Brandon McReynolds (sitting) with father Larry McReynolds - Photo Credit: Brandon McReynolds

I was impressed with Brandon then. He was an excited High School student, enjoyed racing in the UARA-STARS Series competing with some friends who have well known last names, as well. I found him to be a likeable young man…one I genuinely wished good luck and hoped would eventually make it in the upper racing series of NASCAR. So, when I read about a couple of his very successful ARCA tests with Eddie Sharp Racing, I decided to contact young McReynolds to have him tell his fans and our readers something they might not have read in articles or on Facebook. I’m glad I did. WOW…what a difference a few months have made. I am even more impressed with Brandon now than the first time we spoke.

The interview last week began with congratulations on his 3rd place finish in the UARA-STARS Series points for 2009 and the fact that he is not on the UARA schedule this season.

“Yeah, we’re obviously trying to move up and trying to run some bigger cars, whether that’s an ARCA Series, the K&N Pro Series or maybe even the trucks if sponsorship allows us to,” he began. “I still have both my UARA late models and I’m actually going up there today and tomorrow to Hickory Motor Speedway to spot for my buddy, Coleman Pressley. So I’ll still be around the racetrack. We had our success last year and now we’re just trying to move up and run some other stuff this year. I just actually flew back in from Texas Motor Speedway yesterday morning. We tested down there with Eddie Sharp Racing and did really well.”

I told him I wanted to get back to that in awhile, but I wanted to start with the ARCA test at Daytona on December 23rd. His father accompanied him.

“He was there and that definitely helped. That test sprung up pretty quick and we really didn’t know which direction we were going to go. We knew we still wanted to run a couple of late model races, but, we also knew we were working to try to move forward with my career. Luckily Eddie Sharp called me up and said he was willing to give me a shot to go down there and test for him. Obviously he has real good equipment. They won the championship last year with Justin Lofton, so, we put it together and went down there. I think there was like 50 some cars and we were top 5 all weekend. And I got to experience the draft and work with Danca Patrick a little bit in the draft, which was pretty cool, especially from the media side because it brought a lot to the table for us, as well.”

“The preparation for that is totally different from our late model stuff because we own our own cars and I work on my own cars. I went over to Eddie Sharp Racing and hung out with all the guys. I think that’s the biggest thing especially when you’re in a higher level series. You might not be able to work on the race cars because there are guys that get paid to do that, but, it’s really good to get that camaraderie with the guys. It was great to meet everyone and know who I was going to be working with. I sat in the cars to make sure the seat and all the safety equipment was good to go. I spent a couple of weeks out there. Luckily I already knew the crew chief, Johnny Allen, and had already worked a little bit with him before because he is a really good friend of my dad’s. They go way back.”

“It really meant a lot to me. I’ve been going there every year since I was a baby and to finally get out on the race track was an amazing feeling. I was a little bit nervous because I had never tested an ARCA car at such a big track, so, they threw me the keys and said here is a 2 1/2 mile race track so have at it. It was really cool. The first day was rain shortened but to be 4th fastest was awesome. That was reassuring. It ended up being three days. The other 2 days were just drafting practice. At the end of the day, I think if you do your homework as a race car driver and you really study what you’re supposed to be doing and put a lot of time and effort in to it, you can pretty much drive anything.”

Brandon explained that he only had 4 laps when they called the 1st day of testing due to rain. He felt that was to his advantage, because he was able to go back to the hotel and really study and think about those laps and what he learned. When he returned for the remaining 2 days, he felt confident and just concentrated on what he needed to improve on.

Then on the 9th and 10th of this month, Brandon headed to Texas Motor Speedway for more ARCA testing. His father accompanied him that time, as well. He finished 2nd out of 21 cars testing. No small feat.

“Texas is a whole different animal than Daytona,” McReynolds continued. “At Daytona you fight handling a little bit, but, it’s pretty much wide open. You have to work with the draft and understand it, but, Texas is totally different. It’s really, really fast. I think our average speed around there was 186 which means somewhere around 200 getting off of the corners and you’ve got to let off there and fight handling and stuff like that, so it was cool. Eddie said whether you’re 20th or first you can’t underestimate that place because you’ll get in trouble in a hurry. So we went down there and I stood on top of the hauler for the first few minutes of practice. Scott Wimmer was there helping  RCR (Richard Childress Racing) out so I watched him get some pretty good lap times. Then I went out there and ran 4 laps and they told me I was top of the charts and to shut the motor off. I was like, there’s no way, but, they said to come on in and they’d work on it a little bit. Man that was awesome! That’s one of the fastest places ARCA or NASCAR goes to, so hopefully we’ll get the chance to go back there and race in April.”

Right now Brandon and McReynolds Racing are working hard to find the sponsorship that will allow him to run some upper series’ races. Several possibilities are being examined. Testing results at two of the toughest tracks on the upper series’ schedule show this young man has what it takes to get the job done with quality equipment. And ability is definitely a part of his genetic make up, obviously. All of that doesn’t matter, however, says young McReynolds,

“If you don’t have sponsorship to get involved with one of the better teams, you pretty much don’t have anything. It’s really tough to swallow that pill because it’s like you’re running faster than some of the RCR cars and cars involved with Penske and then nothing comes out of it. I think if we can get some sponsorship we will do okay. Eddie Sharp’s equipment is good enough and I think I’m where I need to be, as far as a racecar driver, so that we could prove to some of these people that I’ve got what it takes. We’ve talked to a lot of big name teams and they know my ability, but, the number one question is money. That’s just how it is.”

They have hopes of running 3 ARCA races this season. I hope he gets the chance. And so do, according to today’s Facebook figures, 1285 Facebook followers. They have the chance to actually interact with Brandon. I check in there from time to time and enjoy reading the posts between him and his fans.

“I think social networking is a huge hit right now. I like Twitter a lot, but, Facebook is more like a personal thing. I think this is really helping NASCAR right now because instead of seeing (only) the corporate side of people, Johnson or Logano or whoever, the fans get to see a personal side, what those guys or what I’m doing this week. Any opportunity I get, whether it’s racing or it’s personal, it’s nice to be able to give this (type of) attention to the fans. It’s neat to see how it’s grown (the number of fans on Facebook) and it’s neat to see the number of emails we get at brandonmcreynolds.com. It’s neat to see all the responses to some of the successes we’ve had at the start of this year, whether it’s testing or some of the late model races we are announcing that we’re going to run. It’s just cool to know some people care. I mean, I don’t need someone behind me patting me on the back, but, it does feel good just to know someone is out there and someone’s listening. The fans get a comfortable feeling when they know they can be a part of something, as well.”

“I just want the fans to keep watching racing. I know it’s tough right now, and I’m not dogging on Dale Jr in no way at all, but I know that things with him are going slow and he’s really the heartbeat to our sport . I just want to say stick with racing. It’s going back to the grass roots like they said. This year NASCAR is letting guys do whatever they want. It was really neat to sit in a NASCAR rookie meeting and see the next generation of NASCAR drivers. It’s kind of good to know who you’re going up against. No way will this new set of racecar drivers take Jeff Gordon or Dale Jr or Jimmie Johnson, or any of these great racecar drivers off the platform. Those guys will always be at the top and always be doing good things. But, I think if we (the new group of rookies) can come in and work with those guys and understand where they’re coming from and they understand where we’re coming from and maybe do some good things in NASCAR, then maybe it can add, not character, but maybe some more personality which is what I think NASCAR needs right now.”

I really like this young man. Brandon is not only a talented young driver, but, he is very business/sponsor smart. We talked at length about the commitment between driver and sponsor, Brandon referring to it as a “relationship”. He has learned the very important “other” part to successful competition. Brandon is so young, but, he jumps right in to an interview with wisdom and eagerness beyond his years. He is confident in his abilities, yet anything but boastful. He is knowledgeable, yet listens to suggestions and others opinions. He wants to be known as a racecar driver, yet is so very proud of his father and family. The young man appears to me to have everything he needs except funding. Personally, I hope he finds it very soon. I think he is exactly what this sport needs. He’s handsome, personable and very likeable. He values all aspects of this sport and knows without the fans, there is no sport. What is not to like?

Brandon, I hope you get to run those 3 ARCA races and more this year. And for those who are interested, you can follow Brandon on Facebook. I think you will enjoy the experience. And for more information on Brandon and their plans for 2010 be sure to check out his website at www.brandonmcreynolds.com

Good luck and I look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Kyle Petty - Kyle Petty Charity Ride

The camp is an amazing facility which offers a much needed and medically-sound year round camping experience to children with chronic and terminal illnesses. This is a place where these children can, as much as possible, forget what illnesses plague their daily lives, and can just have fun. Laughter is, after all, an amazing medicine, and these kids need to and do laugh, laugh, laugh.

During the charity ride, the participates will greet fans and supporters at stops in North Las Vegas, Nevada, Richfield, Utah, Durango, Colorado, Amarillo, Texas, Texarkana, Texas, Choctaw, Mississippi, Chattanooga, Tennessee and Asheville, N.C. where fans and supporters who have held various charity events to raise fund for Victory Junction will have the opportunity to meet and present the Pettys with their donations.

Operating solely on donations, Victory Junction Camp has now brought laughter and fun to the lives of more than 7000 chronically ill children ages 6 to 16 free of charge. Last year ground was broken for a new facility in Kansas City, Kansas. This year’s success in raising funds is particularly important, because the economy has affected everyone and more and more children are deserving of the Camp’s services now more than ever!

I spoke with Kyle last week about the upcoming ride. The excitement in his voice was so evident. “It’s time to ride again,” he began laughingly. Speaking about, hopefully better weather than the last month nationwide, “We’ll probably get a springtime that’s 200 degrees since the winter has been snowy and icy and rainy for the last 15 or 20 days of winter. Then we’ll probably get a springtime that goes straight in to summer.”

“This is our 16th year. That is the most amazing part to me, that this ride has lasted for 16 years. I think that’s a tribute to the people who go on this ride. There’s a core group of about 35 to 40 people that go every single year and they invite different friends. There’s about 150 to 200 people every year, but, it’s that core group that keeps this going.”

“This is (like) extended family and obviously by being on this thing and having this thing go for this long of a period of time, like in any family you experience really high highs and really low lows. We have lost people during the course of the year through illness, accidents and other ways…family members from the ride have passed away. It’s truly amazing to go to Charlotte or to have to fly to Texas for a funeral or some illness in somebody’s family and you get there and everybody from the motorcycle ride is there. You understand why people ride bikes and have that brotherhood because it truly is an extended family. Everybody pulls together. When we lost Adam, looking back, you think how your close and good friends respond to that. And it’s funny because everybody handles grief in a different way and everybody looks at things in a different way and just knowing somebody who cares is there is important. That’s the way the people on the ride are. You know they are always there.”

“We all live in different parts of the country. We’ve got guys who go on the ride, the Bartels, who live in San Francisco. We’ve got people who live in Durango, Colorado, we’re going through there this year, and people everywhere. And it’s funny how you’ll get back together on the ride each year and somebody has gone on vacation and called up somebody (from the ride) and stayed at their house. It’s like yeah we were passing through Durango so we stayed with the Cables and some of those people, so, it’s pretty amazing how we’re such a tight group. We all are pretty much family.”

I asked what they do for overnight stays…do different people do different things? Do they camp out or stay in motels? How is that handled?

“Well,” Kyle continued,”it really depends. It depends on where we are and what we’re doing. Like when we get to Durango this year, the Cables, Dee Dee and that crowd are going to have a dinner for us. They have a place there and the night after that we are going to be in Amarillo. We’ve been through there before and done some stuff with the Quarter Horse Industry and we’re just going to have an open night where everybody can go out on the town and do whatever they want to. And when we get to Philadelphia, Mississippi we’re staying at a casino and we’re going to have a poker night to help raise money for the camp and some local charities. So, it really depends on where we’re at and what we’re doing.

“We always stay at hotels. Sometimes we have to stay at 4 or 5 because there are so many of us, but, we always stay at pretty nice places. We eat breakfast and lunch together but at night sometimes we scatter and each do something different. But, it’s pretty cool to see this many people and this many motorcycles come to a town all at one time. And we have our support vehicles which is another staff of 50 to 100 people with us in trucks and trailers and a medical unit who travel along, so, for insurance purposes, hotel purposes, we know who is going before we leave. Diane Huff and those guys have checked everything out and have narrowed it down to a science from police escorts to hotels to lunch stops and to gas stops. Everybody knows months in advance when we’re coming so they are prepared for us.”

“We start planning for next year almost immediately. Diane Huff and Morgan Castano kind of run everything over there. They work on it all year and make sure everything works. It’s the people on the journey that make ride. It’s not the destination. It’s the camaraderie that makes it all so enjoyable.”

It sounds amazing…these great people coming together for such a great cause. It is just what we have all come to expect from this amazing Petty family. We at www.catchfence.com wish them a safe, enjoyable and successful journey. I laughing as I say I may take you up on the invitation some time, Kyle, but I will have to ride in the van and thanks for that suggestion!

For more information about Victory Junction, please visit www.victoryjunction.org. And for more information about the Charity Ride, please visit www.kylepettycharityride.com.

Again, good luck and God Bless!

What began as a run-of-the-mill Atlanta 500 turned into a spectacle that left a number of wrecked racecars and also left a lesson in what happens when rivalry goes beyond the boundary of competition. For the second straight year Kurt Busch took home the Atlanta 500, and it came 30 years after his car owner, Roger Penske, fielded a car that finished second in this same race – ironically it finished second to a #2, the 2 of Rod Osterlund.

It was also a rare moment when the sport’s monolith, Hendrick Motorsports, hit a wall, as its cover boy won the pole and then largely disappeared and its other three cars struggled or wrecked. The recent dominance of Jimmie Johnson has earned comparison to Richard Petty’s dominance of yore, another irony as Richard’s #43 raced its way to a solid finish and two of AJ Allmendinger’s teammates came home just ahead of him.

But what will monopolize reaction will be the explosion of the feud between Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards, an explosion that came in a shocking fashion. With the wreckage cleaned up, four issues jostled for attention -

1 – By now it is obvious that Brad Keselowski should be parked. It’s one thing to be a sparkling new talent in the sport, and Keselowski has proven that in a wild two seasons still highlighted by a debut victory that retains shock value. But the more he races the more clear his lethality can be. The Atlanta 500 illustrated his talent and also his lethality, as an early wreck happened because of him, and it has been an ongoing aspect of his still-young career.

Talent is a necessity for the sport, but never at the expense of sense and safety.

2 – And everything that applies to Keselowski also applies to Carl Edwards. Edwards has been in scrapes before, certainly not of the egregious caliber displayed by Keselowski in the past. What happened in the Atlanta 500, though, escalated the lethality of his racing enormously. While he may say he never intended for Keselowski to tumble, it doesn’t matter in the end. The hit that flipped over Keselowski was intentional – one need not review the high-def replay showing Edwards jerking the wheel right as he leaned on Keselowski’s bumper. When you’re 150-plus laps down you’re not supposed to be racing anyone.

3 – The wreck will raise the question seemingly no one wants to ask – at what point does a driver deserve to be suspended for a period of races? It is a question that needs to be asked as NASCAR has seen plenty of “aggressive” driving incidents before and responded with weak punishments that amounted to nothing substantial. It is worth asking given the brutality involved in this recent incident – what has to happen for NASCAR to suspend either Keselowski or Edwards?

4 – There is also the issue of the fact the cars are fast enough now to get airborne like this. Atlanta’s speed issue was a problem in the 1990s – enough that NASCAR tested a restrictor plate at least once there. It was an issue in Steve Grissom’s 1997 melee that ripped open a concrete wall; it was an issue in a series of serious driver injuries and at least one death in the late 1990s. Even as the asphalt wore out the speeds at Atlanta have been absurd for the size of the speedway. For Keselowski to flip over as he did should raise serious questions about why the speeds haven’t been restricted here.

When it all shook out it turned out to be a race with more than the usual to offer, and it leaves the sport looking somewhat different from what was expected before Daytona. But it also leaves the issues inherent when stupid gets deadly.

Granny Grump

Now for the year of hair. Seems to me 2010 is it…the year of hair. Have you noticed? Every body and his brother has hair. It’s all over the place, literally. Here are a few examples: Look at Clint Bowyer. My good and gracious Lord that man looks good in “The Little House On The Prairie” do! Doesn’t he? Oh Clintie darlin’, you look fabulous. Absolutely lookin’ good, honey. You stand out now. You don’t look like one of Jeff Burton’s brothers any more. Now before you get your fire resistant underwear in a bunch, darlin, I’m not suggestin anything about you bein a Burton. I’m just sayin. You look REALLY good, sweetness.

And then there is Johnson’s face, JR’s face, Boris’s hairdo (which is normal and I love it) and hair and more hair just everywhere it seems to me. Why even Darrell’s hair has drawn a little more of my attention this year, as well. Seems a little extra poofy to me. Of course I love it cause that’s just one handsome somebody right there! But I’m sittin there in front of my TV lookin at all this hair and sayin “What?”

Now, everybody knows I love a nice scruffy beard. They know blame well it is a passion of mine cause it reminds me of my late husband Elmer. Well, in his younger days anyway. In his later years it got all wirey and wild! Why we just couldn’t keep it well contained or groomed. I’ve had some nightmares about it, I can tell you that right now. It just got into everything. My face at night, his eatin plates and, at times it required extra attention when he was goin to take a bath. I just got so blamed tired of bein tripped durin the night by it. We got to callin it The Beast. And him dressin was a cause of concern, but, like most stressful causes it got easier after awhile. Practice makes perfect, if ya practice right, and we got that sucker under control after a spell, well that and he got it caught on the neighbor’s porch railin and pulled it down on himself and their pet cow. Cost us an absolute fortune to fix the railin and get a personal groomer to come and give us some personal trainin. Ah well, those were some frightenin days. Yep, indeedy.

Anyway, I still do love YOUNG scruffy beards, but, have you looked at JR’s beard up close this year? I mean, oh my dear Lord. That’s just not right. Know what I mean? Why I have a push broom in the barn that is about the same color, I believe but, it looks better than that, uh, growth. Look, I adore JR, his brother and his sisters. And I did so adore their father. I think he was the just about the greatest thing since pink lemonade, but Jr, lambiepoo, that mess you’re sportin just hides every cute part of your face. Didn’t you used to be a Gillette young gun, once? I think so, but, either way you hunt those boys down and let them have their Gillette way with you. Hear me, now? Beard only, though, otherwise you could wind up lookin like, well, Clarabell Newman, but that’s neither here nor there.

And close to finally, this brings me to those vergin on nasty Danica comemmercials again. I can’t help it. They just really bug me. Tell me now, how do y’all think most racefans would view a commercial where veteran Mark Martin was stopped by a good lookin hunky police officer who proceeded to get all excited and crazed over godaddy.com and got in Mark’s sweet face and start ripping his shirt off. Heck I’m wonderin how Mark himself would view that mess. I just can’t see it myself, loyal readers and other folks, and in a real life situation like that I think sweet Markie might just risk the anti sponsor scandal and punch the crazed, half dressed cop dude in his ripped abs. Mark is very physically fit after all and he could handle it, no doubt in my mind whatsoever. Know what I mean?

And then picture our overly scruffy bearded JR on a message table with a good lookin male masseuse who gets all excited about godaddy.com and starts rippin his attire to shreds. What might happen next just could very well be a BIG sponsor deal breaker… half dressed masseuse all black and blue, sprawled on the floor and JR yellin somethin about a somethin daddy.com whatsit or other goin somewhere or another! That’s a worrisome thought, but, with the way those commercials are goin who knows what is gonna happen next. Lord have mercy on us all! I just can’t stand it! They have got me so riled up, I had an episode of road rage just thinkin about them. I took to speedin and got taken in again. A good number of these folks around here are just not normal. Know what I mean? Deputy Wildun pulled me over and I threatened him with everthing I could think of if he even thought of rippin his shirt off. He hauled me in, and I had to be “evaluated”. Can you even believe that? What a backwoods ninkanpoop! Thank the very good Lord we’re not all like him, them, whatever! Anyway, I’m pert near positive that’s neither here nor there.

And I can’t even begin to wrap my head around Mark or JR in a shower, or dancin in short shorts and heels. Oh that’s a real Calgon PLEASE take me far, far away thought, if ya know what I mean! These commercials are just, well, nasty. They are. Seems more fit for a nasty ol’ pj clad Hugh Heffner than NASCAR. Sure wish I had the money to start a gogrannygrump.com. Think about it. I can see our commercials now. Betty White is a tough ol’ gal….she would hop over the closed door of her hot pink convertible ( I just love hot pink) to tackle that half dressed female cop to the ground, whip her behind, then turn to face the camera and say, “If you’ve had enough like we have, just gogrannygrump.com. Know what I mean?” (Hey, Mark, boss man honey down there in Florida somewhere, this gogrannygrump.com idea is covered by content protection. Right? ISHS!) Oh well, this is just a granny’s opinion for what it’s worth, but, that’s neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things. I’m just thinkin and sayin.

And for sure, finally, the other stuff. Seems there are a lot of new NASCAR babies bein born lately. Everyone around here is blamin Mother Nature, snugglin weather and all, but, I say it could just have somethin to do with the consumption of all those sport or energy drinks. Think about it. Makes sense, doesn’t it? I’m not blamin or anything. I’m just sayin.

Well, that’s it for the time bein. Granny’s grumblins are over for now. I forgot to remind y’all last time to send me your comments. Guess that’s why I got nothin. Oh I’m not complainin. I am a very busy woman, but if you so desire, some of ya tell me what you think about all this year’s hair, those commercials, and so forth. I can’t believe I am in this thought frame all alone. Nah…..can’t be, no how, no way.

Til next time, y’all behave and if ya can’t behave, be careful.

The California 500 weekend raced through despite some rain near the end of the Cal 500 and the first “regular” weekend of the NASCAR season thus saw the start of the process of determining the sport’s muscle. With the weekend came jostling by several of the sport’s issues -

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The biggest issue turned out to be the strange press conference Gillian Zucker called in the middle of the 500 (mentioned here) to discuss the track’s consistently mediocre attendances and rumors that one of its dates will be switched to Kansas Speedway. Zucker is using the economy as her argument about poor attendances and also claiming increased interest from “our Hispanic fan base” and alleged growth in the youth market, yet none of this seems believable. There simply is no evidence of any statistically relevant popularity for the sport in the southern California demographic (it is a mistake being repeated by the NFL with the building of a new LA-area stadium and the prospective move of the Jacksonville Jaguars, all despite zero evidence of local desire for a team there) and the mistake made in the sport’s investiture into Ontario Motor Speedway has been repeated – the sport maintaining a strong presence in a market that really doesn’t want it. Combined with the dubious financing of the Ontario track, it wound up ruining it and ending its competitive life after 1980.

Zucker insists she will fight to keep two dates at Fontana; I doubt she’d need to bother, for the track likely to be dropped of at least one date is Martinsville. It is a short track, and as such is outdated and possessing limited seating capacity. It also has a recent history of struggling to sell out its Winston Cup races, an indication that demographic is drying up the way those around Darlington and Rockingham either got smaller or dried up altogether. Moreover it makes scheduling sense for Kansas to get the spring date presently owned by Martinsville as opposed to either of Fontana’s dates.

The racing was okay in spots at Fontana but Zucker’s desire to bank it up retains viability here.

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The California 500 showed that Hendrick Motorsports is still on top, RCR is much stronger now than it was in 2009, and everyone else is just along for the ride.

Despite the front row start for Ganassi-Earnhardt’s Chevys, it was Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick who controlled the race, even as the EGR cars and others such as Jeff Gordon fell back or fell out. Harvick’s bid for the win died when he whacked the wall out of Four after erasing a big gap, which made for the more interesting final laps the track has seen in awhile.

Yet for all of Hendrick’s continuing success, the pet project of making Dale Junior a winner blew up yet again, this time when he broke an axle out of a late pitstop. As with his runner-up in the 2009 Winston 500, momentum has not come about for him.

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And yet more coverage came to a rookie driver who started in the bottom 13 of the Busch/Nationwide 300-miler at Fontana and stayed there all race. The more Danica Patrick races, the more clueless she proves herself to be. Clueless rookies are not the exception in racing but Patrick has displayed a lack of grasp of fundamentals to a degree that is frankly surprising. She continues to get cut slack in the media and the Danica myth of bringing in more fans and more sponsorships to the sport is holding up despite all evidence to the contrary.

What is being displayed in stock cars is the reality of a soft-porn model who decided to become a racecar driver, who used the fact of her gender and her soft-porn displays to get where she is in racing, and who has received opportunities rare in racing yet does less with more on a consistent basis.

The sooner this farce ends and NASCAR is rid of Danica Patrick, the better.

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The bottom line is thus that Fontana proved to be just another unmemorable weekend. With Fontana’s wrap the series hits Vegas next week. If the form chart of this week holds up then the Brian France Redemption Tour will have hit some potholes worse than what was filled in at Daytona.

The NASCAR Foundation

Lucky race fans will have the chance to ride in the pre-race parade lap with their favorite driver at several race tracks prior to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races throughout the 2010 season. The pre-race parade lap rides with select drivers will be available through both online and live auctions throughout the season at 10 race tracks based on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season schedule including Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Speedway Children’s Charities has partnered with The NASCAR Foundation, the official host of charity auctions on NASCAR.COM, to run the online auctions for rides at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, while live driver auctions will be held in Las Vegas and at both races at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Ride of A Lifetime program launched this week with bidding on the first event at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7. Fans can bid on the chance to ride with a number of drivers including Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, David Ragan, David Reutimann, Scott Speed, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., and Brian Vickers. Rides start at $500.

All of the proceeds from the Ride of A Lifetime program will benefit numerous children’s organizations across the country through The NASCAR Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities.

For more information, a list of auction dates and locations, or to bid on a ride with your favorite driver, please visit www.sccrideofalifetime.com or www.nascar.com/foundation.

Speedway Children’s Charities
The mission of Speedway Children’s Charities remains true to the ideals it was founded upon in 1982: To care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. SCC provides funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children. Our vision is that every child has the same opportunities no matter what obstacle they are facing.

About The NASCAR Foundation
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., (NASCAR) launched The NASCAR Foundation in January 2006. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity that embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities. The Foundation supports a wide range of charitable initiatives that reflect the core values of the entire NASCAR Family. The NASCAR Foundation will use strength of the sport and its people to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. For more information on The NASCAR Foundation, please visit the website: www.nascar.com/foundation.

- The NASCAR Foundation, Press Release

ECR Engines claims five of top 11 spots in ‘Great American Race’

Earnhardt-Childress Racing Logo

Four other ECR Engines-powered teams finished in the top 11 of the Daytona 500: Clint Bowyer led eight times for 37 laps and finished fourth in RCR’s No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy; Kevin Harvick led seven times for a race-high 41 laps and finished seventh in RCR’s No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy; EGR’s Juan Pablo Montoya led twice for two laps and finished 10^th in the No. 42 Chevy; and Jeff Burton finished 11^th in RCR’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy.

“First off, congratulations to Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing for winning the Daytona 500,” said Richard Childress, chief executive officer of Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines. “They did a great job and took advantage of the opportunity. I’d also like to congratulate everyone at ECR for a great SpeedWeeks. We’ve started the year strong and look forward to the rest of the season.”

An ECR Engines power plant was in Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s No. 4 Chevrolet Impala that Tony Stewart took to victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Kevin Harvick kicked things off for ECR Engines the previous Saturday when he and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet team earned its second consecutive victory in the Budweiser Shootout.

“A new chapter in the legacy of Dale Earnhardt at Daytona was written this past week,” said Teresa Earnhardt, partner with Childress in Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines. “We really had a double win. Jamie McMurray and our Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Team No. 1 victory in the Daytona 500 capped off the great success already achieved by Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines during the 2010 SpeedWeeks. Dale Earnhardt Inc., through our highly successful racing joint ventures, continues to be a world-class competitor at the highest level of the sport.”

Additional quotes:

Richie Gilmore, ECR Chief Operating Officer: “It was a great week for ECR. To come out of Daytona with all that momentum is a great beginning to the 2010 season. We had five cars finish in the top 11 in the Daytona 500, finished first and third in the Nationwide Series race and we won the Budweiser Shootout. Momentum is a big thing in this sport. We had a great feeling going into Daytona but we have as good a feeling about going to Fontana and the ‘open’ engine races.”

Rick Mann, ECR Production Manager: “The success at Daytona is a tribute to the guys that work at Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, more than anything. I’m proud of everyone’s efforts and it just goes to show that the program is strong and will only get better.”

Danny Lawrence, ECR Trackside Manager: “I’m really proud of Jamie McMurray and all the Bass Pro Shops crew. They ran strong all week and deserved to win.

“When you come away empty at Daytona, you leave thinking it’s going to be another 365 days before you have the chance to do it again. It sticks with you.

“A lot of people don’t understand how big it is to win at Daytona. We used to do a lot of testing at Daytona but, with NASCAR’s current testing policy, we have to work so much harder at the shop to make sure we have the opportunity to win once we get there. A lot of people don’t see that effort, and the progress that results from it, but I think they see it this year. And, it’s not just one team or group … it’s the whole organization.

“You have to have the cars, the engines and every piece on target. We feel great a day after the win, but now our focus is Fontana. We feel we can be as good or better there than we were at Daytona.

“The cool thing is that all the engine packages, for Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Trucks, are different so it’s not like we did the same thing across the board. They are all different and we were strong in each one. We really feel good about having our cars and engines in contention to win.”

About Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines

Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines is a high performance engine production and research and development company. ECR provides engines for NASCAR teams like Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Kevin Harvick Incorporated and others. ECR also produces engines used in SCCA, dirt and asphalt short track, and sprint car racing.

- Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines/Richard Childress Racing, Press Release

Kentucky Speedway Logo

Kentucky Speedway placed single-event tickets for its two-weekend 2010 season on sale Monday, Feb. 15. Ticket prices hold steady for the seventh consecutive season which will be conducted June 11-12 and Sept. 3-4. Tickets for the June 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series “Meijer 300 presented by Ritz” race along with a Sept. 4 doubleheader race day featuring the “Drive Smart. Buckle-Up Kentucky 100” Firestone Indy Lights sprint and 300-mile IZOD IndyCar Series battle are priced between $50 and $80 depending on seat location. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” will be held Sept. 3 and race tickets range from $40 to $70. General admission tickets for the June 11 NASCAR Nationwide Series “Click It or Ticket. Buckle-Up Kentucky Practice Night” tickets will be $20. Fans can reserve tickets by clicking http://tinyurl.com/KYS10Ticks. Popular “Big Deals” also will return for the speedway’s 11^th season. A “Front Row Joe” special offers fans as many as 10 seats in Rows 1-5 of Grandstand 5 for $25 each for the NASCAR Nationwide Series “Meijer 300 presented by Ritz” and the 300-mile IZOD IndyCar Series race. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” special “Front Row Joe” seats will be $20. Value-oriented “Affordable Fun Paks” bundle four Grandstand 5 race tickets, four hot dogs and four fountain drinks for one convenient price. AFPs will be priced at $125, $135 and $145 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series “Meijer 300 presented by Ritz” and IZOD IndyCar Series 300-mile event. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” AFPs will be $100, $110 and $120. Fans also will be able to enjoy a view of driver introductions from the infield with the return of the “Infield Invaders” pass. Passes will be $40 for both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race days. IZOD IndyCar Series “Infield Invader” passes will be $50. All passes must be accompanied by a race ticket. Fans can click http://tinyurl.com/KYSBigDeals to learn more and reserve their favorite offer.

SAWYER BROWN AND DIAMOND RIO TO MAKE UP 2010 KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY RACE-DAY CONCERT LINEUP

Classic country music groups Sawyer Brown and Diamond Rio will comprise the 2010 race-day concert lineup at Kentucky Speedway. Sawyer Brown will entertain fans on June 12 as part of NASCAR Nationwide Series “Meijer 300 presented by Ritz” race day while Diamond Rio will take the stage on Sept. 4 as part of a doubleheader race day featuring the Firestone Indy Lights “Drive Smart. Buckle-Up Kentucky 100” and 300-mile IZOD IndyCar Series event.  Sawyer Brown vocalist Mark Miller and fellow founding members keyboardist Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard, bassist Jim Schloten, drummer Joe Smyth and guitarist Bobby Randall launched their steady hit-making run by winning the 1983 “Star Search” television competition. They began recording soon-to-be country favorites in 1984. Randall left the group in 1991 and Duncan Cameron filled the spot until his 2004 departure brought current guitarist Shayne Hill to the lineup. Sawyer Brown’s musical arsenal includes No. 1 singles “Some Girls Do,” “Step by Step” and “Thank God for You” in addition to the popular “All These Years,” “Café on the Corner,” “I Don’t Believe in Goodbye,” “Six Days on the Road,” “The Dirt Road,” “The Race is On,” “The Walk,” “They Don’t Understand,” “This Time,” “Trouble on the Line” and more. The group released its Christmas-themed “Rejoice” collection in 2008. Log on to http://www.sawyerbrown.com for more. Vocalist, acoustic guitarist and Lebanon, Ohio native Marty Roe fronts Diamond Rio which also features the talents of bassist and baritone vocalist Dana Williams, of Dayton, Ohio, mandolin player and tenor vocalist Gene Johnson, guitarist Jimmy Olander, drummer Brian Prout and keyboardist/pianist Dan Truman. Diamond Rio became the first group in country music history to reach No. 1 on the charts with a debut single in 1991 with “Meet in the Middle.” The impressive self-titled introductory collection and the 15 studio releases that followed all achieved gold or platinum sales. Diamond Rio’s well-known musical creations have garnered nine No. 1 singles, 13 Grammy nominations, two Academy of Country Music Vocal Group of the Year awards as well as four Country Music Association Vocal Group of the Year awards. Other well-recognized Diamond Rio hits include “Beautiful Mess,” “God Only Cries,” “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “I Believe,” “Imagine That,” “In God We Trust,” “In a Week or Two,” “Love a Little Stronger,” “One More Day,” “That’s What I Get for Loving You,” “Unbelievable” and many more. Diamond Rio released “The Reason” in September 2009 and the story of the band titled “Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio” is available in bookstores. Visit http://www.diamondrio.com for more information.

MCMURRAY REELS IN LUNKER DAYTONA 500 WIN FOR BASS PRO SHOPS AND EARNHARDT GANASSI RACING

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jamie McMurray reeled in his first Daytona 500 victory in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet Feb. 14 by seizing the race lead on Lap 207 of 208 and holding off Dale Earnhardt, Jr., by 0.119 of a second. McMurray, who also earned a Daytona International Speedway Sprint Cup Series win in July 2007, led the fewest laps by a Daytona 500 victor. The dramatic 52^nd “Great American Race” saw a race-record 21 drivers exchange the race lead 52 times, marking the third most lead changes in Daytona 500 history. Adding to the drama were two attempts at a green-white-checkered flag finish and two red flag periods that spanned a total of two hours, 25 minutes and 20 seconds while safety crews attended to an approximate 18-inch hole which formed in the asphalt on the historic 2.5-mile tri-oval track during competition. The red flag first flew on Lap 123 and again on Lap 162. Roush Fenway Racing mainstay Greg Biffle, whose No. 16 3M Ford ultimately pushed McMurray’s machine to the lead, scored a third-place finish, Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer drove across the finish line fourth and Michael Waltrip Racing driver David Reutimann rounded out the top five. Earnhardt, Jr., took his 12^th top-10 Daytona finish in his 21^st career start at the track while Biffle banked his fourth top-10 finish in his 15^th career start at the track. The series will stage its second event of the season at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Feb. 21. Race coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. (EST), on FOX, Motor Racing Network radio and Sirius XM Radio 128. Brian Vickers started last season’s race at the track from the pole position and Matt Kenseth tallied the victory. Series standings: http://tinyurl.com/NSCS-Standings.

STEWART FINDS REPEAT NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES SUCCESS AT DAYTONA

Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Tony Stewart scored his third straight and fifth career NASCAR Nationwide Series Daytona International Speedway victory on Feb. 13 after leading the closing 20 laps of a 300-mile tilt on the facility’s 2.5-mile high-banked oval. Stewart earned his ninth career NNS victory in his 90^th career start. He grabbed a win and a total of two top-five finishes in three NNS starts last season. Roush Fenway Racing competitor Carl Edwards placed second, Kevin Harvick took third, Justin Allgaier nailed down fourth and Brian Vickers solidified the top five. IndyCar Series attraction Danica Patrick made her much-anticipated NASCAR debut in the event with Jr. Motorsports. Her race machine was involved in a 12-car incident on Lap 68 of 120 and placed 35^th. The series makes its second of stop of the new season at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Feb. 20. Kyle Busch drove to a February victory at the track last season in a race that Carl Edwards started from the pole position. Coverage begins at 5:00 p.m. (EST), on ESPN2, Motor Racing Network radio and Sirius-XM Radio 128. Series standings: http://tinyurl.com/NNS10Stand.

PETERS TAKES SECOND CAREER NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WIN AT DAYTONA

Timothy Peters opened the new NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13 with a 0.068 of a second victory over Todd Bodine after passing the veteran on the final lap. Peters earned his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory and first since Oct. 24, 2009 at Martinsville Speedway. Peters, who placed eighth in the final 2009 series standings with a total of five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 25 starts, led the 100-lap Daytona event twice for a total of five laps. Dennis Setzer crossed the finish line third, race pole award winner Jason White claimed fourth and Matt Crafton secured fifth. The series next race will be March 5 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Race coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m. (EST), on SPEED Channel, Motor Racing Network radio and Sirius XM Radio 128. Kyle Busch took last season’s Atlanta victory from the pole position. Series standings: http://tinyurl.com/NCWTS-Standings.

- Kentucky Speedway, Press Release

No. 38 Mahindra USA Tractors Ford (Robert Richardson) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

The one thing I am very happy about is that I got to take part in my first Daytona 500. As a kid, you dream about moments like this when you’re running Legends cars and Late Models.

I can’t thank the people at Front Row Motorsports, Mahindra Tractors USA and everyone involved in this for making it happen.

Our plan for the race was to stay out of the way, not make any mistakes and just be in the right position towards the end of the race. For the early part, I just kind of laid back and let them race up ahead.

Just before the first red flag for the chunks of the track coming up, the car was starting to get tight on entry and exit. Then, we had that first delay and we got out of the cars so they could fix the track. I was in the mood for ice cream at this time.

I was able to talk to some of the other drivers about what was going on with their cars and what they thought. We made a slight air pressure and ½ rounds of track bar adjustments during the race.

That seemed to help as we kept racing around. I still wasn’t going to get up front and get caught up in stuff. I had a few wrecks happen right in front of me that caused me to sit up pretty straight in the seat.

Then, we had that second red flag to fix the hole – again – and I ended up grabbing a big ol’ Speedway Dog from the concession stand. So much for the ice cream, but I was pretty darn hungry.

For the second restart, we pitted early and at one point (lap 165) I was actually scored second on the pylon. Heck, I saw that and asked someone to take a photo of it while it lasted.

We went back to racing and now the car was tight in the entry, middle and exit of the turns. When I would try to turn, the car wouldn’t take the steering I was putting into it, so I had to adjust my line a little to make it work.

We got the chance to pit again and my crew chief (Randy Seals) was able to make a track bar and air pressure adjustment. That helped us for the rest of the race. I was ready to rock n roll out there and start making some moves.

I went from 33^rd to 31^st in one lap, then up to 29^th when a caution came out on lap 193. Michael Waltrip told me during the second red flag that he felt like we still had another big wreck to get through. He was right.

For the lap 198 restart, I was 25^th and they told me to be smart. I told them I didn’t know if I had to be smart or crazy for the rest of the race to make some moves. I chose crazy and was up to 23^rd when the lap 200 caution waved.

I restarted there and just as I was moving up some more, the 24, 9 and 19 all got to bumping with the 9 spinning down the apron. Unfortunately, that’s where I dove to get out of the way and the right front got into the side of him.

The No. 38 Mahindra Tractors USA Ford ended its day on the backstretch grass done for the day. I was okay, so that’s a good thing. When I got out of the car, I stood up on the window edge and pumped my arms in the air for the backstretch crowd.

Heck, I was pumped up and wanted to share it with the fans. They endured two red flags, so I figured the least I could do was give them some entertainment.

So, we ended up 31^st in my first Daytona 500. It wasn’t the way I wanted, but it’s Daytona. I can’t wait until my next plate race in that Cup car.

Thanks to all of you for following along this week and allowing me to share my first Daytona 500 Speedweeks with you. Talk to you soon.
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With Speedweeks 2010 has come quite a bit of wreckage and more questions as to whether some of the sport’s most-hyped stars are capable to delivering on the publicity. And amid the hype machinery the path to victory lane hit a pothole for a lot of people – none more so than Daytona’s beleaguered track workers needing two red flags to repair the obstreperous aperture in Turn Two – while a racer lost to the hype machine has wound up living up to what others were supposed to deliver.

Certainly the hype surrounding Danica Patrick got off to as dubious a start in stock cars as it did in IRL cars; the Race-Stream Media congratulated Patrick over her sixth-place in the ARCA 200, prefering not to notice the weakness of the field in which she raced. With her ARCA debut she decided to enter the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona and then the reality check got cashed – she basically made zero progress from the back of the field, lost a lap, then after getting a Lucky Dog she wrecked. True, she can’t be blamed for the wreck – as opposed to her IRL wreck in 2005 at Homestead where she charged blindly into a wreck scene – but the result did nothing to validate what little success she has enjoyed in major-league racing so far. Indeed Danica Patrick’s February resembled Peyton Manning’s – both were deified by the media and both choked under pressure against real competition in keeping with their competitive histories. Making it more damning to Danica is her continued inability to do more with more; few drivers have gotten better opportunity and done less with more than Danica Patrick.

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JR Motorsports wound up having a terrible Speedweeks other than the ARCA race – Patrick wrecked after basically not passing a single car all week, then Junior – who actually can race and has the hardware to show for it – got swept up by Carl Edwards’ imitation of Ernie Irvan on Daytona’s backstretch, and the result left more than a few wondering if there was any momentum Junior could carry into the Daytona 500, all the while leaving Tony Stewart to race to a surprisingly easy Daytona 300 win.

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But Speedweeks doesn’t day die until the 500’s flag is waved. After the Trucks went at it and the first big upset of the weekend transpired, the 500 arrived and wound up doing a good imitation of the 24 Hour race thanks to the pothole in Two that illustrates the long-overdue need to repave the speedway. It wound up aiding the competition, as the changeover to night added grip to cars looking a little out of whack handling-wise all week; it translated what had been a good race into something even better.

And the next thing we knew after over six hours of hurry up and lead combined with hurry up and wait, a team that once dominated restrictor plate racing combined with a team whose debut race came in the most infamous 500 in the last 30 years produced an upset no less stunning than the one that happened twenty years earlier. With this 500 more minds will be changed about Jamie McMurray than has happened in the last three seasons. A driver looking like a drafting bust after failing to follow up his shocking 2002 upset began to change a few minds with a terrific side-draft fight to the finish in 2007; it took another two years but he pulled off another upset at Talladega, and now we have McMurray, Teresa Earnhardt, and Chip Ganassi as one of the oddest Odd Couples to ever get the Harley Earl Trophy.

And adding more to the oddity was the driver who wound up chasing McMurray home. It was easy to write off Junior after flipping over in the Busch/Nationwide 300 because he’d produced nothing to hang his hat on all week. Of course he chased home Brad Keselowski last April and it did nothing to ignite his season, but to get this far after so bad a week leaves one wondering if there’s life in Junior’s competition career yet.

McMurray’s win came in the most competitive 500 since 1983 – the first 500 to break 50 lead changes since then and the highest number of leaders in the event’s history. Chris Economaki has long noted the difference between driving and racing – McMurray continues to illustrate that difference.

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The number of potential winners is always bantied about before a 500 but this was one where the “anyone can win” cliche actually had meat. Certainly the two Richards – Petty and Childress – had fleets as strong as anyone has ever seen this Speedweeks while the Roush fleet also led a lot, but when it raged to the finish we had something the sport can use – the validation of a team that had been a shell of its former selves entering Speedweeks and now can hold the Harley Earl Trophy.

Robert Richardson Jr.

The No. 23 Mahindra Tractors USA Chevrolet started out pretty good from our 27^th-place starting spot. We had some early cautions, which didn’t really help us find our groove. There were three cautions in the first six laps and that allowed me to move up only three positions.

We elected to stay out on the lap six caution, but I just about got caught up in it and thought I hit the No. 34 car (Tony Raines) from behind. But, the crew and spotter said it was all good, so we stayed out to keep racing.

Other leaders hit pit road and that allowed us to restart 17^th. I had Danica Patrick lined up to my outside and radioed to the crew that I was going to race with her a bit to get us some TV time. Hey, I might as well have fun with it, too, right?

Within a few laps, the car became free on entry and I was running 23^rd when the leaders hit pit road on lap 43. Just as I told my crew chief (John Quinn) that we better pit so we don’t run out of fuel, we ran out of fuel coming out of Turn 2.

When the car leveled out, it got some fuel in there and I was able to make it back to pit road. We changed tires, added fuel and made an air pressure adjustment. Because I had to slow so much to get to pit road, and then re-fire the engine a few times, it put us down one lap.

Another caution on lap 50 had us the second car, one-lap down to the leaders for the restart. It was me and John Wes Townley battling it out for the Lucky Dog. Just as I was in position to take advantage when a wreck broke out in front of me – I got caught in the darn thing.

I saw smoke here and smoke there, flashes of cars and my spotter was telling me to go low. But, the No. 16 car didn’t slide the way it was supposed to and I rammed right into his side.

My right front was tore up pretty bad, as were a bunch of other cars. I was on the trioval and was just about to put it in gear when a green No. 7 car came up on the track in front of me. We were all stopped, but Danica had me blocked for a couple of seconds and I sure as heck didn’t want to run into her car. It was already tore up pretty bad, anyhow.

I hit the gas and my back end slid down toward the apron, so I just turned down there and brought the car to pit road.

The crew lifted the hood and went to work on the right front fender. From what I could hear, it was quite a mess. They were cutting off sheet metal, pounding on the hood and working all they could to get it fixed enough to go back out.

We had to make one other stop under caution to fix some things, and we ended up going eight laps, then 13 laps to the leaders running 32^nd. Then, a huge wreck took place on the backstretch involving 10 cars on lap 91.

I saw Dale Jr’s car go rolling over and then land on its wheels. That collected more cars and ended their days earlier than planned. Our goal was to just finish the race and not get in anyone’s way to see how many positions we could earn.

In the end, we went from 32^nd to 25^th to gain seven positions at the checkered flag. I really have to hand it to our Mahindra Tractors crew; they were absolutely great in how they just kept working on the car so we could finish the race.

Heck, we picked up those seven spots in the last 20 laps because so many other cars were now out of the race. When you’re unsponsored like we are after this weekend on the No. 23 car, you go for all the points you can just to stay in the top-30 owner’s points.

So, our day wasn’t what I wanted or we had expected, but I had THE best car I have EVER driven at Daytona from the R3 Motorsports team. The No. 38 Cup car was pretty good in Happy Hour for tomorrow’s Daytona 500, too.

Tonight, I’m going to get a good dinner and a great night’s sleep. Tomorrow is going to be one of the biggest days of my racing career- and probably life. I’m in the Daytona 500.
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Robert Richardson Jr.

It rained before we got to the track, it rained the whole time we were at the track and it was raining when we left the track. But, what are you going to do, right? You can’t make it stop raining.

So, they set the Nationwide Series race based off the 2009 final owner’s points. That means we’re going to start 27^th in the No. 23 Mahindra Tractors USA Chevrolet. After we were 12^th in both practices, and fifth in the five-lap average category, I was really hoping to qualify for the race. But, tomorrow is another day.

We have a good car and I know we could have had a better start. But, when it rains and cancels qualifying, you go with what’s dealt to you.

The rain also washed out the one-hour Sprint Cup Series practice we had in the No. 38 Mahindra Tractors USA Ford. We need to make as many laps as possible in that car to get ready for the Daytona 500.

Since I don’t have the experience in a Cup car to figure out how the car should handle at a track like Daytona on the bump stops, we are going to have Casey Mears shake the car down for us for a run during Saturday’s Happy Hour practice and get a different opinion on the cars handling.

Casey has been a good runner on the plate tracks and I look forward to what he can offer as far as feedback. I’m not above getting help if it makes the car and our team at Front Row Motorsports better.

That last practice is going to be pretty intense because everyone is going to get their final adjustments for the Great American Race on Sunday.

Well, wish me luck in the Nationwide race on Saturday, and I will talk to you all tomorrow about the Happy Hour practice and the race. Stay tuned and, as always, thanks for your support.
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No. 38 Mahindra USA Tractors Ford (Robert Richardson) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

First, we made it through our Gatorade Duel 150 without getting caught up in any wrecks, causing any wrecks or wrecking on our own. Second, our Nationwide car was pretty damn good in the final practice.

After doing some more interviews and a photo shoot this morning, we had a 90-minute Nationwide practice for the No. 23 Mahindra Tractors USA Chevrolet. I knew we had a pretty good piece after Wednesday’s practice, so I was interested to see what happened on Thursday. The guys said they found a little more speed in the car, and they were right.

I felt real comfortable in the car and how it handled all the way around the Daytona trioval. We were 12^th on the chart and fifth fastest for a five-lap average. We’re supposed to qualify on Friday, but the weather isn’t looking too good. If we don’t qualify, we’re in on points – I’d rather qualify.

For the first Duel 150, I started 23^rd in the No. 38 Mahindra Tractors USA Ford. I was a little nervous and excited as my main goal was to bring the car back in the garage in one piece. Well, I accomplished that mission.

It was pretty cool to do the pre-race introduction, walk across the stage and take the pick-up truck ride in front of the main stretch. We did the whole pre-race thing and then it was time for 60 laps of fun.

We went single file within 10 laps and I was running 20^th by lap 20. The car was pretty free all the way around and I was hooked up with Joe Nemechek for the early going. By lap 24, the first caution came out and we pitted for four tires and fuel. We didn’t really make any adjustments then because we were going with tire pressures more than anything.

The car was loose from the center off and the more wheel I tried to put into it, the more it would slide up the track and then catch right at the end to be loose off the corner. It’s interesting to hold onto a car when it’s doing that on a track like Daytona.

Oh, did I mention I’m running against the best-of-the best in NASCAR out there for the Daytona 500? Yeah, that makes me even more careful with every move I make.

There was another caution on lap 32 and we didn’t pit. I was running with Todd Bodine at this point and we were rolling pretty good around the track. For the lap-29 restart, I was lined up 14^th and hoping to really mix it up with the guys out there to see what our car would do in the pack. But, it didn’t get up to speed as quickly as I would have liked and in one lap I was back to 24^th. But, that’s Daytona for you.

Another caution came out on lap 53 and we pitted for some fuel and put a spring rubber in the right rear. We didn’t change tires, and went right back out there with just four laps left in the race.

Restarted 21^st, and finished 23^rd. That spring rubber helped me stay down on the bottom more and the car felt better through the turns. That makes me feel good about having something to work with for the last two practices before the 500.

Our schedule on Friday is pretty light with one Cup practice and then Nationwide qualifying later in the day. Well, that’s it for now. Thanks for following along with my first full Speedweeks at Daytona here on Catchfence.com.

Oh, did you join our R3 Motorsports deals on Facebook and Twitter yet?
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Granny Grump

Now to address other things on my mind at present. At face value there are basically 2 ways to look at this up-comin’ weekend. In the grand world scheme of things Daytona is fairly insignificant (1), but the flip side of this means we all need a diversion and are lookin’ forward to the Daytona mayhem and madness (2). I fall into the later category, if ya know what I mean. Every time I think about it I get all warm and nervous. Not much makes me feel that way anymore except for hot flashes and these here races. Well that and Mark Martin, Ron Hornaday, Jr.,  and about 45 other drivers, give or take a few here and there. At my age I count my blessin’s where and when I get ‘em, but, that’s neither here nor there if ya know what I mean.

So, I guess I’ll start this here article off with Miss Danica. Now, I admit that I was not much in favor of her comin over to NASCAR, as my loyal readers may remember. It had nothin’ to do with her racin’ abilities. She has had some success over in the drag racin arena so I really had no idea whatsoever how that would play out in real racin’… oval type racin’ I mean to say. I was thinkin she might be more of a distraction thing for the drivers and the sport cause all I had to go on were those GoDaddy.com commercials and I personally think those are just chock full of questionable taste, silliness and aimed strictly at men. Come on now. Fact is fact. I can tell you one somethin’ right now, if I get stopped by a woman cop and she starts tearin’ her shirt off and leanin’ in my face, that girl is gonna get a whole lot of granny whuppin’ in real short order. Then I guess I’ll be writin’ from jail but it would probably be worth it. Know what I mean? And then there was the one last Sunday where she was wrapped in a towel and layin’ on a message table and, once again, that girl was rippin her shirt off.

What in this world are they thinkin’? That doesn’t give either woman in those commercials a healthy, respectable image, if ya know what I mean. Am I wrong here or what? I don’t think so. The site is named GoDaddy.com, not Go Nasty Rippin’ Off Her Shirt Girl, for Pete’s sake. Bring back the bigger than life racin’ posters. Please! I can’t take this anymore. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. Lord have mercy! And it just isn’t fair for people to think of either girl in those ways whether you are male (which have different opinions I am sure) or female. I can tell you that right now. Danica is a racer. What has rippin’ your shirt off got to do with that anyway? Whatever! Now we finally have had the opportunity to watch her behind the wheel and she is impressive to say the least. She doesn’t need that yucky stuff. Just my opinion, but, I’m stickin’ to it.

And while we’re on the subject, everyone of those other girls racin were very impressive. Granny was shoutin’ for ya, honeys. I am very happy women racers are finally being viewed differently and I think we are gonna see some excitin’ competition from all of them. It’s just a shame that Shawna Robinson, Kim Crosby and a few others weren’t taken seriously a few years back. Those girls were just as talented and good lookers too and they didn’t have an owner boyfriend to help them out, either. Of course that doesn’t always work, but, I’m just sayin! Maybe somebody out there ought to dig deep in their pockets and hunt these girls down and jump on this new racin band wagon. How’s this sound? A well known owner puttin’ together a new NASCAR multi-driver team with only female drivers hittin’ ARCA, then trucks and onwards. Could pay off big! Sponsors? This is only an idea, but, Tampax, Kotex, Playtex, Maidenform, Avon or a wide range of other female products. Hey it can’t be any worse that the shirt rippin’ girls. Right? Again, I’m just sayin’.

Enough of all that. Now for the “Other Stuff”:

I am so thrilled to see Mark and JR fillin out the front row Sunday. Talk about excitin. I’m getting all warm and nervous again and this aint a hot flash as far as I can tell. And lookey here, Kyle Busch owns a truck team now. I will refrain from comment for now, but, will say a genuine congratulations to ya Shrub! I sincerely mean that.

I sure did hate to recently read about Robby Gordon runnin a limited schedule. He just needs backin from someone. Ok, some big time money man, listen up. Robby is amazin and get that boy in some big bucks equipment and he will run them all down. Hear me? And the merchandise will fly out the hauler. Put me down for a shirt and hat! Maybe even 2 of each! See? You’re already makin money on somethin’ you haven’t paid for yet! Know what I mean? Just say yes!

And Kevin Harvick won the second in a row Bud Shootout. Kevin, honeybunch, Granny was pullin for ya and ya made this mature woman as happy as she could be considerin’ she got a speedin ticket tryin to get home in time to watch the race, but, that’s a story for another time and place. Know what I mean? Anyway, sweetness, woohoo and pass the potatoes! Congratulations to ya! I hope this starts 2010 off in great fashion for ya. Of course, I said the same thing last year, but, that is neither here nor there!

And finally for this go around I want to call attention to the ever so handsome and talented Steve Park who competed in the NASCAR All-Star Showdown at Irwindale last weekend. Logano won, young Pena almost did and Steve came in 10th. It was wonderful to see that boy racin with some big names. He stayed out of trouble and brought his ride home 10th. Man oh man wouldn’t I love to see him back in the Nationwide or Cup series. And so would a lot of other race fans. The women love him. Why I was at one of his autograph sessions one time and some of those women were throwin articles of clothin at him and made Danica’s commercials look like a church picnic! That’s the truth! Why, I still stifle the urge to hang my Pennzoil banner out across the chicken coop every racin Sunday! Why people would come from all over town to look at that thing hangin’ out there all big, yellow and, well, big. It was amazin’ to see, I can tell ya that right now. I purely miss the boy. He sure showed he can still get the job done. Wish some owner would give him another chance if that’s what he wants.

So that’s it for now, y’all. I’m sure I will think of other stuff I should have talked about, but, I can’t sit here any longer. I’m still a very busy woman. I’ll catch up with you again, probably next week sometime if court and my speedin ticket appearance goes well. Around here who knows, however. Personally, I think law enforcement has a good one for me, if ya know what I mean, but, that’s neither here nor there. Later.

Andy Belmont - An ARCA Team Owner at Andy Belmont Racing (ABR) Driver Coach and Crew Chief

ARCA management went through great pains to have meetings, show videos of what not to do in driver meetings and so on. Not sure what happens at Daytona. It is like we are racing on Friday the thirteenth with a full moon. The things that go on defy logic. I call it a stomach problem. It’s when the drivers feet that work the pedals become disconnected from the brain. Somewhere around the stomach. There is a definite disconnect. Why else would someone drive slam into a pile of wrecked cars?

Lots of torn up race cars, lots of torn up race cars for no good reason. Some of it is just going to happen, but driving into the pile or washing up and pinching folks into the fence or whatever is just plain nonsense. Some of this is just a product of where we are today in racing. We are putting kids out there younger and younger with less and less experience, all trying to be Dale Earnhardt. You know the deal. Everybody wants to be a big team “development driver”. Make no mistake, most of the time, getting to be a development driver comes with a million dollar price tag. Very few kids make it simply on the merit of their talent in this day and age. It cost lots of money to do what we do, even in the ARCA series.

“We will be happy to develop your child Mr. Big Daddy Customer, just sign this little agreement for 1.2 million”.

Think about it. Kids start out in go karts or quarter midgets or whatever at age  5 or 8. They run legends or micros or whatever and do well. Right away they jump to the big cars when they are 16. Just because one guy or another did it and succeeded, the reality is that not everyone is going to make it, it is about one percent. Period. Not every kid is going to be the next Jeff Gordon.

Anyway, we have lots of folks with no experience in racing. In fairness, they have to get it somewhere and that is what the ARCA series is, a development series. Develop the driver to graduate to one of the top 3 NASCAR levels. ARCA gets slammed in the media for the wrecks, but it is a product that people pay to see. Do you really think “most” fans want to see the Daytona 500 go green to checker with no caution? I mean I do, but most are there waiting for “the big one” and you know it.

So lots of cars got torn up. We planned to gas and go on the first stop and go the whole way, same as the winner did. On the first stop we overshot the pit. Rolled the car back and gassed it. Unplugged the gas can. Driver took his foot off of the brake. Gas man plugged in again to pack it full of fuel and literally pushed the car over the line by less than six inches. You see gas and go lots of times with a gas man running with the car. We learned that it isn’t acceptable here I suppose.

We had a couple of judgment calls not go our way. Lost a couple laps. Got them both back with the Lucky Dog. My whole Daytona goal is always to take care of the car until 15 to go, then get on with the race. Somehow, some way, we did just that. Lead lap, lead draft with 10 to go. Had a strong horse with the 1 car. Came from the back of the longest line via the lucky dog rule, drove to the top ten. Had  a run on the high side and frankly, I believe we would have run fifth or better. This car IS that good.

Coming off of four on the outside, another car must have lost steering, pushed up, got the wind taken off or just plain ran out of talent and run into the left side of the car. Got a flat and ended up on pit road on the last lap. “Just one of those racing deals” I hate that saying, don’t you?

We tested, we prepared, great power, had decent pit stops (not great), fairly good. At the end of the day, there are just some cars you just simply cant race around. Heck you see it at Bowman Gray or Hickory, or anywhere else. I am even told that some guys “couldn’t race with me” can you imagine?