THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 25th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XXII
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What to Watch: Monday
- For Jimmie Johnson, Monday is the start of a very long week of events to celebrate his Daytona 500 victory. His No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, despite the damage it suffered during Johnson's post-race celebration, will be put on display early this morning during the champion's breakfast at Daytona. Johnson will then fly to New York City for talk show appearances.
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Johnson Takes Advantage of Lane Choice to Win Second Daytona 500
by Tom Bowles
The list of drivers who've won in their 400th career start, including Sunday reads like a Who's Who of Who's Mattered within this sport. Four of them are Hall of Famers: Richard Petty, Lee Petty, David Pearson, and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. paired with the sport's most successful independent, Dave Marcis. It's a number that, however random has been connected to the very best.
No wonder why it seemed only natural the sport's five-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, would get added next, using the sport's Super Bowl to do it.
That was far from a sure thing for most of the 55th annual Great American Race, where Johnson was invisible for the first 400 miles. But in the last ten laps, he surged to the front, flying past Brad Keselowski and winning fairly comfortably, in restrictor plate terms to take his second Harley J. Earl trophy. While Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made a charge on the backstretch, pushing valiantly into second into Turn 3 he would come up short as Johnson came to the line about 0.129 seconds ahead – a little more than a car length out front.
That meant a 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports, the third time in Daytona history that's happened since 1989. But it was done in the most unconventional of ways, with Earnhardt never getting out front and Johnson pacing the field consistently until Lap 186.
"I felt like I was sitting on something all day," he said afterwards, smiling. "And was just ready to have some fun when it counted."
It also caught the rest of the field off guard. The turning point for Johnson came on Lap 178, after a caution for Jeff Burton's one-car incident bunched up the field. That handed the lead to an unlikely source, a wounded Brad Keselowski, who took the caution at the start/finish line in front despite still coming up to speed on pit road after jumping off-sequence during green-flag stops. The ensuing restart led to the best racing of the day, the No. 2 car trying to hold the outside while Johnson darted to the inside and led a spirited challenge. All race, up to that point the lower groove had fallen short, making the race a battle of track position but Keselowski's aero woes, after being involved in two wrecks let the No. 48 edge in front as the race's sixth and final caution came out for debris.
"That gave him the high line on the restart," said Keselowski, who still held on to fourth. "And there was nothing we could do. We weren't strong enough to hold our own there."
Without his former title rival to contend with, Johnson was on cruise control, reversing a recent trend of superspeedway disasters that connected all the way back to his initial 500 win in 2006. Last season, he wrecked or blew a motor at every plate race, producing just one top-5 finish in his last 13 Daytona starts before Sunday.
"It's like playing the lottery," he said about this style of racing. "Everybody's got a ticket. I've struck out a lot at these tracks, left with torn-up race cars. Today we had a clean day."
Earnhardt, whose last-lap charge fell short, now has his third runner-up finish in the last four years at Daytona. He, along with third-place Mark Martin put together a perfect run on the inside line but, as would be the theme of too much of this 500 they stalled out before getting up to the leader's rear bumper on the inside.
"We kind of run out of steam," Earnhardt said. "Once we come to turn four… but real happy with the way the car run all day. You couldn't pass."
Neither could anybody else. Single-file racing, indeed was the name of the game as just 19 lead changes, mostly during green-flag stops occurred during the race's first 172 laps. A long, snarling parade of cars was derived from a combination of factors, from drivers unwilling to get aggressive, fearing another wreck after Saturday's Nationwide tragedy to a simple drafting disaster with NASCAR's new Gen-6.
"I didn't want to run single file," Keselowski said, "But when you try to make a move and go to the bottom, you just go backwards. The only thing worse than running single file is running single file in the back of the pack."
"When we're running single file, we're just trying to get to the finish," added Johnson. "We've all crashed so many times and have torn up so much stuff that a lot of that falls on the driver's shoulders."
The result was a fairly conservative 500, marred by just two multi-car incidents along with one on the final lap, involving Travis Kvapil, Marcos Ambrose and several others. Unfortunately, the two crashes that did occur involved several favorites, eliminating Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne before the 100-mile mark. Others, like Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth had motors go south, opening the door for Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus for their offseason effort to pay off.
"I'm telling you, I know we worked at least 35 days straight on the car that we raced in the Daytona 500," said the crew chief, who was suspended for Johnson's other win in this race, in 2006. "I know I put in personally one day of 38 hours straight. I actually sent Jimmie a text, saying I've seen 6:48 three times today and haven't been to bed yet."
"We've got 500-plus employees at Hendrick Motorsports. When they all want to go out and win races, you put guys like [Johnson] behind the seat, you're going to see magic happen."
Stewart-Haas Racing's Ryan Newman wound up fifth in the race, followed by Greg Biffle. Regan Smith, Danica Patrick, Michael McDowell and J. J. Yeley rounded out the top-10 finishers. There were a total of 28 lead changes among 14 drivers, with 24 cars ending the race on the lead lap.
For Patrick, it was a record-setting day, starting from the pole as she became the first woman to lead the Daytona 500. Her end result was also the best for her gender in the Great American Race, the capper to a steady day in which she never strayed that far from the front.
"She's going to make a lot of history all year long," exalted Earnhardt in his presser. "It's going to be a lot of fun to watch her progress. I think she's done her best work in the Cup car myself. I think, for whatever reason, she seems to get a lot more out of that car."
While starting from the pole, Patrick was not able to lead until midway through the race. As the laps wound down, she ran as high as third in the closing stretch and made a nice recovery from adversity, having to charge through the pack after struggling to get off pit road, losing two to three spots, at least on virtually every stop during the 500.
"Today," Patrick added. "Being able to stay up front, get to the lead at one point, just run up in the top 10, for me that was more of an accomplishment."
The race ran with six caution flags, for 24 laps and posted an average speed of 159.250 miles an hour. The series now moves to Phoenix, next Sunday for the second race of the season.
NATIONWIDE SERIES FAN INJURY UPDATE: At press time, according to Halifax hospital only five of their original 13 patients, across two locations remain for treatment. The other eight, along with one from Florida Memorial Hospital in Daytona Beach have been treated and released.
The names of those still listed as patients have not been released, along with their conditions but the hospital did confirm each one was stable.
Tom Bowles is the Managing Editor at Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
Underdog Central At Daytona: Three Time's The Charm
by Phil Allaway
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or under-reported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: Regan Smith for Phoenix Racing. Started 40th, finished seventh.
For Regan Smith, Sunday was essentially redemption for him. Smith was within a half-mile of winning Saturday's Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 before all heck broke loose. Smith walked away from the crash, but finished a disappointing 14th after his block was the focal point to cause the horrific wreck that injured 28. To add insult to injury, Smith started in the rear of the field, with a backup car after getting wrapped up in a crash during the first Budweiser Duel on Wednesday. But the former full-time Sprint Cup veteran made the most of his opportunity, paired with a team that typically excels at the 500. He raced up the order, kept himself out of trouble and gave Phoenix Racing a great finish.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing. Started 38th, finished ninth
McDowell avoided trouble on Sunday and picked up his best-ever Sprint Cup result, in his 115th career start. It's also the best-ever run for PRISM Motorsports/Phil Parsons Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. Of course, the ending was not without a close call. McDowell was right behind Jeff Burton when Burton's Caterpillar Chevrolet suddenly turned into the outside wall entering the tri-oval. (At press time, we were unable to determine whether McDowell was the direct cause of the crash).
Afterwards, the driver was understandably overjoyed with his run.
"I'm very thankful and very blessed," McDowell said to FOX Sports' Krista Voda after the race. "To be able to walk away from Daytona with a top-10 finish is unbelievable, especially for a small team like Phil Parsons Racing. We've got Positively Encouraging K-Love [Radio] on the side of the car, along with Mike Curb and Curb Records, Curb-Agajanian. With just a few partners, we were able to do a lot. Gene Nead and the guys back at the shop, they worked a lot of 24-hour days to get this car ready, and to come out of here with a top-10 is awesome."
Underdog Selection No. 3: J.J. Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Started 41st, finished tenth
When Tommy Baldwin Racing announced that they had re-signed Golden Corral to sponsor the team in the four restrictor plate races, but chose to separate them from regular Dave Blaney, many critics were a little confused. However, J.J. Yeley allowed those who doubted him to eat some humble pie on Sunday. Yeley was able to keep himself out of trouble during the day and use the draft to earn his first top-10 finish since the rain-shortened 2008 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Back then, Yeley was driving for Hall of Fame Racing and was in the middle of a terrible season, having failed to qualify for multiple races. Last year was no different, the journeyman driver suffering through 11 DNQs before Tommy Baldwin Racing offered him this opportunity that paid off.
Afterwards, Yeley took to Twitter to show his happiness.
"I'm a little disappointed that I lost a spot coming to the checkers, but I was going for it. I thought I had a shot at 6th or 7th," Yeley tweeted. "I am still very happy to get a top 10 and now Kids eat free tomorrow!!!! Thank you Golden Corral."
According to Tommy Baldwin Racing's Facebook page, two kids can eat for free with each full price paid adult meal today.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Letter of the Race: Sunday's Daytona 500 was brought to you by the Letter S, for single file. It was very difficult for drivers to pass due to the fact that you needed a fair amount of help in order to complete any move. As a result, drivers chose to stand pat than attempt a move and drop like a stone. Unforunately, those circumstances led many to dismiss the race as being boring. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Daytona Stories
Toyota Racing Suffers Mechanical Issues in Daytona 500
Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch may be new teammates, but their first official points race together was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Both drivers fell short of a shot at winning the 2013 Daytona 500 because of mechanical failures. Pre-race favorite Kenseth, who led a race-high 86 laps, completed 149 of the 200 scheduled circuits before succumbing to the issues under the hood.
"I'm not sure if it's an engine or a transmission," said Kenseth in the garage area. "Disappointing end to a great day. I really want to thank Joe Gibbs, Toyota, Dollar General and Home Depot for all them guys getting together and putting this deal together for me. We were obviously one of the cars to beat today and I think we're going to be a force all year. We have a lot to look forward to."
Kenseth would wind up 37th in the final running order. That handed the lead to teammate Busch, who quickly assured his crew the car was fine -- but not for long. He headed to the garage area on lap 151, muttering a series of expletives over the radio along with it. The mechanical gremlins that hit the No. 18 car, fairly reminiscent of 2012 - a point the driver made, in unflattering terms to anyone who would listen - left him 34th.
"Just broke an engine for some reason," said Busch. "Just unfortunate that this whole team has got to go through this stuff. We got bottled up back in traffic a little bit there. I hate it that I wrecked the 5 (Kasey Kahne) and the rest of those guys that were racing around us. But, unfortunate for us we broke pieces."
Busch's tough break was made worse by the recovery from that wreck, and a jack problem during a green-flag stop that at one time had left him outside the lead draft and half-a-lap behind.
Richard Childress Racing's Day Ends in Defeat -- Along With Two Favorites
Toyota Racing wasn't the only team wishing they could call for a re-do for the Daytona 500. For the first time since the 2008 Daytona 500, Richard Childress failed to have one car inside the top 10 at the checkered flag. Paul Menard was caught up in a last-lap crash and wound up 21st, while veteran Jeff Burton's late wreck left him 30th.
Childress's grandson, Austin Dillon, finished 31st after being involved in a multi-car incident involving Trevor Bayne and Brad Keselowski. Finally, lame duck and Daytona 500 favorite Kevin Harvick was caught up in an early season crash involving Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, and others. These were just a handful of preseason favorites involved in wrecks early on in the Daytona 500.
"I let off a little bit to miss the wreck," said Harvick. "It looked like the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) hooked the No. 5 (Kasey Kahne) and that kind of just started a chain reaction. I don't know who was behind me, but just one of those deals."
Quotes to Remember: Daytona 500
"We basically just had a body issue. The nose caved in, the hood caved in a little bit, but the guys did an awesome job with the Quicken Loans Chevrolet to get it fixed. You are right, we did a lot of pit stops and I kind of lost track of what was going on. I had to worry more about my position than watching the race and educating myself. First of all, congratulations to Jimmie (Johnson) those guys did an awesome job, put themselves in position and a good way to start the season for us with our Quicken Loans No. 39 team." Ryan Newman, finished fifth
"I spent most of the day running half-throttle in the line. So I spent a lot of time thinking about what you're going to do when that opportunity comes. And it's just tough to tell. I kept asking up above what it looked like and what was working. You needed a hole. You needed people to help you out. I had a little bit of help here today here and there. But I felt like if I were to dive low, I had a feeling I was going to get freight-trained. It was tough to tell. Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) did a good job of backing it up because it did look like we were getting away and it felt like it too because we were flat. We were not lifting those laps. And when you're second and third and so on, you do. And so we weren't. So I thought we were just pulling away a little bit. At the end of the day, it was a solid day for the GoDaddy car and the GoDaddy crew. They did a nice job in the pits and we stayed basically in the top 10 all day long. So I can't really complain about that. It was nice. It was calm most of the time but it was fun when it got a little exciting." Danica Patrick, finished eighth
"It's tough, really tough race. I love the start that we got and we were up front there and in great shape. We lost track position and it didn't seem like we were ever going to get it back. Then, we finally did and those last two restarts just didn't go very well." Jeff Gordon, finished 20th
"I'm not really happy right now. We had a CAT Chevrolet that was pretty good today. We lost track position because we had that tire cut. We were going around one of those cars and he just hung a right on me on the straightaway, just hung a right. I had to turn right to keep from hitting him and the thing hung a right, head-on into the wall. It's pathetic to race like that. You've got to be smarter than that. I understand it is plate racing, you've got to try to block, but you can't block somebody that is coming 20 mile an hour faster than you are. It's just completely uncalled for. … That thing hit really hard. I haven't hit that hard in a long time. Broke the block in the car. It hit really hard. Like I said, you have wrecks on plate races that are going to happen, but that is the kind of wreck that shouldn't have happened." Jeff Burton, finished 30th (Crashed out after 176 laps)
"The car is actually less stable in a big pack than what we've had. We had to keep ourselves separated a little bit more for good measure until it came down to the end and then nobody cared. Wrecking was okay. You had to give each other a little more room — that's due to the little spoiler. When we get in these things next week, they are going to be stuck like glue and we're going to be breaking track records. Kudos to the Gen-6." Mark Martin, finished third
"It was a great day. We got up front and we were able to use some strategy and get up in the top-5 and top-10. I know when we led that lap I heard a big cheer and I think it came all the way from Newtown, Connecticut. That was special for me to give those folks something to smile about. I hope running up front today made them happy. I have to thank everyone for letting me do this. It's been a fun couple of weeks for me down here. You don't get to do stuff like this forever so I don't take it for granted. I'm thankful." Michael Waltrip, finished 22nd after losing a cylinder late in the race
"We had a shot at it. We were in the hunt and that's all any driver can ask for. We were in position there. I am not sure what else we could have done. Up until then, everything was perfect. Toyota has been a great partner to us so I am sure they will look at our car as well as the (Joe) Gibbs (Racing) cars who had trouble too, and get us all back up and running for next week. It was a lot of fun out there driving this new NAPA Toyota. NASCAR's Gen-6 is raising the bar for us, so hopefully Phoenix will be our race. Time to go racing." Martin Truex Jr., finished 24th
"It seemed like the high lane was where all the speed was. I kept trying everything I could to make a pass on the lower lanes but it wasn't going to work. I could tell you that I didn't want to run single file but when you try to make a move and go to the bottom you just go backwards. The only thing worse than running single file is running single file in the back of the pack." Brad Keselowski, finished fourth.
"Our car was a good drafting car and the only thing I could do is stay in line. I was gonna make my move in the middle of three and four. Off of four, I was gonna back up to Danica. I knew Junior was backing up and then they said Junior is coming on the bottom, but I knew he was by himself. I'm thinking, 'There's no way he's gonna have enough momentum to get by us lined up on the top in the second groove.' Plus, he was coming so fast I don't think I could have blocked him. We would have had a wreck like yesterday. I would have never thought the bottom lane would have gotten a run like that at the end. That's what's so frustrating. I figured the 48 would side draft the 88 and then I'd have a chance to pass them both. That's what I was thinking was going to happen. That was my plan. I had it figured out, but my plan didn't quite come together." Greg Biffle, finished sixth
"The cars in front of us slowed up so I was just slowing up right on Jeff (Gordon's) bumper there. I got hit from behind. Kyle (Busch) was probably getting pushed and it all happened so quick. But we had a fast Farmers Insurance Chevy SS and just got hit. I shot to the infield and when I hit the grass it blew the front end up pretty good. So that's when we got injured the most, car-wise." Kasey Kahne, on his involvement in the race's first wreck (finished 36th)
"The hell with the season, I wanted to win the Daytona 500. We had a car that we could pass with today. We were passing cars by our self so. Happy with our car, was just waiting for it to all get sorted out again. I don't know what started it, but we just got caught up in another wreck." Tony Stewart, on seeing his Daytona 500 streak increase to 0 for 15 (he finished 41st)
"This kind of racing was pretty boring from the driver's seat. I kept trying to pull down to the bottom to try to make something happen, but anytime I pulled out of line I got freight-trained. I just had to stay up top and hang out and wait until the end. I thought we were cruising and then all of a sudden I don't know what happened in front of us, but the 2 was about stopped and I slowed down a lot and then whoever was behind me, I think it was the 35, wasn't able to get it slowed down. Then somebody hit him and it was a domino effect. The next thing I knew we were turned looking at the infield." Trevor Bayne, finished 27th after being involved in a crash
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Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Daytona 500
by Matt McLaughlin
Pace Laps: Toyota's Dominance Turned Disaster, Gauging Larson's Psyche And Solid Starts
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Daytona 500
by Amy Henderson
New Beginnings: Why This Weekend Might Change This Dramatically For NASCAR
by Summer Bedgood
NASCAR's Gen-6 Stumbles Out Of The Gate At Daytona: Can It Be Fixed?
by Mike Neff
-- Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
February 25th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XXII
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Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
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What to Watch: Monday
- For Jimmie Johnson, Monday is the start of a very long week of events to celebrate his Daytona 500 victory. His No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, despite the damage it suffered during Johnson's post-race celebration, will be put on display early this morning during the champion's breakfast at Daytona. Johnson will then fly to New York City for talk show appearances.
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Johnson Takes Advantage of Lane Choice to Win Second Daytona 500
by Tom Bowles
The list of drivers who've won in their 400th career start, including Sunday reads like a Who's Who of Who's Mattered within this sport. Four of them are Hall of Famers: Richard Petty, Lee Petty, David Pearson, and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. paired with the sport's most successful independent, Dave Marcis. It's a number that, however random has been connected to the very best.
No wonder why it seemed only natural the sport's five-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, would get added next, using the sport's Super Bowl to do it.
That was far from a sure thing for most of the 55th annual Great American Race, where Johnson was invisible for the first 400 miles. But in the last ten laps, he surged to the front, flying past Brad Keselowski and winning fairly comfortably, in restrictor plate terms to take his second Harley J. Earl trophy. While Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made a charge on the backstretch, pushing valiantly into second into Turn 3 he would come up short as Johnson came to the line about 0.129 seconds ahead – a little more than a car length out front.
That meant a 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports, the third time in Daytona history that's happened since 1989. But it was done in the most unconventional of ways, with Earnhardt never getting out front and Johnson pacing the field consistently until Lap 186.
"I felt like I was sitting on something all day," he said afterwards, smiling. "And was just ready to have some fun when it counted."
It also caught the rest of the field off guard. The turning point for Johnson came on Lap 178, after a caution for Jeff Burton's one-car incident bunched up the field. That handed the lead to an unlikely source, a wounded Brad Keselowski, who took the caution at the start/finish line in front despite still coming up to speed on pit road after jumping off-sequence during green-flag stops. The ensuing restart led to the best racing of the day, the No. 2 car trying to hold the outside while Johnson darted to the inside and led a spirited challenge. All race, up to that point the lower groove had fallen short, making the race a battle of track position but Keselowski's aero woes, after being involved in two wrecks let the No. 48 edge in front as the race's sixth and final caution came out for debris.
"That gave him the high line on the restart," said Keselowski, who still held on to fourth. "And there was nothing we could do. We weren't strong enough to hold our own there."
Without his former title rival to contend with, Johnson was on cruise control, reversing a recent trend of superspeedway disasters that connected all the way back to his initial 500 win in 2006. Last season, he wrecked or blew a motor at every plate race, producing just one top-5 finish in his last 13 Daytona starts before Sunday.
"It's like playing the lottery," he said about this style of racing. "Everybody's got a ticket. I've struck out a lot at these tracks, left with torn-up race cars. Today we had a clean day."
Earnhardt, whose last-lap charge fell short, now has his third runner-up finish in the last four years at Daytona. He, along with third-place Mark Martin put together a perfect run on the inside line but, as would be the theme of too much of this 500 they stalled out before getting up to the leader's rear bumper on the inside.
"We kind of run out of steam," Earnhardt said. "Once we come to turn four… but real happy with the way the car run all day. You couldn't pass."
Neither could anybody else. Single-file racing, indeed was the name of the game as just 19 lead changes, mostly during green-flag stops occurred during the race's first 172 laps. A long, snarling parade of cars was derived from a combination of factors, from drivers unwilling to get aggressive, fearing another wreck after Saturday's Nationwide tragedy to a simple drafting disaster with NASCAR's new Gen-6.
"I didn't want to run single file," Keselowski said, "But when you try to make a move and go to the bottom, you just go backwards. The only thing worse than running single file is running single file in the back of the pack."
"When we're running single file, we're just trying to get to the finish," added Johnson. "We've all crashed so many times and have torn up so much stuff that a lot of that falls on the driver's shoulders."
The result was a fairly conservative 500, marred by just two multi-car incidents along with one on the final lap, involving Travis Kvapil, Marcos Ambrose and several others. Unfortunately, the two crashes that did occur involved several favorites, eliminating Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne before the 100-mile mark. Others, like Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth had motors go south, opening the door for Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus for their offseason effort to pay off.
"I'm telling you, I know we worked at least 35 days straight on the car that we raced in the Daytona 500," said the crew chief, who was suspended for Johnson's other win in this race, in 2006. "I know I put in personally one day of 38 hours straight. I actually sent Jimmie a text, saying I've seen 6:48 three times today and haven't been to bed yet."
"We've got 500-plus employees at Hendrick Motorsports. When they all want to go out and win races, you put guys like [Johnson] behind the seat, you're going to see magic happen."
Stewart-Haas Racing's Ryan Newman wound up fifth in the race, followed by Greg Biffle. Regan Smith, Danica Patrick, Michael McDowell and J. J. Yeley rounded out the top-10 finishers. There were a total of 28 lead changes among 14 drivers, with 24 cars ending the race on the lead lap.
For Patrick, it was a record-setting day, starting from the pole as she became the first woman to lead the Daytona 500. Her end result was also the best for her gender in the Great American Race, the capper to a steady day in which she never strayed that far from the front.
"She's going to make a lot of history all year long," exalted Earnhardt in his presser. "It's going to be a lot of fun to watch her progress. I think she's done her best work in the Cup car myself. I think, for whatever reason, she seems to get a lot more out of that car."
While starting from the pole, Patrick was not able to lead until midway through the race. As the laps wound down, she ran as high as third in the closing stretch and made a nice recovery from adversity, having to charge through the pack after struggling to get off pit road, losing two to three spots, at least on virtually every stop during the 500.
"Today," Patrick added. "Being able to stay up front, get to the lead at one point, just run up in the top 10, for me that was more of an accomplishment."
The race ran with six caution flags, for 24 laps and posted an average speed of 159.250 miles an hour. The series now moves to Phoenix, next Sunday for the second race of the season.
NATIONWIDE SERIES FAN INJURY UPDATE: At press time, according to Halifax hospital only five of their original 13 patients, across two locations remain for treatment. The other eight, along with one from Florida Memorial Hospital in Daytona Beach have been treated and released.
The names of those still listed as patients have not been released, along with their conditions but the hospital did confirm each one was stable.
Tom Bowles is the Managing Editor at Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
Underdog Central At Daytona: Three Time's The Charm
by Phil Allaway
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or under-reported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: Regan Smith for Phoenix Racing. Started 40th, finished seventh.
For Regan Smith, Sunday was essentially redemption for him. Smith was within a half-mile of winning Saturday's Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 before all heck broke loose. Smith walked away from the crash, but finished a disappointing 14th after his block was the focal point to cause the horrific wreck that injured 28. To add insult to injury, Smith started in the rear of the field, with a backup car after getting wrapped up in a crash during the first Budweiser Duel on Wednesday. But the former full-time Sprint Cup veteran made the most of his opportunity, paired with a team that typically excels at the 500. He raced up the order, kept himself out of trouble and gave Phoenix Racing a great finish.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Michael McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing. Started 38th, finished ninth
McDowell avoided trouble on Sunday and picked up his best-ever Sprint Cup result, in his 115th career start. It's also the best-ever run for PRISM Motorsports/Phil Parsons Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. Of course, the ending was not without a close call. McDowell was right behind Jeff Burton when Burton's Caterpillar Chevrolet suddenly turned into the outside wall entering the tri-oval. (At press time, we were unable to determine whether McDowell was the direct cause of the crash).
Afterwards, the driver was understandably overjoyed with his run.
"I'm very thankful and very blessed," McDowell said to FOX Sports' Krista Voda after the race. "To be able to walk away from Daytona with a top-10 finish is unbelievable, especially for a small team like Phil Parsons Racing. We've got Positively Encouraging K-Love [Radio] on the side of the car, along with Mike Curb and Curb Records, Curb-Agajanian. With just a few partners, we were able to do a lot. Gene Nead and the guys back at the shop, they worked a lot of 24-hour days to get this car ready, and to come out of here with a top-10 is awesome."
Underdog Selection No. 3: J.J. Yeley for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Started 41st, finished tenth
When Tommy Baldwin Racing announced that they had re-signed Golden Corral to sponsor the team in the four restrictor plate races, but chose to separate them from regular Dave Blaney, many critics were a little confused. However, J.J. Yeley allowed those who doubted him to eat some humble pie on Sunday. Yeley was able to keep himself out of trouble during the day and use the draft to earn his first top-10 finish since the rain-shortened 2008 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Back then, Yeley was driving for Hall of Fame Racing and was in the middle of a terrible season, having failed to qualify for multiple races. Last year was no different, the journeyman driver suffering through 11 DNQs before Tommy Baldwin Racing offered him this opportunity that paid off.
Afterwards, Yeley took to Twitter to show his happiness.
"I'm a little disappointed that I lost a spot coming to the checkers, but I was going for it. I thought I had a shot at 6th or 7th," Yeley tweeted. "I am still very happy to get a top 10 and now Kids eat free tomorrow!!!! Thank you Golden Corral."
According to Tommy Baldwin Racing's Facebook page, two kids can eat for free with each full price paid adult meal today.
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Letter of the Race: Sunday's Daytona 500 was brought to you by the Letter S, for single file. It was very difficult for drivers to pass due to the fact that you needed a fair amount of help in order to complete any move. As a result, drivers chose to stand pat than attempt a move and drop like a stone. Unforunately, those circumstances led many to dismiss the race as being boring. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Daytona Stories
Toyota Racing Suffers Mechanical Issues in Daytona 500
Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch may be new teammates, but their first official points race together was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Both drivers fell short of a shot at winning the 2013 Daytona 500 because of mechanical failures. Pre-race favorite Kenseth, who led a race-high 86 laps, completed 149 of the 200 scheduled circuits before succumbing to the issues under the hood.
"I'm not sure if it's an engine or a transmission," said Kenseth in the garage area. "Disappointing end to a great day. I really want to thank Joe Gibbs, Toyota, Dollar General and Home Depot for all them guys getting together and putting this deal together for me. We were obviously one of the cars to beat today and I think we're going to be a force all year. We have a lot to look forward to."
Kenseth would wind up 37th in the final running order. That handed the lead to teammate Busch, who quickly assured his crew the car was fine -- but not for long. He headed to the garage area on lap 151, muttering a series of expletives over the radio along with it. The mechanical gremlins that hit the No. 18 car, fairly reminiscent of 2012 - a point the driver made, in unflattering terms to anyone who would listen - left him 34th.
"Just broke an engine for some reason," said Busch. "Just unfortunate that this whole team has got to go through this stuff. We got bottled up back in traffic a little bit there. I hate it that I wrecked the 5 (Kasey Kahne) and the rest of those guys that were racing around us. But, unfortunate for us we broke pieces."
Busch's tough break was made worse by the recovery from that wreck, and a jack problem during a green-flag stop that at one time had left him outside the lead draft and half-a-lap behind.
Richard Childress Racing's Day Ends in Defeat -- Along With Two Favorites
Toyota Racing wasn't the only team wishing they could call for a re-do for the Daytona 500. For the first time since the 2008 Daytona 500, Richard Childress failed to have one car inside the top 10 at the checkered flag. Paul Menard was caught up in a last-lap crash and wound up 21st, while veteran Jeff Burton's late wreck left him 30th.
Childress's grandson, Austin Dillon, finished 31st after being involved in a multi-car incident involving Trevor Bayne and Brad Keselowski. Finally, lame duck and Daytona 500 favorite Kevin Harvick was caught up in an early season crash involving Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, and others. These were just a handful of preseason favorites involved in wrecks early on in the Daytona 500.
"I let off a little bit to miss the wreck," said Harvick. "It looked like the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) hooked the No. 5 (Kasey Kahne) and that kind of just started a chain reaction. I don't know who was behind me, but just one of those deals."
Quotes to Remember: Daytona 500
"We basically just had a body issue. The nose caved in, the hood caved in a little bit, but the guys did an awesome job with the Quicken Loans Chevrolet to get it fixed. You are right, we did a lot of pit stops and I kind of lost track of what was going on. I had to worry more about my position than watching the race and educating myself. First of all, congratulations to Jimmie (Johnson) those guys did an awesome job, put themselves in position and a good way to start the season for us with our Quicken Loans No. 39 team." Ryan Newman, finished fifth
"I spent most of the day running half-throttle in the line. So I spent a lot of time thinking about what you're going to do when that opportunity comes. And it's just tough to tell. I kept asking up above what it looked like and what was working. You needed a hole. You needed people to help you out. I had a little bit of help here today here and there. But I felt like if I were to dive low, I had a feeling I was going to get freight-trained. It was tough to tell. Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) did a good job of backing it up because it did look like we were getting away and it felt like it too because we were flat. We were not lifting those laps. And when you're second and third and so on, you do. And so we weren't. So I thought we were just pulling away a little bit. At the end of the day, it was a solid day for the GoDaddy car and the GoDaddy crew. They did a nice job in the pits and we stayed basically in the top 10 all day long. So I can't really complain about that. It was nice. It was calm most of the time but it was fun when it got a little exciting." Danica Patrick, finished eighth
"It's tough, really tough race. I love the start that we got and we were up front there and in great shape. We lost track position and it didn't seem like we were ever going to get it back. Then, we finally did and those last two restarts just didn't go very well." Jeff Gordon, finished 20th
"I'm not really happy right now. We had a CAT Chevrolet that was pretty good today. We lost track position because we had that tire cut. We were going around one of those cars and he just hung a right on me on the straightaway, just hung a right. I had to turn right to keep from hitting him and the thing hung a right, head-on into the wall. It's pathetic to race like that. You've got to be smarter than that. I understand it is plate racing, you've got to try to block, but you can't block somebody that is coming 20 mile an hour faster than you are. It's just completely uncalled for. … That thing hit really hard. I haven't hit that hard in a long time. Broke the block in the car. It hit really hard. Like I said, you have wrecks on plate races that are going to happen, but that is the kind of wreck that shouldn't have happened." Jeff Burton, finished 30th (Crashed out after 176 laps)
"The car is actually less stable in a big pack than what we've had. We had to keep ourselves separated a little bit more for good measure until it came down to the end and then nobody cared. Wrecking was okay. You had to give each other a little more room — that's due to the little spoiler. When we get in these things next week, they are going to be stuck like glue and we're going to be breaking track records. Kudos to the Gen-6." Mark Martin, finished third
"It was a great day. We got up front and we were able to use some strategy and get up in the top-5 and top-10. I know when we led that lap I heard a big cheer and I think it came all the way from Newtown, Connecticut. That was special for me to give those folks something to smile about. I hope running up front today made them happy. I have to thank everyone for letting me do this. It's been a fun couple of weeks for me down here. You don't get to do stuff like this forever so I don't take it for granted. I'm thankful." Michael Waltrip, finished 22nd after losing a cylinder late in the race
"We had a shot at it. We were in the hunt and that's all any driver can ask for. We were in position there. I am not sure what else we could have done. Up until then, everything was perfect. Toyota has been a great partner to us so I am sure they will look at our car as well as the (Joe) Gibbs (Racing) cars who had trouble too, and get us all back up and running for next week. It was a lot of fun out there driving this new NAPA Toyota. NASCAR's Gen-6 is raising the bar for us, so hopefully Phoenix will be our race. Time to go racing." Martin Truex Jr., finished 24th
"It seemed like the high lane was where all the speed was. I kept trying everything I could to make a pass on the lower lanes but it wasn't going to work. I could tell you that I didn't want to run single file but when you try to make a move and go to the bottom you just go backwards. The only thing worse than running single file is running single file in the back of the pack." Brad Keselowski, finished fourth.
"Our car was a good drafting car and the only thing I could do is stay in line. I was gonna make my move in the middle of three and four. Off of four, I was gonna back up to Danica. I knew Junior was backing up and then they said Junior is coming on the bottom, but I knew he was by himself. I'm thinking, 'There's no way he's gonna have enough momentum to get by us lined up on the top in the second groove.' Plus, he was coming so fast I don't think I could have blocked him. We would have had a wreck like yesterday. I would have never thought the bottom lane would have gotten a run like that at the end. That's what's so frustrating. I figured the 48 would side draft the 88 and then I'd have a chance to pass them both. That's what I was thinking was going to happen. That was my plan. I had it figured out, but my plan didn't quite come together." Greg Biffle, finished sixth
"The cars in front of us slowed up so I was just slowing up right on Jeff (Gordon's) bumper there. I got hit from behind. Kyle (Busch) was probably getting pushed and it all happened so quick. But we had a fast Farmers Insurance Chevy SS and just got hit. I shot to the infield and when I hit the grass it blew the front end up pretty good. So that's when we got injured the most, car-wise." Kasey Kahne, on his involvement in the race's first wreck (finished 36th)
"The hell with the season, I wanted to win the Daytona 500. We had a car that we could pass with today. We were passing cars by our self so. Happy with our car, was just waiting for it to all get sorted out again. I don't know what started it, but we just got caught up in another wreck." Tony Stewart, on seeing his Daytona 500 streak increase to 0 for 15 (he finished 41st)
"This kind of racing was pretty boring from the driver's seat. I kept trying to pull down to the bottom to try to make something happen, but anytime I pulled out of line I got freight-trained. I just had to stay up top and hang out and wait until the end. I thought we were cruising and then all of a sudden I don't know what happened in front of us, but the 2 was about stopped and I slowed down a lot and then whoever was behind me, I think it was the 35, wasn't able to get it slowed down. Then somebody hit him and it was a domino effect. The next thing I knew we were turned looking at the infield." Trevor Bayne, finished 27th after being involved in a crash
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Daytona 500
by Matt McLaughlin
Pace Laps: Toyota's Dominance Turned Disaster, Gauging Larson's Psyche And Solid Starts
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Daytona 500
by Amy Henderson
New Beginnings: Why This Weekend Might Change This Dramatically For NASCAR
by Summer Bedgood
NASCAR's Gen-6 Stumbles Out Of The Gate At Daytona: Can It Be Fixed?
by Mike Neff
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In February 1995, Phoenix International Raceway hosted the first-ever points race for the Truck Series, an 80-lap race run as part of the Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic. However, there was an early multi-truck crash in Turn 4. What happened here?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: As you may remember, Davey Allison had an unusual crash early on in the 1989 Daytona 500 where he spun into the earthen bank separating the track from Lake Lloyd and performed one slow roll. During the caution after Allison's crash, another unusual incident occurred. What happened?
A: Ronnie Sanders, driving the No. 19 Chevrolet for Henley Gray, appeared to have some difficulty slowing himself down when he caught the rear of the field under yellow. Sanders nearly sideswiped the No. 9 Coors Ford driven by Jody Ridley (in relief of Bill Elliott, who broke his wrist in the Twin 125s), grazed the wall, then came across the track and spun out Bobby Hillin, Jr. in the middle of the backstretch. Truly a bizarre incident, which can be seen at the 8:50 mark of this clip. Both Hillin and Sanders continued after the crash. Hillin was eventually eliminated in a later wreck with Charlie Baker while Sanders finished 16 laps down in 28th.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Daytona 500 by Garrett Horton
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
With Speedweeks over, we'll take a look at which drivers are in position to do well this weekend, and who's busy licking their wounds heading into the desert.
Speedy Discoveries by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think. This week, Brett reviews Danica's Speedweeks experience and what it might all mean for her future in the sport.
Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
What stat sticks out from Daytona that will be an indication of the 2013 season to come - or the Gen-6 car? Kevin enlightens us with this new, statistics-based column.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In February 1995, Phoenix International Raceway hosted the first-ever points race for the Truck Series, an 80-lap race run as part of the Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic. However, there was an early multi-truck crash in Turn 4. What happened here?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: As you may remember, Davey Allison had an unusual crash early on in the 1989 Daytona 500 where he spun into the earthen bank separating the track from Lake Lloyd and performed one slow roll. During the caution after Allison's crash, another unusual incident occurred. What happened?
A: Ronnie Sanders, driving the No. 19 Chevrolet for Henley Gray, appeared to have some difficulty slowing himself down when he caught the rear of the field under yellow. Sanders nearly sideswiped the No. 9 Coors Ford driven by Jody Ridley (in relief of Bill Elliott, who broke his wrist in the Twin 125s), grazed the wall, then came across the track and spun out Bobby Hillin, Jr. in the middle of the backstretch. Truly a bizarre incident, which can be seen at the 8:50 mark of this clip. Both Hillin and Sanders continued after the crash. Hillin was eventually eliminated in a later wreck with Charlie Baker while Sanders finished 16 laps down in 28th.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Daytona 500 by Garrett Horton
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny takes over the Five Points column on a full-time basis in 2013. His weekly edition of talking points will wrap up the Daytona 500 and get us ready for the Subway Fresh Fit 500k.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series were all in action at Daytona Internaional Speedway for their season openers. Were the telecasts of these events "up to snuff?" Find out in this week's TV Critique.
With Speedweeks over, we'll take a look at which drivers are in position to do well this weekend, and who's busy licking their wounds heading into the desert.
Speedy Discoveries by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think. This week, Brett reviews Danica's Speedweeks experience and what it might all mean for her future in the sport.
Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
What stat sticks out from Daytona that will be an indication of the 2013 season to come - or the Gen-6 car? Kevin enlightens us with this new, statistics-based column.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
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