Happy Monday all. So, how did it feel to watch racing this past weekend?! Felt great to me...I was in heaven!!!!! Today In Nascar History February 8, 1981: Darrell Waltrip wins the Busch Clash for the only time in his career. Waltrip leads 13 of the 20 laps and beats Benny Parsons to the finish line by three car lengths. Seven cars are in the field. Picture yourself cruising in Tony's 2010 Camaro Coupe 2SS. It's a "Summit White", list price at over $35,000! Tony asked Will Castro of Unique Autosports to work his magic and add a few customizations! Buy a ticket for $50 – you'll be entered to win the Grand Prize including the Camaro, A VIP Trip to Stewart-Haas Racing and a personal meet & greet with Tony!!! 70 Early Bird prizes starting March 15th. Get 'em while you can!!!! Just go to www.smokescamaro. Countdown to Daytona 6 Comments from the Peanut Gallery From Chip Dear NASCAR Momma: I know the subject of who is in the booth during races has sparked some comments from many fans including those I read in the 2/1/10 newsletter so I wish to add mine. I have nothing personally against many who have been chosen to be there but I do not think that anyone who has a bias should be allowed there as it, in my opinion, taints race coverage. DW and Dale Jarrett are the two who come to mind first and foremost. These two men appear to me as being just a little too Toyota loyal. One because his brother has Toyota teams and the other as a former Toyota driver. In the other booth you have a Toyota team owner. In their efforts to get fans as close to drivers, teams and tracks NASCAR and the networks put these people on the air to deliver comment on our sport but most of us would prefer a more unbiased commentary possibly one with less butt kissing of what appears to be the deepest pocketed manufacturing sponsors of NASCAR. Maybe that is my American manufacturer loyalty kicking in but somehow I just think not. I still hold the belief that the best person for that job today is Kyle Petty. Many others have done excellent work in the past and are sadly missed but moving forward we look at what we like best from the booth and only hope that it is also what the networks see when making their selections each year. If all else fails then it is back to the mute button I guess. LOL Chip Bits and Pieces Go Fast Vote Left: US Congressman to Sponsor Mike Wallace at Daytona By Greg Engle CupScene.com Editor, NASCAR Examiner Wallace has picked up a one-race sponsorship from US Representative and Senate hopeful Kendrick Meek, a Democrat from Florida. Rep. Meek made the announcement Tuesday that his campaign would be the primary sponsor in next Saturday's event. "I'm thrilled to sponsor the race car driven by Mike Wallace, a member of one of America's top racing families," Meek said. "The NASCAR Nation experience is a family affair, and my family will be together on pit road cheering Mike onto victory in Daytona." Meek, whose district includes Miami, said he is a longtime NASCAR supporter and attended NASCAR's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2007. He also attended the final NASCAR Sprint Cup race of 2009 at the same track. "NASCAR has deep roots in Florida, and the NASCAR family is hurting right now, as are Florida families," the congressman said. "I'm running for the Senate to get Florida's economy working again for the NASCAR Nation and all families throughout this state." Front Row Motorsports Announces Partnership with Yates, Petty No Where in Sight By Greg Engle CupScene.com Editor, NASCAR Examiner Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins said the team would now be known as Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing. Doug Yates, son of team founder Robert Yates, will be listed as the owner on the No. 37 and No. 38 Ford Fusions, with Jenkins remaining the listed owner of the No. 34 Ford Fusion. More importantly for the team, the merger will give all three entries the owner points that will keep them in a top 35 and give them guaranteed starting spots for the first five races of 2010. The merger will reunite Yates with his former drivers David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil. "There has been a lot of movement this past off-season inside the sport," said Yates. "The opportunity came up with Bob (Jenkins) and to continue in the ownership role. I didn't have to think long about making this decision. Bob is really putting together a strong team this season and has done so over the past few seasons. He's been smart and making all the right moves as an owner." Curiously the news comes only weeks after an official announcement that Yates had completed a merger with Richard Petty Motorsports. On January 20th during this year's NASCAR Media Tour, managing partner Foster Gillette quieted the rumors that a merger had taken place. "I'm here to announce the best kept secret in all of motorsports," he said. "Which is that the merger between Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports is officially completed." First scholarship recipient receives diploma: As the first recipient of the Universal Technical Institute Foundation Brienne Davis Scholarship, Kenna Primm is blazing new trails for females in the motorsports industry -- in and out of the classroom. "I have big goals and I'm determined to make them happen," said Primm. Primm received her diploma from NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C., graduating with top honors and a perfect 4.0 GPA. While taking two six-hour classes every week day, Primm managed to make the Director's Honors List and receive multiple awards. Primm also participated in the DRIVEN program as a student mentor and was voted by her peers as president of the NTI Motorsports Club. In 2009, Primm was named the first recipient of the UTI Foundation Brienne Davis Scholarship and received a $10,000 scholarship towards her tuition to help foster her dreams of a career in automotive and NASCAR. Last year, Primm moved 950 miles from her home in Greenwood, Ark. to study automotive and a NASCAR-specific technology program at NTI -- the only school of its kind that combines automotive training and a NASCAR-approved technologies curriculum into one program. For seven consecutive years, 90% of NTI graduates have found employment in either the automotive or motorsports industries. Named after Brienne Davis, a UTI alumnus who went on to become a Cup Series Official before tragically losing her life in a 2008 traffic accident, the annual scholarship fund provides an opportunity for aspiring female students to attend any one of nine UTI campuses across the U.S. Primm recently accepted a position in the marketing department at Roush Yates Engines and will begin working there in February.(NASCAR. #08 team looking for sponsor to run Labonte UPDATE no go: The #08 Carter-Simo team is hoping to find sponsorship to field an entry for Terry Labonte to run the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 6th.(Carter- Congrats: SPEED and FOX Sports on-air personality Krista Voda was married January 23 in Pittsburgh. She wed Phillip "PK" Kelley, an independent contractor for network television, sports and entertainment, and a longtime fixture in the NASCAR garage. Kelley and Voda, host of NCWTS Setup on SPEED, will reside in Cranberry Township, Pa.(SPEED) Johnson sells NYC loft, but...: #48-Jimmie Johnson has just sold his 3,200-square- USA Weekend to feature three drivers and their kids: Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya or Michael Waltrip and their children are families featured in the February 14 issue of USA WEEKEND magazine. One third of the magazines published feature the each driver family on the cover while the other two thirds feature the other two and their respective children on the cover. The national publication, which is found in 600 newspapers across the country, also features an in-depth column on how the drivers juggle their racing career and father duties along with a pull-out poster, featuring all three families together. Johnson honored by NC House of Reps: The North Carolina House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a Patrick McHenry-sponsored resolution honoring NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson. Johnson was the first NASCAR driver to win four consecutive Sprint Cup Championships. Republican Patrick McHenry has represented North Carolina's 10th Congressional District of North Carolina since 2005. The district covers Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln and Mitchell counties, along with parts of Gaston, Iredell and Rutherford. James Finch II.(Charlotte Observer) RCR Honors Former Crew Member D.J Richardson: Richard Childress Racing will honor former pit crew member and front tire changer D.J. Richardson with memorial decals during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. The #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy will carry the decals behind the front tires for the February 6 Budweiser Shootout. The helmets of the #29 Shell-Pennzoil over-the-wall crew members will also don special decals for the 2010 season. All three of RCR's Sprint Cup Series entries will carry the decals for the 52nd annual Daytona 500 on February 14, and its Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series entries will also carry the decals for their season-opening races. Richardson passed away December 25, 2009, from complications from the H1N1 virus. He joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team. The 2005 Sprint Cup All-Star Rear-Tire Changer Champion began his Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing. The Leominster, Mass., native was 37. "D.J. should be jumping off the wall and changing tires for us again this season so we wanted to honor him in this special way," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "He was a valued member of the RCR family and is missed as we start the 2010 season."(RCR) Window World and Andretti racing with Heavy Hearts: Window World Inc., John Andretti and the Window World Racing community will be racing in the memory of Window World CEO Todd Whitworth during the 2010 race season. Whitworth passed away unexpectedly on February 5. Window World's foundation, Window World Cares, is the primary sponsor of John Andretti and the #34 Ford team for Front Row Motorsports and Boris Said and the #26 Ford team for Latitude 43. Window World has been heavily involved in motorsports since the beginning of 2009. America's largest window replacement company first partnered with Andretti during the 2009 Daytona 500. The relationship expanded to seven NASCAR Sprint Cup events and the famed Indianapolis 500 when Andretti raced with Richard Petty Motorsports. Window World and Andretti were the only driver/sponsor combination to race in both the Daytona and Indianapolis 500 - two of the largest sporting events in the world. Confirmed - Danica Patrick To Make NASCAR Debut At Daytona Saturday By Greg Engle CupScene.com Editor, NASCAR Examiner Late Sunday night a team official, who wasn't authorized to speak on the record, confirmed media reports that Patrick would make the announcement Monday, indicating they were 'accurate'. That official announcement came early Monday morning. The team said Patrick, Earnhardt, and team officials convened Sunday following the ARCA event at Daytona. They added that the decision for Patrick to compete in the Daytona Nationwide Series event is supported by sponsor GoDaddy.com and JRM co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Eury Jr., and Rick Hendrick. "To be the one driving that Go Daddy car at Daytona means a lot to me," Patrick said. "Racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do. The ARCA race was a blast, and I'm not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing." Patrick will team with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet., Patrick will in the No. 7. Although Patrick will still make a qualifying attempt, she is guaranteed starting positions in all three races based off JRM's acquisition of points from CJM Racing's No. 11 team, which finished 15th in the 2009 Nationwide Series owners point standings. "I think Danica proved to everyone that she can compete in stock cars at a high level, and right now seat time is extremely important," JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt said. "She has worked extremely hard during the past two months for this opportunity. Her dedication and work ethic is infectious." Patrick made her much heralded stock car debut this past Saturday in an ARCA Series race at Daytona International Speedway and according to the official was pleased enough with the outing that she will race once more at the famous speedway this coming weekend. The decision to enter the Nationwide race at Daytona, a week prior to her earlier announced debut at California, 'has been hers and hers alone". Her crew chief at JR Motorsports, Tony Eury Jr., who led her efforts last Saturday said after the ARCA event the team will be ready and that its just a 'matter of if we get a phone call that says 'yes.'' Saturday Patrick, one of a record six women who were in the ARCA lineup, ran in the lead pack for the first half of the race until getting loose in the middle of turns 1 and 2 on lap 50, losing the draft and dropping from sixth to 13th. She was later involved in an incident on the frontstretch but was able to keep her car off the wall. Three laps later Nelson Piquet, Jr., the former Formula One driver who also used Saturday's ARCA race to make his stock car debut, made contact with Patrick's car coming off of turn 4, forcing her through the infield grass. Patrick slid sideways on the track and went through the infield grass but was able to avoid making contact. She made two pit stops following the spin, remaining on the lead lap With 10 laps to go, Patrick started picking her way back through the lead pack and while banging fenders stole a sixth-place finish from Supercross legend Ricky Carmichael at the line. "I was just kind of hanging out there for most of the race," said Patrick facing a media swarm after the race. "There were lots of yellows. It feels to me like I got bumped a little bit in turns one and two (on lap 53). I just held to the yellow line because I know that you're not supposed to go below the yellow line to advance your position and I took myself out unfortunately. I was pretty excited to go from last to the top five." Patrick seemed very happy after her first stock car event and impressed many with her performance. "I felt pretty good, I was going side-by-side with people," she said. "And then at the end I was running eighth and I thought what the heck so I pulled out of the line and ran high. You can see I was racing by all of the marks on the car. The GoDaddy.com Chevrolet doesn't look very pretty." The NASCAR Nationwide Series opener at Daytona is titled the DRIVE4COPD 300 that was recently announced as the official health initiative of NASCAR. DRIVE4COPD is a multi-year public health initiative to alert millions of Americans who may be at risk for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patrick recently joined several other high profile celebrities including Emmy-nominated actor Jim Belushi, Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner, Grammy Award-winning country music star Patty Loveless, and former NFL star Michael Strahan as an official spokesperson. Martin Not Mentoring Earnhardt Junior By Greg Engle CupScene.com Editor, NASCAR Examiner Earlier in the week, there was some speculation that during the off-season the crews of the No. 5 and No. 88 Chevy had made some crew swaps. Last season the No 5 team with 51-year-old Mark Martin won five races and was a contender for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Meanwhile Dale Earnhardt Junior went winless and wasn't even close to breaking into the top 20. During Earnhardt's season last year, the team tried several things to turn their performance around. Earnhardt's crew chief, and cousin, was replaced and Earnhardt admitted that he met with Hendrick Motorsports executives searching for help. None of that helped and Earnhardt Junior not only went winless but also finished the season lower in the points then he ever has in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career. During the off-season the Earnhardt gained some of the members of Martin's crew and there was speculation that Martin himself had taken over the role of mentor. Not so, according to Martin. "I've got to deny that," Martin said at Daytona International Sunday just after climbing from his car after qualifying for the pole for the Daytona 500. "I'm not really mentoring Dale Junior." Harvick Gets Well With Bud Shootout Win By Reid Spencer Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service) In a green-white- "I was sick on Thursday and didn't even get to see a lap in the car, but this thing was a rocket, man," said Harvick, the fourth back-to-back winner in Shootout history. Kasey Kahne came home second in the non-points NASCAR Sprint Cup event, followed by Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. Gordon, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya completed the top 10, as the race ended under caution one lap beyond the scheduled 75 laps. A Lap 70 wreck sent Michael Waltrip's Toyota spinning hard into the backstretch wall after contact from Ryan Newman and brought out the fourth caution of the race. Biffle and Kahne remained on the track to take the top two positions, as the rest of the lead-lap cars came to pit road for tires. McMurray was first off pit road after a two-tire stop and restarted third on Lap 75, followed by Harvick, Kyle Busch and Gordon. After the restart, Harvick quickly surged into the lead past the two cars on older tires. The early stages of the race saw minimal change at the front of the field. McMurray wrested the top spot from Edwards on Lap 30 — the first lead change of the race — but Edwards, who led 42 of the first 43 laps, regained the point on the following circuit. On Lap 32, contact from Mark Martin's Chevy sent Kurt Busch sliding through the infield grass and into the outside wall near the pit road exit. Busch had wrecked his primary Shootout car in Thursday's practice and went to a backup car for Saturday's race. "I'm making more laps in the ambulance than I am on the track," Busch said wryly after leaving the infield care center. Polesitter Carl Edwards led wire-to-wire in the first 25-lap segment of the race. The segment ran caution-free until Lap 25, when Michael Waltrip spun his No. 51 Toyota off Turn 2. During a 10-minute break between segments, crews had the opportunity to work on the handling of their cars. "That's the most I've ever led at a speedway," Edwards said during the intermission. "I'm having fun with it." Indeed. In the first segment alone, Edwards more than doubled his combined 12 laps led in three previous Shootout appearances. But the fun didn't last, as Edwards was shuffled back after losing the lead to Stewart on Lap 44. He finished 17th in the 24-driver field. Daytona — She's a beach Darrell Waltrip/foxsports. The biggest question folks always ask me this time of year is: Why is the Daytona 500 so special? Why do people get more pumped up for this race than any other on the schedule? I always reflect back on the triumphs and tragedies I have experienced personally and seen there as a fan, competitor and now a TV broadcaster. Maybe part of it is that we haven't had a race since the third weekend of November. From a team standpoint, that is a really long time. You use every day of that time to get yourself ready for the Daytona 500. But the strange thing is so many times you simply can't explain why it is. But you know what? It doesn't matter. It's your best piece. It's your best horse. That's the one you hope you are going to ride all the way into Victory Lane for the Daytona 500. That easily would be the biggest win of your life. You join a very, very elite group of drivers when you win the 500. I think that is the other thing that makes Daytona really, really special. It's an elite fraternity when you look down the list of Daytona 500 winners. RPM drivers like their chances in 2010 By David Newton/ESPN. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In just more than two years, the Sprint Cup organization owned by seven-time champion Richard Petty has merged with three different companies, been housed in four different shops and changed its name from famed Petty Enterprises to Richard Petty Motorsports. And in all of this it has gone from basically a one-car team to four. And it's gone from Dodge to Ford. Arguably never in the sport has one high-profile organization endured so much change in such a short period of time just to stay afloat. RPM easily could be the poster child for the new NASCAR. Have team ... will merge. First with Boston Ventures. Then with Gillett Evernham. Now with Yates Racing. The irony is the organization has a shot to be stronger than it's been since the heyday of its figurehead whose 200 wins ranks No. 1 all time. Just ask star driver Kasey Kahne. He doesn't hesitate to say this is his best opportunity to win a championship. Equipment certainly shouldn't be an issue as it sometimes has been. RPM will use engines and chassis from Roush Fenway Racing as a result of its merger with Yates. It also will pick up a wealth of technical support from beefed-up Ford, something it got little of from Dodge the past few years. And it will benefit from sharing information among not only the four RPM drivers but also the four at Roush. "Combining what we have with some of the Roush guys and what we're building, there is definitely something to look forward to," Kahne said. "I'm excited." Kahne is excited enough to say, at least publicly, he's willing to give the organization a chance to re-sign him beyond this season. Many don't believe that will happen. Some already have him penciled in at Stewart-Haas Racing or Joe Gibbs Racing -- or one of the other top organizations. But Kahne admits that if RPM is as good as its potential, he won't close the door on returning. "I definitely want to give my situation I'm in now a really good opportunity, a really legit shot at showing me that this is the spot where I need to be, that RPM is the spot where I need to be," Kahne said. "A lot of this merger and things, they've done it to try to build that, to give our team a better opportunity. "I'm definitely going to give them a shot here. How long that takes, I don't know." That's a much different tone than he had in November when he seemingly couldn't wait to talk to other teams. Maybe it's a ploy so he won't be a distraction all season. Maybe he honestly believes it. Kahne didn't do too badly in 2009. He won a pair of races, qualified for the Chase and finished 10th in a car that could have been in a position to challenge for the title were it not for a blown engine and a crash in two of the first four playoff races. "This year is going to be a year we have a really neat opportunity with what we have and what we're gaining by the merger," Kahne said. He's optimistic to say the least. There also is uncertainty. The contracts of all four drivers -- Kahne, Elliott Sadler, AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard -- will expire after this year. There also is a question of communication and the melting of two philosophies into one. Foster Gillett, the principal owner, doesn't seem concerned. He believes the combination of Robbie Loomis as the competition director and former Yates co-owner Max Jones as president and general manager will provide solid leadership at the top. He insists he and his father, primary owner George Gillett, aren't in NASCAR to make a buck and get out. "One of the things that we desperately needed, at least in my tenure here, was a man who understood racing and business and how it combines in today's sport," Gillett said of Jones. "It's very important to have people who understand the racing side who have also been on the business side and can speak as easily to the drivers as they can the sponsors. "I look forward to all the fruit that our relationship can bear." It's still a work in progress. Sadler hasn't won a race since 2004, when he was at then-Robert Yates Racing. He's had only five top-5s since and has showed a steady decline in the point standings, finishing 26th last season. Allmendinger remains somewhat of a project even though Petty thought enough of him to give him the famed No. 43 car. He had only one top-5 and six top-10s in 2009. Menard, the lone carryover driver from Yates, has only one top-5 and two top-10s in 111 career Cup starts. His biggest battle has been to stay among the top 35 drivers guaranteed a spot in the field each week. So there's the question of whether there is enough pure talent behind the wheel to raise RPM's performance despite better equipment. That said, there is a quiet enthusiasm that has even Kahne upbeat. "It's been a pretty crazy offseason trying to get cars built and trying to get familiar with new surroundings, but I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "We're going to have a better engine package, and working with a bigger group of people should benefit everyone." Big Teams Face Small Pinches To Pocketbooks Larry Woody | Senior Writer, RacinToday.com If you glance on the side of the road as you travel to the track this season you may see Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart huddled on the corner holding hand-scribbled cardboard signs: "WILL RACE FOR FOOD" Then, again, maybe not. The financial pinch that has prompted NASCAR to make a 10-percent cut in race purses will be painful to some of the back-of-the- Give me $20 million and I'll gladly tithe 10 percent in NASCAR's collection plate. Remember, this is a sport that in recent years had been drowning in dough. A driver who started all 36 Cup races and finished dead last in every one would be a millionaire at the end of the season. I remember when it was big news when Richard Petty finally cracked the $1 million mark. Not in season earnings – in CAREER earnings. For decades racers' salaries lagged behind the bloated paychecks being ranked in by the stick-and-ball guys. Nobody begrudged drivers eventually getting their due. If bouncing a ball is worth $100 million, surely bouncing off a wall is worth more than what drivers used to earn. The real story of this season's pay cut is that it signifies that hard reality has finally set in and NASCAR must confront it. Attendance is down, meaning a loss of revenue for tracks. Hence NASCAR is giving tracks a break by reducing the size of the purse they are required to post. There could be some benefits for the fans. For starters, maybe tracks will reduce ticket prices in an attempt to fill some of their empty seats. And perhaps towns in which the tracks are located will be forced to finally take action against shameless motel price-gouging – the single biggest expense for a race weekend. In other words, maybe racing will become affordable for the average person again. Don't weep for the superstars – Jimmie, Jeff, Tony, Dale Jr. and the gang won't have to hang "For Sale, Cheap" signs on their private jets, luxury yachts and other toys. Chandra won't have to work a double shift at the Waffle House and Ingrid won't be forced to take in washing. They'll get along just fine on the millions they'll still be raking in. On back in the field is where the pinch will be felt. Teams that were already struggling to make ends meet will feel the pay cuts. When you're already living on crumbs, losing 10 percent of your crumbs hurts. NASCAR's still rich and the absurdly wealthy teams will still be absurdly wealthy. The rest? Well, the rest will have to tighten their belts and learn to live on less. The days of celebrating a 43rd-place finish with a lobster dinner may be over. Pass the fried baloney. Retro Racing Mark Aumann Schrader raises eyebrows, brings back memories Driver returns to the site of some of his greatest glory Rule changes to this year's Budweiser Shootout raised some eyebrows when the eligible drivers list was announced, particularly when it came to the addition of Ken Schrader, who will pilot the No. 82 Toyota on Saturday. But even though he hasn't been behind the wheel of a Cup car in more than a year, it seems altogether fitting that Schrader, who became the first driver to win back-to-back Busch Clashes, should return 20 years later to the site of some of his greatest glory. According to the biography posted on Schrader's Web site, Schrader literally started going around in circles at an early age. Growing up in Fenton, Mo., his father Bill tied Kenny's go-kart to a post in the backyard with a rope, allowing the 3-year-old to speed around until the vehicle ran itself out of gas. He made his public debut at I-55 Speedway as a teen -- a track which he now owns -- then began traveling all over the midwest, mainly running open-wheeled cars. He captured the USAC Silver Crown championship in 1982 and the USAC Sprint Car title a year later, and had one aborted attempt at making the field at the Indianapolis 500. But by that time, Schrader wanted to give stock-car racing a try, and in 1984, rented Winston Cup cars from Elmo Langley for three races. He finished 19th at Nashville in his Cup debut but soon ran out of cash. However, Langley was impressed enough to allow Schrader to run twice more. Junie Donlavey signed Schrader to a full-time ride the following season, and he scored three top-10 finishes en route to rookie of the year honors. Schrader won the first of his 23 career poles at Darlington in 1987, allowing him entry into the 1988 Busch Clash, where he finished seventh for new owner Rick Hendrick. The Busch Clash at that time was a 20-lap sprint exclusively for pole winners, with the starting lineup drawn at random. That same weekend, Schrader began a stretch where he sat on the pole for three consecutive Daytona 500s. In addition, that assured him a spot in the following year's Busch Clash. And in 1989, Schrader led 15 of the 20 laps, naturally from the pole, to score the victory and take home the $75,000 winner's purse, his biggest paycheck up to that point. In fact, Schrader made more in the Busch Clash than he did for finishing second to Darrell Waltrip in the 500 a week later. "Three weeks ago, I ran in a midget race in Milwaukee for $1,000," Schrader said. "A thousand dollars! That's doesn't even pay for the fuel I used flying up there and running the car." And for the 1990 Busch Clash, Schrader proved once again to be the man to beat. He floored the gas pedal of his No. 25 Chevy Lumina to a pole-winning speed of 196.515 mph, then challenged the rest of the Busch Clash field in a game of "catch me if you can." For the most Greg Sacks, driving another Hendrick car -- the No. 46 City Chevrolet that would be used in the filming of "Days of Thunder" a week later -- was able to lead four laps. But once Schrader went to the front, he was gone. He beat Sacks to the line by two car-lengths. "On the last lap, I took a shot up the track out of Turn 2 and tried to get a better run at him," Sacks said. "But it didn't happen. The rest of the 10-car field was suitably impressed. "Kenny just accelerated right away from me on the green flag," fifth-place finisher Bill Elliott said. "I called my guys at the end of the first lap and said, 'No way, guys.' Schrader had the horsepower." But for all his Busch Clash success, Schrader was never able to match it in the 500. He blew an engine 58 laps into the 1990 edition and finished 40th. He would come close again in 1996 (third), 1998 (fourth), 1999 (sixth) and 2000 (ninth), and then pilot the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford to a ninth-place finish in the 2006 Daytona 500. At 54, Schrader continues to race "anytime, anywhere." Even though his last Cup start came at Phoenix in 2008, his racing calendar is overflowing. How much has changed since Schrader's second Busch Clash victory 20 years ago? North Wilkesboro and Rockingham were still mainstays on the schedule, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was still a sanctuary for only open-wheeled cars, and tracks in Fontana, Fort Worth, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Joliet were either under construction or in the planning stages. In 1990, the NFL had not one, but two franchises -- the Raiders and the Rams -- in Los Angeles. And included in this year's Budweiser Shootout field is Joey Logano, who wasn't born until May of that year. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. A 10 percent pay cut? Welcome to the club Terry Blount/espn. Every NASCAR driver and team owner just took a 10 percent pay cut. NASCAR is reducing the purse money by 10 percent for every Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series event this season. A lot of folks across the country would say welcome to the club. Others would gladly accept that sacrifice compared to no pay at all. However, this is a little different. The lost purse money for the competitors is going into the pockets of the track owners. Track income just got a big bump. We're not talking about chump change. Take Texas Motor Speedway, for example. In 2009, TMS paid a total of $18.3 million for it six NASCAR events, two races in each series. That's a $1.8 million savings for 2010. One-quarter of the purse money comes from television revenue paid to the tracks, more of which the speedways can keep now. But the tracks aren't padding the coffers. What this really does is help make up for the income speedways lost last year with decreased attendance and reduced ticket prices. This also is an indirect way for NASCAR to pay itself, at least as far as the France family is concerned. The Frances own NASCAR, but they also have controlling interest in International Speedway Corp., which owns 12 tracks that play host to NASCAR events. Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc. empire owns eight tracks that have NASCAR events, including TMS. Smith, by the way, proposed last week that NASCAR pay more purse money for winning. So what about the race teams and drivers? They are taking a hit. This isn't quite as bad as it seems because TV revenue is increasing slightly this year (about 2.5 percent). That aside, let's illustrate how this could affect one driver. Clint Bowyer finished 15th in the 2009 standings. Assuming he had the exact same results in 2010, his race winnings would drop $441,066, from about $4.4 million in 2009 to about $3.9 million in 2010. Drivers typically keep about 40 to 50 percent of purse earnings. Yes, I know. You aren't shedding any tears for racing millionaires. And no Cup teams, with the possible exception of a couple of start-and-parkers, make ends meet off prize money from races. That doesn't come close to paying the bills for Cup teams with several hundred employees. It takes millions of dollars in sponsorship. But any cut in income is painful these days for NASCAR teams, many of which have renegotiated with sponsors for less money to keep them around. For the speedway owners, congratulations. Things just got a little better in a tough economy. For drivers and teams, things just got a little worse. Welcome to the club. What's up? Here's 10 new things in 2010 Terry Blount/espn. NASCAR wants to get its groove back. The 2010 season is all about a new attitude. "This ain't your daddy's NASCAR" is so 2009. "This is your daddy's NASCAR" is the theme for 2010. Things are changing. Well, maybe not everything. Other than Jimmie Johnson possibly winning the championship again (no shock if he does), what NASCAR fans see in 2010 may have a much different look than what they saw in 2009. This season is about racers racing with less interference from the joyless rule enforcers in the tower. NASCAR is going back to a Social Darwinism approach, a survival-of- It sounds interesting in theory, but how it actually plays out is anyone's guess. Either way, it should be fun to watch. So here are our 10 topics on my 2010 watch list that could bring some entertaining moments: 1. The Daytona 500: The first race out of the gate always is NASCAR's signature show. But rule changes this year for restrictor-plate events could make this Daytona 500 the best show in years. Strict rule enforcement on bump drafting is gone. Drivers can bump draft each other as they see fit. Have at it, boys. And they can do it with a little more power. The restrictor plate between the carburetor and engine intake manifold being used at Daytona is the biggest opening since 1989, meaning the engines will have more horsepower. That gives the drivers more throttle response, enabling them to change speeds more quickly, something they've begged for to improve the racing at plate tracks. 2. Wilder racing: Most rule changes affect the plate races at Daytona and Talladega, but NASCAR officials have made it clear that looser enforcement will apply across the board every week. NASCAR chairman Brian France set the agenda: "We're going to loosen it up. This is a contact sport." So be it. But how far will race officials actually let the drivers go on the track? Rubbin' is racin', but when does it becomes over-aggressive driving that's too dangerous to allow? As always, it's still a judgment call. But NASCAR's message to the drivers is clear: "We might not judge it as harshly as we have in the recent past." 3. The spoiler: The rear wing that many fans hate is going away for good in late March when NASCAR returns to the rear spoiler, similar to the blade that sat on the deck lid of the old car for years. The goal is to bring about better racing by giving the car more balance between front and rear downforce. It also should mean the car is less likely to get airborne. Whether it improves the side-by-side racing is impossible to say until the drivers get on the track. Texas in April probably will be the first spoiler race on a large speedway. But it will change things. The spoiler will help some drivers and hurt others. Some crew chiefs will adapt quickly and some will struggle. Even if the spoiler doesn't make a noticeable difference in the racing product, it's still a game changer. It will make a few teams more competitive and a few others less competitive than they were with the wing. 4. Junior's Groove: Eyes always are on Dale Earnhardt Jr., but this is a pivotal season in his career. Either he rebounds and returns to competitive status or he repeats 2009 and starts to fade into racing oblivion. I'm betting it's the former. Earnhardt is a skilled driver with quality equipment. Crew chief Lance McGrew is a pro who knows his stuff. So it's really up to Junior to end his horrendous slump. It starts with a positive attitude and a renewed zeal to be the best. 5. Danica Patrick: NASCAR needed a spark and something that would bring national attention. Danica is it. Patrick finally dips her feet into the NASCAR pool with a partial Nationwide schedule driving for Earnhardt's JR Motorsports. Could you have a bigger celebrity pairing? ARCA's version of the Super Bowl comes this Saturday at Daytona, when Patrick makes her stock-car debut. Depending on how that goes, she might race in the Daytona Nationwide event on Feb. 13. If not, her NASCAR debut will come in the shadow of Hollywood, at Fontana, Calif., the following weekend. If she races well, the sky's the limit. If she doesn't, NASCAR still benefits from the attention she brings. 6. Denny Hamlin: The experts believe this is Hamlin's year to shine. He finished 2009 on a roll, showed some moxie on the track in his feud with Brad Keselowski, and should challenge Johnson for the Cup crown. But Hamlin will race the entire season with a torn ACL in his left knee. Doctors say he'll be fine. They say it won't affect him. Really? What about those thousands of clutch pedal pushes? What if he wrecks and bangs his knee? Maybe one good leg is enough. 7. Kyle Busch: Is this the year the results match the talent? You won't find a more skilled guy behind the wheel than Kyle. But all that ability hasn't produced a Cup championship. Last year, it didn't even produce a Chase spot. Maybe becoming a team owner in the Camping World Truck Series will help him mature a little. Or it could become a distraction for a guy who already has way too much on his plate with Nationwide Series races and some truck races. Crew chief Dave Rogers, in his first full season with Kyle, will try to tame the beast. 8. Steve Addington: The man who couldn't tame the beast will now apply what he learned as Kyle's crew chief to the older Busch brother and try to help Kurt earn a second Cup title. Addington is a quiet guy who wouldn't criticize anyone, but you know he'll feel some satisfaction if Kurt's No. 2 Dodge finishes ahead of Kyle's No. 18 Toyota in the 2010 standings. 9. Martin Truex Jr.: Remember him? Truex made the Chase in 2007 when he won his first Cup race and looked like a rising star. But he was part of a decaying situation at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2008 and would have left if he could have, but contractual obligations forced him to stay at the merged Earnhardt Ganassi Racing operation in 2009. The Ganassi half of that merger -- Juan Pablo Montoya -- thrived. But the Earnhardt half -- Truex -- struggled, a typical outcome for a lame-duck driver. Now Truex joins a team on the rise in Michael Waltrip Racing, replacing Waltrip in the full-time driving spot with teammates David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose. Pat Tryson, one of the most respected crew chiefs in Cup, also joins MWR as Truex's crew chief. It all adds up to big things for Truex in 2010. That NAPA car never looked so good. 10. Jimmie Johnson: Last but not least. Johnson will attempt the incredible accomplishment of a fifth consecutive Cup championship. If everything in the series were staying the same, why would anyone doubt him? But, as we said, everything isn't staying the same. How will NASCAR rule changes and its relaxed attitude affect Johnson's driving style? How will he adjust to the spoiler? He won his first two championships with a spoiler, so it could play into his hands. And no one is better at making adjustments on the fly than crew chief Chad Knaus. NASCAR may get its groove back, but Johnson still may win the title. Some things change, some things stay the same.
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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