Showing posts with label Sprint Unlimited. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sprint Unlimited. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Perpetuating Stereotypes
I have never been a Jimmie Johnson fan at all, but this week, I had to dig in and stand up for him. Johnson was one of several, mostly female, celebrities that took part in a campaign to encourage people to cease using the term "bossy" when describing female leaders. The goal being to get more young females to engage in leadership roles without having degrading terms thrown at them. Easy enough. You'd think. Nope. Not at all. Several race fans chose to 'fight back" via Twitter at Six Time. I am not going to quote nor name the accounts of the folks that chose to respond to Jimmie's tweet. Suffice it to say it was sad. Sad because NASCAR has done so much to attempt to rid itself of the less desirable aspects of its history. They have spent millions on various projects to fall in line with other professional sports. They have a Green program, a diversity program, and many other projects developed in order to become more mainstream. NASCAR can't control the opinions of its fan base, and Twitter can't, and shouldn't, censor the opinions of its users. But, to see fans upset over what they perceive as the "wussification" of the male athlete is ludicrous. There is a stereotype that already follows NASCAR fans. And to say that these tweets perpetuated those stereotypes would be a major understatement. This isn't my daddy's NASCAR anymore, but clearly, some of his cronies have Twitter accounts.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
SMITH'S LONG WINDING ROAD
Lost amongst all of the Dale Jr. hoopla at Daytona this year, was his Nationwide Series driver who happened to win as impressively as his boss, on Saturday. Regan Smith, who lost on a last lap screw up of his own making in the 2013 Nationwide race at Daytona, avenged his loss with a mighty impressive win in 2014. Everyone has a story. But, Regan Smith’s story is one worth telling, I think. If you can follow it without developing a migraine.
Does anyone remember Bobby Ginn? If not, no worries. He is only relevant to this in that he put Regan Smith in a car for a testing session at Kentucky in 2006, which resulted in him putting Regan in his 01 Cup car part time for the 2007 season. Smith was the co-driver of that ride with semi-retired Mark Martin. He was all set to jump into the 14 in July to run full-time for the remainder of 2007, but then Ginn up and sold his team to DEI and the 14 did not run for the rest of the year. The merger, though, did result in Smith driving the 2008 season in a mostly un-sponsored 01 car for DEI. He managed to win the 2008 Rookie of the year Award, and as far as quite a few fans, including this one, are concerned, he won the 2008 spring race at Talladega. Even Ray Charles could have seen that Stewart forced him below the yellow line.
Late in 2008 though, the merger ninja struck Smith once again as DEI merged with Ganassi, and it was revealed that the 01 team was folding. Smith had no ride for 2009, despite being the 2008 Cup Series ROY. Early in 2009 he signed to drive for Furniture Row (Pre Hendrick or Childress parts and pieces). He remained the driver in 2010 when the team was running Hendrick engines and Childress chassis, and performed quite well for the single car team. In 2011, his team was pieced together again with ECR engines and SHR pit Crews. And he put the team in Victory Lane at Darlington that year. At this point, it is safe to say that Regan will drive anything, put together by anyone, at any race track, regardless of sponsorship.
As his career path goes, just as he was enjoying some stability, he was released again, in favor of Kurt Busch in October 2012. At this point, a lot of guys may have thrown in the towel. I mean, how many times can a guy get merged out, released, or folded?
As with many things in life, being released from Furniture Row was a blessing in disguise for Regan. It marked a turning point in Smith’s career. It just so happened that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was injured in the Fall Talladega race and was forced to sit the remainder of the year. Guess who got the call to pilot the 88 car? Which lead to signing with JRM to drive full time in the Nationwide Series. A lot of people would consider not being in Cup any longer as a career setback. I don’t buy it. Regan has something at JRM, which he has never enjoyed: JOB SECURITY. Kelley Earnhardt has set the kid up with a great team, great crew, great cars, and an even better sense of stability. She has secured the sponsorship for his team, and made certain that JRM’s drivers have everything plus more than they need to win races. And it shows on the track on Saturdays. He finished 3rd in the NNS Series title run for 2013, and is poised to make another run for it this season. Regan even won the most popular NNS driver award for 2013 and qualified the HMS 48 Cup series car for Jimmie Johnson at Richmond. No, I don’t see his lack of a Cup ride being an issue at all for the kid. His days in Cup were like daytime television. He is now in prime time. And as a fan, I am very proud of him.
Does anyone remember Bobby Ginn? If not, no worries. He is only relevant to this in that he put Regan Smith in a car for a testing session at Kentucky in 2006, which resulted in him putting Regan in his 01 Cup car part time for the 2007 season. Smith was the co-driver of that ride with semi-retired Mark Martin. He was all set to jump into the 14 in July to run full-time for the remainder of 2007, but then Ginn up and sold his team to DEI and the 14 did not run for the rest of the year. The merger, though, did result in Smith driving the 2008 season in a mostly un-sponsored 01 car for DEI. He managed to win the 2008 Rookie of the year Award, and as far as quite a few fans, including this one, are concerned, he won the 2008 spring race at Talladega. Even Ray Charles could have seen that Stewart forced him below the yellow line.
Late in 2008 though, the merger ninja struck Smith once again as DEI merged with Ganassi, and it was revealed that the 01 team was folding. Smith had no ride for 2009, despite being the 2008 Cup Series ROY. Early in 2009 he signed to drive for Furniture Row (Pre Hendrick or Childress parts and pieces). He remained the driver in 2010 when the team was running Hendrick engines and Childress chassis, and performed quite well for the single car team. In 2011, his team was pieced together again with ECR engines and SHR pit Crews. And he put the team in Victory Lane at Darlington that year. At this point, it is safe to say that Regan will drive anything, put together by anyone, at any race track, regardless of sponsorship.
As his career path goes, just as he was enjoying some stability, he was released again, in favor of Kurt Busch in October 2012. At this point, a lot of guys may have thrown in the towel. I mean, how many times can a guy get merged out, released, or folded?
As with many things in life, being released from Furniture Row was a blessing in disguise for Regan. It marked a turning point in Smith’s career. It just so happened that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was injured in the Fall Talladega race and was forced to sit the remainder of the year. Guess who got the call to pilot the 88 car? Which lead to signing with JRM to drive full time in the Nationwide Series. A lot of people would consider not being in Cup any longer as a career setback. I don’t buy it. Regan has something at JRM, which he has never enjoyed: JOB SECURITY. Kelley Earnhardt has set the kid up with a great team, great crew, great cars, and an even better sense of stability. She has secured the sponsorship for his team, and made certain that JRM’s drivers have everything plus more than they need to win races. And it shows on the track on Saturdays. He finished 3rd in the NNS Series title run for 2013, and is poised to make another run for it this season. Regan even won the most popular NNS driver award for 2013 and qualified the HMS 48 Cup series car for Jimmie Johnson at Richmond. No, I don’t see his lack of a Cup ride being an issue at all for the kid. His days in Cup were like daytime television. He is now in prime time. And as a fan, I am very proud of him.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Fans Vote For The Format Of The Sprint Unlimited
Here is how you can vote to decide the format of tonight's Sprint Unlimited
Fans To Vote On Race Format For The 2014 Sprint Unlimited: For the second year in a row, fans will decide upon a number of competition elements for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, the 75-lap, non-points race that kicks off the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing season on Saturday, February 15. Fans can cast their votes to set the overall format and determine key racing elements. Fans will again set the number of laps in each of the three segments, while also voting on how drivers will line up at the start of the race and how they will line up for the restart of the final segment.
"We are excited to build off of the success of last year's event and give our fans another opportunity to help make key decisions that will enhance the excitement around this highly anticipated race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition and racing development. "This interactive element is unique to NASCAR - and all of sports."
Fans can submit their votes within the official NASCAR app, NASCAR MOBILE, or atNASCAR.com/SprintUnlimited. Voting is unlimited and all votes cast through NASCAR MOBILE will count twice. The voting window for the race format will close on Saturday, February 15 at 6:00pm/et, while voting for the starting order and final segment restart order will close at various times during the race broadcast. Voting results will be announced live during the FOX Sports 1 race broadcast.
Voting Categories:
Race Format: Number of laps in each race segment (Voting ends at 6:00pm/et on Saturday, February 15)
Option A: 30 laps/35 laps/10 laps
Option B: 30 laps/30 laps/15 laps
Option C: 30 laps/25 laps/20 laps
Starting Order: How drivers will line up to start the race (Voting ends at 7:30pm/et on Saturday, February 15)
Option A: Most Career Poles (most to least)
Option B: 2013 Driver Points Standings
Option C: Final Practice Speeds (fastest to slowest times)
Restart Order for Final Segment: How drivers will line up for the final segment (Voting ends at the conclusion of the second segment)
Option A: Fastest lap in the race (first and second segments both count)
Option B: Most laps led (first and second segments both count)
Option C: Mandatory pit stop (drivers lineup how they come off pit road)
"We are excited to build off of the success of last year's event and give our fans another opportunity to help make key decisions that will enhance the excitement around this highly anticipated race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition and racing development. "This interactive element is unique to NASCAR - and all of sports."
Fans can submit their votes within the official NASCAR app, NASCAR MOBILE, or atNASCAR.com/SprintUnlimited. Voting is unlimited and all votes cast through NASCAR MOBILE will count twice. The voting window for the race format will close on Saturday, February 15 at 6:00pm/et, while voting for the starting order and final segment restart order will close at various times during the race broadcast. Voting results will be announced live during the FOX Sports 1 race broadcast.
Voting Categories:
Race Format: Number of laps in each race segment (Voting ends at 6:00pm/et on Saturday, February 15)
Option A: 30 laps/35 laps/10 laps
Option B: 30 laps/30 laps/15 laps
Option C: 30 laps/25 laps/20 laps
Starting Order: How drivers will line up to start the race (Voting ends at 7:30pm/et on Saturday, February 15)
Option A: Most Career Poles (most to least)
Option B: 2013 Driver Points Standings
Option C: Final Practice Speeds (fastest to slowest times)
Restart Order for Final Segment: How drivers will line up for the final segment (Voting ends at the conclusion of the second segment)
Option A: Fastest lap in the race (first and second segments both count)
Option B: Most laps led (first and second segments both count)
Option C: Mandatory pit stop (drivers lineup how they come off pit road)
Betting Odds for the Sprint Unlimited
The following odds are posted from thespread.com
Sprint Cup - Odds to win the Sprint Unlimited @ Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyle Busch #18 | +700 |
| Matt Kenseth #20 | +700 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 | +700 |
| Kevin Harvick #4 | +700 |
| Jimmie Johnson #48 | +750 |
| Denny Hamlin #11 | +900 |
| Jeff Gordon #24 | +1000 |
| Kurt Busch #41 | +1000 |
| Tony Stewart #14 | +1200 |
| Brad Keselowski #2 | +1200 |
| Jamie McMurray #1 | +1400 |
| Ryan Newman #31 | +1600 |
| Joey Logano #22 | +1600 |
| Carl Edwards #99 | +1800 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 | +2000 |
| Danica Patrick #10 | +2500 |
| Marcos Ambrose #9 | +5000 |
| Terry Labonte #32 | +7500 |
Friday, February 14, 2014
Sprint Unlimited Fast Facts
The following information was roiginally posted by Jayski.com
- The Sprint Unlimited Manufacturer Recap:
Manufacturer, Victories, Last Victory - Driver
Chevrolet, 20, 2013 - Kevin Harvick
Ford, 7, 2004 - Dale Jarrett
Buick, 2, 1982 - Bobby Allison
Oldsmobile, 2, 1980 - Dale Earnhardt
Pontiac, 2, 2002 - Tony Stewart
Dodge, 1, 2011 - Kurt Busch
Toyota, 1, 2012 - Kyle Busch - The Sprint Unlimited Tidbits:
· The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 28 in 2009 (19 are scheduled to compete in this year's event).
· The drivers with the most Sprint Unlimited appearances:
o Mark Martin (24)
o Bill Elliott (23)
o Rusty Wallace (19)
o Ken Schrader (19)
o Jeff Gordon (19)
· Mark Martin had appeared in the most consecutive Sprint Unlimited races, competing in 20 consecutive events from 1989-2008. With his start in this year's race, Jeff Gordon, who currently has 19 consecutive starts in the event, will tie that mark.
· There have been eight multiple winners in The Sprint Unlimited:
o Tony Stewart has won three (2001, 2002 and 2007).
o Kevin Harvick has won three (2009, 2010 and 2012).
o Dale Earnhardt won six events, most all-time (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995).
o Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
o Other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983-1984), Ken Schrader, (1989-1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2008) and Kevin Harvick (2009-2010).
o Bonnett, Schrader, Stewart and Harvick are the only drivers to win back-to-back races. No driver has ever won three consecutive Sprint Unlimited races.
· Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Sprint Unlimited in which they competed.
· Only five times in the 32-year history of the race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500:
Bobby Allison (1982)
Bill Elliott (1987)
Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
Jeff Gordon (1997) · There have been three winners from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987) and Ken Schrader (1989).
· Two drivers have swept The Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 pole and Daytona 500 from 1979-2012: Dale Jarrett (2000) and Bill Elliott (1987)
· One driver has swept The Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 from 1979-2012: Bobby Allison (1982).
· Seven drivers have won The Sprint Unlimited (1979-2012) and the same season's championship. Dale Earnhardt is the only one to have accomplished it multiple times - four times.
Tony Stewart (2002)
Jeff Gordon (1997)
Dale Earnhardt (1993)
Dale Earnhardt (1991)
Dale Earnhardt (1986)
Darrell Waltrip (1981)
Dale Earnhardt (1980)
· Four drivers have won consecutive Sprint Unlimited races (1979-2012). None went on to win that year's Daytona 500.
Kevin Harvick (2009-10)
Tony Stewart (2000-01)
Ken Schrader (1990-91)
Neil Bonnett (1983-84)
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