It’s Bristol, Baby: ‘Bad Brad’ Goes Back-to-Back in Thunder Valley

On Saturday night, Brad Keselowski tweeted that his Sprint Cup Series car was the best he’d ever had in his career. On Sunday afternoon, he proved it by winning the Food City 500, making it back-to-back wins at the famed Tennessee bullring. The driver of the “blue deuce” led 232 laps en route to his fifth career victory in NASCAR’s elite series.

The race didn’t start off all rosy for Kez though. On lap 24, Kasey Kahne and Regan Smith got together right in front of him, almost taking him out of the race. Fortunately he sustained minor damage and was able to continue on, obviously. The same couldn’t be said for Kahne, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Marcos Ambrose, and Kevin Harvick, all of whom sustained significant damage in the wreck. Harvick, however, rallied from lengthy stops on Pit Road to repair the damage and finished 11^th.

Perhaps the biggest surprise wasn’t the driver who ended up in Victory Lane, but the one who started 2012 without a ride at all. Just days after announcing his partnership with Michael Waltrip Racing for six races this season, Brian Vickers ran up front all day, leading 125 laps and finishing fifth. In fact, all three of the MWR cars finished in the top five, with Martin Truex, Jr. and Clint Bowyer finishing third and fourth, respectively. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing also had a great showing as both Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya finishing in the top-10, showing much improvement over their previous weeks’ performances. 

However, the race itself didn’t seem like the good ol’ Bristol we knew and loved. Sunday’s race showed longer green flag runs, different pit strategy, and only five caution flags. If that was a good thing is a different story for a different day, but if you ask Brad, I’m sure it was just fine for him.

Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Brad Keselowski takes a Twitpic for @keselowski amidst the 

celebration following his win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 

on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.

So who walks away with the checkers and who ends up on the wrecker this week? The results may surprise you… Then again, maybe not.

Checkers: Welcome back, Brian Vickers. After suffering from near-fatal blood clots that sidelined him for most of the 2010 season, to losing his Red Bull Racing ride at the end of last season, to contending for the win on Sunday, it is obvious that the word “quit” is not in his vocabulary. I bet even Matt Kenseth was proud of him as well. One thing is for sure though… Vickers belongs in this sport. I hope someone comes to bat and offers him a legitimate full time ride.

Wreckers: Poor Kasey Kane cannot catch a break so far this year, hitting just about everything but the lottery. He has had great cars and even a pole at Phoenix, but it seems like Lady Luck is not on his side. However, I have faith in the #5, and I think he will redeem himself this upcoming weekend in California, where he has run very well in the past. There is still a lot of racing left in 2012.

Brian Vickers to Drive Six Races for MWR in 2012

As posted by Brian Vickers himself on his Facebook fan page:

CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing announced today that Brian Vickers will drive the team’s No. 55 Toyota Camry in six NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2012 beginning at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 18.

Vickers will also race the No. 55 at the August Bristol event as well as each of the two races at Martinsville Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway this season.

“I am thrilled to get back behind the wheel of not just a race car, but a very fast race car,” said Vickers who earned Toyota Racing Development its first Chase for the Sprint Cup entry in 2009. 

“I’m lucky to find a ride of this quality so early in the season. That Toyota won the pole last weekend in Phoenix and you saw it up front throughout the race. I know how good (crew chief) Rodney Childers and team are. I’ve known Rodney since I was eight years old. This car is tied for sixth in points right now. This is going to be fun. I appreciate the opportunity Michael and the entire MWR organization are giving me.” 

Vickers, 28, owns two victories and 11 poles. Until this season, the Thomasville, N.C. native competed full time in the Sprint Cup Series for eight years. In 2011, he scored three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

Vickers began his Sprint Cup career in 2003 driving for Hendrick Motorsports before moving to Red Bull Racing in 2007. Vickers has raced only Toyotas since the manufacturer entered Sprint Cup competition in 2007. 

“Brian Vickers is a veteran driver with almost 10 years experience, but he hasn’t even turned 30 yet,” said MWR owner Michael Waltrip.

“He’s shown he can win at this level and we have every confidence he’ll run well with us. I believe in second chances and this is great opportunity for us and Brian. He wants to show the world how good he really is and we believe in the equipment and people we’re putting him with in 2012.”

Waltrip drove the No. 55 in the Budweiser Shootout and will run in four more races in 2012. Mark Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races plus the All Star Race in Charlotte. MWR will name a driver for two road course events later.

I'm so happy to hear that Brian has landed a ride for at least some races in 2012. Let's hope this leads to more great opportunities for him. I wish him nothing but the best of luck.

Smith, Menard Escape Injuries in Colorado Road Accident

Courtesy of the Furniture Row Racing's Facebook Page:

"NASCAR drivers Regan Smith and Paul Menard, along with Smith’s wife Megan and a friend of the Smiths, escaped injuries in a Colorado road accident today (Wednesday, approximately 8:45 a.m. MT). The foursome was on the way to a nearby ski slope. 

Smith lost control of his Silverado truck after hitting a patch of ice near his mountain home in Evergreen, outside of Denver. The truck slid off the road and crashed into a collection of trees.

Smith and Menard will compete in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith drives the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing while Menard drives the No. 27 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing."


I'm glad to hear that everybody involved was ok and that both Regan and Paul will race this weekend in Las Vegas. Cars are replaceable... people are not! 

Hamlin, Sadler Rise From the Ashes With Wins at PIR

It is no secret that Phoenix International Raceway is a place where many a winless streak has been broken, hence its name being very fitting to those looking to rise from the ashes of tattered pasts. This weekend was no exception as Elliott Sadler and Denny Hamlin took home the hardware in Saturday and Sunday’s races in “The Valley of The Sun.”

In his first Nationwide Series win since visiting Victory Lane at Rockingham in October 1998, Elliott Sadler held off a hard-charging Brad Keselowski to win the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200. The Richard Childress Racing driver essentially ended his championship hopes last November after being in a late-race crash, something he can put behind him now that he’s captured that elusive first win with his new team (Kevin Harvick, Inc. closed shop after the 2011 season and its operations were moved to RCR).

Another driver looking for redemption at PIR was Denny Hamlin. After a disappointing finish there in 2010, Hamlin’s Sprint Cup Series title chances were dashed, causing him to lose the Sprint Cup by only 39 points to eventual champion Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin, looking for a new start after a dismal 2011, teamed up with defending championship crew chief Darian Grubb; they started the season with a fourth-place finish in the Daytona 500.

The #11 team was able to improve on last week’s impressive start by winning Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500, just their second race with its fearless new leader.  Hamlin ran up front all day and led the final 58 laps en route to his 18^th career Sprint Cup Series victory. After leading the most laps in the race, Kevin Harvick finished second, despite running out of fuel coming to the white flag.  Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five. Hamlin leads Biffle in the point standings by six going into this weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

So who gets the checkers and who ends up with wreckers this week? There were a lot of contenders for each, but I can only choose one, so here it goes:

Checkers: Without a doubt, this goes to Darian Grubb. After being released from Stewart Haas Racing at the end of the 2011 season, he made the move to Joe Gibbs Racing and the #11 team of Denny Hamlin. Sunday’s win is Grubb’s sixth in the past twelve races, not to mention with two different drivers. I expect a big year from him and his new team.

Wreckers: It was a rough weekend for Grubb’s former boss, Tony Stewart. After having mechanical issues associated with trying to save fuel, Stewart finished two-laps down in 22^nd, just one spot behind his teammate Ryan Newman. Newman backed his #39 Chevy into the wall after contact with Carl Edwards late in the race. After wrecking his primary car in Friday’s practice and crashing the backup on Sunday, the SHR body shop, and Stewart’s checkbook, will be working overtime this week.

Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

Denny Hamlin celebrates his first victory and seventh top-10 finish in 14 races on Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway. He is the seventh consecutive different winner at the Avondale, Ariz. facility.

How High Are Gas Prices??

Matt Kenseth appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno this week. After taking home over $1.5 million from winning the Daytona 500, I don't think Matt will have to worry about gas prices that much. 

Matt Kenseth on the Tonight Show

If you don't already, you should follow Matt on Twitter (@mattkenseth). He's got that dry sense of humor that I find hilarious. One of the funniest guys in the garage, that's for sure. 

Move Over Adele: NASCAR Sets Fire to the Rain in Wacky Season Opener

I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain… and just about everything else at this point.

Last night, Darrell Waltrip was right on the money when he said we would be seeing something never seen before in NASCAR. But who would have thought it would involve a jet dryer, some Tide, a twitpic, and a couple forklifts… amongst other things?

Approximately 36 hours after it was originally slated to start due to rain, the 54^th Daytona 500 ended with Matt Kenseth capturing his second victory in the Great American Race, and first with new sponsor Best Buy on the hood of his #17 Ford Fusion.  The unintentional debut of “Monday Night NASCAR” caught the attention of millions of people across the country, with some dubbing it the second coming of the 1979 event; a race that helped propel the sport into the powerhouse it is today.

One of the biggest surprises of the night didn’t include those who were up front at the end of the race, but of those whose night ended virtually before it began. Several big names were taken out of contention after a crash on just the second lap of the 200-lap event. After a nudge from Elliott Sadler, five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson slammed head-first into the outside wall, collecting David Ragan, Kurt Busch, defending 500 winner Trevor Bayne, and rookie-sensation Danica Patrick, who made her series debut Monday night. Busch, Patrick, and Bayne were able to continue after lengthy repairs, which put them several laps down and out of the running for the win. Later on in the race, three-time Daytona 500 champ Jeff Gordon lost an engine and his hopes for a fourth victory.

Perhaps the most bizarre moment came under caution on lap 159 when Juan Pablo Montoya lost control of his #42 Target Chevy and slammed into the back of a pickup truck equipped with a jet dryer, demolishing Montoya’s car and setting the truck ablaze. The winner of both the Indianapolis 500 and Grand Prix of Monaco complained of a vibration earlier in the race and was trying to diagnose the problem when something snapped in the rear-end, sending him barreling into the dryer. Both Montoya and truck driver Duane Barnes escaped serious injury, even though Barnes was sent to nearby Halifax Medical Center for further evaluation. The incident caused a red-flagged delay of over two hours while track crews worked to clean up the mess caused by the fire and almost 200 gallons of spilled diesel fuel.

During the delay, Brad Keselowski used his iPhone to snap a picture of the view from his car and tweet it, which created a viral reaction and gained him over 110,000 new followers in just over a few hours. Why he had his phone in his car is a mystery, but it provided much-needed entertainment to many of the drivers during the cleanup process. However, one can only wonder who the Penske driver was tweeting to at the time of his crash on lap 185… just kidding Brad!

Monday night proved that there is always a first time for everything. It was the first time in the history that the Daytona 500 was postponed to Monday because of rain, not to mention it was held in primetime, another first for the sport. It was also the first time since Dale Earnhardt, Jr. did it in 2004 when the winner of a Gatorade Duel race went on to win the 500. Let’s not forget the jet dryer incident, Twittergate, Danica Mania, the death of the two-car tango, and an almost-win for an underdog in Dave Blaney. There probably won’t be a race this crazy for years to come… but one should never say never.

It is hard to write about a race that leaves you at a loss for words, let alone pick out contenders for “Checkers and Wreckers”. After a few hours of sleep and a healthy dose of caffeine, I think I’ve nailed down my picks…

Checkers: Without a doubt this goes out to everyone involved in getting in the entire 200-lap race. Between NASCAR’s decision to hold the race on Monday night, to the staff at Daytona International Speedway for cleaning up the track as quickly and efficiently as possible, to FOX and all the media who stuck around to cover the action for countless hours, and to all the fans who chugged coffee and stayed up to see the exciting finish, this turned out to be one of the best Daytona 500s in history. 

We will be talking about this one for years and years to come.

Wreckers: It only takes “Juan” person to make headlines, am I right? Juan Pablo Montoya has won just about everything in racing, except a big stock car race. But last night he went down in a blaze of glory, taking a jet dryer and a couple hundred gallons of diesel fuel with him. I guess if you can’t win the race you might as well steal the show… Here’s to hoping JPM can finally find some luck in 2012.

Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR

Track workers clean Turn 3 at Daytona International Speedway after a mechanical failure to Juan Pablo Montoya's car caused it to slideinto a track dryer.

Earnhardt’s Legacy Lives on Through Safety Improvements in NASCAR

Who would have thought that The Intimidator could make things, well, less intimidating? Eleven years after his tragic death in the fourth turn at Daytona, Dale Earnhardt’s legacy still lives on through the numerous safety improvements implicated within NASCAR, as witnessed this week at the very track that took his life back in 2001. Through the vicious crashes that marred Thursday’s Gatorade Duels and last night’s Camping World Truck Series race, it is evident that NASCAR is much safer than it was just a few short years ago.

Granted, Dale Sr.’s death wasn’t the first of its kind in NASCAR, but it was the latest in a string of racing related deaths that forced the sport to radically change its safety practices. Through implications of the HANS device, SAFER barriers, carbon fiber seats, and the innovation of the “new” car, the drivers involved in those massive wrecks were able to walk away without harm.  In fact, after flipping his truck violently against the catch fence at the end of last night’s race, Joey Coulter bowed to the crowd before hopping into the ambulance for the mandatory ride to the infield care center. He later had this to say via twitter:

“@joeycoulter: Well that’s what I call a wild ride! Just so you know I’m ok no pain anywhere thanks for watching tonight great job by the @RCR22JCoulter guys”

Coulter’s wreck was the latest of the ones seen this week, and there are still two more races left of Daytona Speedweeks.  Thursday saw Danica Patrick careen into the inside wall on the backstretch on the last lap of the first Gatorade Duel, tearing her #10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet into pieces. She walked away and came back the next day to win the pole for today’s Drive4COPD 300. The pole sitter for last night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250, Miguel Paludo, slammed head-first into the inside wall in similar fashion to Patrick’s wreck, and after a few moments to catch his breath he was able to walk away. 

I’m not saying that NASCAR is completely safe, but if you look at the injury rates of its drivers compared to athletes in other sports, it is evident that NASCAR is doing everything in its power to keep both its competitors and spectators as safe as possible.  With the exception of Brad Keselowski’s crash during a test at Road Atlanta (which is not a NASCAR sanctioned track and doesn’t have the same safety features as those on the circuit), it seems as if the only driver injuries these days involve stepping on a Frisbee or playing basketball. Keeping injury rates that low while maintaining the high-level of competition is no easy task, which is why NASCAR is always seeking to improve the combination of the two.

If the past few days are any indicator of what to expect out of the final two races of the week, watch out for anyone and everyone. NASCAR Nation is in for a treat.

CHECKERS: Without a doubt, it goes to NASCAR and all the safety improvements they’ve made throughout the years.

WRECKERS: Well… there were a lot of them the past few days, and I assume they’re not done yet. Expect to see a lot of them today and tomorrow.

NextEra Energy Resources 250

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 24: Joey Coulter, driver of the #22 Mama Lucia Meatballs Chevrolet, flips in the air while James Buescher, driver of the #31 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet, spins on the final lap during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 24, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images