Knaus Penalized for Illegal C-Post

Long before the start of the Daytona 500 Jimmie Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus and the 48 team failed to pass car inspection. An illegal C-Post on the body of the car seemed suspicious to NASCAR and they immediately told the team to change it. They said they would not penalize him before the Daytona 500, but were looking into further punishment after the race.

Over 24 hours after the race, which finished in the early hours of Tuesday, NASCAR announced that crew chief of the 48 Chad Knaus would be suspended for the next 6 Cup races and under prohibition until May along with car chief Ron Malec. It doesn't end there though, Knaus was also fined $100,000 and driver Jimmie Johnson was docked 25 points in the standings. So far the Lowe's #48 team has had a rough start to 2012. He crashed in the first laps of the Daytona 500 after Elliott Sadler turned him into the wall. Johnson finished the 500 with 2 points. With the 25 point deduction it leaves the team at -23 points, not exactly what the 5-time champions hoped for. Although Rick Hendrick said the system broke out and they are going to attempt an appeal process with NASCAR to hopefully eliminate the penalty.

Exactly what was wrong with the car? NASCAR said that Johnson's C pillars connecting the roof to the rear deck lid looked to be illegally modified. NASCAR confiscated the parts and the car's owner Rick Hendrick sent new parts so they could pass 2nd inspection. Even though NASCAR allowed them to replace the parts with new and appropriate pieces they still disciplined the team. This is not the first time Chad Knaus broke NASCAR rules. In 2006 he was suspended from Speedweeks and the following 3 races for modification to the rear window. He was fined $25,000, but Johnson did go on to win the 500 with a substitute crew chief. I guess you could say nothing will stop this 5-time champion team from winning, not matter the circumstances.

Kenseth Wins a Bizarre Daytona 500 (Recap)

Well, if that wasn't a stressful 36 hours I don't know what is. The 54th Great American Race tried numerous times to get the cars on track and wave the green flag on Sunday [February 26]. Pouring rain washed out the track in between track dryings all throughout Sunday afternoon. Drivers and crew members patiently (maybe even nervously) awaited to go racing for the first time in 2012. By 5:30 NASCAR President Mike Helton decided to postpone the race until Monday [February 27] at 12 P.M ET. However, many members and fans knew the forecast looked the same as Sunday's. This is the first time in Daytona 500 history that the race was postponed to a different date.
As 12 P.M got closer on Monday morning the rain was still coming down hard. Once again the race was delayed to 7 P.M. Monday night. First time NASCAR would be aired on Prime Time. A few scattered showers threatened the track, but green flag still arrived on time.

Polesitter Carl Edwards led the field at the start with help of his Roush teammates, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. It didn't take long for the action to start when Jimmie Johnson was turned into the wall on lap 2. Yes, LAP 2! Elliott Sadler seemed to have gotten in the back of Johnson resulting in a hard hit for Mr. 5-time. A large amount of cars were torn apart including David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick, Trevor Bayne and others. That's a lot of money down the drain just on the second lap!
Pack racing is definitely back at the super speedways. There were many close calls as the cars went around 3-wide toward mid-pack. Denny Hamlin was strong all night as well as Greg Biffle. Hamlin led the most laps of the race.
There were a few 1 car incidents throughout the middle of the race. Ryan Newman had a "Kyle Busch" like save when he got loose and spun off the track. He managed to save it, but lost many positions. Many drivers were suffering overheating and water pressure problems.

Then, the unexpected happened. Under caution Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the 42 Target Chevrolet, exited pit road after having vibration problems. While catching up with the pack something in his car broke and he spun smashing into the Jet Dryer on the track. The dryer was blowing off debris when this occurred. There was a massive explosion as Montoya's car plowed through the truck and the dryer leaked over 200 gallons of jet fuel. Montoya was able to walk off from his burning car to the ambulance. The driver of the Jet Dryer immediately escaped the truck and was later taken to a near by hospital for further observation. The race was halted in a red flag as a numerous amount of officials and workers removed the burnt Jet Dryer from the track and began to clean up the mess. Dave Blaney was leading when the red flag was issued and it did not look like they would restart the race, but with the help of all the hard working officials they were able to get the track back to racing condition.

2 hours later the track was cleared and ready for the cars to fire up again. It wasn't until midnight that the green flag waved. Blaney gave up the 1st position to pit along with the rest of the pack. The spot where the fire burnt the track did not affect the cars. The first caution since the red flag was on lap 176 when Marcos Ambrose and Casey Mears were part of a mishap and spun into the infield grass.
A huge multi-car crash was caused by a 3-wide situation. Jamie McMurray had a problem with his car collecting Brad Keselowski, Regan Smith, Carl Edwards, Aric Almirola and others. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all ran up front single file.
Another big wreck on the frontstretch caused when McMurray had problems with his car. He got loose and took out Tony Stewart, Dave Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Landon Cassill, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and others.
Green-White-Checkered came out and it was a dash to the finish. Matt Kenseth leads with teammate Greg Biffle and Dale Jr. creeping ip behind him. Greg Biffle tried to block Jr. and allowed his fellow Roush driver to win his 2nd Daytona 500!
This will be a 500 that goes down in history for many generations to come. From rain to fire we saw it all.

Drive4COPD 300 Recap

James Buescher earns 1st career Nationwide win

Yes, she did it. Danica Patrick sat on the pole for the first time in her Nationwide career. The first women on pole in NASCAR since 1994 (Shawna Robinson) and the first female pole sitter at Daytona. Defending Daytona 500 champ Trevor Bayne shared the second row with her in 2nd. When the green flag dropped Danica was running strong. She led many laps drafting with boss and teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. Trevor Bayne and Elliott Sadler challenged them for the lead. Many lead changes between Tony Stewart, Trevor Bayne, Sam Hornish Jr and Dale Earnhardt Jr. sumed up the first laps of the race.The first caution came out when Jason Bowles' engine blows. We saw a race similar to the Bud Shootout. It looked more like a junkyard than a NASCAR race. Early on in the race polesitter Danica Patrick was hit by teammate Cole Whitt. She lost control and hit the wall leaving her with front nose damage. She returned to the garage not coming back out 28 laps later with a whole new front nose.
She was mad with Cole Whitt and went straight to the hauler. No interview needed! There was a wide variety of drafting partners from Stewart and Logano to Dillon and Earnhardt Jr. We also saw a lot of pack racing and drafting at the same time. Almost every lap had multiple 3-wide situations. They looked like swarm of bees coming down the backstretch.
Brian Scott got into the wall twice, but only 1 caution resulted in that.

Here it comes...the BIG one! At least 20 cars were crushed and beaten on lap 103. Those involved included  Kenny Wallace, Ryan Truex,, Denny Hamlin, Jeremy Clements, Justin Allgaier, Robert Richardson Jr., Michael Annett, T.J. Bell, Reed Sorenson, Johanna Long and others. Bayne is shuffled up the track getting into James Buescher causing a chain reaction. Allgaier was pushed on top of the Reed Sorenson's 52 car.
A red flag was issued as the officals tried to pry a fender from under the SAFER barrier.When all is clear we go back to green, Kurt Busch is leading.
Caution #7 is out after Sam Hornish Jr. is turned around when going 3-wide into Turn 4. Many cars are collected including Michael Annett Jr., Danny Efland, Scott Speed, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Eric McClure, Joe Nemechek, David Ragan and others. Joey Logano makes a great save after being tagged by one of the victims. He continues on with little damage.

Joey Logano and Trevor Bayne teamed up and charged to the front. Catching up with the leader, Kurt and Kyle Busch things get tight. Tony Stewart tries to squeeze through, but Kurt Busch tries to block and gets into the back of Logano and sends all of the leaders into the wall. Stenhouse Jr, Stewart, Bayne, Logano, both Busch brothers and Kasey Kahne. Kyle Busch suffers a hard hit dead on into the wall as well as Nationwide Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Both drivers were able to walk away. James Buecher sneaks by all the wreckage and takes the win under caution. Earning his first Nationwide win Brad Keselowski, Elliott Sadler, Cole Whitt and Austin Dillon round off the Top 5. This just proves anyone can win at Daytona. Rookie John King won last night's Camping World Truck Series race and today Buesher claims his first win. This could very well be a mirror image of tomorrow's race. The Daytona 500 airs at 1 pm EST. on FOX.

Gatorade Duels Recap

Duel #1 --

Duel 1 had it's ups and downs today at Daytona International Speedway. Carl Edwards, Daytona 500 polesitter, led the pack to the green flag. Tony Stewart ended the race on top and grabbed the win. Those looking to drive their way into the Daytona 500 included Michael Waltrip and Michael McDowell. Michael McDowell earned a transfer spot, but Waltrip had last minute trouble. (More on that later)
The first caution came out on Lap 8 when Michael McDowell got into the back of David Gilliland. The result was Paul Menard and Juan Pablo Montoya getting collected and hitting the wall when Gilliland zoomed up the track knocking all 3 of them out. Montoya faced serious damage, the whole front end being torn from the chassis. Brad Keselowski had light damage.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin showed a strong car and led many laps along with Stewart-Haas driver Tony Stewart, who later went on the win the race. The 2nd caution came out on Lap 52 when Michael Waltrip was exiting pit road, swirved on the apron and smashed into the wall. This one mistake crushed his Daytona 500 hopes as he failed to qualify. With the white flag out Stewart leads, but new NASCAR driver Danica Patrick gets pushed out of the pack flying towards the wall. She hits hard tearing the #10 GoDaddy.com car to pieces. During her in-car camera shot it shows her taking her hands off the wheel protecting her wrists from being jerked around. This is something that IndyCar drivers are told to do. (Patrick previously drove in the IndyCar series)
Not exactly the way Danica wanted to start her Cup career, but she tried to stay positive saying, "maybe the back-up car will be faster!"
Stewart grabs the win making it his 17th Daytona win, second most wins of all time. (Dale Earnhardt Sr. holds the record with 34 wins)



Duel #2 --


The second Duel at Daytona was a calmer and much safer race that had little action compared to the 1st duel. Greg Biffle started on the pole. Kenny Wallace, Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek were all trying to race into the 500. There were many lead changes, but surprisingly no cautions. Kenny Wallace tried to hold on, but midway during the race he slided to the back of the field. He had fuel pump and engine problems causing him to go up 3 laps down. A tough break for Wallace. He did not make it into the 500, along with Michael Waltrip, 2 NASCAR icons in the sport today.
5-time champion Jimmie Johnson pushed Matt Kenseth to the win after Kenseth's teammate Greg Biffle tried to block him, having his plan fail. Kenseth gets his first Gatorade Duel win and also Jack Roush's first duel win.

Bayne's Sponsorship Woes

As a defending Daytona 500 champion you would imagine Trevor Bayne to have an exceeding amount of sponsors calling his name. Unfortunately that isn't always the case. In our sport today sponsors are picky and only want the best of the best to drive their logo around the track and not smashed into the wall. It makes sense, the more you win the more TV time your sponsor gets. I can hear Carl Edwards thanking Aflac in victory lane right now. In order for Bayne to reel in sponsorship he will need to win more races and stay consistent. His mysterious illness he had last year left him in the hospital, not at the race track. This hurt his chances of winning the championship and winning over the sponsors. He continued the rest of the season in the plain white Roush car, no sponsorship yet. Even though he won the Daytona 500 it wasn't enough to gain sponsor on the Nationwide side. Quicklane and Motorcraft have stayed loyal, but they are partners with the Wood Brothers, Bayne's Cup team. Bayne drives for Roush Fenway Racing in Nationwide therefore he doesn't have sponsorship on his Nationwide car which is his full time ride and where his points are.

Trevor Bayne is only signed for the first 3 Nationwide races due to the lack of sponsorship. He plans to be leading in points by the end of the 3 races hopefully getting sponsor's attention. In order to do that he will need to win a race or two in order to be leading the points. He won his first Nationwide race at Texas last year impressively holding off teammate Carl Edwards and Penske driver Brad Keselowski. Of course his incredible Daytona 500 Cup win came last year as well. The only way for Bayne to run a full Nationwide schedule and compete for the championship he will need to find sponsors. I think Trevor will be more that capable of leading the points by Las Vegas and will gain sponsor once he gets more well known, as if he already isn't.

Roush Sweep at Daytona

Cars from a wide variety of teams all waited in line to qualify into the Great American Race. The first row (positions 1 and 2) were the goal for tonight concidering the rest of the pack will be determined by the standings of the Gatorade Duel on Thursday. When it came to the end of qualifying Carl Edwards was at the top of the charts. He was one of the first to go out and held pole position until the very end. Edwards' teammate Greg Biffle claimed 2nd for the 500. Making it a Roush Fenway Racing sweep. All of the Roush-Yates Ford engines were fast including, Marcos Ambrose, David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, Casey Mears and Matt Kenseth. 4 of the top-five spots were Ford cars. Obviously Edwards and Biffle were the fastest of the Fords today. The only driver who had a shot at beating Carl's time was his Roush teammate Trevor Bayne, defending Daytona 500 champion. Bayne is driving for the Wood Brothers in Cup, but still drives a Ford. Bayne was 4th fastest in first practice and 2nd fastest in final practice. By the time Bayne went out to qualify the wind was blowing severely compared to when Edwards qualified. Bayne probably could have beat Edwards if the wind had cooroperated. He ended up qualifing 9th. The National Weather Service issued a warning due to the wind.
Bayne was also one of the go or go homers that needed to qualify on speed to even get into the 500. The top 3 were locked into the race; Trevor Bayne, Tony Raines and David Stremme. Many had to pack up the cars in the hauler and drive back to their shops. One of the hardest thing a team has to do.
Everyone else who qualified today (who were not already locked in) will battle it out Thursday in the Gatorade Duels to find out where they will start in the Great American Race.
In the end it was the 2 Roush drivers. Edwards and Biffle, who claimed the front row in the Daytona 500. By what we saw today we know Roush engines are fast and will be a real threat during the 500.

Busch Wins and Pack Racing is Back -- Recap of the Bud Shootout

As the title says, Pack Racing is definately back at Daytona International Speedway. Last night's race proved that NASCAR is slowly eliminating the two-car draft. The Bud Shootout was a car junkyard by the end of it. 3 "big ones" made up the season starter at Daytona. Martin Truex Jr. started on pole. sharing the front row with Kyle Busch.
Kyle, Keselowski, Allmendinger, Ku. Busch, Stewart and Jeff Gordon were all part of a wreck during the first Shootout practice. Many were not able to participate in the final practice and had to get in their back-up cars. Those who did started from the back, including Kyle Busch.
During lap 9 we saw the first big crash involving David Ragan, Mark Martin, Paul Menard, Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya and Michael Waltrip. David Ragan (#34) was pushing Paul Menard (#27) when we got into the left side of Menard's bumper turning him sideways. Ragan had the help of Waltrip (#40) when he smashed into the back of Ragan. They were all collected including Waltrip's teammate Mark Martin (#55). Kenseth and Montoya had some light damage. We saw a trend with the 2-car drafting in practice Friday. Ragan did the same thing to Menard that Tony Stewart did to Kurt Busch during practice. Everyone now knows to not drive the nose of your car into the left side of the pushee's bumper or you will turn them into the wall.
We saw a wide variety of leaders going back and forth. Dale Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray and Joey Logano were among them.
Lap 25 arrived and teams were ready for the 10 minute break. After pit stops were done the cars went back to the track.
During the 2nd half we saw Greg Biffle charge to the front leading a lot of laps. He was also fastest in bothe Daytona 500 practices. Cautions comes out for the second time when Clint Bowyer spins into the infield after getting loose mid-pack.
After the green flag waves again many teams were starting to use the 2-car draft specifically Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi teammates. They showed a strong run to the front before both falling back. They came to the front periodically throughout the race.
Kyle Busch makes an incredible save after he is turned sideways. He manages to got wreck, sparks flying and keeps on going.
The 2nd "big one" happens on lap 54 when another multi-car wreck breaks out. Those involved included Dale Earnhardt Jr, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenserth and some others with lighter damage. Logano was nudged by Marcos Ambrose from behind resulting in Logano being turned into the wall collecting surrounding cars. Logano and Harvick head to the garage. Harvick drives away with a fire starting underneath the car. He did not get out and the fire was starting to grow. He thought the fire would go out as it did when he reached the garage area.
Green flag again and Jeff Gordon leads a substantial amount of laps with teammate Jimmie Johnson not far behind. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin charge to the front and join the single file up front. A close battle between Gordon, Busch and Stewart doesn't end well.
2 laps to go!
Caution flag #5 came out when Jeff Gordon flips and lands on the roof of his car. Emergancy medical staff rush to the car. Others involved included Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray. Jeff Gordon is pulled out of the up-side-down car and walks away from his crushed car. Jr., Johnson, Ku. Busch and McMurray all have significant damage and return to the garage.
A green-white-checkered is out and Busch and Stewart charge to the front.
Final lap came out and Kyle is still pushing Stewart in the lead. They reached Turn 4 when all of a sudden Busch made the move. He drives side by side with Stewart at the finish line and no oe is sure of who won at this point. A photo-finish between Busch and Stewart. Busch wins by 0.13 of a second winning his first Bud Shootout.
This race was a mirror image of what the Daytona 500 will look like. Pack racing is coming back to Daytona and the drivers seem to like it even though there is a likely chance their equipment could be wrecked. It sure makes for an exciting race. Who knows? There could be another Cinderella story finish come Sunday afternoon during the Daytona 500.

High Hopes for Harvick

Kevin Harvick has done it all -- Daytona, Darlington, Charlotte -- there is nothing that can stop him from aggressively competing in America's Fastest Grwoing Sport. Well, almost. The Childress driver has a long, impressive list of achievements, but only one thing is missing. The Sprint Cup title. "The Closer" has been in NASCAR's hightest level for more than 10 years , but has failed to win the Sprint Cup. You know what they say, "When you don't succeed try, try again." Well, Harvick has done that. He has been patient and consistent for a near 6 or 7 years, winning race after race, but has never reached the top in points. Hiis hightest finish in points is 3rd and has finished there in the last 2 years (2010, 2011) Some say the third's a charm and with a "new" crew chief in Shane Wilson (they have worked together in the Busch series a few years ago) they could make this one of his best seasons. He also announced that his wife DeLana is pregnant a few weeks ago and they closed Kevin Harvick Inc. at the end of last season. With a weight lifted and a new bundle of joy to look forward too Harvick could very well have a successful season. Maybe this will be Harvick's year after all.

Championship Repeat? Stenhouse Jr's 2012 Plans

After coming from an incredible turn-around season ending with the Nationwide Championship, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is ready to do it all over again in 2012. The 24-year-old Mississippian has taken great strides to get were he is today. 2010 was a rough season for Stenhouse. He continuously wrecked equipment and could not stay consistent. He was even parked by Jack Roush for a few races. With his job in danger Ricky Stenhouse Jr. knew he needed to step up his game in 2011. Obviously being in the top notch equipment is a privilege.

In 2011 he did exactly that, winning 2 races at Iowa and finishing the season in a head-to-head battle with veteran driver Elliott Sadler. After his championship win he needed to look ahead for 2012. Earning a spot in the No. 6 Ford in the Daytona 500 (his first) will start his season off on a positive note.
Ricky will definitely be a full-time contender in the Nationwide series and could possibly win the championship again. Coming into the season as a champion will boost his confidence to repeat it. Another factor is Carl Edwards. He will not compete in Nationwide this season and won a majority of the 2011 races. For Ricky, and all other Nationwide drivers, Carl's absence will leave more opportunity for winning races. The Cup guys tend to hog all the spotlight in Nationwide. So, with Roush equipment, extreme talent and one less Cup driver to worry about Ricky will, without a doubt, have another great season and possibly another championship to write in the record books.

Top 5: Key Changes for 2012

This past off-season has been on of the silliest seasons in NASCAR history. From driver changes to sponsorship deals the off-season has been packed with excitement and drama. Here are the top 5 changes that will be significant during the 2012 off-season.

1. Kahne Moves to Hendrick

This deal was made way before the 2011 Daytona 500, but without a doubt it is the most drastic change for 2012. Rick Hendrick knew he wanted young Kasey Kahne to drive for his team. Kahne already had the deal sealed when Kahne's former team, Red Bull Racing, announced that they would be closing their doors for 2012. Kahne will take over the No. 5 Farmer's Insurance car previously driven by veteran driver Mark Martin who scaled down to a part-time schedule for 2012. We already know of Kasey's ability in the racecar, but it's the equipment that allows
a driver to be consistent. Hendrick will give him exactly what he needs.



2. Allmendinger leaves The King for Penske

Perhaps a first Sprint Cup win is in A.J Allmendinger's future? The driver who drove a tough few seasons for the King in the legendary No. 43 car is still looking for victory. Allmendinger struggled in 2010 and improved tremendously in 2011. Just when we thought this would be A.J's year, RPM lost the primary sponsor, Best Buy, for the No. 43 car. Around the same time Kurt Busch and Penske parted ways and left an opening in the Shell Penzoil No. 22 Dodge. A.J. was their first candidate. Just weeks after Busch and Penske separated, A.J. was signed to drive the 22 car in 2012. Penske is exactly what A.J. needs to snatch his first Cup victory and is looking into a promising 2012 year with Penske.





3. Darian Grubb and Denny Hamlin

Yes, the championship winning crew chief was let go by, well, the championship winning team. Before the 14 team had the Sprint Cup in their hands Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, told Darian Grubb they would be letting him go. It came to a shock for everybody when Stewart and Grubb announced that they would not be working together in 2012. Joe Gibbs, on the other hand, thought this of an opportunity for his team. Mike Ford, crew chief for Denny Hamlin (No. 11), was recently released from JGR and left Hamlin without a crew chief. When Grubb was left without a job for 2012 Joe Gibbs was quick to put him at the top of the No. 11 pit box. Hamlin, who struggled in the Chase in 2011 needed a crew chief for 2012. The two will be able to win a lot of races and be a contender in the Chase come the 2012 season. Grubb, as a championship crew chief, will be the perfect fit for earning Denny's redemption.


4. Kurt Busch Catches a New Ride

After a year filled with foul language and rude gestures Penske and Busch made an agreement; to part ways. It is not called "firing" but a "mutual agreement." Kurt and the team decided to pull him out of the 22 car (later replaced by A.J. Allmendinger as I mentioned above) to take a break and get his act together. He soon got a ride at Phoenix Racing in the 51 car, replacing Landon Cassill. Sprint Cup champions do not usually leave a big racing team at NASCAR's highest level everyday and this was shocking news for most fans, drivers and teams. On a positive note, Kurt Busch will give the small team what they need to be recognized and maybe win a few races for them. Busch will have to adapt to racing in a smaller team in slower equipment.





5. Clint Bowyer to MWR

One of the most shocking news stories in 2011 was when Clint Bowyer and Richard Childress Racing announced they would be going separate ways. RCR scaled down to a 3 car team, after sponsorships woes, and Bowyer was left without a ride. With the efforts of Michael Waltrip Racing and 5-Hour Energy they were able to arrange a ride for the former 33 Cheerios driver. Bowyer will pilot the No. 15 5-Hour Energy car in 2012. His teammates include Martin Truex Jr. (56) and Mark Martin and Michael Waltrip (sharing a ride part-time). I don't know if Bowyer will be a Chase contender, but they will probably win a few races and be consistent. They did have trouble during Daytona testing when practicing two-car draft with Mark Martin. They hit the wall and had some damage to the test car. Bowyer is a talented driver and may be what MWR needs to succeed in the Cup series.