State Of The Sport: On Johnson, Patrick And Earnhardt Jr.

May 22, 2013 By 23 Comments

Although many fans proclaim that she hasn’t performed well as a stock car driver, Danica Patrick maintains a huge fan base and is considered one of the most-ably marketed drivers in racing.

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was a bust for some of the fans of the sport. They poo-pooed Jimmie Johnson as winner, tried to eschew Danica Patrick winning the fan vote and were once again upset about Dale Earnhardt Jr. not performing better or getting too much coverage.

One friend of mine posted about how the live audience hated on Patrick so badly and was then shocked at the replies the thread garnered. He asked me privately to explore the reasons why women hate Patrick. I wish it were an easy request.

First let’s explore the NASCAR landscape. From 2005-2011 there were only two NASCAR Sprint Cup champions. Their names are Tony Stewart (2005, 2011) and Johnson (2006-2010). Even when not winning the Cup, Johnson and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team are winning races.

Stewart, while performing well earning bookend Cups to Johnson’s unprecedented five in a row, is far less consistent a competitor and although still “in the mix” last year and this, is not a dominant force at present.

The Johnson juggernaut, make that the Johnson/Knaus/HMS juggernaut, is virtually unstoppable. Some may argue that they were stopped for two seasons running by the likes of Stewart and last year’s surprise champion Brad Keselowski. But Johnson was right there in championship-striking distance.

Winning five in a row was the exception, not the rule. Even champion Dale Earnhardt won in couplets rather than all championship years strung together. That’s more “normal”.

What’s happening here is history. Johnson is making it and when you witness it the enormity of his accomplishments can easily be lost to the annoyance of having seen this before – over and over again.

Johnson has, quite frankly, done it all in NASCAR Sprint Cup. Won Daytona 500s? Yes. Won the All-Star Race? Yep, a record-breaking four times.  Won championships? Heck yeah, the only driver to do it five consecutive times. He’s won at the best tracks, the most difficult circuits, and every kind of way. Johnson is, in a word, amazing.

Looking back in history other amazing NASCAR drivers were also loved by many and detested by scores of people. Dale Earnhardt? Even in death and ‘til this day, yes. Richard Petty? Yes, him, too. With 43+ drivers to throw your fandom to, it’s very frustrating to have one dominate so completely. It can be, well, boring.

It appears that Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t getting all the attention he once did – he still gets plenty – however, he’s quietly gone about creating a good start to the 2013 season.

But one day your children and your children’s children will be asking you whether you remember this era in NASCAR and you can tell them yes.  They’ll be awed and ask you what it was like and you’ll chuckle. Revisionist history will kick in and you’ll tell the children how truly exciting it was to watch Johnson and his team rack up the accolades, wins, and championships. Because somewhere, deep down, you know it is awesome.

As for Patrick, I have to say my piece. So many people ask my opinion of this driver. Many times, for reasons I don’t quite understand, I have to defend her to people who wrongly pick on her. Quite frankly, this is frustrating to me.

Does Patrick perform up to the par she, her team, her fans, or I would like her to? Certainly not. But there is a tremendous learning curve coming from open wheel  – IndyCar in Patrick’s case – to NASCAR stock cars.

Patrick has done well enough in her first seasons running NASCAR and certainly does garner a ton of attention. She does for NASCAR what is sorely needed, brings mainstream fans over to our sport.

Informal polling on my part has found that most people I talk to about NASCAR who don’t know anything about our sport know about Patrick. They are drawn to her like the proverbial moth to the flame. Patrick is a headliner, a superstar, and a sublime creature that the whole of America seems fascinated by completely.

And what hardcore, “curmudgeony” NASCAR fans refuse to see is it has nothing to do with her talents in the cockpit and that is OK. The sport needs a superstar. Earnhardt Jr. has filled the role for well over a decade. He is still a mega-star. But the time is now for the diminutive driver with the pretty smile, long locks, and big sponsorship dollars.

Patrick earned the fan vote last Saturday night at Charlotte. She is, by far, the most popular driver out in the field. Little girls, grown men, moms and dads, open wheel fans and all race fans with pure heart root for Patrick. She is a phenomenon who has learned to market herself brilliantly, play up her assets, and assemble a fan base that defies reason. I say good for her.

There was no illicit wrongdoings, cheating, nor subterfuge to allow Patrick to win the fan vote. There didn’t need to be. She won it fair and square as “the people,” the fans, voted. It wasn’t a surprise to anybody because she has that big of a fan base. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Would it have been cool for another driver to get the vote? I suppose, but he would have had to amass an enormous campaign to win and, let’s face it, no one did.

Then there are the complaints that Patrick did nothing in the race. Too true. She didn’t. Patrick is not an all-star because of a fabulous string of wins; she is still a rookie. But the fan vote wasn’t about the best record; it was about putting your favorite in the race. Their favorite is clearly Patrick.

So, back to the original question, why don’t women (and some men) like her? I think jealousy is a big part of the equation. There, I’ve said it. People who are successful are often the target of those wishing they, too, were as successful.

Patrick is very attractive, very wealthy, and living her dream driving a race car for a living. Her path to the “Bigs” was not paved with the same hardships as others. And given her rather lackluster performance in the top tiers of motorsports, Patrick has driven makes people upset that she is still lauded over and still has a top ride.

But as a team owner, having Patrick in your stable is nothing short of brilliant. In an economy that has been suffering for years Patrick still commands huge money. She commands it because the people seek her out.

My theory is this: if the media hadn’t fawned all over Patrick when she first started sniffing around NASCAR and continue to do so with rabid attention when it hasn’t been earned, no one would be as upset about her career.

It’s the over-rambunctious, over-solicitous, overly nauseous media coverage of this driver that makes her the center of such scorn.

The only person who seems to really be benefitting from this is Earnhardt Jr. With the constant limelight off of him – there still is a pretty huge limelight on him and always will be – Earnhardt Jr. has been able to quietly get the racing job done in the last couple of seasons.

The critics of our sport say it’s “boring”, “going in the tanks”, and “not the same product as it was”. Well, no, it’s not the same.

NASCAR has had to modernize, adjust, evolve, and just plain change. From expanding its regional borders to better safety equipment, more money and more media involvement, this sport is nothing like its predecessor. Only it is.

There were always people who complained, argued, and swore they’d never watch again. But the people are watching, the fans are cheering, and the drivers are performing. Johnson is making history, Patrick is revitalizing the sport, and Earnhardt Jr. is, well, Jr. And for Junior Nation that’s all he ever needs to be.

Now, I’ve got to be going, I’m gearing up for the Coca-Cola 600. I can’t wait to see how Johnson, Patrick, Earnhardt Jr., and the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup field do! How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Near Perfection Means Win, Points Lead For Johnson

April 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t have a good day at Martinsville. His car didn’t run as well as he would have liked and he was involved in a spin that pushed him to a 24th-place finish. He lost his lead in the point standings.

For one driver, the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway was a race in which he achieved near perfection.

For him, it was the kind of race of which he could only dream and then wake up with a satisfied smile on his face.

But for Jimmie Johnson, the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville was no dream. It was reality. And that reality is that the Hendrick Motorsports driver thoroughly – and I mean thoroughly – trounced his rivals to with for the eighth time at the half-mile, “paperclip” track.
Johnson, a five-time Sprint Cup champion, started his weekend at Martinsville by winning the pole position. That was a clear indication he would be the driver to beat – again.

Then he proceeded to lead 346 of the race’s 500 laps, three times more than any other driver.

Johnson earned the 62nd victory of his career and became the first driver to win twice in the six races conducted in 2013.

Johnson’s eighth career win at Martinsville was accomplished over the last 14 seasons. He’s now third on the speedway’s all-time list behind Darrell Waltrip (11) and Richard Petty.

In the STP Gas Booster 500, Johnson made it look so easy – although he wouldn’t admit that it was.“It was just a long-fought day,” Johnson said. “Martinsville stays the same over the years and you just have to dig in and get into a rhythm and drive your own race and see how things unfold at the end and how things happen.

Danica Patrick turned in an admirable performance at Martinsville. She started from the rear of the field, survived an incident and went on to finish 12th – best among the rookies.

“Fortunately we didn’t have any craziness with two tires or four tires at the end. I feel like the fastest car won the race. It was a very standard Martinsville race; although I thought some guys might peel off and take tires. It was just a hard race.
“This race track is tough to get around. But we have a great notebook. I’ve got to thank (crew chief) Chad Knaus and all my guys and everybody back home at Hendrick Motorsports.”

Johnson’s only real challenger was Matt Kenseth, who swiped the lead away from him twice and Kyle Busch once.

But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver faded late in the race and finished 14th.

“For a period of time there, I kind of thought Matt was going to win this thing and he hates this race track,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t believe he ran that well here today. I’ve got to give him a hard time about that.

“Just as the day wore on and we got to the end, they were flawless on pit road and I did my job on the race track to maintain track position, and we could control the race at that point. Fortunately we had control of the race late and held off a lot of hard-charging guys.”

Clint Bowyer finished second to Johnson in his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota and felt the outcome might well have been different had he not been involved in an incident.

“We had a fast car all weekend long and really thought we were maybe going to be walking out of here with a Grandfather clock,” Bowyer said. “I tore the car up pretty bad over here off of (turn) four.

“I checked up and I got hit from behind, pushed into the No. 1 (Jamie McMurray) and all hell broke loose. All in all, second place isn’t bad, but it sure sucks right now.”

—– Johnson’s victory moved him into No. 1 in the point standings, six points ahead of Brad Keselowski, who finished sixth, and 12 in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had his worst performance of the young season and finished 24th.Earnhardt Jr. came to Martinsville first in points and was the only driver to earn five top-10 finishes in five races. But at Martinsville, little went right.

He Chevrolet’s performance soured and he was involved in an incident triggered by Brian Vickers, which, combined, put him out of contention.

—– As disappointing as the race may have been for Earnhardt Jr., it was quite the opposite for Stewart Haas Racing’s Danica Patrick.

She was forced to start from the 43rd position after an engine change and then, not long into the race, she took a spin when clipped by Ken Schrader.

But she persistently made up ground, cruising around her rivals to a 12th-place finish, highest among the rookies.

That she did so well on a track completely new to her was not lost on observers.
And it wasn’t lost on her, either.

“I think you take what the car gives you and Tony Gibson (crew chief) has a really good track record here, he is a great crew chief, and my car was good all day,” Patrick said. “We kind of balanced her out after being a little loose to a little tight but we got the car back up there.

“We obviously went down real early with that spin and then were two laps down at one point. So I feel that is one of the things that I am most proud about is coming back from two laps down and being on the lead lap.

Then grabbing a 12th place finish in the end was good. So it was a good run today.”

—– For Johnson, “a good run” is an understatement. His run at Martinsville was incomparable.

“Yeah, we had a great weekend and I know that the stats clearly show that,” Johnson said.

“But it was probably the most calm, relaxed thought out and mature weekend we’ve had.

We really fell back on our experience and stayed committed to that.

“It was just a very well executed race, or I should say weekend, and clearly the race today, by the whole 48 team.

No one can argue with that.

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Danica Patrick Deserves Attention But So Does Kathy Jarvis, Here’s Why

July 20, 2012 By 15 Comments

Kathy Jarvis has been a Hollywood stuntwoman for 17 years. She is also a Late Model driver who, when offered the chance to race, eagerly accepted.

I try to remain emotionally unattached when I watch NASCAR races. It’s usually easy for me to do.

But this season I find it excruciatingly difficult to cast my personal feelings aside when I watch Danica Patrick on the track.

The bottom line is, as a woman, I want to see her succeed. I’ve written about how her marketability does not bother me – it still doesn’t – and her beauty and use of her looks does not offend me.

But no matter how unbiased and supportive I try to be I find myself yelling at the television when she crashes out, goes laps down, or suffers another lackluster appearance at the track.

I’ve suffered this season trying to watch Patrick win or earn, at least, a top five. I am exhausted by my efforts.

And then I met and interviewed a driver who completely changed my perspective.

Kathy Jarvis is a Late Model dirt track racer who just completed her first “Hell Tour,” a competition that visits 29 venues in 32 days.

This woman who is, to date, the only female who has ever tried to tackle this literally hellacious series, fascinated me.

Jarvis did not come to racing like others. She didn’t start as a child in go-karts and then come up through the ranks. She found racing through a different avenue.

Fearless is a word to describe this racer who told me that as a child her mother, a single mom to four children, never told her to not do something.

It was never, “Be careful you might get hurt!” Jarvis was told to do whatever she wanted but warned, “You know that you might get hurt and I can’t afford to get you fixed!”

And fearless Jarvis is. She admits she tries to do everything of which she is afraid – so she won’t fear it any longer.

She’s carved out a successful job as a Hollywood stuntwoman for the last 17 years.

When, as a guest at a race a few years ago, the opportunity arose for Jarvis to get into a Late Model dirt car Jarvis, being the woman she is, simply said, “Yes, because you neversay no!” And thus started Jarvis’ career as a racer.

Jarvis took up the challenge of competing in the "Hell Tour," driving a Late Model like the one shown. The tour visits more than two dozen venues in just over 30 days.

When Jarvis was asked if she wanted to compete in the “Hell Tour,” and be the only woman to do so, she said yes again.

And it is hell. Out of the 29 races, Jarvis made 21 of them – one was cancelled due to hot weather and she missed seven nights in a search for parts or car repairs.

Through the entire tour Jarvis faced a lot of adversity. At one point she lost her team. She had to call her husband to come work for her, something he swore, in frustration, he’d never do.

She struggled with the process, questioned her perceived lack of success and, ultimately, was mired in the difficulty of it all.

Frustration gave way to feelings of being overwhelmed. But fans continually reached out to support her, lift her spirits and thank her for being out there and never giving up.

Jarvis refused to compare her situation to that of Patrick or Johanna Long, but instead insisted on speaking solely about her own experiences and strengths.

She does not dwell on the sights set by others – fans or critics. Jarvis says her success is based on her own feelings.

“If I did the best I could, and I feel really well, then that is a success for me,” Jarvis, for example, explained about a 15th-place finish.

This brings Patrick’s scenario into focus for me. I’d been caught up in what the detractors complain about her.

I had the idea that this season had to be more about wins for Patrick, even though we’re told weekly that it’s about “seat time and logging laps.”

Well, Patrick is doing that. That’s all she needs to do at this point. Success for her may be more along the lines of what Jarvis understands as a personal one. Who am I to judge harshly?

Instead of tearing down I will be concentrating more on progress.

I’ll still watch Patrick run the Nationwide races as well as the few Sprint Cup races she has left on her 2012 schedule.

I’ll be silently rooting for her and calmly accept every small victory – even if it’s one not accompanied by a checkered flag.

But, I’ll also follow closely the career of Kathy Jarvis, who inspires me greatly and impresses me even more.

 

 

 

 

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Victory In Exciting Daytona Nationwide Race Is Redemption For Kurt Busch

July 6, 2012 By 1 Comment

The Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway was exciting and had its share of wrecks due to pack racing. Kurt Bush (No. 1) escaped this one and others to win the race.

(Editor’s Note: Mark DeCotis is a veteran journalist who spent 37 years in the newspaper business before beginning a second career combining leisure and earning a living.

He covered 26 Daytona 500s, numerous Pepsi/Coke Zero 400s, Busch/Nationwide, Trucks, more than a few Rolex 24s at Daytona, season finales at Homestead, Kevin Harvick’s emotional first win at Atlanta, IndyCar, sports car, NHRA, motorcycle, ATV and power boat racing.

His favorite race car driver interviews of all time were with 15-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force).

 

DAYTONA BEACH. Fla. – After more than half the field wrecked in six separate incidents in Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona, Kurt Busch played the role of survivor and won the Subway Jalapeno 250 in overtime.

He managed to get through two big wrecks including the startling one in which pre-race favorite Danica Patrick walloped the inside retaining wall off Turn 2 with such ferocity that it drove the steering column in her JR Motorsports Chevy nearly to the roof.

The lap 83 wreck was unnervingly similar to the one Patrick was involved in coming off Turn 2 during practice for February’s Daytona 500. Fortunately for her, her team and the sport she walked away.

When the smoke and sparks finally dissipated Busch found himself in victory lane in a car damaged in one of the earlier wrecks. His smoky burnout capped a wild and entertaining evening which at times saw the field running four-wide on Daytona’s narrow racing surface and, not surprisingly, ended in a wreck involving Austin Dillon and others as the field came to the checkered flag.

At least 25 of the 43 cars were damaged in wrecks and24 of the 101 laps were run under caution. But the race did set a track record for lead changes with 42 involving 16 drivers.

Danica Patrick qualified and ran well in the race and might have had an excellent shot at victory had not she been involved in one of the race's multi-car crashes.

Unfortunately the attendance was sparse by Daytona standards. And those who stayed home missed a show that left Kurt Busch emotionally spent in victory lane – and his brother Kyle steaming in his wrecked car that he skidded to a stop just yards away while heading the wrong way on pit road following the finish.

If NASCAR was planning to penalize the sport’s premier pouter for the bonehead move was not immediately determined.

All that didn’t faze Kurt Busch.

“We just won at Daytona,” he exulted. “I’m hoarse because I’ve been screaming so loud. This is awesome.”

The victory marks a step toward redemption for the volatile Busch. He was suspended from his James Finch-owned ride in the Sprint Cup Series in June after a run-in with a reporter that followed his being put on probation after a run in with driver Ryan Newman and Newman’s team at Darlington.

He was retained after the Finch team voted to keep him in the driver’s seat and hopefully the victory was his first payment on the debt he owes.

“I’ve got only a couple of things to give and that’s heart and that’s passion,” Busch said.

Surely Finch will accept his driver’s effort and the first-place check that can only help his underfunded and understaffed operation.

While the riveting action up front kept the crowd on its feet, Dillon came from the back after his Richard Childress Racing Chevy failed post-qualifying inspection that negated his pole-winning run.

He eventually led and finished fourth sliding sideways across the finish line. It continued a wild two weeks that saw he and his team penalized for a failing post-race inspection following his first career victory at Kentucky.

“I never got really worried about getting to the front, I thought we had a car capable of getting there,” Dillon said.

As for the penalties: “We made another mistake that’s two in a row,” Dillon said. “My grandfather (Childress) is upset with the guys. It’s like ‘Man, we’ve got to stop doing that. We’ve got to be on our game.’ ”

Kurt Busch was surely on his game in winning for the fifth time in 23 career Nationwide starts and for the second time this season, the first for Finch. He won at Richmond in a Kyle Busch Motorsports car.

“It means more to me but it means more to these guys,” Busch said of his team. “I’m happy we were able to deliver. I couldn’t be more proud of this team effort tonight.

“We didn’t give up. It’s not vindication. You want to win for James Finch.”

As for his up and down career that has seen him lose Cup rides at Roush Racing and Penske Racing due to his mercurial nature, and whether the victory could put him on the right path, Busch maintained Friday night was not about him.

“When you win for James Finch in just a few starts in the Nationwide Series for these guys that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “I don’t care about me right now.”

 

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What NASCAR Needs Is A Championship-Caliber Female Driver

April 13, 2012 By 6 Comments

Johanna Long spent two seasons driving trucks before she secured a full-time ride on the Nationwide Series this year. Her rise in NASCAR has been steady.

When our third child and only daughter arrived in 2009 my husband beamed proudly and proclaimed in the delivery room that she was to be, “The first female, first rookie champion of the Daytona 500 in 2027.”

I smiled dreamily – it’s a lot of work having a baby – and thought little else of it.

As this is the world of social media I came home 48 hours later to hundreds of Facebook messages congratulating me on my daughter’s arrival. By the time I got to look at my husband’s Facebook page, realization struck.

He had written the very same thing about our daughter winning the Daytona 500 18 years in the future that he had boldly stated upon her birth.

This pleased me immensely as I could see my husband harbored no resentment over having a daughter.

In fact, he was overjoyed with the prospect of piecing together an entire NASCAR Sprint Cup team with his wife as crew chief, his middle boy as jack man, his oldest son as the front tire changer, and he himself as his daughter’s spotter.

The only thing that still rings sadly to my ears is that our daughter may well be the first all those years later.

NASCAR has provided several female drivers throughout the years, some tougher than others and some more successful than others, but none that ever completely capitalized and became a champion.

Currently there is a crop of women in NASCAR who hold promise.

The most visible and reported about is Danica Patrick, the IndyCar driver who is spending her first full season in NASCAR in the Nationwide Series in addition to driving 10 races in the Sprint Cup series.

To date Patrick has had a lackluster beginning in both series. Her critics are quick to judge, harsh in their criticisms and offer the woman no learning curve in her first season.

They tear apart Patrick’s character and motives in terms of the lady’s marketability and her shrewdness in capitalizing on it.

Patrick’s supporters are patient and staunch, but would certainly like to see the driver perform better than she has this season.

Patrick does have the record for finishing highest for a woman among NASCAR’s top circuits; she earned a fourth place finish in a Nationwide Series race in Las Vegas on March 5, 2011. This feat was good enough to beat Sara Christian’s record for her fifth place finish in October 1949 that had stood for over six decades.

I have nothing against Patrick and would personally love to see her succeed. It bothers me not one iota that she uses her looks, notoriety, and presence to sell for her sponsors, something Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Carl Edwards have all done.

But, as the mother of a little girl who may just one day be a competitor in NASCAR’s top tier, I would like for her to see women improving, succeeding, and even winning in the Cup Series.

Chrissy Wallace won a track championship and appeared headed toward a career in NASCAR, but a lack of sponsorship has put her on the sidelines for now.

Many complain that too much media is dedicated to Patrick when Nationwide Series driver Johanna Long is a far more impressive driver.

Long has had a decent climb in NASCAR. After two years in the Camping World Truck Series, Long improved her ranking considerably and got herself a ride in the Nationwide series this year.

Though “holding her own,” Long seems far from a championship run this season. But the young woman does have tenacity and talent and those two traits should take her far in NASCAR.

Jennifer Jo Cobb was headed down a successful path in NASCAR, it seemed, when she finished 17th for the 2010 season in the Camping World Truck Series, making her the top finishing female in one of the top three NASCAR standings.

But lack of funds, poor finishes, and a career in fashion has diluted Cobb’s potency, making it unlikely that at her age she’ll get to NASCAR’s premiere level.

Chrissy Wallace seemed like a great racer with a ton of potential ready to be tapped.

Wallace is related to the Wallace clan that has raced in NASCAR for decades. She had a career high when she earned the 2011 Lebanon I-44 Track Champion honors. This seemed like a great jumping off point for earning sponsorship to take her more heavily into competition in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series

Unfortunately, according to Wallace’s website, they team is parked and looking for sponsorship.

Of all the women, Long seems to have the most promise though Patrick has a longer career in motorsports and certainly more monetary backing.

For either woman, or both, to succeed and, better yet, thrive in NASCAR would be ideal.

I’m on the record as appreciating attractive people and wanting more of them in NASCAR, both male and female. It pleases me to see empirically good-looking men and women on my television.

I truly ache to see sexually appealing people make commercials since I have to watch them during NASCAR races.

But make no mistake, I have another agenda.

My goal is for my daughter to see a starting grid filled with women in NASCAR. My hope is that by the time my daughter entertains driving at NASCAR’s top level, being a woman is no longer shocking or interesting.

That how well a woman drives is what she is judged upon and not her looks alone.

If my daughter has to stand on the backs of the women who came before to achieve the level of greatness her father prophesized, so be it.

She’s got the mettle, I can guarantee you that.

Until that 2027 Daytona 500, I’ll have to keep rooting for the women NASCAR puts before me.

 

 

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Daytona 500: Folks, You Ain’t Never Seen Anything Like This

February 28, 2012 By 3 Comments

Matt Kenseth and his Roush Fenway team worked together and overcame obstacles and that allowed Kenseth to win his second Daytona 500 in two years. He led a strong overall Roush performance.

After the Daytona 500 was rained out for the first time in its history and then its original reset start at noon on Feb. 27 was also changed due to inclement weather, NASCAR made a bold decision:

The race would start at 7 p.m., which, of course, made the Daytona 500 a night race.

Fans love night races.

So does television, in this case, the Fox network. It is almost always assured of a much bigger audience for any program that is aired at evening rather than during the day – especially on a Monday.

So Fox touted that the Daytona 500 would be a “wildly exciting event on prime time television.”

Oh, the race was exciting all right. Viewers got an eyeful. Heck, they got a double eyeful.

That’s because they got to see what will go down in racing history as the most unusual, strangest and most bizarre – pick your word – Daytona 500 ever run.

 

**** Anyone who saw the 500 knows exactly what made the race, uh, shall we say, weird.

While the race was under caution on lap 160 of 200, Earnhardt-Ganassi driver Juan Pablo Montoya left the pits at high speed.

Suddenly something broke on the rear of his car and Montoya crash into a jet dryer truck – on the track to perform routine cleanup –, which was loaded with jet kerosene fuel.

The truck erupted in a ball flame that burned consistently despite fire fighters’ best, untiring efforts.

Finally the blaze was contained. Montoya was not hurt and the truck driver, Duane Barnes – who was carried away from the blazing vehicle by an intrepid fellow safety worker – was taken to the infield Halifax Medical center, where he was treated and released.

A car crashing into a jet dry truck, a blazing inferno and the immediate concerns that the track had been too damaged to continue the race, all combined to make the entire episode a first at Daytona – or just about anywhere else, for that matter.

No one, again, no one, had ever seen anything like it. Even Leonard Wood of Wood Brothers Racing, who has been around almost as long as NASCAR, said he couldn’t recall anything remotely similar.

It took speedy-dry, Tide detergent, gallons of water and lots of manpower to get the track ready to race again.

After a fiery incident caused by Juan Pablo Montoya's crash into a jet dry truck, cars were parked on the track during an extensive red-flag period.

The entire process lasted over two hours and four minutes and assured the Daytona 500 would not end until the morning of Feb. 28.

“I told them when I left the pits something wasn’t right and I felt a weird vibration when we were with the pack,” said Montoya. “Every time I got on the gas, it vibrated.

“So, I came back in and they checked all the rear-end and they said it was OK. I was going down the back straightaway, and I was going in fourth gear, but, we weren’t even going that fast.

“Every time I got on the gas I could feel the rear really squeezing. I got on the brakes to travel up and, while I was, I planned to tell the spotter to have a look on how the rear was moving. Then the car just turned right.”

Montoya added he heard the explosion and felt the flames, which burned his helmet. He also suffered a sore foot but otherwise walked away unscathed.

“I’ve hit a lot of things,” he said, “but never a jet dry truck.”

The incident was an unwanted spectacle that, in all probability, will have NASCAR looking for ways to avoid a repeat in the future.

 

**** NASCAR put out the red flag after the fiery incident and, at the time, Dave Blaney, driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing, was the leader.

Don’t think for a moment folks didn’t notice that.

Everyone was keenly aware of the supreme irony that would exist if Blaney won the race.

When Stewart Haas Racing affiliated with Baldwin, it accumulated TBR’s standing within the top 35 in car owner points, which assured a Stewart driver would qualify for the first five races of the year.

That privilege was bestowed upon Danica Patrick, on board at Stewart Haas for 10 developmental Sprint Cup races, including the Daytona 500.

While she got the free ride into the event, Blaney had to work to get his start. Which, not unexpectedly, he did. He was 24th when the green flag fell.

And then, with 40 laps to go, he was the leader.

Was this ever tantalizing. If Blaney could win it would be so ironic that he did so over Patrick. Many fans viewed it this way: The blue collar, veteran driver triumphs over one who received the fruits of his labor.

Realistically, however, that was never going to happen. Blaney was in the lead only because he had yet to make a final pit stop – which he absolutely had to do.

When the race restarted Blaney did what he had to do – he pitted under the caution. Naturally, he lost the lead. But he expected that.

“I can still hang in the pack just fine,” said Blaney, whose car sustained some right-front damage earlier in the race. “When it comes right down to it, it’s going to hurt me, but it’s not killing us. We are still in the race with it. Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

Indeed he was. Blaney finished 15th and after one race is right back to the good in the owner point standings.

Patrick, meanwhile, crashed out of the race to finish 38th.

 

**** Speaking of Patrick, her first Daytona weekend was, by her own description, “up and down.”

She crashed in a Gatorade Duel, won the pole and then wrecked again in the Nationwide Series event and lasted just two laps in the 500 before being swept up in a multi-car accident.

This multi-car crash on just the second lap of the race ruined the hopes of five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Danica Patrick, making her Daytona 500 debut.

Lest anyone be quick to criticize Patrick’s efforts, it should be said none of the accidents were her fault. She did nothing wrong.

But her 38th-place finish meant that it will be up to David Reutimann, who will drive her No. 10 car in 26 races this year, to return it to the top 35 in the next four races. He’s capable.

The accident that involved Patrick was caused by Elliott Sadler’s tap on Jimmie Johnson’s rear. The contact was made on the left-hand side, an explicit no-no in plate racing.

Johnson, who has won five-straight championships, finished 42nd. Other notables involved in the accident included last year’s Cinderella race winner Trevor Bayne, David Ragan, a winner at Daytona last July, Kurt Busch and Patrick.

Things may get worse for Johnson as his Hendrick Motorsports team faces NASCAR penalties for unapproved parts found on its Chevrolet last week.

 

**** Few were overly surprised when Matt Kenseth won the 500 for the second time in four years and the Roush Fenway Racing driver became the first repeat winner in 10 seasons.

Throughout Speedweeks it became obvious that the Fords – particularly those of Roush – were exceptionally strong at Daytona.

When Roush driver Carl Edwards won the 500 pole, and teammate Greg Biffle qualified second, it accentuated Ford’s power.

As expected, Kenseth and Biffle worked masterfully together at the head of the pack throughout the race and were right there on the closing laps.

With Kenseth leading, Biffle made some blocking maneuvers to keep Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the way.

On the last lap, however, Earnhardt Jr. moved to the outside to avoid Biffle. The strategy netted him second place as Kenseth pulled away for the victory.

Biffle was third and Edwards ninth, which gave Roush three cars among the top 10.

“I think Greg had one of the strongest cars all week and ours was right there as well,” said Kenseth, who earned $1,589387. “Our car for some reason was a lot faster out front than it was in traffic.

“Once we were in the front it was hard for anyone to get locked on to us. We had enough speed and once we took the white flag I felt sort of OK about it. By the time I got to turn three, I saw they couldn’t get enough speed mustered up to try to make it move.”

Kenseth, however, did not enjoy a problem-free race, which became abundantly clear when, early in the event, hot water spewed from his car.

“We had a lot of problems and almost ended up a lap down,” Kenseth said. “I had my radio break and my tach break and we pushed all the water out and had to come in and put water in it.

“But the guys did a great job. They never panicked and I think they enjoyed their day more because they couldn’t hear me on the radio with my radio problems.

“When I woke up this morning I didn’t feel we could win, so this feels really good.”

 

**** Tidbits: Kenseth is, of course, first in points and Earnhardt Jr. is second – a good start for him and his long-suffering fans.

Richard Childress Racing put three drivers among the top 10 – Jeff Burton (5th), Paul Menard (6th) and Kevin Harvick (7th).

Joe Gibbs Racing added two among the top 10, Denny Hamlin (4th) and Joey Logano (9th).

Michael McDowell, the journeyman driver who turned emotional when he made the 500 field against the odds, finished 30th.

More important, he earned $292,175, a fitting reward for his efforts.

During the red-flag period Brad Keselowski captured everyone’s attention when began Twittering repeatedly and took various photos.

The social media loved all of it and Keselowski gained thousands of followers is a remarkably short period of time.

It was a funny episode. The question now, however, is will NASCAR join the NBA and put an end to the activity, especially during events?

Probably.

 

 

 

 

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Danica, Kyle Busch: Observations On Two Key Daytona 500 Drivers

February 26, 2012 By 3 Comments

Danica Patrick has polarized fans, many of whom are her supporters but others who think she has far more marketing ability than driving talent. Patrick knows all this and deals with it.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Some observations on two drivers, each – or both – of whom could play a pivotal role in today’s Daytona 500.

To some Danica Patrick is a breath of fresh air; a catalyst to peak the nation’s interest in NASCAR and curiosity over a female competing in a predominantly male sport.

The proof, they say, is to simply look at the wealth of attention she brought to Indy Car competition before she switched to stock cars.

Others claim Patrick is nothing more than a bright, good-looking marketing magnet with more interest in promoting herself than a sport.

They add that the media has taken it upon themselves to shove Patrick down their throats – reporting on her every word and action to the point of distraction.

Some say Patrick is more smoke than substance and question her driving ability. They express the belief that if she didn’t have the wherewithal to lure sponsorship and media attention, she wouldn’t enjoy relationships with top teams in Sprint Cup and Nationwide – or the equipment they provide.

As for the fact she won the pole for Saturday’s Drive4COPD 300, well, NASCAR had the fix on.

Which is nothing but conspiracy theorists’ blather.

Patrick used her skill and JR Motorsports preparation and equipment to become the first woman to win a pole at Daytona International Speedway. Nothing more and nothing less.

It’s a mystery why some choose not to believe that. Why is it so hard to accept a unique, even historical, feel-good story when we all have done it freely, and repeatedly, in the past?

It’s because Patrick is involved. And with that comes the belief that her skills aren’t good enough to allow her such an achievement without “assistance.”

If nothing else, I hope I make this point strongly enough: Patrick does have skills. She has, and has had, the ability to drive a race car. Her peers know this.

While I’m sure that her marketing skills and sponsor dollars were part of her lure to JR Motorsports, let’s not forget the team is in the business of winning Nationwide races, among other things.

If the team thought Patrick didn’t have the ability to do just that, it wouldn’t have hired her.

Yes, Patrick is a rookie in a Sprint Cup developmental role with Stewart Haas Racing. She’s scheduled to compete in just 10 races this year.

Sure, she brought the needed dollars that helped her cause. But if Tony Stewart, who is nobody’s fool, did not believe Patrick had potential and could achieve the goals she and the team have established, he wouldn’t bother.

Yes, Patrick wrecked in a Gatorade Duel and in the Nationwide race. Neither was her fault and should be considered part of her learning curve.

I haven’t said a thing here Patrick hasn’t already heard, likely many times.

She knows exactly what is going on and the perceptions people have of her.

Unfazed, she accepts it all.

“I think that people can choose to look at what I have done and like it. Or they can look at it and choose to judge it and think it is not enough,” Patrick said. “I don’t think you are ever going to change the people that want to cheer for you and the people that don’t want to cheer for you.

“It’s funny. I did see somebody say something right after my win (in Motegi, Japan). I saw something that said ‘Oh let’s see what she does against the people in the United States.’

“I thought how funny that a casual fan didn’t know that was the Indy Car Series racing in Japan.  I just thought that was a random funny thing.

“I really think that the people that write have the ability, and there are fortunately enough to be there every weekend, to see what I do.  They can draw their own opinions.”

While Patrick knows precisely where she stands in racing, the attention she draws and all that comes with it – good and bad – it is likely she will not change.

“No, I don’t I enjoy being different,” she said. “I enjoy being unique. I enjoy it all. I really do.

“I chose to look at the positives that come with it instead of the negatives, but it is a balance. The ups are really good and the downs are sure disappointing.

“Partly because I’m used to the down part is why I feel, what’s not to like? I’m followed well and I have lots of great fans and I’m always so grateful when people write nice things about me.

“I feel good. The people that don’t like me, well, I also respect that perspective as well.”

And now for another, quick observation:

Kyle Busch is recognized for his driving skill and his bad behavior. There's no indication Busch is going to change who he is, but it's certain he knows how he's perceived.

Kyle Busch knows exactly what is going on. He gets it.

The younger Busch brother is a driver who has repeatedly displayed his considerable skill.

He has won multiple times on NASCAR’s top three national circuits, including this year’s Budweiser Shootout. Perhaps the most graphic example of his talent came in that race.

Busch kept his car under control twice when he could have easily spun and wrecked. Then he made a masterful move to pass Stewart and win the race by the closest margin in its history.

I think most fans have accepted Busch’s driving talent, even if grudgingly.

But instead of being widely admired, Busch is vilified. He is NASCAR’s “bad boy,” its spoiled, sometime immature, brat.

In a bout of anger he’s been known to take matters in his own hands and not worry about the consequences.

Which he did last year when he deliberately wrecked Ron Hornaday in a truck race at Texas. NASCAR suspended Busch for the track’s Cup event. That cost him any chance at a championship.

I have said before Busch would serve himself well if he became a changed man. I don’t know if he has any intention of doing so.

But I do know he’s very aware of how he is perceived – both in talent and personality – and at least accepts and prepares for it.

“After the Shootout, there was just a lot of encouragement,” Busch said. “Things like, that it’s one of the best they’ve ever seen, it’s something that they’ve never seen – some would say that there’s few that can do it, but they know that I may be the only one that’s ever done it.  Just stuff like that.

“After the race, my phone was blowing up with over 100 text messages and 25 emails.  I had

a long next day getting back to everybody and answering everybody.

As for the other side, Busch might find it a little more difficult to swallow, but he seems ready for it.

“At races, I hear the fans a little bit,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to hear them when you don’t have your helmet on.

“I keep my helmet on when I get out of the car in case of unidentified flying objects.  I’ve learned from my past experiences.

“It’s always fun that you get to be able to get out of the car and hear the rants of the crowd, whether they be cheers or boos or applause or what have you – and get to do your victory bow.

“That’s the greatest satisfaction of winning a race.”

Yep, Kyle Busch knows exactly what’s going on.

 

 

 

 

 

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An Understanding Dave Blaney Has To Do It All Over Again

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

dblaney

When Stewart Haas Racing associated itself with Tommy Baldwin Racing, as you know, a few things happened.

What was the No. 26 TBR Chevrolet became the No. 10 Stewart Haas Chevrolet, which will be driven in 10 races this year by Danica Patrick. David Reutimann will compete in the remaining 26 events.

TBR will field a No. 36 Chevrolet, which will be driven by Blaney.

Doesn’t appear to be anything unusual in all of this. But, as far as Blaney is concerned, here’s the rub:

When Tony Stewart’s team locked in with TBR, it also locked into TBR’s 33rd place in last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup owner points standings.

Since it was among the top 35, it means that the No 10 car, and Patrick, are assured starting spots in the first five races of the year.

Which means, of course, that Patrick gets a starting spot in the Daytona 500 – a free ride, so to speak.

Blaney, meanwhile, has to qualify; work his way in if he can.

And who was TBR’s driver last year who significantly helped the team get a top 35 standing in owner points? Sure, it was Blaney.

Now, to watch a person enjoy the fruits of your labor is the kind of thing that can get under anyone’s skin.

So it wouldn’t be surprising if Blaney were a little irritated.

However, Blaney, a laid-back sort, says that what transpired was understandable.

“It stings a little,” he said. “But I think it was an obvious thing Tommy had to do to help our program. It wasn’t unexpected at all. We’ll just go out and make the most of it.”

It’s believed what Baldwin gained from the association were more resources to help his one car team. And Blaney admits he is very much in favor of that.

“It will enable us to have a little better stuff all year,” he said. “But it just doesn’t lock us into races.

“The trade off was obviously good for us and if we had a sponsor right now for the No. 36 it would be even better. But we don’t have one.”

Blaney, who began his full-time NASCAR career with Bill Davis in 1999, will compete in a second full season for Baldwin in 2012.

Last season he earned only one top-five finish and one among the top 10. But most important, he failed to finish only eight times – which helped the team enjoy steady, if unspectacular, season.

It paid off in owner points.

Team owner Tommy Baldwin sacrificed his standing in the top 35 in owner points to gain more resources for his team this season, which he hopes will improve overall performance.

 

“Really, all throughout last year we kept getting our equipment better from the engines to better cars from Richard Childress Racing,” Blaney said.

“That was a big, big deal as far as upgrades and how competitive we were. Same thing for this year. If we can keep upgrading our stuff, when we do get sponsorship to race, it just makes us that much better.”

Essentially, Blaney is right back where he started in 2011. He said the most realistic goal in 2012 is to have his Baldwin team to at least reach last year’s competitive level.

“We probably can’t afford to go hard right off the bat, but it’s OK,” he said. “Last year when we came down here, we didn’t know what we would do after the 500 as far as how much we could race.

“But we got Golden Corral and a couple more little sponsors and went right on and raced for the entire year. It can happen, even at the last minute.

“Hopefully we can make that happen somewhat.”

It begins with this year’s Daytona 500, for which Blaney will be denied the luxury of an assured starting position.

“It’s huge,” said the 49-year-old Blaney, a native of Hartford, Ohio. “We came down here to test over the winter. We may not have come if we were locked in. But we knew we had to qualify.

“Even though we ran third at Talladega last year we brought a different car to test. We thought it might have more speed by itself.

“The easy way is to be locked in. But what happens on Thursday (in the twin qualifying races) is what is going to be difficult. Hopefully we can do it.

“Hopefully we can get enough speed before Thursday so we know we can make it. That will make the rest of the week easy.”

If Blaney does indeed qualify for the 500 it will be a big first step toward a productive season for TBR – which Blaney would find personally satisfying.

“Right now, that’s the whole thing for me,” he said. “We need to find ways to keep racing.

“And then we need to have the best car possible under me when we do race.”

There’s no reason to think it won’t happen for Blaney. After all, it’s happened before.

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Patrick Says She Can Win Daytona 500, Raikkonen Fastest in Jerez Formula One Testing

February 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Danica Patrick can see where she might pull off a win at the Daytona 500. She cites Trevor Bayne as evidence. Her team owner, Tony Stewart only want’s her to learn in the 10 Cup races. Formula One tested at Jerez Spain and Kimi Raikkonen and his Lotus were the fastest on day one. Even in testing, a driver that hasn’t driven an F1 car in two years shows that the Lotus may be a contender for more than mid pack.

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Patrick Wins in Tommy Baldwin NASCAR Deal, Barrichello Considering IndyCar, Courtney Force

February 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

Danica Patrick benefitted from the points deal made between Stewart-Haas and Tommy Baldwin Racing. Baldwin gets technical and personnel help and Danica gets the points from the #36 car. Rubens Barrichello is considering a move to IndyCar. Barrichello has just left Williams Formula One. Courtney Force, daughter of John Force, will make her debut in Funny Cars in February in Pomona, California. Courtney Force says she’s ready.

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