Happy Thursday everyone. I'm back! Quote of the Day Just going to dinner with him is an episode. I can't imagine his day-to-day life, how he manages to even function. -- Crew chief Lance McGrew on Dale Earnhardt Jr. Countdown to Daytona 24 Comments from the Peanut Gallery From Chip I haven't received a newsletter this week from you and wondering if all was well with you or you just got too busy to do one. Busy is good but the alternative is not. Chip Chip, just been busy as all get-out this week. Thanks for asking, and thanks for hanging in there! Bits and Pieces NASCAR Press Conference on TV: TODAY SPEED will interrupt regularly scheduled programming to bring viewers live coverage of the NASCAR press conference scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21 at 1:00pm/et from the sanctioning body's Concord, N.C., facility. The press conference is part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wendy Venturini will host SPEED's coverage from the site. AND: SIRIUS NASCAR Radio will carry Thursday's NASCAR press conference live starting at 1:00pm/et. Following the press conference, "Tradin' Paint" hosts Rick Benjamin and Chocolate Myers will interview the panel members live from the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, NC. Still no deal for Knaus: Jimmie Johnson re-upped with Hendrick Motorsports last year. Crew chief Chad Knaus, an equally important part of the team that has won four straight Cup championships, hasn't extended his current contract beyond 2010. Knaus, however, is convinced his deal will get done in due time. "The contract deal will get done at some point," Knaus said. "I'm signed up through the end of 2010, and it's not on the forefront of my mind right now. What's important to me right now is just getting the cars built, getting to Daytona and getting the season back in place. Once the contract negotiations start, then we'll worry about that." Johnson and Knaus are viewed as an inseparable combination, but Knaus said he could envision working with another driver -- just not any time soon.(Sporting News/Fox Sports) NASCAR looking for a Sprint Cup Series director: UPDATE: NASCAR is interviewing candidates for a new Sprint Cup Series director, and current garage boss John Darby will train his replacement before moving into a managerial role. Several people familiar with NASCAR's restructuring plan said that Darby will move into an oversight role at the research and development center. The people all spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR will not announce its planned changes for 2010 until Thursday. There is no timetable for hiring a new director of NASCAR's premiere series, and Darby will fill the role as long as it takes to hire and prepare a replacement. Then he will transition into a new position that oversees the officials in all three of NASCAR's national series, as well as focus on the technical aspects of the sport.(Associated Press) UPDATE: With Sprint Cup garage boss John Darby set to move up to a new administrative position sometime later this year, the speculation has begun about possible successors. One who appears to be an obvious candidate is Joe Balash, the director of the second-tier Nationwide Series. Asked about his intentions in that area on Wednesday, Balash did a nice job of side-stepping the question. "We've got a lot of things going on with the Nationwide Series right now and I've got a lot of work,'' he said. "The transition of John Darby from his current position to the new position is kind of a long-term thing and we'll just let things play out as they do.'' Asked if he has interviewed or will interview for the Cup job, Balance said, "There hasn't been a process that has started yet with anything like that.''(Racin' Today) AND: Team owner Jack Roush would like to see an insider take over the position. Roush admits the man who takes over for Darby had better be able to master multitasking. One name he mentioned was Billy Berkheimer, a Darby disciple and NASCAR's top template official. One owner who spoke under anonymity because he was uncertain of the reasons behind Darby's reassignment suggested Brett Bodine, NASCAR's director of cost research, as the new car czar. One candidate's name that was buzzing around the teams Tuesday night was Larry Carter, the former Roush/Yates crew chief that was dismissed at the end of the 2009 season following the merger with Richard Petty Motorsports.(Fox Sports) BUT: Sources continue to report NASCAR is considering someone from outside the stock car racing world as a candidate.(CBS Sports) Duels, All-Star race to be shown online: The Gatorade Duel qualifying races next month at Daytona and the All-Star race in May will be shown online for the first time. Both races, broadcast by Speed Channel, can be seen on NASCAR.com. More Cup races could follow, according to Scott Doyne, senior director for business operations at NASCAR.com. Doyne said there are "active talks" with other networks to air their races online. Fans can expect something similar to NASCAR.com's Race Buddy, which shows the six TNT races online. That allows fans to see four camera angles of the race. Fans viewing the qualifying races and all-star race online, though, will not hear the Speed broadcasters. The only sound online will be in-car audio and that of the cars. There will be no fee to view the race online. It is meant to complement Speed's broadcasts of those events.(Hampton Roads) Some Hall of Fame artifacts unveiled: Tuesday night's media tour included a stop at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is still under construction. Winston Kelley, executive director of the hall, and historian Buz McKim talked about some of the artifacts that will be included when the hall is opened May 11 for grand opening ceremonies and May 23 for the first class of inductees. The hall will have a "Greatest Finishes Theater" that will include Ricky Craven's #32 Tide Pontiac that won a thrilling duel with Kurt Busch in 2003 at Darlington Raceway. Kelley said it was the first artifact that was offered to the hall. "It was the last Pontiac to win in the sport, and it carries some history as the closest finish in the existence of the sport," Craven said.
McKim said he went on a "scavenger hunt" for many other artifacts, including an information sheet Dale Earnhardt filled out in 1975. Drivers filled out information sheets at the beginning of each season, and McKim found the sheet Earnhardt filled out in February 1975 that included several interesting tidbits of information. For one, Earnhardt listed himself as a wrestler in high school and his favorite drivers as Richard Petty and Bobby Isaac. "There was a line there that said, 'Ambition other than racing,' and he wrote, 'None!'" McKim said.
Another artifact that will be displayed in the hall comes from Richard Petty's "accumulation" of things over his many years in NASCAR. It's the 1967 Plymouth that Petty campaigned when he won 27 of 48 races that year, including 10 wins in a row - a record that still stands.
McKim said about 98 percent of artifacts the hall wanted to get, he was able to obtain. But there is one artifact that McKim truly wants, an item he calls the "holy grail." "It's something I've only heard about and never seen," McKim said. It's a gold membership card given to pioneering mechanic Red Vogt from Bill France Sr. in 1954. Vogt was proclaimed NASCAR member No. 1, and all fees and dues Vogt had paid to NASCAR before that time were returned to him. (Sprint Media Tour Notes) Mears to drive for Keyed Up: Keyed-Up Motorsports, the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team founded by Raymond Key and debuting in the 2010 Daytona 500, announced it has named Casey Mears as driver of the #90 Chevy. Mears, a California native, has competed at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level since 2003 and spent the 2009 season at Richard Childress Racing. He is the nephew of four time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and the son of Indy and off-road veteran Roger Mears. "I'm really excited about this opportunity to drive the Keyed-Up Motorsports No. 90 Chevy." said Mears. "I'm looking forward to working with Raymond, Doug and the entire team during the 2010 Cup season. We're a new team, but I feel we have everything in place to race. It's going to be a rewarding endeavor."(Keyed Up Motorsport PR) Baldwin team switches to Chevy: #36-Tommy Baldwin Racing gas switched to Chevy for the 2010 season with Mike Bliss as the driver. The team will run Earnhardt Childress engines. The team ran Toyota in its first season, last year. Air Force to sponsor Sadler in 2010: Air Force officials begin the 10th year of sponsorship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series by renewing the partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2010 season. Executives at GSD&M Idea City, the Air Force's advertising agency, organized the sponsorship and will roll out a multi-media advertising campaign to support the partnership in early 2010. For this year's sponsorship, representatives of Richard Petty Motorsports have chosen the #19 car driven by Elliot Sadler to represent the Air Force. The Air Force will feature the dark blue paint scheme on the #19 Ford in five of 38 NASCAR races this season. "We are thrilled to have Richard Petty Motorsports as partners for another NASCAR season with the Air Force '19' car," said Col. Michael J. Tillema, AFRS chief of strategic marketing and communications. "The Air Force is all about speed, agility and pushing the boundaries of technology and we believe those features align well with this great American sport and its fans."(Air Force) Aaron's adds six Sprint Cup races as sponsor: Aaron's, Inc. announced it will add six more Sprint Cup races, plus the Sprint All-Star Race to its 2010 schedule. The additional races increase Aaron's total to 24 races as the primary sponsor of the Michael Waltrip Racing #00 Aaron's Dream Machine driven by David Reutimann. The six additional point races coming in the first half of the season include: Auto Club, Dover, Pocono, Michigan, Infineon and New Hampshire. "We are pleased that Aaron's expanded our involvement with David and the #00 team this season," said Robin Loudermilk, Chief Executive Officer for Aaron's, Inc. "We have developed an excellent relationship with David, Michael Waltrip and this organization over the years and they have continued to deliver solid results for Aaron's. Adding these six races reinforces our commitment to this team and confidence in this sport. We look forward to another exciting year on the track." Aaron's is in the second year of a three-year Sprint Cup sponsorship agreement with Reutimann and MWR after serving as the team's Nationwide sponsor since 2000. In addition to Reutimann's 24 Sprint Cup races, Aaron's plans to sponsor nine races on the #99 Toyota for newly-formed Diamond-Waltrip Racing and 18-year-old Trevor Bayne in the Nationwide Series. Aaron's will also sponsor Waltrip's return to the Nationwide Series at the Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24.(MWR), Tum's will sponsor the #00 for five races and Best Western for one. Will Kahne bolt RPM? he could stay: The rumor mill already has #9-Kasey Kahne out the door at Richard Petty Motorsports when his current contract ends in 2010, with Stewart-Haas Racing as his most likely destination. Kahne, however, said Tuesday during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour that he wouldn't rule out staying with RPM, which completed its merger with Yates Racing in December. "I feel like I'm in a new deal rather than with the same team," Kahne said of the merger and RPM's technical alliance with Roush Fenway Racing. "I've given a lot, and I've worked really hard for the first six years of my Cup career, and I get to decide what I want to do after that. But like I've always said, it's about performance and how well we run, and I think this could be the best opportunity that I've ever had in the Cup series. This could be a great spot for me, really. I'm open right now, because I don't know exactly what we have. I feel like the change to Yates engines, the change to working with the Roush teams and still having everybody at RPM we've done such a good job over the last year I feel like it's something I definitely need to pay attention to and not say, 'Man, I don't want to be here,' because this could be a spot where I really do want to be as the season goes, depending on performance and how well we run."(Sporting News) New Shows, some changes at SPEED: With a slate of new programs, an updated and enhanced Web presence and an upgraded 14,400-square-foot, at-track production and interactive marketing compound offering more to race fans than ever before, SPEED is putting the finishing touches on the most ambitious NASCAR on SPEED season in network history. This week, SPEED signed former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty to a new multiyear deal that will position the veteran television personality with John Roberts, Kenny Wallace and Wendy Venturini on the popular NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pre-race show, NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot. Petty also will appear on the post-race program, NASCAR Victory Lane, and continue his role on the popular game show, NASCAR Smarts.
As the season gets underway, SPEED is dedicating much of its effort to strengthening its Monday Night NASCAR lineup, with the following rotation beginning Feb. 15 -- NASCAR Race Hub (7:30 & 11:30 pm/et), NASCAR in a Hurry Monday Edition (8:00 pm/et) and a new 30-minute talk show with fan favorite Jimmy Spencer, entitled What's the Deal?, at 8:30pm/et.
Nicky Morse, The Racing Chef, will join the NASCAR on SPEED team in 2010, visiting restaurants around the race track and highlighting the culinary expertise of race fans who take enormous pride in their campground feasts. Three additional Monday night NASCAR shows are in development, with a planned rollout following the Las Vegas racing weekend.
Race replays for all three NASCAR national touring series are scheduled throughout the week, beginning with an encore presentation of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Mondays at 12:00pm/et, Tuesday nights, SPEED will air a cut-down version of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, tentatively titled NASCAR Fast Laps, at 8:00pm/et. The full Cup race will re-air Wednesdays at 12:00pm/et and the full NASCAR Nationwide Series race replay will air Thursdays at 12:00pm/et. In addition, SPEED will air NASCAR Classics on Thursdays at 3:00pm/et.
In addition to its weekly NASCAR on SPEED lineup, SPEED will continue to be the home for the Gatorade Duel at Daytona [Feb 11th at 2:00pm/et], the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race [May 22nd], all three NASCAR national touring series awards ceremonies and the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The only title not returning in 2010 will be the long-running This Week in NASCAR.
At the race track, the SPEED Stage continues its evolution, as the network teams with Jay Howard Enterprises (JHE) and GMR Marketing to deliver a one-of-a-kind fan experience. First producing shoulder programming from the track in 2004, the original effort took only a single tractor trailer and two JHE employees to deliver. In 2010, the five-tractor-trailer effort now rolls in with three SPEED Stages and a lineup of interactive fan activities, where 'SPEED Fanatics' (my.speedtv.com) can experience what its like to operate a camera, sit on mock sets and get autographs from SPEED personalities and other NASCAR stars.(SPEED)(1-20-2010) Richard Petty Motorsports Merger Now Complete: Rumors of a Richard Petty Motorsports/Yates Racing merger began circulating a few months ago but it wasn't until today that the racing community could stop calling them rumors. "I'm here to announce the best kept secret in all of motorsports, which is that the merger between Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports is officially completed," said Foster Gillette, managing partner of Richard Petty Motorsports, in a press conference Tuesday morning. The merger, which happened in December, brought some big changes along with it. During the 2010 season Richard Petty Motorsports will be running Ford Fusions, ending its long relationship with Dodge. Also, RPM will leave behind its previous home in Statesville, N.C., moving to the Yates Racing facility in Concord, N.C. Filling the four driver positions at RPM will be #19-Elliott Sadler, #9-Kasey Kahne, #43-AJ Allmendinger and #98-Paul Menard. "The addition of a great team, great talent of drivers - we have Elliott, Paul, Kasey, and AJ adding to the fleet of Fords out there on every Sunday," said Jamie Allison, Director of Ford Racing. "That's something to be looking forward to." Richard Petty Motorsports will maintain the alliance that Yates Racing had with Roush Fenway Racing and Doug Yates will be in charge or the Roush Yates engine program.(Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour Notes) Drivers conduct 1st test with new spoiler at Texas: #14-Tony Stewart, #2-Kurt Busch, #16-Greg Biffle and #83-Brian Vickers became the first drivers to conduct an on-track test with a new aluminum spoiler package that could be implemented for the 2010 season during Tuesday's Goodyear Tire test at Texas Motor Speedway. Stewart was the first of the group to test the spoiler in the morning session, which was delayed nearly two hours from its 9:00am/ct start time due to moisture on the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval from heavy morning dew. The session kicked off at approximately 10:53am/ct with temperatures in the 60s as Stewart rolled out with the wing and less than 40 minutes later was utilizing the spoiler. Vickers also got an opportunity to run the spoiler in the abbreviated morning session.
"It (the spoiler) was on a bunch. It didn't seem to be a big balance change which was good," Stewart said. "That means you won't have to invent the wheel necessarily. It was a balance shift, but it wasn't a big balance shift. You've got two kinds of grip you've got aero grip and you've got mechanical grip. The spoiler is the aero grip and the tires are mechanical. The mechanical grip is real important because it doesn't know if you are running first in line or 10th in line. I'm more of a mechanical guy."
"I thought it (spoiler) was good," Vickers said. "I thought it added a little bit of front downforce, which is a good thing. I think it's going to be more accepted to the fans. It looks cooler a little more retro back to the older car. We haven't been in a lot of traffic yet, so the big question is how it's going to handle in traffic. Theoretically, from what I've been told, the difference between the two is that the spoiler is better in traffic. The spoiler is going to be more efficient in dirty air and a wing will be more efficient in clean air. Once you get in a lot of turbulence, the spoiler's not going to lose a lot of efficiency while a wing really will."
NASCAR has not determined the specific dimensions as yet for the spoiler, but the one that was being used as a baseline at Tuesday's session was 64.5 inches wide and four inches in height with no contour in the design. Also, the rear quarter panels were extended four inches toward the ground. NASCAR phased out the traditional spoiler on the rear deck lid of the Sprint Cup Series cars and went to a rear wing when the "Car of Tomorrow" project was unveiled in 2007. The return to the traditional look provides fans with the ability to differentiate between the four manufacturers more easily and hopefully enhance the passing ability of the cars and overall race action. Tuesday's tire test was the first opportunity for drivers to test the package and provide feedback on its effects on the car. Biffle and Busch had to wait until the afternoon session to test out the spoiler, with Busch not getting an opportunity until nearly the culmination of the session.
Stewart, Busch, Biffle and Vickers will conclude the Goodyear test Wednesday, where they are scheduled to test the spoiler package once again. NASCAR will conduct another test with the spoiler March 23-24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway another 1.5- mile oval and sister track to TMS that will be open to all Sprint Cup teams. If NASCAR is pleased with the progress and performance of the spoiler, the new package could be implemented for the Samsung Mobile 500 scheduled for April 15-18 at Texas Motor Speedway. Following Tuesday's test session, Stewart, Busch, Biffle and Vickers graciously volunteered their time to participate in the "Gear Up For The Green Flag" fan event in the Grand Ballroom of The Speedway Club. A full house of more than 500 season ticket holders and special guests were on hand for a dinner, giveaways and a question-and answer session with the drivers to officially kick off the upcoming racing season. "This was truly a special treat for our fans and the thanks goes to Tony, Kurt, Greg and Brian for making the time to be part of this event," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. "We had a ton of laughs and shared some entertaining stories to make for a great evening." Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence Winners Announced: In a ceremony held Tuesday afternoon, five motorsports journalists were awarded the Russ Catlin Award during the 25th annual Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards. Nate Ryan from USA Today was the top pick in the writing-daily category with his entry "NASCAR Rooted in Fossil Fuels, Turns Over New Green Leaf" (scholarship to Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism). In the writing-other division, ESPN.com's David Newton (Chesterfield High School; Chesterfield, SC) took home the award with "Martin Wouldn't Change His Tough Days." Bonnie Larkin's Columbia University) entry "Science of a Wreck," which aired on ESPN, won her the broadcast-national category award. In the broadcast-local division, Brian Tetzler of KWGN/KDVR in Denver, Colo., took home the award for his entry "Making the Race." The winner of the photojournalism category was David Moulthrop from Gator News with his picture titled "Taking Flight." The Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence recognize superior motorsports coverage in five categories, including daily and other writing, local and national broadcast, and photojournalism - while honoring the memory of Russ Catlin, a motorsports journalism pioneer. More than 120 entries were submitted this year, making it one of the most competitive seasons to date. Keeping with tradition, the Indiana University School of Journalism judged the entries. Winners received a trophy and $1,000 scholarship from Aflac in their names to the schools of their choice.(Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour Notes) Front Row could have three cars in Top-35: Front Row Motorsports General Manager Jerry Freeze told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody Tuesday that negotiations are underway to give all three of the team's Fords guaranteed start status for the first five races of 2010. "We've been working on this for several weeks," he said. "There are still some details to be ironed out, but we have a really close relationship with (Yates Racing owner) Doug Yates and Ford. This is something we've been working on with them, and I hope to have things buttoned up and ready to announce in a couple of days." Freeze said driver Robert Richardson, III, will attempt to qualify FRR's new #38 Ford for the Daytona 500 as part of a three-race sponsorship with Mahindra Tractors that includes both Daytona races and the spring race at Talladaga. David Gilliland will run a majority of the schedule for the team with sponsorship from Taco Bell, and Freeze said "a couple of races" have been left open for a possible limited return by the team's 2009 #34 driver, John Andretti.(Sirius Speedway) Magellan to Sponsor Penske Racing Cup Series Cars: Continuing to steer in a positive direction, Penske Racing welcomes Magellan portable car navigation systems as a NASCAR Cup Series sponsor for 2010 and beyond. Beginning a multi-year partnership this season, Magellan will make its debut as an associate sponsor on all three Penske Racing Cup Series entries. The #2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Kurt Busch, the #12 Penske Dodge with Brad Keselowski behind the wheel and the #77 Mobil 1 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. will all be sponsored by Magellan. "We hosted Magellan last year at our annual Penske Racing Sponsor Summit in Indianapolis," said Roger Penske. "We have continued to work with them and we are excited to announce this partnership because our organizations share common core values and we believe there are some great opportunities to build for the future together."
"Magellan is looking forward to becoming a part of the Penske Racing team," said Kevin Chuang, Magellan Chief Executive Officer. "Roger has built a top-echelon organization on and off the track and being a sponsor of Penske Racing will help Magellan as we continue to grow our brand."(Penske Racing) Motorcraft & Quick Lane to sponsor #21 Ford: For the 10th consecutive year, Ford Customer Service Division's Motorcraft brand will team with the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team to compete in the highest form of stock-car racing, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. A new addition to the #21 Ford Fusion for the 2010 season is the co-sponsorship of Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers. Ford Motor Company's Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers are the fastest growing service brand in the country and is on track to reach 600 stores nationwide in early 2010. "We are very pleased to have Motorcraft and Quick Lane with us for the 2010 season," said Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Eddie Wood. "We value Ford Customer Service Division's involvement with us for the past 10 years, and we are excited to have both Motorcraft and Quick Lane on our NASCAR Fusions this season. Ford Customer Service Division has been loyal to us, and we have always been loyal to them. It feels like family Wood Brothers Racing with Motorcraft and Quick Lane on board."
Motorcraft, a Ford Motor Company brand of automotive parts ranging from filters and spark plugs to engines and transmissions, will be the primary sponsor on the Wood Brothers #21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford Fusion for 10 races, beginning in February at the Daytona 500 and culminating with the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "It's a new and exciting year for us. We look to build on the strides we made last year," said Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Len Wood. "On our partial schedule in 2009, we achieved five top-10 starts and four top-16 finishes. We hope to carry that momentum into 2010." Bill Elliott, who drove the Coors/Motorcraft Thunderbird to a NASCAR championship in 1988, is scheduled to be the driver for all of Motorcraft and Quick Lane's sponsored races. Elliott, Motorcraft and the Wood Brothers first joined forces in 2007. For the 2010 season, the Motorcraft and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers logos will appear on both the #21 Ford Fusion in NASCAR and on the Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car of Bob Tasca III in NHRA. FordParts.com will also have a presence on both race cars for the 2010 season. In addition to the serving as the primary vehicle sponsor for Wood Brothers and Tasca Racing, FCSD brings a very aggressive brand awareness campaign with a significant trackside presence at selected NASCAR and NHRA events in the form of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience. The massive display, spreading out over half a football field, will let race fans connect with Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands in a unique way.(Motorcraft/Ford PR rty) Tom Higgins Scuffs Hamilton wins a thriller in Petty Superbird EDITOR'S NOTE: In the run-up to the 2010 Daytona 500, Tom Higgins reflects on key races from each decade. This installment, the first of a five-part series, is about the second 500-miler at "Big Bill" France's big track in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 1960.
It seemed a monumental mismatch. Pete Hamilton, a relative newcomer to NASCAR's major series, vs. savvy, seasoned pro David Pearson, stock car racing's "Silver Fox." In this case, on Feb. 22, 1970, during the Daytona 500, David turned out to be "Goliath." Even at that point in his storied career, Pearson was a giant. He had won 57 races and three championships. In contrast, Hamilton listed only 19 starts and one top-five finish. As the race wound down four decades ago at Daytona International Speedway, Pearson was the leader in his No. 17 Holman-Moody Ford. Hamilton, newly hired to drive a sleek, needle-nosed, rear-winged No. 40 Plymouth Superbird for Petty Enterprises as a teammate to Richard Petty, was in second place. With 14 of the 200 laps remaining on the 2.5-mile Florida track, the engine failed in a Plymouth driven by Dick Brooks, forcing a caution flag. Both Pearson and Hamilton pitted for fresh tires. Pearson's Charlotte-based crew opted for two right-sides only. Hamilton's team from little Level Cross, N.C., replaced all four tires. Maurice Petty was the crew chief for Hamilton. Also in Pete's pit helping with the calls was Richard Petty, who had fallen out of the race on the seventh lap when his car's engine broke. When the green showed, Hamilton surged into the lead on Lap 192, showing surprising power. He had led just four laps previously. Although Hamilton was in front, Pearson was poised perfectly for an aerodynamic slingshot pass. With two laps to go Pearson made his move entering the fourth turn. Pearson slipped slightly as he attempted to dive inside. The bobble was just enough for Hamilton to stay in front. He took the checkered flag three car-lengths ahead for his first big-time victory. It was the greatest upset in the 12-year-history of NASCAR's most famous race. Just like in the Bible, "Goliath" had fallen. And he had been beaten by a fairly inexperienced 27-year-old driver from Dedham, Mass., the son of a Harvard PhD. "I felt I could run fast enough to keep David from sling-shoting me if I could get in front," said the delighted, blond, lanky Hamilton following the race. "I thought my four fresh tires were going to be stronger than his two. And that's how it turned out. "But for a split second when David made his move going into Turn 4 with two laps left…" Both drivers appeared to lose traction just a bit. "Did we get out of shape?" Hamilton said, responding to a question. "Did we ever!" Hamilton widened his eyes for emphasis and pursed his lips as if to whistle. "When I came off the fourth corner still in front on the last lap, I thought I was close enough to the finish line that I could just hang on." And that's what Pete did, much to the astonishment of a crowd estimated at 103,000. Thousands more surprised fans watched the 500 on big screens at arenas across the country on a television hookup that carried the Teleprompter brand. It was a pay-per-view deal. Best I recall, admission was $20. One of the sites for TV viewing was Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, the home basketball court of Wake Forest's Demon Deacons. It was almost time for the race to start before the Teleprompter signal from Daytona finally was attained. The picture was rather blurred and it seemed there were only three cameras focused on the action. But for NASCAR devotees, it beat not being there, especially for such a stunning outcome. (Race fans who nowadays complain about TV coverage don't realize how lucky they have it.) But I digress... Understandably, Pearson was deeply disappointed after dominating most of the final 250 miles. "I just went sideways when I tried to make that late pass and I couldn't get the lost ground back," said the star from Spartanburg, S.C. "My tires got hot and slick. We probably should have changed all four tires that last pit stop." In the press box for the winner's interview, Hamilton credited Richard Petty for guidance that put him in position to win. "Richard and I did a lot of talking in the offseason in preparation for me making my first start for the family's team," said Hamilton. "What he kept saying really helped me." Which was? A cliché probably as old as auto racing itself: "To finish first, first you've got to finish." Continued Hamilton, the tour's 1968 rookie of the year who nonetheless had no major circuit ride in '69: "I remembered Richard's advice all through the race. I could have run with anybody. My car was a lot faster than I showed. "But we had planned to take it easy until it counted, so that's what I did. "Also, Richard is a genius when it comes to making a car handle in the turns. My car was more stable, it seemed, than any of the others." King Richard, destined to win seven Daytona 500s, seven series championships and 200 races, agreed with Hamilton about both the strategy and the handling. "Pete was patient and ran the fastest he did all day in the last 10 laps," said Petty. "He was beating David in the corners and that was the difference." Hamilton showed his triumph was no fluke as he later swept both 1970 races at Daytona's fast sister track at Talladega, then known as Alabama International Motor Speedway. Despite the success, Chrysler's racing brass moved Hamilton from Petty Enterprises to the team of Cotton Owens in 1971. Pete triumphed again at Daytona, but this time in the Firecracker 400 on July 4th. Hamilton, hampered by the flare-up of a neck injury he had suffered in a Grand American Division race in 1969, made only five starts in 1972 and two in '73. Although still a young man, he retired from the cockpit after this. But he didn't get out of racing. Hamilton formed an Atlanta-based company and became very successful in building race cars, mostly of the short-track variety. Now 67, he's retired again. Personable Pete didn't drive long enough to gain status as one of NASCAR's biggest stars. But those who witnessed his sparkling victory in the Daytona 500 of 1970 never will forget him. Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't understand the public fascination with him By Doug Demmons - The Birmingham News Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't really understand the public fascination with him. "To me, I feel completely, utterly normal," he said Wednesday during the annual NASCAR Media Tour. "I do everything everybody else does. The things that I'm interested in are the same things that guys my age are interested in." He can still walk into a restaurant on occasion and not be recognized and he stays up till all hours of the night playing video games. "I sat on the computer and played Call of Duty till two in the morning last night," he said. That sense of normalcy is one of the things he hopes will help him overcome the worst year of his career last year, a debacle he called embarrassing that saw him go winless and swap crew chiefs in mid-season. "We don't want to go through that again," he said. "Willpower alone and our determination alone will not (correct) that. It's going to be helped by performance." For NASCAR's most popular driver it's come down to a season of no excuses, no explanations, just getting the job done. He was asked by a fan on Twitter what it would take to be successful in 2010. His answer was blunt: "Getting the most points." Team owner Rick Hendrick would concur. "There's no way to silence the critics other than to get the job done," he said. "I'm not going to do a lot of explaining. It's just show time." Hendrick has made fixing Earnhardt's No. 88 team this year a priority. To that end he has virtually combined it with the No. 5 team of Mark Martin so that crew chief Alan Gustafson for Martin and Lance McGrew for Earnhardt are essentially merged. Hendrick said he wants the No. 5 and the No. 88 working as "one team. We take the best we got and we structure it this way and we race two cars. And if I want to be able to swap the numbers on Sunday morning or the seats, then I want to be able to do that." He said Earnhardt has been stepping up as well, including by working out. Earnhardt, however, said that working out was not a big part of his routine. What is a major part of his routine is online racing on the iRacing.com site, a very realistic racing simulation program that is used by a number of drivers. "I'm running on Wednesday night every week (on iRacing) and then I go to the race track and do the real thing," he said. On iRacing, he said, he's having a great season. Out of 300 races he has about 180 wins. He's even ranked No. 1 in his division, he said. He has friends he met on iRacing and to them he's just another guy. "They know who I am and they don't give me no (grief) about it," Earnhardt said. "They don't ask me about if I'm ready for next year." But he gets asked that all the time by reporters and the questions usually include his relationship with McGrew, his crew chief. Earnhardt said he has good rapport with McGrew but not the kind of chemistry that is often cited as key to the success of four-time champion Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus. In fact, he said, he's never had that kind of chemistry with a crew chief. His greatest success came with Tony Eury Sr. as his crew chief. But that was when Earnhardt was younger and Eury was a father figure. "I was a kid and Tony Sr. ran the show," Earnhardt said. "You did what he said and that's what happened and you won." But that's gone now. And McGrew said that Earnhardt has gotten past the point where he needs to be told what to do. "Dale is a mature guy," McGrew said. "He doesn't need to be treated like a child." The relationship between Eury Sr. and Earnhardt "was a fatherly do-as-I-say kind of deal -- I don't think Dale is going to respond to that now. He's past that," McGrew said. And McGrew said he has seen progress in the half season they have been together. There's less arguing over the radio during a race, he said, and Earnhardt understands that McGrew often has a better view of the big picture. "There'll be times he needs to argue," McGrew said. "He picks his battles and I pick mine." In the end, Earnhardt said, he wants to win races and score top-five finishes this year. But he'll be happy with just cutting out the mistakes that doomed him last year. "Just get to the race track and run good. Try to keep the frustration down," he said. "I want to compete and match the progress and success the rest of the company is having." Gordon, Other Hendrick Drivers Want Yellow Line Rule To Stay By David Exum, Associate Editor, CupScene.com
CONCORD, N.C. - Add Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon to the growing list of drivers that would like to see NASCAR keep the yellow line rule at restrictor-plate tracks such at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway. During a stop on the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour at Hendrick Motorsports on Wednesday, all four Cup drivers - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin - agreed that NASCAR shouldn't tamper with the yellow line rule for the sake of safety. "I wouldn't be counting too much on the yellow-line rule to change," Gordon said. "I do agree with Dale Jr., Jimmie and Mark that it would be cool if we could eliminate coming off Turn 4 on the final lap. We need to concentrate more on the bump drafting and the fans need to get ready for that. We were kind of policing it ourselves but it's kind of go for it." Gordon also disagrees with Kevin Harvick's opinion that fewer rules would create better NASCAR racing. Denny Hamlin has also voiced his opinion that the yellow-line rule should be discontinued. "Denny Hamlin is the new voice of the drivers in the garage area from what I understand," Gordon said. "I love Denny and I hope he knows I'm only messing with him. (But) a rule is created for a reason. And it's usually safety and that's usually the leading factor. Johnson is also a clear proponent of keeping the yellow-line rule. "We need the yellow-line rule and I don't think it's a good idea not to have it," Johnson said. "There are too many safety issues to consider." NASCAR's yellow line rule says that no driver can pass below the "out of bounds" line to advance their position and is used at Talladega and Daytona. The penalty for doing so was a pass through the pits. However, controversial finishes over the last two seasons have the sanctioning body re-examining the ruling. "What some of these guys don't understand because they weren't here before the yellow line rule was how crazy things were getting," Gordon said. "The yellow line rule wasn't as critical as it was but what do you do when you come off the trioval and there's no yellow line rule. Right now, if there is a car coming off pit road, you know to stay down there. It helps maintain a little less chaos. I totally think we took things too far with the bump-drafting and I think we can police it ourselves." Mark Martin - Mr. Bright And Sunny By Sarah Farlee Associate Editor, CupScene.com
Concord, N.C. - Mark Martin is just simply a ray of sunshine. "Bright and Sunny," said Martin regarding the outlook of 2010. "If they gave a trophy for having fun, I'd certainly get the championship for 2009." Martin had the season careers are made of last year. Five wins, seven poles and a second place finish behind teammate Jimmie Johnson in the final standings. Martin's age was often a topic of conversation, and headlines often included the number 50, and 'does fantastic things in a racecar'. Martin paid attention to the part he wanted to. "I just focused on the 'does fantastic things'," said Martin. "I wasn't listening to the other part." Martin did do fantastic things on the track, but the season wasn't all perfect weekends, but Martin didn't dwell on the negatives. "When you let those things upset you," said Martin. "Then your reaction to things is skewed by that and it can start to be a negative draw on you and on your team and you see that in the performance." Performance has been an issue at Hendrick Motorsports. In the final points standings Rick Hendrick posted a one, two, three finish. One team was left out, the 88. Hendrick said his focus in the off-season would be rectifying issues that plagued the team behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Martin says the shop housing the No. 5 and No. 88 have made changes. Those changes, he says, will not only improve the 88, but will help his team as well. "It's our intention to raise the performance levels of both cars," said Martin, who feels the changes made in engineers will help both teams in the long run. Martin says the changes were accepted readily in the shop because of one simple reason. Rick Hendrick needed them to happen. Martin also says that no matter which car a team member works on – they are under one roof. "You can hardly question it because it's just going to happen," said Martin. "It's about Rick Hendrick and what he's done for me and what he's done for Alan. You wouldn't question it anyway." Martin says they haven't lost anything as a team, but rather, gained as a team. "We didn't lose guys, they are still here," added Martin, who was adamant the changes made would be successful. Martin also said there was no resistance to the changes made in the shop and that the teams believe the moves were the right call. "It will not fail," said Martin. "I know it won't fail. I know because I know." "I'm old, I've been doing this a long time and I know what I'm talking about," added Martin. "It won't fail, it will work." Those Who Said NASCAR Was Boring Last Year Can Now Shut Up By Greg Engle CupScene.com Editor, NASCAR Examiner
According to some, 2009 was the most boring year ever in NASCAR. Boring racing, the same champion as the previous four years and a cast of characters who talked in PR speak like it was their primary language. As soon as the TV ratings, the numbers those who are in the financial side of the sport live and die by, started to go down many began to scream that the sky was falling. They blamed the racing going on the track; despite the fact that according to statistics there were actually more passes in 2009 than in the previous year. And they blamed the vanilla drivers who endorsed their sponsor's products in every sentence and never uttered a disparaging word. The cries, and more importantly the downturn in those all important revenue generating TV numbers, prompted a look by those who run the sport and suddenly the changes started coming. More standard start times, the loss of the yellow line rule, bigger restrictor plates, and the abandoning of wings in favor of spoilers among others. One lone voice is expressing his opinion though. Jack Roush, who has been in NASCAR longer than many fans have been alive, is pointing a finger of blame for NASCAR's supposed woes in one direction.
Never a man to hold back, Roush let his views be known during a stop on NASCAR's Media Tour this week. According to Roush, who fields four teams, the blame isn't on the racing or the drivers. "We had more passes last year than we ever had," Roush said. "We had more passes for the lead than we've ever had. We had more different winners than we've ever had. We had more cars finishing on the lead lap than ever had. The competition was great. It wasn't bad. It wasn't subject to criticism for every move that NASCAR made or every move a team made but sometimes it sounded that way back from the communication box.''
Roush also pointed out that International Speedway Corporation, which owns many of the tracks NASCAR races on, didn't have one complaint from fans that bought tickets and attended a race in person.
"So there's no complaint from the fans regarding competition," he said. "The complaints have come from reporters and from media that has maybe a vested interested. If you look at Darrell Waltrip, you look at all the other ex-drivers, Rusty Wallace, the ex-crew chiefs that are out there; it's not unreasonable to say that they've got some ax to grind over something that frustrated them in their careers on the firing line. We need to reel that back in. That needs to be something that is not carried out front to the fans and to the public."
Bottom line; Roush blames the coverage provided by the networks, not the product produced by NASCAR. And Roush added only those who cover the sport can change the wrong perception they themselves have created.
"We need to talk about how many passes we're having," Roush said. "We need to talk about how close the racing is on the final laps, we need to talk about how contentious things are in the garage and the rest of it and not fault the teams for the decisions they make and not fault NASCAR for the government they provide. NASCAR racing is the best-run form of motorsports any place in the world. They may be the best form of sport any place in the world.''
Whether the actual coverage of NASCAR is to blame for its boring perception may be a matter open to discussion. It has to be remembered though that while there are hundreds of thousands of fans that attend races every year, millions more watch on TV. No complaints from the fans that were there, but accusations from those who watch from afar.
NASCAR has certainly done their part to make changes. Hopefully the changes for 2010 won't be restricted to the track; ESPN has already made changes to their raceday announcers. As the season gets underway it will be interesting to see if there will be other changes at the TV networks a well; Because as Jack Roush pointed out, perception could be the root of most of NASCAR's woes. Knaus' innovative ways would serve NASCAR well Terry Blount/espn.com CONCORD, N.C. -- I have the perfect solution for finding a way to beat Jimmie Johnson. I also have the perfect guy to replace John Darby as Sprint Cup Series director. Darby is taking a new position at NASCAR, which will be announced Thursday. And I can fix both things in one move: Name Chad Knaus as Darby's replacement. Knaus is the mastermind crew chief who has guided Johnson to four consecutive Cup titles. He's also seen as the most innovative guy in the Cup garage. That's the nice way to put it. Others might say he's the guy who has found the most ingenious ways to skirt the rules. And NASCAR has a history of convincing the man who outsmarted it the most to switch sides and become its top policeman. I won't be harsh and say the biggest cheater, just the man who was best at pushing the envelope. Former Cup director Gary Nelson is one example. So Knaus is the right man for the job. You couldn't fool him. For Knaus, it's been there, done that. But most teams would welcome the move for one obvious reason: It would weaken Johnson, possibly ending his reign of invincibility. It's a no-brainer, solving two issues with one decision. Only one problem: It ain't happening. Knaus isn't interested, not now, anyway. That was his clear response Wednesday during the annual Hendrick Motorsports stop on the media tour. "But I do have an idea about it," Knaus said, looking very serious. "I think [the Cup director job] should be ruled by committee. A group of people that interacts together to make a rule." Then Knaus delivered his punch line: "And this is my committee right here." Knaus was pointing to the three men sitting next to him, the three other Cup crew chiefs at Hendrick. Right, Chad. Very funny. But seriously, Chad, would you ever consider it? "I don't know," he said. "If I could contribute and give back to the sport, I might do it. The situation would have to be right. But I don't foresee leaving Hendrick Motorsports anytime soon." Knaus is 38. He said he is giving some thought to what he wants to do when "he grows up," as he puts it. "I can't be a crew chief forever," he said. "I can go until I'm 42 or 44 before I feel I need to make a significant change. I'm going to do something else at some point. I think this is going to be a defining year to lay out some of that stuff for me." For now, NASCAR will have to find a Cup director elsewhere. Some people mentioned Robbie Loomis, the GM of Richard Petty Motorsports. Loomis laughed at that idea when asked about it Tuesday. "Oh no," he said. "I've got my arms full right now at Richard Petty Motorsports and everything we're doing here. "I think John has done a tremendous job of putting a strong arm around things. That position is a tough job, but he's been very fair. I think the world of John. I was surprised to hear [Darby is changing jobs], but at the same time, I'm sure it's very taxing." Another candidate could be Nationwide Series director Joe Balash. He was a little coy Wednesday when asked whether he wanted the job. "There are a lot of us that work very well together within NASCAR," Balash said. "As we unfold this process, we'll see how things go. Whether I'm in those talks or not, the Nationwide Series is very cool place to be." Good answer, Joe. It shows you're ready for that Cup job. But could he step right in and take over for Darby? "I don't think anybody can step right in and replace John Darby in the garage," Balash said. "It's going to be hard for anyone to get to John's level and take the series forward." I'm betting Knaus could do it, giving Cup a spark by setting his version of the rules and forcing Johnson to win without him. But Chad says, "No thanks." Trying to win a fifth consecutive championship at Hendrick is good enough to keep him in his current role. "Honestly, this is a really nice place to work," he said. It's not easy being Dale Earnhardt Jr. By David Newton/ESPN.com CONCORD, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s handshake was firm and the grip strong -- stronger than it ever seemed in the past. Perhaps it's been strengthened from gripping the controls of online video games almost nonstop lately. He was up until 2 a.m. Wednesday playing "Call of Duty," and he had a "big, important" iRacing event scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with an hour of practice planned before. Or maybe he's been working out more with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin, who I'm told is cut well enough that sponsor GoDaddy.com could exploit him in commercials the way the company does Danica Patrick if that were the image he wanted. All I know is it was strong. He is strong mentally, as well, at least that's the impression I was left with after Wednesday's media tour stop at HMS headquarters. He has to be. It's not easy being NASCAR's most popular driver, particularly when you haven't won a Sprint Cup race since June 2008 (at Michigan), have won only once in the past 135 races and are coming off a season in which you finished a career-worst 25th in points. Particularly when the performance has gotten so bad that people are making jokes about you. Granted it was scripted, but Earnhardt was ragged by 16-time wrestling champion Ric Flair earlier Wednesday in an event promoting the May All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "He has the biggest house in the biggest side of town," said Flair, pointing to an oversized poster of Dale "Wahoo" Earnhardt and Kevin "Baron Von" Harvick. "Unfortunately, he can't win a race." Ouch! "That's disappointing coming from Ric Flair, a guy that I had a lot of respect for," Earnhardt said with a smile. "… I did build a new house, so I left myself a little of a target there. That's just the way it goes. I feel like that at 35 with two Nationwide championships and 18 career wins and a Daytona 500 win and an All-Star win that I can build a house as big as I feel like building it, I guess." Take that, Flair. Earnhardt knows the man who has made a career out of saying "Wooo" didn't mean it personally. He also knows criticism comes with being an Earnhardt in general. Fortunately, many years ago when his father was a lightning rod for controversy, Junior developed a thick skin that helps him handle things today. One incident stands out in particular. Earnhardt didn't mention the year, but he vividly remembers having a kid from school blame his dad for an accident at Talladega that sent the other driver into the wall. "Some kid was trying to tell me how my dad almost killed somebody," Earnhardt said, noting the driver blew a tire with his dad five or so car lengths behind. "That to me was normal. "I don't look back on that and go, 'All that stuff was abnormal, boy it made me tough' or 'Woe with me for being a damn Earnhardt.' That was normal. That was life. That was just how things were, and you deal with it and everything was all right." Earnhardt says he never complained about criticism then and he doesn't plan to now. He wouldn't trade those life experiences for anything because they shaped him into the man he is. "I guess I was lucky I wasn't that impressionable back then," Earnhardt said. "That kind of stuff didn't sink in and bother me all the way to the house. It didn't turn me into somebody who dwelled in his bedroom all night." He paused, looked around at the horde of reporters in his corner of the Hendrick Museum. "I don't even know what we're talking about," he said. Everyone laughed. Somebody reminded him he was talking about being an Earnhardt. "Yeah, that's what I've always been," Earnhardt deadpanned. It was good to see Earnhardt so relaxed and upbeat, as upbeat as he could be with reporters drilling him on everything from missing his pit stall several times last year to whether he would win another race. The life that seemingly was drained out of him this past fall when Earnhardt said he was "at the end of my rope" was back in his eyes. Maybe it never really left. Earnhardt doesn't hesitate to say he is misunderstood. "I don't think people do get it, obviously," he said. "To me, I feel completely, um, utterly normal. I do everything everybody else does. The things I'm interested in are the same things that guys my age are interested in." Yes, Earnhardt is comfortable in his own skin, but that doesn't make it easy being him. Those who work closest with him can't imagine. "Of all the people that would have traded places with him a few years ago, I'm not so sure many would trade places today," Martin said. "You guys all know I think he has the strongest shoulders in NASCAR. He was a real trouper in 2009. We all need to recognize it and respect it." Crew chief Lance McGrew agreed. "Just going to dinner with him is an episode," he said. "I can't imagine his day-to-day life, how he manages to even function." Four-time defending Cup champ Jimmie Johnson sees the same thing. "He's got more pressure on him than I think a lot of us realize," he said, recalling how Earnhardt left Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the 2007 season. "It's easy to make light of the situation, but the decisions he made to leave the family company, to come here, to work through the issues, to have his friend and cousin [Tony Eury Jr.] as a crew chief and move through that and start over with Lance, it's been tough on him. "There's no way around it -- it's been tough on him." But Earnhardt isn't waving white flags. He believes he has the talent and equipment to be as good on the track as he is online. And he's very good online, winning about 180 of a career 300 events on iRacing. "Hell, I'm there every day," Earnhardt said. "Every damn day I go home, I'm on the damn thing. I just take a break every 30 minutes and play some 'Call of Duty' and go shoot some people, then back to racing." Earnhardt loves the environment online. He loves the relationship he has formed with competitors in the past 10 or so years. "They know who I am, but they don't give me no s--- about it," he said. "They don't ask me if I'm ready for next year." Earnhardt sounded like a kid in a candy store as he talked about Wednesday night's virtual race, the last of a 25-week Pro Series tournament he said began with 15,000 consumers. "I'm No. 1 in the ranking," he said. Maybe one day the sport's most-loved driver will be No. 1 on the track the way his father finished seven Cup seasons. Maybe it'll happen this season. Hendrick is committed to turning the No. 88 team around. So is McGrew; he and Alan Gustafson and the rest of Martin's team have joined forces to make the No. 88 and No. 5 shop work as one. But in the end it'll be Earnhardt who has to step up. If his resolve is as strong as his handshake was Wednesday, he has a fighting chance.
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your Nascar Momma Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." -Dale Earnhardt - 1998 | 
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