SPRINT CUP SERIES OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS from the POCONO 400

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OFFICIAL RACE REPORT No. 14
33RD ANNUAL POCONO "400"
POCONO RACEWAY

Long Pond, PA - June 8, 2014
2.5-Mile Triangular Paved
160 Laps - 400 Miles Purse: $5,092,151

Dale Earnhardt Jr. cinched is place in the Chase by winning the Pocono 400, his 21st NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win. And he did it in a wonderfully dramatic fashion, taking advantage of an overheating issue that Brad Keselowski was developing.  Keselowski was looking to dislodge some debris from his grill and let Jr. pass him, but Jr. would not let him catch up to use his draft to remove the debris. 

Junior Nation can rest easy now, Dale is IN the Chase.  (1 win will probably get a driver in, but 2 cinches it,)

Prior to the start of the Pocono 400, the #33 dropped to the back of the pack for an unapproved adjustment.

TIME OF RACE:2 hours, 52 minutes, 7 seconds      
AVERAGE SPEED:139.44 mph     
MARGIN OF VICTORY:0.439 second(s)
COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD:  Denny Hamlin (181.415 mph. 49.610 secs.)

Caution Flags: 7 cautions for 26 laps. [Beneficiary in Brackets]
33-35 (Attend To Infield Fire, Turn 3 [34]); 61-64 (Debris Turn 3 [18]);
73-75 (Debris Turn 1 [38]);                  81-83 (Car #77 Spin Turn 1 [20]);
119-122 (Oil On The Track [34]);             138-141 (Car #10 Accident Turn 3 [4]);
144-148 (Car #5, 18, 99 Accident Turn 2 [32]).

Lap Leaders:  21 lead changes among 10 drivers.
Hamlin-pole,     Keselowski 1-56,      J. Gordon 57,        Stewart 58,
Hamlin 59-61,    Keselowski 62-75,     Stewart 76-83,       Ku. Busch 84-88,
Stewart 89-95,   Hamlin 96,            Earnhardt Jr 97-100, Vickers 101,
Larson 102-108,  Johnson 109-111,      Stewart 112-119,     Keselowski 120-128,
Earnhardt Jr 129-130, Johnson 131-132, J. Gordon 133,       Allgaier 134-139,
Keselowski 140-155, Earnhardt Jr 156-160.

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Fin		Car				Series		Leader
Pos		No		Driver	Laps	Points	Status	Laps
1	-	88	-	Dale Earnhardt Jr	160	47	Running	11
2	-	2	-	Brad Keselowski	160	44	Running	95
3	-	41	-	Kurt Busch	160	42	Running	5
4	-	11	-	Denny Hamlin	160	41	Running	4
5	-	42	-	Kyle Larson #	160	40	Running	7
6	-	48	-	Jimmie Johnson	160	39	Running	5
7	-	31	-	Ryan Newman	160	37	Running
8	-	24	-	Jeff Gordon	160	37	Running	2
9	-	78	-	Martin Truex Jr	160	35	Running
10	-	1	-	Jamie McMurray	160	34	Running
11	-	15	-	Clint Bowyer	160	33	Running
12	-	18	-	Kyle Busch	160	32	Running
13	-	14	-	Tony Stewart	160	32	Running	24
14	-	4	-	Kevin Harvick	160	30	Running
15	-	17	-	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	160	29	Running
16	-	16	-	Greg Biffle	160	28	Running
17	-	3	-	Austin Dillon #	160	27	Running
18	-	34	-	David Ragan	160	26	Running
19	-	55	-	Brian Vickers	160	26	Running	1
20	-	7	-	Michael Annett #	160	24	Running
21	-	47	-	AJ Allmendinger	160	23	Running
22	-	43	-	Aric Almirola	160	22	Running
23	-	13	-	Casey Mears	160	21	Running
24	-	9	-	Marcos Ambrose	160	20	Running
25	-	20	-	Matt Kenseth	160	19	Running
26	-	27	-	Paul Menard	160	18	Running
27	-	51	-	Justin Allgaier #	160	18	Running	6
28	-	38	-	David Gilliland	160	16	Running
29	-	32	-	Travis Kvapil	160	15	Running
30	-	26	-	Cole Whitt #	159	14	Running
31	-	23	-	Alex Bowman #	159	13	Running
32	-	83	-	Ryan Truex #	159	12	Running
33	-	40	-	Landon Cassill	158	0	Running
34	-	36	-	Reed Sorenson	158	10	Running
35	-	98	-	Josh Wise	158	9	Running
36	-	66	-	Timmy Hill	158	8	Running
37	-	10	-	Danica Patrick	158	7	Running
38	-	44	-	J.J. Yeley	157	0	Running
39	-	33	-	Alex Kennedy	156	5	Running
40	-	22	-	Joey Logano	150	4	Engine
41	-	99	-	Carl Edwards	143	3	Accident
42	-	5	-	Kasey Kahne	142	2	Accident
43	-	77	-	Dave Blaney	142	1	Running

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2014 Daytona 500 Official Race Results and Notes

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OFFICIAL RACE REPORT No. 1
56TH ANNUAL DAYTONA "500"
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Daytona Beach, FL - February 23, 2014
2.5-Mile Oval; 200 Laps - 500 Miles Purse: $19,784,864

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Race Comments: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 56th running of the Daytona 500, his 20th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Prior to the green flag to start the event, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reason indicated: #10, 14, 52 (Unapproved Engine Change), #48, 78, 15, 1, 66, 34 (Back-Up Car).

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Fans had to endure a long day of racing, both at the track and on the couch, but we endured.  Fans at the track had a more exciting time as they were asked to evacuate the stands as weather warnings were issued for the red flag.  I saw pics online where someone snapped a pic of a funnel a few miles beyond the far side of track.  One person tweeted that they were instructed to get in their cars and put their seat belts on.  Zoinks.

Beyond the storm, we had a different kind of development on the track.  Martin Truex in his first 2014 season points race on his new team went out early, then other name-drivers started getting caught up in situations.

When Danica went out, well, Richard was probably muttering something to himself about other drivers on the track.  Then Tony Stewart went out, and I was starting to worry about the other drivers.

We had a few "exciting" accidents there were replayed liberally by Fox, but in the end, Jr Nation was finally vindicated as Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his second Daytona 500.

You realize that he now stepped out from under his father's shadow by winning his second 500?

And those final laps were nerve racking.  Even though ever since the Gen-6 car came along and Cup plate races have had very little race-ending drama.  But this one, with that last lap restart, had more drama than the last few races.

That being said, conspiracy theorists be damned, check out some official stats and details from the 2014 Daytona 500:

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Fin				Leader
Pos	Driver	Laps	Status	Times	Laps
1	Dale Earnhardt Jr	200	Running	6	54
2	Denny Hamlin	200	Running	3	16
3	Brad Keselowski	200	Running	4	13
4	Jeff Gordon	200	Running
5	Jimmie Johnson	200	Running	2	15
6	Matt Kenseth	200	Running
7	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	200	Running
8	Greg Biffle	200	Running	3	8
9	Austin Dillon #	200	Running	1	1
10	Casey Mears	200	Running
11	Joey Logano	200	Running	1	2
12	Landon Cassill	200	Running
13	Kevin Harvick	200	Running
14	Jamie McMurray	200	Running
15	Bobby Labonte	200	Running
16	Reed Sorenson	200	Running
17	Carl Edwards	200	Running	3	8
18	Marcos Ambrose	200	Running
19	Kyle Busch	200	Running	5	19
20	Terry Labonte	200	Running
21	Kurt Busch	199	Running	1	15
22	Ryan Newman	199	Running
23	Alex Bowman #	198	Running
24	Josh Wise	196	Running
25	Brian Scott	196	Running
26	AJ Allmendinger	194	Running	1	1
27	Justin Allgaier #	193	Accident	3	4
28	Cole Whitt #	193	Accident
29	Parker Kligerman #	193	Accident
30	Brian Vickers	192	Running
31	Kasey Kahne	192	Running	2	2
32	Paul Menard	184	Running	3	29
33	Trevor Bayne	183	Accident	1	2
34	David Ragan	176	Running
35	Tony Stewart	174	Running
36	David Gilliland	171	Running
37	Michael Annett #	161	Accident
38	Kyle Larson #	160	Accident
39	Aric Almirola	146	Accident	1	5
40	Danica Patrick	145	Accident	1	2
41	Michael Waltrip	144	Accident	2	4
42	Clint Bowyer	127	Engine
43	Martin Truex Jr	30	Engine

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Dale Earnhardt Jr To Have Justice League Member On His Hood

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Have Another Justice League Member On His Hood at Michigan International Speedway this upcoming weekend.

Last year Dale Earnhardt Jr took to Michigan and dominated the race, and his sponsor for that race was The Dark Knight Rises.  It was an awesome looking paint scheme and Dale Jr. took it to victory lane.

This year Dale Jr is headed to Michigan, this time in a new car type, and a different member of the Justice League on his hood:  Superman.

To be more specific, Dale Jr will be carrying the National Guard "Soldier of Steel" Superman logo on his hood.

On a side note:  I've been seeing early reviews of Man of Steel, and if anyone was thinking of seeing the movie, I don't think you'll be disappointed.  Early reviews are looking pretty good. -Bruce

Phoenix 2012 - Photos From The Track

Hey all...  my buddy Leon Hammack is hanging out at Phoenix this weekend and he was hanging out in all the right places.  And he thought of us in the process and sent me a few pics to share with everyone.

Below are just a few of the pics he sent...  

Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevy:

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Ryan Newman's No 39 Chevy:

 Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No 88 Chevy:

Danica Patrick's No 10 Chevy:

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There are many more over on NASCAR Bits & Pieces Facebook Page Album.   Thanks to Leon Hammack (Working On My Redneck) for the photos!
 
-Bruce

Earnhardt Jr. Cleared To Drive

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been medically cleared to get back into the No. 88 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports.  This clearance comes in time for the upcoming Martinsville race this weekend.

Dale Jr. has missed two races (Charlotte and Kansas) due to concerns regarding repetitive concussive events until he recovered from symptoms he started noticing after the Talladega event.  (Headaches)

It will be good to see him back behind the wheel, even if I'm just a little worried about it.
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via press release

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been medically cleared to return to NASCAR competition and will be back in the seat of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Per NASCAR policy, NASCAR's medical liaison office received official notification of his clearance to resume racing late this morning. Earnhardt announced Oct. 11 that he would miss two races (Charlotte and Kansas) while he was recovering from a concussion.

A Sponsor Surprise: Dale Jr's Pepsi Sponsorship Is Cutting Back

News on the street is that Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Pepsico (Pepsi based products, aka, Mountain Dew, AMP) are going to be cutting back on how often they back NASCAR's most popular driver.

In previous years they had adorned the hood on 20 races for Earnhardt Jr., and 2 races for Jeff Gordon, under the Hendrick Motorsports roof.

But now they seem to be cutting back and wrangling a deal for next year that will be valued at around $10 million where they will only be on Earnhardt Jr.'s car 5 times in a year, twice on Jeff Gordon's car and once on Kasey Kahne's car.

And for the first time in a long time, I'm surprised by the actions taken by a sponsor.

In all the other race teams, I've not been too surprised when sponsors change up their terms/appearnaces on the metal of a car.  Even when they leave a team or the sport.

These economic times dictate shrewd financial tactics to keep an organization's money used in the best way possible.  The bottom line is profit vs. costs.

For some companies, the money spent to advertise is well spent.  Ask the TV advertising industry, where they spent $19 billion in fees on TV ads for the present season alone.  All to push ads in the viewers faces while watching either basic of cable TV.

It's worth it to the advertisers so they do it.  So too, do advertisers drop bucks to put their logos on car hoods.  Heck if it weren't for sponsors, I'm not sure how NASCAR would survive in the world of TV.  It costs more money then they make with racing prize funds to keep teams afloat.  Which in and of itself, is a precarious business model if you step back and look at it the whole picture.

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But I never considered any of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s sponsors to be in such a state that they would not stick with NASCAR's most popular driver.  Dale Jr.'s fans, Junior Nation, are part of the NASCAR fan package.  The sport known for having the most loyal fans to sponsors, because we appreciate their monies, keeping our favored drivers in the race.

But when PepsiCo starts restructuring their sponsorship with Dale Jr. and the team in general, I'm not sure if that's saying something about Dale Jr., HMS or the sponsor themselves.

Dale Jr. is in the Chase for the Cup, but he's out of contention due to his concussion  But he was in contention.  That was great for his fan-demographic of the sport.  And this year was looking good for Dale Jr., but now I wonder how folks are feeling about him and his future.  Will concussions end his driving career?  Or will he keep going?  If he stops driving, what happens to NASCAR?  I only ask that because his product sales make up a huge bulk of the novelty sales.

Or is PepsiCo feeling unsure of Dale Jr. and wants to spread the love around on other drivers, while saving money cutting back on Dale Jr.'s sheet metal time?

Or is PepsiCo in enough trouble to warrant this change?

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At the moment, this leaves over 10 (I think 13) races that are not covered by a sponsor for Dale Earnhardt Jr..  I can't imagine someone won't jump on this exposure opportunity.  But then again, I've been surprised by sponsors.

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[aol.sportingnews]

The Companies of Dale Earnhardt Jr Allows His To Be Able To Afford Sitting Out...

Obviously when Dale Earnhardt Jr. found himself smacked around a bit at the last Talladega race, and it was obviously a warning sign to him, when what he called a not so hard hit gave him headaches.  The concerns were the proximity in time between hits and the headache he started experiencing after the Talladega wreck. After seeing a doctor, Dale Jr. subsequently pulled himself from the car for the next two weeks, at the minimum.

Brain injuries are a scary and serious situation to consider and it takes foresight to be concerned about his long term brain health.

When you think about it, when you watch sports where hard bodily contact occurs, you don't really dwell on the future of those athletes, just the entertainment they provided for that moment.  So when Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he was stepping down for a few weeks, his announcement was applauded by peers and the media alike.  But later, when Jeff Gordon was asked if he would have stepped down during the chase, he said he probably would not have said anything. The Chase is big.  Winning the championship is a lifetime title. (Plus an added draw for sponsors.)

But I dare bet that there are a lot of drivers whose livelihood would be threatened if they took time out of their seat due to an injury like this.

A race team though, has to go on.  They have to keep their sponsors happy and keep the team employed.  If a driver stays out too long or too often, they could find themselves replaced.  It's the name of the game when it comes to independent contractors.  IE:  They don't have sick days and pretty much have to show up to "work" every single day.

As the general perspective for Earnhardt Jr.'s decision was supportive as the smart decision, the reality of it is that not many drivers have the luxury to take a bye like this.  But Dale Jr. can.  This is why:

The Companies Dale Earnhardt Jr. Owns, Is Invested In, Or Has A Percentage Of, Or that he's contracted by:

• He has a solid set of partnership contracts with HMS,
• He's got a percentage of all novelty and apparel sales coming in (He owns his likeness and name),
• Owns Hammerhead Entertainment, a media production company (Customer list includes AMP Energy, Diet Mountain Dew, GoDaddy.com, Hellmann's, Hendrick Motorsports, JR Motorsports, National Guard, Nationwide Insurance, SPEED, Suave and TaxSlayer.com);
• Voodoo Ride, a car care company,
• I believe he's a partner in Spy Optic,
• American Racing Custom Wheels distributes Dale Earnhardt Jr. Custom Wheels,
• A Partner with investors for Alabama Motorsports Park, A Dale Earnhardt Jr Speedway.
• (The same investor group was looking at Memphis Motorsports Park a few years ago)
• Owns a bar named Whisky River, (With two locations)
• Co-Owns Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet & Dale Earnhardt Jr. Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Tallahassee, Florida (With Rick Hendrick)
• Owns DEJ Reality
• Owns JR Motorsports Nationwide team
• Don't forget his professional partnerships/contracts with Wrangler, GoDaddy, Degree Antiperspirant, Hellman's, Nationwide, TaxSlayer, AMP, National Guard and Mtn Dew.

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So if you're worried about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s professional income and his ability to stay afloat, don't fret.

But as far as setting an example for other drivers regarding taking a bye, I don't think most other drivers have the resources to be brave enough to step out of a car to heal an invisible head wound.  And that's a scary thought for them.

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(Dale Earnhardt Jr companies)

Dale Earnhardt Jr Concussion - He's Out Of Car & This Impacts More than Team

With Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s concussion that is forcing him to step out of the No. 88 Chevy for the next few weeks is an interesting or important event.  But how important?  If you think about it, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stepping out of the car impacts

• His own day
• The team, Hendrick Motor Sports
• The sport, NASCAR as folks look at the company's response to this situation,
• And possibly any motorsport.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. having a concussion that pulls him out of a car is big news.  Dale Jr. is THE name driver of NASCAR and this event will span not just headlines within NASCAR, but headlines around the world.  And people will start looking at this aspect of the sport.  And no, Talladega didn't cause it... it was brewing from an earlier hit at Kansas in a tire test.

Sure, there are safety systems in place to help the driver survive crashes, but they're designed to prevent whiplash effects on the body itself.  But when the body stops suddenly, the brain still sloshes around.  I had a bicycle accident where I went from 30 to 0 instantly. I never hit my head, but the sudden stop gave me a doozy of a spin cycle in my brain and I had a concussion from the sudden stop.

Some folks are saying he needs to man up.  Sure, ask Rusty Wallace about that.  He had issues with shaking his head and getting dizzy for 15 years.  So one has to look down the road and not ignore the idea of the quality of life in the golden years.

It doesn't make the headlines often, but if you look around, I'm betting there are a lot of old football players that aren't doing too well. 

Many are saying kudos to Earnhardt Jr. for getting out of the car, but in the reality of the game, he can.  Other drivers who aren't on the radar don't have this luxury.  If they get out of a car, does their replacement do better than they do?  Or are they not missed by the sponsor.  Right now, Regan Smith is sitting in the No. 88.  His new ride, the No. 51, where he was taking over for Kurt Busch, will have A.J. Allmendinger driving for him.  ( I saw twitter reports that AJ couldn't reach the pedals and they were scrambling to fix the car for that)

This kind of smart move is something Dale can do.  Can or will other drivers do this?  It's not the kind of job you can call in sick, you only get in the seat 36 official times a year.  Period.

Hopefully we'll see Dale Jr. back in the car in the right amount of time to safely compete again.  Not the soonest amount of time, but the best amount of time.  And hope we don't have too many other guys out there driving dizzy or with headaches.

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But these things are nothing to mock about.  People who don't remember family or friends from good hits is a scary situation.  Having your career pulled up because of concussions is not a great experience.

Right now, his doctor's orders are to do nothing and rest his brain.  No video games, nothing mentally challenging.  They say he feels fine, so it's not like he's staggering around and not knowing anyone.  This is a purely precautionary move that he gets out of the car.

And now, it's time for Regan Smith to shine, as he takes over the No. 88 wheel.  And what's cool, is that HMS went after him...  that says something about him I'd think.