2012 NASCAR Season: Dayton 500

2012 NASCAR Season: Dayton 500: Well the first week end of the season is in the books. Over all I think we saw some great racing, from the Dual 150's on Thursday night, thr...

Dayton 500

Well the first week end of the season is in the books. Over all I think we saw some great racing, from the Dual 150's on Thursday night, through the race that didn't want to end the Daytona 500 on Tuesday Morning. I hate any kind of delay, but even more when it's a rain delay. The problem with a rain delay is you have no control over it. I mean you can put as many weather men as you have on it, there is still nothing you can do but, watch it rain. This was the first time in the History of the Great American Race that it had to be postponed, if you have ever spent any time in Florida you have to know that's amazing. So again I hate to wait, but when I found out it was going to be a night race on Monday, I was excited. I would have rather had the race run on time, but if not than making it a night race is second best. When the race finally got going, it turned out to be a night no one will soon forget. On lap two the 48 gets into trouble and takes out several cars. Danika was involved in this. but I would like to give her a big shout out for her driving. She drove that car the whole time, it was Jimmy that bumped her just as she was going by that sent her into the Infield, but weather it be luck or driving she was able to split two cars and avoid any more damage to her car. Even so she spent several laps in the garage for repairs. She ended up coming back on the track several laps down. I think she was very frustrated, I mean that was the third time in one week end, where she did everything right, but still ended up in the garage. I'm looking forward to watching her progress this year. I think she is going to do well in Stock Car Racing. So any way, the crews told the drivers that there may be weather in the area with 50 laps to go. Up until that point they had been just kinda just ridding around, but this lit a fire under the drivers and the race was on. Than the craziest thing I have ever seen happened, while under caution JPM hit a JET DRYER! I guess now he really has hit everything on the track,lol. In the end I don't think it was his fault, something broke, locked up the rear end, he was along for the ride after that. It almost makes you think Transformers is real. Juan's car had had enough of that old blow hard, The Jet Dryer, and he took a swing. It was a direct hit, 200 gallons of Jet Fuel on fire. NASCAR does a very good job at preparing for everything, but they weren't ready for this. The fire burned for several minutes before they could get it under control. In the end they called the Fire Department and the fire was put out. This resulted in over a two hour red flag and a lot of clean up by the crew. So we go back to racing with forty laps to go, 100 miles. The drivers had got out, stretched there legs, talked it over and were ready to get this race finished. Greg Biffle showed a lot of loyalty to Matt Kenseth and ended up third, JR  finished second and Matt Kenseth won. I don't mind that Matt won, he is a heck of a nice guy. JR finishing second was not bad, I would have liked to see him win, but he has to run up front before that is going to happen or other wise it could be another 100 races before he wins again. All and all I think we are in for a good season, I am looking forward to Phoenix and some more great racing. Daytona is in the books, it's one we won't soon forget. People like Gordon, Johnson and Stewart have a little hole to dig them selves out of but it's a long season and I'm sure they will. Kyle Bush was was pretty quite last night but I have a feeling that won't last for long. Hope you all have enjoyed reading my blog. Let me know  what you all thought of the race and I will check in next week end. Thanks again 

Drive4COPD 300

Just checking in haft way through opening week end. I didn't get to see the whole Truck race last night, I missed the first few laps. I like to watch the trucks, they are wide open and they remind me of old school cup racing. I mean not to take away from what we have today, but back in the day the speeds where lower and they could get away with a little rougher rubbing. The story of the week end so fare has to be the soft walls, they saved Danika some pain and suffering and with just a few laps to go in the truck race they saved Miguel Paludo some recovery time to. In the end John King from Kingsport TN flat out drove over the top of Johnny Sauter with just a few feet left, of two to go, a few more feet and the race would have been over. They used all the green/white/checkered to Finnish this one but to say it was exciting would be a understatement. If you usually only watch Sunday check these guys out they run hard and they usually run under the lights as they did last night.

I was able to watch all of today's race. Danika took the pole for this one so I would like to start out by giving her a big pat on the back for that. As I said Danika lead them off and her and JR teamed up and where having a good run, but before it was over her team mate would bump her on lap 50 going into turn three and get her up into the wall, she almost saved it but just not enough seat time. There will be some things for her to get uses to with her new car and someone bumping into her at 190 is just one of them. This race had several drivers from the Cup series racing in, including my boy Dale JR. It was all about winning for him today, I think he plans to run 6 Nationwide races this year  he ended up 15th. NASCAR tried to break up the packs of two by two racing, I don't think they did that, it is still tandem racing as we saw last year, but now I think they are doing it in the pack. Two cars is still the fastest way to go and I don't mind, like I said I think it cool. I thought that today's race was very exciting, we had two BIG ONE's today both at the end of the race, so if you like that, you got two. The other thing I really like about the Nationwide series is that Mustangs race Challengers I only wish that Chevrolet would race the Camaro, and I was disappointed that Ford didn't take the Mustang to Cup. At the end of the day James Buescher won his first Nationwide race so congratulations to him. I'm looking forward to more of the same on Sunday, Two by two pack racing. Hope you all are having a great week end and I will check in with you after the 500.

Gatorade Duel 150 Daytona

So today was the second race of the season. Some things have changed since last year, the biggest probably is the use of Electronic Fuel Injection. I didn't see much difference as fare as the racing on the track, but I feel it is going to make a big difference behind the scenes.I mean it is giving the engine builders such control over so many things,and you know how they like to play with things. I think you may see cheating taken to a whole new level,but for now lets just wait and see how all that plays out.

Today's racing was, well boring,of course everyone was trying to be careful and not tear up anything. The first race was the more exciting of the the two,but I have a feeling that Sunday may be more of the same. I mean pack racing is back, you really didn't see the two by two that we have seen as of late. I know that there were some people out there that didn't like it, but I didn't mind it I mean not only did you have to win the race but you had to have a friend to do it. It was still racing, but two cars had to work together and the drivers being able to talk made it all the more cooler to me. I mean here they are driving around at 190 mph and plotting against the other two car teams at the same time, how cool is that? But NASCAR put the end to that this year two, I think it will cause more trouble than it stopped that's for sure. Any way today's 1st race started with Robby Gordon smoking down the back stretch, I thought poor Robby. I mean I like Robby, I raced go carts with him at Mid Ohio one year. Not like on the track but at a public go kart place near the track.He is a really cool guy, and stubborn like me, I like that to. But he has to show up with better equipment, he knows what it takes to be competitive and I would like to see him win one. He made the 500 but it wasn't pretty. Tony won and JR finished second, under yellow for a crash that happened on the last lap. Poor Michael Waltrip, he crashed coming out of the pits, he is another one I love to death. I mean who doesn't, very cool guy, but I think his driving days are behind him. He won't race on Sunday, and it will be the first time since 1972 there has not been a Waltrip racing in the Daytona 500. But what I hated to see more than that, was Danica get punted into the wall, and a BIG hit. I really like her, I am all about girl power. She will race the whole Nation Wide Series this year, running about 10 races for Tony Stewart this year. I hope she is here to stay and does well, I'm pulling for her. In the spirit of full discloser, I'm no writer so please excuse my poor writing abilities I am a JR fan and of course being from Knoxville Trevor Bayne is my boy to. I have been a fan of NASCAR for many years and have been to a lot of the races live. I will do my best to not let that influence my blog. I appreciate you taking time to read this and let me know what you thought of today's racing. Thanks in advance!!!