Back to the Beach. No, it's not vacation time yet. First we take care of some business on the high banks at Daytona. The Pepsi...er, Coke Zero 400 will have some fireworks of it's own Saturday night. Highlights and downlows...
I'm a big believer in a free market and survival of the fittest, but seeing Coke on this race instead of Pepsi is damn hard to get used to. Pepsi has been with NASCAR at Daytona since day one. About a half a century (HR13's got neckties that old). Of all the #### that Brian France has pulled, this irks me the most for some reason.
Some breaking news from earlier today (Thursday). Kurt Busch had the fastest time in Cup practice at Daytona. That would have been great, except he totaled the car and will go to the backup. MartinTruex Jr's #1 DEI Chevy failed inspection twice. NASCAR kept the car, and Truex, also will be in a backup. Randy Moss has bought half of Mogan Dollar Motorsports CTS team. It will be renamed Randy Moss Motorsports and sport #81 on the Chevy Silverados. Their first race will be at Kentucky in two weeks. Sponsors and divers will be announced soon. Excuse me if I don't hold my breath waiting on the sponsor announcement.
On to this week's silly season updates. Hendrick Motorsports has a press conference scheduled for noon Friday, July, 4. They will be announcing that Mark Martin will be driving the #5 HMS Chevy full time next year. Bad idea. Tony Stewart is scheduled to make his big announcement when NASCAR hits Indy later this month. Expect Tony to take over CNC HAAS Racing with Office Depot as a sponsor. RyanNewman is still rumored to be Tony's teammate/employee in the second car. I don't see that. These two do not get along at all.
Heard that General Mills wants Casey Mears in RCR's new fourth car, #33, next season. Petty Enterprises may have to drop one of their cars next year due to lack of sponsorship. But wait, Jamie McMurray may go to the #45 with a sponsor in his pocket. Or, Michael Waltrip may bring the one sponsor he'll have left, when his three car team goes under, to his best friend, Kyle Petty's team.
Aric Almirola has been named as the full time driver of DEI's #8 Cup car for next year. Double A, don't be surprised when you show up at Daytona next February, and you're the only one from DEI there. Current DEI driver, Paul Menard, may take his sponsor to #26 at RFR next year. Funny, his family's name is the same as his sponsor. BAM Racing says they'll be back with Ken Schrader driving at Indy. Guess when 43 or less cars show up, BAM can make a race.
New sponsor/paint schemes for this weekend. Kevin Harvick will be in an orange, Reece Cup Chevy Saturday night. Dale Earnhardt Jr's #88 HMS Chevy will have a special camo paint job to celebrate the 4th of July. Truex's #1 will have the new movie 'Swing Vote' on board . The #96 of J.J. Yeley also features a new movie, 'Journey to the Center ofthe Earth'. Polaroid will be on Reed Sorenson's #41. JamieMcMurray's car will have Irwin on it. Irwin was on the car last year when J Mac won this race. Don't expect lightning on Saturday night. KerryEarnhardt will be in the DEI #8 in the NNS race Friday night. Just wondering, is Kerry part of the Nation?
Chip Ganassi Racing shut down the #40 team this past week. Rookie driver Dario Franchitti is among the 70 some employees out on their ####. Lack of sponsor was the official cause of death. Chip has offered Dario a NNS ride, or become Chip's third driver in the IRL. That's a tough choice. Learn stock cars in a lower series, like he should have to start with, or go get shown up by Scott Dixon every week. On the bright side (besides Ashley) he's got a $30 million contract with Ganassi. So expect him to be somewhere in a Ganassi car.
Just like the other major racing series, it takes a tragedy for the NHRA to begin closing the barn door. After Scott Kalita's senseless death the NHRA is evaluating, and analyzing the implementation of potential changes. In the meantime they have reduced the race track length from 1/4 mile (1,320 ft) to 1,000 ft for Top Fuelers and Funny Cars. Do they really think Kalita would have survived if the track had been 320 feet shorter?
Finally, a holiday weekend right in the middle of the long hot summer. Thank you Continental Congress. Stay thirsty, and keep an extra fifth for the Fourth.
You know it is getting pretty hard to keep up with all the driver changes that will be taking place next year. I just got used to the switches this year.
Now we got sponsors doing the old switcheros too.
Then there is the team owners closing up the shops due to lack of sponsorship. Do you think NASCAR has evolved into a very rich mans play ground?
I can remember when you had some pretty fast cars from old back yard garages that ran in NASCAR at a minute fraction of the cost associated with fielding a car today.
hanahan
I'm trying to stay on point with the changes but I hear that it'd be better if NASCAR just played musical chairs with the drivers on the move. That way it'd certainly make it all the more entertaining for the fans.
As to the NHRA incremental changes like the one's they're proceeding with wouldn't have made a difference in preventing Scott Kallitta's death. It was a fait-accomplis from beginning to end and unavoidable.
Gerrel...I just quit calling it the Firecracker a couple of years ago. Finally started saying Pepsi, and they changed it on me. Have a blast on the 4th!
al...I understand that the NHRA doesn't want to make an untested change that would endanger the drivers even more, instead of helping them. They know that shortening the track can't hurt. I'm just mad that they are still racing on tracks that have been outdated and unsafe for decades.
hanahan
I think that above all else it boils down to penny pinching when it the safety of the competitors ought to be uppermost in the minds of the NHRA . By obfuscating their overall responsibilities they're creating an atmosphere of wantoned neglect. And should there be another tragedy then I'm looking for someone to sue the hierarchy within the NHRA for their lack of action.
Heck, Petty Enterprise losing a car ? It is a one car team really, the other just takes up a spot on the grid.... LOL
If I was Dario, spending a little more time with Ashley would be good..... naaah...... she is with him always....... hmmmmmmm.
It is sad about the NHRA trimming the track but they are still driving rolling TIME BOMBS. They have alot of work to do in the off season and need to take away the rocket fuel these things are running.
Hanahan I heard from a reliable source that when Ganassi Racing shut it down the employees had a RIOT and was driving through his lawn and tearing the #### out of his house throwing rocks trhough his windows heard it was crazy and the local sheriff dept had to be called in..lol good times
Coke 400 nick name Brians pocketbook sellout.
Truexx pissed at DEI.
Moss and MorganDollar team? Good? I think so. He is a passionate sport lover and he is starting small. SHould be good..
Hendrick & Martin. Never saw it coming. But then never saw Martin in a Chevy before either.
Smoke buying out Hass...OfficeDepot..HomeDepot is also coming? I made that up, but possible.
Newam as teamate? Nope. I see Truexx there. Just my take.
#33 car has alot of drivers pounding at the door. Shows the respect for RCR. Mears? Maybe.
Menard will always have the sponsor. Lets see if it gets him a ride.
#40 and Francii..What a bust. I hope Dario sees his errors and moves to a Nationwide team. Does a year and learns the tracks and heavier cars. The guy is great. But so was Jordan. He went from basket ball to baseball. Kinda like Dario from feather like Indy cars to Dumptruck like Nascar. Its a hellofa change.
On that note lets go racing...
pop...All great, and true, points. I also see Truex going with Tony. Bass Pro Shops has been a sponsor with Tony for a long time, and Truex could bring them with him. You and Noah have a spectacular Fourth of July, OK.
Do you think when Stewart moves on Gibbs will go ahead and put sliced bread into the Cup Series? I look at it like bringing along a player in baseball, working through the minors. If they throw him in the fire too soon it might be a step or two backwards. Then there is the youthful exurberance and being bulletproof. Which way will Joe go with Stewart's ride evidently coming up empty? I'd like to see him keep it inhouse rather than taking on someone else's cast off...
Dwind...I've heard that Gibbs may go to four cars next year. Mike Waltrip and Bill Davis' Toyota teams may not return intact. So Toyota may concentrate on one Super Team, JGR. If he goes to 4 cars, Loganno should be in one of them. Toyota will have a say about that, and who the 4th driver would be.
Hanny, or anyone, how does Truex altering the roof of the car help? Does it give more speed or downforce? Just wondering. I appreciate anyone that can explain it to me. Thanks
volfan...that's a good one. NASCAR didn't say what they did. Depending on what they did, it could help downforce---best bet---or reduce drag for straightaway speed. RL Guido can explain this better. It may kill Martin's Chase hopes. He's less than 100 out of 12th now. Look for NASCAR to take away at least 100 points from him next week.
Hanahan, thank you. BTW, wasn't it 150 points for the two Haas teams? You know, Booty Barker and those guys. I may have spelled the name of the team wrong. Sorry.
Good article. On J.J Yeley's car, instead of saying Journey to the Center of the Earth, it should say Journey to the Front of the Field.
Hope there is another good Daytona finish tonight. By the way, Pepsi is gradually losing its name in NASCAR.
Most fans root for the driver not team, also. Some fans are die hard in their support of one manufacturer over the rest. If their favorite driver switches make of car they won't support him anymore. Strange.
Holly .....The Ghost Rider, Is hot! This is getting bigger every week and I like it! Great coverage you do and I do love it being over here I don't get all the ins and outs till some one post's it or they talked about during the race. Keep them coming but I will keep to left sides only to beat you out of the pits.lol Cheers
