Fontana is in the rear view mirror, and the NASCAR contingent has moved on to Sin City for this weekend's racing. For an intermediate track, LVMS is a track that many of the drivers like, due to the progressive banking that was used in the design of the track.
I'm getting ready to watch the Nationwide race at Las Vegas as I write this. The start was delayed due to rain, but it's finally ready to go green following track drying.
So...the million dollar question is: Who's gonna win on Sunday?? This race was won last year by Kyle Busch and crew chief Steve Addington. Addington has moved teams this year, but is keeping it in the family. He's now the crew chief for Kyle's older brother Kurt and the Blue Deuce. So far, things are looking pretty good for the weekend. Kurt won the Pole on Friday afternoon and will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday! If hometown favorite Kurt can win the race Sunday, Addington would make history by taking brother's to victory lane in consecutive seasons at LVMS - the Busch brother's HOME TRACK! How cool would that be??!! For the record, I am NOT a fan of either of the Busch brother's, but still think it would be cool for the hometown kids to win at their track.
Other than the standard race weekend news, there isn't a whole lot going on in the world of NASCAR this week. Legendary crew chief Jake "Suitcase" Elder died on Thursday at the age of 73. He was the crew chief for several NASCAR legends, including the late Dale Earnhart.
Have a great race weekend and I'll talk to you again next week!
Marc.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
(The Big) One Down, Thirty Five To Go...
Well....the 2010 Daytona 500 is in the books, and it was a wild one. Not wild, as in "the Big One" wild. Wild as in the most leaders in Daytona 500 history. Wild as in multiple green-white-checkered attempts. Wild as in Jamie McMurray beating Dale Jr. to the flag after Junior went from 10th to 2nd in less than two laps. Wild as in (you know I have to mention it) 2+ hours of red flag stoppages to fix a pothole between Turns 1 & 2.
As far as the racing goes, it was the best Daytona 500 in many, many years. NASCAR made several changes in the past few weeks that allowed this improved racing for the fans. First, they increased the size of the restrictor plate holes, adding approximately 12 HP to the cars and making it almost impossible to just run wide open the entire race. Secondly, they doubled the height of the "shark fin" on the back window of the car (and added one the same height to the decklid) which allowed more side-drafting, but also made the cars a little tougher to handle in the pack. Third, they "took the gloves off" and said that the drivers were going to be the ones policing themselves on the track (to a point) and allowed bump-drafting/slam-drafting in the race. Fourth, they changed the rules on the green-white-checkered finish to allow multiple attempts if the leader did not take the white flag under green.
All of these things made the racing better, and all of them came into play during the race on Sunday and made for as dramatic a finish to the Great American Race as I can ever remember.
Now, onto "Pothole-gate." NASCAR and DIS have taken some MAJOR heat during the past few days regarding the 2-hour plus delay to the race to repair a "pothole" that formed during the race between turns 1 & 2. Letterman made a mockery of it on Late Night when Jamie McMurray was on the show. ESPN has called the event "Hole-Gate" and bashed NASCAR as being a bunch of buffoons in dealing with the issue. I think that's all B.S.
Here's the deal....shit happens. When it does, you have to deal with it in the best way possible for the safety of the drivers, and the happiness of the fans. Did Daytona and NASCAR want a 2-hour delay in the middle of their "Superbowl" of racing?? No. Did they have a choice other than stopping the race to fix it?? Yes. They could have called the race, declared a winner (as it was past the halfway point of the race) and sent everyone home. Would that have been the right thing to do?? I don't think so. You think people were mad about the delay to the race, just imagine what they would have said if this race turned into the Daytona 251, especially after last years rain-shortened event.
The speedway and NASCAR did the only thing that they could have done - try to fix the issue so the race could finish safely and they could get a winner taking the checkered flag under green. And that's exactly what they did. It might have taken a while, and several different mixtures of various paving compounds before they found something that worked (which ended up being bondo BTW), but with the unseasonably cold weather none of their "usual" fixes worked the first time around. You definitely can't say that they weren't trying though.
What was the cause of this "issue"? Nobody knows for sure. Was it the fact that the pavement is 32 years old? Maybe. But the 24 hour Rolex race, the ARCA race, the Bud Shootout, the Gatorade Duel(s), the Nationwide race, the Truck race and hours of practice and qualifying didn't cause any issues to the "old" racing surface. They walked the track before the Daytona 500 (as they do before each and every race) and there were no signs of imminent pothole disasters. The bottom line is, once again....shit happens. Nobody knows why, but it does. And it doesn't just happen to NASCAR tracks. What about a basketball game where the backboard shatters after a dunk?? Do they just call the game and go home? No, they spend an hour replacing it and then the game resumes. What about when the glass at a hockey game shatters from a slapshot? Yep, they fix it, clean the ice off, and get going again after a stoppage of play. What about rain delays in Major League Baseball? They tarp the field, make the fans sit around for hours sometimes, then clean up the mess and resume the game. Sunday's Daytona 500 was nothing different than any of those other examples, except for the fact that those other things happen MUCH more frequently than the pavement coming loose at a racetrack.
So just LET IT GO. Other than the delay, Sunday's race was one of the best ever run at that track, and there is a great story that goes along with it for winner Jamie McMurray. Let's talk about that instead, since he is now a Daytona 500 Champion! Congratulations Jamie!
Next up....Fontana, CA (southern California) and Auto Club Speedway for the Auto Club 500 on Sunday. Oh, and some chick named Danica is racing in the Nationwide race on Saturday afternoon in the Stater Bros 300. Maybe you've heard of her??
As far as the racing goes, it was the best Daytona 500 in many, many years. NASCAR made several changes in the past few weeks that allowed this improved racing for the fans. First, they increased the size of the restrictor plate holes, adding approximately 12 HP to the cars and making it almost impossible to just run wide open the entire race. Secondly, they doubled the height of the "shark fin" on the back window of the car (and added one the same height to the decklid) which allowed more side-drafting, but also made the cars a little tougher to handle in the pack. Third, they "took the gloves off" and said that the drivers were going to be the ones policing themselves on the track (to a point) and allowed bump-drafting/slam-drafting in the race. Fourth, they changed the rules on the green-white-checkered finish to allow multiple attempts if the leader did not take the white flag under green.
All of these things made the racing better, and all of them came into play during the race on Sunday and made for as dramatic a finish to the Great American Race as I can ever remember.
Now, onto "Pothole-gate." NASCAR and DIS have taken some MAJOR heat during the past few days regarding the 2-hour plus delay to the race to repair a "pothole" that formed during the race between turns 1 & 2. Letterman made a mockery of it on Late Night when Jamie McMurray was on the show. ESPN has called the event "Hole-Gate" and bashed NASCAR as being a bunch of buffoons in dealing with the issue. I think that's all B.S.
Here's the deal....shit happens. When it does, you have to deal with it in the best way possible for the safety of the drivers, and the happiness of the fans. Did Daytona and NASCAR want a 2-hour delay in the middle of their "Superbowl" of racing?? No. Did they have a choice other than stopping the race to fix it?? Yes. They could have called the race, declared a winner (as it was past the halfway point of the race) and sent everyone home. Would that have been the right thing to do?? I don't think so. You think people were mad about the delay to the race, just imagine what they would have said if this race turned into the Daytona 251, especially after last years rain-shortened event.
The speedway and NASCAR did the only thing that they could have done - try to fix the issue so the race could finish safely and they could get a winner taking the checkered flag under green. And that's exactly what they did. It might have taken a while, and several different mixtures of various paving compounds before they found something that worked (which ended up being bondo BTW), but with the unseasonably cold weather none of their "usual" fixes worked the first time around. You definitely can't say that they weren't trying though.
What was the cause of this "issue"? Nobody knows for sure. Was it the fact that the pavement is 32 years old? Maybe. But the 24 hour Rolex race, the ARCA race, the Bud Shootout, the Gatorade Duel(s), the Nationwide race, the Truck race and hours of practice and qualifying didn't cause any issues to the "old" racing surface. They walked the track before the Daytona 500 (as they do before each and every race) and there were no signs of imminent pothole disasters. The bottom line is, once again....shit happens. Nobody knows why, but it does. And it doesn't just happen to NASCAR tracks. What about a basketball game where the backboard shatters after a dunk?? Do they just call the game and go home? No, they spend an hour replacing it and then the game resumes. What about when the glass at a hockey game shatters from a slapshot? Yep, they fix it, clean the ice off, and get going again after a stoppage of play. What about rain delays in Major League Baseball? They tarp the field, make the fans sit around for hours sometimes, then clean up the mess and resume the game. Sunday's Daytona 500 was nothing different than any of those other examples, except for the fact that those other things happen MUCH more frequently than the pavement coming loose at a racetrack.
So just LET IT GO. Other than the delay, Sunday's race was one of the best ever run at that track, and there is a great story that goes along with it for winner Jamie McMurray. Let's talk about that instead, since he is now a Daytona 500 Champion! Congratulations Jamie!
Next up....Fontana, CA (southern California) and Auto Club Speedway for the Auto Club 500 on Sunday. Oh, and some chick named Danica is racing in the Nationwide race on Saturday afternoon in the Stater Bros 300. Maybe you've heard of her??
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Dueling in Daytona
Well...we are mere HOURS away from the start of the 2010 Gatorade Duels in Daytona! For all practical purposes, today's twin 150's will be qualifying for all but Mark Martin and Dale Jr., who have already locked in the front row for the start of Sunday's Daytona 500. The rest of the drivers will be jockeying for the best starting position based on how they finish in today's races.
There have already been quite a few wrecks during practices this week and last, forcing several drivers into back-up cars for the Bud Shootout (Kevin Harvick WON his 2nd consecutive Bud Shootout in a back-up car last Saturday night) and the Gatorade Duels. Some notable drivers in back-ups for today's races include Jimmy Johnson, David Reutimann, and Clint Bowyer.
I'm so excited about the next several days. We've got the Duel's this afternoon (2pm on SPEED), the Truck race tomorrow evening (8pm on SPEED), the Nationwide race on Saturday afternoon (1:30pm on ESPN2) and then the Daytona 500 on Sunday (1:15pm on FOX.) Is that an AWESOME long weekend of racing or WHAT?? Oh, and did I mention that Danica is racing in th Nationwide race on Saturday? (as if you didn't already know that...)
Who are you picking to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday? I've always been a Kasey Kahne fan, and based on how he looked in his new Ford Fusion during the Bud Shootout last Saturday, he's definitely my pick for Sunday afternoon. He didn't qualify well on Saturday, so hopefully he can do well in the Duels (he's in the 2nd race) and get a decent starting spot for Sunday. After that it's all about handling and keeping that Roush-Yates horsepower on the ground. It'll be exciting to watch. I can't WAIT!
So...go out, buy some of your favorite frosty beverages, pop some popcorn, kick back and enjoy a bunch of good racing this weekend. I know that's what I'll be doing!
There have already been quite a few wrecks during practices this week and last, forcing several drivers into back-up cars for the Bud Shootout (Kevin Harvick WON his 2nd consecutive Bud Shootout in a back-up car last Saturday night) and the Gatorade Duels. Some notable drivers in back-ups for today's races include Jimmy Johnson, David Reutimann, and Clint Bowyer.
I'm so excited about the next several days. We've got the Duel's this afternoon (2pm on SPEED), the Truck race tomorrow evening (8pm on SPEED), the Nationwide race on Saturday afternoon (1:30pm on ESPN2) and then the Daytona 500 on Sunday (1:15pm on FOX.) Is that an AWESOME long weekend of racing or WHAT?? Oh, and did I mention that Danica is racing in th Nationwide race on Saturday? (as if you didn't already know that...)
Who are you picking to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday? I've always been a Kasey Kahne fan, and based on how he looked in his new Ford Fusion during the Bud Shootout last Saturday, he's definitely my pick for Sunday afternoon. He didn't qualify well on Saturday, so hopefully he can do well in the Duels (he's in the 2nd race) and get a decent starting spot for Sunday. After that it's all about handling and keeping that Roush-Yates horsepower on the ground. It'll be exciting to watch. I can't WAIT!
So...go out, buy some of your favorite frosty beverages, pop some popcorn, kick back and enjoy a bunch of good racing this weekend. I know that's what I'll be doing!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Counting Down to 2010
Tomorrow is media day at Daytona, and the Bud Shootout happens on Saturday night! What does that mean to us??? It's time to go racin', boys! The 2010 season is upon us, and there's lots to talk and get excited about.
I'm going to try to do a much better job keeping the blog current in 2010. Let's say that was one of my New Years resolutions for 2010. So, this is the first installment of many this season.
What should I talk about heading into the Duels tomorrow? Hmmmm....Jimmy Johnson's 4-peat and Hendrick domination (finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 2009 standings)? RPM dropping Dodge and moving over the Ford Fusion (Yates) power for 2010? Kasey Kahne in the last year of his contract with RPM - will he and Budweiser set sail for a more stable environment in 2011? Where will he go? Maybe Stewart-Haas racing? What do you think about Danica Patrick making an appearance in stock car racing? Will you watch the ARCA race on Saturday to see how she does? How will she do in ARCA/Nationwide this year, and what will her presence do for the sport of NASCAR?
Those are ALL great topics to discuss, and we might touch on each of those at another time, but for now I want to talk a little bit about the Top 35 owners points and the "brokering" of points before the start of the race. In the past week we've learned of at least two teams that have bought their way into guaranteed starting spots for the first 5 races of 2010, without EARNING that luxury. The first was Furniture Row Racing, who "acquired" the #7's Top 35 points after starting a "technical alliance" with RCR last week. And yesterday is was determined that Front Row Racing has started an alliance with Yates to acquire the #98's points from last year.
I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea that NASCAR allows this type of "points brokering" to go on. Technically it's within the rules, but I feel that it violates the "spirit" of the rulebook. They can sign all the minority ownership and technical alliance paperwork that they want, but in the end they just wanted the POINTS. They wanted to be able to assure their sponsors that they were going to be a LOCK for the first 5 races (and especially the Daytona 500.)
I think that in the off-season, NASCAR needs to take a look at this rule and make the necessary changes to allow the teams that competed the season before a chance to be in the Top 35. No new team should be able to show up, buy someone's points and be guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500 when there are at least 8 other teams out there that EARNED the right to grab that spot when a team that finished above them closes shop and folds. It's just not right.
Anyways, looking forward to the Duels (Thursday) and Danica's ARCA debut, Daytona 500 Qualifying , and the Bud Shootout on Saturday! It's gonna be an awesome start to another season. And then next Sunday (on Valentine's Day boys, in case you didn't realize it) we'll all be watching as another chapter in the Great American Race is written. I can't wait!
Marc.
I'm going to try to do a much better job keeping the blog current in 2010. Let's say that was one of my New Years resolutions for 2010. So, this is the first installment of many this season.
What should I talk about heading into the Duels tomorrow? Hmmmm....Jimmy Johnson's 4-peat and Hendrick domination (finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 2009 standings)? RPM dropping Dodge and moving over the Ford Fusion (Yates) power for 2010? Kasey Kahne in the last year of his contract with RPM - will he and Budweiser set sail for a more stable environment in 2011? Where will he go? Maybe Stewart-Haas racing? What do you think about Danica Patrick making an appearance in stock car racing? Will you watch the ARCA race on Saturday to see how she does? How will she do in ARCA/Nationwide this year, and what will her presence do for the sport of NASCAR?
Those are ALL great topics to discuss, and we might touch on each of those at another time, but for now I want to talk a little bit about the Top 35 owners points and the "brokering" of points before the start of the race. In the past week we've learned of at least two teams that have bought their way into guaranteed starting spots for the first 5 races of 2010, without EARNING that luxury. The first was Furniture Row Racing, who "acquired" the #7's Top 35 points after starting a "technical alliance" with RCR last week. And yesterday is was determined that Front Row Racing has started an alliance with Yates to acquire the #98's points from last year.
I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea that NASCAR allows this type of "points brokering" to go on. Technically it's within the rules, but I feel that it violates the "spirit" of the rulebook. They can sign all the minority ownership and technical alliance paperwork that they want, but in the end they just wanted the POINTS. They wanted to be able to assure their sponsors that they were going to be a LOCK for the first 5 races (and especially the Daytona 500.)
I think that in the off-season, NASCAR needs to take a look at this rule and make the necessary changes to allow the teams that competed the season before a chance to be in the Top 35. No new team should be able to show up, buy someone's points and be guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500 when there are at least 8 other teams out there that EARNED the right to grab that spot when a team that finished above them closes shop and folds. It's just not right.
Anyways, looking forward to the Duels (Thursday) and Danica's ARCA debut, Daytona 500 Qualifying , and the Bud Shootout on Saturday! It's gonna be an awesome start to another season. And then next Sunday (on Valentine's Day boys, in case you didn't realize it) we'll all be watching as another chapter in the Great American Race is written. I can't wait!
Marc.
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