Dale Earnhardt Jr. Takes His Second Daytona 500 After a Wacky and Rain Delayed Race

        As the field spun and crashed behind him, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was able to keep his cool, literally and figuratively, and take his second career win in the Daytona 500. A late race caution waved and the field would only be left with two green flag laps to decide a winner. As the field was running around under caution, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was leading, picked up a huge piece of debris on the backstretch. The piece of debris covered his grille and it could cause him to overheat. He tried hard to get it off before the green, but it was still on his grille as the race went green. Earnhardt powered his car around the track and was able to make it to the checkered flag cleanly for the win, even with the big piece of tape draped across his front nose. It was a very popular win. As Earnhardt came across the line, the roar of the Daytona crowd was the loudest it has been in years. It was possibly as loud as when Junior's dad took his first victory in the 500 in 1998. The deafening roars of Daytona were definitely a welcome sound for spectators and fans at home alike. Everyone had to deal with a record setting six and a half hour rain delay early on in the event. The race went back green at eight thirty at night and it was a more action packed show than to begin with. The night time 500 held crazy wrecks, tons of pit mistakes, lead changes just about every lap, three wide battles around the track, and moments that left everyone with a jaw on the floor. It is possibly one of the best Daytona 500's in recent memory not just because Earnhardt won, but because it was so action packed even after sitting around for over six hours.

        Austin Dillon started on the pole. It was his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole as he came to the series with the number 3 on the side of his door. The first race of the 2014 season went green as Dillon was able to fight off the pack and lead the first lap of the race. He wouldn't hold it long as Denny Hamlin took it away on lap 2. Just as the race had started, a rookie would make a mistake. On lap 3, Kyle Larson, a challenger for rookie of the year in the series this year, hit the wall in turns 3 and 4. He was able to make it to pit road with some damage and he would lose a lap due to pitting under green. Early on after Larson's problem, the front of the field began to run single file while the field was split into a few different packs. Hamlin continued to hold the lead until Kurt Busch, a new driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, was able to take it away on lap 11. A few short laps later, a veteran driver would have trouble. On lap 18, Greg Biffle hit the wall exiting turn 4. He was able to make it back around and head down pit road with some damage, but he would return to the track after only losing a good many spots. Shortly after Biffle made it back on track, the first caution of the race waved on lap 22.

        Kyle Larson, who had earlier problems, had problems in turn 2. He lost a right rear tire and his car began to slide. It slid through the turn before spinning in the grass in turn 2. He was able to get back going, but he lost a lot of time once again. Greg Biffle received the lucky dog. The caution brought the first stops of the race and the season for the Cup Series. Marcos Ambrose took fuel only while the rest of the lead lap drivers took two tires. Kurt Busch came out first, but the stops would not be without some early trouble. Matt Kenseth did not see his pit box until he was right next to it and he made a quick move to slide into it. Slamming on brakes caused his car to lock up and it went into a slide. Kenseth slid backwards and right into his box, but he was facing the wrong way. His team still pitted the car and they put on four tires, but Kenseth lost a lot of time. The field lined up on track after the stops and the race went back green. On the restart, Paul Menard was able to take the lead from Kurt Busch. Menard began to run away just a little bit before Denny Hamlin took the lead back on lap 31. Hamlin and teammate, Kyle Busch, began to battle for the lead just as the second caution of the race waved on lap 32. Martin Truex Jr. lost an engine on track on the backstretch and fluid from his engine was spotted on the racing surface. The engine problem would end Truex's day. Kyle Larson received the lucky dog. During the caution, another set of stops occurred. Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, and drivers behind them came down pit road while the leaders stayed out. The problem on track was quickly cleaned up, but another problem came to the track during the caution.

        As the field made its way around the two and a half mile track, rain began to drizzle on track. It began to pick up and NASCAR was forced to wave the red flag. All the cars pulled down pit road and the covers were put on. Rain began to fall pretty hard and Daytona was given a tornado warning shortly after the red flag was waved. We all waited for what seemed like days and eventually the rain began to stay away. FOX came back on with coverage at eight o'clock and just after eight thirty on Sunday night, cars were back on track after a six and a half hour delay. Austin Dillon, Kevin Harvick, and many others came down pit road after the field was able to get back going. Kyle Busch brought the field to the green and the race went back under way to the excitement of every single fan. Busch held the lead on the restart, but the racing was immediately action packed after the race went back green. In a couple laps, the field was running three wide for several rows around the track. A few laps after the race went back green, Busch began to battle hard with Kasey Kahne for the lead as the field raged behind them. Busch continued to hold on after the battle as Denny Hamlin began to battle with his teammate for the lead. On lap 50, Hamlin was able to overtake Busch for the lead. Kahne and Hamlin then began to battle as Busch fell back just a bit. Hamlin eventually took the lead outright as Kyle Busch charged back and took the lead on lap 56. Busch then received fierce battling from Brad Keselowski. Keselowski propelled to the front just as Paul Menard made his way back to the front to take the lead on lap 60. The field began to ride around two wide for the time being as pit stops approached.

         It wouldn't take long for pit stops to come as the first drivers hit the pit road under green on lap 72. It is easy to say these stops affected some drivers' races for the bad. Kasey Kahne hit pit lane and came out after his stop was finished. As he hit the end of pit road, his car began to slide and he spun on the damp exit of pit road. Kahne was able to right his car and return to the track, but he had lost tons of time. Shortly after Kahne's problems, Kyle Busch had his own problems. He pulled his air gun out of the pit box and was given a pass through penalty by NASCAR. Busch did not make his pass through in a timely manner for NASCAR and his penalty was upgraded to a stop and go penalty. Busch made his way down as he lost tons of time making a penalty stop under green. Aric Almirola had the same issue and he was forced to make the same pass through as Busch was supposed to do. This ended the problems for the stops as the rest went cleanly. It took a good many laps to complete all the stops due to the amount of different pit cycles, but Paul Menard returned to the lead after the stops cycled through. Menard held the lead for a good many more laps before Jimmie Johnson was able to take the lead on lap 107. Johnson held the lead from the raging pack behind him as the second round of green flag pit stops began shortly after on lap 116. These stops would prove to be filled with even more mistakes and penalties.

        A few laps after the first car hit the pits, Kasey Kahne hit pit road with Michael Annett trailing behind him. Annett locked up his brakes trying to slow down and he began to slide through the entrance of pit road. Kahne caught a glance of Annett spinning in his window and he sped up to avoid. Kahne avoided and Annett spun harmlessly to a stop. Both performed their routine stops and returned to the Daytona high banks. Unfortunately for Kahne, things would take a turn. NASCAR hit him with a speeding penalty on pit road because of the moment when he had to speed up to avoid Annett. Kahne, who had already had some terrible misfortune in the race, was infuriated along with his crew. NASCAR did not take away the penalty and Kahne was forced to come down for a pass through penalty. Also during the stops, Clint Bowyer lost a motor and was forced to retire while Tony Stewart began to encounter a fuel problem and he was forced to head to the garage for significant fuel tank repairs. After the stops cycled through, Dale Earnhardt Jr. powered to the lead for the first time in the race. On lap 143, Carl Edwards took the lead away from Earnhardt, but he would not hold it long as Earnhardt took it back on lap 144. The race would only go another lap before the third caution of the race waved on lap 145 and the first big one of the day occurred.

        Brian Scott broke loose between Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola exiting turn 4. Scott went up  the track and put Almirola in the wall. Almirola came down and clipped Austin Dillon, which caused cars to pile in. Danica Patrick, Michael Waltrip, David Gilliland, Paul Menard, Justin Allgaier, Josh Wise, and others piled in to the wreck. Some slid through the muddy frontstretch grass while others piled hard into the frontstretch wall. Some drivers managed to drive away with some damage while others sat stopped with heavy damage. All drivers were okay, but some destroyed race cars sat in the Daytona garage. Kyle Busch received the lucky dog. The caution resulted in the first stoppage since the rain delay and the field took advantage. All drivers came down pit road with some having varying strategies. Greg Biffle, Reed Sorenson, and others took fuel only while the rest of the lead lap drivers took two tires. It would be interesting to see how these stops worked for the field, especially considering rain was fast approaching on the radar.

        The race went back green and Greg Biffle began to battle hard with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead. Biffle took the lead for a short time before Earnhardt took it back. The two switched the spot once again before Earnhardt eventually took it away for the moment on lap 159. The field was raging behind them and it looked pretty action packed before the fourth caution of the race waved on lap 162. Austin Dillon went up the track in turn 3 and made contact with Kyle Larson. Larson went around and the field could not avoid him. Drivers like Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose, Michael Annett, Brian Vickers, and Ryan Newman piled into the wreck. Most of them drove away with some damage, but Kyle Larson sat stopped on track with more damage. Casey Mears received the lucky dog. During the caution, a few drivers came down pit road, but the leaders stayed on track. With all the caution laps, the leaders were hoping to save fuel to make it the rest of the way, but it would be a definite battle.

        The race went back green and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was able to hold onto the lead. Earnhardt quickly encountered a battle for the top position with Greg Biffle. On lap 175, Carl Edwards joined the battle for the top spot with his teammate, Biffle, and Earnhardt. The lead began to switch back and forth between the three drivers before Dale Earnhardt Jr. was able to take it away outright on lap 183. Just as Earnhardt took the lead back, the fifth caution of the race waved on lap 183. Trevor Bayne broke loose exiting turn 2 underneath Kurt Busch. He went down the track and pointed straight towards the outside wall after turning the wheel. He went up track and slammed the outside wall hard. He rolled down track and to a stop without anyone else hitting him, but his night and chances for a second 500 were over. Bobby Labonte received the lucky dog. None of the leaders decided to come down pit road with questions of fuel still lingering. The race went back green with about twelve laps to go and Earnhardt was able to jump out ahead of the pack. The field began to rage behind him knowing the race was nearing a close. Earnhardt was continuing to hold off the field, but a caution almost waved. 

        With ten laps to go, Kurt Busch went around exiting turn 4. He spun through the muddy frontstretch grass, but he managed to fie his engine back up and drive away through the pits as Earnhardt continued to lead the huge pack around the Daytona high banks. Unfortunately for Junior, the sixth caution of the race waved just a few laps later on lap 194. Austin Dillon made slight contact with Ryan Newman entering turn 3 after Newman slowed down slightly. Newman went down the track and came back up. Some drivers had nowhere to go. Brian Scott, Justin Allgaier, Terry Labonte, Parker Kligerman, and Cole Whitt all piled into the wreck. Some drove away with damage, but others sat stopped with heavy damage and their chances to win the race destroyed. Marcos Ambrose received the lucky dog. The lead lap drivers continued to stay on track as the fuel questions remained. The wreck was finally cleaned up and the field rode out of turn 4 to take the green flag with two laps remaining. It would be a fierce battle and only one driver would stand on top.

       Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the green for the final time as the field raged behind him looking for a hole. Earnhardt was able to take the lead as the field immediately fanned out. The track was clean for Junior heading into turn 3 and he made it out of turn 4 heading to the white flag. He took it with drivers like Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski trailing behind him. He made it into one and out of turn 2 still holding the lead and the caution still not out. Earnhardt could see the checkered flag coming out of turn 4, but most of the field wouldn't make it. Kevin Harvick went up on Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray in turn 4. The three hit the wall and a few drivers piled in. Carl Edwards and Reed Sorenson couldn't avoid as the field began to cross the line. Junior had held off the charge of some key contenders behind him and he was able to take the checkered flag first. The wrecked drivers went sliding through the grass and some slide along the wall. All the drivers were okay, but they couldn't cross the Daytona finish line with a clean race car. Junior was able to start his celebration and it was sure to be a popular one for the fans.

         It has been a very long past few years for Junior as he made the move to Hendrick Motorsports. He has only won three races with Rick Hendrick in the last five years, but that really doesn't matter. His continued ability to run up at the front even at tracks that don't naturally come to him has kept him in the Chase field year after year. This year seems to be different for Junior. He already has a win and he really doesn't have to worry about the Chase, which now means he can go out and race like he has wanted to for years. In fact, had this Chase system been used last year, Earnhardt would have walked away with his first Cup title. Don't be surprised if we end Homestead this year talking about Dale Earnhardt Jr. with his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. Of course, Daytona always leaves some underdogs with great finishes. Reed Sorenson, who is driving for Tommy Baldwin's small team, wrecked coming to the line, but he still walked away with a top 20 finish. Casey Mears, Landon Cassill, and Bobby Labonte also walked away with great finishes for their teams and they looked good to start the season. The race also held good finishes for some great and championship contending drivers. Earnhardt, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and others had good finishes to start their seasons off well. Others like Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart have work to do when the series heads to Phoenix next week for a Sunday afternoon battle in the desert. It will definitely be a heated battle next week for sure. Will Carl Edwards repeat after his win at the track last year, will Dale Earnhardt Jr. repeat to start the season, will some drivers who finished at the back at Daytona be able to turn their season around, or will a driver who finished good at Daytona continue the momentum? We will have to wait until next Sunday to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 22- Kyle Larson spun around in turn 2 due to a blown tire.

2nd Caution: Lap 32- Fluid from Martin Truex Jr.'s blown engine was spotted on track and the rain began to fall.

3rd Caution: Lap 145- Brian Scott got loose between Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola in turn 4 and put Almirola in the wall. Danica Patrick, Michael Waltrip, David Gilliland, Paul Menard, Justin Allgaier, Josh Wise, and others piled in to the wreck. 

4th Caution: Lap 162- Austin Dillon went up the track in turn 3 and made contact with Kyle Larson, which caused Larson to go around. Drivers like Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose, Michael Annett, Brian Vickers, and Ryan Newman piled into the wreck.

5th Caution: Lap 183- Trevor Bayne broke loose in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall hard.

6th Caution: Lap 194- Austin Dillon made contact with Ryan Newman in turn 3 and Newman went around on track. Brian Scott, Justin Allgaier, Terry Labonte, Parker Kligerman, and Cole Whitt all piled into the wreck.

7th Caution: Lap 200- Kevin Harvick went up on Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray in turn 4. The three slammed the outside wall and Carl Edwards and Reed Sorenson piled into the wreck on the frontstretch.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Greg Biffle
2nd Caution: Kyle Larson
3rd Caution: Kyle Busch
4th Caution: Casey Mears
5th Caution: Bobby Labonte
6th Caution: Marcos Ambrose
7th Caution: None

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2nd: Denny Hamlin
3rd: Brad Keselowski 
4th: Jeff Gordon
5th: Jimmie Johnson

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Matt Kenseth
9th: Austin Dillon
13th: Kevin Harvick
19th: Kyle Busch
21st: Kurt Busch
31st: Kasey Kahne
35th: Tony Stewart 
40th: Danica Patrick
42nd: Clint Bowyer




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_Daytona_500/W
-Image:
http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2014/0223/dm_140223_Daytona_500_Highlight/dm_140223_Daytona_500_Highlight.jpg

My Thoughts: 2014 Daytona

         Well, here we are. Ninety seven days since the checkered flag at Homestead in 2013 is how long we have waited for NASCAR to come back. Today, the 2014 Daytona 500 will go green and we will be back into another NASCAR season. It seems like just yesterday Jimmie Johnson crossed the line at Homestead to take his sixth career title in NASCAR's highest series. Now, he will embark on a journey to see if he can win his seventh career title. Along with Johnson, others will look to start their seasons off great in NASCAR's highest series. Guys like Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, and so many others will look to not only win the 500, but make sure they start the season off great. But these top tier drivers will have to battle hard. They will have to fight through pit strategy, pit mistakes, rookie mistakes, and other things, but one that will surely bite someone: the big one. We have already seen one this Daytona weekend in the Camping World Truck Series and it is sure to happen again today when stock cars head on track. No one can predict when it will happen, but, when it does, everybody will see it coming. It will wreck as many cars as possible and a good many contenders will be wrapped up in it. The race will also end up having great stories in the end. Underdog drivers will leave Daytona happy with great finishes. They might not win, but it will definitely be a huge momentum boost. All these things culminate in one of the greatest stock car events of all time: the Daytona 500. Before today's race goes green, I want to let you guys hear some of my thoughts on some very crucial topics. Topics include two conversations on my expectations for two promising rookies, a conversation about Jimmie Johnson, a conversation on two scary wrecks during the week, a prediction for the pole sitter for the 500, and an important part of my thoughts: my pick to win. Well, let us jump into this edition of my thoughts in preparation for the fifty sixth running of the Great American Race.

1. My Expectations for Kyle Larson
        I managed to hold onto this topic for all of the offseason and now I am ready to talk about it. I want to talk to you guys about my expectations for Kyle Larson this year. If you recall, Larson made the jump from sprint cars to stock cars to start the 2012 season. He ran extremely well in NASCAR's K&N East Series before moving to the Nationwide Series in 2013. He ran well for Turner-Scott Motorsports and Chip Ganassi decided to give him the opportunity to drive his Cup car in 2014 to run for rookie of the year honors. I, honestly, believe he will do okay this year. He ran extremely well on every track in the Nationwide Series last year and that bodes well for his future. The one thing that bothers me about Larson is his inexperience. Yes, I have heard everybody say he is ready for Cup competition, but I don't see it. He has no wins in NASCAR's two series before Cup and he only has one full season of Nationwide racing preparation. To me, that is not enough for someone to make it at Cup level. Yes, some people made the jump to Cup without really any experience and were extremely successful. Guys like Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, and others ran very little in the lower series of NASCAR, but they have been successful at the highest level in Cup. I don't know, but I might just be proven wrong as Larson goes out on track and, possibly, dominates the rookie of the year battle this year.

2. My Expectations for Austin Dillon
        Here is a second topic I am have been waiting out on. I also want to talk to you guys about my expectations for Austin Dillon this year. If you recall, Dillon burst onto the NASCAR scene in 2010 in Trucks. He won two races and returned in 2011 to take the Truck title. He moved to Nationwide competition and in 2013, he was able to take his first Nationwide championship before making the jump to Cup in 2014. Not to mention, Dillon is the grandson of Richard Childress, which adds to the pressure he felt and feels. I see this year as being a great one for Dillon. He is my pick to win the rookie of the year battle and I feel he will surprise some people this year. My only problem is the added pressure he has received by driving the number three. People have, honestly, made it a bigger deal than it should be. Yes, Dale Earnhardt Sr. piloted the car to some great moments, but it is really just a number. Yes, Earnhardt fans pretty much live by using the number three, but it shouldn't be a complete representation of Earnhardt. Still, the media has made story after story about Dillon in the three and he has faced constant scrutiny, which could cause him to struggle slightly. But he does have the most experience compared to all the rookies and he looks very good heading into the season. This could be a breakout season for Dillon and it could be one of the better rookie seasons we have seen in recent memory.

3. Will Jimmie Johnson Win Back to Back Sprint Cup Championships?
         We haven't even started the season yet, but I want to talk about this while everyone has a clear slate starting 2014. Will Jimmie Johnson win back to back Sprint Cup championships? If you recall, Johnson won five straight titles from 2006-2010 before winning his sixth title last year. That championship put him within one championship of both Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. I, honestly, feel like this year he will not win a Sprint Cup title. I know, that is a pretty crazy prediction, but here is my reasoning. First, the new Chase system does not look to be in his favor. Yes, he has won a title with pretty much every Chase system. Still, this system opens the door for more drivers. In fact, Dale Earnhardt Jr. would have won the 2013 title had the new system been used. That just seems to take away from Johnson's chances to win the title. Secondly and finally, Johnson seems to be struggling a lot during Speedweeks. No, the weeks leading up to Daytona aren't the best judge for how a season will go, but they are what we watch to start the season. In two races thus far at Daytona, Johnson has wrecked hard in both. In the Sprint Unlimited, he slammed the inside wall hard in an incident that was pretty much his own doing. In his respective Duel, he ran out of gas and the field began to wreck around him. This means he will start the 500 from the back and he will be in his third car at Daytona. That, to me, just looks like it will take a toll in terms of his championship chances. Still, don't count Johnson out, but don't put him at the top of your list yet.

4. Two Sprint Cup Cars Flip During Speedweeks; What Will We See in the 500?
        Before the annual Daytona 500 was even remotely close to getting under way, we saw two crazy wrecks for the Cup Series in practice. The first wreck occurred in Wednesday afternoon practice. Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth made contact in the trioval and Kenseth clipped Paul Menard. Menard went straight up track and clipped Parker Kligerman. Kligerman went up in the air and piled into the catch fence. He rolled along the outside retaining wall before landing on his roof and sliding to the entrance of pit road. He came to a stop on track on his lid, but he was okay. The second crazy wreck occurred in the second Duel on Thursday night. Jimmie Johnson ran out of gas and Jamie McMurray ran into him in the chaos. Cars went sliding everywhere heading to the line and David Ragan made contact with Clint Bowyer. Bowyer went flying through the air and did a complete 360 before landing flat on his wheels. He rolled through the pits and came to a stop just on the edge of his pit box. Both of the cars were completely destroyed, but both drivers were okay. This brings me to my question for this topic. Will we see a crazy wreck like those in the Daytona 500? I don't think we will. The main reason I feel this way is because these were two freak accidents. NASCAR has done so much lately to make sure cars will stay on the ground like adding roof flaps, making the spoiler a little bit smaller, and just making sure the car is aerodynamically safe enough to keep it on the ground. It would take huge contact in the side for anybody to get close to flipping in the 500, in my opinion. Still, we can't predict anything about the 500 and we might just see a crazier wreck than either one of those wrecks.

5. Austin Dillon on Cup Pole at Daytona; Will We See the Number 3 in Victory Lane Again?
        The driver and car we talked about all offseason has made its mark on Daytona once again. One Sunday ago, Austin Dillon took the number 3 to the top of the qualifying board and grabbed the pole for the fifty sixth annual Daytona 500. If you recall, Richard Childress handed his grandson the opportunity to drive the number 3 in Cup this year. Dillon is Childress's grandson, but he has completely proved he deserves this opportunity. This brings me to my question for this topic. Will we see the number 3 in victory lane again this year? I, honestly, believe he will. The main reason is they have been so fast thus far at Daytona. They were at the top of the board in Preseason Thunder, Daytona 500 practice, and even in qualifying one week ago. They have been absolutely lights out and I believe he could win the 500 today. I know, that seems a bit outlandish, but who really knows? I mean, Michael Annett or even Joe Nemechek could win this race. The 500 is utterly unpredictable, but I also believe he could win in a fuel strategy situation. I know people don't like those fuel mileage races and don't believe they prove drivers are winners, but they show up as wins in the record book. Plus, he might even have a chance at some of the small track races like Bristol and Martinsville. I, honestly, believe Austin Dillon will be a legitimate contender in Cup for a good little while.

6. My Pick to Win
        Well, we are back to this point again. After close to three months without races, I can now pick who I think will win the race every single week from now until the end of the year. Hopefully, my picks stay a little bit accurate, but I am sure I will miss the pick a few races throughout the year. The first race for this year is of course the 2014 Daytona 500. It is extremely hard to predict this race because great drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth can win it, but underdog drivers like Trevor Bayne and Derrike Cope have also won the 500. This year, I am not even going to try and pick the winner, but I will give you guys some drivers to look at. The obvious choices to pick are Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, and Kevin Harvick, but I do have some underdog picks to look at. Make sure you follow guys like Michael Annett, Josh Wise, David Ragan, David Gilliland, and Trevor Bayne, who will be up at the front most of the race. Just based on these predictions, you guys know this race is completely unpredictable. I hope to write about the race for you guys so look for that tonight after the race finishes. Well, I am extremely pumped about this year's Daytona 500 along with this season and I hope the race is absolutely amazing. That is all I have and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://racingwithrich.com/wp-content/uploads/bayne-wins.jpg

Kyle Busch Barely Beats Timothy Peters to the Line to Take His First NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victory at Daytona

         The start of the 2014 season for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is definitely one to remember. Kyle Busch made a move on Timothy Peters coming to the line that allowed Busch to take his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Daytona. The finish was extremely close at seventeen one thousandths of a second, which is the closest ever finish for the Trucks at Daytona. It seemed like Peters would run away with the victory exiting turn 4 to get the checkered flag, but Busch went to his outside. Peters went to block, but Busch was already there. Busch powered through the trioval and took the checkered flag first as the pack raged behind them. Somehow, the field had made it to the finish without a green-white-checkered, but, boy, it was great racing. The race was actually pretty low on cautions, but there was a huge wreck during the middle part of the event that took out most of the major contenders for the win. Still, enough drivers were left to battle it out and leave NASCAR with a great finish in the first official non-exhibition race for NASCAR's three highest series in 2014. Along with the huge wreck and great finish, the race had lap after lap battles for the lead, two wide action throughout the field, and even some three wide racing that left nothing on the table at the end of the event. Yes, a Cup regular in Kyle Busch won the race, but this race and finish is one that will last as one of the best throughout the year.

        Ben Kennedy started on the pole. Qualifying scheduled for earlier in the day was rained out and the line-up was based on fastest laps from the three combined practice sessions. Kennedy had the fastest lap from all three practices and, thus, the great grandson of the founder of NASCAR was on the pole for the first time at Daytona. Before the race could begin, there was an hour and a half delay to ensure the track was dry after rain showers throughout the afternoon. The track was finally dried and the first command of the season was given for the series. Ben Kennedy lead the field out on track and he took the green flag from the outside line. He quickly moved down in front of Turner-Scott teammate, Ron Hornaday Jr., to start the inside line. Kennedy was able to come back around and lead the first lap of the race. The inside line began to pull away from the outside line slightly, which was led by Matt Crafton. Kennedy was in complete control of the race as the first caution of the race waved on lap 21. NASCAR waved a competition caution because of the rain showers around the track throughout the day. None of the drivers received the lucky dog. This caution led to the first pit stops of the race and the round of stops was filled with strategy and mistakes.

        Kyle Busch, Joey Coulter, and other drivers decided to take two tires on their first stop while Ben Kennedy, Ron Hornaday Jr., and the rest of the drivers decided to take fuel only to keep their spots at the front. There were also a few mistakes by some of the drivers. Rookie Tyler Reddick stalled his truck on pit road after changing two tires. He managed to get his truck back started, but he had lost a good many spots and his team decided to come back down during the caution laps and change the other two tires. After the stops, NASCAR lined the field up and the race went back green. Ben Kennedy was able to hold the lead with Ron Hornaday still running behind him. Kennedy continued to lead as the inside line began to pull away from the outside line. The laps clicked by throughout the night as the second caution of the race waved just past halfway on lap 51. Jennifer Jo Cobb's truck slowed on the backstretch. The problem seemed to be no fuel in her truck and she moved to the apron of the track. Her truck began to stop and NASCAR was forced to wave the caution flag. Chris Cockrum received the lucky dog. This caution held the second round of pit stops of the race and this set of stops was filled with mistakes and strategy.

        Ben Kennedy and a few others decided just to take fuel only while Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and the rest of the drivers took two tires, but there were a bunch of mistakes to go with this strategy. While leaving his pit box, Ryan Blaney bumped Ryan Ellis, who was entering his box. Ellis went around in his box while Blaney drove away, but both drivers had slight damage to their trucks. Tyler Reddick once again stalled on pit road and came to a complete stop. He needed a push to get back started, but he remained on the lead lap. Ben Kennedy, who had dominated the entire first half of the race, made his first crucial mistake. He had trouble leaving his pits after getting fuel only. He beat Kyle Busch to the pit exit line for the lead, but his truck wasn't up to speed. He kept trying to get the truck to fire and it eventually started up. Kennedy tried to return to his spot after the stops, but he did not keep a cautious pace and NASCAR put him in the position where he came back up to speed after the stops. It wasn't just the younger drivers having trouble. Matt Crafton, last year's Truck champion, overshot his pit box and his crew had to push him back into the box. They filled the truck up with fuel and put two tires on, but, since they lost so many positions, Crafton came back in to change the other two tires. That was all for the pit stops and Kyle Busch was now out front for the first time.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch was able to hold onto the lead. Busch held onto the lead for a few laps before Timothy Peters used the outside line to make it up to Busch. On lap 58, Peters took the lead for the first time on the race. The two began to battle hard for the lead as the two lines rode side by side around Daytona. After a five lap battle, Peters jumped to the inside line ahead of Busch and began to cruise around the track as the leader. It looked like Peters would run away until the end of the event came near, but the third caution waved on lap 73 and the big one happened to the truck field during the middle of the event. 

         Ross Chastain bumped Parker Kligerman entering turn 3. Kligerman got a bit loose and bumped Mason Mingus, who was on the inside below him. Mingus pointed straight towards the outside wall and piled into it hard. Drivers like Darrell Wallace Jr., Brennan Newberry, Joey Coulter, Brian Ickler, John Wes Townley, Tyler Reddick, John King, Sean Corr, Chris Fontaine, Tyler Young, and Chris Cockrum had nowhere to go and piled straight into the other spinning trucks. Trucks spun through turn 3 and trucks slid through the grass down in the corner. After all the wrecking and spinning had finished, trucks were sitting stopped everywhere in the two turns. Some had been able to drive away with slight damage, but others had huge damage and would have to leave their trucks stopped on track. Ryan Sieg received the lucky dog. The huge big one resulted in the final pit stops of the race. Kyle Busch, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ryan Truex, and others took fuel only while some drivers decided to take two tires and fuel. Busch came out first and he would look to hold onto the lead as the race entered the final segment.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch quickly jumped out to the lead. Busch held the lead just as the fourth and final caution of the race waved on lap 86. Travis Kvapil lost an engine on the backstretch. He made it to the apron, but he had put a good bit of debris along the Daytona backstretch. Ryan Sieg received the lucky dog. No pit stops occurred and NASCAR lined up the field on track. Kyle Busch led the field to the final green flag of the race and the smaller field took the final green flag. Busch began to run away with the lead on the inside as the outside looked for a driver to propel them to the front. Ryan Truex and Ron Hornaday Jr. led the outside line, but they were making no ground as the laps clicked through the night. With about seven laps to go, Timothy Peters jumped to the front of the outside line and it began to move quickly. By lap 96, the outside line was battling with the inside line and Peters was just ahead of Kyle Busch for the lead. Busch tried to hold him on the outside, but Peters moved to the inside line as Ryan Truex moved to the lead on the outside. The outside continued to battle hard, but Peters looked to be in control. The field finally made it to the white flag and the outside line was battling to take the win. Peters made it through the first two turns and was into turn 3 still holding the lead. Peters held it out of turn 3 and made it out of 4. Kyle Busch, who was running behind him, made a last ditch effort. He went to Peter's outside heading towards the trioval. Busch made it and Peters went to block, but Busch had already secured the line. The two drag raced to the line and they hit the finish line side by side. Busch barely edged Peters by seventeen one thousandths of a second to take his thirty sixth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory. The victory was a very close one for Busch and one that continues to add to his legacy.

        Some people don't like Kyle Busch or any other Sprint Cup regulars running in NASCAR's lower series and some make a good point why they shouldn't. Veteran drivers running with rookies take away the opportunities these rookies are looking for. But, like I say all the time, you have to give Kyle Busch credit. He goes down in these lower NASCAR series and wins the races, which is the ultimate goal. Usually, he does it in dominating fashion and it is amazing to watch. Yes, I would much rather have a Timothy Peters or Matt Crafton in victory lane, but at least Busch mostly has respect for his fellow competitors when running in NASCAR. Still, a good many underdogs had great finishes in this race. Jimmy Weller finished ninth in a very underfunded ride, Ryan Sieg finished eleventh in a family owned operation, Justin Jennings finished sixteenth in another underfunded team, and Norm Benning took a twentieth place finish in a very competitive effort for an underfunded truck. All these stories usually come out of Daytona and they are definitely very awesome to talk about. Plus, the regular veterans like Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton, and Ron Hornaday Jr. left with good finishes while others like Joey Coulter, John Wes Townley, and Darrell Wallace Jr. left with terrible finishes to start their championship campaign. This bad finish leaves them in a slight hole, but they have a good many more events to move back into the championship picture. The series takes a month off before heading to Martinsville Speedway for a short track battle. Will Kyle Busch come back and win two straight, will Johnny Sauter repeat in the race, will Darrell Wallace Jr. win his second straight at Martinsville, or will another driver take the win at Martinsville? We will have to wait a little over a month to find all this out and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 21- Competition caution due to rain on the speedway throughout the day.

2nd Caution: Lap 51- Jennifer Jo Cobb's truck began to slow on the backstretch.

3rd Caution: Lap 73- Ross Chastain bumped Parker Kligerman entering turn 3 and Kligerman made contact with Mason Mingus. Mingus piled hard into the outside wall. Darrell Wallace Jr., Brennan Newberry, Joey Coulter, Brian Ickler, John Wes Townley, Tyler Reddick, John King, Sean Corr, Chris Fontaine, Tyler Young, and Chris Cockrum also piled in.

4th Caution: Lap 86- Travis Kvapil lost an engine on the backstretch of the track.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None 
2nd Caution: Chris Cockrum
3rd Caution: Ryan Sieg
4th Caution: Ryan Sieg

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Timothy Peters
3rd: Johnny Sauter
4th: Ryan Truex
5th: Ron Hornaday Jr.

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Ryan Blaney
13th: Matt Crafton
15th: Ben Kennedy
26th: Darrell Wallace Jr.
29th: Parker Kligerman
32nd: Joey Coulter





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_NextEra_Energy_Resources_250/C
-Image:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/b802467e446793dbcfa37f630f3b01f8b02a9113/c=723-184-3018-1911&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/02/21//1393041426000-2-21-14-truck-kyle-busch.jpg

2014 NextEra Energy Resources 250 Qualifying Canceled; Ben Kennedy Starts on Pole

        The much anticipated first round of group qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2014 will have to wait until Martinsville in March. The first planned group qualifying session was supposed to be held at Daytona, but rain began to fall throughout the afternoon and the result was a canceled qualifying session for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. To decide the line-up, NASCAR took the three practice sessions and ordered the fastest laps together with the fastest driver starting on pole. The fastest driver out of all three practice sessions was Ben Kennedy and he will start the series first race of the season from the pole position. It is Kennedy's first pole in Trucks in his first race at the famed track known as Daytona. Ron Hornaday Jr., Ryan Blaney, Matt Crafton, and Joey Coulter round out the top 5 for tonight's race. Like most qualifying sessions that are rained out, good drivers are starting at the front, but good drivers are also starting at the back of the field. It will be a definite challenge for all these drivers at the back to move to the front while avoiding all the Daytona trouble. It will definitely be a good show when the Trucks head on track tonight for the annual NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona. Will Johnny Sauter win two in a row at the track, will Matt Crafton start off his championship defending season with a win, or will another driver shock the world as he looks to take the championship in 2014? We only have to wait a short little while before we find answers to these questions and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Starters:
1st: Ben Kennedy
2nd: Ron Hornaday Jr.
3rd: Ryan Blaney
4th: Matt Crafton
5th: Joey Coulter

Notables Not in Top 5:
7th: Kyle Busch
9th: Johnny Sauter
11th: Jeb Burton
15th: Parker Kligerman
16th: Darrell Wallace Jr.
18th: Timothy Peters

DNQ: Todd Peck




Credits:
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-01/C
-Image:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR_Trucks/status/436299049902161920/photo/1

Grant Enfinger Dominates at Daytona For His First Win at the Sacred Track

       After leading the most laps in the annual ARCA race at Daytona, Grant Enfinger was able to cross the line first and take his third win in the ARCA Racing Series. Enfinger has been a regular in the ARCA Racing Series for many years, but he only received the chance to start a full season one time in 2011. Last year, he took his first two victories in the series, but he still wasn't running full time even though he was extremely successful. This year held the same part time chance, but he went out at Daytona and took the win, which could give a full run in the series once again. Even though Enfinger led the most laps, he had to battle two future stars: Dylan Kwasniewski and Chase Elliott. Both drivers started near the front and looked to win each and every lap on the track. Both fell back late in the event,  but they battled hard to take their first victories at the sacred track in Daytona, Florida. There were also a good many ARCA championship contenders for this year looking to start the year off great. Frank Kimmel, John Wes Townley, Tom Hessert, Mason Mitchell, and others looked to make huge gains as the season started. Plus, you throw in a huge amount of drivers who have never before been on the Daytona surface and you have yourself a very action packed race on the high banks of Daytona. This was definitely the case on this Saturday afternoon and action definitely picked up.

        Dylan Kwasniewski started on the pole. It was his second career ARCA Racing Series pole in only his second career start. The first ARCA race of the season went green and Kwasniewski was able to lead the first lap of the event. The front of the field calmed down early with Kwasniewski running the low line in front of several drivers, but the back of the field was battling side by side the entire time around the track. The first mistake of the afternoon occurred on lap 6 and it was not made by a rookie at Daytona. Bobby Gerhart, the eight time winner of the annual ARCA race at Daytona, made slight contact with the outside wall in turn 1. Gerhart was able to drive away, but the right side of his car was damaged and smoking slightly. He stayed on track for the moment, but he lost a good many spots. Gerhart would get his chance to come to pit road soon after his mistake as the first caution of the race waved on lap 13. Unfortunately for most of the field, the damage from this massive wreck couldn't be fixed.

        Coming out of turn 4, Buster Graham went around because his car had been struggling with a tight condition. Graham went up the track and into traffic. The field stacked up behind him and cars began to spin and crash all over the track. Justin Allison, Will Kimmel, Justin Boston, Benny Gordon, Kody Weisner, Sean Corr, Mark Thompson, Jeb Burton, Mario Gosselin, Tom Buzze, Scotty Hubler, Cole Powell, Terry Jones, and Bobby Grewohl all spun and crashed through the Daytona grass and into both of the walls. A few drivers were able to drive away with minimal damage, but most of the drivers stayed stopped on the frontstretch grass. It was a massive pile-up and a good many favorites were out early in the event. None of the drivers received the lucky dog. The caution resulted in the only pit stops for the teams during the event. Most of the leaders took fuel only with Chase Elliott making his way out first ahead of Dylan Kwasniewski, who had lead the entire race up to the caution. Maryeve Dufault and Thomas Praytor decided to stay on track for the time being. It would be interesting to see how this move worked for these two drivers.

        The race went back green and Thomas Praytor immediately dropped to the back of the field due to a transmission problem. Maryeve Dufault held her ground, but Dylan Kwasniewski quickly took the lead away. The race only went a few short laps before the second caution waved on lap 25. Matt Kurzejewski and Leilani Munter had problems on the race track in turn 2. The two made contact and both slammed the outside wall hard. Munter was able to drive away with huge damage, but Kurzejewski's car sat stopped with heavier damage in the turn 2 grass. None of the drivers decided to come down pit road and the field lined up for a brand new double file restart in the ARCA Racing Series. The race went back green and Dylan Kwasniewski was able to hold onto the lead. He wouldn't hold it long as a legitimate race contender began to make his way to the front.

        On lap 32, Grant Enfinger was able to take the lead for the first time on the day. He looked to run away from the field, but Kwasniewski stayed patient and passed him back on lap 39. Enfinger stayed at bay for the moment, but he once again passed Kwasniewski for the lead on lap 44. Enfinger led a few more laps before Kwasniewski took his place on point on lap 50. Enfinger came back on lap 52 and Kwasniewski began to lose the front field as he was pushed into the outside line. This gave Enfinger the lead, but the field was battling hard behind him looking to make a pass. It looked like the race would go green the rest of the way, but the field would catch a break as the third and final caution waved on lap 68. Kody Weisner went sideways in turn 1 and rode up the track. He slammed the outside wall and slid down the track. He rolled to a stop in the grass with more damage on his car, but he did drive away. Ed Pompa received the lucky dog, but his race would end during the caution. While running at full speed to catch the lead pack, he lost an engine in turn 4 and spun to a stop in turn 1 just on the edge of the grass. His race was over and no driver was added to the lead lap field. This caused the caution to last a bit longer and only seven laps would remain to crown a winner in the first race of the 2014 ARCA season.

        Grant Enfinger chose the inside line on the final restart with Frank Kimmel behind him and Chase Elliott above him. The race went green and Elliott looked to jump in front of Enfinger. Kimmel pushed Enfinger and Enfinger was able to hold onto the lead. This pass cost Elliott as the outside line began to fall backwards. He fell extremely far back as Enfinger and Kimmel remained first and second, respectively. The field began to battle hard as the laps clicked by. Soon, only two long Daytona laps remained for the ARCA field. Enfinger stayed consistent, but the ten time ARCA champion Kimmel was searching behind him. The field took the white flag and the drivers began to look for a way around Enfinger. A few drivers went to the outside on the backstretch, but no one had made a huge charge for the win. Enfinger came out of turn 4 with the lead and he would hold it as he crossed the finish line for his first checkered flag at Daytona. It was a very rewarding victory for Enfinger and it could allow him to run the entire season.

        Sponsorship woes have been rampant in auto racing for a good many years now. Teams with a lot of sponsorship money tend to run up front at all times while teams with little money struggle to finish. Grant Enfinger's team with owner Howard Bixman knows what it it like without a ton of sponsorship money. They haven't run a full season with Enfinger as the driver, but this Daytona win could change things. One win at Daytona could open doors for sponsors from every direction. We could very well see Grant Enfinger run the entire ARCA campaign for the first time since 2011. Plus, he looks good enough to win his first championship. Others, like Frank Kimmel and John Wes Townley, know their teams will run the full season and they hope to continue Daytona success and possibly stand on top of the ARCA mountain at the end of the season. Each of these ARCA regulars battled hard with guys who wanted to race at Daytona for the first times in their lives and others who are off to bigger things this year. That is the beauty of the ARCA Racing Series. All types of drivers can battle on all types of tracks. The same will be the case after the series takes a month off and heads to Mobile, Alabama for the annual race at the track. Will Grant Enfinger win back to back races at Mobile, will Frank Kimmel win the second race of the year as he looks to repeat as champion, or will another driver break through in the ARCA championship battle? We will have to wait a month before we found this out and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 13- Buster Graham went around in turn 4 due to a tight condition. Justin Allison, Will Kimmel, Justin Boston, Benny Gordon, Kody Weisner, Sean Corr, Mark Thompson, Jeb Burton, Mario Gosselin, Tom Buzze, Scotty Hubler, Cole Powell, Terry Jones, and Bobby Grewohl piled into the wreck.

2nd Caution: Lap 25- Matt Kurzejewski and Leilani Munter made contact with each other and the outside wall in turn 2.

3rd Caution: Lap 68- Kody Weisner hit the wall in turn 1 and spun down the track into the grass. 

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Unknown
3rd Caution: Ed Pompa

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Grant Enfinger
2nd: Frank Kimmel
3rd: Clay Campbell
4th: Tom Hessert 
5th: Tyler Reddick

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Bobby Gerhart
9th: Chase Elliott
11th: John Wes Townley
14th: Dylan Kwasniewski
29th: Jeb Burton
36th: Justin Allison
40th: Justin Boston




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Special Thanks to a certain full race uploader. I won't add any links because I don't want his races to be taken down.
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014_Lucas_Oil_200_Presented_by_MAVTV/A
-Image:

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/e7063694e7dcc12e92267c60fb818707974c557f/c%3D0-20-3300-2501%26r%3Dx404%26c%3D534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/02/15//1392508082000-AP-ARCA-Daytona-Auto-Racing.jpg

Denny Hamlin Starts Off 2014 Strong With a Thrilling Sprint Unlimited Win

        After leading at the finish of the first two segments of the 2014 Sprint Unlimited, Denny Hamlin was able to take his lead back near the end of the third segment and cruise to victory in the opening event of the NASCAR season: the Sprint Unlimited. Hamlin's 2013 was much publicized as the worst of his NASCAR career. A back injury in the Auto Club race last season left him out of his car for a couple of weeks. Once he returned, he wasn't the same Denny Hamlin and he struggled throughout the year. Hamlin finally began to turn his luck around in the Chase and a rewarding win in the finale at Homestead put him on the right track heading into this year. The race itself was filled with a good many crazy moments and huge wrecks. A huge wreck erupted in the second segment, which left half of the field out of the race. Jimmie Johnson also had trouble at the end of the first segment and ended his night. Plus, the pace car caught on fire at one point during the event. Yes, the pace car caught on fire and Juan Pablo Montoya was nowhere to be found. All kidding aside, the incident did not result in any injuries, but it was still very scary. All in all, this was one of the better Sprint Unlimited races in recent memory.

       Denny Hamlin started on the pole. The fans voted to set the starting line-up based on final practice speeds for the exhibition event. Hamlin was fastest and, thus, he started on point. The fans also voted for the segment format for the seventy five lap event. They decided to run a thirty lap first segment, a twenty five lap second segment, and a twenty lap dash for the third segment. All this would culminate in a great race and a lone winner. The drivers lined up side by side for the first time of the year and Hamlin took the green flag. He roared around the track and made it back to the flag to lead the first lap. On lap 2, Jamie McMurray sped past Hamlin and took his first lead on the night. The field then moved to the outside lane and ran single file for a few select laps. On lap 11, Kyle Busch moved out of the outside line and took the lead from McMurray. Shortly after that, a line began to form on the inside with Kevin Harvick leading it. The inside line pushed Harvick to the lead on lap 17. The outside and inside lines began to battle hard with the lead switching just about every lap as the first segment neared a close. Denny Hamlin took the lead outright on lap 24 with only six laps remaining. The laps clicked down and Hamlin held the lead as the field made its way down the backstretch looking for the end of the segment. One driver would not make it to the end of the first segment and his night would end in disaster.

        Coming out of turn 4 to take the segment ending caution flag, Jimmie Johnson broke loose behind Denny Hamlin. Johnson's car went straight down the track as the field raced behind him. He worked hard to corral his car as the inside wall neared. Johnson slowed down significantly, but he made huge contact with the inside wall. He slid up the race track and came to a stop on the frontstretch grass. He had received heavy damage and he wouldn't return to the race. The wreck resulted in the first caution of the race on lap 29 and the subsequent end to the first segment of the event. Jamie McMurray, who had an overheating problem throughout the first segment, was able to get back on the lead lap. The end of the segment also brought a little bit of strategy with the first pit stops of the race. Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, and Danica Patrick took fuel only with Kevin Harvick taking two tires and the rest of the drivers taking four tires. It would be interesting to see how this strategy played out for all of these drivers.

        The race went back green and Jeff Gordon was able to hold onto the lead after his pit stop strategy call. He wouldn't hold the lead long as Brad Keselowski used his strategy to move to the point on lap 32. On lap 35, Denny Hamlin made it back to the lead just before the second caution of the race waved on lap 36. Matt Kenseth went down on Joey Logano in the trioval. Kenseth went around and back up the track into Tony Stewart. Stewart went up the track towards the wall with Jeff Gordon on his bumper. The two piled hard into Carl Edwards just Kurt Busch piled into Gordon. Danica Patrick went around on the apron of the track just as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slammed into Kurt Busch's back bumper. Stewart, Gordon, and Busch sat wedged against each other just as Stenhouse drove away. Stenhouse wouldn't make it far as he piled into Danica Patrick due to a blocked windshield. Every single driver involved was left with huge amounts of damage and none would return. Luckily, everybody climbed out of their cars after the very vicious wreck. The wreck resulted in a red flag, but all the teams were able to work on their cars. The wreck was cleaned up and the race went back green with Denny Hamlin hanging onto the lead. He wouldn't hold the lead too long as Joey Logano passed him on lap 44. Hamlin quickly surged back and took the lead on lap 46. Hamlin held onto the lead until the third caution of the race waved on lap 55. The caution waved to signal the end of the second segment. The fans decided to order the field to start the third segment based on where they came out after a mandatory two tire pit stop before the start of the segment. It would be interesting to see if the stops decided the race winner.

        Ryan Newman decided to take four tires while the rest of the drivers left in the race took only the required two tires. Denny Hamlin made it out first and he was in the lead as nine drivers took the green flag for the final segment. Jamie McMurray was able to take the lead from Hamlin as the race went back green. The nine drivers began to race hard as Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead on lap 57. Earnhardt held the lead just as the fourth caution of the event waved on lap 60. Kyle Busch tried to cut down the track in front of Brad Keselowski in turn 4, but the two made contact. Busch went down the track and spun around. He managed to maneuver his car enough to save it and only receive damage when he plowed through the grass. Busch would make it back on track to continue the event. None of the drivers came to pit road and the race was able to get back underway with Dale Earnhardt Jr. leading the field. Joey Logano was able to quickly take away the lead as the small field began to battle looking for the win. The battling became very heated and the fifth and final caution of the race waved on lap 65. Marcos Ambrose bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. entering turn 1. Earnhardt went up the track and slammed into Ambrose. Both piled hard into the outside wall, but each drove away. Earnhardt was not too happy with Ambrose as they bumped on the backstretch. Earnhardt's damage was too heavy to return, but Ambrose would make his way back on track. None of the drivers came to pit road for tires and the line-up stayed the same. This left the race with only five laps to decide who would take home the first trophy of 2014. 

         The race went back green and Joey Logano was able to hold onto the lead. The eight cars left on track began to battle extremely hard coming down the stretch. A blanket could be thrown on top of all eight just as Brad Keselowski took the lead on lap 72. Cars began to shuffle from back to front and run three wide just as the race went to three laps to go. Keselowski hoped to stay in front, but Denny Hamlin was coming. He made his way to the lead with only two laps remaining. He began to cruise away from the field and took the white flag with a huge mass of roaring cars behind him. He made it smoothly through turns 1 and 2 with only Brad Keselowski pulling in closer to him. He passed through turns 3 and 4 with the lead and no one in position to pass him. Hamlin sailed through the trioval and took the first checkered flag of the 2014 NASCAR season. Hamlin was thrilled with winning a race to start off the season and he hopes to keep the momentum going throughout the year.

        Only in NASCAR racing can you see an exhibition race filled with as much excitement and crazy moments as the actual events during the year. Wrecks, crazy racing, and a great finish are not off limits at Daytona even in an exhibition race like this one. This race holds a good bit more status this year than maybe in years past. The Duel races that set the field for the Daytona 500 will be held at night with pretty much the exact same characteristics as this Saturday night fight. All of the nineteen drivers involved will be starting in the Daytona 500 and will be battling hard much like they did in this very race. It just goes to show that when NASCAR holds an exhibition event, it means just as much as a points paying race. This race was also a big boost to the confidence of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Hamlin needed this momentum boost to get his 2014 started off with a bang to make sure a repeat of 2013 doesn't happen. Stewart needed this race that didn't mean anything in the end to jump back in a racecar for the first time since breaking his leg in a terrible sprint car crash last August. These two drivers amazing runs in this race could make them legitimate contenders in retribution years. Plus, the rest of the top tier drivers look good as they always do. It will definitely be an interesting time when the annual Daytona 500 goes green next Sunday. Will Denny Hamlin be able to repeat at Daytona, will another notable driver take victory, will Austin Dillon defy all odds and take a win in the famous number three, or will an underdog driver take an extremely memorable Daytona 500 win? This race was just a taste of all those things and we will have these questions answered in just one lone week.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 29- Jimmie Johnson got loose exiting turn 4 and slammed the inside wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 36- Matt Kenseth went down on Joey Logano in the trioval and went around on track. Kenseth went up the track and collected Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Danica Patrick along the frontstretch.

3rd Caution: Lap 55- End of the second segment of the exhibition event.

4th Caution: Lap 60- Kyle Busch spun around in turn 4 after contact with Brad Keselowski.

5th Caution: Lap 65- Marcos Ambrose bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. entering turn 1 and the two made contact with the outside wall.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Denny Hamlin
2nd: Brad Keselowski
3rd: Kyle Busch
4th: Joey Logano
5th: Kevin Harvick

Notables Not in Top 5:
9th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10th: Matt Kenseth
11th: Tony Stewart
12th: Jeff Gordon
14th: Kurt Busch
16th: Danica Patrick
17th: Jimmie Johnson




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014-01/X
-Image:
http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2014/0215/dm_140215_nscs_sprint_highlight/dm_140215_nscs_sprint_highlight.jpg

My Thoughts: OffSeason Week #13

           
         Going four days without television or Internet is a terrible thing, much less without power. Especially when those four days are just a week before the greatest race of the NASCAR season. Well, that is what I have experienced these past few days. Winter Storm Pax hit the Southern part of the United States on Tuesday and my city was in the worst part of the storm, in my opinion. I woke up on Wednesday morning to a sheet of ice on the ground. Luckily, my grandmother still had power and I was able to stay with her, but my parents quickly lost power at our house. Wednesday night brought a little bit more freezing rain, but the worst was yet to come. As I woke up on Thursday, I had no television and no Internet at my grandmother's house. I was pretty nervous knowing the weekend brought the first racing action since November. The ice began to melt through Thursday and Friday, but my television and Internet was nowhere to be found even with us still having lights. Saturday morning brought no television and no Internet for the third straight day. I missed the ARCA race, but my aunt let his come over and watch the 2014 Sprint Unlimited. The race was great and I was extremely thankful she let us come over and watch it. Sunday once again brought the same story. I made it to Burger King with my parents and we were able to see the tail end of qualifying as the great story of Austin Dillon and the number three took the pole. Shortly after making it back to my grandmother's, we finally had cable and Internet come back. It was a huge relief for me with this next week being extremely important, but I do have some announcements.

           Unfortunately, because of the delay without NASCAR news, I will not have regular topics for this edition of my thoughts. I will save most of the topics for next week as we enter Daytona 500 Sunday. Still, I will refer to this as my thoughts to keep the offseason trend going. Also, I will not be able to post a story about qualifying from today, but I will have a story about the Sprint Unlimited today and a story about the ARCA race tomorrow after I finish watching it. The rest of the week will stay pretty much on the schedule I had in my mind so stay tuned for all those posts. Still, we remain only seven days away from the start of the 2014 season and The Great American Race: the Daytona 500. I am excited to see all kinds of story lines unfold. The story of Austin Dillon starting his rookie campaign in the number 3, the story of numerous underdogs hoping to win, and the story of Daytona 500 champions and our sport's champions looking to stand on top of the mountain once again are just a few. Only one word can describe the Daytona 500: amazing. I can not wait for the magic of Daytona and I hope you guys enjoy my writing based on it. Well, that is it for me and until we meet again.





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

My Thoughts: OffSeason Week #12

          Words can not describe what the next week means to NASCAR fans. After toiling for about three months just waiting for the season to start back, it becomes all worth it when Speedweeks time comes. The sound of cars back on a race track for practice is a great feeling. In fact, watching cars race on track like we will see next Saturday night is something far more greater. No, next Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited means nothing when it comes to points and the start of the season, but it sets in motion the buildup to major points events for all three of NASCAR's highest series. The NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona for the Trucks in a little less than two weeks will lead to the Drive4COPD 300 at Daytona for NASCAR's secondary series and all that will culminate with the fifty sixth running of the Daytona 500 in only fourteen days for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. All these races start the chase to the championship for all three of NASCAR series and they will definitely be great points battles. Before we get to the 500, we still have two more weeks to make it through, but I do have a good many things to talk about in the next two weeks. Today's topics include a embattled crew chief grabbing a new job, a journeyman driver gaining a Sprint Cup opportunity, another journeyman driver on the verge of his next job, NASCAR making significant changes to a very questionable aspect of the sport, and a driver looking to make some amazing history. Let us not wait any longer and jump straight into these very interesting topics.

1. Todd Parrott Hired As Crew Chief For Tommy Baldwin Racing's #36; How Will the Team Perform?
        A rather surprising and interesting piece of news came out during the week. Tommy Baldwin Racing announced that the team had hired Todd Parrott to be the crew chief for the team's #36 entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. If you recall, Parrott was the crew chief for Aric Almirola, driver of the number 43 for Richard Petty, before Parrott was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for failing a drug test. The failed drug test left Parrott out of the sport for the moment and, subsequently, a job at Richard Petty Motorsports. Since he was reinstated, he has been actively searching for a job and now he is the crew chief for Tommy Baldwin Racing's #36. Honestly, this move has good and bad parts to it. The good parts are pretty easy to find. Parrott won a Cup championship with Dale Jarrett back in 1999 and those championship abilities don't leave a crew chief. Plus, Parrott knows what it is like to face speculation and questioning due to his recent problems. He can easily deal with all the speculation he has as the season starts and that should help the team a fair bit. The one bad thing about hiring Parrott could be the thing that takes TBR down. Parrott could be a second time offender with failing a drug test and TBR could be in loads of scrutiny. Let me first say this. I respect Todd Parrott and I don't expect him to fail a drug test again because he is a pretty stand up guy and I just don't see him making the same mistake. Still, this is a point the team had to consider. If Parrott fails another drug test, that will pretty much end his crew chief career along with having huge ramifications for TBR. They would have to deal with the questions about why they would have hired him in the first place along with losing a lot of money from the deal. It might lead to people not wanting to be a part of the organization and that would be devastating. Nonetheless, I see this move working for the whole Tommy Baldwin Racing team and it might just help them in the very near future.

2. Reed Sorenson to Drive Tommy Baldwin's #36 in 2014; How Will the Team Adapt With a New Driver?
        Another piece of surprising news came out from the Tommy Baldwin Racing camp this week. The team announced that journeyman driver, Reed Sorenson, would take over for the team in its #36 car in 2014. If you recall, Sorenson has been running a lot of Nationwide races the past few years including a stint with Turner Motorsports in 2011 and a stint for the injured Michael Annett last year for Richard Petty Motorsports. I really like this move for a good many reasons. First, Sorenson is an extremely capable driver. Some forget he took a win in 2011 in the Nationwide Series along with running pretty well in the series. He also performed alright in his time in Cup a good many years ago with Richard Petty Motorsports. Second and finally, Todd Parrott and Reed Sorenson seem like a pretty formidable duo. I mean, the two have never worked together, but they have something in common. They both have had to deal with media scrutiny the past few years in terms of their career and that could set them on the right path. Chemistry and things in common is the perfect thing for a team in Cup competition, honestly. Just look at Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson along with so many others. I could see those two working together well in a few years with a great sponsor and a great alliance with a major team. It also helps that Tommy Baldwin Racing has really made great strides in the past few years to gain sponsors and become extremely competitive in NASCAR's highest series. I applaud Tommy Baldwin for doing so much for the sport he loves and I hope this new tandem of Reed Sorenson and Todd Parrott is able to take the team to new areas of greatness.

3. J.J. Yeley Says He Has a Cup Ride; Could It Be Great?
        Now, to the other part of the Tommy Baldwin Racing saga of this week. With Reed Sorenson being hired to take over the ride, this leaves J.J. Yeley, the previous driver of the #36, without a ride. Well, at least not an announced ride. Yeley posted on his Facebook page this week that he had an opportunity in Cup this coming year and he would release the details in the coming weeks. If you recall, Yeley has been a journeyman driver of sorts the past few years in Cup competition and in select Nationwide races. I feel pretty bad for Yeley. I mean, he can drive the wheels off a sprint car and anything on dirt, but he just hasn't had the perfect opportunity on asphalt or in stock cars yet. He just needs that perfect opportunity to take off and maybe become a great driver in Cup. This brings me to my question for today. Could this ride J.J. Yeley has lined up for 2014 be a pretty good ride? Honestly, I don't see it as being a great ride. The main reason is just the fact that all the other great rides seem to be taken as of right now. The Hendrick rides, the Gibbs rides, and all the other great teams seem to  have all their rides filled. Teams don't just come into the sport, assuming this ride Yeley has is with a new team, with the perfect people and the perfect setup to win. It takes a lot of time to build up a team and I don't just see this team with Yeley coming into the sport and setting the world on fire. Maybe I am wrong and Yeley comes into 2014 with a great opportunity, but it will be interesting to see how this ride works.

4. NASCAR Makes Significant Changes to Penalty System; Will It Work?
        NASCAR made pretty big changes to an important aspect of the sport for the second week in a row. The sanctioning body announced that they had made significant changes to the penalty system. I will try to explain it in as much detail as possible without making it a page long. The penalty ladder will consist of six different levels. Small warnings will be the first part of the system with no action while the next six levels have certain consequences that differ with each stage. As the penalty moves up to levels four through six, the amount of penalties become great. Stage six results in a large fine, suspensions, and a lot of media scrutiny for the team. Plus, if a team has more than one offense in levels four through six, the penalties could be increased based on NASCAR's decision. If you would like more information on the inner workings of the system, please check out NASCAR's website, which is in the credits below. I absolutely love this new system and believe it will work well. The main reason is the system will prevent the cloudiness of NASCAR suspensions. If you take a look at the past, it seemed like some teams were fined a lot for something simple while major infractions didn't receive heavy suspensions. One situation that comes to my mind happened this past season. The entire talk of the weekend around the July Daytona races in 2013 was concerned around possible penalties for illegal roof flap spacers. It seemed like everybody was expecting some sort of penalties, but there weren't any penalties for anybody. That didn't make sense to me. I didn't understand why everybody had talked about the significance of the penalties when they ultimately didn't happen. Now, I feel like the new penalty system will make it clear why the penalty was handed down and what the penalties are instead of them being come up with by the sanctioning body. Hopefully, this keeps crew chiefs from crossing the line and penalties become a very clear part of the NASCAR weekend.

5. Morgan Shepherd to Attempt Daytona 500 and Become the Oldest to Do So; Can He Make It?
         I love these kind of stories just a couple of weeks before the running of the Daytona 500. Morgan Shepherd and the Support Military Foundation announced that Shepherd would attempt to race in the 2014 Daytona 500, which would make Shepherd the oldest to ever make the race. The effort will be backed by BK Racing along with Randy MacDonald, who owns MacDonald Motorsports, and Dell Hamilton, who is a part of the Support Military Foundation. If you recall, Shepherd is currently the oldest driver to race in a Cup race after he started the July race at New Hampshire last year at the age of seventy one. I am extremely excited about this race attempt because Morgan has been one of my favorite NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers for a good many years. My question for this topic is this. Can Morgan Shepherd make this Daytona 500? I honestly think he can, but it will be very difficult. For one, I feel like a lot of guys are going to attempt the race this year. It seems like we could have at least forty seven of forty eight cars attempt the 500 this year just based on the amount of drivers who have tested at Daytona along with the amount who have declared they have an opportunity to race at Daytona. That means Morgan would have to fight hard for a spot in the Duels along with qualifying, assuming he isn't locked in based on points. Still, this could be a very historic moment for Morgan and I am excited to cheer him on during the race itself.

        Well, week #12 of the 2013 NASCAR offseason has drawn to a complete close. In only two weeks, my thoughts will no longer be named based on the offseason week number, but, rather, the name of the race track where the Cup Series is competing. I can not wait until I can type that out instead of what offseason week it is. I also can not wait until cars head on track in just a short two weeks for practice, then qualifying, and, finally, the major race of the season: the Daytona 500. It should all be great like it is every single year for NASCAR. I hope you guys enjoyed reading through my thoughts once again. If you have an issues with the topics I mentioned today, let me know in the comments down below. I don't have anything else planned before cars get on track for the first time, but expect something about the ARCA Racing Series race at Daytona on Saturday after the race finishes. I can not wait for the first race related post of 2014. Well, that 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
-Penalty Announcement From NASCAR:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/2/4/nascar-penalty-structure-revamped-with-specific-sanctions.html