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  • Hot 20 – Watkins Glen is another chance to win, but most are just as desperate to find money

    Hot 20 – Watkins Glen is another chance to win, but most are just as desperate to find money

    Money, it makes the world go round. So I’m told, anyway. While you and I might remain in perpetual financial darkness, the stock markets would seem to indicate that those on top of the heap are reeling it in. That would include, you would think, those who disperse those big sponsorship dollars that are the life blood of NASCAR. Not so, it appears. Either that, or what they are planning to spend their windfall on has nothing to do with motor car racing.

    Target is leaving Chip Ganassi after a 16-year relationship, despite the success of Kyle Larson. That leaves only Lowe’s (Jimmie Johnson) and FedEx (Denny Hamlin) as full-time sponsors on the Cup circuit. Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, Richard Petty, Richard Childress, and the duo of Stewart-Haas are all said to be hunting down those elusive dollars for next season. To make it worse, Target is redirecting its resources from racing to soccer. Soccer!

    Among the less established outfits, some hire a driver who comes with a team that promises to also bring in the dollars. Paul Menard is the best known example, as his family’s business made it easy for the Wood Brothers to welcome him in as their replacement for Ryan Blaney. The move leaves Childress looking for cash to field a car for his grandson, Ty Dillon, with that family operation.

    Some drivers do not come with a fortune. Gray Gaulding had a deal with B.K. Racing where his family’s marketing firm dug up the sponsorship bucks, allowing him to drive and everyone to make money. The story has it that when those dollars dried up, the 19-year old driver was out. If names like Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, and Larson can not lock in the funding easily, just imagine how tough it must be for under-performing teams with unestablished wheel-men.

    How anyone makes money in the other two national series is beyond me. The “crowd” for the Xfinity event at Indianapolis, for example, was tragic. Hell, there are reports that claim only 35,000 turned out for the Cup event, in a facility that seats ten times that number. The lack of crowds just about everywhere remains a concern. Not every race can be a spectacle, we know, but you need more than a bunch of cars spread out going round and round in the same position lap after lap. Most fans that came with the fad that NASCAR was were not racing fans, just folks looking for an adrenaline rush. For a time, they got it. Today, they do not, or so it would seem. At least the stage concept has provided us with some different pit strategies and re-starts to try and shake up the field a bit.

    Let us be honest. Some tracks are duds, for the most part. We could argue that last week’s venue, Pocono, could be among them if excitement is what you are in it for. In fact, nearly half of the Cup schedule is placed in spots that yield less than “edge of your seat” outcomes. I do not think Watkins Glen is among them. I think you might enjoy what is coming up this Sunday.

    If you can find any, you might even put some money down on that. If nothing else, you will get better odds than say you would get on seeing Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Kasey Kahne all having full-time rides next season. Follow the money…if you can find it.

     

    1. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 3 WINS (823 Pts)
    The Furniture Row driver is simply the best thus far this season. Period.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (566 Pts)
    When Jimmie and Chad retire, Lowe’s should have a place on their Hall of Fame plaques.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (738 Pts)
    If there is any sponsor out there looking to target a premium driver, this would be one of them.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (649 Pts)
    The Cup series is sick, the other two series are dying. Does everybody realize this?

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (468 Pts)
    Has just four more points than Daniel, but two more wins than Mr. Suarez.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (726 Pts)
    Limiting veterans in Xfinity limits Harvick’s sponsorship opportunities. He is not happy.

    7. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (723 Pts)
    Could Kyle tell me how any games he thinks Mike Trout should play in Salt Lake and Mobile?

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (649 Pts)
    Will be ready to race on Sunday, unless Jordan is ready to deliver their second child that day.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (529 Pts)
    It should not be long before the Blaney-Bubba Show arrives full-time in Cup.

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (494 Pts)
    On the verge of becoming a free agent? Wow!

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (491 Pts)
    Could we see a return of Newman to Stewart-Haas? Hahahaha. I just made myself laugh.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (414 Pts)
    Wins a race, like Kurt, and has no assurance he will keep his job. What does that tell you?

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (395 Pts)
    Brother Ty is ready to take his place in the family business…if they can find the money.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 616 POINTS
    Rule of thumb over the next five races would be to finish on the lead lap. Easier said than done.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 615 POINTS
    Only wins on the marquee tracks. He might want to re-think that.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 594 POINTS
    Could he make the Chase and still be looking for a job next season? Just ask Kasey and Kurt.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 577 POINTS
    Could move closer to Kenseth on Sunday, but if A.J. Allmendinger wins then it is all for naught.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 525 POINTS (1 Win)
    The Glen, Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, or Richmond. Joey has to win one of them.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 464 PONTS
    Unless there is an appeal, Jones’ 25 point penalty at Pocono moves Suarez to right here.

    19. ERIK JONES – 444 POINTS
    With Jones joining Gibbs next season, could that leave open a return of Kurt to Colorado?

  • Hot 20 – The cream of the crop for the Daytona 500

    Hot 20 – The cream of the crop for the Daytona 500

    There will be no Daytona 500 victory listed on Tony Stewart’s resume. His recent off-season back injury ensured that. Well, maybe. I cannot help but notice that Michael Waltrip already has a lock on his 29th place in the Great American Race. There is always the chance that, given an opportunity and still with the ability to squeeze into a firesuit, Smoke could be back, at some time.

    The hottest 20 drivers heading into Sunday are all locked in. Thanks to some large wallets, even Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch are good to go for the rest of the season, buying up those Charters from Waltrip’s defunct operation.

    As far as the debate over the Wood Brothers not getting a Charter, I agree that as they have been running part-time, they should not have received one. I do disagree that B.K. Racing got two, or that Go Fas Racing or Premium Motorsports received any. Instead of the only criteria to receive one being reduced to only those who attempted to quality for the past 108 straight races, maybe they should have taken performance into consideration. I mean, between them, those four operations failed to qualify for 29 events last season. Maybe those Charters should have been held for those who attempted the past 36, AND who were among the Top 36 in owner’s points. Good enough to earn a one-year Charter, something they could regain through a Top 36 finish in 2016.

    Thirty-six entries, just like the 36 provisional spots once awarded in past years; awarded based on performance. Qualifying spots should have remained at 43, giving teams seven openings to make it and still be able to challenge for one of those 36 Charter positions. A Charter gives peace of mind, but seven open spots still allow those without a parachute an opportunity to challenge, to compete, to succeed. Just what in hell NASCAR and the members of the Race Team Alliance were thinking when they guaranteed places for at least the next three years while all but closing the door on challengers is beyond me.

    At least, we still have the race, albeit minus three entries and the entire backstretch grandstands. I am sure nobody will notice, or ponder the reasons why. Here are our hot 20, based on their 2015 season long performance.

    1. Joey Logano – 6 Wins – 1299 Points
    Logano arrived in 2014, confirmed that in 2015, and as for 2016….

    2. Jimmie Johnson – 5 Wins – 1155 Points
    The official standings have him finishing 10th; a rather misleading statistic.

    3. Matt Kenseth – 5 Wins – 1046 Points
    When Matt says he is going to run a driver down, he just might mean it.

    4. Kyle Busch – 5 Wins – 867 Points
    His greatest year featured a championship, a busted leg, and a late May start to the season.

    5. Kevin Harvick – 3 Wins – 1321 Points
    Recorded an average of nearly 36.7 points per race in 2015.

    6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 Wins – 1198 Points
    After just two wins in seven seasons, he has seven wins in his last two.

    7. Denny Hamlin – 2 Wins – 1117 Points
    Finishing in the season’s Top Ten eight times in 10 tries, is this the year he takes all the marbles?

    8. Carl Edwards – 2 Wins – 1108 Points
    Wins two and still has to pay for a Charter spot, while BK Racing gets two, after four DNQ’s.

    9. Kurt Busch – 2 Wins – 1108 Points
    Kurt wins twice and gets nothing while the No. 62 DNQ’s 19 times last season and “earns” one.

    10. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win – 1217 Points
    Just a single win but a personal high of 25 Top Tens kept him close.

    11. Martin Truex, Jr. – 1 Win – 1165 Points
    A team that made it all the way to top tier status without the benefit of a Charter.

    12. Ryan Newman – 1052 Points
    I still think Tony let go the wrong driver.

    13. Jamie McMurray – 1052 Points
    He might not be great, but you might have to be in order to out-point him.

    14. Paul Menard – 972 Points
    You hear more about his driving ability and less about his daddy’s cash these days.

    15. Aric Almirola – 940 Points
    Last year, Petty trumped Roush.

    16. Kasey Kahne – 939 Points
    In fact, Hendrick’s weak sister would have led the way for Jack’s crew.

    17. Clint Bowyer – 891 Points
    Teammates once were Waltrip and Truex. Today, he is Michael Annett.

    18. Kyle Larson – 872 Points
    Maybe the best of the kiddie corps…but Chase probably will contest that thought.

    19. Greg Biffle – 869 Points
    Damn good driver with what has become a damn poor team.

    20. Austin Dillon – 832 Points
    Grandpa expects more this time out.

  • In NASCAR, tenacity inherits a charter spot while success means absolutely nothing

    In NASCAR, tenacity inherits a charter spot while success means absolutely nothing

    Sometimes you earn by doing, sometimes you earn by succeeding. In NASCAR, perseverance seems to trump performance as it announced the Charter teams heading into 2016 and beyond. It has everything to do with how tenacious a team has been in at least attempting to run, and absolutely nothing to do with their success, be it yesterday, today, or even at some future date.

    Thirty-six teams need not worry, at least for the next three years, whether or not they will be racing each week in Cup action after NASCAR granted charters to 19 racing organizations. The agreement, which is slated to run for the next nine seasons, means that the holders of those charters will have no concerns, regardless as to how their seasons have gone or how they qualify. Good news for those seeking some guaranteed stability in their operation, knowing that they can tell sponsors and vendors that they will be running no matter what.

    While 36 will be locked in, only four open slots will be available to anyone else. The field will be reduced from 43 to 40 cars, though when you consider that only a couple a dozen of them have any realistic chance of success any given week, the fans have not lost much.

    Where they lose is that there are some bad teams that will not be going anywhere or replaced by anyone until at least 2025. The only way to lose a Charter is to finish among the three worst Charter teams for three straight years, and even then that would be at NASCAR’s discretion. If you want a Charter, you either got rewarded with one this week or you have to buy it. No Charters can be earned through racing performance. You can get the loan of one from a team for a single season, and that could happen with that particular Charter only once every five years. In addition, the maximum number of Charters an organization can have is four, the same number of cars they actually can own and operate.

    NASCAR came up with the 36 charters after going over the past three seasons to determine which outfits were making the weekly commitment. The Wood Brothers No. 21, driven by Ryan Blaney, did not make the cut as that organization has been running part-time in recent seasons. Performance alone did not cut it, as the Kurt Busch ride, the Stewart-Haas No. 41 and the Joe Gibbs’ No. 19 team of Carl Edwards, also failed to qualify due to their relatively recent formations. Though Clint Bowyer’s entry made it, thanks to a million dollar Charter loan from Premium’s Jay Robinson, Harry Scott’s other car, the No. 46 of Michael Annett did not. With Michael Waltrip Racing going the way of the dodo, its two charters can be purchased from what is left of MWR. It is expected that Busch and Edwards will wind up as the beneficiaries of that.

    Eight organizations, which include Petty, Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs, Childress, Penske, Stewart-Haas and Ganassi, have combined for a total of 942 victories. Two other teams, Front Row and Furniture Row, have a win each. That leaves eight, a list that includes such franchise entities as JTG Daugherty, Baldwin, Germain, Go Fas, BK Racing, Circle Sport and Premium Motorsports, all which have yet to taste the champagne. Meanwhile, the owners of cars driven by Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards, who both won twice in 2015, have to buy Charters to be locked in. Wood Brothers, returning to full-time operations after nine seasons, is an outsider. Those 98 wins, 116 poles over 1405 races since 1950 do not mean squat.

    If one day all this equates into some sort of equality amongst teams, where today’s weak sisters grow and compete with the big boys, then fine and good. However, if we are left with a band of weak sisters at the expense of those who can demonstrate an ability to succeed, we shall all be the poorer for it.

  • The Final Word on 2015

    The Final Word on 2015

    The gifts are open, the tree is on borrowed time, and a New Year is almost upon us. Seems like a good time to reflect on the year that was, as we embark on the one that will be.

    Once again, 2015 brought us a satisfying champion. He might not have been the one you were cheering for, Junior fans, but you cannot quibble about the great story that was Kyle Busch. Hurt in the opening junior series race, he missed the opening 11 of the Cup schedule. In the old days, he would have been an also-ran, but that was before a win and a Top 30 position in the standings forgave such things.

    With just 15 races to accomplish what needed to be done, Busch won some. No surprise there. The fact he got into position to make those wins count was in doubt, at least, we thought so. We of little faith. It would appear that those who really have what it takes to challenge for the title need not bother to appear until May, which helps explain why NASCAR insists drivers run all the races rather than pick and choose.

    Not only did Busch win the title, as he and Kurt join the Labonte brothers as champion siblings, but he also came up with a rule change that makes sense. If you lead the pack entering the Chase, you should get a free pass into the second round. Other sports give a bye or, at least, home field advantage to those with the best record entering the playoffs, why not NASCAR? Some might argue the front trio should have such an advantage, but I would settle for one. Like Kyle’s championship, that driver would have earned it.

    Four-time king Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have earned their eventual invitations to enter NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. Gordon left his famed No. 24 only after his 93rd career victory at Martinsville and finishing third in the battle for the championship. Stewart has one more round left in him, as he embarks on his farewell tour at Daytona. The three-time champion lost the magic suddenly in 2013 after a pair of sprint cup race mishaps, one that broke his leg, the other that took the life of another driver in 2014. May 2016 bring him some deserved satisfaction.

    It was also a tough season, at least at the start, for Kurt Busch. A domestic violence accusation got him a three-race suspension to start the year. Matt Kenseth ended on a sour note, as he was gone for two after delivering some on-track justice that left Joey Logano’s title hopes about as shot as Kenseth’s own. Michael Waltrip Racing went the way of the dodo, as the outfit never recovered from Clint Bowyer’s 2013 spin that almost got Martin Truex Jr. a Chase place. Instead, after the controversy they lost the NAPA sponsorship and the Truex entry, and during this season, Waltrip’s financial backer backed out.

    That means Bowyer moves to the seat of Harry Scott’s No. 51 for a season before taking over Stewart’s No. 14 in 2017. Brian Scott replaces Sam Hornish Jr. in the Petty No. 9 while Chase Elliott replaces Gordon in Hendrick’s No, 24. Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive most of the season in the GoFAS Racing No. 32, with the Front Row No. 34 taken over by Chris Buescher. Ryan Blaney returns with the Wood Brothers No. 21, which returns to running a full schedule in 2016.

    2015 was when we had to say goodbye to broadcaster Steve Byrnes. We lost Buddy Baker over the past year. Red Farmer mourns his wife Joan, and Bobby Allison lost his wife Judy. My own mother, Mae, passed away this past August.

    As for 2016, it will bring us a new rules package, supposedly making the cars slower, less comfortable to drive, and closer in some regards to the XFINITY model. It is hoped this will make the racing more exciting, which we have heard before, but could also see more Cup guys in the XFINITY series to tune up. If so, that would, in the parlance of my youth, blow chunks.

    I am sure you would agree that would be something to avoid come New Year’s Eve as we have just seven weeks to go before they go again in Daytona.

  • The Wood Brothers and Leavine Family Racing Look Forward to the New Season

    The Wood Brothers and Leavine Family Racing Look Forward to the New Season

    Charlotte, NC – The legendary Wood Brothers and Leavine Family Racing held a joint press conference on Wednesday during the 2015 Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. Neither of the Ford teams won a race in 2015, but the excitement was evident.

    The Wood Brothers will be celebrating their 65th year in NASCAR this year. NASCAR has certified that they are the oldest continuing team of all time. Eddie Wood spoke to the media on what he expects in 2015.

    “It is just an honor I guess. I wasn’t around when it began obviously but my dad and his brothers, the first race they ever went to on the way home they burned their car to the ground,” said Wood. “There was a group of people there that I think we’re kind of second guessing our dad, kind of saying that would show old Glen that he doesn’t want to do that. I think that made him mad and gave him incentive to go do it again and they won the second or third time out.

    “To still be in the sport is really humbling and we owe all our partners, Ford Motor Company especially, we have had Ford products throughout our entire existence and that is really the basis of what has kept us going. I think our role with Ford Motor Company is to help develop younger drivers and over the past four years I think we have tried to do that with Trevor Bayne, which we had success at the 2011 Daytona 500, so when he moved on to the full time deal for 2015 we were looking for who would be the next guy,” Len Wood said.

    “Ryan Blaney’s name kept popping up as the guy we need. I think with choosing Ryan, he was a Team Penske affiliated driver so it made perfect sense to switch the alliance to Penske. Ford helped us through that whole process. I think he has been a winner pretty much everywhere he has been. We lack a couple wins to get to 100. Maybe he can fill the trophy case out.”

    Bob Leavine was satisfied with Leavine Family Racing’s year, but looks for more successes in the coming year.

    “It was an exciting year, 2014 was an exciting year for us,” Leavine said. “We made some gains and advances and as always sometimes it is one step forward and two steps back but we are excited about what we did. We had some personal bests including Daytona where Michael (McDowell) finished seventh and obviously it was our best finish also. We had solid finishes in Bristol with an 18th and 21st at Homestead. We are excited about that and the steps that we made. In 2015 the momentum is really built off of what we didn’t get done last year. That is motivation. The successes are okay but if you don’t learn from what you did wrong you aren’t going to get any better.

    “Our team is motivated by getting better. We are obviously a small team but a team with a lot of heart. I really appreciate the family, my wife and I, this group has become family to us and that is important to us. They really, really give it their all.

    “Wally Rodgers has assembled a great group of guys and the desire and determination they show is awesome. We are going to run a minimum of 20 races this year and we are excited about our partners which you will hear about. We are excited about several things, our equipment we get, we run great equipment and I feel really good about it. Secondly, our resource are people and our partners and with that we are looking forward to an improved 2015. Our goals this year, we all set goals, I was asked about that a while ago and our goal is to qualify for every race we go to, qualify well, run strong and run in the top-25. With our people, I believe we can do that. Those are realistic goals for our team.”

    Leavine Family Racing driver Michael McDowell is driving the No. 95 Ford and he talks about how 2015 will improve on 2014.

    “A lot of what will transfer over is just my relationship with Wally Rodgers,” McDowell said. “It was my first year with Leavine Family Racing last year and we started building momentum halfway through the season. By the end of the year we were starting to figure out the cars and what I needed. I am looking forward to working with Wally again. He has assembled a great team. We had a few changes in the off season and feel like we have been fortunate to add a lot of great people to our organization and with our partnerships and alliances with Ford and Team Penske we feel like we have the tools to go out there and be competitive and like Bob said, we are a small team but still have great equipment and great people.

    “I am thankful to be back here racing the Sprint Cup Series and excited to tell you guys a little about what we have going on with our partnerships as well. For us, we can’t do this without our partners and I am excited to have Thrivent Financial back on board again this year. They did a handful of races last year including a debut at Bristol. We are excited to bring new sponsors into the sport and Thrivent is back with us again and we extended their schedule and they are coming on to do a minimum of 10 races and we are really thankful for that and excited about that. For those of you that don’t know what Thrivent is, it is a financial institute that helps Christians be wise with money so that they can live generously. For those of you that know me, it is really cool for me to be partnered with faith-based organizations that understand the value that I have for myself and my family and it gives me a platform to share that. It is more than just a partnership, it is personal and something that is special and that is what makes it authentic and we believe that is where the success will come from.”

  • NASCAR Champions Featuring David Pearson

    NASCAR Champions Featuring David Pearson

    Cup Champion: 1966, 1968, 1969
    Born: December 22, 1934
    Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina
    Career: 1960 – 1986

    Premier Series Stats:
    Starts: 574
    Wins:   105
    Poles:  113

    David Pearson was not only fast in a race car, he was also quick on his feet. NASCAR’s “Silver Fox,” could outrun and outthink most of his competitors on any given day.

    Pearson made the most out of each opportunity. He never ran every single race in any season during a career that spanned 27 years, making his three Cup championship titles even more impressive.

    He won his first championship in 1966, competing in 42 of 49 races. Pearson’s second championship was earned in 1968 after running 48 of 49 events. His third and final title came in 1969 when he ran 51 of 54 races.

    Over the course of his career, Pearson raced his way to 105 victories and 113 poles in only 574 starts which ranks second all-time in both categories. His winning percentage of 18.293 is the third highest all-time. Only Herb Thomas (21.053) and Tim Flock (20.856) were more productive on the track. Any time he showed up to race, Pearson was a threat to win.

    Richard Petty once said of his rival, “If anybody asks, who is the best driver you ever drove against? I don’t hesitate. It was David Pearson.”

    Pearson drove for fellow Spartanburg, South Carolina native Cotton Owens from 1962 to 1967 and won his first championship in 1966 with Owens. Their partnership produced 27 wins and fostered a lifelong friendship.

    “He meant more to the sport than a lot of people thought,” said Pearson. “He won a ton of races in modifieds. He built the cars himself. He built the motors himself. He drove them. He won at Daytona on the beach. And he was just a good, honest fella.”

    His second and third titles came as a driver for Holman-Moody in 1968 and 1969. The two championship years included 27 wins (16 in 1968 and 11 in 1969), 26 poles and 78 top-fives in 99 starts.

    In 1968 while driving for Holman-Moody, Pearson began his rule of “The Track Too Tough To Tame,” capturing his first win, followed by another victory in 1970.  His domination continued throughout the 1970s with Wood Brothers Racing as he collected six more checkered flags at Darlington Raceway between 1972 and 1977. Two more first place finishes in 1979 and 1980 gave him a grand total of 10 wins and 12 poles, securing his place as the all-time wins leader at one of the most difficult tracks on the NASCAR circuit.

    Pearson’s 10 Darlington victories included wins with three different manufactures between 1968 and 1980.

    Ford – 1968, 1970 – Holman-Moody
    Mercury – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976 (twice), 1977 – Wood Brothers
    Chevrolet – 1979 – Rod Osterlund
    Chevrolet – 1980 – Hoss Ellington

    Parson joined Wood Brothers Racing in 1972 for one of the most potent combinations of driver and team in NASCAR history. Although he didn’t compete in enough races to contend for a championship while with the team, he was always a formidable opponent wherever he raced.

    Pearson’s dominance on the track was never more evident than in 1973 when he won 11 of the 18 races he entered. “It was just enjoyable to go to a race track, he said, “knowing you had a chance of winning that race before you ever got there.”

    His career with the Wood Brothers also included a dramatic win of the Daytona 500 in 1976 in a car built by renowned car builder Banjo Matthews. Richard Petty was leading as the race wound down when Pearson made his move to the inside for the pass. At the same time Petty dove to the bottom of the track and the two collided as they were racing off of turn four. Pearson managed to keep his car running and inched across the finish line for his lone Daytona 500 win.

    Pearson also had an affinity for Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 46 starts, he earned a record 14 poles, including 11 consecutive poles from 1973 to 1978. Three of those poles translated into wins for Pearson.

    In 2011 he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame by Leonard Wood. Pearson called Wood, “the smartest man in the world,” in his acceptance speech. “If they needed something for that car and they couldn’t find it or couldn’t buy it, he made it.”

    He went on to thank Richard Petty. “He’s probably the one who made me win as many as I did. I’d run hard because he’d make me run hard. Sometimes he’d even make a mistake and I’d pass him. Of course I didn’t ever make no mistakes,” he said laughing.”I always accused him of having big engines when he passed me.”

    Pearson concluded by saying, “I knew if I ever went to a race track and he was there, if I could beat him, I’d win the race.”

    Pearson’s natural talent plus the ability to outwit his competitors made him one of NASCAR’s most successful and influential drivers both on and off the track.

    Accomplishments:

    1960 Rookie of the Year
    1966, 1968, 1969 Sprint Cup Champion
    1979 and 1980 Most Popular Driver Award
    1990 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee
    1991 National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame Inductee
    1993 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Inductee
    1998 Named One of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
    1998 Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends
    2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee

  • The Least Successful Sprint Cup Driver of 2014 is…

    The Least Successful Sprint Cup Driver of 2014 is…

    For some, 2014 was a damn good year. Kevin Harvick won five and the title. Brad Keselowski led the way with six victories, with Joey Logano also a five-time victor. The Hendrick power trio of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson all had four apiece, as all six listed here with 20 or more Top Tens while winning 28 of the 36 events. Unfortunately, this is not about those who did well.

    There were those who put on the fire suits, got to be among the big boys, but when it came time to go they might have been best suited to go down the road instead of the track. Instead of being competitors, they were lucky to be participants, saddled in entries that had no hope of being anywhere near the front. However, this is all about misery, no bright spots allowed. To be eligible as our least successful driver one would have had to have attempted to qualify in at least 15 races and average a finish of 30th or worst.

    That means no Danica Patrick to be found here. Even failing to qualify twice and finishing outside the Top 40 four times could not get Landon Cassill included, thanks to a fourth place finish at Talladega in the fall. In fact, even a single Top Ten excludes one from inclusion, and so we take Travis Kvapil and Michael McDowell out of the mix.

    Ryan Truex was a contender to be the top pretender. It went sour fast in B.K. Racing’s No. 83 Toyota when he failed to qualify at Daytona. In fact, in attempting to make 26 of the first 27 races of the season, they missed three, finished 20th at the second Pocono race, with 30th in a Martinsville race the next best. After seven times outside the Top 40, they parted company after Chicago. Still, not bad enough for us.

    The car was not parked, as J.J. Yeley was blessed to take it over. He already had some adventures driving the No. 44 Chevy of Johnathan Cohen. They withdrew four times, failed to qualify for four more, and were in the bottom 10 the other six. Three with Frank Stoddard left him outside the Top 30 every time, and in nine outings driving the illustrious No. 83 Yeley did manage to finish 29th once. Still, bad but not bad enough.

    Joe Nemechek attempted the first dozen Cup races of 2014. Driving mostly for Jay Robinson in the No. 66 Toyota, but also for himself, he missed four of them, was 40th or worse in three, with a 31st in Kansas the best of the bunch. Later in the year, he came up empty at both Daytona and Talladega, with a 30th at Watkins Glen by far his best outcome in his final nine attempts. Still, not futile enough.

    I am not sure what motivates a professional driver to take a ride that most likely will not be successful, despite his best efforts. A love for the sport, a willingness to help an outfit get started, an opportunity to pick up a few bucks with minimal effort, or all of the above. Randy Humphrey, a former partner of Phil Parsons and then Mark Smith, formed his own operation a year ago, hiring veteran crew chief Peter Sospenzo on the box and Dave Blaney behind the wheel.

    They went to the track in hopes of getting their No. 77 Ford into Daytona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Bristol to open the season. Each time the car was back in the trailer when the green flag waved. In fact, they withdrew before qualifying at Daytona, did the same at Fontana and Martinsville, though they made the race at Texas, finishing 41st, before winding up dead last at Darlington.

    That proved to be better than the results at Richmond, Talladega, Kansas, and Charlotte, when they were left heading down the road a day or two early. Thirty-third at Dover was the high water mark for the car, as they followed up that effort coming in dead last at Pocono. I am not sure what they paid to sponsor the entry at Daytona but Plinker Arms, a firearm production company, might have better advertised their product by using it to put this entry out of its misery. Such are the trails and tribulations of starting up a new team.

    After all that excitement, Blaney moved over to Tommy Baldwin’s No. 37 Chevy, where he was 26th at the second run at Pocono, 33rd at Michigan, then concluded his Cup campaign last at Bristol. When the season was over, he had four withdrawals prior to qualifying and seven failed qualifying attempts, to go with three finishes of dead last in seven attempts. Combined with results of 26th, 33rd (twice), and 41st in the other four, Dave Blaney is our least successful Cup driver of 2014.

    While the 52-year-old Blaney has no plans to run Cup in 2015, he will be keeping busy racing dirt this season and working with his 21-year-old son Ryan. The kid will race some Cup this year with the Wood Brothers and hopes to add to his two victory total in the Xfinity Series with Team Penske. Maybe the least successful Cup driver of 2014, but arguably its most successful father. I think Dave Blaney might be more than content with that distinction.

  • Trevor Bayne: It’s appreciating the good days, not getting down on bad days

    Trevor Bayne: It’s appreciating the good days, not getting down on bad days

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”233″][/media-credit]“Winning doesn’t come easy when you get to these top levels. To me, it’s been taking it in, appreciating the good days, not getting down on the bad days. It’s such an up and down sport. It’s really a roller coaster. You also got to ride the momentum when you have it and stay behind your guys and work hard together. It’s all about chemistry and having a team behind you that believes in you.”

    For Trevor Bayne, this season has been a roller coaster ride along with the question as to how many races he is going to be able to compete in this season.

    In the Nationwide Series so far this year, Bayne has finished in the top-11 in every race this year.

    “I think that’s about all you can ask for with the limited amount of people and cars we have because we weren’t preparing on running of the races,” he says while sitting third in points, 29 points behind Elliott Sadler.

    Bayne’s Roush-Fenway Racing (RFR) knew coming into this year they would be running a limited schedule because of the lack of sponsorship they currently had.  Bayne says it’s tough. He adds that it used to be if you ran well, you’d be able to find that sponsorship.

    “Now its about relationship, who you know and that’s makes it tough,” the 21-year-old says. “We’ve done a great job on and off the track and we should have something going on.

    “It’d be great to get with a company, work with them and represent them to have some kind of long-term security in this sport. So being with a company and growing their brand is what helps you stay in this sport for a long time and that’s what I want to do.”

    Bayne is trying to put the money together for this season, launching a campaign where fans can sponsor him in August at Bristol Motor Speedway. He says it started due to a guy from his hometown in Knoxville, Tennesse.

    “He has a couple different websites and a couple different companies.  He’s kind of an innovator and investor,” he explains. “He came up with the idea and decided to put it on the car,”

    Fans can go to and for a $20 sponsorship, they can get their name on the car and a certificate they can print saying they sponsored. If they want their photo on the car, then they can sponsor Bayne for $99.

    “It’s taken off pretty really well,” Bayne says. “A lot of people have gone on and put their name on the car, their picture on the car and I think it’s a great idea. We would love to do as many races as we can do by getting funded by the fans so the more people give, the more I get to race and the more track I get to go to and run for the championship.”

    Bayne started in racing at the age of five as both his grandparents were racers.  One involved with cars and one involved with boats.

    “My family knew speed,” he tells the story. “I actually got my first dirt bike when I was three years old and started riding around with training wheels, and when I turned four, took the training wheels off. When I turned five, I got my first go-kart, went to the race track and just fell in love with it. From the first time I went there, I knew that’s what I wanted to do and I never looked back from that.”

    He has continued to move up the racing ladder, one of the toughest challenges he has found is finding that opportunity.

    “I’ve always been very blessed, always came across the right people at the right time and the opportunity has been there,” he says. “For a lot of people, they don’t get that. Some of the best racecar drivers don’t get the chance cause they don’t come across the right people. So I’m blessed, but it’s still an issue.”

    Bayne adds that it is still about finding that opportunity to connect with the sponsors, saying that “Every driver thinks they’re the best – it’s just convincing everybody else of that to get the support around you and behind you so you can go to the race track and show it.”

    After racing the first 28 races of the 2010 Nationwide Series season for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010, he caught the eye of Jack Roush and joined RFR in October of 2010. While racing for Roush, he has also had the opportunity to form a good friendship with teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    “We push each other,” he says. “Ricky is one of the best young drivers there is so having him as a teammate, it pushes me and I think that’s the same return for him. When one of us qualifies top three and the other qualifies 10th, we know we got to get on our game. We both feel like we can get it done and we want to push each other as hard as we can. We have fun while we’re doing it. It’s cool that we can stay friends and not get too competitive.”

    Jack Roush then helped Bayne land a limited schedule Sprint Cup Series ride with Wood Brothers Racing.

    “I love the Wood Brothers,” Bayne says. “I couldn’t ask for a better organization, or family to drive for. It seems weird calling them an organization cause they’re so much just a family.”

    In just his second Cup race with the Wood Brothers in 2011, Bayne set the world on fire, winning the Daytona 500.

    “I wish I could’ve soaked it in more because it happened so fast, I didn’t realize what was going on,” he says. “I was in such a whirlwind there so I didn’t get to soak it all in. I think slowly it’s kind of coming to me that we actually that.”

    Bayne says looking at pictures of everybody smiling in victory lane, the moment is still surreal.

    “That was the coolest thing that I could ever do in my career, even if I win another Daytona 500 or a championship,” he says. “I think that was the biggest shock I could have ever made and just do it with the Wood Brothers and their family and just the way it came together was just so picture perfect.”

    Going back and forth between the two organizations has given Bayne a look at the best of both worlds.

    Looking down the road five years in advance, Bayne says he sees himself as either a Sprint Cup Series Champion or at least contending to the make the Chase, but it all “depends on the opportunity, where I’m at, the sponsorship and how much I get to race.”

    Whether Bayne is at the track or away from it, he stands by his belief for God and before going to Daytona this year, he took a trip to Africa to help the people there and says it was incredible.

    “It’s just unbelievable the joy that they had,” he says. “The joy that they had, the peace, the smiles on their faces even though they’re living in shacks, mud huts. We got to do a lot of outreach and ministry stuff and led about nine people to Jesus. I felt like it was a really successful trip. I really felt like God was behind us on it and I enjoyed it a lot.”

  • Trevor Bayne’s Bandwagon: Custom Made or Mass Produced?

    Trevor Bayne’s Bandwagon: Custom Made or Mass Produced?

    Bandwagons are illus ional mysteries.

    There are no definitive pictures, sketches or photos. Anyone can be a part of the bandwagon.

    The only requirement is that you must jump on.

    During a race weekend the Sprint Cup garage is truly where the action is.

    At any given moment you can stop, look around, and be treated to a panorama of today’s NASCAR.

    A simple check of visual acuity will tell you who the reigning Sprint Cup Champion is, where each driver stacks up in points, and which drivers carry the burden of go-or-go home.

    During speed weeks at Daytona, a trip through the back side of the Sprint Cup garage is where you would find the go-or-go home rides of Derrick Cope, Joe Nemechek, Michael Waltrip, Casey Mears and the car of a young kid named Trevor Bayne.

    Bayne made it clear during qualifying that he wasn’t going home. Running a fast lap of 185.445 mph secured the outside of row 1, until Dale Earnhardt Jr. bumped him to third.

    After finishing 19th because of a last lap crash in his Gatorade Duel, Bayne would settle for a 32nd starting position in the Daytona 500.

    By now just about everyone around the world has heard the news about the outcome of the Great American Race.

    Winning the Daytona 500 is the difference between I am here and here I am!

    Construction of the Trevor Bayne bandwagon began right about the time the checkered flag waved.

    It’s quite possible the shape and size was determined by the amount of space occupied by friends, media, sponsors and fans.

    Who, or what, drives the bandwagon can also be considered an anomaly. Those entities driving the positive side are almost certainly jockeying for position with those driving the negative side. For Trevor Bayne, both carriages will carry many occupants.

    No matter which bandwagon carries the majority, it doesn’t mean it’s the right one for the bandwagon namesake.

    In this case, Trevor Bayne, his handlers, or advisors, have many options and many decisions to make in the coming weeks. Those decisions have to be what’s best for him, and may not be what’s popular with the bandwagon construction crew.

    Being thrust into a career change because of one successful event can be very costly and damaging, especially if the one being thrust is not ready, or even worse, not capable of handling it.

    Previous Daytona 500 winner Derrick Cope, and Sprint Cup single event winner Brad Kezelowski had similar bandwagons constructed for them.

    Bandwagons are a dime a dozen, made of opinionated materials and painted with water colors.

    Unfortunately, bandwagons also come without warranties.

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”133″][/media-credit]Winning a single race only proves you can win; it doesn’t make you a proven winner.

    NASCAR will head out to Phoenix in a few short days. Construction on the next bandwagon begins soon.

  • NASCAR’s Savior. Is it Trevor Bayne? Or Is That a Dream?

    NASCAR’s Savior. Is it Trevor Bayne? Or Is That a Dream?

    As Trevor Bayne makes his victory tour this week, the question remains. Is he the savior of NASCAR or will the throngs be disappointed as he struggles through the next few races finding his way? Truth is, Daytona (and Talladega—both restrictor plate tracks) seem to create different kinds of winners. You can go down the list—Cope, Hamilton, Lund, Michael Waltrip, and many others. Guys who are competent drivers, but who didn’t do much outside of the two plate tracks. Yes, there is evidence that Bayne is the real deal, but is he?

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Another factor to consider is the Wood Brothers, or in this case, the Wood cousins. Eddie Wood and Len Wood are the sons of Glen and Leonard Wood. They are old school and as much as I want them to dominate the series once again, that is not likely for various reasons. I listened to Buddy Baker talk about the Woods tonight on Sirius radio. His comment that an owner with a wrench in his pocket (speaking of Eddie Wood) is admirable and what I think the sport is, or at least was, all about may not be realistic in 2011. With all my being, I hope it is relevant, but I have my doubts. And I hate that I have doubts.

    The first hurdle that the Woods have to jump is that Trevor Bayne is contracted to Roush-Fenway Racing. There is no doubt that at some point that Bayne will appear in a RFR car at some point, leaving the Woods high and dry. The agreement the Woods have is similar to the one Richard Petty Motorsports have with RFR. Roush supplies the chassis and engines for their cars and prepare the cars. Part of the deal for 2011 included Bayne for as many races as the Woods could get sponsorship (and you have to wonder what part Roush had in getting those points for the first five races had to do with RFR’s alliance with Richard Petty Motorsports). That said, with David Ragan on shaky ground at RFR and contract negotiations ongoing with Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, who’s to say that Bayne could end up in one of those cars sooner than later? And that would leave the Woods to sign Ragan or another has-been driver. I shudder at the thought.

    The best case scenario is that Bayne continues his brilliance at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol, and Martinsville, and the Woods get enough sponsorship to continue. The Wood Brothers deserve it and the Sprint Cup series could reach a new level.

    For so long I’ve heard the rumbling from fans. Yes, many adore Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and certainly Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Others like Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer. The same could be said for Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano, as well as Jamie McMurray, but for so long, while Hendrick Motorsports fans, Richard Childress Racing fans, and Joe Gibbs Racing fans have been happy, the great silent majority wants to see someone else win. Trevor Bayne gave everyone a chance to cheer on February 20th, much like Jamie McMurray did in 2010, but it has to continue. If the sport is to flourish like it did in days past, it must happen beyond Roush-Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Joe Gibbs Racing. The future of NASCAR depends on it.