The Charlotte Motor Speedway: A Clash of Tradition and History Make Up This Gem
There are 23 different tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. Throughout the 36 race season, most fans watch all the races at the different tracks on their televisions. Always dreaming of going to the track and seeing the monstrous venue for themselves. Certain tracks have uniqueness to them that makes you want to just go run around and take in the sights that track beholds. For me, that track has always been the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ever since I began watching NASCAR in 2005, Charlotte (Then called Lowes) Motor Speedway had some awesome shows. The 2005 All-Star Race likely made me a lifetime fan of the sport after I was leaning that way in the races prior. That race had fights, action, and a deserving winner. What’s better than that? Very little and it was unique to the track so it made that venue always come up as one of my favorites.
While I was in Charlotte, I knew I had to make a stop at the speedway. I had gone the year prior, but I just needed to go again, because it is indeed that amazing. The best way to get a look at the whole motorsports complex is by taking a tour. The tour takes you everywhere including inside and on the track, and all around it. All while checking out the neatest views the speedway has to offer.
While I was at the track, I couldn’t think of half the amazing things I was experiencing. I was wide-eyed throughout the tour, soaking it all in. What I didn’t realize was all the tradition and history that I was seeing first-hand. The track has had its fair share of magical moments, from One Hot Night in 1992 to the infamous cable incident during this year’s Coca Cola 600. All that has happened there has shaped it into truly one of the best.
Tradition runs deep at the track. The Coca Cola 600 is one of the longest running events in NASCAR. Year after year, fans pour into the speedway for arguably one of the richest (history-wise) races on the circuit. It’s grueling, tough, and difficult to be successful in the race. Those are the elements that drive fans in year after year. That’s how the tradition lives on and it’s likely how it will never die out.
A nickname of the track is “The Beast of the Southeast” and I can attest that it in fact is a beast. Everything’s huge and it takes a visit to the facility to actually realize it. Though the track looks much different than it did forty plus years ago, the history is still there. The pass in the grass, One Hot Night, and all the exciting races are prime examples of the past times that have shaped the speedway and made it a very historical one.
Being in the heart of NASCAR country, this track won’t be going anywhere anytime soon and that means that many magical moments are still to come. A facility that has it all is the Charlotte Motor Speedway and it’s truly one of a kind. Race weekend or not, the place still has a racing feeling and getting to check it all out was one of the best experiences I’ll ever have.
NASCAR Champions Featuring Bill Rexford
Cup Champion 1950
Birthday: 03/14/1927
Death: 04/18/1994
Hometown: Conewango Valley, NY
NASCAR was born in the southern United States so it may surprise you to learn that in 1950 it was a young man from New York who won the Grand National Championship – the forerunner to today’s Sprint Cup Series.
Bill Rexford also has the distinction of being the youngest driver to ever win a Cup Championship, winning the title at the age of 23.
Rexford began his racing career in the 1940s. He worked in his dad’s Chevrolet dealership while competing at local tracks. After serving two years in the United States Navy, he continued racing until he caught the eye of racing promoter, Ed Otto. Otto encouraged Rexford to make the move to NASCAR in 1949.
In 1949, NASCAR’s inaugural season, Rexford made three starts and finished 12th in the standings.
The next season he competed in 17 races, including the first Southern 500 at Darlington, South Carolina where he finished fourth.
By season’s end, he was in a battle for the championship against Fireball Roberts. A blown engine almost cost him the title. However, luck was on his side when Roberts, who was racing for the win, blew his engine less than 50 laps from the finish.
Rexford won the crown and became NASCAR’s second champion in its premier series but the title was not without controversy.
Lee Petty should have easily captured the championship but was stripped of approximately 800 points for racing in non-NASCAR sanctioned events. If not for that point reduction, Rexford would have lost his claim to fame.
During the 1951 season, Rexford won the pole at Canfield, Ohio but later crashed and suffered minor chest injuries. He only competed in 11 NASCAR sanctioned races that year and competed in his last Grand National race in 1953.
In 36 Grand National events, Rexford captured one win, eight top fives and 17 top ten finishes. Rexford gave up racing altogether a few years later, moved to Parker, Arizona and started a trucking business. He eventually relocated to Hemet, California.
On March 18, 1994 Rexford passed away after several months of illness.
Rexford is the only series champion that was not included among NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.
Accomplishments:
1950 Won the NASCAR Grand National Championship
1994 New York State Auto Racing Hall of Fame
1995 Inducted into the Friends of Auto Racing Hall of Fame
1997 Inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame
Scott Dixon and Team Ganassi Make Indy History at Pocono with Win; Podium Finish
Scott Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, made history at Pocono Raceway in the IZOD IndyCar Series as the eighth different winner in eleven races, scoring his 30th career win, as well as the 200th win for Honda and the 100th team finish for team Target.
“Going into this morning, I was not thinking we could win,” Dixon said. “The team definitely hasn’t given up and you’ve got to hand it to Honda as well.”
“The fuel mileage was the key today and we still had speed up front without having to save all the time.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Dixon continued. “It’s the 100th win for Target as well which is just so fantastic.”
“It’s been a long drought, almost a year, so it’s fantastic to be back in winner’s circle.”
With the return of IndyCar Racing to Pocono Raceway for the first time since 1989, Team Ganassi also made history, finishing one, two, three for the first time ever in any form of competition, including IZOD IndyCar Series, CART, NASCAR or GRAND-AM.
With teammate Scott Dixon in Victory Lane, Charlie Kimball, behind the wheel of the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Honda for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, finished second, and teammate Dario Franchitti, behind the wheel of the No. 10 Energizer Honda for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, finished third.
“The whole Chip Ganassi Racing crew, as evidenced by the 1-2-3 finish, was focusing on race day knowing that’s when it mattered,” Kimball, who matched his career best finish of second, said. “Throughout today, the guys made it better on each pit stop and the car just got quicker and quicker.”
“A lot of credit to Honda, they gave us the fuel mileage and speed today.”
“The Honda today, it’s so good on fuel mileage and that really, really helped us,” Franchitti, the third place finisher, said. “We went for a very aggressive downforce so every lap was an adventure.”
“It was a good day.”
“I had no idea we’d finish one, two, three after coming back late from Daytona,” Chip Ganassi, team owner, said. “When I got out of bed this morning, I wouldn’t have guessed this.”
“I actually forgot that the next win would have been our 100th; it’s been so long since we’ve had a win,” Ganassi continued. “It’s a really great place to do it – in Pennsylvania, my home state.”
“It’s great for the Series to have a 1-2-3 finish,” Ganassi said. “Honda needed a boost.”
“The drivers did a great job and the team did a great job,” Ganassi continued. “Hopefully we’ve turned the corner.”
Will Power finished fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. This was Power’s third top-five finish of the season.
“I didn’t realize Charlie (Kimball) was for position,” Power said. “It was quite tough to pass.”
“It was physical but a lovely track,” Power continued. “There was a good crowd and it was a good race.”
“But it was an awesome day for Verizon.”
Josef Newgarden, driving the No. 67 SFH Racing/Rotondo Weirich for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, rounded out the top-five, matching his best IndyCar Series finish of fifth in Sao Paulo.
“We had a great day,” Newgarden said. “To get representable results, I’m super pleased for all our guys.”
“Pocono is incredible,” Newgarden continued. “I wasn’t even born that time they had the last race here.”
“We’ve got to come back here because it’s an IndyCar track,” Newgarden said. “I’m super pleased for our group.”
The race was not without drama as James Hinchcliffe, driver of the No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet, wrecked on the very first lap.
“I’m not entirely sure what happened,” Hinchcliffe said. “We’ll have to take a look at it.”
“The car just snapped loose on me,” Hinchcliffe continued. “We went a bit aggressive on setup because we had an understeering car all week, and we didn’t want that in the race.”
“Maybe we overstepped it a bit; I’m not quite sure,” Hinchcliffe said. “It’s a 400-mile race so to go out on Lap 1 is just devastating.”
“It’s really unfortunate.”
Another pair of unhappy campers was Ryan Hunter-Reay, driver of the No. 1 DHL Chevrolet, and Takuma Sato, behind the wheel of the No. 14 ABC Supply Co/A.J. Foyt Racing Honda, who collided on pit road.
“I think I misjudged it,” Sato said. “Extremely sorry.”
“It was my fault.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” Hunter-Reay said. “I thought a plane crashed in there.”
“I didn’t expect it would have been Sato,” Hunter-Reay continued. “We had a great car to challenge for the win and then get creamed from behind.”
“He unplugged his brain entirely,” Hunter-Reay said. “It’s just so frustrating when someone comes from nowhere completely unglued.”
Hunter-Reay admitted that the hard hit on pit road exacerbated an injury with which he has been struggling.
“I have to go get my thumb x-rayed now,” Hunter-Reay said. “That made it worse than it was before.”
“It is what it is and we’ll deal with it.”
The most upset driver, however, was hometown hero and third generation driver Marco Andretti. The driver of the No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet for Andretti Autosport finished tenth after leading a race high 88 laps and sitting on the pole.
This was the fifth race this season in which Andretti led and the fourth oval race he has led. Yet he still remains winless for the 2013 season.
“I’m so frustrated right now,” Andretti said after the race. “We were so dominant.”
“I’m just absolutely gutted,” Andretti continued. “I just sat there and watched the lead go away from me and it ripped my guts out.”
Helio Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, finished eighth and extended his points lead to 23 over Ryan Hunter-Reay after the Pocono IndyCar 400 Fueled by Sunoco.
“For us getting a lot of points in the championship is fantastic,” Castroneves said. “It was a tough race.”
“It was a lot of thinking and I’m terrible at thinking!” Castroneves continued. “It’s one of those races that nobody knows what to do.”
“It was crazy and quite exciting,” Castroneves said. “At the end of the day, it was a great day for championship and that’s what we’ve got to think.”
Johnson dominates Coke Zero 400 for fourth victory in 2013
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson has once again put his name in the NASCAR record book.
For the first time in 31 years Daytona International Speedway was swept, Johnson completing the honors Saturday night in the Coke Zero 400. Surviving a green-white-checkered finish, meaning another late race restart, Johnson held off defending winner Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick.
“That’s tough to do at a plate track. Especially with how tight the rules are,” said Johnson in Victory Lane on his dominating car.
“I think I showed strength early and a lot of guys knew that and were willing to work with me, and kind of help me through situations, which is great. I don’t know if I really made a bad move tonight. I’m pretty proud of that.”
Johnson dominated the event, leading 94 of the race’s 161 laps for his fourth victory of the season. From the drop of the green flag Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet could go anywhere on the racetrack, whether it was trying to get the bottom to work, or sailing around the top when the race entered a long green flag run in which the field ended up single file.
Kyle Busch started on the pole for the 55th annual event and led an early portion. Teammate Denny Hamlin also took a turn at the front, inheriting the lead when the caution came out as green flag pit stops began when Joey Logano hit the wall on lap 71.
Both Busch and Hamlin’s days would later come to abrupt ends. Hamlin was first collected in a lap 98 wreck when Martin Truex Jr. got loose in front of him and spun. Hamlin ended up spinning all on his own later in the event, lap 157, and collected AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Gordon, Travis Kvapil, Matt Kenseth and Dave Blaney.
The brought out the red flag and set up a restart with seven laps to go. Just two laps later the caution was out again, this time the result of Kasey Kahne hitting the inside of the backstretch wall head on.
Kahne was running side-by-side with Johnson for the lad when Marcos Ambrose made a bold move to the middle. When Johnson moved over ever so slightly, it sent Ambrose into the side of Kahne.
Johnson quickly broke away with the lead on the GWC finish as Carl Edwards and a group of others wrecked in turn one. NASCAR chose not to throw a caution and let the leaders race to the finish. Stewart and Harvick had nothing for Johnson as another wreck broke out coming to the finish line. This time collecting Kyle Busch, Danica Patrick and Jeff Burton among others
“That’s amazing. I remember being in Southern California watching Bobby Allison,” said Johnson on the sweep.
“I remember where I was the day Davey passed away. That’s how much the Allison family meant to me. I always thought it was so great to watch Bobby and Davey race. To tie anything that Bobby has done is that’s pretty special. Very happy tonight.”
The victory marks the 64th of Johnson’s career and he remains the point leader, now by 49, over new second place driver Clint Bowyer. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the highest finishing rookie in 11th.
The NSCS moves to New Hampshire next weekend where Kasey Kahne is the defending winner. There are eight races before the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Memories of Daytona past with Earnhardt and Allison
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s no easier way to stir a few emotions or raise quite a few goosebumps than listening to stories of racing past.
When those telling the story have the last name Earnhardt or Allison, it becomes a little more special. Being Fourth of July weekend at the Daytona International Speedway, it was as if those in attendance had been transported back in time.
Thursday Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought forth memories of his childhood and youth. Daytona has long been apart of the Earnhardt family name, for both the good and the bad. When the son of NASCAR’s Intimidator comes back to the beach, the ever-constant eyes that follow him are honed in just that little bit more.
He’s the perennial favorite each and every weekend, Daytona making a case as the capital of Earnhardt country. And so as Earnhardt Jr. discussed what he needed to do in order to win at the speedway for the first time since 2004, it wasn’t long before he turned attention towards his father.
His favorite memory of the July classic and holiday weekend was back in the 90’s, Earnhardt Jr. revealed. He was watching the race from the pits and Greg Sacks was three-wide going through the tri-oval and bouncing off cars. He’s not sure who the other drivers were, trying to remember if one was a Petty car and the other Derrick Cope.
“It’s just a 22 car pile-up right there in front of the pits. And I’d never seen an accident, that large an accident, that close,” said Earnhardt Jr. “We were literally 30 yards away from that happening, so it was just really crazy to see that. I think Dad ended up winning that race.”
As he tells the story it appears Earnhardt Jr. is as caught in the moment as are those listening. He chuckles then when recalling an earlier time, when he and older sister Kelley were with stepmother Teresa, watching the race in the scoring tower near turn one. Earnhardt Sr. wasn’t in contention for the win and was running a lap down.
“We were leaving like 10 laps before the end because Dad’s real fast about getting out of the racetrack,” revealed Earnhardt Jr. “And so Teresa had me and Kelley and we were hustling out of there to get in the car or something and come over to the garage to be ready when Dad was.
“And just as we walked out the door, I turned to watch the cars go through the corner and dad blew a motor going into turn one and hit the wall and he was just sliding across the wall. I don’t know why that memory sticks out to me. But I was trying to get Teresa’s attention to tell her hat Dad was in the fence and she was like c’mon, c’mon, c’mon; I couldn’t get her attention to tell her what was going on.
“But I was the only one that saw it and for some reason that memory stands out to me.”
Since he’s become a NASCAR driver Earnhardt Jr. has made his own Daytona memories. Those as exciting and thrilling as when he watched his father sail around the speedway, including one moment in 2001, months after Dale Earnhardt’s death that captured the NASCAR nation. Earnhardt Jr. said on Thursday that night was “an incredible experience.”
Whether it’s coming through the tunnel or standing and admiring the banking that has delivered drama for more than 50 years, there’s just something about Daytona. Something about this place that have those who come here, not matter for the first or 50th time, with the same feeling each time.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison doesn’t argue. In fact, he admitted as much on Friday afternoon at the speedway where he served as the grand marshal for the Nationwide Series event, the Subway Firecracker 250.
“I had a lot of good races here, I won the July race three times. One of them I don’t remember at all because I still don’t remember any race from 1988. Period,” he said when asked about his favorite July memory at Daytona.
“They tell me I won Daytona that year, too. One year I was kind of behind and made it through a crash but haven’t really reviewed the Fourth of July stuff that much. Hard question for me to answer.”
As far as Allison is concerned, every event at Daytona has been a great one. He’s been coming here since 1961 and he calls it the world’s greatest speedway. When he found out Daytona was being built he was hauling his modified around the south and came to Daytona and walked up to see what it was going to look like.
He came back in 1960 with a modified, a Studebaker, and put a Chevrolet engine in it. Which was allowed at the time.
“That really didn’t work out too good, but at least I was here,” Allison said.
Allison noted that in one race he started and finished 39th, but he was still running and the pride was evident in his voice. Daytona became something that was looked forward to and his success started to grow as the seasons went on.
“In 1978 came here with Bud Moore and it rained on Thursday and we ran the qualifiers on Friday morning. Way late in the second qualifier, which I was leading, another guy got into me and I ended up really, really crashed bad,” he recalled.
“So, I went to the motel and I laid there and felt sorry for myself for about a day and a half. And I came back and Bud Moore had his guys working away and I got back here Saturday afternoon to tell Bud that I was going home and here was that car all patched up and fixed. So then to go on the next day and win that race was really, really big for me.”
As he tells his tales wife Judy is off to the side, fondly watching her husband. They both admit how much their enjoying their time at the speedway and Bobby has a gleam in his eye while talking to the media. But that doesn’t mean he’s holding back as he sets the record straight before having to end story time and head off to another obligation.
“It’s always a tough deal to win here at Daytona. No matter what happened last week or last month or last race or last year,” Allison said, on why no driver since him in 1982 has swept the DIS races and whether the restrictor plate plays a role.
“I never blamed the plate on my success or failure. The plate was one of the conditions that all the competitors were supposed to compete under. Now, that didn’t always happened, I feel NASCAR has gotten way, way better in that part of the deal. But there were days when I was one of the ones that had one when the people I was racing against didn’t have one at least exactly like mine.
“NASCAR straightened that out an awful lot and I did not feel and do not feel that was an advantage or disadvantage that was a condition. And I think it’s still a condition.”
Matty’s Picks 2013 – Vol. 15 Coke Zero 400 – Daytona International Speedway – July 6, 2013
Daytona needs no introduction this week. Since it’s the Crown Jewel of NASCAR, everyone knows the history of the track and the races its produced over the years, so I’ll keep it short and talk a little bit about what I was able to gather from the February races – including that “HISTORIC” Daytona 500.
If you got past the fact that Danica was on the pole for the Daytona 500 and all the hoopla that surrounded that story, you would have seen that the Daytona 500 this year was pretty boring as far as plate races go. It could have been because of that early crash that put a lot of the top guys out of contention – Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, Brad Kesolowski, and Kyle Busch, – that was all about 30 laps in, so a lot of the heavy hitters were out early.
The race was boring in the sense that nobody could really pass. Matt Kenseth led 86 laps before he blew up, and it seemed like anyone who stepped out of line really paid the price, even if they had a car to help push. It was pretty much follow the leader and a lot of the guys complained over the two weeks about not being able to pass in the then brand new Gen6 racecar.
One word of caution this week is with the Toyotas, and there has been talk about their engine issues the past few weeks. These engines haven’t been tested since Michigan where it was announced they would not be scaling back the horsepower any further, but the series hasn’t been at tracks where engine longevity has been a factor since Greg Biffle’s win at Michigan. Toyota has won JUST ONE points race at Daytona in 132 races. Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch both blew up in the Daytona 500, and Martin Truex Jr. had engine issues as well, certainly something to consider this week when making your picks.
Kentucky Recap
I picked Kyle Busch last week at a place where it is impossible not to mention him where his performances over the years have been nothing less than exemplary. Busch started his No. 18 Doublemint Toyota in fourth and raced inside the top five through the early portion of the race before he got loose and caused a caution. Busch would have to restart in 37th but would climb all the way back to the top 15 by lap 83 and great work by his Doublemint team and a little pit strategy would help him get back inside the top five for a restart on lap 93. Busch would continue to run up front with the leaders while battling changing handling conditions. Despite the challenges all night, Busch and the Doublemint team managed to scrape together another Top-5 at Kentucky.
As for my Dark Horse, Joey Logano, also known as the hottest driver in NASCAR not named Kevin Harvick, had another solid week in the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion. The team qualified 11th for the Quaker State 400, and with solid pit stops and consistent adjustments by Crew Chief Todd Gordon, Logano began to climb through the front of the field by lap 110. Logano never ran outside the Top 5 in the second-half of the race, until the final restart with about 20 laps to go. He restarted 7th and made a bold move on the restart, moving up to 4th where he would cross the finish line, netting himself his 5th top-five of this 2013 season.
Daytona Picks
Winner Pick
I didn’t pull out my dice and roll them to pick my winner this week, but I did, I think the dice would have revealed the numbers two and nine meaning the guy I’d be looking at this week is the hottest guy in the sport right now and that’s Kevin Harvick.
Harvick was unlucky earlier this year when he crashed early in the Daytona 500. He won the Sprint Unlimited, won his Duel race, and was certainly one of the cars to beat. As far as the stats go, he’s won two races at Daytona and if you throw in the duel races he’s won, the count is 7 wins on restrictor plate tracks – 5 of which coming in the last 3 years.
This team brings 7-straight top-10’s to Daytona and considering he’s due for a good restrictor plate finish (finished 42nd in the Daytona 500 and 40th at Talladega in May) Harvick was my top pick on Thursday and remains my top pick for the win tonight.
Dark Horse Pick
Paul Menard is a guy who manages to stay out of trouble at Daytona. He has completed 99.3% of the 2148 laps of his 12 starts at Daytona, leading 38 laps in the meantime. Daytona is second on his list of tracks with an average finish of 17.3 and that number comes with a 38th place finish averaged in those numbers (2009 Daytona 500). He’s been good at Daytona, might not be the BEST longshot pick this week with the Front Row Motorsports teams showing speed in both practice sessions, but working with Harvick in the draft will prove to be beneficial for this team tonight.
That’s all for this week, be sure to tune in on Thursday as Greg and I preview next week’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
So until next time, You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!
Late race charge gives Kenseth Subway Firecracker 250 win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Matt Kenseth can add another Daytona victory to his resume.
Pushed by James Buescher on a green-white-checkered finish, Buescher pushed Kenseth all the way to the checkered flag, unable to make his own move for the win because his engine was about to expire. It’s Kenseth’s first Nationwide Series victory of the season and his second at Daytona.
“We had a decent car. We didn’t qualify quite as we hoped, but we got in the race and it drafted really well,” said Kenseth.
“James was back there by himself and slowed up and grabbed him and our two cars together with him pushing my car were incredibly fast. Once we got hooked up with him I felt we had a shot, but yet these races are usually so crazy and there’s so much stuff at the end that gets tore up, you’re not sure what’s going to happen.”
The 12th annual Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona started with Austin Dillon on the pole for the sixth time in the last seven races. Dillon was also one of four drivers eligible for the Dash 4 Cash program, a $100,000 payday to the highest finisher, joining Elliott Sadler, Brian Vickers and Kyle Larson.
At the drop of the green flag Dillon’s lead lasted until turn three, rookie Travis Pastrana led the first lap. And as has become accustomed in the NNS, the field quickly found their drafting partners and began the tandem style racing.
Partners such as Penske teammates Joey Logano and Sam Hornish Jr., who combine led a race high 64 of 101 laps and appeared to be the ones to beat. Hornish lost his drafting help on the final restart and faded to a seventh place finish. He remains second in the championship standings, now six markers behind Regan Smith.
The race featured only four cautions but just one for a crash on the track. Pastrana and Cole Whitt got together with four laps to, triggering a crash that collected Robert Richardson, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Jason White. White climbed from his mangled machine and briefly went to the ground before walking to the ambulance. He was later released from the care center and told reporters the wind had been knocked out of him.
When the race restarted for the final time Kenseth, who had taken the lead right before the caution, and Buescher broke from the field to settle the race amongst themselves. While it was Kenseth’s 27th career victory it was the first for crew chief Matt Lucas.
The battle for third was a little more frantic; the pack ran seemingly three-wide until the checkered flag. Sadler prevailed and grabbed the $100,000 bonus in the Dash 4 Cash.
“Very happy about our performance tonight,” Sadler said afterwards. “What Nationwide Insurance does for our series — this Dash 4 Cash is a great program. Tonight we had an in-car camera in our car and that brings a lot of exposure to our race team. It brings a lot of exposure to our racecar. It brings a lot of exposure to our sponsors. This is a big, big program for our series.”
Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon rounded out the top five. Running the green and yellow City Chevrolet paint scheme from the movie Days of Thunder, it was Busch who provided some of the lighter moments during the night. He and the No. 1 crew threw out lines from the movie and referred to Kurt as Cole Trickle, even eating ice cream in the pit area during one caution.
Kyle Larson, who stole headlines in February with his scary crash into the frontstretch fence, was the highest finishing rookie. He came home sixth.
The drivers eligible in next weekend’s Dash 4 Cash program will again be Sadler, Larson, Dillon and Hornish. New Hampshire is the next stop on the Nationwide Series tour.
Lap by Lap: Subway Firecracker 200 won by Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth would take the lead late in the Subway Firecracker 200 at Daytona International Speedway and hold the field off on a late-race restart to take the victory.
Lap 1 Brian Scott pushes Travis Pastrana to the lead
Lap 3 Scott switches with Pastrana to lead……Austin Dillon blows by with a couple others in toe. Dillon is being pushed by Elliott Sadler
Lap 4 ColeTrickle….I mean Kurt Busch to the lead with a shove from Hornish
Lap 5 Dillon to the lead with a shove from Logano
Lap 11 Hornish leads with help from Logano
Lap 25 Vickers-Smith trying to get by the Penske duo for the lead. Penske duo Hornish-Logano holds on to the lead.
Lap 38 leaders cycle through stops with Vickers grabbing the lead with help from Smith
Lap 40 Hornish-Logano go back to the lead ahead of Vickers-Smith
Lap 44 Vickers-Smith trying to go by Hornish-Logano for the lead. Penske duo pull ahead again.
Lap 49 caution for debris. Leaders hit pit road for tires and fuel. Hornish leads Logano Vickers Sadler Smith KuBusch Kenseth Larson Allgaier and Buescher off pit road.
Restart 48 laps to go Hornish-Logano lead early, though Sadler-Cole Trickle (Kurt Busch) grab the lead down the backstretch
47 to go Hornish-Logano outside, Sadler-Trickle inside
46 to go Hornish-Logano pull ahead with Kenseth-Allgaier in toe
44 to go Hornish-Logano ahead of Vickers-Smith
36 to go Buescher Larson KuBusch Hornish Logano KyBusch Whitt ADillon TDillon Nemechek Scott
35 to go Cole Trickle (Kurt Busch)-Rowdy Busch lead
34 to go Hornish-Keselowski lead
30 to go Sorenson blows up. Leaders pit, Logano leads Hornish Smith Vickers Sadler Kenseth Dillon Larson KuBusch
Restart 23 to go Vickers-Kenseth leads the field
22 to go Vickers-Kenseth Logano-Smith………….Kenseth gives Vickers a shot, Vickers goes for the ride through the grass. No further contact, no caution
21 to go Larson-Allgaier leads Dillon-Trickle
19 to go Kenseth-Buescher leading Hornish-Logano
18 to go Hornish-Logano pull ahead of Kenseth-Buescher
13 to go Kenseth-Buescher leads ahead of the field
12 to go Kenseth-Buescher leads Dillon-Kligerman / Hornish-Keselowski
11 to go Kenseth-Buescher side-by-side with Hornish-Keselowski as Mike Wallace is slow. Caution flies as he stops in turns three and four.
Restart 7 to go Hornish-Logano get slightly separated as Kenseth-Buescher pull ahead of the field
6 to go Hornish-Logano to the outside of Kenseth-Buescher for the lead. Kenseth-Buescher keep the lead….Dillon goes for the lead to the outside of Kenseth……..Pastana thinks he can fit in hole but ends up crossing Whitt’s bumper. Jeffery Earnhardt, Dick, Pastrana, Richardson Jr., Jason White, McClure, Stacey collected
Red flag to clean up the mess.
When restart Kenseth ADillon Buescher Kligerman Sadler KyBusch Smith Hornish Logano KuBusch Larson Allgaier TDillon.
Restart 2 to go Kenseth-Buescher pull ahead of the field ahead of Sadler
Final lap. Kenseth-Buescher lead ahead of the field.
Kenseth Buescher Sadler KuBusch ADillon Larson Hornish Smith Logano Bayne KyBusch Allgaier Vickers
