1100 miles of racing, two wild finishes

If you thought the Indy 500 had a wild finish, NASCAR has something of their own to say about wild finishes on Memorial Day weekend.

In case you weren’t watching, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s streak of 104 winless races was about half a mile from ending when his No. 88 Chevy slowed in turns three and four at Charlotte. He was out of fuel. Kevin Harvick scooted on by for the improbable win, and Jr. coasted to a 7th-place finish.

After the 500 on Sunday I literally said, “Have you ever?”

Mike Joy, the founder of the “Have you ever?” saying (at least in my mind) could only say one thing as Harvick drove around the 1.5-mile track on a victory lap: “Have you ever?”

Not sure that I have, but on Sunday it seemed that the unexpected was the norm.

Coming off of turn four in the 100th Indianapolis 500 rookie J.R. Hildebrand looked like he was going to pull off a crazy upset. However, he got to high trying to pass a lap-down car and whacked the turn four SAFER barrier, riding along the wall all the way to a second place finish behind Dan Wheldon who won his second Indy 500.

J.R. Hildebrand was this close to winning the Indy 500 on Sunday when he hit the wall somewhere in the sight of this photo, which I took from my seat at last year's Brickyard 400. He limped along the wall to a second place finish

So how could NASCAR one-up that ending? By having the sport’s biggest name snap his nearly three-year losing streak of course.

Except that Dale Jr.’s fuel cell had other plans.

Kevin Harvick, who ironically enough is driving the car that Earnhardt Jr.’s late father used to drive at Richard Childress Racing, scooted on by the coasting car of Earnhardt at the entrance of pit road and took NASCAR’s longest race.

“I knew when I got out of the car I wasn’t going to be the good guy,” Harvick said. “But that’s just the way it works. Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. And fortunately today was our day to win.”

That was what Kevin Harvick said in 2007 after beating Mark Martin to the line by .02 seconds in the Daytona 500. But it might as well have been from Sunday night’s race.

Nate Ryan, USA Today’s NASCAR writer stated that Harvick felt almost the same way after getting out of his No. 29 last night. “Harvick was sincerely contrite about denying NASCAR’s most popular driver’s first trip to victory lane in nearly three years,” Ryan wrote.

“I feel like complete crap, to tell you the truth,” Harvick said after the race on Sunday night. “Man, when I saw that thing slowing down, I was like, I really want to win the race, but why can't it be on a day when we're running bad or have something going wrong.

“Everybody sitting up here would say we want (Earnhardt's team) to win, and they're so close to winning and both times they had a chance. We are going to do what we have to do to win the races, and today it all just worked out strategy-wise that we won. But I feel so stinking bad for him, and I know how bad he wants it. But it'll happen. They keep running like that, it'll happen.”

Earnhardt Jr. echoed those sentiments telling Jeff Gluck of SBNation.com, “It was a long race and a really hard race – and I haven't ran good here in a long time,” he said. “But we ran really, really good here tonight. And I'm really happy about that.

“Wins are going to come, we've just got to keep working. We're going to get our share.”

And his late father’s car owner said the same thing.

Richard Childress said, “We all want to see Dale Jr. win. Like Kevin said, he's going to win his races, and I'll be the first one there to congratulate him because I am an Earnhardt fan at heart, no doubt.

Childress (right) signs an autograph for a fan in the garage at last year's Brickyard 400

“But I pull for my guys and I want to see them win, and I'm really proud of everybody on this Budweiser team for what they did, and Junior will win.”

And when he does all of NASCAR will breathe a collective sigh of relief. It’s been a while since the No. 88 was this competitive, and if Dale Jr. keeps knocking on the door, he’ll be in Victory Lane soon enough.

As long as he has enough gas to make it there.

Allmendinger talks about Mark Martin

A.J. Allmendinger is just 29 years old. He’s been in NASCAR for five years now, but for some reason, when it came to finding a dance partner during the season’s biggest race, he paired up with 52-year-old Mark Martin.

Allmendinger learns from Martin during a practice session for the Daytona 500 in February (Getty Images for NASCAR)

“Mark’s always been probably the nicest guy out there to me and I respect him so much so anytime Mark Martin wants to work with me I’m down for it,” Allmendinger said.

On Wednesday, while handling questions from assorted media types at a Ford Racing promotion at Kentucky Speedway, Allmendinger got to talking about the “pairs” racing that has taken over restrictor plate tracks like Daytona and Talladega.

“It’s… insane, probably the easiest word to explain it,” he said.

When he walked outside for photo opportunities next to his No. 43 Best Buy Ford, he explained to some local Ford representatives about the way the two-car drafts work. He mentioned that it’s pretty hairy, especially since the lead car is basically the pushing car’s eyes and ears.

Allmendinger (in the black shirt) poses for photos with Cincinnati-area Ford representatives on Wednesday

“With the two-car tandem, to go out there, especially when you’re the leading guy, it’s not as bad but when you’re the guy behind, you’re literally staring like this at a spoiler,” he said, putting his hand up in front of his face to show everyone what it was like. “And you can’t see anything and they’re driving the car in front of you. They’re the ones telling you when to check up and when not to check up.”

After describing the ways drivers race at the restrictor plate tracks, I had one question for Allmendinger. Me being the Mark Martin fan that I am, I just had to ask him what it was like to work with the man I’ve grown up idolizing since I began watching NASCAR nearly 18 years ago.

“I respect Mark so much and he’s just been so kind to me since I came into the sport,” Allmendinger said. “I kind of had to laugh because my first truck race was at Loudon in ’06 and I remember I came up to him we were talking a little bit and I introduced myself and it surprised me because he’s like, ‘Yeah man, you just won the Champ Car race last week. I’ve been watching you ever since you came up through Toyota Atlantics.’ I was like, ‘What are talking about? You’re Mark Martin!’”

I just smiled when Allmendinger mentioned meeting Mark for the first time because I was reminded of the press conference at Indianapolis in 2009 after Mark put down a lap that put his No. 5 car on the pole for the Brickyard 400.

A reporter asked Mark if he had seen Tom Watson’s run at the British Open a week before the Cup Series came to Indy. Mark replied, “I did hear peripherally. It’s not on my radar screen. I did hear about it, and do watch the news and check the news. I knew a little bit about what's going on.”And he smiled when he said, “But if it doesn't have wheels on it, I don't know much [about it].”

It sounds like Allmendinger was surprised that Mark Martin watched his career from the very start.

NASCAR drivers might love Aretha Franklin. Ask any NASCAR driver about their thoughts on Mark Martin and you’ll hear one word more than any other: respect.

“That to me was like so critical to go out there, and especially the veterans, try to earn their respect more than anything whether I was running fast or not,” Allmendinger said. “Even in the toughest times of ’07, when I was down and I didn’t think I could get to the next track the next week because I was…struggling, he’d show up and say, ‘Man, you’re doing a good job. We all know the situation you’re in. We know how tough this is. We know what you got put in to.’”

It’s one of the reasons I love Mark Martin. He’s always giving life advice.

And for Allmendinger, getting to work with the best NASCAR driver to have never hoisted a Sprint Cup was the thrill of a lifetime.

Allmendinger's No. 43 and Martin's No. 5 were inseparable during parts of the Daytona 500 (Getty Images/NASCAR)

“It was pretty cool at Daytona to be able to work with him the whole time,” he said.

Allmendinger’s comments about Mark Martin were nothing out of the ordinary for me. I didn’t expect the great comments he gave me, but, as a Mark Martin fan, I couldn’t help but smile and realize that I’ve been a fan of one heck of a racecar driver (and one heck of a man) for the longest time.

I didn’t need A.J. Allmendinger to validate it, but having him speak so highly of Mark Martin was pretty awesome.

Waltrip’s book is a must-read for NASCAR fans

Michael Waltrip’s tell-all book In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything, is a must-read for all NASCAR fans who lived through the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. on Feb. 18, 2001. Waltrip starts by detailing how he got the point where he was driving Dale Earnhardt’s car on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. It was entertaining (but really, when is Mikey not entertaining?) to read how he persuaded Mr. and Mrs. Waltrip to let him travel to his brother’s town in Tennessee to go go-kart racing. And Michael Waltrip’s humorous side is evident all throughout the book. In fact, as I started reading it I thought, “This is exactly how Mikey is…kind of scatterbrained, but at the same time, it all made sense. And it was funny. You couldn’t ask for a better spokesperson.” At one point in the book he mentioned a family trip he took with his mom and dad and wife Buffy to Hawaii in 1998. He wrote, “Who doesn’t love love?” That my friends, is why I love Michael Waltrip. He was able to slip the best reference from a Toyota commercial from last year into his book. Beautiful marketing. But the book is also a must read because after Dale’s death Michael really details how he felt. Little did many of us who follow NASCAR really notice how rough it was on Michael. He took a lot of the blame personally for Earnhardt’s death. But his humor still shone through. When he was accused of cheating by putting jet fuel in his engine before the 2007 season his thought in the book were hilarious. He said, “[NASCAR] informed us and the whole world our gas had rocket fuel in it. Really? Rocket fuel? How do you even get rocket fuel?” Later on he mentioned the car didn’t pass technical inspection, “Obviously with the addition of space-shuttle fuel, that didn’t happen.” Only a guy like Michael Waltrip could turn something so devastating into a humorous incident. And Michael’s book was definitely geared toward the NASCAR fan, but he also made a funny comment when he talked about his car in the 2001 Daytona 500. The car wasn’t handling correctly. It was loose. “My car wasn’t handling exactly like I wanted. It was loose. If you’re a race person, you know what I mean by that. And if you’re not, it’s funny that you’re reading my book,” he wrote. I’d suggest Michael’s book as good reading for everyone, NASCAR fans or not. I have always liked Michael Waltrip, but I have a new-found respect for him after reading his book. He had the right amount of comedy and seriousness in it. Go out and get yourself a copy if you haven’t already. It’s well worth your time.

Opinion—Martin’s mediocre finishes don’t tell entire story

While I admit to being a superfan of Mark Martin, I also must be a realist. The start to the 2011 season for the Batesville, Ark., native could have been much better. Through four races, Martin has finished no higher than 10th but no lower than 18th. That’s pretty average if you ask me.

However, if you look at the stories behind the finishes, Mark Martin has been nothing short of stellar to start the 2011 campaign—his last in a Hendrick Motorsports car.

Early on at Daytona, the GoDaddy.com car was tangled up in that wreck that took out half the field. Martin and new crew chief Lance McGrew worked on the fender damage and eventually made it back to the lead lap late in the race. On the final restart Martin was fourth, behind Tony Stewart, ready to push Smoke to victory in the season’s opening race.

Not bad for a car that was smashed up on lap 30. Even though Martin only ended up 10th, it could have been much worse for the GoDaddy team that day. McGrew and Martin set the tone for the next few races with that fight at Daytona.

At Phoenix Martin was once again tangled up in someone else’s mess, slightly damaging the front end of the car. Martin got into the back of Kevin Harvick, making the 2007 Daytona 500 champ slightly less than pleased.

But once again McGrew and Martin battled, making the car as good as they could near the end. Even though Martin only finished 13th it could have been a worse day for the team.

While Martin didn’t find any trouble in Vegas, his car was never quite fast enough to run up front. McGrew and Martin kept adjusting and never quite hit on what they needed to get to the front.

To add to fans’ frustrations, Martin was the lowest finishing Hendrick car that day.

Fans knew McGrew wasn’t held in high regard by fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr., whom McGrew last worked with at HMS, but prior to the 2011 Cup season the last time Martin and McGrew hooked up was for a 2008 Nationwide Series win in Vegas.

So things could get better for Martin and the No. 5 team, but likewise, they could be a whole heck of a lot worse. Martin is known for having very little luck, and this year he’s getting some breaks to go his way.

He sits 11th in Sprint Cup points after this weekend’s race in Bristol. A race that once again left Kevin Harvick fuming at the man he beat back to the line at Daytona in 2007 by a mere .02 seconds.

“That’s two times in four races,” Harvick said over the radio after Martin bumped him and spun him out on Sunday. “They need to check his old ass for vision.”

Kasey Kahne was running in front of Harvick with less than 100 laps to go and suddenly slowed up exiting turn two. Harvick had to let off and Martin, who was accelerating and tailing the No. 29 car, had nowhere to go.

Welcome to Bristol Mr. Harvick.

After the race he was a little more calm, simply saying, “You know when we were sitting there running third and fifth, really we were just riding. I just wanted to make sure that we had a race car left and (Kahne) got a little tight and (Martin) ran over us again,” Harvick said.

Once again, it’s typical Bristol racing. Although I’m still sticking by my theory that it’s just a Karmatic (is that even a word? Well, now it is) payback for the atrocities of the 2007 Daytona 500. You win some and you lose some.

Harvick rallied to finish 6th on Sunday and Martin came home 12th. Although they both could have had better finishes, the wreck could have completely devastated both men.

It’s another sign that although Mark Martin’s luck could have him sitting 30th in points, he’s only 11th, 27 markers back of the leader, Kurt Busch.

Martin will make his 800th career Cup start in two weeks at Martinsville, appropriately enough. By then we’ll have a better handle on how the season will turn out for the 52-year-old Martin. Right now, I’m sticking by the ‘it could be (a lot) worse’ mantra.

Some would call the start mediocre, but until you look at why Mark Martin is only averaging a 13th place finish, you’d say, “That’s awfully darn good.”

Those are my thoughts, and I’m sticking to ‘em.

NASCAR writers agree: Season off to great start

During NASCAR’s preseason media tour, Larry McReynolds lectured the NASCAR media on being more positive.

“I know it’s easy to write about all the bad things and I know it can't all be about the good things,” McReynolds said (quoted by SB Nation’s Jeff Gluck). “But (here's) the only thing I reach out to you: If it's television ratings (you're writing about), we know the ratings are down, how about also promoting that we're second only to the NFL? If there's 25,000 empty seats at Michigan, how about making sure you document there's still over 100,000 people in those grandstands? Things like that will get our sport back to where we were.”

For those in attendance, it has been tough not to be happy about the first two weeks of the NASCAR season. Gluck wrote earlier today that Trevor Bayne’s Daytona 500 win was good for the old fans and the new fans. Gordon’s win in Phoenix was pretty good too.

“Fans are liking what they’re seeing,” Gluck wrote. “After Gordon's win, people of all ages lined up along the catch fence from Turn 1 all the way down the frontstretch to salute Gordon – which was something he couldn't remember ever happening before. That was new for a guy who only used to get booed in the old days.”

In fact, yesterday I posted that Gordon’s win—which prevented Kyle Busch from sweeping the weekend—was good because Busch has become the lightning rod that Gordon once was.

Jenna Fryer, of the Associated Press, opined that Gordon and Bayne have done wonders for the sport in the first two weeks of the season.

“Now NASCAR has Gordon, a 20-year veteran and four-time champion, back in Victory Lane after a drought that stretched almost two years, an outcome that sits well with the sport’s aging fan base. The fresh-faced Bayne, meanwhile, attracted the coveted 18-to-34-year-old audience,” she wrote.

“Either way, it’s got the series headed in the right direction after several sagging seasons.”

She also wrote that it’s still up to the fans to tune in for the next 34 weeks. But, she, like a lot of others (yours truly included) feel that the beginning of the season has provided a lot of interesting stories and will keep NASCAR in the limelight for a few more weeks.

“It’s up to the fans to decide if the first two weeks are enough to keep them interested for 34 more races. And while there are still issues to be ironed out…NASCAR finally appears to be doing something right,” she wrote.

And it’s enough to attract older viewers and younger viewers. Trevor Bayne was celebrated in his hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., on Monday. One fan, thirty years older than Bayne, is excited for the youngster.

“He inspires a lot of kids with his faith,” said Knoxville resident Mike Lewis, 50 (quoted in an AP story on Bayne). “I enjoy watching him talk, because I know it’s coming from the heart. Despite his success, he’s very humble right now.”

And that is just one reason why NASCAR is doing so well right now.

Now, if only driver 88 could find his way to Victory Lane.
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Information and quotes for this story came from Jenna Fryer, Jeff Gluck and an AP report from Tennessee.

For Gluck’s entire article, click here: http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/2/28/2021141/nascar-phoenix-2011-results-jeff-gordon-kyle-busch-trevor-bayne
For Fryer’s opinion piece, check here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AskvJbNqCe6iaJBnYrZBk.Xov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-inthepits
For the story on Bayne, click here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AqeOQ3BER9VyfL9deti3Uynov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-bayneshometown

Bayne’s win good for NASCAR’s young audience

Trevor Bayne picked an awfully good time to jump into the NASCAR spotlight. After all, it doesn’t get any bigger than the Daytona 500.

When Trevor Bayne lifted the Harley J. Earl trophy on Sunday, he lifted the hopes of young NASCAR fans everywhere. In a sport that has a median viewing age of 51.6, according to Nielsen numbers, the 20-year-old’s victory signified a chance for NASCAR to gain some new, younger fans.

Bryan Nicodemus, an 18-year-old NASCAR fan from Pittsburgh, isn’t a Trevor Bayne fan (he roots for 52-year-old Mark Martin) but sees the potential for NASCAR to gain new fans after Sunday’s race.

“I feel that Trevor’s win was good for NASCAR,” he said. “I think more people will take a look at NASCAR because an ‘unknown’ driver won. It wasn’t a Jimmie Johnson or Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. People might want to find out who Trevor Bayne is.”

Bayne turned 20 the day before he won the Daytona 500, and easily broke Jeff Gordon’s record for youngest Daytona 500 winner (Gordon won the 1997 500 when he was 25). His first career win, in his second career start, couldn’t have come at a better time.

Bayne, driving the No. 21 car for the Wood Brothers, one of NASCAR’s most esteemed teams, was almost speechless after winning. And who could blame the Tennessee native? He’d just won the race that took legend Dale Earnhardt 20 years to win.

“Sorry if I’m bouncing around on questions and answers,” Bayne said in the media center after the race. “Figure I can do whatever I want to since it’s just a dream anyways.”

Carl Edwards, who finished second to Bayne in the 500, said NASCAR fans need to take note of the kid from Tennessee. Edwards should know. He used to be the young, energetic driver that won over fans through his trademark blackflip victory celebration.

Edwards said, “This is as good as it gets. If people aren’t watching, that’s their problem, because we got some great stuff going on here.”

As it turns out, people were watching.

FOX announced that the Daytona 500 averaged 15.6 million viewers nationally, and 30.1 million viewers caught at least a part of the race. The 53rd edition of “The Great American Race” was the most-watched NASCAR race since 2008, executives at FOX said.

The youth banner in NASCAR isn’t something that only Bayne is carrying. Joey Logano, a 20-year-old NASCAR superstar, burst into the sport when he turned 18. Logano, who drives the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, has won one NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

Can Bayne and Logano, two kids, attract a younger crowd to NASCAR?

“I think it’s possible that they could attract a younger audience,” said Nicodemus. “Twenty year olds might want to watch because it’s someone their age who is winning. It could be the same philosophy as to why older fans would want to root for Mark Martin, because it’s someone who reminds them of themselves.”

But will they tune in next week and the subsequent weeks to see if Bayne can run with the stars of NASCAR? I certainly hope so, and Edwards is backing me.

“He is really a nice young man, a great guy to represent this sport with this win,” Edwards said. “I think the world’s going to like him a lot.”

If Sunday was any example, I think Trevor Bayne has an opportunity to energize a new, young fan base in the nation’s second-most watched sport.

My opinions on the 53rd Daytona 500

There is no greater sport than NASCAR.

I teared up as Martina McBride sang the National Anthem and the US Air Force Thunderbirds flew over the Daytona 500. Racing was back, and that is awesome.

As the three two-car packs drafted up to the white flag I looked at my brother (who was screaming about Trevor Bayne being younger than him) and said, “Carl Edwards is going to win the Daytona 500.”

I was wrong.

However, I wasn’t mad with the outcome. More on what 20-year-old Trevor Bayne’s win means for the sport later this week, but for now I offer some quick thoughts on the 53rd edition of the “Great American Race.”

The silent third lap was one hell of a tribute to Dale Earnhardt
When the FOX broadcast went silent on lap three in memory of Dale Earnhardt I got chills. I’m sure many others did too. The shots of fans in the crowd all holding up three fingers in salute to “The Intimidator” was reminiscent of each race in 2001 where fans did the same thing.

You may not have liked Dale Earnhardt but you certainly had to respect what he meant to the sport, and the tribute yesterday was amazing.

Kudos to Mark Martin for coming back from three laps down to finish tenth
When Mark Martin bounced across the turn four grass during the lap 29 accident, it was apparent that his chances to win the Daytona 500 in his 27th chance, were all but zero. Or so many experts may have thought.

Martin got a few free passes and moved back onto the lead lap. He restarted fourth during the final green-white-checkered restart. Pushing Tony Stewart didn’t work and Martin and Smoke fell back. Stewart ended up 13th but Martin came home 10th.

After the race finished the two discussed what happened, but also exchanged comments about being excited for the Wood Brothers to be back in victory lane again. I’d expect nothing less from two of NASCAR’s more experienced drivers.

What was up with Earnhardt-Childress engines?
Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton, teammates at Richard Childress Racing both had engine failures in the 500. It was uncharacteristic for the Childress cars, who have an engine alliance with Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, to lose motors.

Harvick said there was nothing he could do to change his failure, and Burton, who won the second qualifying race on Thursday, reiterated Harvick’s feelings.

“We’re asking a lot out of the engines here, for sure,” Burton said after exiting the race after 92 laps.

The two-car drafts weren’t as bad as I thought they’d be
Last week, after the Bud Shootout, I voiced my displeasure with the two-car breakaways that dominated the event. I felt it was boring and more like a chess match than real racing.

As it turns out, the two-car breakaways made restarts a lot more like the old-time Daytona. Cars were three, sometimes four-wide as they snaked around the 2.5-mile oval. It looked like the good ol’ days of restrictor plate racing.

So, even though in the end the two-car strategy was what won Trevor Bayne his first Cup race, the racing wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Kind of makes me wish I hadn’t been so hard on it last week.
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As I said earlier, I’ll be expanding my thoughts on Trevor Bayne’s win and what it means for the sport later on this week. I’m currently gathering some comments from fellow NASCAR fans, and they’ll be appearing here before Thursday (as this story doubles as a class assignment).

I hope you’ve enjoyed the pre-Daytona coverage. I’ve enjoyed writing numerous pieces leading up to the big day, and I’ll continue to write NASCAR stories as they come this season. On to Phoenix, where I’m sure I’ll have something to say about Mark Martin, and how I, along with many other fans, will be riding with the 52 year old on Sunday.

Enjoy your holiday, the “Day After the Daytona 500” today.

Bayne wins Daytona 500

Trevor Bayne became the youngest Daytona 500 winner in the history of “The Great American” race, capping off his 20th birthday weekend in style.

Bayne, with a push from Carl Edwards, won his first Sprint Cup race in only his second career Cup start. His only other start was the fall race at Texas last season.

“I keep thinking I’m dreaming I really do,” Bayne said in Victory Lane.

The day was a record setter in Daytona. This year’s edition of the sport’s biggest race featured a race record 15 cautions, breaking the previous record of 11. The race also featured 74 lead changes among 22 different leaders.

Bayne, driving for the Wood Brothers in the No. 21 car, was so excited after the win he didn’t know where to go to find victory lane. But he was almost dumbfounded by the win.

“This is unbelievable,” he said. “How cool is it to see the Wood Brothers back in victory lane?”

Glen and Len Wood haven’t been in victory lane at the Daytona 500 since 1976 when David Pearson won the sport’s “Super Bowl.” In fact, it’s been ten seasons since the Wood Brothers last won a race.

Bayne’s car looked identically like Pearson’s car, and it did the same thing. Win.
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More thoughts on Daytona to come later this evening or tomorrow. It was an exciting finish and another oh-so close for Tony Stewart and Mark Martin. Maybe we’ll hear from them tomorrow. Until then, enjoy your Sunday evening.

Drivers and paint schemes and number changes: Oh My!

“If you go to a NASCAR race and don’t need a program, you might be a redneck”—Jeff Foxworthy

The NASCAR “Silly Season” has shaken up the world of motorsports once again. It started in April when Hendrick Motorsports announced Kasey Kahne would join their fold in 2012. The dominoes fell from there. At the end of this season more drivers will be at the end of their contracts with their teams. Will they re-up? Will they depart and go elsewhere?

It was easy keeping tabs on who drove what car and what color it would be back about a decade ago. That has changed.

Sponsorship dollars are scarce, and even the best teams now field two to three primary sponsors per year.

Case in point, in 2011, Jeff Gordon’s car will no longer always carry the prominent DuPont logo that has become synonymous with the No. 24 since Gordon broke onto the NASCAR scene full-time in 1993. Gordon will now have a darker red car, sponsored in 22 races by the Drive to End Hunger and the AARP.

The normal look of the No. 24 has changed a little. DuPont will still be around, just not as much

Gordon will still have DuPont and Pepsi for the other 14 races, but it might be tough to spot the No. 24 car if he’s not carrying the DuPont logo on the hood full-time.

Staying in the Hendrick Motorsports shop the No. 24 car inhabits is the newest member to join Mark Martin’s hood and quarterpanels, Quaker State. The darker green “Q” will fly on Martin’s hood for four races including the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

And the man who will take over for Martin next season in the No. 5 car? Well, Kasey Kahne is hanging out at Red Bull Racing this season, driving the No. 4 car. Brian Vickers has returned from his health scare last year and will resume piloting the No. 83 car.

Keeping up? Do you need a breather?

Another crazy shakeup occurred this offseason at Penske Racing. As I noted last week, there would be no No. 12 on the track this season. Instead, Brad Keselowski would scoot over to the No. 2 Dodge, sponsored still by Miller Lite. Kurt Busch vacated the No. 2 to take the reins of the No. 22 Dodge with the Shell/Pennzoil logo on the hood.

The "Blue Deuce" has a new driver this year

Busch won the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday evening in his first race in the new car. Kahne isn’t off the hook in this story though. Shell/Pennzoil left Kevin Harvick when Kahne announced his departure from Richard Petty Motorsports, because Budweiser (formerly Kahne’s primary sponsor) darted for Harvick.

So, Harvick now carries the Budweiser paint scheme, and yes, his wife DeLana does have a new firesuit.

Delana Harvick has traded in her Shell/Pennzoil firesuit for a more prominent, red Budweiser one. No word on what Joey Logano thinks of the change yet

Also joining the RCR fold is Paul Menard, who left Richard Petty Motorsports to get on board as a fourth car at RCR. Menard brings plenty of sponsorship money with him too.

And speaking of Richard Petty Motorsports, the team fielded by “The King” is now a two-car operation. Elliott Sadler, formerly in Cup with RPM, has moved down to run a full Nationwide Series schedule with Kevin Harvick Inc.

AJ Allmendinger will remain at RPM and remain in the iconic No. 43 car. For 24 races, his car will carry the Best Buy colors, and the remaining races will be filled with sponsorship from Valvoline and the US Air Force amongst others.

The DeWalt colors, once synonymous with Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 car, will find a home on the No. 9 car of Marcos Ambrose, who left JTG-Daugherty Racing for RPM. Stanley Tools will also sponsor Ambrose.

Taking the spot vacated by Ambrose at JTG is 2000 Cup champ Bobby Labonte. Labonte will pilot the No. 47 car, sponsored by Bush’s Baked Beans and Kroger amongst many others.

Speaking of more sponsorship shakeups, Penske Racing has dropped Sam Hornish Jr. from its stable. Hornish formerly piloted the No. 77 Mobil-1 Dodge. Mobil-1 now sponsors the No. 14 of Tony Stewart, and will be on the hood of Smoke’s car for 11 races this season.

The Mobil-1 Dodge sits in a garage stall at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2011, the Mobil-1 colors will be on the No. 14 Chevy of Tony Stewart.

So, if you still need a program to figure out who’s who, I don’t blame you. With paint schemes and colors changing weekly, it’s tough sometimes to figure out who is who. It used to be easy, but now it’s a little more challenging.

If you need any help, just print out this post. It makes for a semi-handy guide on racedays.
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Three days until the season officially kicks off. The Duels at Daytona begin today in the afternoon, and by the end of the day the 43 car field for the Daytona 500 will be set. As the energy for the race picks up, so will the posts. Check back for more later this evening regarding the Gatorade Duels.

Martin doesn’t let back pains derail career

Mark Martin endured a lot of pain in 1998 and 1999. Even though he won a career high seven races in ’98, Martin sometimes had to be lifted into and out of his car by his crew.

One week after the 1999 season Martin had surgery to fuse two degenerative vertebrae in his lower back.

He’s been better ever since.

Last Thursday he told NASCAR.com on media day that his back is, “bullet proof.”

“I had the surgery in ’99 and for about six years it was still a problem,” Martin told the three members of NASCAR.com, during a live web conference. “I’ve learned how to strengthen it. I’ve gotten to a point with the rehab that I went back and started doing the rehab stuff I should have done about six years after the surgery. It’s really good right now. It’s really strong.”

Martin has become known in the NASCAR garage for his relentless training program. The 52-year-old gets up early every morning and works out. Drivers young and old look to Martin for advice on working out.

“I learn more every year and I learn more about training,” Martin said. “I have to train around injury, whatever the injuries are that you have as well. Right now I just feel like I’ve really found some good stuff and a really good program.”

Martin mentioned on media day that during the offseason he has found off days in between his rigorous workout schedule to be beneficial.

“During the offseason, it’s really the ultimate because I can rest during the times that I want to, like I’ve been working out two days on, one day off, two days on, one day off. You can’t do that during the race season,” Martin explained. “It’s four on, and three off every week.

“I’ve managed to make some strength gain through that process because I get that day of rest at the right time instead of having to work out four days, brutally, in a row, and then go to the racetrack.”

Martin qualified eighth yesterday, which means he’ll start fourth in the first Gatorade Duel on Thursday. He’s never had much luck at Daytona—in fact, it’s one of four tracks Martin has never won a points paying race at—but he’s been close in the past few years.

Don’t ask Martin if this is his final year in NASCAR either. Larry McReynolds asked Martin on Thursday if it is annoying every time he hears that question.

“I love this sport. I love racing,” Martin told him. “I can still keep up with these guys. I’m going to be around and still be kicking.”

He learned in 1998 and 1999 how to survive through a career threatening injury. Chances are his best effort will be on winning the Daytona 500 in six days. And after that, well, he’ll run his best at Phoenix, and so on, until the end of the year.

“If we make the Chase and we get five races into the Chase—with five races to go—and we’re in contention; start coming and asking,” Martin said about his chances to win the title. “Until then, it’s all premature.”

Noted.
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There are six days until the drop of the green flag in the Daytona 500, and I’ll continue with more coverage leading up to race day on Sunday. Enjoy your Monday. Six more days and the NASCAR wait will be over. Keep the countdown rolling.

Bud Shootout bores this fan

The two-car packs sped around Daytona last night and excited the FOX announcers. Heck it was even exciting for the drivers. There were 28 lead changes during the event, the most in the 33-year history of the Shootout.

It didn’t excite me. Call me negative, but I found the two-car packs to very, very boring.

And I sat through the 2008 Brickyard 400 in person.

Drivers disagreed with me though. Race winner Kurt Busch felt the racing was great.

“It’s fun as hell,” Busch said after the race.

“Two cars just hook up, and it seems like the air comes off the front car and clears that second car perfectly,” Busch added. “If you have a third car, the air comes off that front car, lands onto the third car and that third car can't break through.”

Busch was pushed from what he referred to as his “teammate of the day,” Jamie McMurray.

“McMurray was everything for us tonight with his ability to stay tucked up behind us and to keep the two-car chain attached,” he said.

McMurray, the defending Daytona 500 champion, also enjoyed the two-car breakaways.

“It was a lot of fun,” said McMurray. “It’s really weird to push somebody all the way around the track and side draft with two guys that are also pushing all the way around the track. It’s just the strangest feeling. But it was a lot of fun tonight. I really had a good time.”

“That was the most unexpected race I've ever been a part of,” said Ryan Newman, who led the field hundreds of feet from the finish line, but finished 3rd.

Denny Hamlin, who technically was the first car back to the line, also felt the racing was great.

“I thought it was good, I thought the racing was great,” said Hamlin, who was penalized for passing Newman below the double-yellow line, and finished 12th. “It was really hard for any two groups of cars to stay up front. For me, I was hoping to put ourselves in position for the win and made a little mistake.”

SBNation NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck is running an informal poll on his blog, asking fans for their opinion. As of 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, Gluck has compiled just over 560 votes. Of those who voted in Gluck’s poll, 48 percent say they didn’t like the two-by-two racing, and preferred big packs, like the old-time Daytona.

Slightly below one-quarter of those who voted, 24 percent, said they liked it, and 26 percent of those that voted said they’ll wait to see more racing before making up their mind.

My mind is made up: not so much fun. I too prefer the bigger packs. We’ll see what happens when true racing returns on Thursday for the Gatorade Duels. Until then, there will be plenty of discussion about the upcoming Daytona 500, including qualifying today, and Mark Martin talk all this week.

Enjoy single-car runs today. Thanks for reading.

Remembering Dale, ten years later

“You may not have liked the guy, but you sure didn’t want to see him die,” a man sitting by us at the 2004 Brickyard 400 said.

Until that moment, it hadn’t clicked in my brain. Sure, I didn’t like Dale Earnhardt Sr., but I sure respected his driving skills and ability—even more so after his untimely death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

A recent article on the USA Today website and last night’s show on SPEED called “The Day: Remembering Dale Earnhardt,” made me reflect on the day NASCAR lost one of its biggest stars.

(The article can be found here: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2011-01-31-dale-earnhardt-senior_N.htm)

Seth Livingstone’s article puts it into terms we all understand. When tragedy strikes, you remember where you were.

The assassination of JFK, the Challenger and 9-11 all have made an impact on those who were around to witness them. Dale Earnhardt’s death was that moment to NASCAR fans.

Where were you? What were you doing? I’m sure you remember it all. I do.

I was in the sixth grade. Watching the Daytona 500 was one of the biggest moments of the year for me. In 2001, I had to sit in the undercroft of the church and fashion my own antenna to pick up the signal on FOX for the race.

In the hall behind me, my father and 100 other Cub Scouts and their parents celebrated their annual “Blue and Gold” banquet. Cub Scouts from first through fifth grade received awards, put on skits and enjoyed a potluck dinner.

Although I had been to a few “Blue and Gold” banquets in my years as a Cub Scout (in fact, missing two or three Daytona 500s live) I wasn’t skipping this one. FOX and NASCAR had a new, big TV contract and I was excited to see Mark Martin in his first race for his new sponsor Pfizer/Viagra.

Other than the occasional adjustment of the wire hanger we had for an antenna, I don’t remember too much. As the laps wound down, my interest lowered, partially because the No. 6 car was wiped out in a multi-car accident that saw Tony Stewart fly through the air and land on Bobby Labonte’s hood.

I sat in the room with a few of my friends (also skipping out on the banquet, because, let’s be honest, even if they hated NASCAR, it was probably more exciting than whatever was going on in the hall behind us) watching the laps wind down.

Darrell Waltrip was rooting his brother, Michael, on, with Dale Jr. and Dale Sr. running second and third as the field took the white flag. Then, the wreck. Michael Waltrip and Dale Jr. sailed off to the checkers and the cameras snapped to Dale Sr. and Kenny Schrader.

My friend Nick, who was a Dale Sr. fan, I would assume just to tick me off, was angered. I turned the TV off, and we all stormed out of the room to grab some food.

We never knew.

When I got home I flipped on the TV. ESPNNews just happened to be on. Across the bottom of the screen rolled the ticker message: “Dale Earnhardt dies from injuries in last-lap crash in Daytona.”

“WHAT?” I thought. “There’s no way. No way. I’ve seen wrecks way worse than that before and ‘The Intimidator’ always walked away unscathed.”

In the days following the Daytona 500 people I never thought cared about NASCAR were talking about NASCAR. At our indoor soccer game the next day one of my friend’s moms said, “I couldn’t help but cry when I heard about [Earnhardt’s death] last night. It was so sad.”

Ten years later it’s still a big deal.

It’s so big NASCAR.com has an entire section of their website about one of the sports’ biggest stars. http://www.nascar.com/dale-earnhardt/

I spent nearly an hour last night reading all the articles and checking out the pictures in that section. It’s all worth your time.

I may not have liked Dale Earnhardt Sr., but I certainly didn’t want to see him die. NASCAR fans celebrate the man known as “The Intimidator” on the tenth anniversary of his death this year, and although many racers now didn’t ever race against Earnhardt, they feel his impact today.

This evening the Budweiser Shootout will pit 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers against one another in the first NASCAR event of the season. Tomorrow is qualifying for the Daytona 500. Full coverage here.

Martin’s wisdom shines again

Mark Martin walked into the Economacki Press Room at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2009 after becoming the oldest polesitter in the near-century old track’s history. At 50, Martin’s four wins on the season surprised almost everyone. Everyone except fans of the man from Batesville, Ark.

Martin sat in front of media members--your favorite intern included--and talked about his 2009 Brickyard 400 pole

So excuse me if I sat in the front row, wide eyed, and staring intently at the short man in the red firesuit. He’s my childhood hero, and a day earlier I finally had an opportunity to meet him.

For 16 years before that date I had followed Martin’s career, and as I became older I learned more and more about him.

Twenty months earlier, on October 11th, 2007, Mark Martin gave best advice I had ever heard to that point—and to this point—in my life. “Impatience is a real hard thing to deal with and to work with. Impatience is waste of time. It’s a diversion,” he told NASCAR.com. “If you’re impatient, you’re worrying about things you can’t control.”

Today, three plus years later, Mark Martin dropped more wisdom during NASCAR’s media day for the Daytona 500.

“Gosh I got to be the luckiest guy in the world to have got to do all this stuff that I’ve gotten to do,” he said. “I’ve stumbled around and gotten a few trophies along the way and just to be able to have the chance to work with the people. It’s just been my life. I don’t regret what I haven’t accomplished, I just can’t believe what I have.”

Larry McReynolds replied, “A few trophies? More like a hundred!”

It’s the reason we love Mark Martin. He’s finished second in the points standings five times. He’s been inches away from raising the Harley J. Earl trophy, given to the Daytona 500 champion, and has finished second in the Brickyard 400 twice.

And he doesn’t regret one moment of it.

Sometimes it’s better to sit back and enjoy the process, rather than being upset about not being the best. Mark Martin lives by this ideal. It’s another reason why it’s so easy to wear the No. 5 shirts I own. It’s a source of pride. Mark Martin is a true champion—on the track and off.

But, the 52-year-old still wants to win.

“You can’t be having fun getting your brains beat in, so you have to feel like number one that you’re giving it everything you’ve got,” Martin said. “And number two, if you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, you can’t let that get you down and be a negative for the program.”

Martin hopes the new No. 5 team will lead him to a Daytona 500 victory in ten days

He doesn’t let that close call in the 2007 Daytona 500 bother him either. Even if it still bothers his fans (yours truly included).

“I didn’t let 2007 get under my skin. We were so close, but I see that on TV all the time and I think, ‘Gosh if the caution had come out when it might have could have come out, we would have won it,’ and you know my life wouldn’t be any different,” he said during the NASCAR.com telecast this morning.

Every time Mark Martin gets out of his car he has a smile on his face. Every time he gets out of his car he’s excited to have had a chance to race. Racing is his life—he’s said it a million times before.

“I love this sport,” he said. “I love racing.”

And his fans wouldn’t have it any other way. Yahoo! Analyst Jay Busbee also agreed. “Feeling a little glum and blue? Get Mark Martin on your side, pronto, and all will be right with your world. Or at least he'll tell you it is,” Busbee wrote earlier today.

All of Mark Martin’s fans are certainly glad their world is painted with Mark Martin. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I can’t wait to get more Mark Martin life advice as this year rolls along.

Penske drivers change numbers

Brad Keselowski’s red No. 12 flew into the wall last year in Atlanta. This season, that same No. 12 won’t be on the track.

One year later Keselowski walks into Daytona taking the reins of the No. 2 car, still sponsored though, by Miller Lite. Kurt Busch, his Penske teammate, moves to the No. 22, and gets the Shell/Pennzoil sponsorship, vacated by Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress last season when Childress picked up Budweiser. Confused yet?

We’re still a week plus away from the annual “Silly Season” blog post, but this is a monumental shift for (some) NASCAR followers. I think we should place bets on the first time a TV or radio reporter misnames Keselowski in the No. 2 car, since they’ve become accustomed to the face of Kurt Busch in that vehicle.

I know it’ll take me a while.

You can argue that Keselowski’s attitude and brazen driving style will be perfect for Miller Lite. Kurt Busch used to be that way, but he has since tempered, and while he might be a great spokesman for Miller, Keselowski, is a much better fit for the beer company.

Plus that No. 12 just hasn’t had the same luck since Ryan Newman departed Penske after the 2008 season. Neither Keselowski nor David Stremme has been able to pilot the entry to a top-five finish. In fact, the last time a car with the No. 12 on the side reached victory lane, it was Newman, driving to his biggest career win so far.

On Feb. 17, 2008, the 50th running of the Daytona 500 was met with great anticipation. All of the (living) previous winners of the Daytona 500 served as Grand Marshals of the event and gave the command to fire engines.

Newman, with a huge shove from his teammate Busch, brought home the Harvey J. Earl trophy—his owner’s first ever win in NASCAR’s biggest race.

Roger Penske has won the Indy 500, and last year he watched his rival Chip Ganassi win the Daytona 500, Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 all in the same year. In order for Penske to have a shot at that, Keselowski and Busch will need to step up their game in 2011.

We all know Busch, the 2004 Cup champ, can do it, but can Keselowski improve enough in his second full-time season to make a run at the Chase? In 12 days the answers will come about, and I know enough to not bet against the elder Busch and his restrictor plate loving teammate Keselowski at Daytona.

I don’t expect either to win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Penske wins another Daytona 500. I just know it won’t be the same numbered car in victory lane that was there in 2008.
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With 12 days until the green drops the anticipation is building. The anticipation for the start of the NASCAR season might not be higher for any other driver than the guy who finished runner-up last season to Jimmie Johnson in the points--Denny Hamlin.

We'll check that out tomorrow.

Stewart loses weight with inspiration from Martin

Since he started running his own team in 2009, Tony Stewart has been shedding the old “Smoke” in favor of a new one. And this offseason he’s done that literally.

Stewart showed up to preseason Media week 15 pounds lighter according to reports. He’s turning 40 in May and Stewart realized maybe it’d be better to get a little more fit—something one of his sponsors, Burger King, would be proud of.

“I just wanted to feel better, actually,” Stewart told the media members gathered at his shop. “I’m realizing I’m not 20 anymore. I’ll be 40 in May. It was just me sitting down and saying, ‘Hey, I've got to pay better attention to this.’

“And honestly, Mark Martin is probably the greatest inspiration to all of us in this series on this. He's one of the most fit people out there—especially for his age. He's heads and shoulders above most of us in fitness. He's a good mentor, and a guy to look up to. You look at him and say, ‘Hey, he does it. I can do it, too.’”

Mark Martin as an inspiration? It’s something we’ve all gotten used to.

At 52, Martin isn’t about to slow down any time soon. Stewart doesn’t want to either. But he’s also not going to adopt Martin’s rigorous diet and workout plan anytime soon.

“There’s no way I could do the diet or those workouts like he does,” Stewart said. “I still like my Burger King and I still like my pizza. I like chili. I like things that aren't necessarily on that diet of his. But he's real religious about it. You do it long enough and it really does become part of your life—but there are still things that I like to eat that I can't completely give up.”

He’s human, just like the rest of us.

In year one Stewart captured his first victory as a driver-owner by winning at Pocono in June. He won three more times in 2009, including Daytona’s July race, Watkins Glen and once in the Chase—at Kansas.

His teammate, Ryan Newman, captured his first victory as a part of Stewart-Haas Racing at Phoenix last April.

What can we expect from the SHR boys this season? I’d say more of the same. Newman and Stewart are talented and they have the all-important technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports that provides them with top-of-the-line equipment. Seven wins in two seasons between the two men tells me they’re ready for another breakout season in 2011.

Will both Newman and “Smoke” make the Chase? Probably not, but I guarantee both will be in it through August. It’s more likely that Stewart will be locked in by then and Newman still fighting for a spot.
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Tomorrow I'll take a look at Penske Racing's number swap, and Newman's former No. 12 car.

Michael Waltrip running special paint scheme honoring Earnhardt

Michael Waltrip might be retired from racing in NASCAR’s highest level full-time, but that doesn’t mean the team owner can’t come back and run a few races this season.

Ten years ago Waltrip won the Daytona 500, his first career win, but he didn’t get to properly celebrate it. His team owner, Dale Earnhardt Sr., died on the last lap.

This year Waltrip will run a special paint scheme commemorating that 2001 Daytona 500. It’s a day that he’s written about in a recently released book titled In the Blink of an Eye. (I ordered the book earlier this week and I’m waiting for it to get here. SBNation’s Jeff Gluck has it and is reading it; he’ll blog about it when he’s finished I believe)

“I’ve spent much of last year writing the book. It forced me to put into words a lot of emotions from that weekend and how we and the whole NASCAR world dealt with the loss of Dale,” Waltrip said during the preseason media tour last week. “When I got my first copy the other day I told people that I felt like I had given birth. The book has become a part of me and I know fans are going to love it.”

An excerpt of the first part of the book can be found here: http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201101/victory-lane-daytona-michael-waltrip-book-excerpt

It’s a tale that all NASCAR fans remember.

I can’t wait for my copy to show up so I can begin reading. With 15 days until the green drops in Daytona, it’s only appropriate to discuss the driver of the No. 15 car.

Here's a look at the No. 15 car set to take the track in 15 days (Photo from MichaelWaltripRacing.com)

How neat would it be to see Waltrip win in that black paint scheme?

Friday Flashback: 1993 Daytona 500

I’ll admit I don’t remember much about 1993, but watching this video clip always gets me excited for some NASCAR action. The 1993 Daytona 500 is the first race I can remember watching, and how can you not like the ending?

Ned Jarrett, father of Dale Jarrett, from up in the TV booth cheered for his son to win.

“It’s the ‘Dale and Dale Show’ as we come off Turn 4,” Ned Jarrett said, excitedly. “You know who I’m pulling for, it’s Dale Jarrett. Bring her to the inside, Dale. Don’t let him get down there. He’s gonna make it! Dale Jarrett’s gonna win the Daytona 500!”



Honestly, if that doesn’t get you excited about the Daytona 500—now just 16 days away—I’m not sure what will.

Enjoy your Friday folks, it’s time to hit the books.

17 Days ‘til Daytona: Roush Fenway Racing

With 17 days until the green drops at Daytona, it’s time to check out one of my favorite teams on the circuit, the boys at Roush Fenway Racing.

Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 car, was picked by the Yahoo Sports panel of experts to finish the year 9th in points. His teammate Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Ford, was picked to finish 8th. So far I haven’t seen Carl Edwards, but I would assume he’ll be a top-five guy.

Biffle won at Pocono in August and the boys of RFR ended the season on a high note, winning three races in the Chase, including Carl Edwards taking the last two races of the season.

After this season though, Edwards will be a “free agent,” of sorts and so will the fourth RFR driver, David Ragan. Chances are high that Edwards will stay at Roush, although you never know in today’s big money world of NASCAR where he might end up.

Conspiracy theorists of the world are currently scheming up a plan to see Ragan depart RFR after his fifth season. In four seasons in the highest level of racing, Ragan has never won a race, and his average finish is 21.6.

Who else could possibly want to inherit the No. 6 car after this season?

If you said Mark Martin, well, you’d be on the right track. As much as I chastised some media members for hounding Mark at Indy last year, I can’t help but take this opportunity to say how interesting this plan is.

Just don’t ask Mark Martin about it until about October or so.

I’m interested to see if that theory pans out this year, and I’ll hold off on my thoughts about that situation until something actually happens. Maybe Ragan will have a banner year, win some races and fight for a Chase berth. Then Roush will re-sign the 25 year old from Unadilla, Georgia.

Until that happens we’ll sit back and wait.

And until Carl Edwards is ready to announce his 2012 plans, I feel we should also all sit back and wait.

I think RFR will be pretty darn good in 2012, but I’m not sure that any of the four drivers in Roush’s camp can challenge Jimmie Johnson or any of the Gibbs boys for the title. If Carl Edwards is up there though, I wouldn’t be horribly surprised.
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Tomorrow we’ll look back at another Daytona 500 from the past. I consider this one to be one of my personal favorites, and it might have been the first one I ever watched. Check back then, have a safe Thursday.

Will a newly-married Kyle Busch be better in 2011?

Sooner or later he’ll prove me right.

Every year I say Kyle Busch will win the Daytona 500. Then I stick my neck out and say, ‘This is it. This is the year the younger Busch wins the Brickyard 400.’ So far I’m 0-fer, and so is Busch at the two biggest races on the NASCAR schedule.

So my question is, when is he finally going to break in and make his mark? When will Kyle Busch finally make me look like I know what I’m talking about? He’s got talent, there’s no denying that, and 15 wins in the past three seasons backs that argument up. But when will Busch finally put it all together.

Busch walks onto pit road at Kentucky prior to the 2009 Nationwide Series race

Every season I sit here and think Kyle Busch could do it. This could be his season. And then something strange happens and Busch just falls off the map. Last year, in the Chase, Busch’s average finish was 17.9. He ended the season in 8th place, 440 marks back of Jimmie Johnson.

Busch and long-time girlfriend Sam Sarcinella got married on New Year’s Eve in Chicago. During the preseason media tour last week, Busch talked about the antics his older brother Kurt pulled on him during the ceremony.

Busch’s advice to those about to get hitched? Look at the bottom of your shoes.

“It was ‘HELP ME’ or something like that,” he told the reporters gathered at Joe Gibbs Racing’s headquarters. “As soon as we got to the church and we got up to the front and had to kneel for the first time – because it was a traditional Catholic wedding – I was like, ‘Oh, man! I forgot!’ Because I had a deal with my Toyota friends that I was going to put Toyota on the bottom of my shoes, and I had forgotten to do it.

“Well, Kurt's sitting in the audience just busting up laughing. And a couple of my guy friends were just looking at him like, ‘What are you doing?’

“I hadn't even looked. Who looks at the bottom of their shoes on their wedding day? I'll give this advice to anybody else who ever gets married: Look at the bottom of your shoes before you put 'em on, because somebody's going to screw with you!”

So while I keep that note in mind for the future (I’m far, far from getting married) I have to wonder if Busch will prove me right. Sooner or later he has to right?

Since I’m in the business of saying Busch will do it, you can mark my words. Kyle Busch will contend for the win at Daytona and possibly Indy. And it wouldn’t surprise me to see the No. 18 up front on a Saturday night in Sparta, Kent., either. If he can beat his teammate Joey Logano—which he has had trouble doing in the past—Busch might win one of the races I say he will.

At least I’ll be somewhat right in my prediction. If not, ‘HELP ME!’
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By the way an extremely happy birthday to my cousin Erin and my grandmother, Sis, today. I’m sure they’d appreciate that! More signing day info later.

20 Days 'til Daytona: Logano matures in third Cup season

The first time I talked to Joey Logano I could sense a youthful excitement in his voice. It was the first time the then 19-year-old from Middletown, Conn., had to run two races in two different locations: Michigan and Kentucky.

Logano in 2009 at Kentucky, answering questions from FOX19 Sports Director Brian Giesenschlag (And me, sports intern at WCPO Channel 9 that year)

He wasn’t scared, but he had a feeling I equate to being six years old and sledding down the big hill for the first time. Sure mom and dad tell you to be careful and make sure you slow up before you get to the bottom and fly off into the busy street, but the only thing you care about is going fast down the hill.

Logano and crew chief Dave Rogers answer questions from the media after their 2009 Meijer 300 win. Logano's dad, Tom, was sitting amongst the media, holding the trophy

That was Logano in 2009. A few weeks after he beat teammate Kyle Busch for what was his second straight Nationwide (nee Busch) Series victory at Kentucky, Logano became the youngest Sprint Cup race winner. At 19 years and 35 days, Logano won the Lenox Tools 301 at New Hampshire.

To date, that is Logano’s only Cup win.

Now, the 20-year-old in the No. 20 car looks to improve on his 16th place finish in last year’s final points tally. Yahoo’s panel of experts picked Logano to finish 14th this season, (http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=jh-countdown14012411) and Jay Hart explained that the panel’s decision to put Logano at 14 didn’t mean he wouldn’t win a few races.

“That he’s not in the Yahoo! Sports top 12 is more of a commentary on how tough making the Chase is than it is on Logano’s ability,” Hart wrote. “Expect him to lead his share of laps in 2011, win a race or two and be in contention for the Chase right up to Richmond.”

In fact, I would be willing to say right now, on the last day of January, that Joey Logano will win his fourth straight Nationwide race at Kentucky in July.

Logano motors through turn four at Kentucky last year as FOX19 photographer Dan Wood films him

And, if I was a betting man I’d be willing to put my money on the No. 20 being in victory lane on Saturday night too. If he was running trucks I’d say Logano could pull off the weekend sweep at Kentucky, but since he’s not (as of right now) it looks like the fans in Sparta will have to deal with two wins in two nights.

If it happens, I’ll look back at this and say, “Told you so.”