Two Weeks Late and a Dollar Short

What was up with California??

Wrecks and engines.

Michael Waltrip, Joe Nemecheck, Terry Labonte, among the few. As a matter of fact, at the end of the day, 7 drivers were out with blown engines. Makes a person think.

But, the season is not off to a bad start for the expected leaders. Except this season's hopeful Jimmie Johnson. It seems the third season is the lucky one for the last three champs and Johnson is on his third year. After the last two seasons in the number 2 spot, his chances might be better then the rest.

But Jeff Gordon was out with a blown motor at California, Kenseth had tire problems and finished 26th and Dale Jr. had tire and engine problems that kept him out most of the race and landing him in 32nd.

The only real competition right now is Kurt Busch. Hopefully, Biffle and the other drivers will lessen the gap so this year's competition to more then 10 drivers in the chase.

Great American Race...

Daytona still has the umph to back up it's title.

Wrecks, spills, blown engines, blown tires and cars trying to be ice skaters filled the Truck Series, Busch Series and Nextel Cup Series races at Daytona, but it brought up more then just three victories.

First, the truck race. It was as if I stepped out of a NASCAR race and moved into a football game.

Who won the race?? That was the question of the night. Luckily enough they figured it out. Bobby Hamilton Sr. won after Jimmy Spencer let of the gas as a last lap wreck took place behind them.

Spencer even drove into Victory Lane. But it brings up a very controversial issue in NASCAR: Should they freeze the field at all??

When the rule was implemented, it seemed a safe to say the rule was needed. Lap cars could no longer race to the line to gain position, leaders could no longer fight for positions, but, more importantly, drivers in wrecks no longer worried about passing cars hitting them or when it would be safe to leave their vehicle.

But, like most new rules in NASCAR, they implement without thinking about the "what ifs."

In Spencer's case, the what if is when do you slow down?? When the lights are on for the caution or when the spotter tells the driver there is a wreck and the race is under caution??

Simply it was a spotter error -- plain and simple. But, was it fair to the Spencer to loose because he let off the gas when the field was to be frozen??

No it is not. The rules are in place for a reason, but the "what if's" are still not accounted for. And NASCAR has a tendency to change its rules to fit certain favors, so to speak.

In a Talladega race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fell below the yellow line after Matt Kenseth weaved from the draft. NASCAR deemed this a safe pass because he supposedly moved ahead of Kenseth when his tires were above the yellow line.

This Daytona 500, Kyle Busch was also forced to the yellow line in the Busch Race by a fellow driver. NASCAR black flagged Busch one lap, but did not adhere to the new rule that the person who pushes the driver below the yellow line is also black flagged one lap.

So inconsistency and redundancy seems to follow the rule book of the France family.

The only thing leaving them consitent --The FCC.

Why?

You can thank Janet Jackson for that. The only time they were consistent in fines and rules came when Earnhardt Jr. cussed after a win at Talladega. Oh, but then they implemented the 5-second rule, just to appease the fans, and save their behinds.

To give a little redundency clarity, look at Robby Gordon. He failed to make the Daytona 500, and as the team owner and driver, this was his first attempt to make the race.

Gordon's team was fined $50,000 and 25 owner championship points (changed to car owner points since Gordon did qualify in the Duel 150's).

A struggling team could not make it because of rules that did not apply to him.

For more fines given during speed weeks, check out NASCAR's tally of fines: http://nascar.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/official/02/23/daytona%5Ffines/index.html

Why Must the Duels, formally the Gatorade 125s,be on Thursday??

Before I go into a tirade about the inconvenience of the Duels I must congratulate Dale Jarrett on his third Daytona 500 pole. Qualifying Sunday put a Yates driver Dale Jarrett on the pole and Jimmie Johnson right beside him. (http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/cup/02/13/pole_500_ap_first.ap/index.html )
For those who do not know about Daytona 500 qualifying, let me fill you in.

First they qualify for the top two slot for Sunday's race. Then come the Duels, right smack dab in the middle of the week. Far from where fans who have to work or go to school can actually see them, unless you are a kindergarten with an afternoon class that is.

But I regress.

The Duels allows the field to be broken into two races and race for position in the Daytona 500. The results puts the first race line up on the odd side and the second race line up on the even side.

So, for this year, the first Duels has Dale Jarrett on the pole and the rest of the line up based on qualifying speeds. The second 125 Jimmie Johnson is on the pole and the rest are behind him by qualifying speeds. Then they race for position. Their position at the end of each 125 puts them behind the pole sitter they raced behind.

So, and example Elliot Sadler wins the first 125 and Tony Stewart wins the second 125. Sadler will then take third behind Jarrett and Stewart will take fourth behind Johnson.

So all that end up behind Sadler will go behind Jarrett and all those that follow Stewart go behind Jimmie Johnson.

Larry Reynolds also explains it: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/3354364

There are exceptions to this rule, for instance if Jeff Gordon, Matt sensate, Kurt Busch, or any other past champion does not qualify then they are placed in the 36 to 43 range depending on how many past champions did not qualify, giving them what is called a provisional. They only get a few of these per season.

The Duels are a staple. To get rid of them would change the reasons why the Daytona 500 is unique.

But, its time to change the days the Duels are run.

NASCAR and NEXTEL change the Bud Shootout, change the Winston (the All-Stars Race if not familiar with the old term), but they can't make minor changes to help new fans get more involved with Speedweeks.

If the qualifying was done on Friday, since there is only the practice for the Bud Shootout, and then race the Duels on Sunday when people are home waiting for more racing to watch --they might get a better turn out in ratings.

I want to watch the Duels, as do many fans. But most have to sneak on the internet during work, listen to it on MRN or PRN, or, if they are lucky and have sattelite radio.

But most of us do not. I believe it is time for a change.

Duel Line ups http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/101/data/lineup.html and http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/102/data/lineup.html

Duels Race Times: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/cup/schedule

Speed Week Has Begun

Saturday was the first NASCAR and ARCA race of the season.

And, needless to say, it went out like a bang--of metal that is.

A thirteen car crash led to a 15-lap-early finish for the ARCA race, adding to the earlier delay of 45 minutes to fix the fence broken by Blake Feese.

Two ARCA drivers were transported to the hospital after Todd Kluever and Dan Shaver collided. Shaver was transported and released while Billy Venturini has not been released.

Associated press says that Venturini suffered a fractured cervical vertebra but is conscious and alert.

Early in the ARCA race Feese in the 94 Ditect.com Chevy ran into a fence, leaving a gaping hole and four reporters down. Only two were injured. Pierce Williams returned to work, but Steve Rose was transported to the hospital.

The ironic thing: Feese is to step into Kyle Busch's vacant spot in the Nascar Busch Series. Should be interesting how that will play out, especially now that four reporters are probably never going to cover a race he starts in.

But ARCA's troubles weren't over. Amid the wrecks were 62 Clair Zimmerman who pulled an Elliot Sadler Talladega move with a flying leap-- literally into the fence.

For a pictorial view visit http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?contentId=3393000&pageNumber=1

The NASCAR Budweiser Shootout left out the "shootout." When Winston owned it there was actual a "shoot" for a driver to get into the shootout making the field 19 bud pole winners or previous shootout winners. Now, we have twenty, with the spots being filled only by pole winners and past Shootout winners.

Where is the fun in that?

The whole point of the Shootout is to watch someone get into the race and then try and beat the pole winners. A driver is supposed to "shoot" for a chance to win the money.

Now they are giving the drivers a break. Or should I say a time to fix.

Mark Martin's tire blew and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a plug wire loose before the end of the first twenty laps.

Before, their problems would have left them out of the top ten, out of the race, and out of the chance for the $212,945 prize.

But, that was when the Budweiser Shootout was about competition.

Martin and Earnhardt Jr. returned to the race and came to the finish line with top ten finishes.

Here is to hoping that this year that the Daytona 500 is more about competition and less about coopitition-- Darrell Waltrip's word for drivers of other teams working together to come in first and second at Daytona International Speedway.

Stay tuned for for more of speed week.

To read about the Budweiser Shootout Victory by Jimmie Johnson visit http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/cup/02/12/bc.car.nascar.shootout.ap/index.html