NASCAR’S DAYTONA 500!!!!!! What a race!!!!!! More than what you could expect…. The new track went for a test that was unexpected and survived.
Matt Kenseth and his Ford under Roush Fenway Racing was able to hold off team mate Greg Biffle, who came in 3rd, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who placed 2nd. The race was to be held on Sunday February 26, 2012 was rained out. Monday on February 27th the race began, but did not finish until this morning. Let’s start….in the 2nd lap Elliot Sadler nudged Jimmie Johnson from behind, turning his Hendrick Motors Chevrolet into the wall and collection several other cars. This put Jimmie out of the race. Hendrick Motors team-mate Jeff Gordon joined Johnson in the garage near the halfway point after his Chevrolet blew an engine. Danica Patrick‘s first Daytona 500 race was caught up in the Johnson spinning car, along with Kurt Busch and Last Year’s defending Daytona 500 winner, Trevor Bayne.
With 40 laps to go, and Dave Blaney leading the way, Juan Pablo Montoya hit a safety truck, containing 200 gallons of jet kerosene, burst into flames and Montoya’s car slid into the grass. He gingerly climbed from it as fire trucks rushed to the scene. The inferno raged on causing a two hour delay when NASCAR red flagged the race on the 160th lap of the 200 laps. Thank goodness he was ok. During the 2 hour delay the track was being worked on. Putting out the fire and repairing the surface of the third turn at the Daytona International Speedway. The crew really did one heck of a job. What kind of asphalt did they use on that track? During the delay Brad Keselowski was with his cell phone and tweeting the Juan Pablo Montoya crash. He will not be disciplined for he did not put any driver in harms way. The drivers were having some fun with his cell phone tweeting.
With another exciting Daytona 500 Race completed it looks like this season is going to be exciting to watch.
The Budweiser Shoot out on Saturday 2/18/2012 at Daytona Beach Florida. The fans did get what they came for. Excitement all around. Cars bunched up and the speed was there. When the bunching occurred there were accidents. One major one with Jeff Gordon flipping over and over. At the end thank God, he was alright. The safety features are working properly. With Nascar’s safety features there was any injuries. Jeff Gordon’s # 24 Chevrolet was hauled off the track by the hook of the tow truck. With all the hard racing that was incurred, the drivers seemed to like it better than last year. Stating that you choose your own fate in this kind of driving. Wild and Crazy were the words out of the drivers mouths. Exciting to the true form.
Jeff Gordon flipping over and over. Jimmie Johnson’s car in view. And the winner was determined by the drivers Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch going wheel to wheel and the out come was:::::::::Kyle Busch. Congratulations on the win.
Things are changing in the Nascar Racing teams. But one thing has stated intact. That would be that Dale Earnhart Jr. still claims the most Popular Drive for the 9th year. Keselowski is the center of the stage for Penske Racing due to Kurt Busch parting immediately from Penske’s team. David Ragan put in option to leave Rousch’s Racing team to join Penske’s Racing team to drive the #22 car. UPS pulled out of sponsorship. Denny Hamlin and his crew chief, Mike Ford depart company. Mark Martin going to Michael Waltrip Racing. Who released David Reutimann as driver of #00.
I believe more will be coming. Will keep you posted.
Kevin Harvick to take Martinsville Goodys Fast Relief 500 for second race in a row. Martinsville is the 2nd short racetrack of the season. In this race there were a few surprises. Push Grip Turn saw a few race changes in techinque. This Nascar Sprint Cup race started out with Jamie McMurray as pole setter.
Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin took over from Jamie McMurray in the 32nd lap. Had lap changes had a few cars go into the wall. The Nascar worst crash in this race was in lap 220 Martin Truex, Jr. and Kasey Kahne got together. It looked like Martin Truex, Jr.’s car lost it’s brakes and he couldn’t slow down to avoid Kasey Kahne. Martin’s car was like an accordion. Kasey Kahne’s car was on fire, when Martin Truex, Jr. was able to get out of his car, he ran to check on Kahne. Both drivers are alright, good job on Martin’s part for checking on Kasey. When things like that happen you always feel better that they care enough to check on each other, team mate or not.
With 33 laps to go caution was out and who got the speeding ticket for entering too fast on pit road…The number 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet car Jimmie Johnson.
Saw a fight for the finish with 21 laps to go. Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kevin Harvick. Dale took the lead with his Chevrolet representing the National Gaurd, from Kyle Busch following in his #18 Toyota representing Pedigree Dog Food. With 5 laps to go Kevin Harvick came up to Challenge Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead and Kevin did over take him. At the end for the results were: Kevin Harvick in the #29 Budwieser Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the #88 National Guard Chevrolet , Kyle Busch in the #18 Pedigree Toyota, Juan Montoya in the #42 Taco Bell Chevrolet and in 5th place Jeff Gordon in the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet.
3-9-2011 In Report from Sporting News by Jim Gilstrap:
NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his two pilots were involved in a minor incident Wednesday morning while landing at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., but no one on board the aircraft was injured.
Roush Fenway Racing said a mechanical failure during the landing caused the airplane that Greg Biffle was riding in to skid to a stop on the runway.
“My pilots are purely heroes for maintaining control of the aircraft keeping on the runway, if not it wouldnt have been the same outcome,” Biffle posted on his Twitter feed.
Biffle, who has 16 career Sprint Cup victories, is off to a slow start in his Ford in 2011, ranking No. 31 in Cup points after three races.
Roush Fenway team owner Jack Roush has been involved in two incidents in which aircraft he piloted crashed — last July in Oshkosh, Wis., and in 2002 in Troy, Ala.
Roush suffered serious injuries in each crash. He said he broke his back and jaw and lost his vision in his left eye in the accident in Wisconsin.
His plane went down in a lake in the crash in Alabama, and he was underwater and unconscious before being rescued by Larry Hicks, a retired marine who lived nearby and saw the crash. Roush was treated for a head injury, broken ribs and a shattered left leg.
During all the interviews that Trevor Bayne did last week after winning the Daytona 500. Jeff Gordon’s name was mentioned throughout all of them. Trevor mentioned that his idol was Jeff Gordon. Was this the inspiration that Jeff needed to end of his NASCAR 66 winless streak? Well Push Grip Turn thinks that is what Jeff needed.
This all came at the Phoenix International Raceway for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 Race. This was his 83rd Career Victory, tying him with Cale Yarborough for fifth all-time. This all happened with two major crashes early in the race. One taking out the Daytona 500 Winner. There were 12 Drivers that held the lead lap of 28 times. Jeff Gordon led 6 times for 138 laps. His last lead was when he past Kyle Busch to prevent him from having his triple treat at Phoenix. He won the Truck and Nationwide Series Races. Jeff Gordon was in his #24 Chevrolet , followed by Kyle Busch in his Toyota, and Jimmie Johnson in his Chevrolet. 4th was Kevin Harvick and 5th with Ryan Newman with Chevrolet’s.
Once again NASCAR re-breaks something that is already broken. Having a Playoff System in NASCAR is like having a primary election during the main election. In great detail the new points system was unveiled and now reduces the points the drivers get, but still locks the top 35 teams into guaranteed starting spots without qualifying. When the ‘Chase’ is assembled with the last 10 races left in the season, the top 10 race teams will go on by points, the last two race teams will be ‘Wild Card’ teams based on most wins. HMMMMMMM What if no one wins a race outside of the top ten ?? CRISIS SITUATION !! Then will we go to the most wins in 2010, 2009,2008??? Or how about the most wins by the crew chief or maybe the fastest pit stops !! Or maybe the most completed laps !! Wouldn’t be lovely to let the racers earn the Championship like they used to before this ‘Chase’ stuff came around. Kevin Harvick got ripped off last year when his 300+ point lead was taken away, then he lost by less than 100. The ‘Chase’ is not necessary, stop trying to make the Championship a World Series , Stanely Cup or Superbowl. Racing is racing !!! Good luck to all the racers this year, may the Point System be with you !!! * Submitted by PUSH GRIP TURN
Push Grip Turn was reading in the Chicago Tribune, as we are digging out of a snow blizzard and below zero temperatures of below zero and wind chill factors to 24 below. I know that we are not the only ones affected by this, the North East Coast has had its share. And what about Dallas with the Super Bowl? They had snow and ice outside the dome. It was the most watched game this past Sunday, with the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t know what team you were wishing to win, but it was a great game. But now, we will soon hear the famous words of “Gentlemen start your engines.”
So, it goes to hearing who wants to over throw Jimmie Johnson, and take away the title reign. As I was reading an article written by George Diaz in the Tribune on his article of Nascar Racing, he was talking about Jeff Gordon.
Jeff Gordon’s motivation for this upcoming NASCAR season is the sound of little children. He has tow Ella who is 3 1/2 and Leo who was born on August 9th last year. As, he was telling press about the little things that Ella says, like why were you wrestling with the other guy (Jeff Burton) in Texas last season. Why were you angry? Its these little questions from a young child that drive you onward.
Gordon need to answer this question pertaining to this NASCAR season “Can he get his mojo back? Jeff Gordon says he knows it has been a long time since he has won. What bothers him is that his team has never won a Sprint Cup, and he has to work hard to get it. He has a new crew chief in Alan Gustafson who replaces Steve Letarte. He thinks that this change may be what will help motive them. “It is not like Jimmie Johnson is unbeatable, they are just really good and it’s going to take a lot to beat them. It’s not about luck.”
Push Grip Turn wants to think that there are other drivers that can stop Jimmie Johnson from winning this year’s Sprint Cup title. We have seen inconsistency among the men trying to catch him, especially in the Chase. There has been a different driver in the last five years to finish second behind Jimmie Johnson winning the championship. There has only been one driver that finished second one year and finished third in one of the other five years. That was Jeff Gordon he placed second in 2007 and third in 2009. We have the other drivers who finished in second place as: Denny Hamlin (2010), Mark Martin (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), and Matt Kenseth (2006).
With a month to go before the season opening Daytona 500, there are 30 cars committed to running the entire Sprint Cup schedule. Cup had 34 cares compete in every race last season.
So, in asking which one of the drivers are going to serve notice to Jimmie Johnson that they want to take the Championship away from him this year?
Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, and maybe the one driver that needs to have a good year Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Push Grip Turn is eager to watch how Daytona 500 starts out. See you at the races.
less streak? Well Push Grip Turn thinks that is what Jeff needed.
