starts atop the points standings at Chicagoland. Gordon wraps up the title at Homestead, out-dueling Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski.

    *Kyle Larson wins his first Sprint Cup race, taking the No. 42 Target Chevrolet to victory at Pocono on June 7. Larson is later named cover boy for the 2016 release of NASCAR’s video game, which ultimately is pulled from the shelf after a six-year-old gamer finds hidden footage which features former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield racing around the fictional town of Tweaksville trying to procure meth.

    The game finds new life when Rockstar Games, the makers of Grand Theft Auto, expresses an interest in the Mayfield-Tweakville plot line and decides to make it the premise of their “Grand Theft Auto VII: Cranked” game.

    *On August 8, Brad Keselowski’s girlfriend Paige White gives birth to the couple’s first child, a son named “Roger” after Roger Penske, with the middle name “Edward” after a character in a series of vampire novels. The birth certificate is notarized before either parent recognizes the child’s initials to be “R.E.K.”

    **This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.**

  • The Final Word – What I want from the 2015 NASCAR season

    The Final Word – What I want from the 2015 NASCAR season

    A new season, new hopes, new drivers, old drivers with new teams, and a whole lot of things I want to see come out of 2015.

    I want Danica Patrick to do well. In the words of the classic song by Melanie, she has done alright for a girl, but it is time to expect more.

    I want Dale Earnhardt Jr. to build on last season’s exploits, to win, to gel with his new crew chief.

    I want Jeff Gordon to go out with a bang.

    I want Jimmie Johnson to challenge for seven.

    I want Brian Vickers to get well and to get back to where he belongs.

    I want a season without outside drama for Tony Stewart and a return to success on the track.

    I want to see Jeb Burton challenging the Danica Line, to be in a ride good enough to earn a minimum of 700 points over the season.

    I want Kurt Busch to be known for his awesome talent and his outstanding character, on and off the track. Okay, he can be feisty…just not a weasel.

    I want Kyle Busch to convert his early race dominance into late race victories in Cup, and to realize that by running an average of 25 Xfinity races per season he robs an up-and-comer of valuable seat time.

    I want to thank Matt Kenseth. A five race schedule on the junior circuit is more than enough for an established Cup star and former champion.

    I want Jamie McMurray to do well. He has all the tools to be a star, but not the results.

    I want Martin Truex Jr. to bring Furniture Row racing back to the heights they enjoyed when Kurt was behind the wheel.

    I want good seasons for Richard Petty, Michael Waltrip and Richard Childress and all who sail with them.

    I want people to remember that Kasey Kahne also drives for Rick Hendrick.

    I want Kevin Harvick to stand tall in defending his championship, with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle in the mix. I want the best to be among the best.

    I want more entries that matter. There are 28 who manage to average a 25th place result over the course of the season or better, but there is room for at least one more to break through, to contend rather than just participate.

    I want a season where cars can pass, that the only thing keeping them from doing so is the quality of the ride and his (or her) ability.

    I want to hear broadcasters who can take me on a three or four hour escape, who through their talents make even a dull race good, and a good one great.

    I want no races lost due to Fox Sports not being picked up by cable companies in Canada. We already have to do without the ARCA race from Daytona. So, please, no rain outs.

    I want Steve Byrnes back.

  • The Final Word – The Countdown to the New Season is Down to Single Digits

    The Final Word – The Countdown to the New Season is Down to Single Digits

    The countdown has begun to the start of a new season, with less than ten days to go before the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race at Daytona. A new campaign, some new teams and some new expectations.

    Stewart-Haas had a year of mixed results in 2014. Kevin Harvick has his crown, but I think if you claim one championship you might like to claim another. Hey, it works for Jimmie Johnson. His boss, Tony Stewart, has three, but just having a year without the drama would be a Godsend. Kurt Busch won a race, which placed him in the Chase, but he actually was not even as good as Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, or Brian Vickers over the course of the season. He needs to show this year as to why Gene Haas spent the big money to bring him into the stable.

    Danica Patrick must do well. I hear that, I believe that should be so, but I am not so convinced the bloom is off the rose just yet. With the big money funding, a solid organization behind her, and the media attention she gets, I do not believe she needs to be anything more than the novelty she already is. Being the best female driver in NASCAR history might still be enough, but results better than those of, say, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. should be expected as the soon-to-be 33-year-old embarks on her third full season.

    Kasey Kahne turns 35 this spring and probably is considered the little guy at the big boys table at Hendrick by some. Seventeen wins over his career, including six in the past four years, argues otherwise. The only reason Kahne is not more front and center is due to having teammates who have either won the title multiple times or who happens to be the sports most popular performer. Even Harvick and Stewart would be considered fourth on the depth chart on this outfit.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new crew chief. After matching his win totals of the previous nine seasons in 2014, Junior has Greg Ives on the box after Steve Letarte left for the broadcast booth. The 40-year-old needs to repeat what he did in 2014, as 23 Cup wins, 23 more on the junior circuit, two Daytona 500 wins, five Talladega celebrations, and a dozen straight Most Popular Driver of the Year nods might not be enough to make the Hall…in 2030.

    2015 marks the final full-time season for Jeff Gordon. You better enjoy it, as he will not be eligible for the Hall of Fame until at least 2023. That would mark 30 years since he began his career, which is one qualification. If he has to wait until he is 55, that would be in 2027. Gone is the former three years in retirement qualification, as of this year. This alone causes me to expect more tinkering to the qualification rules between now and then.

    Trevor Bayne has a Daytona 500 to his credit, and not much else over the past four seasons. He leaves his part-time job driving for the Wood Brothers to a full-time gig with Roush Fenway. Bayne turns 24 the day they run the Duels at Daytona, with hopes of taking Mark Martin’s old No. 6 ride back to the front. The question is, does he and teammates Greg Biffle and Stenhouse represent an organization on the rise?

    Bayne takes the place of Carl Edwards, who hopes to realize that first championship with his move. Twice he has been the season’s runner-up, as the 35-year-old seeks some greener grass on Joe Gibbs’ side of the fence. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth are a pretty good trio of teammates to roll with. Without question, one of NASCAR’s Big Three organizations, along with Hendrick and Stewart-Haas.

    Or should that be Big Four? Penske is just a two car outfit, but with Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano on the reins their wagons can make something happen. Both finished amongst the season’s Top Five, combining for 11 victories last year. Yes, Big Four is more like it.

    Is there anyone to make it a Big Five? Childress has youth in Austin Dillon, with brother Ty waiting in the wings. They have experience in Ryan Newman, who was just one point behind Harvick when the smoke cleared at Homestead last November. Then there is Paul Menard, who has yet to crack the season’s Top Fifteen in his career, the past four with Childress. On the positive side, he does come complete with a sponsor. Is that enough?

    Michael Waltrip’s crew once was considered a top flight team, until the wings came off. Martin Truex Jr. found himself with Furniture Row, where their gains with Kurt Busch disappeared with his replacement. Brian Vickers is on the mend with a heart issue, so he will require a temporary replacement. As for Clint Bowyer, Captain Skid dropped to 19th in the season rankings after being the runner-up in 2012 and seventh the season after. Bowyer is locked in for another three years, but will they be the best of times, or the worst of times?

    Ganassi has 22-year old Kyle Larson, who just missed the Chase in his rookie season, along with veteran Jamie McMurray. Am I the only one who thinks this team should have been, and should be, more successful? McMurray has only seven wins over 13 seasons, but where he won is impressive. Two came at Daytona, including the 500 in 2010, two at Talladega, two at Charlotte, as well as the Brickyard 400. Not enough to make one a contender, but certainly one who gets remembered.

    You cannot forget Petty, if only for the guy the outfit is named after. Aric Almirola is back, after a single win got him into the Chase…for three races. That victory was just one of five the team has had over six seasons. Coming in is Sam Hornish Jr. who, in 239 NASCAR races in all three top series, has just three wins on the junior circuit. Two of them came over his last 39 races run there over the past two campaigns. Let us not forget his 19 IndyCar wins between 2001 and 2007, including the 2006 Indianapolis 500. Does that get one excited? Sadly, not much.

    Maybe the biggest move comes off the track. Gone is ESPN. Thank God Almighty. FOX returns, with NBC taking over the second half of the season. Mike Joy is a good lap-by-lap announcer, while Rick Allen is even better. While he may have a few detractors, I enjoy Darrell Waltrip, along with Larry McReynolds, providing color analysis. I think Steve Letarte will be even better though, surprisingly, Jeff Burton may be the weak link until he smooths out his delivery. Still, he has a few months to work on it. All are infinitely better than the ESPN crew, and that works for me.

    It all begins on Saturday, February 14th with the Sprint Unlimited from Daytona on FOX. Dare I say it, “Boogity, Boogity, Boogity.” Sorry, I just could not resist.