My Thoughts- OffSeason Week #6

            Week six of the 2013 NASCAR offseason has drawn to a complete close. Before we delve into the world of NASCAR news this week, I want to say Merry Christmas to you all and I hope it was great for each and every one of you on Wednesday. Plus, I want to wish you Happy New Year's before next Wednesday. With all that out of the way, we can go ahead and start talking about NASCAR. We sit only two weeks away from PreSeason Thunder testing at Daytona and it should be a great show as we see some of the changes heading into 2014. Just think about this. In two measly weeks, we will see Kevin Harvick in with a new team for the first time ever in Cup, the number three back on track for the first time since 2001 at the same track, and many rookies making their first stab at NASCAR's highest series. Plus, we sit only a couple of months away from the start of the season and the 2014 Daytona 500. In fact, we are only fifty six days away from the race. It was still a very calm week in terms of news, but it should pick up as we near the 500 once again. Today's topics for my thoughts include a sponsor leaving the sport after the 2014 season, a new rule change for Daytona, two small teams teaming up, a driver in the voting for a huge award, and a discussion on the championship in 2014. I can not wait to talk about some of these topics so let us go ahead and jump in. 

1. UPS Ending NASCAR Involvement After 2014; Should NASCAR Be Worried?
         A piece of interesting sponsorship news came out during the week. UPS announced that the company would withdraw its sponsorship of NASCAR after the 2014 season. If you recall, UPS has been a major sponsor in the sport since 2001 when the company became a full time sponsor of Dale Jarrett. Since Jarrett's retirement, several drivers, including Carl Edwards, have had the sponsor along for a few races, but the company has taken away full time sponsorship in recent years. Plus, the company sponsored some races, but that will also disappear after 2014. This raises a lot of concern for me for the future of NASCAR. For one, a big sponsor like UPS leaving NASCAR is not a good thing. When a sponsor like that leaves the sport, some other new sponsors who are looking to get in the sport look at that and kind of do a double take on this idea. They begin to believe they don't have the funds to make it big and then don't. This leaves teams in very tough spots. I mean, UPS makes some money. I know they have to. It may not be as much as it used to be, but they make some money. But there could be a good outcome to this. Now, we have a big time sponsor leaving so another could jump in and take over. I mean, that would be pretty cool. Think of all the big name brands that don't have a car in NASCAR. Wal-Mart, Apple, Wendy's, and just so many other sponsors that I can't even name at the moment could jump into the world of NASCAR. Just sit on that a minute. Now, losing a big time sponsor in NASCAR definitely isn't good for the future, but we have to look to the positive side and think about all the sponsors who could make their way into the sport.

2. NASCAR Changes Spoiler Height for Daytona; Will This Affect Racing For the Better?
        A piece of surprising rule change news came out during the week. NASCAR announced that they had changed the spoiler height at Daytona from 4 inches to 4.5 inches. For you people who don't like math, that is a 0.5 inch change from previous spoiler height last year. Before we start this discussion, I just want to start by saying I am not a mechanical engineer. I know how teams fix cars and I know what is wrong with them while in a race like tight and loose conditions, but I could not tell you how to make the racing better. But I will make a little connection. The best racing we saw in the last decade at superspeedways was during the winged spoiler age. I mean, we did have that great finish in the 2008 Daytona 500 with Kurt Busch pushing Ryan Newman to the finish and, had the 2009 Daytona 500 not been rain shortened, we would have seen one of the best finishes in a while in that race. Plus, you have all the great races at Talladega in those wing years. Now, how high was the wing on that car? I have no idea, but it was more than 4 and a half inches at least. With that, I know just a little spoiler change could help with the racing at superspeedways. Now, it isn't an announced change for Talladega, but, if it goes well at Daytona, we could see this spoiler forever change for the superspeedway races.

3. FAS Lane Racing and Go Green Racing Enter Joint Venture; Will They Make an Impact This Year?
        A piece of team news came out during the Christmas week. FAS Lane Racing, owned by Frank Stoddard, announced that they had signed a joint venture to share equipment and funds with Go Green Racing, owned by Archie St. Hilaire. If you recall, FAS Lane Racing has been running the number 32 the past few seasons in Cup with drivers like Timmy Hill, Terry Labonte, and Ken Schrader. Go Green Racing has been running full season Nationwide competition the past few years with drivers like Jeffrey Earnhardt, most recently. I believe Go Green Racing was also part of the backing for Paulie Harraka to make his Cup debut at Sonoma in 2013, but do not quote me as saying that. Now, this raises one question in my mind. Can they make an impact this year? I certainly think they can make an impact. Listen, though, they won't be running up front every week. I mean, that is a given. But look at those superspeedway races. For years, those have been called the ultimate equalizer. And they really and truly are. Terry Labonte, who has been racing the superspeedway races for FAS Lane recently, has been just a little bit short of winning the races. He has always been in the top group heading into the final run, but he just doesn't have that extra boost. Now, we have these two teams with a little more funding between them. That could very well give them the win in the future in the races at big tracks. All in all, this move will not make national news at this moment, but they might surprise everybody in this coming year. 

4. Jimmie Johnson Third in Voting For Male Athlete of the Year; Why So Low?
        Results for a prestigious award in sports came out during the week. It was announced that LeBron James was awarded the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award with Peyton Manning  coming in second and our NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson, coming in third. If you recall, Johnson has won this award once in the past after his third championship. I am kind of puzzled about these results. I mean, Jimmie Johnson just won his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Let us take a tally of how many LeBron James and Peyton Manning have. James has two and Manning only has one at the moment. Jimmie Johnson has double that. I mean, Johnson was winning the award when he had only a couple of titles, but he can't win the award when he is close to passing the greatest in our sport in Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty? I just don't understand sports. Some of this might be a result of Donovan McNabb saying Johnson wasn't an athlete and it might very well be. Plus, you have these guys doing sports shows who have absolutely no idea about anything except for what is put on their teleprompter. Well, that is a different argument for a different day. Still, it just doesn't make sense why some of these thick skulled reporters are so biased, but I guess that is what we have had to deal with for some time now. It seems weird defending Jimmie Johnson's status, but he is one of the greatest ever and I feel like he deserves more respect in the world of sports

5. Will We See a New Sprint Cup Champion in 2014?
        Sometimes, when I am sitting down thinking about NASCAR, questions pop into my head. Occasionally, I put them into my thoughts and talk about them, but it has been a while since I put one in. When I was sitting down last night coming up with topics this week, this question popped into my mind: will we see a new Sprint Cup Series champion in 2014? I kind of wanted to wait on this one for closer to the start of the season, but I have some ideas already for this question and I can't wait. I personally believe we will see a new champion in 2014. Now, let me define a new champion. A new champion is a driver who hasn't won the title at all in their Sprint Cup careers. Now, this could be a very outlandish jump to think that someone other than Jimmie Johnson could win the title in 2014. I know it seems odd, but think about it like this. We have Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., and so many other drivers who have never won a title and have a great chance in 2014. Plus, some of these guys are just a few good finishes away from taking the title. Now, you have the other side of the coin with great drivers like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, and others who have won the title and definitely want to win another in 2014. Still, with all evidence I have seen, I fully believe we will see a brand new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion in 2014. In only eleven months, we will know for completely sure.

         Well, week six of the offseason has ended without a huge amount of craziness. Some news came out here and there, but it was a rather calm week. But we are only two weeks away from PreSeason Thunder and I hope to give you guys as much coverage as possible for the first time cars head on the track in 2014. I thank you guys for reading though my thoughts for another week. If you have any differing opinions on the issues at hand, please let me know in the comments down below. I got really busy this last week so I was unable to do Flashback Friday, but I have some in the waiting and it will continue on like usual. Plus, the 2013 NASCAR Season Recap will be up before I go back to school next Monday. I promise that and I hope you guys are pleased with it. Well, that about does it for me today and until we meet again. 






Credits:
-Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Daytona_International_Speedway_2011.jpg

My Thoughts- OffSeason Week #5

        Five weeks have passed since Denny Hamlin crossed the line for the win at Homestead and Jimmie Johnson walked away with his sixth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. It has been a very interesting few weeks, to say the least. In those five weeks, it was announced that the number three would return to Sprint Cup competition with Austin Dillon driving, Jeff Burton would run a partial schedule with Michael Waltrip Racing in 2014, a lot of other driver and crew chief news, and a whole lot of other things. Along with all this news, we are just about two weeks away from the PreSeason Thunder testing at Daytona and the Daytona 500 is just sixty three days away. It is definitely a welcome sight for race fans across the country, and world for that matter, including myself. In fact, I've been following ARCA Racing Series testing at Daytona the past few days and it is just so fascinating to see cars back on a race track. To keep the excitement building up heading towards Daytona, this week's topics for my thoughts will definitely help. The topics include a new crew chief for one driver, a sponsor expanding with a driver, a driver resigning with a team, a second generation driver running his first laps at a hallowed track, and a driver honoring a late and great driver in a sprint car race. I can not wait to dive straight into this week's edition of my thoughts and let us get started.

1. Billy Scott Named Crew Chief For Brian Vickers; Is He the Right Fit?
        A little bit of crew chief news came out for Michael Waltrip Racing and Brian Vickers this week. It was announced that Billy Scott would take over the crew chief duties for Brian Vickers and the number 55 team for MWR. If you recall, Rodney Childers was the crew chief for the number 55 last year before leaving for Stewart-Haas Racing and Kevin Harvick for 2014. Also, Billy Scott has been a lead engineer at MWR since 2008 and has spent the past couple of seasons with the number 55. Now, I will be honest. I have never heard of Billy Scott and that isn't a bad thing. Most of the time in this sport, the ones you haven't heard of are the ones that turn out great. But it seems like MWR has a lot of faith in Scott. I mean, he was a unanimous decision for the crew chief of the number 55. Think about all the crew chiefs who don't have a job at the moment. I actually can't think about any at the moment, but there are definitely some out there who probably have more experience. That just speaks volumes for Scott's reputation at MWR. Nonetheless, they went with Scott and I very well think we could be talking about a great pair for the future.

2. Rush Truck Centers Expands Sponsorship with Tony Stewart; Is It Worth It?
        A little piece of sponsorship news came out during the week. Rush Truck Centers announced that they had expanded sponsorship with Stewart-Haas Racing. Rush Truck Centers was on Tony Stewart's number 14 for three races in 2013 and now, it will be on the number 14 for 5 races in 2014. If you recall, Stewart wasn't in the car for pretty much the second half of the season after a sprint car crash at an Iowa dirt track. Now, I really am concerned with the sponsor. Gaining sponsors for more races in the season in the series is crucial to having more and more teams come over to race. So I am concerned with the sponsor, but not for this topic. I want to talk about Tony Stewart a little. Now, I just mentioned Stewart's sprint car crash in Iowa only a few months ago. He is planning on being in the race car at Daytona and I have already stated that he will do good if he jumps in the car at Daytona. If I was a sponsor, though, I don't think I would risk my money on Stewart this year. I know for a fact that all of Stewart's sponsors lost some money without Stewart in the car. I mean, they probably didn't lose money on merchandise, but they didn't have their actual driver in the car and that hurts pockets because people don't want to see a back up driver racing. Like I have said, though, Stewart should come back extremely strong at Daytona, but I just don't think I could risk it if I was a sponsor in NASCAR.

3. Landon Cassill Returning to Circle Sport Next Season; Will He Earn a Legitimate Shot at Cup?
        A piece of team and driver news came out during the week. Circle Sport, the team owned by Joe Falk and Mike Hillman, announced that Landon Cassill would return full time behind the wheel of one of their cars. I say one because they ran two at the end of the year and Cassill switched cars pretty much every week. But he has a full time ride nonetheless. Also, Cassill signed a full time schedule with JD Motorsports to run in the Nationwide Series. Along with that, both teams announced that scheduling conflicts would probably occur, but Cassill would race the Sprint Cup car on conflicting days. I don't actually want to talk about the deal with Cassill, but I want to discuss Cassill's career a little bit. If you recall, Cassill began in NASCAR with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide team. Cassill was quickly out with Junior and has been a journeyman Cup driver and Nationwide driver since then. To me, that draws comparisons to Josh Wise, who we talked about a couple of weeks ago. Both drivers have a ton of talent, started at Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide team, and are now traveling around to various small Cup and Nationwide teams. I personally think Cassill deserves more than that. He was never really given a great shot at Nationwide competition in a great car and he definitely isn't in a great car now. It just makes me mad sometimes when someone has a ride they don't deserve and a great driver is on the sideline. I guess all I can do is give those guys support and hope they eventually get their shot. In terms of getting that shot, I just don't know if he ever will.

4. Chase Elliott Runs His First Laps at Daytona; When Will He Ascend to Cup?
       A little bit of history occurred this weekend. Chase Elliott, the eighteen year old son of former Winston Cup champion, Bill Elliott, took his first laps at the hallowed Daytona International Speedway during ARCA Racing Series testing. Elliott has been making his mark in the racing world the past couple of years. He won his first ARCA Racing series at Pocono earlier this year and he took his first NASCAR win in a crazy truck race in Canada a couple of months ago. That is a lot of success for a seventeen year old even with a great pedigree. Now, questions are definitely going to be raised about Chase. When will he make his splash into the Sprint Cup Series? Listen, it shouldn't be anytime close to now. He has not run a full schedule in the ARCA Racing Series yet and, much less, he hasn't ran a full NASCAR schedule. I mean, I want to see more. A few select races over a year and a couple of wins doesn't show how good a driver can run. Plus, I just don't see Bill Elliott throwing his son into something he isn't prepared for. Now, none of this is meant to say that Chase can't drive. He can drive the fool out of a race car, but I just need to see that week to week consistency that makes a great driver.

5. Kasey Kahne Running the 2014 Chili Bowl In Memory of Jason Leffler; Is It Smart?
         A piece of touching news came out during the week. Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart announced that they would run the 2014 Chili Bowl in memory of the late Jason Leffler. Kahne will drive the sprint car while Stewart will own the car. After the race, the car will be auctioned off to help raise money for Jason's son, Charlie. If you recall, Leffler passed away on June 12, 2013 after a crash in a sprint car at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey. Now, I think this is awesome. I mean, any chance you get a chance to celebrate a great person like Jason Leffler, you do it. My problem is that a lot of people are concerned for Kahne's well being because of Leffler's death in the same type of car and Stewart's injury a few months ago in a sprint car. It is unnecessary thoughts by some and really inconsiderate. Kahne isn't worried about crashing and injuring himself. No driver thinks about that. They go out and race no matter what the outcome is. Plus, this is for something that has a great cause behind it. I know there should be some concern in this situation, but you think about that for a moment and then you go out and race. I applaud Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart for this effort to help the Leffler family and I hope Kahne takes the checkered flag.

         That brings week 5 of the NASCAR offseason to a complete close. It was still a very calm week in terms of news, but there were still some key topics to discuss. Once again, as we draw closer to the start of the season, the news should come out like crazy until the green flag drops on February 23, 2014 for the start of the 2014 NASCAR season at Daytona. I hope you guys enjoyed reading through my thoughts for this week. If you guys have any differing opinions on the issues at hand, let me know in the comments down below. The NASCAR Season Recap is still coming along well and Flashback Friday is also going well. I plan to keep writing for the rest of the offseason and keep you guys entertained. It is also three days to Christmas and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. That is all for me today and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Daytona_International_Speedway_2011.jpg

Flashback Friday- 2000 Food City 500 at Bristol

(*SPOILER ALERT: This is a summary of a race that some of you may not have seen. If you want to see the race before reading this article, do not scroll down past the point at the bottom of the screen. Here is the link to the race, which is also listed at the bottom of the page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ekh59sFIA *)

         For decades now, Bristol Motor Speedway has been the scene of some of the greatest memories for all of NASCAR. The bump and run between Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte in the night race of 1999 is one of those classic Bristol moments. In 2007, it was the site of the first race for NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow. Some would even go as far as to say that the fight between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the Food City 500 this year is another addition to the greatness of Bristol Motor Speedway. A little history was also made on March 26, 2000 when the NASCAR Winston Cup Series headed to the speedway for the sixth race of the 2000 season. The race was filled with a great amount of wrecks, leaders, and the occasional temper flare, but the most lasting moment was at the end. Rusty Wallace cruised to the win and took the fiftieth NWCS victory of his historic career. It was also Wallace's eighth win at the speedway, which is just four away from Darrell Waltrip's all-time mark at twelve. It wasn't always Rusty's race, though. Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeremy Mayfield, and Jeff Gordon all had race winning cars at certain points, but they could not take the victory in the end. It was another great showing at Bristol in NASCAR with another little bit of history made at the track.


        Steve Park started on the pole. It was Park's first NASCAR Winston Cup Series pole of his career. The race went green and Park grabbed the lead, but the race would go a single lap before the first caution waved on lap 2. Dale Earnhardt Sr. bumped Elliott Sadler in turn 1. Sadler went around and slid towards the outside wall. The field stacked up behind him and Joe Nemechek bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior made slight contact with the outside wall along with Sadler. Both drivers had damage, but they would be able to continue on after some repair work. Since it was early in the event, none of the drivers came down pit road. The race went back green and Steve Park was able to hold onto the lead. He drove away from the field as Jeff Gordon moved into second place ahead of Kenny Wallace. Gordon held station in second with Park leading as the second caution of the race waved on lap 40. Matt Kenseth bumped Robby Gordon entering turn 3. Gordon slid around and slammed the outside wall. Bobby Labonte bumped Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the stack up and Earnhardt went around, but he drove away with little damage. Gordon also drove away, but he had heavy damage. This caution led to the first pit stops of the race and a little bit of strategy as well. Ward Burton, Michael Waltrip, and others took two tires while the rest of the drivers took four tires. This left Burton out front on strategy and it would be interesting to see if he remained there.

        The race went back green and Burton held onto the lead he had gained during the stops. He would only hold the lead a few laps as Jeff Gordon took it away on lap 51. Gordon began to drive away from the field just as Tony Stewart began to encounter a problem on lap 70. Stewart came down to the attention of his pit crew. His car had started to overheat and too much overheating would cause the engine to blow up. The crew began trying to figure out the problem as the leaders continued to fly by on track. Eventually, the team pushed his car behind the wall, but the problem was too much to return to the race and Stewart would settle with a terrible finish. The race stayed calm after Stewart's problems with Jeff Gordon continuing to lead. Laps clicked by until Gordon's advantage over the field was taken away with the third caution of the race on lap 141. Elliott Sadler got into the wall in turn 4. He drove away from the scene of the accident, but he had even more damage along with the damage from his previous wreck. The drivers had went enough laps to come down pit road once again. All the drivers took four tires with Jeff Gordon coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Gordon was able to hold onto the lead. He began to drive away from the field just after the restart, but Dale Earnhardt Sr. caught up to him and passed him for the lead on lap 205. Earnhardt looked like he had recovered from earlier spins and problems, but they were just beginning.

        Shortly after Earnhardt took the lead, Matt Kenseth bumped Kenny Irwin Jr. in turn 4. Irwin made contact with the outside wall and slid down the track. Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was still leading, hit Irwin as he tried to sneak by and slammed the outside wall. Both drivers drove away, but Earnhardt had heavy right side damage and he would have to report to the garage for repairs. This resulted in the fourth caution of the race on lap 208. This put Jeremy Mayfield in charge of the field, but pit stops still had to occur. All the drivers came down for four tires with Jeff Gordon coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Gordon could not stay there as Jeremy Mayfield took the lead. Mayfield drove away from the field and looked to be in complete control. He ran every lap to seeming perfection, but his advantage was taken away with the fifth caution on lap 303. Wally Dallenbach made contact with Jeff Fuller in turn 4. Fuller went for a slide, but he was able to keep his car off the inside wall and continue on. Dallenbach went around as well, but he missed the inside wall and continued on. Brett Bodine also spun in the stack up, but he did not receive damage and continued on as well. The drivers had ran enough laps to pit and the stops began. All the drivers pitted for four tires with Jeff Gordon coming out as the leader. Only about two hundred laps remained in the event, but they were sure to be just as crazy as the first three hundred.

        The race went back green and Jeff Gordon held onto the lead. Gordon ran away from the field like he had done most of the afternoon until the sixth caution of the race waved on lap 362. Robby Gordon got loose in turn 1 and went around. He went up the track and slammed the outside wall. Gordon was able to drive away from the accident scene, but he had heavy damage. Once again, pit stops were to occur on track. All the drivers took four tires with Jeff Gordon once again coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Jeremy Mayfield was able to take the lead away from Gordon. Mayfield started to run away from the field just as the seventh caution of the race waved on lap 386. Sterling Marlin bumped Jeff Fuller exiting turn 4. Fuller went around and slammed the outside wall. He  was able to drive away from the scene, but with heavy damage. The craziest and most race changing set of pit stops occurred during the caution. Matt Kenseth along with a few others took two tires and the rest of the leaders took four tires with Jeremy Mayfield coming out as the leader. But that didn't finish the stops. Jeff Gordon, who came out second, had a problem on pit road. While exiting, he hit Steve Park's tire and received some heavy front fender damage. The damage forced Gordon to come back down pit road for repairs a lap later. His crew fixed the damage and he returned to the lead lap, but he had lost all track position he had. Now, with a few of the race contenders practically eliminated from the win, it would be any driver's race to win.

        The race went back green and Jeremy Mayfield held the lead he had inherited during the stops. Mayfield drove away from the field a little bit, but he had Penske Racing teammate, Rusty Wallace, right behind him. He eventually let Wallace past on lap 404 for the lead. Wallace held the lead away from the field until the eighth caution of the race waved on lap 413. Joe Nemechek went high in turn 4. He came down the track and Dale Earnhardt Jr. slowed while trying to avoid. Brett Bodine made contact with Earnhardt and sent him towards the outside wall. Junior slammed the outside wall and went back down the track towards the inside wall. He piled into the inside wall and rolled to a stop. Earnhardt's car was too damaged to return, but he climbed out okay. The final pit stops of the race occurred during the caution. Ward Burton, Sterling Marlin, and others took two tires while the rest of the leaders took four tries. This handed the lead to Ward Burton and he would look to capitalize on good field position. 

         The race went back green and Dale Jarrett took the lead from Ward Burton. Jarrett began to sneak away from the field a little bit, but Rusty Wallace passed him for the lead on lap 424. Wallace held onto the lead until the ninth caution of the race waved on lap 436. Jeff Fuller lost a tire in turn 2. He went up the track and slammed the outside wall. Behind him, Mark Martin spun while trying to avoid the accident. Martin slid down the track, but came to a stop before he could hit the inside wall. Both drivers drove away and were able to continue on in the race. None of the drivers came to pit road and the race went back green with Rusty Wallace holding onto the lead. Wallace began to drive away from the field a little bit before the tenth caution of the race waved on lap 449. Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track. None of the drivers came down to pit and the race went back green with Rusty Wallace holding onto the lead. The race went a few more laps before the eleventh and final caution of the race waved on lap 465. John Andretti made contact with Dave Blaney in turn 1. Blaney made contact with the outside wall while Andretti slid down the track. Rick Mast had nowhere to go and piled into Andretti's driver side door. Both cars slid to a stop while Blaney drove away from the accident scene. Fortunately, both drivers climbed out safe and sound from their cars, but their cars were absolutely destroyed. None of the leaders came down pit road to get new tires. Now, the final run to the checkered flag was set up and it would be interesting to see who walked away with the victory.

        The race went back green and Rusty Wallace held onto the lead. Behind him, Dale Jarrett began to fall way back in the field. Others began to battle hard for spots in the top 10 looking to make their way up to Wallace's lead. Johnny Benson also began to move up in the running order and finally made it to second with about twenty laps to go. All this did not affect Rusty Wallace as the laps clicked by. Soon, only ten remained and it looked like Wallace was in control. Lap 495 clicked on the board and Wallace still remained the dominator of the final section of the event. Wallace cruised to the white flag with Benson still charging in second. He hit his marks through all four turns and took the checkered flag for the eighth time at Bristol and the fiftieth time in his Winston Cup career. It was a very deserved and historic victory for Wallace and one that set him apart as one of the better drivers to race in the history of the sport.

        When we speak of greatness at Bristol, Rusty Wallace is definitely one name that is mentioned. This win was his eighth at the track and he was only four shy of overtaking Darrell Waltrip as the greatest to ever drive the half mile short track in Tennessee. Along with greatness at Bristol, you could say Wallace is a great for other reasons. Fifty wins is a definite milestone and one few drivers reach in their careers, but Wallace was able to do it. Also, he was able to win the NASCAR Winston Cup championship in 1989. In fact, NASCAR and its Hall of Fame voters felt he was great in his career and he was made a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013. It just speaks volumes about how much Rusty meant to the sport of NASCAR. It was a rare off day for some drivers. Dale Earnhardt Sr. fell a good many laps down after receiving damage in a wreck in the middle of the race. Tony Stewart had engine problems really early in the event and did not return. But it was also a rare good day for some others. Johnny Benson ran great all day and sneaked into second place late. Michael Waltrip stayed on the lead lap all day and walked away with a decent eleventh place finish. Along with these drivers, some points contenders also had great days. Bobby Labonte stayed up front most of the day and finished sixth while Ward Burton ran up front all day and walked away with a third place finish. Bobby Labonte held onto the points lead, but it was still very early in the 2000 season. The seventh race of the 2000 season is not in full on YouTube, but the eighth of the season at Martinsville is. Will Bobby Labonte hold his advantage at the paperclip, will Rusty Wallace continue the momentum in 2000, or will another driver make a big splash early in the season? We will have to wait until the next installment of “Flashback Friday” to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 2- Dale Earnhardt Sr. bumped Elliott Sadler in turn 1 and Sadler went up towards the wall. Joe Nemechek bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the stack up and sent Earnhardt into Sadler.

2nd Caution: Lap 40- Matt Kenseth bumped Robby Gordon entering turn 3 and sent Gordon into the outside wall. Bobby Labonte bumped Dale Earnhardt Sr. and sent him around in the stack up.

3rd Caution: Lap 141- Elliott Sadler got into the wall in turn 4.

4th Caution: Lap 208- Matt Kenseth bumped Kenny Irwin Jr. in turn 4. Irwin slid down the track and made slight contact with Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was leading, and Earnhardt slammed the outside wall.

5th Caution: Lap 303- Wally Dallenbach made contact with Jeff Fuller in turn 4 and both drivers went around without hitting the inside wall. Brett Bodine also went around in the stack up.

6th Caution: Lap 362- Robby Gordon went around in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall.

7th Caution: Lap 386- Sterling Marlin bumped Jeff Fuller in turn 4 and Fuller slammed the outside wall.

8th Caution: Lap 413- Joe Nemechek went high in turn 4 and came down the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr. slowed to avoid and Brett Bodine sent him around. Earnhardt hit the outside wall and inside wall before rolling to a stop.

9th Caution: Lap 436- Jeff Fuller lost a tire in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. Mark Martin spun in the stack up behind the incident.

10th Caution: Lap 449- Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track.

11th Caution: Lap 465- John Andretti made contact with Dave Blaney in turn 1. Blaney hit the outside wall while Andretti slid down track. Rick Mast piled into Andretti's driver side door and both rolled to a  stop on the apron. Both drivers jumped out okay.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Rusty Wallace
2nd: Johnny Benson
3rd: Ward Burton
4th: Jeremy Mayfield
5th: Terry Labonte

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Bobby Labonte
8th: Jeff Gordon
9th: Jeff Burton
12th: Matt Kenseth
16th: Mark Martin
36th: Bill Elliott
38th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
39th: Dale Earnhardt Sr.
42nd: Tony Stewart




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Special thanks to TheRacingJungle for the full race on YouTube. If you guys want to check out this race, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ekh59sFIA
-Statistics:
http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2000_Food_City_500/W
-Image:
http://gregb41.tripod.com//sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/06_food_city500_winner.jpg

My Thoughts- OffSeason Week #4

           Week #4 of the 2013 NASCAR offseason has drawn to a close. The weeks are drawing ever closer to PreSeason Thunder and even to the 2014 Daytona 500. This week was calm in terms of news quantity, but it did not lack in terms of quality. We received some expected news in terms of the number three in Cup next year, but I will wait to tell you guys that. I'm sure most of you guys know exactly what I am talking about, but I will wait on spilling the news to you guys who don't know. Other than that, the week was a pretty typical NASCAR offseason week with the occasional surprise news, but nothing too major. But, as the weeks inch closer to the fifty sixth annual Daytona 500, the news should come out very rapidly. But we just haven't reached that point quite yet. Today, we will have to settle with these topics. Today's topics include a driver testing for another driver at Charlotte, a driver possibly returning to the Cup series, an owner possibly returning to the Cup series, a group approving modifications at an older track, and news of the number three returning to Cup in 2014. All these topics build up from first to last today and the last one is probably the greatest. I can not wait to jump into these topics so let us go ahead and get started.

1. Alex Bowman Tests For David Reutimann at Charlotte; Is He Close to a Cup Shot?
       A piece of driver news came out during the test at Charlotte. Due to scheduling conflicts with David Reutimann, BK Racing decided to let Alex Bowman test the #83 at Charlotte earlier this week. If you recall, Bowman ran the entire season with RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013. That adds another wrinkle to this story. RAB Racing signed James Buescher to drive for them in Nationwide next season, which means that Bowman does not have a ride yet for 2014. This raises one question in my mind. Is Alex Bowman close to a Cup shot? I personally believe he is. Think about it. If BK Racing hasn't announced their driver lineup for 2014, it seems kind of obvious this might be a test for Bowman. I mean, Bowman has the credentials to run in Cup. He was great last year in the RAB Racing car with two poles and a couple of chances to win last year. Granted, it wasn't a championship season, but it wasn't terrible. A second thing to add to this is the equipment he had in 2013. He was competing with Turner-Scott Motorsports, Roush-Fenway Racing, and other top teams in the Nationwide Series in a car that wasn't the best in terms of speed and parts on the track. This sounds like the same situation with BK Racing. They just need that driver to take them to the top. All in all, Bowman just needs that one shot with the right equipment to get to the front and possibly become a contender in the series.

2. Bobby Labonte Possibly Running in the 2014 Daytona 500; How Will He Perform?
        I would say a piece of expected, but surprising news came out during the week. It was announced that Bobby Labonte received an offer from James Finch to race his car at DIS in the 2014 Daytona 500. If you recall, Labonte drove for JTG-Daugherty the past few years before A.J. Allmendinger took the ride for 2014. This left Labonte without a ride and possibly on the verge of retirement, but it seems like that is not the case at this point. I am going to jump a little bit ahead in terms of this announcement. I believe he will accept the offer for the ride, but that brings up one question in my mind. How will Labonte perform in possibly this one off race? I think he will perform pretty well. Think about it for a moment. Labonte is a champion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and he has won a good many races. The 2011 Daytona 500 comes to mind when Labonte helped pushed Trevor Bayne to the win in that race and grabbed a good finish. Plus, it isn't like Labonte is lacking any talent or will to race. To me, he still has that drive to win and all he needs is the car and the opportunity to do it. With this possible run in the 500, we could be looking at another underdog winner in the Great American Race.

3. James Finch Possibly Running a Car in the 2014 Daytona 500; Will He Grab a Win?
        The second piece of the Bobby Labonte running the 2014 Daytona 500 news came out during the week. James Finch announced that he was going to have a car ready to run the Daytona 500 and he had offered Bobby Labonte a chance to drive it. If you recall, Finch had been a mainstay owner in the Cup Series for years before he sold his operation to Harry Scott near the end of 2013. Before he sold it, though, he gave Bobby Labonte an opportunity to drive his car and he must have been impressed, which gave Labonte this opportunity. Now, this news still isn't official, but I am going about as if it is official. The question that comes to my mind is this: does James Finch have a legitimate shot at winning the 2014 Daytona 500? I personally believe he does. I mean, I am sure he will have decent equipment when he shows up in February. Plus, we know he has a great and qualified driver behind the wheel. Finally, the restrictor plate races are the ultimate equalizer, which means pretty much anybody can win the race. All these factors in mind lead me to the conclusion that we might be talking about Bobby Labonte winning the 2014 Daytona 500. Now, others might have differing opinions on this subject, but I see this deal going extremely well for both of these men.

4. IMC Approves Modifications at IMS, But No Lights; Will We See a Night Time Brickyard 400?
        A piece of track modification news came out during the week. The Indiana Motorsports Commission announced that the group had approved the modifications to be made to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the track would not get a set of lights. If you recall, a lot of rumors were spread around Brickyard 400 weekend in 2013 that IMS would try to get lights installed before the next event there. It did not happen this time around, but it might happen next time around. This does raise one question in my mind. Will we ever see a Brickyard 400 at night? I do not believe we ever will. The main reason is just the heritage and tradition at IMS. The track has never had lights before and some people would be opposed to messing with such great tradition. I mean, I would love to have lights at the track. The race seems so tedious now and I just feel like a night time race would spice things up. But the IndyCar guys and fans of the Indy 500 would probably be very opposed to messing with tradition, but I would be surprised with lights at the track in the next few years.

5. Austin Dillon Running the Number 3 in Cup in 2014; Will He Make His Own History in the Number?
        Well, it is finally time. The news we expected for months now was finally made official. Richard Childress announced that his grandson, Austin Dillon, would make his Cup Series debut next season in Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s famous number 3. Dillon has all ready won a championship in NASCAR's Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series and is now destined for success in NASCAR's highest series. There has been a lot of controversy around this topic for years now. Ever since Earnhardt passed away at Daytona in 2001, some people have wanted the number retired and never used again in any of NASCAR's series. But I believe this is the time. It doesn't do the number any good to sit on the sidelines just because people don't want somebody else racing it. I am sure Earnhardt would want Austin Dillon to drive the car with the number 3. Dillon knows how much it means to the NASCAR world and he will definitely respect that. Now, the one question I have is a very crucial part to this. Will Austin Dillon make his own history in the number? I believe he will. He is a really good race car driver. In just a few years, he could become the first driver to win a championship in all three of NASCAR's highest series. That is a huge accomplishment and he has the talent to do it. Plus, he has the equipment and the backing to make something of his career in NASCAR. In a few years, we very well could be talking about Dillon as the next Jimmie Johnson in the number 3. But we should give him some time to grow in the series before we make him the best thing since sliced bread. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he makes the best of this awesome opportunity.

That is all for week #4 of the NASCAR offseason. We draw less than a month away from PreSeason Thunder and I am excited to get it underway. The next few weeks will probably still be calm, but the action should pick up as we crawl our way to the fifty sixth running of the Great American Race. I thank you guys once again for reading through my thoughts. If you have any differing opinions on the issues I mentioned, let me know in the comments down below. I am still working on the season reap and it should be up around Christmas. Plus, Flashback Friday is going well and I hope to have a supply of those ready in the next couple of months. That is all for me and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Daytona_International_Speedway_2011.jpg

Flashback Friday- 2000 Mall.com 400 at Darlington

(*SPOILER ALERT: This is a summary of a race that some of you may not have seen. If you want to see the race before reading this article, do not scroll down past the point at the bottom of the screen. Here is the link to the race, which is also listed at the bottom of the page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfaYCwsf4P0*)

         For many years, Darlington Raceway has had a great history. Some know it as “The Track Too Tough To Tame” and others refer to it as “The Lady In Black.” Either way, the names tell it all. Every time NASCAR visits the track, mayhem ensues and forty two drivers are left with beat up race cars and spilled out tempers while one driver stands tall in victory lane. This was definitely the case in the fifth race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Season at Darlington Raceway. Drivers like Joe Nemechek and Kenny Irwin Jr. ended up wrecked even with a little bit of experience at the track. Jeff Fuller and Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended up with terrible runs in their first attempts at taming the track in Darlington, South Carolina. Not everyone struggled in the race, though. Matt Kenseth, who was making his legitimate first start at the track, Dale Jarrett, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. had great days, but they still could not come out on top in victory lane. This honor went to Ward Burton. Burton made his first trip to victory lane since 1995 when he won at Rockingham. He dominated the race and looked good all day, but he still had to fight the track every single lap around. There were crazy wrecks, hard battles, and stripes laid on the wall and this Darlington race was one that continues the tradition of too tough to tame.



         Jeff Gordon started on the pole. It was his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series pole of 2000 in only the fifth race of the season. The race went green and Gordon immediately jumped out to the lead with the field racing behind him. The race would only go a couple of laps before the first caution waved on lap 3. Steve Park made contact with Sterling Marlin in turn 1. Marlin began to slide while Park made contact with Joe Nemechek. Nemechek slammed the outside wall and came down towards Ken Schrader. The two made contact and Schrader slid down the track and hit Terry Labonte. Both Schrader and Labonte slid to the bottom of the track, but continued on in the race. Park and Marlin also gained control of their cars and continued on while Nemechek ended up stopped along the outside wall with heavy damage. None of the drivers came to pit road since it was so early in the race. The race went back green and Jeff Gordon once again held onto the lead. The race would only go for a few more laps before the second caution waved on lap 9. Rusty Wallace bumped Kenny Irwin Jr. exiting turn 2. Irwin tried to save it, but he went around and slammed the outside wall. Jerry Nadeau and Jeremy Mayfield received a lot of damage in the stack up from the wreck and all three drivers would have to pit or go to the garage for repairs. None of the drivers came down pit road under this caution either. The race went back green and Ward Burton was able to take the lead from Jeff Gordon. The race only went several laps before the third caution of the race waved on lap 19. Ted Musgrave had a tire blow out entering turn 3. His car locked up and piled straight into the outside wall. He slid to a stop on the bottom of the track with heavy damage. The race had finally went long enough for pit stops and there was a bit of strategy. Ward Burton decided to stay on track while the rest of the leaders came to pit road for four tires. With the abrasive surface of Darlington and tires being extremely important, it would be interesting to see how Burton would fare.

        The race went back green and Ward Burton held onto the lead. He began to drive away a little bit and looked to be doing well without new tires. His speeds would soon go down and Bobby Hamilton was able to pass him for the lead on lap 36. Hamilton drove away from the field a little bit before Jeff Gordon took the lead from him on lap 55. Just after Gordon took the lead, the fourth caution of the race waved on lap 57. Jeff Fuller got loose exiting turn 2. He slid up the track and piled into the outside wall. He slid back down the track and made very slight contact with the inside wall. He drove away from the accident, but he had heavy damage and his race was pretty much over. Pit stops once again occurred during the caution with all the drivers taking four tires and Jeff Gordon coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Jeff Gordon was able to hold onto the lead. He would not hold the lead long as Bobby Labonte flew past Gordon and took the lead on lap 64. Labonte would not hold the lead long as Ward Burton took the lead away from Labonte on lap 72. Burton moved away from the field and the race calmed down for the moment.

        Burton held the lead over the field until the first round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 121. Bobby Labonte's crew was able to beat Ward Burton's crew and Labonte was able to take the lead after the stops cycled through. Burton would not stay second for long as he took the lead away from Labonte on lap 144. Burton held the lead as the second round of green flag pit stops of the race occurred on lap 159. Ward Burton and the other drivers behind him waited a few laps after the start of the stops to come down. Eventually, they did and Dale Jarrett was able to take the lead from Ward Burton in the cycle of stops. Jarrett drove away from the field before the fifth and final caution of the race waved on lap 204. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had been battling a loose condition all day, got loose exiting turn 2. His car slid down the track and slammed the inside wall. He slid to a stop at the bottom of the track with heavy front end damage. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road for four tires with Ward Burton coming out as the leader after loosing the lead on the previous round of green flag pit stops. Now, the race would be decided on a final round of green flag pit stops and the drivers ability to maneuver around the race track.

        The race went back green and Ward Burton was able to hold onto the lead. Burton drove away from the field just as Steve Park encountered a problem on lap 217. His engine began to smoke on the frontstretch of the track. He was able to coast around to pit road and pull to the garage, but he would not return to the race as the event stayed green. Burton and the leaders did not encounter any other problems as the laps clicked by until the third and final round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 252. The stops were filled with problems for a couple of drivers. Matt Kenseth missed pit road the first time and had to come back around to the pits. His team performed the stop and he would not lose too much time. This was not the case for Bobby Labonte. Labonte missed pit road as well and had to come back around, but he would have another problem. Coming down the backstretch, his right front tire ripped apart because he had flat spotted the tires trying to get to pit road. Labonte made it back around to pit road with heavy right front fender damage. He had the tire replaced along with the damage fixed and returned to the track, but he had lost a lot of time. Through all of the craziness, Ward Burton was able to take the lead with Dale Jarrett behind him. Only forty laps remained and Ward Burton had to negotiate traffic and the track to take the win.

        Burton had a nice lead over Jarrett as the pit stops came to a close. The laps began to click by as the two leaders negotiated the heavy traffic of Darlington Raceway. Soon only thirty laps remained with Jarrett chasing in Burton's tire tracks a few odd seconds back. Burton and Jarrett negotiated traffic as only twenty laps remained. The drivers behind them began to battle hard as lap 283 flashed across the board meaning that only ten laps remained. Burton had a sizable lead and no traffic around, but a huge pack was in front of him with five laps to go. Jarrett began to gain as Burton moved near the pack with two laps to go. Burton hit his line and made it to the white flag with at least a second over Jarrett. Burton did not have to worry about more traffic and he was able to cruise to the line for his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory. The win ended a five year drought and Burton was able to celebrate in victory lane at Darlington.

        It was a very emotional win for Ward Burton. His kids were too young to remember his first win, but now his kids could celebrate with him in victory lane and remember it. If only Ward knew that thirteen years after this win, his son, Jeb, would be in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series full time and would be a first time winner in the series. This still might be one of Burton's most memorable wins along with his Daytona 500 win in 2002 if you were to ask him today. Dale Jarrett came so close to a second win of the season after a victory in the season opening Daytona 500. Even though he finished second, it was a much needed run after a terrible finish at Atlanta one week before. Bobby Labonte had some struggles late in the event, but he still held the points lead over Mark Martin by only a few points. Still, it was early in the season and points could be lost in the future. Once again, Darlington Raceway chewed up and spit out a few different drivers and the race was filled with a lot of excitement. But the excitement was far from over as the series headed to Bristol Motor Speedway the next week for a crazy event in Tennessee. Would Ward Burton take another win in the 2000 season, would Bobby Labonte lengthen his hold over the points lead, or would anther driver take the win and move up in the points? We will have to wait until the next installment of “Flashback Friday” to find this out and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 3- Steve Park made contact with Sterling Marlin in turn 1. Marlin made contact with Joe Nemechek and sent Nemechek into the outside wall. Ken Schrader and Terry Labonte also received some damage while trying to avoid.

2nd Caution: Lap 9- Rusty Wallace bumped Kenny Irwin Jr. exiting turn 2 and sent Irwin into the outside wall. Jerry Nadeau and Jeremy Mayfield also received some damage in the stack up.

3rd Caution: Lap 19- Ted Musgrave lost a tire entering turn 3 and slammed the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 57- Jeff Fuller got loose exiting turn 2 and piled into the outside wall.

5th Caution: Lap 204- Dale Earnhardt Jr. got loose exiting turn 2 and slammed the inside wall.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Ward Burton
2nd: Dale Jarrett
3rd: Dale Earnhardt Sr.
4th: Tony Stewart
5th: Jeff Burton

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Matt Kenseth
8th: Jeff Gordon
9th: Mark Martin
16th: Rusty Wallace
19th: Bill Elliott
40th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.





Credits:
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2000_Mall.com_400/W
-Special thanks to Wfrncsu012 for the full race on Youtube. Here is a link to the race so that you guys can go check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfaYCwsf4P0
-Image:
http://gregb41.tripod.com//sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/05_mall.com400_winner.jpg

My Thoughts- OffSeason Week #3

          Week #3 of the 2013 NASCAR offseason has drawn to a close. The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week ended on Friday night with the awards show for the series. Jimmie Johnson celebrated his title with all of the fanfare and personalities around Las Vegas during the week. The series also held NASCAR After The Lap once again on Thursday and it was hilarious. I will leave a link below and you guys should definitely check it out. I don't think I have laughed like that in a good while. Besides these things, drivers held press conferences, autograph signings, and a little bit of a game show to draw the 2013 season to a complete close. Now, the series moves into focus of the 2014 season. The Daytona 500 is still a seemingly long seventy seven days away, but Preseason Thunder is only a month or so away from today. This is where the drivers get their first taste of how the season will go for them. I am excited to see cars on the Daytona International Speedway once again whether it is practice or race conditions. Silly season also heated up a little bit this week and most of the topics this week include drivers changing rides. Topics this week include an older driver taking a partial schedule with a new team, the same driver and a broadcaster taking over at NBC in 2015, a smaller team moving to two teams, a driver heading to a possible start and park ride, and an owner announcing his plans for 2014 next week. This week's edition of my thoughts is completely stacked and I am excited to talk about it.

1. Jeff Burton Running Limited Schedule Next Season For MWR; How Will He Do?
       A good bit of news came out for Jeff Burton this week. First, it was announced that he would run a partial schedule with Michael Waltrip Racing next season and help test for the team. If you recall, Burton said at the end of this year that he was slowing down in the sport after driving for Richard Childress Racing the past few years along with Roush-Fenway Racing before that. Previously, MWR had three full time cars, but they are now scaling to two full time and one part time, mostly because of the Richmond controversy. I do have one question to discuss with Burton running a limited schedule next year. How will he fare in a different situation than he has previously faced? I think Burton will do great in his new ride. The main reason is just the prowess and abilities Jeff Burton still has left. Yes, Burton is not the youngest guy in the field, but he still can race. I mean, he had some great runs in 2013 and had a couple of chances for wins. Granted, he was in RCR equipment, but I believe MWR could have better equipment. Just look at Mark Martin's success the past few years with the team. He ran extremely well most of the time and even had a few chances to win some races. I believe Jeff Burton will have the same opportunity as Martin and it will be fun to see how he excels next year in possibly his last season in NASCAR.

2. Rick Allen and Jeff Burton Named Broadcasters For NASCAR On NBC in 2015; How Will They Do?
        A second piece of news came out for Jeff Burton during the week. It was announced that he would be one of the broadcasters for NASCAR on NBC in 2015 alongside the current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series broadcaster, Rick Allen. Allen has been a mainstay with SPEED and now FOX Sports 1 for years now, but he will transition to NBC and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series along with the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Burton has been a full time driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for years now and his career is winding down into covering NASCAR's biggest series on NBC. This move does raise some questions in my mind. How will this duo, or possibly a trio, work to cover NASCAR? I believe they will do great. I have been pushing for Rick Allen to cover a higher NASCAR series for years and this move will greatly benefit any network because he does a great job. With Burton, you get a guy who isn't afraid to talk on camera and he has a vast knowledge of the sport. He will be a great asset to Allen in the booth and NASCAR coverage will continue to pick up in terms of action. Now, the question remains if they will have a third person in the group for their coverage. I tell you, I would like to see Mark Martin join the group. I know that probably won't happen because they will look for a crew chief to be the third person, but I wouldn't bet on them not taking a look at Martin. Either way, I think NASCAR coverage on NBC is looking good for the future.

3. Swan Racing Expanding to Two Teams; Is That A Smart Decision?
        A little piece of surprising news came out during the week. Swan Racing announced that they would expand to two teams instead of having the single team they had this year. Last year, they began the season with David Stremme as the driver, but Parker Kligerman and Cole Whitt will man the two cars for Swan Racing in 2014. At the end of last year, Swan Racing tested a few drivers and decided that Kligerman and Whitt were the best for the job. Kligerman and Whitt did good jobs last season for the team, but I do have a question about this move. Is it worth the risk for Swan Racing to expand to two teams? I personally say it is worth it. Think about it. Swan Racing is becoming one of the better small teams in the sport. I mean, they ran every single lap they could last year and ended up with decent finishes. That mind set is great for a small team like this and a second car could just add to how well they could do. Plus, they have two of the best up and coming drivers, in my opinion, in the sport with Whitt and Kligerman. I have been a fan of these two for a couple of years now and they have the talent to exceed in all aspects of the sport. All in all, I think this move is a great one for Swan Racing and we could be talking about them as a great team in the future.

4. Josh Wise Moving to Phil Parsons Racing Next Year; Will He Ever Get A Legitimate Shot at NASCAR?
        A piece of driver moving to another team news came out during the week. It was announced that Josh Wise would move to the #98 at Phil Parsons Racing. Last year, Wise drove for Front Row Motorsports, but he left the team and headed to PPR. Michael McDowell drove the #98 last season, but he made the move to Leavine-Family Racing to drive the #95 next season. This move for Wise raised a question for me. Will he ever get a legitimate shot at racing in Cup in NASCAR? I don't believe he will. Now, this is no knock to Phil Parsons and his team. They do the best they can with the equipment they have, but it just doesn't cut it. I will never call a start and park team a legitimate team. That is just a fact to me. Now, I hope Wise does get a legitimate ride. Wise can drive a race car and he has just never received that perfect opportunity in Cup. Hey, Phil Parsons may surprise me next year and go out and let Wise race, but I would be extremely surprised if that happened. Nonetheless, I wish Josh Wise well in his future endeavors with Phil Parsons Racing and everything past that.

5. Richard Childress to Announce 2014 Plans Next Week; Will Austin Dillon Drive the Number 3 As A Rookie Next Season?
        The Austin Dillon in Cup saga continued to build this week. Richard Childress announced that he would make his 2014 plans known next week. Yes, we all ready know most of everything. We know Ryan Newman will take over for Jeff Burton in the #31. We know Paul Menard will continue his run with Richard Childress in the #27. But there is that one car left. We know for a pretty much fact that Austin Dillon will run for the Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year award next year, but will he drive the famous number 3? I believe he will. I mean, it is time. The number 3 hasn't been used since 2001 when Dale Earnhardt lost his life in a crash in the Daytona 500. I think Earnhardt would want it to be raced. If you think about it, it doesn't help the number to not be raced. I think it takes away from the legend a little bit if someone isn't driving it. But some are more concerned with who drives the car. Austin Dillon deserves to drive the car. I mean, he has proven that he has a very bright future in the sport and he will definitely not disgrace the number 3. When it comes down for Austin Dillon to retire, I am sure the number 3 will end up being even more legendary than it all ready is.

         That brings week #3 of the 2013 offseason to a complete close. It was definitely a crazy week with a lot of team news, driver news, and a lot of fun in Las Vegas for the teams. These next few weeks should be pretty calm, but as we get closer to the start of the season, craziness should ensue all the way up until the green flag waves at Daytona in February. I thank you guys once again for reading my thoughts. If you have any differing opinions on the issues I discussed, let me know in the comments down below. I am still working on a few Flashback Fridays and the season recap is coming along well. I should have it completed sometime around Christmas. I will leave you guys today and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Daytona_International_Speedway_2011.jpg
-2013 NASCAR After The Lap Replay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmef-boPXPA

Flashback Friday- 2000 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 at Atlanta

(*SPOILER ALERT: This is a summary of a race that some of you may not have seen. If you want to see the race before reading this article, do not scroll down past the point at the bottom of the screen. Here is the link to the race, which is also listed at the bottom of the page: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL78638601C68AC244.)

          For many years, Atlanta Motor Speedway has been home to amazing finishes. Most fans today go back to Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson's battle to the line in 2005 or Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson drifting around the track in the final few laps in the second race at the track in 2011. I remember a little bit different finish and it happened in the fourth race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup season at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race did not start out as a build up to a great finish. Mike Skinner was dominating the event and only a few drivers remained on the lead lap near the end. All of Mike Skinner's momentum and domination went away when his engine went up in smoke with twenty laps to go. This put Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the lead, but Bobby Labonte was right behind him with only a few laps to go. The two went out of turn 4 on the final lap and Labonte made a move to Earnhardt's inside. The two drag raced to the line and Senior nipped the finish line just before Labonte for the win. It was Earnhardt's first win of the season and the seventy fifth of his career. It was one of the final bright moments in the career of Dale Earnhardt, but it was definitely a difficult fight for the win and in the race for Earnhardt and the forty two other drivers in the field.

          Dale Jarrett started on the pole. It was all ready his second pole of the 2000 season in only four races. The race went green and Jarrett jumped out to the lead. Jarrett would only hold the lead a few laps before history would be made. On lap 5, Matt Kenseth, a rookie in the series, took the lead. It was Kenseth's first laps led in NASCAR's highest series, but, as we know, it wasn't his last. Kenseth only held the lead a couple of laps before teammate, Kevin Lepage took the lead on lap 8. Lepage would only hold the lead a few laps before Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead on lap 16. At this point in the race, the drivers at the front of the field began to change. Drivers like Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth, and Steve Park began to fall back due to the rough conditions of the tires and track, but drivers like Jerry Nadeau and Jeff Gordon began to move to the front. In fact, Nadeau made it up to the lead and took it away from Junior on lap 24. Nadeau held the lead for a few laps before Jeff Gordon took it away a lap before the first caution of the race waved on lap 29. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had been up front, got loose in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. He drove away from the accident, but he had a good bit of damage and his chances for a win were lost. This led to the first pit stops of the race. The strategy was the same on the stops with all the drivers taking four tires, but there was a little problem on pit road. Dale Jarrett spun Stacy Compton while he was leaving his pit box. Jarrett had a little front end damage and would have to come back down pit road to have a little repair work done while Compton returned to the track with only a little rear end damage. This would be a recurring theme in the race and it would be interesting to see how these pit problems affected the outcome of the event.

        On the restart, Jeff Gordon held the lead. He only held it a few laps before Mark Martin took it away on lap 33. Shortly after this, Mike Skinner began to stretch his muscles in the event. He began to battle hard with Martin for the lead and the two switched the lead back and forth before Skinner gained complete control on lap 41. Skinner ran away from the field and held the lead until the second caution of the race waved on lap 55. Wally Dallenbach got loose in turn 4 and went for a slide across the frontstretch grass. He slid back on track and everybody was able to avoid him. He drove away from the scene with little damage. The second round of pit stops occurred during the race. Bill Elliott decided to pull some strategy and take only two tires while the rest of the field took four tires. It would be interesting to see how the move worked for Elliott. On the restart, everybody was easily shown that the move didn't work. Elliott began to fall back as Mike Skinner once again took the lead. Skinner held the lead for a few laps before Jeff Burton took it away on lap 64. Burton's race would soon reach a screeching halt with the third caution of the race on lap 68. Burton, who was leading at the time, blew a tire in turn 3. He slammed the outside wall and slid down the track. He reached a stop with heavy damage on the apron of the track. He would not return to the race and he would have a terrible finish to show for the race. Pit stops once again occurred during the caution. There wasn't any strategy with everybody taking four tires, but there was another incident on pit road. Bill Elliott made contact with Scott Pruett and received some damage. Elliott would have to come back down pit road and get the damage fixed, but he would return. Believe it or not, this was not the end of the action on pit road, but the race would return back to green before the next incident. 

        The race went back green and Mike Skinner held the lead over the field. Skinner drove away from the field and the laps began to click by. A good while after the restart, the first round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 128. The stops were filled with a good bit of action. In the middle of the stops, Jerry Nadeau's car began to smoke on the backstretch. He was able to coast around to pit road without bringing out a caution and the team diagnosed the problem as a busted oil pan. Nadeau would not return to the race after leading early. Around the same time, Kevin Lepage broke an axle leaving pit road and would have to retire from the race. Amid all the chaos and problems, all the drivers took four tires and Mike Skinner returned to the lead. Skinner continued to drive away from the field before the fourth caution waved on lap 183. Scott Pruett got loose in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. He slid down the backstretch, but the field was able to avoid him. He had a good bit of damage and he would not return to the event. Pit stops once again occurred on the caution and this time they went smoothly with all the drivers taking four tires. The landscape of the race had changed a good bit. Because of the long green flag run, only a few drivers remained on the lead lap. This meant that the winner would only come from a select few drivers, but they would definitely battle hard for the win.

         The race went back green and Bobby Labonte held onto the lead he had inherited on the pit stops. Mike Skinner would not stay second long as he took the lead on lap 190. Skinner began to drive away from the field as the fifth caution of the race waved on lap 203. Matt Kenseth lost an engine on track. Pit stops did not occur under the caution and Skinner held onto the lead. The race went back green and Skinner proved he wanted to win the race. Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was Skinner's teammate, made a run to Skinner's inside exiting turn 2 and Skinner drifted down the track. The two made contact and Earnhardt's left front began to smoke and he fell back as a tire might have been going down. He would catch a break as the sixth caution of the race waved a few laps later on lap 213. Wally Dallenbach spun on the frontstretch and slammed the outside wall. He had too much damaged and he would not return to the race. Pit stops occurred under the caution and they went smoothly as all the leaders took four tires. The race went back green and Mike Skinner held onto the lead. Skinner tried to drive away from the field again, but Bobby Labonte took the lead away from him on lap 233. Labonte drove away from the field and held onto the lead until the seventh caution waved on lap 262. Todd Bodine hit the wall in turn 4, but the damage was minor and he was able to continue on in the race. Pit stops once again occurred and all the drivers took four tires, but a final bit of craziness would occur on pit road. During the stops, Bobby Hamilton’s pit started to burn due to a dropped catch can and fuel can. He had driven away from the scene before the fire completely erupted, but the tail end of his car caught fire as he drove down the backstretch. He came to pit road and both fires were put out after a scary situation. With that dilemma over, the race could return to normal. 

         The race went back green and Bobby Labonte was able to hold onto the lead. He would only hold it a few laps as Dale Earnhardt Sr. took it away on lap 272. Earnhardt would hold the lead until the eighth caution waved on lap 275. Tony Stewart got loose in turn 4 and went for a spin down the frontstretch. He hit the wall and slid down in front of traffic. Robert Pressley slammed hard into Stewart's right side and the cars went sliding down the frontstretch. Stacy Compton and Rusty Wallace also received some damage trying to avoid, but they drove away. Pressley and Stewart were okay, but Stewart would need some medical attention in the infield. It was a scary crash, but it turned out okay. No pit stops occurred and the race went back green. Earnhardt held onto the lead, but Mike Skinner would not stay back long and took the lead on lap 285. Skinner began to drive away a bit with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Bobby Labonte following behind. Skinner held the lead until the ninth caution waved on lap 298. Michael Waltrip lost an engine on the backstretch and dropped some oil on the track. He would be unable to return to the race and he would have to settle for a terrible finish. The final round of pit stops occurred during the caution. All the drivers took four tires and Mike Skinner would come out with the lead with Earnhardt and Labonte following behind him. The race went back green and Skinner held onto the lead. He looked to be in control, but the tenth and final caution of the race on lap 307 would unravel a great finish for Skinner. He was leading in turn 2 when he slowed on track. His engine began to smoke and oil dropped on the track. Kenny Irwin Jr. spun in the oil on the track, but he would drive away. Skinner made it to pit road and his promising afternoon would be finished. He seemed surprisingly okay in the garage with a hilarious interview, but the race seemed to be completely his most of the time and it was definitely a missed opportunity. Now, the final run to the green flag would be set up and Dale Earnhardt Sr. was in control with Bobby Labonte behind him.

        The race went back green and Earnhardt held onto the lead. Labonte moved solidly into second place with only about ten laps remaining. The two ran hard in the corners with one gaining one lap and the other gaining on the next lap. Labonte seemed to have the better race car, but he couldn't make the move. Soon, only five laps remained. Labonte stayed in Earnhardt's tracks as the laps began to click by and only two remained. Each corner was like clockwork for the two drivers and they took the white flag in the same stride. Labonte began to move around a lot on track looking for the right groove. As they came into turn 3, Labonte hit the inside line as Earnhardt stuck to the outside. The two drove hard off the corner and they were side by side coming into the quad-oval. The two nipped the finish line almost simultaneously. The crowd and viewers stood in bewilderment waiting for the winner to be crowned. Eventually, it was decided that Earnhardt had won by only 0.010 seconds. It was one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history and Dale Earnhardt Sr., possibly one of the greatest, had taken the win.

        Is there really anything bad you can say about Dale Earnhardt Sr.? Yes, he did rattle some cages. Yes, he did ruffle some feathers. Of course, he had some words to say sometimes, but he lived up to those words most of the time. But, most of time, he drove you as hard as you drove him and he didn't say anything without evidence. That was just how he was. He carried himself like a champion and that is why I have always thought fairly fond of him. It sucks I never got to see him race live or in person, but everything you hear about him is great. Bobby Labonte was so close to his second win of the season in only four races, but second was great for him in terms of points. Dale Jarrett had a terrible race and ended up deep in the finishing order, which allowed Labonte to lengthen his advantage on the points. It was still early in the season, but these races at the beginning of the year always turn out to be very crucial. This race was very interesting in terms of crazy things happening. There were pit problems, engines blowing up, and even a crazy wreck with Tony Stewart and some other drivers. With a race this crazy early in the season, it was hard to see a better race coming. The next race of the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup season was the Mall.com 400 at Darlington Raceway. Would the race end with a crazy finish like the one at Atlanta, would Bobby Labonte capture another win and boost his hold on the points, or would another driver take the win and boost his morale in the early part of the season? We will have to wait until the next installment of “Flashback Friday” to find this information out. 
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 29- Dale Earnhardt Jr. got loose in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 55- Wally Dallenbach got loose in turn 4 and went for a slide across the frontstretch grass. 

3rd Caution: Lap 68- Jeff Burton blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 183- Scott Pruett got loose in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. 

5th Caution: Lap 203- Matt Kenseth lost an engine on track.

6th Caution: Lap 213- Wally Dallenbach spun on the frontstretch and slammed the outside wall.

7th Caution: Lap 262- Todd Bodine hit the wall in turn 4.

8th Caution: Lap 275- Tony Stewart got loose in turn 4 and went for a spin down the frontstretch. Robert Pressley could not avoid him and slammed into his door. Stacy Compton and Rusty Wallace also got involved while trying to avoid.

9th Caution: Lap 298- Michael Waltrip lost an engine on the backstretch of the track.

10th Caution: Lap 307- Mike Skinner lost an engine in turn 2 while leading.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Dale Earnhardt Sr.
2nd: Bobby Labonte
3rd: Mark Martin
4th: Steve Park
5th: Joe Nemechek

Notables Not in Top 5:
9th: Jeff Gordon
10th: Bill Elliott
25th: Michael Waltrip
29th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
32nd: Rusty Wallace
34th: Tony Stewart
36th: Dale Jarrett
40th: Matt Kenseth
43rd: Jeff Burton





Credits:
-Image:
http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/images/2000_Earnhadt_Last_Win_lg.jpg
-Thanks to AUTiger7222 for the full race. Unfortunately, he took it down after I finished watching the race so I will link you guys to a playlist with the entire race in parts. Credit goes to m140m for the race:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL78638601C68AC244
-Statistics:
http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=2000-04&series=W