by Kelli Bennett Sat, 2016-07-02 13:21
Daytona International Superspeedway can be a cruel and unforgiving host for NASCAR drivers but Friday night it was kind to Florida-native Aric Almirola once again. Almirola grabbed his lone Sprint Cup victory at the 2.5-mile restrictor plate speedway after rain caused the race to be called. The driver of the No. 98 Fresh from Florida Ford drove to victory lane once again at Daytona by leading when it mattered in the Xfinity series' Subway Firecracker 250.
Almirola, who was credited with an Xfinity series win at the Milwaukee Mile in 2007 despite Denny Hamlin finishing the race, believes this win is satisfying because there's no doubting the circumstances of the finish.
"I'm so glad to be back in Victory Lane here at Daytona," Almirola said. "This is such a special place for me. I won my first Cup race here two years ago, and for me, this is my first XFINITY win. I know I have a win, but there's always been an asterisk next to it. I hated the fact that I got credit for that. When they called me the winner, I didn't want any of the credit. (Almirola's then crew chief) Dave Rogers actually got the trophy. They tried to give me the trophy, but I didn't want it. I didn't think I deserved to win the race, because I wasn't in the car when the race was over.
Written by Tom Higgins Fri, 2016-07-01 14:26
I imagine all NASCAR fans know the details of Richard Petty’s 200th and final Cup Series victory.
As a refresher:
It happened on July 4, 1984 at Daytona International Speedway in the Pepsi Firecracker 400.
King Richard and longtime rival Cale Yarborough were locked in a tight battle for the lead as the laps wound down. With three laps remaining at the famous 2.5-mile track driver Doug Heveron flipped near the start/finish line, forcing a yellow flag. Under rules in effect at that time, it was obvious that whoever got back to the line first would win the race.
Written by Monte Dutton Thu, 2016-06-30 17:07
Look, I get it. Your favorite drivers are fading away. Jeff Gordon brought you into this sport, or, when your hero, Dale Earnhardt died, you latched onto Junior, and, now, dad-blame it and what-not, he's 41.
Forty-one! F-O-R-T-Y! O-N-E! Where did the time go?
Gordon's retired, and Junior's 41, and I ain't feeling so hot myself.
Written by Tom Higgins Wed, 2016-06-29 09:26
I ‘d barely made the late afternoon airline flight direct from Daytona Beach to Charlotte.
It had been a hectic, sweaty dash from the press box at Daytona International Speedway, where the Pepsi Firecracker 400 had been run earlier in the day, to the airport terminal a few hundred yards from the famous track’s third turn.
A bit after the plane got airborne on July 4, 1985, the flight attendants began service in the cabin. Thankfully, it finally came my turn to order. I needed a cold adult beverage.
Tue, 2016-06-28 15:26
Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. will conduct a public autograph session at the Daytona Beach Furniture Row Shopping Center on Saturday, July 2 from 1-2 p.m. ET.
by Kelli Bennett Mon, 2016-06-27 13:38
May of 2013.
It's been a while but Tony Stewart was determined to park his No. 14 Chevrolet SS in Victory Lane again before the end of his storied Sprint Cup career. Stewart accomplished this goal in Sunday's Toyota/Save-Mart 350 from Sonoma Raceway.
The win snaps a 84-race drought for the three-time Sprint Cup champion which spanned three years and also propels him one step closer to becoming eligible for NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. Similar to last year's champion, Kyle Busch, Stewart needs a win and to be inside the top 30 in driver points to be eligible for NASCAR's playoff format.
Sun, 2016-06-26 14:42
Kyle Busch Motorsports' Christopher Bell outlasted multiple late race cautions to grab the win at Gateway Motorsports park. The win is Bell's first career victory on pavement and all but clinches his spot in the Camping World Truck Series' inaugural Chase for the Championship.
While drivers near the rear of the field saw tempers flare and fists fly, 20-year old Bell kept his cool and drove away from second place finisher and pole-sitter Ben Rhodes on his way to KBM's 50th win as a race team -- the win ties KBM with Roush-Fenway Racing for most wins in series history.
“This one is for my guys here," Bell said. "My guys deserve this one. We’ve been so fast all year long and I just kept making a lot of mistakes, but I just can’t say thank you enough to all the guys at Toyota, TRD (Toyota Racing Development), JBL, everyone at KBM, all my pit-crew guys. They did an awesome job tonight and track position was everything. We got awesome motors underneath the hood of these things. All the guys at JGR, they never give up and keep digging.”
Written by Tom Higgins Sat, 2016-06-25 14:26
Attention, dear readers!
It's time once more for another of Ol' Perfesser Higgins' occasional pop quizzes.
The subject concerns the NASCAR Cup Series' visits to road courses in California.
The test is timed to coincide with the teams' annual visit on June 26 to the Wine Country and Sonoma Raceway north of San Francisco for the Toyota/Save Mart 300.
Thu, 2016-06-23 12:15
Introducing Quick Fuel Technology Roller-Bearing Throttle Shafts designed for smoother and more precise throttle control.
Written by Monte Dutton Wed, 2016-06-22 14:26
As impossible as this is to believe, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series did not hold a race on Father's Day weekend. It took some time off, presumably so that the stock car greats could acclimate themselves to their first road race of the season but more likely because they needed to try on their new bathing suits.
Odd. People seldom bathe in bathing suits. They drive on parkways and park in driveways but seldom rest in restrooms. Lots of them ain't got no sense. Some of them ain't no count. The English language. Can't live with it. Can't live without it.
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