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Tag: Michael Waltrip

  • Mark Martin to Join Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012

    Mark Martin to Join Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012

    Michael Waltrip Racing announced Thursday that driver of the No. 00 car David Reutimann has been released from the team for the 2012 season. Reutimann will stay with the team for the three remaining races of 2011.  In David’s career with MWR he scored two wins, 12 top-five, 25 top-10 finishes, and achieved four pole awards. He is currently 28th in Sprint Cup Series points.

    [media-credit name=”mwr.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]”David has been a significant part of Michael Waltrip Racing since the very beginning and will forever be a part of our heritage,” Waltrip said in a statement. “We want to thank David for his contribution to our growth and success over the past five years and wish him well in the future.”

    In a press conference Friday morning at Texas Motor Speedway, it was announced that Mark Martin will replace Reutimann in the No. 00.  Martin will split the ride with owner Michael Waltrip for a part-time schedule in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.  Martin will run 25 races each season, including 24 points races and the All-star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  He will drive in the Daytona 500 and Waltrip will drive the three remaining restrictor-plate races for the 2012 season.

    “The performance level is not where they’d it like to be right now, but they’re making a serious move toward stepping that up,” Martin said during the press conference. “I’m really excited to have a chance to be a part of that. Everybody knows I like to help people. Getting a chance to work with some of the young drivers that come along and come through the program is something that really means a lot to me.”

    With Aaron’s sponsoring 30 races, MWR plans to run a combination of drivers and sponsors for the No. 00 car for the remaining six races.  MWR will keep crew chief Rodney Childers on the No. 00 team.  Mark will join MWR teammates Martin Truex Jr and Clint Bowyer.  Bowyer will be leaving Richard Childress Racing next season to make the move to MWR.

  • Travis Pastrana, Danica Patrick and Kimi Raikkonen Face Common NASCAR Choice

    Travis Pastrana, Danica Patrick and Kimi Raikkonen have one thing in common, that of dabbling in a variety of NASCAR Series racing while still maintaining careers in other racing and sports endeavors.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”221″][/media-credit]Yet at some point, all three of these talents, one from Rally and X Games fame, one from IndyCar Racing, and the other a Formula One champ, must make an important choice. They must decide if they will give their all to focus on making it in the realm of stock car racing.

    Unfortunately, Travis Pastrana had his choice made for him this weekend. Instead of participating in “Pastranathon”, competing in the X Games as well as making his NASCAR Nationwide debut at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Pastrana broke his right foot and ankle while attempting a double ‘TP Roll’ on his motorcycle in X Game competition.

    “I’m disappointed in myself for letting everyone down,” Pastrana said. “I can’t tell you how sorry and how disappointed I am that I messed that trip to Indy up.”

    Because of Pastrana’s injuries, including not only his leg and foot injury as well as an injury to his hand that he sustained in practice, the 27 year old driver’s choice as far as NASCAR competition has been made at least until next year.

    “I have surgery scheduled for Tuesday,” Pastrana said. “I have to get my hand pinned and plated, my right leg pinned and plated, and my right foot pinned and plated. So unfortunately I won’t be up for about two months.”

    “I’m definitely hoping to get back as fast as possible and get as much time in that car as possible and go have some fun,” Pastrana continued. “I look forward to being in NASCAR next year.”

    Pastrana’s team owner, Michael Waltrip, was also disappointed that his driver’s choice was made for him as far as his Nationwide racing debut.

    “Like fans everywhere we were so excited about Travis’ debut,” Waltrip said. “We have a long-term vision with Travis which includes lots of NASCAR.”

    “We can’t wait to get him healed and in our race cars,” Waltrip continued. “We’ve waited a long time for someone like Travis Pastrana. I guess we’ll just have to wait a little bit longer.”

    While Pastrana had his choice made for him regarding NASCAR, IndyCar Racing driver Danica Patrick still has a major choice before her. She must decide soon what her future will be in both or either of these racing series.

    This year, Patrick, while maintaining her IndyCar Racing obligations, has also been racing select Nationwide races under the JR Motorsports banner.

    Rumors have, of course, been rampant about her racing future in 2012. Many have speculated that she will run a full-time Nationwide schedule, as well as a handful of Cup starts.

    Yet even her team owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is uncertain as to the choice she will make about competing in stock car racing full-time.

    “I haven’t heard anything,” Dale Junior said. “I think things are looking positive for us to put something together.”

    “I would like for her to run full-time,” Junior continued. “I’m sure she is considering that and I think she would enjoy it.”

    “She seems to really enjoy driving stock cars and racing in the Nationwide Series,” Earnhardt, Jr. said of Patrick. “We just have to see but I haven’t heard anything about it.”

    While Dale Earnhardt, Jr. may be excited about Danica Patrick’s future in NASCAR, one other driver, a Formula 1 champion, has virtually disappeared from the NASCAR scene. After trying his hand at both the Truck and Nationwide Series, Kimi Raikkonen has seemingly not chosen the stock car scene.

    Raikkonen started out both NASCAR runs, including the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series, with high hopes and good feelings.

    “Everybody’s been very nice and very welcome,” the ‘Iceman’ said of his NASCAR foray. “It’s a nice atmosphere, very relaxed.”

    Unfortunately, Raikkonen struggled and finished the Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 27th place, several laps down.

    “It was nice in the beginning but it turned out to be really bad,” Raikkonen said. “Once it got difficult, you cannot race and you really try to survive. Up until that point, it was fun.”

    But when asked if the race was fun enough to return to the NASCAR scene, the Finland native said simply, “I don’t know yet.”

    And that seems to sum it up for all three of these drivers. Their NASCAR futures are simply uncertain.

    One final commonality, however, remains for all three of these racing stars in their own rights. Each one, Pastrana, Patrick and Raikkonen, must eventually not only choose to race in the world of stock cars, but in order to be successful, they will also have to choose to make it their first, and potentially, their only priority.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Inaugural Kentucky Quaker State 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Inaugural Kentucky Quaker State 400

    The bluegrass state, known more for its horse racing than horse power, hosted its first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the Quaker State 400. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the inaugural running of the cars at Kentucky Speedway.

    [media-credit name=”Joe Dunn” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Surprising:  It was a bit surprising to find the biggest complaints of the fans echoed the complaints of the drivers on this historic night. And it was all about the traffic, on and off the track.

    Many fans never even made it into the race because of the traffic. This situation was so bad that both the track management and NASCAR had to issue statements of apology.

    Several drivers also complained vehemently about the traffic on the track as well, especially about not being able to pass. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon, driving the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet, was most vocal about the both sets of traffic situations.

    “When the green flag dropped, I was surprised with how little grip there was because we had so much grip throughout the weekend,” Gordon said. “It was so impossible to pass here.”

    “I think the only thing that made this a great race today was the green-white-checkered and the excitement and energy of the fans,” Gordon continued. “I think when Bruton (Smith) is looking at how to get the traffic in here, he’s going to have to look at the race track as well.”

    “It’s rough and it’s really hard to pass.”

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising to see one driver yet again prove his versatility and driving skills, especially with the spotlight shining on the inaugural run in the bluegrass state.

    That driver, Kyle Busch, proved that he can not only drive from the back of the pack to the victory, as he did in the Camping World Truck Series race, but also start from the pole, lead 125 laps of the 267 laps in the race, and win the first ever Cup event at Kentucky Speedway.

    “This is cool man,” the driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota said. “This is right up there with the best of them.”

    “I haven’t won the big ones, so this is as good as it gets right now,” Busch continued. “I can’t put it into words. The way we ran tonight was awesome.”

    This was Busch’s 22nd victory in 240 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and his third victory in 2011. The victory also catapulted the 26 year old driver into the lead in the Chase standings by 4 points over Carl Edwards.

    Surprising:  David Reutimann, driver of the No. 00 Tums Toyota Camry, surprisingly not only starred in the Tums commercial with team owner Michael Waltrip, but also starred in his best career finish, runner up to race winner Kyle Busch.

    This was only Reutimann’s second top-10 finish for the entire 2011 season.

    “It was a great race man,” Reutimann said. “It was a phenomenal race.”

    “We got a run on top and got it pointed in the right direction,” Reutimann said of the final lap as he battled five-time champ Jimmie Johnson. “Jimmie gave me enough room up there and we ended up getting a decent finish.”

    Not Surprising:   It was not surprising that the winner of the Kentucky Speedway Nationwide race was the closest contender in the Cup race as far as laps led to the race winner. Brad Keselowski, winner of the Nationwide race at Kentucky, led three times for a total of 79 laps in the first-ever Cup race.

    Unfortunately for Keselowski, driver of the blue deuce for Penske Racing,  the late restarts did not work in his favor and he ended up finishing seventh in the inaugural Cup run atKentucky.

    “It was an incredible Miller Lite Dodge Saturday night,” Keselowski said. “I led a bunch of laps and I have to thank my team for that.”

    “But I would have liked to have gotten a better finish from where we ended up.”

    Surprising:  Old five time Jimmie Johnson made a surprisingly uncharacteristic mistake behind the wheel of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. He lost count of the laps and thought there was one more lap to go in the race instead of it being completed.

    “I didn’t see the white flag,” Johnson said. “I saw some type of flag when we were coming, which was the checkered, but I didn’t see the white for some reason.”

    “I think the 18 was going to be the winner the way it was,” Johnson continued. “It didn’t change the outcome of the race by any stretch of the imagination.”

    Johnson finished the race in the third spot. He also moved up one spot in the point standings to fifth place.

    Not Surprising:  While Juan Pablo Montoya, behind the wheel of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, may be known as a fiery, aggressive driver, it is not surprising that he and his crew chief Brian Pattie are calculating their every move with the Chase fast approaching.

    Montoya had a good car at Kentuckyand was up in the front lurking for much of the race. Although he finished 15th after qualifying for the outside pole, Montoya has inched ever nearer to Chase contention, moving up one spot to the 13th position in the point standings.

    Surprising:  Jamie McMurray, driving the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet, is having a surprisingly bad run of motor failures for the season. The engine gremlin struck him again at Kentucky Speedway and it blew up, exuding a tremendous amount of smoke that forced him to a dead stop on the track.

    “Yeah, I got a little freaked out because I felt the motor start shaking and blow up and the smoke came in the car so fast I couldn’t see,” McMurray said. “That’s the first time that’s ever happened to me.”

    “I’m really frustrated,” McMurray continued. “I can’t believe we broke three engines in 18 races or however many we’ve run so far. I don’t know that I’ve blown up three engines in the last five or six years.”

    “So, it’s unbelievable that we seem to keep getting the engine that breaks.”

    Not Surprising:  After several drivers experienced challenging runs at their first ever attempt at Kentucky Speedway, it is not at all surprising that the last words out of the mouths of these drivers is how much they cannot wait to get to the next race in New Hampshire.

    “That was a tough night for the NAPA Know How team,” Martin Truex, Jr., driver of the No. 56 NAPA Good To Go Toyota Camry, said. “We started slow and then it looked like we were going to get a good finish but our car kind of plowed there at the end.”

    “I’m looking forward to New Hampshire.”

    Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry, echoed Truex’s sentiments.

    “It was a fight,” Hamlin said of his inaugural Kentucky run. “We couldn’t make any moves, especially when it came night time and it seemed like our car went away from us.”

    “I’m looking forward to going back to a short track likeNew Hampshire.”

    Hamlin finished 11th and moved up to 10th in the point standings. Truex, Jr. finished 18th and held steady at 23rd in points.

  • David Ragan – Another Freak Winner at Daytona?

    David Ragan – Another Freak Winner at Daytona?

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”226″][/media-credit]At Daytona in February, Trevor Bayne, barely out of his teens won NASCAR’s biggest race, the Daytona 500. As the circuit moved back there just last night, it was another surprise winner, David Ragan. Or was it such a big surprise?

    The big money was on Dale, Jr. this weekend. We’ve been told by every media outlet and anyone who follows this series that Junior was going to win soon. His record at Daytona and Talladega bear this out. Nowhere is Junior better than at the restrictor plate races. Call it inherited from the family. Yet, I didn’t feel that way. Somehow, it always seems to be a surprise. Oh, I could go into details of all the surprises at those two tracks, but you all know that . Many of us saw David Ragan’s rise from bumbling kid to someone who could drive a racecar. I’ll still remember that debut at Martinsville when he hit everything but the pace car. Jack Roush had faith in him, though, and gave his a primo ride in the fabled No. 6. That was Jack’s first car he seriously ran in the Cup series and the former ride of Mark Martin, Roush’s most successful driver.

    Many thought Roush was crazy. The skinny kid from Georgia and the son of Ken Ragan, just didn’t have it. The statistics proved it out. He had only won one Nationwide Series race and had never won a Cup race. He nearly won the Daytona 500 this year, but jumping the start proved to be his downfall and the guy who was pushing him in that weird two-car tandem nonsense went on to win.

    UPS is a big sponsor in this series and the talk was Ragan was in trouble. He just hadn’t done the job and UPS was going to demand another driver for 2012 if they were to stay with Roush-Fenway. The pressure was on and Ragan knew it. After the debacle that was the Daytona 500, he looked forward to this race more than any other. He had to win.

    There is an opinion that what happens at Daytona and Talladega has little to do with the worth of a driver. Many consider restrictor plate racing a freak of nature in NASCAR terms. Drivers have won here that have won nowhere else in cars that can’t compete in “normal” races. Since the 1987 regulation that required restrictor plates, we’ve seen drivers like Derrike Cope, john Andretti, Michael Waltrip, and Jamie McMurray win. Not that this is a bad list, but they were all surprises. In fact, may drivers have lived on wins at Daytona and Talladega. All four of his victories have been at those two race tracks. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has won 18 times, but 7 of those have come at Daytona and Talladega. Some drivers and teams are just better at those races, but the record shows that a large number of long-time stars have won, not only at the restrictor plates tracks, but lots of other places, too.

    So, what does this all mean? Should David Ragan now be considered as a driver who has “made it’ and continue a staple of the Roush-Fenway stable? I do not know. I do know that RFR is in frantic negotiations with Carlo Edwards and Matt Kenseth’s sponsor just announced they were not coming back. Couple that with rising drivers like Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Trevor Bayne and Ragan’s mid=pack finishes most everywhere else, and his job security is less than optimistic. Time will tell, but they can’t take the thrill of a Daytona win away from him. Just like Trevor Bayne, he is king for a day, but will it last?

  • NASCAR Bad Boys: Top Ten Most Fined Sprint Cup Drivers

    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.

  • Chase Elliott Competes With The Big Boys For A Good Cause

    Chase Elliott Competes With The Big Boys For A Good Cause

    Chase Elliott, son of Cup champion Bill Elliott, was prepared to race at Richmond International Raceway in the K&N Pro Series East Race for the first time in his young career.

    But the youngster got the chance to do something even more special, compete with the ‘big boys’ of the racing world at Denny Hamlin’s Charity Race, the Denny Hamlin Shootout.

    Elliott was tapped to drive Brandon Butler’s Late Model, filling in for Kasey Kahne who is still recovering from additional knee surgery.  The up and coming driver not only got to compete against some of his idols, like Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip and newcomer Travis Pastrana, but also got to challenge his own dear old dad.

    Because of his inexperience, having never even competed in a Whelen All-American late model race car before, Chase Elliott started in the back of the field just behind father Bill.  This starting position turned out to be one of the luckiest as much of the field was involved in a major crash in the first lap of the race.

    While Chase went low to escape the wreck, right behind his father, Bill Elliott did get clipped from behind, doing major damage to his race car.

    “I thought I was a goner when they were barreling down from the wall,” Chase said to his dad. “But they hit you instead.”

    “Well I’m glad I could be of assistance to you there, son,” father Bill Elliott quipped quickly.

    After the major wreck, Matt McCall and Max Gresham brought the field to the restart green flag.  They were quickly challenged by Cup contender Kyle Busch, who not only led but dominated the competition, as he so often does.

    At the half-way mark of the race, however, Chase Elliott had worked his way forward to claim the 12th position.  He even managed to get past one of his biggest racing idols Tony Stewart.

    “He let me go,” Elliott said of his pass around Smoke.

    Elliott continued to move forward, cracking the top ten and finally claiming a third place finish behind Denny Hamlin, race host, and Michael Waltrip.

    Ever the racer, however, Elliott was hoping for an even better finish.

    “On that last restart if we hadn’t have gone three-wide off in Turn One, I think we could have been battling for the win,” Elliott said. “I had a blast. To be able to run with great drivers and I am looking forward to hopefully being able to do it again sometime.”

    Elliott also played a role in raising money for several charities, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital in Richmond. Race founder and winner Denny Hamlin said that 10 percent of this year’s race proceeds will be given to assist the victims of the recent tornados.

    While Elliott celebrated his unexpectedly good finish in the Hamlin charity race, he was still smarting a bit from his K&N Pro Series East race prior to the charity event. After a sixth place qualifying effort in the East Series Blue Ox 150, Elliott struggled throughout the bulk of the race.

    In addition to the fact that he had never been to the .75 mile, D-shaped oval track at Richmond, he also had to battle a rain delay, as well as a tight No. 9 HendrickCars.com race car. On Lap 75 when the caution flag flew, Elliott had dropped to 14th on the track and came out 25th after a pit stop for a track bar adjustment.

    Elliott was never able to advance much further and he finished the race 24th.

    “We just need more time to figure these cars out,” Elliott said. “We will get it.”

    “I thought the car was good in practice,” Elliott continued. “But we had no drive-up off the corner when it came time for the race.”

    Elliott will next compete in the K&N Pro Series East race at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on June 4th. This will also be the fifteen year old Elliott’s debut at that historic track.

  • Michael Waltrip Gets Slapped By Rib for New Tums Commercial

    Just when it seems Michael Waltrip could get no more exposure, with his new book and his singing and dancing in the new NAPA commercial with teammate Martin Truex, Jr., Waltrip has taken yet another starring role.

    [media-credit id=41 align=”alignright” width=”269″][/media-credit]Waltrip’s newest commercial gig involves taking some licks from a mechanical rib slapping his face and begging for his sponsor’s newest product, fast acting Tums.

    Ty Norris, General Manager of Michael Waltrip Racing, announced the new commercial partnership between MWR and sponsor Tums in the media center at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The commercials will not only be aired on television but will also be featured on the Tums Facebook page.

    “What’s really neat today is how some of our sponsors are taking us even deeper into the digital space,” Norris said. “What you don’t see a lot of is activating with NASCAR celebrities.”

    “As you might know Tums has been actively involved in racing for a number of years,” Kent Christiansen, Sr. Brand Manager of Tums, said. “The theme of our advertising is when your favorite foods fight you, fight back fast with Tums.  We are happy to say that we are leveraging the appeal of David (Reutimann) and Michael (Waltrip) and bringing that into our advertising.”

    The commercial will debut this Sunday during the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The commercials feature both Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann “interacting with foods in an interesting way,” according to Christiansen.

    Christiansen emphasized that Tums has focused on its younger fans, who “spend hours of their time online.” There are actually seven videos that have been filmed that will be available to fans on their Tums Facebook page over the next few months.

    “We think this content is exciting for the NASCAR community,” Christiansen continued. “And we think it will be exciting for fans to check out on the Facebook page.”

    The first of the new Tums commercials shows a barbecued rib slapping Waltrip’s face several times as he tries to eat it, with Reutimann watching in amusement. The second commercial shows a giant double stacked cheeseburger chasing Reutimann at the track, pulling him out of his race car and pummeling him repeatedly.

    In the latter commercial, fans will actually be able to vote on whether or not Reutimann will take his Tums, with the votes determining the ending. As usual, however, in both commercials Reutimann does not utter one word.

    “I don’t know if you notice the recurring theme, but David has another commercial without a speaking part,” Waltrip said. “We’re going to work on that.”

    “I’m good not speaking,” Reutimann countered quickly to his boss.

    “I can’t get enough of that hamburger kicking my butt,” Reutimann continued. “It was a pretty unique from the rib that Michael was trying to eat to the hamburger. We ended up having to do several takes just because I couldn’t stop laughing.”

    “Even when the hamburger comes riding up, thankfully I was wearing my helmet,” Reutimann continued. “I couldn’t stop laughing all day. If it makes me laugh, I hope it will make others laugh too.”

    Waltrip advised that he had the hardest commercial to make by far.

    “There was a guy sitting behind me and there was a wire in that rib,” Waltrip said. “It took about a hundred takes or at least that’s what it felt like being beat in the face by that rib.”

    “Anyways, 25 years of racing a car and that’s what it’s come to,” Waltrip said with a chuckle.

    For his part, Reutimann concurred with his boss that the slapping rib was by far the most challenging commercial to make.

    “I was covered with that sauce and we had to do all those different angles,” Reutimann said. “I asked Michael to go out for ribs for lunch after that and he was not up for that.  The amount of sauce flying everywhere, it was a dangerous area to be in.”

    “Thankfully, we all got through it.”

    Waltrip, as he does so often and so well, took the opportunity to plug not only Tums but also some of his other endeavors, including the Comedy Garage program and his new book, ‘In the Blink of an Eye.’

    “Speaking of making you laugh, Michael Waltrip’s ‘Comedy Garage’ is in town,” Waltrip said. “I have a book out too.  Four weeks in a row it’s been on the best seller list.”

    Waltrip did become a bit more serious, paying tribute to his team’s partnership, now in its second year, with Tums.

    “As a team owner the thing I most like about this ad campaign is that this is the first year they’ve used our team in their commercials,” Waltrip said. “This commitment to Tums is a great sign and we appreciate their enthusiasm for our sport.”

  • Speed Weeks: A War of Attrition

    Speed Weeks: A War of Attrition

    Well the long awaited start to the season is in the history books. The racing was long hard and not overly exciting at times. History did indeed repeat itself. But not the history folks believed would repeat.

    The Bud Shootout left most fans feeling disappointed and flat. The two car tandems were not fun to watch. Although NASCAR and the broadcast partners touted more lead changes and one of the closest finishes in the history of the race.  The truth is the numbers are skewed. When cars have to run in pairs and have to switch places every 4 – 6 laps the number of lead changes is going to go up.

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”270″][/media-credit]NASCAR assured a record number of lead changes in the top two series by making sure the tandems could not run for long periods of time. They made sure the cars would over heat if they did. In order to avoid blowing an engine they had to change up which would increase the number of lead changes recorded but the number is artificially skewed. You would have to divide the number by 2 to get an actual number of changes.

    The race had an exciting conclusion but the only real racing occurred with 25 laps to go. The only problem with that, the race was 75 laps long. Which made the first 50 a time to scratch one’s head and say exactly what is this we are watching?

    Take nothing away from Kurt Busch. He figured out how to work the situation to his benefit and he got Regan Smith to go along for the ride. Ryan Newman was in the worst place he could possibly be on the last lap he was leading coming to the checkers. Denny Hamlin choose to go below the yellow line and throw away both cars chances of beating the Busch and Smith tandem and then claim it was for the purpose of avoiding a wreck. Of course the next day it was because he was forced down there and had already taken the lead when he did it or so he thought. The controversy attempt did not work this time around and most simply ignored the attempt including race winner Kurt Busch. The big controversy was yet to come. But we wouldn’t see it until later in the week.

    Qualifying was a series of surprises from the 88 on the pole to young Trevor Bayne in the top ten. But when the smoke cleared it was once again an all Hendrick front row with Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon on the front row.

    Could it be? Was it possible? Could Junior really have a chance to win the 500 yet again and on the anniversary of his father’s death? It looked for all the world as though that was the scenario playing out in front of us. The 88 was fast. It was slick and scary fast. Dale Jr had that swagger back and a confidence in his voice and demeanor that had been gone too long. It appeared that the man once referred to as NASCAR’s Legacy, The Pied Piper of Daytona was back. But fate was not done yet.

    On Wednesday, Dale Jr and the team had decided they didn’t want to practice. They had a fast car. They were comfortable and they were confident. But NASCAR would have none of it. They were required to take the car out and practice in order to enter the Gatorade Duels. It didn’t take long for disaster to strike after the several hours of rain delay.

    A group of cars led by Robby Gordon and David Gilliland slide up in front of 5 time series champion Jimmie Johnson and his team mate Dale Jr. The 48, running at speed had to check up to keep from running over the slower cars. The pushing 88 checked up and steered away from his team mate just as Kasey Kahne gave the 56 of Martin Truex Jr a shove, right into the back of the 88. Around they went into the inside wall and through the grass.

    The pole sitting car was destroyed. The Amp Energy Team immediately unloaded the back up with the assurances that it was just as good as the primary. Well not quite but really close. The 88 would start in the rear of the duels and the 500. He was one of only two cars that had actually qualified.

    It didn’t matter what Dale Jr did in that race on Thursday he was going to start in the back. He could win by 2 laps and he would still start the Daytona 500 from the back. So why take the chance with the back up car. Rumors flew he wouldn’t run it. He would run it and he would start and park it. He would run it but he would run it in the back. NASCAR immediately made the statement that the 88 HAD to run the Duel. He was obligated by entry blank to run the Duel if he failed to start the duel he would not be allowed to run the 500 at all.

    The rules for the Duels came under fire. With the changes NASCAR had mandated to the cooling system after the Shootout the field had already seen 4 engine changes due to heat damage or failure. There were 3 back up cars in the field because of the tandem racing. Speeds were still over 205 mph. Common sense should rule the day. But this is NASCAR and the only common sense that counts is the common cents that governs the profit ratios. Suddenly the cost containment concerns were out the window. It was not a secret that TV ratings and ticket sales for the Duels on Thursday were at risk if that 88 didn’t start the race. And the growing price of the junk yard was no longer an issue.

    The duels saw more wrecks and a repeat of the Shootout in race one. The race was long with a few highlights and shining spots namely the consistency of a one car team from Denver Colorado with Ragan Smith at the wheel. Once again the young driver pushed past series champion Kurt Busch to the checkers. Smith showed the composure and the instincts of a wily veteran at speeds that made many cringe.

    The second duel offered prophetic foreshadowing of the 500 when 4 time champion and winner of the 500 Jeff Gordon teamed up with 19 year old rookie Trevor Bayne who was piloting a historical Woods Brothers Ford. Their speed and Bayne’s consistency was not only surprising but refreshing. A car in the race not on points bought by a car owner. A ride earned through hard work and talent. And a driver with the humility to watch learn and emulate the master’s of the draft. It was only a last lap misfortune that ruined the young man’s day. But still there was a message there this rookie was not going to go quietly. He was going to be a factor in the race and he wasn’t afraid.

    Friday, brought a beautiful day with little practice from the 500 field. But the NNS and the CWTS were out in full force. The truck series would start under the lights in its season opener but missing from the field for the first time in 7 years was past champion Mike Skinner.

    Due to an error on the entry blank Skinner was not afforded the past champion’s provisional and his time did not put him in the race.

    The pole went to Austin Dillon driver of the number 3 Bass Pro Shop Chevy. The race was nose to tail for most of the race. It wasn’t until there were 35 laps to go that the racing began.

    The last 25 laps saw a race of attrition with only 6 trucks on the final restart that were had not been in a wreck or did not have serious damage. The final restart saw a determined Michael Waltrip take the lead out of 4 to take the checkers 10 years to the day after his first career win in that tragic running of the Daytona 500 that claimed the life of 7 time champion Dale Earnhardt. Waltrips truck was a tribute to his friend and car owner from that race carrying his number from that day and the NAPA sponsorship on the hood.

    A very emotional Waltrip had a hard time explaining what the victory meant to him. Joined in victory lane by his daughter Macy, it was clear that Michael wanted to pay tribute to the life of a friend and mentor and then spend a few quiet moments with his daughter in victory lane.

    He was not given that respect. Pit Reporter Jamie Little continued to badger Waltrip in victory lane and put the veteran’s emotions on display as though they were entertainment fodder for the race. Her search for TV time in victory lane proved to be distasteful and disrespectful to Michael Waltrip his team and his memory of his friend.

    The first race of the weekend in the books it was time for the second tier series to take the center stage on Saturday morning. With an all JR Motorsports second row, Jr Nation’s hopes were high. Would Dale Jr draft with Danica? Would he push her to the front? Would she push him to the front? It didn’t take long to find the answer. At the drop of the green Earnhardt Jr would set his Hellman’s Chevrolet to the front without Danica Patrick.

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”218″][/media-credit]Patrick’s radio was filled with whining and complaining that no one would draft with her. Yet when she did get a partner willing to take a chance on her in Clint Bowyer who was driving the KHI number 33, when it came time to switch she raced for him for the position. Bowyer needing air to cool the car backed away from her and picked up another dancing partner. Patrick whined that she would do what needed to be done she “didn’t know how to push but she would try.” It was clear even amongst the boredom of the middle part of the race that she had lead her last lap and she lead it thanks to the partner she didn’t not want to give up a position to for the sake of the two car tango.

    The entire first and middle part of the race was dubbed by past Daytona winner and series Champion Dale Jarrett, as “synchronized racing.” Featuring two car drafts that more resembled horse and cart racing than automobiles, which combined with a very poor broadcast whose camera work once again showed that ESPN is no longer the leader in motorsports coverage made for a long afternoon for TV viewers.

    The broadcast team attempted to direct the camera team to the action with Brad Daughtery saying all the real racing action is from 12th on back. Still what we watched was 3 pair of cars who lead the pack around and around the 2.5 mile track.

    It wasn’t until the final 25 laps that we actually saw racing as we know it. The exciting finish was close. The contenders fierce in their determination to take the win, but it would be Tony Stewart in the closest finish in series history at a super speedway.

    It is important to add here that the finishes for all of the races thus far in speed weeks were close ones. The competition in the final laps was incredible. But in almost every single case the race was actually not a lot longer than a Saturday night race at your local track. With the go time being 25 to 35 laps to go, the real issue with that remains the length of the entire race.

    The 500 now loomed large but the teams had not met their final obstacle from NASCAR as of yet. NASCAR announced shortly before the beginning of the NNS race that it had changed the grill opening for the Sprint Cup Cars by a half inch. Allowing them 3 inches of air intake instead of 2.5 inches, the move was made in response to the obvious over heating and engine failures that had been seen in the week preceding the 500. This change was announced less than 24 hours before the green flag was to fly.

    The Daytona 500 began under conditions that were hotter than the rest of speed weeks. 43 beautiful, fast works of art and technology were led to the green flag exactly on time by three awesome tributes in the form of the Transformers cars of Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jr. and Juan Puablo Montoya. Team engineers and crew chiefs uttered a sigh of relief. It was time to race. Time to deal with the obstacles that they made a living dealing with every single week of the 36 week season no more changes, no more chances just time to go racing for the Harley J. Earl trophy.

    The first blown engine was quick to appear when on lap 10 J.J. Yeley’s engine let go. Very shortly after on lap 20 one of the major surprises of the day would occur when Kevin Harvick’s Budweiser Chevrolet also had an engine let go. The war of attrition had begun. But the lap 29 17 car wreck that would take out 2 of the HMS cars and damage a third and damage the Roush teams chances severely. That incident would contribute heavily to the rising totals of the million dollar junk yard that is always seen at Talladega and Daytona.

    The two car tango was again the order of the day with NASCAR bragging about record amounts of lead changes, cautions, and close front runners. Again numbers that did not allow for the switching of lead cars to allow for the over heating of the pushing car. Although we did see some brief multi car drafts they quickly broke down into 2 car drafts.

    Wrecks, Spins, Blown Engines were fairly evenly spaced throughout the event keeping the monotony broke up. But the real truth is that the quality of racing did not improve with the super bowl of NASCAR. What did improve was the honesty of the broadcast. Larry McReynolds relaying Tony Stewart’s comment of being white knuckled and holding his breath. Dale Jr’s comment of this racing sucks to his crew chief who agreed with him.

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignleft” width=”281″][/media-credit]The feel good story of the year however, was the winner of the race. 20 year old rookie Trevor Bayne in only his second Sprint Cup start won the Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers. The car a replica of David Pearson’s Daytona winning car and carrying the Hall of fame inductee’s name on the side sparked memories of when real men raced for 500 miles in real cars and what won on Sunday sold on Monday. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer kid or a nicer group of people. Miracles do happen and dreams do come true if you believe and Trevor Bayne will always remember the day his came true at Daytona.

    There were high points in speed weeks. Dale Jr won the pole. He ran good in the Nationwide race and he ran well being in the top ten most of the day and leading on multiple occasions until being taken out in a wreck 6 laps from the end of the 500. He and crew chief Steve Letarte proved who they are and what they are made of. They gave Jr. Nation something to be proud of and to look forward too.

    Stewart Haas Racing was the strongest of all multiple car teams with both cars making it to the end. Even though Ryan Newman was also taken out in the same wreck as Earnhardt Jr which was caused when Robby Gordon attempted to re enter the track from the apron into a line of cars at speed.

    Hendrick Motorsports showed their strength and dominance through out speed weeks with the front row and 4 cars and drivers that were pumped and primed and would undoubtedly have been a threat had they not been victims of circumstances.

    Ford is back on track. For all the worshippers of the blue oval the long drought is over. Ford is once again a force to be contended with.

    And finally, we have said our goodbyes, we have celebrated the life of one of the greatest heroes our sport will ever have, a man that continues to influence and change our sport and its fans even today 10 years after his passing. Now the time has come to move on. As his son put it, it’s time to go on with life. He will never be forgotten. But at last 10 years later perhaps the media can allow him to rest in peace and allow his son a measure of peace as well.

    ~~~~~ *** ~~~~~

    Congratulations to Kurt Busch and the Penske team on their Bud Shootout win and their Gatorade Duel win. Congratulations to Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports on their front row positions. To Jeff Burton and Richard Childress Racing on their victory in the Second Gatorade Duel race. To Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing on his moving truck series win. And to Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick Inc on his repeat performance in the Nationwide Series. And of course to Trevor Bayne and the Woods Brothers on their return to victory lane in the Daytona 500.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • The Final Word on the Daytona 500

    The Final Word on the Daytona 500

    So, what did we learn at the Daytona 500?

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”270″][/media-credit]Well, we learned that if the rest of the races this season are comparable to the first, 2011 will be one hell of a year in NASCAR. To start with, you have a 20 year (and one day) old driver winning his first race in his second Cup start in an event it took Dale Earnhardt 20 years to finally claim. Trevor Bayne demonstrated throughout all the practices and his duel qualifier that he has that certain something. Jeff Gordon recognized it, and now most race fans should as well. The only question remaining is, what is the kid going to do now for an encore?

    We learned that Dale Earnhardt, even ten years after his death, is still held in reverence. In sports, only hockey’s Maurice Richard comes to mind as being even close. Only Elvis can still spark such emotions. Few people in this world can still bring tears to the eyes of strangers after a decade as the memory of the Intimidator did over the past week.

    We learned that his son can still run strong at the big track and remains as popular as ever. Too bad he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as Junior went from a Top Ten to sit 24th. David Ragan messed up the re-start of a green-white-checkers, which started a chain reaction of misfortune behind him that concluded Junior’s day. Earnhardt’s three team mates all got caught up in the 15-car Big One of Lap 29, with Jimmie Johnson and Gordon limping around to finish in 27th and 28th place. At least Mark Martin recovered to wrap up 10th.

    We learned that Hendrick engines can, and did, fail. Kevin Harvick was gone from the scene within 20 laps, while Jeff Burton didn’t even make half way. J.J. Yeley got in ten before he was done, deemed the day’s Biggest Loser and collecting his single point for coming out.

    We learned that eight cylinders beats seven, which is why last year’s Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray had to settle for 18th. We learned that Furniture Row’s Regan Smith is another fellow to watch for this season as he did himself proud to wind up seventh. Of course, we learned that two cars in tandem not only move fast at Daytona, but if the manoeuver isn’t done just right one can help ruin the day of the guy you were trying to help.

    We learned that FOX came in with some new toys. They had cameras that showed heated tires and images that showed how much the drivers were turning the wheel. Nothing as stupid as ESPN’s bogus draft track, but unfortunately someone there insists on keeping Digger alive. Digger is dead, so let’s move on.

    We learned on Friday night that Michael Waltrip still has some racing left in him, as he won the truck event 10 years to the day after he won the Daytona 500. Tony Stewart was 13th Sunday, but won his sixth season opening Nationwide race in his last seven attempts at Daytona on Saturday.

    Next Sunday, a most welcome schedule change moves up our first visit to Phoenix by more than a month. Last April, Ryan Newman was the man, with Gordon and Johnson finishing right behind him. After their Daytona experience, I’m thinking those two could use a little history repeating itself in Arizona. By the way, as Bayne isn’t in the running for a Cup title this year, Carl Edwards leads the standings by a single point over David Gilliland and Bobby Labonte. Huh? Oh, it could be a very interesting season.

    Enjoy your week.

  • Fairy Tales Do Come True, Just Ask Trevor Bayne, Daytona 500 Winner

    Fairy Tales Do Come True, Just Ask Trevor Bayne, Daytona 500 Winner

    For Trevor Bayne, fresh off his 20th birthday and in only his second race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, dreams really do come true.  Bayne became the youngest winner of “The Great American Race”, the Daytona 500.

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”281″][/media-credit]”I keep thinking I’m dreaming, I really do,” Bayne said in Victory Lane. “We said a prayer before the race and this just shows how powerful God is and the good job these guys did on this race car. This is just incredible.”

    “I drove down here in my F150 and I was planning to drive back, but I think someone else will have to drive it back for me,” Bayne said, acknowledging that he must now do his Daytona 500 duties in New York City as the race winner. “I guess I will have to call someone to get some clothes down here.”

    “This is so crazy,” Bayne continued. “I felt a little undeserving, but I’m just glad that I got to be the guy behind the wheel to get the win.”

    Bayne’s team owners Eddie and Len Wood were beside themselves after the win. It was so emotional that they both, particularly Eddie Wood, had to stop talking several times to get their tears in check.

    “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” owner Eddie Wood said, with a hitch in his voice. “We’ve struggled just to make the Daytona 500.”

    “It’s unbelievable we are sitting here,” Wood continued. “Trevor Bayne did such a good job. Now he is a Daytona 500 winner.”

    Donnie Wingo, Bayne’s crew chief, was also elated at his driver and team’s success.

    “I couldn’t be happier and the job the kid done today, you couldn’t ask for anything else,” Donnie Wingo, crew chief, said. “At the end, he did what he needed to do.”

    “He just might be the next big deal.”

    The race not only left Trevor Bayne and his car owners and crew chief shaking in disbelief, but many of the other drivers as well. There were a record 74 lead changes, a record 22 different race leaders, and a record 16 cautions in the event.

    “I’ve never run one like that,” veteran Terry Labonte, driver of the No. 32 U.S. Chrome Ford Fusion, said. “It’s a good thing the race wasn’t much longer because we were about done.” Labonte finished the race in the 15th position.

    Just as in the Bud Shootout and the Gatorade Duels, this running of the Daytona 500 necessitated a dance partner, with all cars running in the now familiar duo pack. The tandem racing put even more pressure on the spotters, who were not only having to guide their drivers around the track but strategize on the spotter stand as to who to partner up with next.

    “It was a pretty crazy day overall,” Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, said. “Everything was just all over the place and pretty nuts.”

    Busch had his own set of challenges, spinning early in the race on lap 4 after getting tagged by his pusher, who was at the time Michael Waltrip.  Busch managed to recover and snag a top-ten finish, scoring in the eighth spot.

    Another major factor in the race was engine failure, especially given the hotter ambient temperature at Daytona. Both Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton lost their engines, an anomaly for sure for ECR engines.

    Harvick denied any forewarning of his engine failure, saying “No, it just let loose.”

    “I just blew water out of the bottom of the thing,” Harvick continued. “I hadn’t done anything different.”

    Burton echoed his teammate’s sentiments about the engine failure.

    “We are asking a lot out of the engines here for sure,” Burton said. “These are tough situations. I thought we were well within our limits but maybe not.”

    It would not be a Daytona 500 without the “big one” and this was delivered at lap 29 of the race.  Fourteen cars were involved, including three of the Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin, taking them for the most part out of race contention.

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the spotlight due to the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of his father’s death at Daytona, also had a good run, at least until the final laps of the race when a crash took him out of contention. Earnhardt came in 24th, after claiming the pole, wrecking in practice, and starting from the rear of the field.

    “We run good,” Earnhardt, Jr. said. “I had as much fun as I could under the circumstances. It was wild.”

    Carl Edwards took the runner up spot to Bayne’s fairy tale ending.

    “Trevor, he did a good job of blocking the bottom,” Edwards said. “All day we waited and waited, trying not to tear up the race car.”

    “There at the end, it almost worked out perfectly,” Edwards continued. “We didn’t have a chance to be able to mount up a real charge on him.”

    “I think that I can tell you that second place in the Daytona 500 feels way worse than any other position I’ve ever finished in the Daytona 500,” Edwards said. “But that is made better by listening to Trevor and how excited he is. He is really a nice young man, a great guy to represent this sport with this win.”

    David Gilliland, veteran Bobby Labonte, and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five in “The Great American Race.” The rest of the top ten included Juan Pablo Montoya in sixth, Regan Smith in seventh, Kyle Busch in eighth, Paul Menard in ninth, and Mark Martin, who rebounded from the big one to finish tenth.

    Unofficial Race Results

    Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway

    February 20, 2011 – Race 1 of 36

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 31 21 Trevor Bayne Ford 0 0 208 Running
    2 12 99 Carl Edwards Ford 42 0 208 Running
    3 5 34 David Gilliland Ford 41 0 208 Running
    4 6 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 41 1 208 Running
    5 25 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 40 1 208 Running
    6 4 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 39 1 208 Running
    7 27 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 38 1 208 Running
    8 39 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 37 1 208 Running
    9 1 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 36 1 208 Running
    10 34 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 34 0 208 Running
    11 35 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 34 1 208 Running
    12 42 9 Bill Elliott Chevrolet 32 0 208 Running
    13 3 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 31 0 208 Running
    14 18 6 David Ragan Ford 31 1 208 Running
    15 37 32 Terry Labonte Ford 30 1 208 Running
    16 16 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 29 1 208 Running
    17 15 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 28 1 208 Running
    18 2 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 27 1 208 Running
    19 29 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 26 1 208 Running
    20 36 77 Steve Wallace Toyota 0 0 208 Running
    21 38 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 24 1 208 Running
    22 20 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 24 2 206 Running
    23 11 20 Joey Logano Toyota 21 0 206 Running
    24 13 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 21 1 202 Running
    25 17 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 19 0 199 Running
    26 21 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 19 1 198 In Pit
    27 24 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 17 0 189 Running
    28 23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 17 1 173 Running
    29 8 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 16 1 166 Running
    30 10 0 David Reutimann Toyota 14 0 164 Running
    31 30 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 13 0 160 Running
    32 7 38 Travis Kvapil Ford 0 0 153 In Pit
    33 33 71 Andy Lally * Chevrolet 11 0 149 Running
    34 26 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 10 0 133 Running
    35 14 16 Greg Biffle Ford 9 10 126 Running
    36 32 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 9 1 92 Out
    37 19 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 7 0 82 Running
    38 40 37 Robert Richardson Jr. Ford 0 0 45 Running
    39 22 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0 0 29 In Pit
    40 9 115 Michael Waltrip Toyota 4 0 28 In Pit
    41 41 192 Brian Keselowski* Dodge 3 0 28 Running
    42 28 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 3 1 22 Out
    43 43 46 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 1 0 10 Out