Has the Gen 6 Car Changed Anything?
So far, from a fan’s point of view, not much has changed since the advent of the much ballyhooed Gen 6 car arrived on the scene. At least on the racetrack. Yes, the cars look like showroom cars, but other than that, the same things keep happening. The same drivers are good that were good and the same teams lead the pack. Did you expect anything else?
It may be a rush to judgment, however. We’ve only had one short race and a qualifying session to judge the new Fords, Chevrolets, and Toyotas, but some things are clear. Hendrick Motorsports has built the fastest motors, Earnhardt-Childress motors are not far behind, Matt Kenseth is still a great driver, Ford didn’t gain anything with the change, and a lot of teams have a lot of work to do.
On Saturday night during the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race, many drivers couldn’t keep up with Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Kevin Harvick. Drivers trying to help couldn’t get to those three drivers’ bumper to push. They were that fast. Many feel like this is a good thing. It has certainly made the “two car tango,” as Darrell Waltrip said, to rest, but to see cars pull away from the field, as much as they can in restrictor plate racing, was interesting. It was also interesting to note that Joey Logano, former driver on the No. 20 Toyota, finished two positions ahead of his former ride in third place in a Penske Ford. It didn’t get as much publicity as Ricky nearly qualifying on the front row with Danica, but then again, what is?
Was the racing better in the Sprint Unlimited? Not that I could see. As usual, the cars were close and we had a big wreck because of driver error, something we’ve come to expect. Qualifying would have been a surprise had Danica Patrick not telegraphed her strength by running the fastest speed in Saturday’s qualifying practice. As usual, nothing seemed so different. Chevrolet dominated the whole two days of action as they will all season. As usual. Did the new car make a difference on the track?
Truth is, we really won’t know much about this car until we hit some normal tracks. No, Daytona and its sister track, Talladega Superspeedway, are not normal. We will know a lot more after Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Bristol because we will have seen the car on a plate track, a flat one-miler, a mile and a half, and a short track. So, sometime on the late afternoon of March 17th, as we are enjoying our green beer, we might know what to think of this new car. Right now, it looks to be status quo, but late on March 17th, who knows?
My Earliest NASCAR Memories
Memories.
The moments you reflect back on your whole life. The good memories come along with the bad memories but, the good ones are the ones that shine brightest. The thing you enjoy most in life probably has many memories to go along with it. The most special memory of your passion in life? Well, it is always the first memory of that special something in your life. For me, that passion is NASCAR. My earliest memories of NASCAR are some of the most celebrated memories I have. My earliest NASCAR memories are still vivid in my mind and forever will be.
Saturday was my birthday. Every year when February 16th rolls around, I am constantly reminded of my first memories of NASCAR. 2005 was the year that changed my life. NASCAR entered my life that year and it hasn’t left since. February 20, 2005 was the day of the 47th running of the Daytona 500. That day also happened to be my seventh birthday party. While I was with my friends during the party, my dad and some of his friends were watching the Daytona 500.
I took a break from the party action and went in with my dad to see what he was up to. He was watching the NASCAR race, so I decided to sit down with him and watch it for a little while. I loved the sight of the cars going around the track while they were going fast, real fast. At that time, what I didn’t realize was that eight years later, I would be still watching the fast cars go around the track.
I watched that race more intently and deeply than any average seven year-old would have. I don’t remember much about that race other than that was the first taste of NASCAR I would ever get. From that day on, I was hooked on watching fast cars drive in a circle. Eight years later, I would still be doing the same thing every weekend. At that time, I never realized how important that February day would be. What if I didn’t watch the race? Would I still have the same love for racing I do today? That’s a reality, which I hope to never live. NASCAR is such a big part of my life that I can never imagine a life without it.
2005 was a huge year for me. I started watching NASCAR that year and I remember so much about some of those races which are now everlasting memories in my head. Watching those cars drive around in circles changed me for the better. I remember the Aaron’s 499 from 2005 very vividly. That race featured a twenty-five car pile-up and Jeff Gordon went on to win in that Pepsi car with my favorite shades of blue. For some reason, I have never forgotten about that race and to this day, it is still one of my all-time favorites.
That year was also the first time I attended a NASCAR race at Dover in September. Jimmie Johnson went on to win that race and I remember his burn-out from that race, a little too clearly. That day also had placed permanent racing memories in my head like when I first got to the track and I tried to walk over the bridge to the infield. Being seven at the time, I had no idea you couldn’t do that. A nice lady stopped me from crossing the bridge, which I now realize is only for people with special access. That day was when I smelled the Sunoco gasoline and the rubber on the track for the first time and ever since, I crave to smell that smell all the time.
For reasons I will never know, my earliest memories of NASCAR will always have a place in my memory, or rememory as Miss Kay from Duck Dynasty calls it. That day I sat down and watched the cars go fast will always be important to me because that’s the day I first witnessed NASCAR. The best memories I have in my fourteen years are from NASCAR. NASCAR is the relaxation in my life and relaxing every Sunday afternoon while watching a NASCAR race will always be my favorite thing to do. Eight years of NASCAR in my life has only created great memories and I hope a lifetime at the track will only create even more amazing memories.
Patrick grabs the Daytona 500 pole and history at Daytona
Danica Patrick backed up her two fast practice speeds that she had on Saturday with a slightly faster speed during her second qualifying lap on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. Patrick grabbed the Coors Light Pole with lap of 196.434 mph (45.817 seconds) and became the first female driver to win a pole at NASCAR’s top level, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Patrick is also the first rookie to win the Daytona 500 pole since Jimmie Johnson in 2002.
“If you’re anywhere but the front row, it’s really hard to see on race day. This just speaks volumes of Stewart-Haas Racing. It just shows what a great organization it is.” Patrick said.
On the outside of the front row will be 3-time Daytona 500 champion, Jeff Gordon. This will be Gordon’s fourth career front row start. Gordon last started on the front row back in 2011 with teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., but would later start from the pole after Jr. wrecked in final practice.
“It’s great to be part of history. I can say I was the fastest guy today.” Gordon said.
Four of the top-5 qualifiers and five out of the top-10 were all powered by Hendrick Motorsports. But there was just something about that No.10 of Patrick that stood out amongst her teammates. Thanks to the new FOX feature, as Monte Dutton put it, “Imagination Racing” shows both cars on the screen running with the other cars as ghosts.
Tony Stewart, Gordon and Ryan Newman all appeared to have faster race cars going into turn-1, but when Patrick’s car got on the straightaway, it found speed that none of the other cars were able to find. Gordon found some speed down the straightaway, but he wasn’t able to muster enough strength to hold back Patrick’s lap. Patrick held off Gordon by 0.033 seconds to earn the pole position.
The 2011 Daytona 500 champion, Trevor Bayne will start his third 500 from the third position.
“I am happy to get a Ford up there because it wasn’t looking good up there at the beginning. We have the 1963 paint scheme here and all kinds of good stuff going on. I am proud to be a part of it.” Bayne said.
Rounding out the remaining top-10 were Ryan Newman, Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and the reigning/defending two-time Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth.
“It was exactly what I thought we were going to run. We were all in the trailer guessing what we were going to run and I guess they were right on. Not that that means anything, but you’ve got to have something to do on a full day at Daytona. It was pretty good.” Kenseth said.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified in the 11th position.
It could have been a Stenika front row so it appeared when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got on the track, but he bobbled going into turn-3 ever so slightly and had to settle for 12th.
Brian Keselowski almost didn’t attempt to qualify because of electrical issues, but had help from Carl Edwards to get the car re-fired, but had the slowest lap of the field. He ran about five seconds slower than Patrick’s pole speed.
The Gatorade Duels are Thursday and will determine the starting positions from 3-43. And to round out pole qualifying here at Daytona, we have your notables. Johnson (21st), Keselowski (23rd), Harvick (25th), Biffle (27th), Waltrip (31st), Kurt Busch (33rd)
