Tag: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt withstood a long rain delay and held off numerous challenges to win his second Daytona 500, beating Denny Hamlin to the line. The win ended a 55-race winless streak and instantly qualified Earnhardt for the Chase For The Cup.

“That six hour, 22 minute rain delay didn’t bother me at all,” Earnhardt said. “What’s 6:22 when I’m used to waiting 55 races for a win? And what better way to celebrate such a huge win than to join Twitter. By the time you read this, I should have 750,000 followers, and the best thing is, none will require a restraining order.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin topped off a successful Speedweeks with a runner-up finish in the 500, making a bold move at the front befire finishing behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Hamlin won the first Gatorade Duel and led 16 laps in Sunday night’s race.

“How about that piece of black plastic that clung to Dale, Jr.’s grill?” Hamlin said. “Some say it was the ‘Man In Black,’ Dale Earnhardt, Sr., making his presence known. NASCAR made an even more outlandish claim—that it was proof that their ‘Drive For Diversity’ program is actually working. Here’s the most interesting part: ghosts are a lot like NASCAR drivers—-mostly white.”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski, in the No. 2 car with the classic Miller Lite paint scheme, challenged for the win at Daytona and finished third behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

“I hear that Danica Patrick exceeded 1,000,000 Twitter followers,” Keselowski said. “That’s a lot, maybe too many for one web site to handle. I can see this ending in one way only—with a ‘crash.’”

4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished fourth at Daytona as Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. powered to the win. Gordon gave Earnhardt a boost on the final lap, helping Junior hold off Denny Hamlin at the end.

“Dale deserved to win,” Gordon said. “His No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet was by far the strongest. This could very well be the year Junior wins the Sprint Cup. In other words, it could finally be when ‘A Little E Goes A Long Way.’”

5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started 39th after going to a backup car and finished fifth after leading 15 laps. Last year’s Daytona 500 winner joined race winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon as Hendrick Motorsports took three of the top five spots.

“That rain just wouldn’t stop,” Johnson said. “And, trust me, I know long ‘reigns.’

“I’m on a quest for my seventh Sprint Cup championship. It would be awesome to be mentioned in the same sentence with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Contrary to what Tony Stewart says, six titles give you the right to ‘challenge’ Petty, not two.”

6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started third after winning Thursday’s second Gatorade Duel and finished a long day at Daytona with a sixth-place finish. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch finished second and 19th, respectively.

“Did you see Kyle cross the finish line?” Kenseth said. “He did it in reverse. But that’s really no surprise. Just look at the sponsors on the No. 18 car—it’s got ‘good backing.’”

7. Austin Dillon: Dillon survived involvement in three accidents at Daytona and put the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevy in the top 10 in the return of the “3” made famous by Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

“That ‘3’ on the side of my car means a lot,” Dillon said. “At Daytona, it indicated the number of crashes I caused.”

8. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.: Stenhouse led the way for Roush Fenway Racing with a seventh at Daytona, joining teammate Greg Biffle, who finished eighth, in the top 10. It was Stenhouse’s best finish ever in the 500.

“That was one of the best Daytona 500’s of all time,” Stenhouse said. “I can’t wait to catch a replay of the race, and neither can Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans. That’s the only way their favorite driver will have multiple wins this season.”

9. Greg Biffle: Biffle battled Dale Earnhardt, Jr. over the final laps at Daytona before the mad scramble relegated him to a finish of eighth.

“How about Madison Rising’s performance of the national anthem before Saturday’s Nationwide race?” Biffle said. “They claim to be America’s most patriotic band. I certainly agree. Their music is best listened to with a hand over the heart, and two over the ears.”

10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 13th at Daytona in the No. 4 Chevrolet, the highest finisher among the Stewart-Haas Racing stable.

“Tony Stewart challenged Richard Petty to race Danica Patrick,” Harvick said, “and the ‘King’ accepted. But really, what does King Richard stand to gain with a win? The last thing he needs is another feather in his cap.”

February 25, 2014
Dale Earnhardt Jr. & the Intangible That’s Stopped Him From Reaching His Full Potential

February 18th, 2001 … the final lap of the 43rd annual Daytona 500 …. the black No. 3 entered turn three in third position, but never made it to the tri-oval. 13 years and five days later, the iconic number finally exited that corner, and it did so as the leader of the Great American Race. The No. 3 was back. A side note of this historic occasion is that it would have been the 86th birthday of the Earnhardt family patriarch, Ralph. This day would not belong to that venerable number and rookie Austin Dillon though, but rather another third generation racer, who carried the surname of Earnhardt. This Daytona 500 belonged to Dale Jr. … and I can still hear the rapturous cheers from Jr. Nation two days later. His unequivocal understanding of plate racing and sheer determination against a snarling pack of cars led to yet another Harley J. Earl trophy for the pied piper of Daytona, as Mike Joy put it.

On the ten year anniversary of his first triumph over Daytona International Speedway, the stars aligned once again for NASCAR’s most popular driver. After an enthralling late-race duel with the likes of Johnson, Biffle, Edwards, Gordon, and Hamlin; Jr. held on and emerged as a Daytona 500 champion for the second time in his career. It was a combination of a powerful race car, luck, a plate racing ace behind the wheel, and fate that led to this very popular and widely celebrated victory.

I don’t know Jr. personally, but those who do would agree …. Dale is more confident right now than he’s ever been before. He is a different driver, and a different person. He’s got that swagger that he showcased in the early 2000’s back. In the 500, he drove aggressively and gave no quarter as he just about single-handily held off two lanes of cars late in the event; denying charges mounted from some of the best drivers in the sport. He sliced and diced from the outside wall to the inside apron at speeds upwards of 200mph without trepidation or hesitation, only instinct.

He walked into the media center that night with a pep in his step as he howled triumphantly before sitting down. One of the first statements out of his mouth was that he and his No. 88 team are “going for the jugular this year.” If you didn’t know any better, you’d think we were listening to Brad Keselowski or Tony Stewart … not the somewhat reserved and timid Dale Earnhardt Jr. we’ve seen on TV in the past. He hasn’t stopped smiling since the victory, and I doubt his enthusiasm will wane any time soon. Jr. has been giving funny, engaging, and well-spoken interviews to every media outlet he’s talked to thus far, and even joined Twitter! The clandestine life of NASCAR’s most popular driver is now being broadcast photo by photo, on social media. One of the first tweets he sent out was of him standing with the statue that immortalized his late-great father outside of the speedway.

He is a driver whose demeanor usually corresponds with his performance on the track, so this is a very good sign for the legion of Earnhardt Jr. fans out there. No, he’s not on the level of Gordon, Stewart, or Johnson; nor will he obliterate the competition in 2014. But, he is perfectly capable of being a formidable championship opponent and confidence can go a very long way for a race car driver …. just ask Denny Hamlin. What happened Sunday night at Daytona International Speedway epitomizes just how empowering a win at Daytona can be, and it will certainly leave an indelible mark on Jr.’s career. The raw, uninhibited emotion from him after the win resonated with the NASCAR community and is quite refreshing to see. It’s almost like that endearing feeling we get when an underdog captures the checkered flag, even though the driver of the No. 88 is nowhere near underdog status.

Or is he? The tumultuous career of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one that will make you feel a wide range of emotions from all across the spectrum. He’s driving equipment that is superior to most of his competitors, he is a perfectly capable driver, has plenty of money, and has battled a different kind of adversity in his career. Himself. Imagine being a young kid, the world at your feet, and then you lose one of, if not the most influential person in your life. In this case, his father. Suddenly, millions turned to him to fill Dale Sr.’s shoes and presumed that he’d be as good as, if not better than his dad. Imagine the immense pressure he must have felt. How does one deal with that?

As if that wasn’t enough to bring him down, he watched the team his father created fall to pieces before his very eyes. Think about looking at everyone around you, knowing that they all expect you to be something you’re not, and never will be. Think about all those who constantly and relentlessly asked Jr. why he wasn’t meeting their unrealistically high expectations for him. After the barrage of unanswerable questions, he was left to cogitate about all those he disappointed, who felt he wasn’t good enough, and labeled him a failure. If you keep piling weight on someone’s back, they will not grow stronger; they will break, and consequently, never reach their true potential.

But now, Dale realizes that it’s not incumbent of him to attempt to emulate his famous father and repeat his successes in order to suffice the contingent of people out there who yearn for the second coming of “The Intimidator.” No longer does he worry about disappointing those who unfairly expect him to be just like Sr. He just wants to be the best that he can be. The mindset has changed from what does everybody else want from me, to what do I want from me? Now that he’s done that, he can be a Sprint Cup champion.

I only see more good things coming from Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2014. He’s confident in himself and is comfortable with where he’s at in life. That’s been the missing piece all these years. He’s always had the equipment and the talent, but the intangible that is self-confidence is what will take him to the next level. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always had the will to win, but he’s now got the complete package, and can finally, after so many years, attain his full potential as a race car driver.

February 25, 2014
Swan Racing Finds Redemption in Budweiser Duels

Things went bad in a big way for Swan Racing during Sprint Cup practice on Wednesday. Early on, Cole Whitt suffered a blown tire that caused his car to slam the outside wall, which resulted significant right side damage. As the team prepared to unload the back-up, a second wreck erupted in the tri-oval as practice resumed. Cole’s teammate Parker Kligerman ended up ripping a hole in the catch-fence before sliding upside down for a few hundred feet. With just one back-up between the two teams, Swan Racing was in a tough spot. With Parker’s car irreparable, they opted to fix Whitt’s wounded No. 26 Toyota Camry

After working late into the night and early in the morning, they managed to make the car raceable. But the job was only half-done. Now, the two rookie drivers had to survive the duels and drive their way into The Great American Race. Cole Whitt locked himself in with an 11th place finish, but teammate Parker Kligerman wasn’t so fortunate. After an apparent fuel pick-up issue on the final lap, he dropped out of a transfer spot and ended up 17th. That was not enough to make the show, so Parker had to sit and anxiously await the outcome of the second Duel. Whatever happened in that race would determine his fate.

During the second race of the night, he tweeted “This is POSITIVELY the most nerve-wracking thing of my entire life. I’m ready for fatherhood after this. How hard can it be?” After the violent last lap wreck that sent Clint Bowyer flying through the air, NASCAR had to closely look at the video in order to determine the proper finishing positions for each driver. Parker once again tweeted, “No official word yet…. This is insane! C’mon @NASCAR…. We’re freaking out over here!”

The official word finally came down, and the No. 30 Lending Tree Toyota Camry of Parker Kligerman was in the show, via the car’s 2013 owner’s points position. Parker said that sitting there and waiting helplessly was “one of the worst feelings of my life.” Here’s more from PK:

“Pretty big change, eh? We’ll start there. Obviously that was a letdown yesterday, as I said to a lot of people here. One of the most interesting moments of my life, sliding on your roof.But my guys worked incredibly hard. I know you hear that a lot, pretty cliché. You don’t understand, we obviously had our second car hurt. Our guys were trying to put a backup in it, had a Cole’s seat in it. We had to take that seat out. Redo everything. We get in the Duel, in the last lap running ninth with Lending Tree onboard, who just came onboard the morning before, suddenly start to have the fuel issue we had and see the grasp that we had on both cars making the 500 slip away from us, it was one of the worst feelings of my life. Then the worst feeling would be watching that race right there, and I was not a fan of any driver in that race at all throughout the whole thing. Thankfully it all worked out.”

Parker went on to quote 1976 Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt, when asked about luck…“I don’t believe in bad luck. It only brings bad luck.”

Cole Whitt described the last lap frenzy of the first Duel as he muscled his way into the Daytona 500:

“I think we were nose to tail for quite a bit there towards the end. I tried to shuffle Alex out – no offense – it’s the nature of the beast. We were coming down to the end, wanted to get ourselves in. I didn’t want to be the last car in line. I was there for a second. I kind of side-drafted him, put him last in line. Then made a move later, shuffled myself out. Maybe a little karma to myself. Alex is a good friend of mine. We’ve come up through the Sprint car ranks together. Everything focused at the end. I was trying to get in. I don’t know where Alex was behind me coming to the last lap. I tried to pick the best line I could. I knew guys pulling down to the bottom, it would take a while for them to pull up that speed they needed when they were pulling from the top groove, trying to suck up. People were losing guys behind them. I gave the 14 a pretty big shove on the last lap to make sure our run was going to be as strong as possible to the line. Tried to stay hammer down. I didn’t even know if we were in by the time we crossed the finish line. It was a nail-biter for sure.”

Cole Whitt will start the Daytona 500 in 23rd and Parker Kligerman 41st. Swan Racing finished 22nd with Michael Waltrip in the 2013 Daytona 500, and look to improve on that effort this year with a second car and two new faces behind the wheel.

February 21, 2014
It’s Not Just a Number

The No. 3 has been looming in the shadows for the past thirteen years. We saw it on the back windows of cars, on the shirts of long-time fans, on flags in the infield, but now, we will see it where it belongs…leading the pack in the Daytona 500.

On pole day, rookie Austin Dillon took the “Return of the Three” moniker to new levels when he asserted himself as the fastest man in Daytona, and in doing so, conjured up memories of the days when “The Intimidator” once ruled over the massive super-speedway.

Some fans were delighted to see the three earn pole position, others were appalled. A few even declared that no one should care because, and I quote, “it’s just a number.” That erroneous, shortsighted, and somewhat audacious remark got my attention and is what led me to put together the proceeding article.

The three is the mark of an icon….a symbol of a legend who’s untimely and tragic death only helped further solidify his place among racing’s immortals. It represents the legacy of a man who changed the sport of NASCAR forever with what he did on the track, and also with what he lost on it. The No. 3 stopped being “just a number” the day Dale Earnhardt entered turn three on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

The No. 3 has been personified far beyond the simplistic and modest form of any other digit. The three to NASCAR is like a flag to a nation, or a coat of arms to a family. It may be a simple stroke of a paint brush or the cutting out of a vinyl sticker that creates it, but the second it takes the shape that Farrell Hinker and Richard Childress once envisioned so many years ago, it instantly becomes so much more than a simple number on a car.

It has a certain mystique about it that can’t fully be explained. The three is like a torch, that only a few are worthy to carry. When the No . 3 races, it doesn’t just carry a driver, but a story and the hearts of millions of fans with it. There are intense emotions, and for some like myself, childhood memories tied to it. Numbers in their most fundamental form don’t make people cry, but the three does.

The No. 3 is a salute we give with three fingers, to commemorate a fallen hero….an allegory for what NASCAR racing was, is, and always be.

February 19, 2014
What the Sprint Unlimited Taught Us

The 2014 Sprint Unlimited is in the books and we can put this one under the “odd” category….but I’m sure the ominous full moon above the track had nothing to do with it. We had big wrecks, angry Earnhardt’s, three wide passes for the lead, the pace car going back to the garage on the hook, and even a dancing orange cone. Yeah, it was a wild and wacky night.

Expect More Passing in This Year’s Daytona 500

This year’s Sprint Unlimited was a big step up from its 2013 predecessor, which was fairly forgettable. There was passing galore and cars were able to suck up to each other better and actually bump draft, contradictory to last season. The closing speed was hard to judge for spotters and drivers alike, which resulted in a massive pileup in the tri-oval during the second segment. Slingshot moves for the lead were abundant and even after the crash that left just eight raceable cars on track, the drivers continued to put on a heck of a show and race hard for the lead. The race was very exciting and bodes well for what we will most likely see in the Daytona 500, when we put 43 cars on the track and dangle a Harley J. Earl trophy in front of them.

When in Daytona, Start Stuff on Fire

Well, this is becoming some kind of odd tradition at Daytona International Speedway – in the last two years, we’ve watched a jet dryer, the race track, and now, the pace car catch fire during a race. While Brett Bodine led the field under caution, smoke started to pour out of his Chevy SS pace car, so he and his co-pilot bailed out of the machine as the trunk area started to burn. A statement from Chevrolet regarding the strange incident…

“The pace car experienced a fire in the trunk area, which contains a purpose-built auxiliary electrical kit to operate the numerous caution lights during the race. The pace car driver and passenger safely exited the vehicle. An assessment is underway.”

2013 Injuries Not Bothering Stewart & Hamlin Anymore

The Sprint Unlimited was Tony Stewart’s first race back since he broke his leg last summer and not surprisingly, he was one of the first to try to mix it up early on, picking off drivers who were riding around the outside one-by-one. During the second segment though, Matt Kenseth cut across Joey Logano’s nose and consequently, carnage ensued. Nine cars, including Stewart were involved; seven of which were destroyed. Tony was unhurt in the crash and walked away under his own power. Denny Hamlin, who suffered a broken back at Auto Club Speedway last year, picked up where he left off in 2013 when he won the season finale. He took the pole (due to a fan vote), and then won the every segment en route to the victory after an enthralling three wide pass for the lead with less than two laps to go.

Fox Sports New Running Order Graphic Needs to go Away

Fox Sports has decided to replace the ticker that runs across the top with a box that takes up the entire far-right side of the screen. Many fans have complained about it, Brad Keselowski has expressed his displeasure with it, and hopefully it will be changed before the Daytona 500. Brad Keselowski tweet – “Not cool- @FOXSports1 new graphic that covers the right side of the screen.”

Jimmie Johnson’s Love-Hate Relationship with Daytona Continues

Jimmie Johnson and Daytona International Speedway have had an interesting relationship since 2006. In the last eight Daytona 500’s, he has finished 27th or worse six times. The two races that he finished higher than that were wins. In this year’s Sprint Unlimited, he was attempting to make a pass on Denny Hamlin for the lead at the end of segment one when he lost control and crashed into the inside wall off of turn four. It was the third time in as many years that the six-time series champion has DNF’ed in the exhibition race.

February 16, 2014

2014 Daytona 500 Official Entry List Released

49 drivers will be vying for 43 spots in the 56th annual Daytona 500 this year. It’s an increase from 2013, which had a rather low entry list, predominantly due to it being the first year with the Generation Six car. The race is set to take place on February 23rd, at 1pm est. on FOX. The complete entry list can be seen below, along with more details in regards to the entrants.

No.	Driver	Sponsor	Owner	Make
1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald’s	Felix Sabates	Chevrolet
2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite	Roger Penske	Ford
3	Austin Dillon	Dow	Richard Childress	Chevrolet
4	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet
5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance	Linda Hendrick	Chevrolet
7	Michael Annett	Pilot Flying J	Tommy Baldwin	Chevrolet
9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley	Richard Petty	Ford
10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet
11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express	JD Gibbs	Toyota
13	Casey Mears	GEICO	Bob Germain	Chevrolet
14	Tony Stewart	Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1	Margaret Haas	Chevrolet
15	Clint Bowyer	5-Hour Energy	Rob Kauffman	Toyota
16	Greg Biffle	3M	Jack Roush	Ford
17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Nationwide Insurance	John Henry	Ford
18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s	Joe Gibbs	Toyota
20	Matt Kenseth	Dollar General	Joe Gibbs	Toyota
21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane	Glen Wood	Ford
22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil	Walter Czarnecki	Ford
23	Alex Bowman	Dr. Pepper	Ron Devine	Toyota
24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger	Rick Hendrick	Chevrolet
26	Cole Whitt	Speed Stick GEAR	Brandon Davis	Toyota
27	Paul Menard	Peak-Menard’s	Richard Childress	Chevrolet
30	Parker Kligerman	Swan Energy	Brandon Davis	Toyota
31	Ryan Newman	Caterpillar	Richard Childress	Chevrolet
32	Terry Labonte	C&J Energy Services	Frank Stoddard Jr.	Ford
33	Brian Scott	Whitetail	Joe Falk	Chevrolet
34	David Ragan	CSX – Play It Safe	Bob Jenkins	Ford
35	Eric McClure	Hefty-Reynolds Wrap	Jerry Freeze	Ford
36	Reed Sorenson	Golden Corral	Allan Heinke	Chevrolet
38	David Gilliland	Love’s Travel Stops	Brad Jenkins	Ford
40	Landon Cassill	Hillman Racing	Michael Hillman	Chevrolet
41	Kurt Busch	Haas Automation	Gene Haas	Chevrolet
42	Kyle Larson	Target	Chip Ganassi	Chevrolet
43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield	Richard Petty	Ford
47	AJ Allmendinger	Kroger-USO	Tad Geschickter	Chevrolet
48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet
51	Justin Allgaier	BRANDT Professional Agriculture	Harry Scott Jr.	Chevrolet
52	Bobby Labonte	Phoenix Construction	James Finch	Chevrolet
55	Brian Vickers	Aaron’s Dream Machine	Michael Waltrip	Toyota
66	Michael Waltrip	PEAK BlueDEF/AAA	Jay Robinson	Toyota
77	Dave Blaney	Humphrey Motorsports	Randy Humphrey	Ford
78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row	Barney Visser	Chevrolet
83	Ryan Truex	Borla Exhaust	Ron Devine	Toyota
87	Joe Nemechek	300 Rise of an Empire	Jay Robinson	Toyota
88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard	Rick Hendrick	Chevrolet
93	Morgan Shepherd	Support Militry.org	Wayne Press	Toyota
95	Michael McDowell	K-Love	Bob Leavine	Ford
98	Josh Wise	Curb Records	Mike Curb	Ford
99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal	Jack Roush	Ford

– Eight Former Sprint Cup Champions (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte)

– Nine Former Daytona 500 Winners (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Waltrip, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Trevor Bayne)

– Nine Drivers Hoping to Make First Daytona 500 Appearance (Michael Annett, Alex Bowman, Parker Kligerman, Cole Whitt, Brian Scott, Eric McClure, Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Truex)

– Four Drivers Have No Provisionals to Fall Back on & Must Make the Race on Speed or via the Duels (Dave Blaney, Morgan Shepherd, Michael McDowell, Cole Whitt)

– Morgan Shepherd is the oldest driver in the field at 72 years and four months.

– Alex Bowman is the youngest driver in the field at 20 years and 10 months.

– The field is made up of 22 Chevrolet’s, 15 Ford’s, and 12 Toyota’s.

February 13, 2014

NASCAR 2014 Season Predictions

*Kyle Busch leads 54 laps and passes Ryan Newman on the final lap to win the Daytona 500, his first Sprint Cup win at the season opener. In a post-race interview with Erin Andrews, Busch announces that he and his wife Samantha are pregnant with their first child. Busch beams to Andrews that “I’m sure I’ll be a good father, because I know what it’s like to be a baby.”

Busch finishes second in the Sprint Cup point standings, winning five races, and caps his year with a win at Homestead and his first Sprint Cup championship.

*Tony Stewart vows to win his third Sprint Cup championship in 2014, and fans and other drivers notice his new attitude. Former teammate Ryan Newman quips in an interview at Daytona that Stewart seems to be “walking with a purpose, as well as a limp.”

Stewart wins at Watkins Glen and qualifies for the Chase, but finishes a disappointing seventh in the final standings.

*Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s No. 88 car gets a new sponsor just in time for the Daytona 500 when an online funeral planning service signs on for 12 races. The service, known as “Final-E” sees a boom in business after their logo appears on Earnhardt’s Chevy.

Earnhardt finishes second in the Daytona 500, and wins at Daytona in July on his way to a fourth place finish in the Sprint Cup points standings.

*Kevin Harvick coins the name “Two Men And A Babe, And Kurt Busch” to describe the Stewart-Haas Racing stable of Stewart, Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Danica Patrick after a heated drivers’ meeting following wreck at Fontana initiated by aggressive driving from Busch.

Harvick, aided by new buddy Stewart, exacts his revenge the following week at Martinsville, where the two craft an elaborate hoax in which a phony façade of Busch’s hauler placed in front of a Port-A-Potty lures Busch into a trap. Once inside, Busch is fork-lifted to an outer parking lot, and is forced to walk back and misses qualifying.

*E! Network and ABC collaborate on a new reality show called “Keeping Up With The Chase Format: Extreme Makeover: NASCAR Edition.” In the show, host Brad Daugherty roams around NASCAR events asking fans if they understand not only the Chase For The Cup format, but Daugherty’s hayseed, mountain drawl.

*Richard Childress Racing rookie Austin Dillon bulls his way to the win in a wreck-filled race at Bristol on March 16, as only 22 cars are running at the end. In Victory Lane, Dillon salutes his detractors with a middle finger, then pops the top on a beer before shouting “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”

The outburst makes Dillon a sensation, but also saddles the driver of the Childress No. 3 Chevy with the nickname “The Imitator.”

*In an interview promoting a partnership between the No. 48 team and Caesar’s Palace before the March race in Las Vegas, Jimmie Johnson coins his quest for his seventh Sprint Cup championship “VIIni, VIIdi, VIIci.”

Later, after International Speedway Corporation CEO Jim France makes Smith an insulting offer for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Smith slaps France, leading a fallen France to quip, “Et tu, Bruton?”

Johnson leads the points standings for most of the year, and heads to Homestead with a chance to win No. 7, but engine trouble ends his day. He finishes third in the points standings.

*Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. elope in Barbados on April 19th at a ceremony presided over by Russell Brand and streamed live on GoDaddy.com. Patrick wears a Vera Wang gown crafted from fire-suit material and accented with a HANS device and also featuring a plunging neckline that leaves little to the imagination.

Patrick’s good fortune continues when she wins at Talladega on May 3rd, darting from 23rd to first on the final lap as a wild pileup eliminates half the field. A wild celebration ensues in Victory Lane, where Patrick delivers a message to her competitors, “There’s a party at my house. I hate to be ‘Petty,’ but no one’s invited, so you can all go home.”

*In a new advertisement for ESPN’s Sportscenter, Clint Bowyer leads a spin class in the ESPN company workout facility, while Michael Waltrip is seen guiding a tour group from Finland around ESPN’s headquarters. The commercial ends when Bowyer and Waltrip dupe the tour group into paying a second admission fee before they’re busted by Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman, who accuse the MWR duo of “manipulating the Finnish.”

*Carl Edwards is scheduled to make an appearance in the March 2nd episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead, in which he portrays the leader of a brainless following of half-dead dimwits, a group eerily similar to the Carl Edwards Fan Club.

To publicize the event, the No. 99 sports a Subway/The Walking Dead paint scheme bearing the slogan, “Subway: Eat Flesh” at Phoenix. Edwards leads 88 laps and wins in a race that features only three lead changes. In Victory Lane, Edwards performs his trademark back flip while disappointed fans file out like zombies.

*Matt Kenseth wins the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 6th, and is presented the winner’s trophy by “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson, who oddly comments that his favorite parts of the 1.5-mile track are the “straights.”

*After a crash at Kentucky Speedway on June 28th, Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards are summoned to the NASCAR hauler for a talk with NASCAR officials. Keselowski creates a firestorm when he tweets a picture from inside the hauler, a photo which shows he and Edwards smoking cigars and playing ping-pong while officials in the background relax in a hot tub.

Keselowski is placed on probation for two weeks, while NASCAR bans cell phones and all liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces. 5-Hour Energy shots takes advantage of the opportunity, and becomes the official drink of drivers called to the NASCAR hauler.

*June’s road race at Sonoma is delayed for three hours after a mild earthquake strikes the region, causing slight damage to the circuit’s surface. Swan Racing part-owner 50 Cent is seen inspecting a fissure in the track along pit road, leading to TNT’s Kyle Petty to make the controversial statement, “Well, he was a crack dealer.”

50 laughs off the comment, and later in the year makes a big splash when, as honorary starter at Dover in June, eschews waving the green flag and instead fires a starters pistol nine times. In doing so, 50 becomes the first rapper to be “shot nine times” twice.

*Gene Haas abandons his plan to enter Formula 1 and instead opts to field a funny car in the NHRA. Haas car flops, failing to qualify for a single final, and becomes the laughingstock in the drag racing garage, leading to the nickname “Funny Haas Haas.”

*A healthy Denny Hamlin wins four races on the season, including March’s Martinsville race, where he fights off a challenge from Joey Logano, than challenges Logano to a fight after the race. Hamlin and Logano settle their differences in a charity 1-on-1 basketball game, which ends in a tie, 1-to-1.

Hamlin qualifies for the “Elimination Round” of NASCAR’s revamped Chase For The Cup format, and wins at Phoenix on November 9th, but tweaks his back shaking an oversized champagne bottle and struggles the following week at Homestead.

February 12, 2014
If by chance the France proposal had come to pass…in 2013

A year or two ago, let us say that Brian France had a brainwave. He came up with a proposal to allow 16 drivers into the Chase, first determined by wins gathered up to and including Richmond. The rest would get an invite due to the points accumulated. Let him add another twist. Let him have the rank of contenders drop by four after three Chase events, another four after six, with four more gone just as they headed to Homestead. In the big finale, an artificially engineered four driver showdown for all the marbles would take place, also featuring 39 also-rans out there to keep them company.

So, after the race in Richmond in 2013, they would have set the sweet 16, to steal yet another concept from another sport. A dozen would wind up getting a pass based on having won at least once up to that moment. Welcome David Ragan to the derby for his win at Talladega. Tony Stewart would limp in, though he would be gone after the third race of the Chase for obvious reasons. Just like Clint Bowyer, not enough penalties could have kept Martin Truex Jr out, due to his win at Sonoma. The remaining four spots get in on points, which would mean no help needed by Jeff Gordon as he would join Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kurt Busch, and Bowyer..

Three races down in the Chase, and four drivers would be eliminated. Stewart is officially gone, to be joined by Ragan, who in three races earned only 53 points more than the idle Smoke. A lousy day at Loudon finished Kasey Kahne’s hopes, while Joey Logano started the Chase bad and that was all that was needed. Then, to keep us all on the edge of our seats, they evened up the points to put the final dozen on an equal footing.

12 left, with four more about to go by the time they left Talladega. A bad day in Chicago was all that was needed to eliminate Ryan Newman while Truex had a tough time just finishing in the Top 20 in those initial Chase weeks. Chicago also meant the end of Kyle Busch’s hopes, as the second stage also would have spelled adios for Greg Biffle. For the eight that remain, the points are again evened out as they all start from scratch, season be damned.

While Johnson would have cruised through the next segment with a win and a pair of Top Fives, Kurt Busch was just so-so, so he had to go. Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards both had Texas disasters, while Bowyer was good at a time he needed to be great. 12 drivers and nine races down and it was down to NASCAR’s manufactured “game seven”…even though no other sport actually attempts to engineer such a thing. There is the Super Bowl, I guess, but I can’t help but notice that only the contenders ever hit the field on game day and most often the two teams are meeting for the first time that year. Still, I digress.

So, off they would have gone to Homestead, just four still alive in the hunt for the paper title. Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Matt Kenseth in a one race showdown. What a wonder for the ages it would have been, that is if the fans had bought into the nonsense. All four were on the lead lap on the final day, and while in-race observer Denny Hamlin was out in front at the end, the third place Junior was putting on a furious charge in an attempt to catch the second place Kenseth on the track. He would come up just short. Matt would no doubt have been overjoyed to win his second title, while Johnson finished ninth in the one race spectacular. Despite an average finish of 5.1 over the final ten races, it just would have not been good enough under the new France system. Would it have been a good enough finish for you?

While Matt celebrated and Johnson pondered what could have been, Dale Earnhardt rolled over in his grave. As for Richard Petty, he was just happy that the 1967 season was run under different rules. If it had not been, Bobby Allison’s sixth win that year in the Weaverville, North Carolina finale would have trumped the King’s 27 to claim the title that year. Petty finished second in the race, but even the best season in NASCAR history would have been reduced to a mere footnote. Still, imagine the excitement and joy of the fans in watching that “game seven” spectacular. Imagine the legitimacy of the championship.

Just imagine.

January 22, 2014
The Final Word – Mr. France, I’m afraid this is a terribly stupid idea

Playoffs. As exciting as they might be from time to time, they are simply a gimmick to keep interested those who are not all that interested in the first place. Still, as long as they do not go beyond the pale, to be too stupid in presenting their post-season tournament, they can create a measure of excitement.

The latest NASCAR proposal that has come to light would have 16 cars enter the Chase. Rather a large number, but actually in line with what some other sports welcome among the season’s championship contenders. Then let us whittle that group down over the ten race “playoff” until we just have four left in contention in the final race. That might work, except for the 39 other guys who have no business even being on the field of battle.

Imagine the upcoming Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Let us play the game in San Francisco before only 49er fans, as we know just how much they love them Seahawks. Then, let us have the New England Patriots supply all the officials, on the field and beyond. While we are at it, let us have a few folks from the remaining 28 teams call a few plays, heck, let them even run a few themselves. Obviously, this would be a stupid idea, but thankfully no one in the NFL is stupid enough to institute it. NASCAR, however, might actually be thinking of implementing something just as stupid.

There is a reason they have a World Series. In 1903, they wondered who might be best, the champion of the National League or the American League. So, they played a series of games to answer the question. In 1969, Joe Namath and the New York Jets won the American Football League title, and then played the NFL champion Baltimore Colts to decide which champion was the best. Back in the spring of 1976, Guy Lafleur’s Montreal Canadiens were the best in hockey. Or were they? If they had played Bobby Hull’s Winnipeg Jets in a NHL/WHA showdown, we might have received a different answer. In each of the above cases, there was no cross-over, no common opponents. The only way to decide who was best was to have the two champions showdown for all the marbles.

There was no showdown prior to late October last year between the Red Sox and Cardinals, so the best team from each league needed a final series to determine the best. It’s the same this season in the NFL, where they can play no more than 16 of their 31 rivals during the course of the regular season. As Seattle and Denver have yet to play each other this campaign, we still need that final game to sort things out.

In NASCAR, we had the same 30 cars go head-to-head in each and every one of the 36 Cup races over the course of the season. From that number, Jimmie Johnson was the best over the season, beating Kevin Harvick by almost an entire race worth of points. Oh, but they had a 10 race Chase playoff, yet Johnson proved to be the best again, by 19 points over Matt Kenseth. Jimmie Johnson was the best over the season, the best in the playoffs, and any cockamamie system that would have deprived him of a championship would have made a mockery out of the sport.

Back in 2003, Kenseth won the title with but a single win (in the third race of the season) and that horrid occurrence spawned the Chase. Instead of giving out more points for a win, NASCAR decided it needed a playoff like all the other guys. In short, an attempt to artificially create some sort of excitement instead of being content with simply honoring the best over the course of the season. Maybe what they needed to do was rejig the points system at that time while adding more bonus points for victories, then possibly we would not even need the Chase. I mean, they had gone without it for 55 years just fine.

To be honest, we do not yet know the details of this plan, how 16 contenders would be whittled down to four over the course of ten races before determining a final champion. We do not even know for sure if this is the real deal. However, I think most of us have learned that when you hear someone proposing something stupid and you say nothing, don’t be surprised when you end up with stupid. If they want to trade legitimacy for drama in declaring a NASCAR champion, might I suggest a coin toss? It would save us all a lot of time and money.

January 20, 2014
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Major changes to the Chase could be coming soon
There has been a lot of speculation recently that indicates some highly significant and sweeping changes could be coming regarding the points format used for NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

The first indication of these changes came right after the arrival of the new year and stemmed from comments made by NASCAR Chairman Brian France during an interview with the “Motor Racing Network.”

At that time France indicated a general feeling of dissatisfaction with the current Sprint Cup championship’s point structure and said he felt there was a way to modify the system that would place greater importance on winning races to determine the champion.

Needless to say, those comments set off a firestorm of speculation that said changes to the Chase format were forthcoming. That firestorm was greatly enhanced by a January 17th article in the “Charlotte Observer” that indicated the proposed changes could be even more sweeping than originally projected.

The major bullet points for the rumored change are as follows:
- The new format will expand from the current 12 teams to 16.
- Winning races during the regular points season, races one through 26, will become a high priority regarding which drivers makes the Chase lineup.
- Full time series drivers who win at least one race during the regular season schedule will be seeded first in the championship lineup.
- In the event that the first 26 races does not produce 16 winners, then the remainder of the Chase lineup will be seeded based on driver’s points. It should be noted that this particular scenario is very possible. There were only 13 different winners during the first 26 races of the 2013 season.
- Once the official Chase lineup is set, NASCAR will employ the use of a series of elimination rounds somewhat similar to the process used by college sports. At the conclusion of Chase races number three, six and nine, four drivers from each of those races will be officially eliminated from the post season championship run.
- The points will be reset to an even amount for the remaining four drivers, prior to the tenth and final Chase event, which will be held at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16th.
- This final four man runoff will employ a winner take all format. The driver who accumulates the most points in the season finale will become the 2014 Sprint Cup champion.
Regarding the status of these rumored changes, a January 17th press release, from NASCAR Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Brett Jewkes, read as follows:

“NASCAR has begun the process of briefing key industry stakeholders on potential concepts to evolve its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship format. This dialogue is the final phase of a multi-year process that has included the review of extensive fan research, partner and industry feedback and other data-driven insights. NASCAR has no plans to comment further until the stakeholder discussions are complete. We hope to announce any potential changes for the 2014 season to our media and fans very soon.”

There has been further speculation that says this announcement could comes as early as January 30th.
January 18, 2014