Keselowski, understandably frustrated after a day which saw him playing a fuel mileage gamble into a lead entering the final lap only to have a cut tire relegate him to a third-place finish behind winner Mark Martin, was miffed by what he saw as disrespect when he was not interviewed on TV following the race. Meanwhile, Patrick was surrounded by media after recording the highest finish by a woman in any of NASCAR’s major series in its sixty-three year history.

Keselowski, who won the Nationwide championship last year, started by saying:

Before broadcast ends I’ll go ahead and say tv skipped me for Danica. Imagine that…

Shortly thereafter, Keselowski attempted to make light of the situation by tweeting:

haha I hope! “@davgrant: @keselowski Well you probably don’t look as good as her in a bikini!”

Keselowski followed this with an exchange on Twitter with Allen Bestwick of ESPN. Bestwick asserted that the reason Keselowski wasn’t interviewed on ABC’s post-race show was because the crew sent to interview him was unable to locate him. Keselowski asserted he was at his car for a few minutes following the race’s conclusion, subsequently walking past an ESPN crew on his way to the track’s media center to talk with assorted print media members and then left the media center while the television broadcast was still on air.

Keselowski next “went there” with this tweet:

haha In fairness, She did run really well. “@charlotte_11N14: @keselowski they can’t admit they all have a hard on for Danica ~

From there, Keselowski apparently realized he needed to swiftly tone it down:

I truly am happy for her She ran well. “@smokinace88: @keselowski So you didnt like Danica getting a good place finish today?”

that’s for u the fan to decide… exactly y tv must treat us the same “@SpTfN: You don’t think she’s a bigger story than your flat today?

I concede, Def. A gr8 story But not the call out about being unavailable @JowersRN: I think Danica deserved the camera time over you today.

Interspersed with these tweets were retweets by NASCAR writers such as Tom Jensen, editor-in-chief at SPEEDtv.com, supporting Keselowski’s opinion.

The subject of whether Danica Patrick receives more publicity than is warranted has been a hot-button issue since she first came to prominence in IndyCar, intensifying since she added NASCAR participation to her racing resumé last year. A fact often lost in the furor over whether it’s how she handles the curves on a race track or displays her curves in assorted magazines that brings her the most attention is how Patrick is indeed a talented driver. Her greatly improved results this year in Nationwide, including her fourth-place finish yesterday in a race where even without a successful fuel mileage gamble she would have placed solidly in the top ten, provide ample testimony to this fact.

Keselowski is justified in feeling slighted by not making a post-race appearance on television yesterday. However, he would be well advised to keep his disappointment strictly a matter between himself and the broadcast networks, leaving Danica Patrick well out of it.

(Cross-posted at Examiner.com.)

The best Victory Lane celebration of 2010.

Given that the NASCAR season has yet to reach its conclusion, it might seem a bit early to write about the year’s highlight. There is however one event, one moment that shines far above all others, and anything that can possibly happen this weekend.

A reminder of this moment arrived on my doorstep yesterday in the form of an “as raced” version of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Wrangler car which he drove this past July in the Daytona Nationwide race. Despite my nickname I don’t buy much diecast these days; not that I’ve lost my enthusiasm for the hobby, but monetary and physical room constraints have taken precedence. Still, when this one was announced for pre-order I jumped on it right away. I had to have this car.

Had to.

Think back for a moment to the race in question, and all that had been building up prior to the drop of the green flag. Here you had NASCAR’s favorite son, the face of the sport, mired in a miserable slump now in its second year. The hateful harpies were in full voice as they screeched their contempt about the man. A hack. A has-been that never was. No talent. Riding on his daddy’s name. No guts.

Enter Daytona.

Kelley Earnhardt, Dale Jr.’s pragmatic, practical sister, had a plan. The first part involved much the same approach as when she worked out a deal to bring Danica Patrick into the sport. Namely, ignoring the critics. Who first came up with the idea was a bit fuzzy, but she knew what needed to be done to set it into action. No naysayers would distract her from her chosen path.

The 3. In her father’s famous blue and yellow Wrangler colors which he wore prior to becoming the man in black. At Daytona.

Where her father died.

To say it wouldn’t be easy was the biggest understatement of the year. She would have to convince Wrangler, which while boasting of Dale Jr. as one of its spokespersons hadn’t had its name on his car in any fashion for a long while, to come on board. It would involve a coordinated effort between three different race teams, working with individuals with whom professional and even more so personal relationships were at best delicate. However, even with all of the logistic obstacles laid out before her, hers was the easy task.

Her brother would have to drive the car.

This wasn’t 2003, when in a feel-good moment Dale Jr. drove a 3 sponsored by Oreos to victory in the February Busch race at Daytona. This was seven years and seven centuries of racing later. The fresh-faced kid was now a man who looked and often acted like someone fully aware of the burden laid on his shoulders. He was the one accused of being the linchpin of why NASCAR faced declining attendance and viewership. He was the one now being labeled as someone not only unable to live up to his heritage, but even to his own past record. Lose this race, regardless of the reason, and Earnhardt Jr. would endure the doubling of the doubter and scoffers chorus. Win, and it would be dismissed as restrictor plate gimmick racing against lesser competition.

In short, it was a race with nothing to lose, yet one Dale Jr. had to win.

He won.

In a year that’s been filled with far too many tears, some additional ones were shed when the checkered flag was waved as the 3 crossed the start/finish line first.

However, these were tears I didn’t mind.

For one brief beautiful moment, everything was right in NASCAR.

I was deliciously lost in that moment, reveling in the joy of a story no Hollywood scriptwriter would dare propose for fear of being laughed out of town. In a sport where so many things completely out of the participants control can go wrong, none of them did. Someone who had accepted an insane burden carried it all the way into Victory Lane. This wasn’t a moment of mere triumph in stock car racing. This was a triumph in sports the like of which is seldom seen, one where legacy, honor and courage all came together in a timeless moment of gasoline-fueled beauty.

It was everything good about the sport I love.

You can’t ask for more of a highlight than that.

I'm thinking the guy in red is closest to the trophy with good cause.

This weekend, the 2010 NASCAR season ends with all three major series running at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Homestead isn’t the most thrilling track on the circuit, but it’s not bad as far as longer tracks go. You occasionally get some decent action there other than when the canasta tournament at the nearby retirement center goes wild.

The track race today will conclude with Todd Bodine holding his second champions trophy in one hand and a “your name here” sign for potential sponsors on his truck in the other. It’s sad that a now two-time champion and his team have no idea whether they can afford to defend their title in 2011. But that’s the truck series, the unloved save by a small core of action-loving fans redheaded stepchild of NASCAR.

The Nationwide race tomorrow will feature Brad Keselowski hoisting what may well be the final trophy won by a Sprint Cup regular in the series. It’ll also be the last opportunity this year for sufferers of DDS (Danica Derangement Syndrome) to get their hatin’ on in-between sessions of hanging out in the chat rooms of teenagers online talk shows. Meanwhile back in the real world, being that it’s a bigger track, a top twenty finish for Danica isn’t out of the question, as she gains more of the stock car experience she’ll need a lot more of if she wants to progress in the sport.

And then there’s Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Can Jimmie Johnson run well at a track where in recent years he’s had nothing to do but loaf around? Will Denny Hamlin beat the competition or only himself? Will Kevin Harvick channel the man who he succeeded via winning by any means necessary? Or will we all take a nap as the whole thing plays out as a snoozefest? Hopefully not, but racing is weird that way. Intense excitement can neither be forced nor suppressed. In either case, it’s must see TV. As the cap’n says, stay tuned.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone.

October 7

Going To California

October 8

Fontana Friday Morning

A Relaxed Danica Patrick? Believe It

A Softer Side Of Carl Edwards

October 9

Kyle Busch Wins Race, Danica Patrick Real Winner At Auto Club

October 10

Tony Stewart Wins Smokin’ Hot Pepsi MAX 400 At Auto Club Speedway

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Life’s juxtapositions can create quite bizarre scenarios. Such was the case last Thursday morning.

There I was, heading down south to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California for my first time as an accredited media member covering NASCAR. Me. Diecast Dude. Accredited. Whodathunk.

Excited? Most definitely. Nervous? You betcha. Determined to do my absolute best? Absolutely. I had dreamt of, prayed for this opportunity. Living the dream? No way to know. Pursuing the dream to see where it may lead? Yes.

Then my brother called.

Our aunt was dead.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

My brother had taken the lead in tending to our aunt since she had become unable to take care of herself last year. Dementia had set in, robbing her of her dignity even as she was mercifully unaware her mind was going. Now she was gone in body as well.

Throughout, my brother had demonstrated strength by every right he shouldn’t have. Wracked by diabetic neuropathy and the onset of MS, nevertheless he did the work and then some needed. His faith in Christ empowered him. It encouraged me. My brother in every sense of the world; in blood, washed by the Blood, fellow right wing outlaw.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

I already had much on my mind heading into the weekend. Now I had even more alongside what had been laid on my heart and soul. Turning back and returning home wasn’t an option. The opportunity laid out before me had to be seized and seized now. I would need to postpone my grief. There were no other options.

I’ve occasionally noted for my own edification that for me, Diecast Dude is more than an oddball pen name. It’s an aspect of my persona. I haven’t been Diecast Dude very often for quite a while. Too busy with other things. Arguably more important ones, such as the book. Still, I rather missed mixing entertainment plus information centered around NASCAR along with sardonic combativeness and digressions into Spirit-desiring sentimentality. Now I needed to be that like never before.

I also needed my right hand to hold up under the ton of typing that awaited as I pounded out blog posts and tweets about the weekends events. Otherwise, I’d be all thumbs. As in writing everything on my iPhone, tapping away with my thumbs since that was the only way to avoid the sharp pains stabbing their way along my fingers. Which is slow going indeed.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

I logged on to Twitter and mentioned my aunt passing away. A few people responded with consolatory messages. To each of you, thank you. To those on Twitter who follow me but missed it because they weren’t logged in at the time, I know you would have said something.

To those on Twitter who follow me but either missed it or ignored it because they were too busy at CPAC…

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Well, it’s on me to forgive you.

It’s also on me to say, “Hey. What are you doing?” There’s nothing that can be done about what happened. Yeah, it hurt, but it’s over and gone.

What about the next time, though? What about the next person who makes public mention of loss? Will you treat that person the same way you treated me, so absorbed in yourself and whatever you’re doing at the moment you can’t take a moment to write a simple ‘I’m sorry’?

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

I had to put all that aside. Friday morning, there I was at the race track, press credentials and garage pass dangling from my neck in an improvised holder attached to a temporary lanyard. I got a real one at the end of the day. But back where I was: there I was, walking into the media center looking at people who before that moment were merely names on bylines. Now I was one of them.

As the weekend unfolded, while there were moments of pure fanboy fantasy (“Jeff. Gordon. Is. Sitting. Three. Feet. Away. From. Me. JEFF!!! GORDON!!!”) for the most part my time was spent doing what I’d come to do: observe, report, interact with other journalists and online with my fellow fans. Which I did as best I could. The hand pain delayed some writing, but it was all completed.

I met a few journalists, some of whom I’d had different levels of contact with online. They were all polite, some far above. Dustin Long is a true gentleman in every sense of the word. Nicole Manske helped me get in close enough to Jimmie Johnson when he was doing a brief presser behind his trailer in a noisy pit area so I could record the conversation. was gracious and friendly during Sunday’s race when we sat next to each other in the press box. Didn’t do as much one on one with drivers or crew chiefs as I would have liked, but I was able to find Robby Gordon and get a scoop.

Fundamental truth of the matter was even with the turbulence that enveloped me, I was savoring the experience of being where I had longed to be for years and finding it did not disappoint. Moments such as this are scarce commodities for most of us. Now I was in the midst of one. Nothing could steal my joy. The sorrows would be there to be dealt with upon my return. This was a time to celebrate.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

During the weekend, something that had been percolating since 2008 came to full brew. Racing news for the thinking unimpaired has returned. I’ve teamed up with my main man Bram Hume at Backstretch Motorsports. Our goal? Beside total world domination, it’s to be THE go-to site for racing news, information and opinion. A major task to be sure, and one that will involve much work. But if I want to pursue this dream, there is no option to doing the work. Bring it on.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

The weekend, of course, had to end. After the frenetic fun of Friday’s press conferences, the Nationwide race on Saturday during which I politely informed one and all on Twitter I’d be more than happy to repeat my defense of Danica Patrick in person, and Sunday’s torrent of tweeting during the race it was over. Time to pack up and head home to office demands and deadlines.

And funeral arrangements.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

None of us have a complete grasp on what’s going on, or why. We know as best we can the moment we’re in. But even that knowledge is extremely limited. Everything else may as well be lollipop dreams in a cotton candy sky. We are totally, wholly, utterly reliant on God.

Whether we know it or not.

but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

I don’t know why everything shook out the way it did this past weekend. I don’t know why this was the appointed time for my aunt to go to heaven, which is where I believe she is for she was a believer in Christ. I don’t know why a beloved online acquaintance went to the hospital Friday. I don’t know why the sister of my wife’s best friend, someone we knew, finally finished drinking herself to death Sunday. I don’t know why all this took place even as I was fulfilling a dream and started work toward making it my daily reality. I don’t know why one day I was in Disneyland and the next was at a funeral home.

I don’t know.

I know God knows, though.

That’s good enough.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

In the days of my youth I was a voracious reader, often reading the same book several times over. One of these was The Runaway Robot by Lester Del Rey. In it, the referred to runaway robot recalls a line he either heard or read once: ‘After a taste of freedom, captivity is no longer the same.’ While referring to my day job as captivity is ludicrous melodramatic bunk, now that I’ve sampled being a full-time NASCAR writer… ‘nuff said.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

It’s ironic that what is most feared in life, namely its conclusion, is in fact our greatest liberator. No one in their right mind wishes to hasten their demise. Yet in death not only are we promised eternity with Christ, we are promised the answers we could never know nor understand during our tenure on this planet. What’s more, we are promised the full embrace of Christ’s love for us.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

There was magic and loss this past weekend. I could have done without the latter. The former, though… the former made the latter a little easier to understand.

Anyway, quite the weekend to start off the season, what say? First there was the truck race… which became second due to the weather. Instead, first there was the Nationwide race, the only thing missing from which by ESPN’s perspective was Brett Farve as the grand marshal. All Danica, all the time.

It’s more than a little amusing to watch assorted members of the MSM pontificate about the overkill of Danica coverage even as they incessantly feed the machine. If said people were serious about such matters as promoting equal opportunity for female drivers, they’d be standing on street corners beating the drum 24/7 for Chrissy Wallace to get full-time sponsorship and a quality ride. Nothing against Rick Ware Racing; it’s terrific they’re giving Chrissy Wallace an opportunity. But we’re not talking championship caliber team come Nationwide time here.

Back to Chrissy, who last Saturday suffered a very premature exit from the race courtesy of John Menard Jr. over-indulging his son’s passion for auto racing by refusing to end his gifting of same to the child at the slot car level. It’s easy, all too easy, to hitch a ride on whichever bandwagon is currently barreling through pop culture town. Looking to be one of the Kool Kidz while doing so? Portray yourself as a vulture sneering at the soon to be carcass when its fifteen minute life span expires. In fact, you’re far more a leech than a vulture, clinging to every minute of the ride while it’s alive so as to gain maximum exposure basking in the glow of a short-lived candle belonging to someone else. Nevertheless, there is always a plethora of passengers on this carriage pulled by the dog and pony show. A far rarer animal is the one striving to shine the spotlight on those one believes truly deserve attention. Why? In the final breakdown, it’ll all about the ratings baby. Journalistic integrity? Meh. It’s implied by the byline, isn’t it? Uh… isn’t it?

That all said, Danica Patrick’s first turn at Nationwide warrants some mention from the racing aspect. She did all right before getting caught up in a wreck not of her own doing, driving cautiously and neither forcing the issue nor getting in anyone’s way. As to the race itself… what, Tony Stewart won the February Daytona Nationwide race? Wow. That never happens…

Back to Mrs. Hospenthal for a moment. A far more interesting test in her fledgling NASCAR career will be this coming weekend at Auto Club. How will she adapt to a flatter track where picking the correct line and getting the car right is of maximum importance? We’ll see come this Saturday. Regrettably, we won’t see Chrissy Wallace; she’s not scheduled for this race. Instead we’ll have the legendary Kenny Hendrick attempting to make the show. Thrillsville.

And for the record…

Chrissy Wallace is cute.

Next up was the truck race, which swiftly gave the impression most all participants had spent the twenty-four hour delay forgetting how to drive. Among those who had their evening plans unwillingly modified by others perfecting the art of brain fade was Jennifer Jo Cobb, who after a few years on the occasional guest appearance list is devoting 2010 to becoming a regular member of the NASCAR family. As a driver, not merely photo op.

Thankfully, Jennifer Jo Cobb can drive.

And then there was the Daytona 500.

To say the breaks in action courtesy of the track breaking were unfortunate is putting it as mildly as possible. Yes, drivers love worn-out racing surfaces. However, fans have the right to see a race in its entirety sans the broadcast crew interviewing everyone up to Digger in order to kill time. Certain delays are unavoidable, such as weather. That duly noted, this is the second straight year NASCAR has been unable to present its premiere and premier race either in its entirety or without interest and momentum-killing pauses. Not good.

Fortunately, the racing itself was sublime. No Big One, a slew of lead changes, and a last lap featuring Jamie McMurray hanging on to the lead for dear life as Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally showed the fire he’s been missing for the past year plus by blasting his way around and sometimes seemingly through fellow competitors en route to a second place finish he immediately labeled unsatisfactory as it wasn’t first. Good thing yesterday was a holiday for many, as the Junior Nation needed time to recuperate.

On to California.

Chicagoland: A Track Of Firsts For Series Competitors

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 6, 2009) - In 2001, Jimmie Johnson scored his first and only career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at Chicagoland Speedway, driving a car for Stanley Herzog. Five years later, Casey Mears earned his first career national series win, also in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Needless to say, Johnson – who spent two full seasons in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – has climbed the ladder to great heights in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, having won the last three championships.

Mears, who spent the entire 2002 season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, is in his seventh full season in the premier series and registered his first win in 2007.

Fulltime series-only regulars Johnny Sauter (2002) and Justin Labonte (2004) also won their first NASCAR Nationwide races there.

With so many series firsts at the Joliet, Ill. track, who and what are next? Will a driver register his initial Chicagoland victory, or will someone win their first career NASCAR Nationwide race there?

Kevin Harvick (No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) is the only driver to win multiple times at Chicago, winning in 2005 and ‘07, and Ryan Newman (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet) is the only driver to win multiple poles there.

Standings leader Kyle Busch (No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota) comes in with five wins on the year, which leads the series. He had four at this stage one year ago and left the Windy City area with a NASCAR Nationwide / NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend sweep.

But the odds may be in favor of first-timers in this one since there has yet to be a driver to post consecutive wins there. The same is true with the pole position. And, no driver has won from the NASCAR Nationwide pole at Chicagoland.

Most Popular Driver Voting In The Hands Of The Fans

For the second consecutive year, fans can visit www.nascar.com and cast votes for the 2009 Most Popular Driver of the Year Award for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Additionally, voting is underway for drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR’s Touring Series.

Fans may vote or submit a write-in candidate once per day and are encouraged to vote throughout the season.  Balloting ends Oct. 31 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Last year – the first season NASCAR fans were asked to choose the most popular drivers in these series – more than 250,000 combined votes were cast among the eight series. Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Degree Chevrolet) was the Most Popular Driver recipient in the Nationwide Series, earning 45% of the vote.

This year, fans also may “write in” their favorite driver if he/she is not among the nominees for a specific series. Fans should go to fanfeedback@nascar.com and submit their write-in vote. Results will be announced at each of the respective series’ season-end banquets.

RCR Looking To Daytona Win As Second-Half Catapult

NASCAR has competed at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., since 2001. And for one reason or another, the 1.5-mile track has been kind to Richard Childress Racing, which owns a NASCAR Nationwide Series-leading three victories there, as well as the first two in NASCAR Sprint Cup action.

Friday’s night’s Dollar General 300  comes on the heels of RCR’s first victory in over 15 months, and gives the Welcome, N.C.-based team its first chance at consecutive victories since Clint Bowyer and Scott Wimmer triumphed at Bristol Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway in April 2008.

Bowyer, the 2008 series champion, dominated the Subway Jalapeño 250 last week at Daytona International Speedway in his final series appearance of 2009. His name will be on the car for the remainder of the season now that he’s won the wager with the team’s other two drivers – Jeff Burton (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet) and Stephen Leicht – as the team’s best performing driver during the first half of the year.

Burton, meanwhile, will compete at Chicagoland. Two of the organization’s victories there were by Kevin Harvick, now driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for his Kevin Harvick Inc. team, and the other by Johnny Sauter.

Around “The Lincoln State”

Several drivers and team members are from Illinois, where NASCAR Nationwide Series competitors will compete in the next two races.

Justin Allgaier (No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge) is from Riverton, about 200 miles from Chicagoland. Another series regular from Illinois is Erik Darnell, who calls Beach Park his home.

Crew members include:

• Ramie Jones (Olney) – No. 32 engineer
• Nick Odell (Springfield) – No. 18 front tire changer
• Joey Forgette (Springfield) – No. 27 rear tire changer
• Lee Cunningham (Leaf River) – No. 99 rear tire changer

NASCAR Nationwide Series Car Owner Standings

Rk / Owner                    No.   Points
1     Joe Gibbs                18     2,756
2     Jack Roush              60     2,584
3     Joe Gibbs                20      2,535
4     Dale Earnhardt Jr.     88     2,488
5     Delena Harvick         33      2,395
6     Ralph Braun             38     2,367
7     Jack Roush              6       2,364
8     Jack Roush             16      2,290
9     Richard Childress     29      2,287
10   Todd Braun              32      2,167

In the Loop

Keselowski, Burton Looking To Shine In Chicago

February must seem like a lifetime ago for Brad Keselowski.

In a month he would rather forget, Keselowski racked up three consecutive finishes outside the top 20 – a stark contrast from a 2008 season that resulted in two wins and a third-place finish in the series standings.

But since then, he’s been stellar. Keselowski has posted 12 top-10 finishes in the last 13 races. Prior to his sixth-place run at Daytona last Friday night, Keselowski had five straight top-five finishes (including three consecutive third-place runs).

Keselowski will try to extend the top-10 string at Chicagoland Speedway, where – for all intents and purposes – it all started for him.

The 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland was Keselowski’s first as a JR Motorsports driver. In that race, he finish 14th with a respectable Driver Rating of 72.5. Clearly, he’s flourished in the ride.

Last season at Chicagoland, Keselowski threatened for the win – despite battling against a number of double-duty drivers (he was the only series-only regular in the top five).

Keselowski finished third that race, posting a Driver Rating of 119.5, an Average Running Position of 4.1, 18 Fastest Laps Run and running all 200 laps in the top 15.

Another threat for the win this weekend is Jeff Burton, who could soon lose his place on the NASCAR Nationwide Series all-time victory list. Currently, Burton sits fourth with 27 career series wins. Right behind him is Kyle Busch with 26.

Burton, who has yet to win in the series at Chicagoland Speedway, boasts an incredible average finish of 3.8 at the 1.5-mile track. Burton opened his Chicagoland career with six consecutive third-place runs before finishing eighth last season.

Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, Burton has a series-best Chicagoland Driver Rating of 117.6, an Average Running Position of 4.5, 57 Fastest Laps Run (which is the third most) and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 98.5.

Allgaier Heads Home With Lead

Illinois native Justin Allgaier heads home for a two-race swing as the leader in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.

He’s opened up a small advantage over second-place Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet).

Scott Lagasse Jr. (No. 11 America’s Incredible Pizza Co Toyota) had success at the track last year, winning the ARCA race.

Raybestos Rookie Of The Year

Rk / Driver                      Team         Points
1     Justin Allgaier           Penske        176
2     Brendan Gaughan     RWR            170
3     Michael McDowell     JTG-D          156
4     Scott Lagasse Jr.      CJM             142
5     Michael Annett         Germain        122
6     John Wes Townley    RAB              86
7     Erik Darnell*             RFR              79
8     Ken Butler III             R3                50

NNS Etc.

• Ten drivers have won races this season. But only three — Kyle Busch, Joey Logano (No. 20 GameStop Toyota) and Greg Biffle (No. 16 CitiFinancial Ford) have multiple victories. Busch also owns a series-high 14 top 10s.
• Hefty Brand, which has partnered with driver Eric McClure since 2006, is based in Lake Forest, Ill., which is located on the outskirts of Chicago. This will be their third appearance at Chicagoland  and their third full-time year as a NASCAR team sponsor.
• Matt Carter (No. 61 Specialty Racing Ford) finished 15th at Daytona, the best finish for the team since its “re-debut” at Memphis Motorsports Park in 2007.
• A total of 105 drivers have made at least one start in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.
• Only three drivers — Busch, Keselowski and Steve Wallace (No. 66 USFidelis Chevrolet), have finished in the top 15 in the last three races.
• Trevor Bayne (No. 99 Aaron’s Toyota) returns to the series at Chicagoland; he will compete in eight more races following this weekend’s event. Bayne, 18, has four starts thus far and has finished 12th twice. He also started on the outside pole twice.
• Nationwide will be joining the NASCAR Foundation and the American Red Cross for a press conference at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, July 10 at 1:15 p.m.

Manufacturers’ Standings

2009 Manufacturers’ Championship Standings

Toyota        116
Chevrolet     106
Ford            98
Dodge          54
Following Race 17 of 35 Daytona International Speedway

Clint Bowyer’s victory at Daytona was Chevrolet’s first NASCAR Nationwide victory since Brad Keselowski’s win at Dover International Speedway last month, and it moved the manufacturer to within 10 points of Toyota, which had won three of the previous four races.

Toyota visited Victory Lane at Daytona last season, when Kyle Busch won from 10th position. However, Chevrolet has the most wins – four – of any manufacturer at Chicagoland in NASCAR Nationwide racing, and looks to close the 10-point gap that Toyota has opened.

Ford stands strong in third, while Dodge is fourth.

Quick Stats For Chicagoland

This will be the ninth NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. The track’s first appearance on the series schedule came in 2001.

No driver has ever won a series race at Chicagoland from the front row. Two of the eight races have been won from outside the top 10, and the furthest back was 34th, with Justin Labonte behind the wheel in 2004. Labonte is the only driver/owner to record a victory at Chicagoland.

Drivers will be aiming to break the qualifying mark of 186.438 mph, set in 2005 by Ryan Newman.

Six different car owners have won at least once in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition at Chicagoland.

Last year’s race, won by Kyle Busch, was run at record speed—144.443 mph.

Up Next: Gateway

Standalone season returns on July 18 at Gateway International Raceway, the second consecutive series race in the state of Illinois.

The 1.25-mile track has been a fixture on the series schedule each season since the inaugural event in 1997.

Carl Edwards, who grew up about two hours from the track, has won two of the last three races there.

FAST FACTS

The Race: Dollar General 300 Powered By Coca-Cola
The Place: Chicagoland Speedway
The Date: Friday, July 10
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Distance: 300 miles / 200 laps
TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: Sirius NASCAR Radio / MRN
2008 Race Winner: Kyle Busch
2008 Polesitter: David Reutimann

Event Schedule (all times CT):Thursday – Practice 2:30-3:50 p.m.; 6-7:25 p.m. Friday – Qualifying 2:05 p.m.

DRIVER STANDINGS

Rk  Driver                      Points
1     Kyle Busch              2,756
2     Carl Edwards           2,584
3     Brad Keselowski      2,488
4     Jason Leffler            2,367
5     Joey Logano            2,200
6     Justin Allgaier          2,006
7     Mike Bliss               1,986
8     Brendan Gaughan    1,956
9     Steve Wallace         1,950
10  Jason Keller             1,907

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(July 3, 2009)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With cars spinning wildly behind him in Turn 4, Clint Bowyer claimed his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the season and the seventh of his career in Friday night’s Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Bowyer also delivered the first victory of the season for beleaguered Richard Childress Racing, which has suffered cutbacks from Chevrolet in the wake of General Motors’ reorganization under bankruptcy.

Bowyer had just taken the white flag during an attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that took the race two laps past its scheduled 100 laps when a six-car wreck froze the field under caution and made a winner of the 2008 series champion, who is running a partial schedule this year.

Kyle Busch was second when the yellow flew and extended his lead in the series standings to 172 points over third-place finisher Carl Edwards. Joey Logano, Busch’s teammate, came home fourth, with Kasey Kahne in fifth.

Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers, rookie Justin Allgaier, David Ragan and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10.

Bowyer was ecstatic to record his first win at the 2.5-mile restrictor-plate racetrack.

“I can’t begin to tell you what this place means to me, my family,” Bowyer said in victory lane. “Everything you ever work for is to come to Daytona, let alone win a race here… The wolves were coming, and (crew chief) Doug (Randolph) made a good call to stay out and not take tires.

“The 18, Kyle gave me a good push right there at the end. Luckily, the caution came out. Who knows what would have happened in that last lap… It’s been tough this year. It’s been tough on him (Childress). It’s been tough on everybody. I’m real proud of everybody at RCR and ECR (Earnhardt-Childress Racing), the engine program — this is pretty special.”

A wreck on Lap 58 knocked Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the race. Contact from Chase Austin’s Chevrolet turned the Dodge of Patrick Sheltra into the outside wall just beyond the exit of Turn 2. Steve Wallace spun while taking evasive action and clobbered Earnhardt’s Chevrolet.

“Everybody had blistered their tires on the last run, and I was going to try and sit back and save my tires,” Earnhardt said, after bringing his car to the garage. “Guys got together, and it was real, real tight off of (Turn 2). Somebody had to check up, and it caused the crash. It was bound to happen — everybody’s car was driving about the same.”

During pit stops under the caution for the wreck, Michael Waltrip, who had come to pit road as the leader, saw his winning chances disappear.

Exiting the pit box, Waltrip’s Toyota collided with Mark Green’s Chevy, caving in the right side of Waltrip’s car. Nevertheless, Waltrip salvaged an 11th-place finish.

Notes: Strong all night, Bowyer led a race-high 48 laps. … Friday’s race was the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ first use of the double-file restart with lead-lap cars taking the green flag side-by side. … Kerry Earnhardt and Austin escaped injury during a wreck on Lap 77, but both were treated in the infield care center for heat-related issues.

(Photo Credits: (L) Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR (R) Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 30, 2009) – NASCAR announced Tuesday that it has revised the penalty for Bryan Berry, crew chief of the No. 62 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Berry had been indefinitely suspended earlier this month for a rule violation (Section 12-1: actions detrimental to stock car racing; involved in an altercation with another team) he committed at the event held at Nashville Superspeedway on June 6.

Berry’s suspension will be lifted effective July 7, while his NASCAR probation will continue until Dec. 31. Berry must also perform community service as directed by NASCAR.

Double-File Fireworks At Daytona For NNS

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2009) - It’s appropriate that a format change as exciting as this one makes its NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Daytona International Speedway on July 4 weekend. “Double-File Restarts — Shootout Style” are sure to create a display as electrifying as the annual post-race fireworks extravaganza.

Beginning Friday night and throughout each race, the first- and second-place cars will line up side-by-side as the green flag is waved on each restart.

Double-file restarts were introduced in May at the non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the change was fully instituted June 7 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Pocono Raceway. Under the previous format, lead-lap cars restarted in a single-file line while lapped cars would start in a line next to them.

“Since NASCAR made the decision to implement the double-file restarts in Sprint Cup, it’s been a huge hit with fans and competitors alike,” said DIS president Robin Braig. “Race fans have seen first-hand the thrilling racing that double-file restarts produce at Daytona in the Bud Shootout, and we’re glad to see the format instituted in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning with the Subway Jalapeño 250.”

NASCAR officials chose to gauge the format on various configurations before instituting double-file restarts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The format in NASCAR Nationwide will be the same as in NASCAR Sprint Cup where the race leader has the option to restart on the inside or outside lane. The second-place car then restarts next to the leader. Regardless of the leader’s starting position, cars in odd-number positions (3rd, 5th, 7th places, etc.) will restart on the inside lane, while those in even-number positions (4th, 6th, 8th places, etc.) will restart on the outside. All restarts will use the same format regardless of the number of laps remaining in the race. Also, the “free pass” will remain in effect the entire race instead of being eliminated with 10 or fewer laps to go in the event.

“Double-file restarts in Cup have proven to be exciting for the fans as well as the drivers and I’m looking forward to this being implemented on our series,” said Jason Keller (No. 27 Scott Products/Walmart Ford). “Starting double file rewards drivers that have raced hard to be in the back half of the top 10 to race for position without having to contend with lapped traffic.

“The wave-around (lapped cars passing the caution car to take their respective positions on the track and picking up a lap on the leader providing he also pits) will take some getting used to and brings some additional strategy into play. A big track like Daytona with plenty of room to sort things out is definitely a good place to implement this new format and get some of the kinks out.”

NASCAR Nationwide Season Shifts Into Second Half

In February, as Tony Stewart crossed the Daytona finish line .068 seconds ahead of 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Carl Edwards (No. 60 Save-a-Lot Ford) and reigning title-holder Clint Bowyer (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet), the frenetic tone was set for the 2009 season:

The competition continues to showcase trademark NASCAR Nationwide Series racing. Ten of the first 16 races have had finishes of less than one second, while seven have been under a half-second.

Ten different winners and nine different pole winners. Kyle Busch (No. 18 NOS Toyota), the standings leader, has five wins while his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano (No. 20 SportClips Toyota) has two. David Ragan (No. 6 Discount Tire Ford) won his first career race at Talladega Superspeedway while two-time series champion Kevin Harvick (No. 33 VFW Chevrolet) won for the first time in his own equipment at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Edwards, second in the standings, leads the series in poles with four, tying his career high.

Two series-only regulars have posted wins – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Klondike Chevrolet) and Mike Bliss (No. 1 Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet) – and they did so in consecutive races. Keselowski (third) leads seven series-only regulars who are ranked in the top 10 while the 2009 rookie class is one of the strongest in history — two are currently ranked in the top 10.

The second half of the year will be highlighted by five remaining stand-alone events beginning July 18 at Gateway International Raceway; the inaugural series race — and the third of four “Dash 4 Cash” events — Aug. 1 at Iowa Speedway, the road-course race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal Aug. 30 and the crowning of the 2009 series champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 21.

Busch, Logano Combining To Fortify JGR

The good news is defending Daytona race winner Denny Hamlin isn’t entered in Friday night’s event.

The bad news?  His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates are.

Kyle Busch and Joey Logano have been wreaking havoc in the NASCAR Nationwide Series through the first half of the 2009 season. Busch continues to lead the standings, a position he’s held for the last 10 races. His current 162-point advantage over Carl Edwards is the largest he’s enjoyed this year.

JGR has won two of the last three NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Daytona; Tony Stewart (season-opener) and Hamlin (July) swept the 2008 races there.

Busch and Logano have finished 1-2 three times this year; one other team has done that just once — 2002 series champion Greg Biffle (first) and Edwards (second) for Roush Fenway Racing in February at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Bugano” also has combined to win three of the last four races and four of the last five pole positions. Busch is running full-time double-duty while Logano, in his rookie season in NASCAR Sprint Cup, is scheduled for 22 NASCAR Nationwide events in 2009. Despite having missed three races, Logano ranks fifth in the points.

“It’s good to bring home another Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2,” Busch said after his win at New Hampshire, his first victory after two consecutive second-place finishes. “Joey’s a great racer and really has a lot of potential, and he’s showing it for sure in the Nationwide Series as well as what he’s been able to do in the (NASCAR Sprint) Cup Series. We’re proud of him, and he’ll be here a long time at Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Those words were spoken before Logano became the youngest driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race, which he did Sunday at NHMS, eclipsing the previous mark held by Busch. Logano is also the youngest driver to win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, having done so at 18 years, 21 days when he posted his first national series win at Kentucky Speedway in 2008.

Restrictor-Plate Specialists Get One Last Chance

If the first two events of the season are any indication, the final restrictor-plate race of the year for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Friday night at Daytona should be a memorable one.

The 2009 season-opener at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, won by Tony Stewart, was determined by less than a second. Who can forget Kyle Busch dogging Stewart through Turn 4 — would they wreck or not?

At Talladega in April, David Ragan took advantage of a last-lap frontstretch scuffle between Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet) and Ryan Newman — along with a friendly push from Joey Logano — to win his first career race by .030 seconds.

Earnhardt Jr., the 1998-99 series champion, has two wins in this event. Kerry Earnhardt (No. 31 LibertyPort.com Chevrolet) is back at Daytona for the first time since last year when he finished 17th in this race. Mike Wallace (No. 0 JD-Motorsports Chevrolet) won in a wild finish in 2004; Joe Nemechek (No. 87 NEMCO Chevrolet), the 1992 series champion, won in 2002 and also leads all drivers with five poles at DIS.

Some would now argue Brad Keselowski falls into the “specialist” category thanks to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup win at Talladega the day after Ragan’s NASCAR Nationwide victory.  Additionally, Michael Waltrip (No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota), the two-time Daytona 500 winner, is also entered. He has three NASCAR Nationwide poles at Daytona, second to Nemechek.

In The Loop

Harvick Looking For A Happy Ending At Daytona

Kevin Harvick enjoyed immediate success in 2009.

On the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series side, Harvick won the preseason Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. On the NASCAR Nationwide side, he won the season’s first pole there.

Those two results were not a sign of things to come, to say the least.

In NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, Harvick is mired in a career-worst season, sitting 27th in points and having suffered 13 consecutive finishes without a top 10.

His NASCAR Nationwide season has been a bit better. Harvick notched his first series victory in his own equipment earlier this season at Bristol. But success has eluded him recently, with finishes outside the top 10 in two of the last three races.

So, a race at Daytona International Speedway comes at the perfect time for a driver who swept the Daytona 500 and NASCAR Nationwide event in February of 2007.

Harvick opened up his NASCAR Nationwide Daytona career with 11 consecutive top-10 finishes (10 of which were in the top five), and has tremendous statistics at Daytona in the series.  Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, Harvick has a Driver Rating of 104.9, an Average Running Position of 10.2, a series-high 957 Green Flag Passes, 33 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 75.5.

Matt Kenseth (No. 16 CitiFinancial Ford) has traveled a similar road in 2009. He started the season off with a bang, winning the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races. In the following 15 events, though, he has just four top 10s. But his NASCAR Nationwide season has been strong. In just six races run in the series this season, Kenseth has five top-10 finishes – including a victory at Darlington Raceway, the last time he ran a series race.

Kenseth, who’s sixth on the all-time series win list with 25, has finished in the top 10 at Daytona in nine of his 10 career series races there. Over the last three, he has a Driver Rating of 96.3, an Average Running Position of 10.3, 11 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 85.0.

NNS Etc.

• Leffler Looks For Fewer Fireworks This Time Around At Daytona

  Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) has probably had this race circled on his calander for a while.

  Back in February at the season-opener, Leffler was running  16th when he tangled with Steve Wallace (No. 66 USFidelis Chevrolet) in between Turns 3 and 4. Leffler was held five laps by NASCAR for aggressive driving.

  In 11 career series races at Daytona, Leffler had completed every lap but two before sitting out those five. And he’s finsihed every lap this year — again, except those five.

  His resulting 33rd-place finish stands as his worst of the year. Since then, he’s logged 12 top-10 finishes — 11 consecutive — along with three top fives including two runner-up finishes.

  Leffler is currently fourth in the standings and needs a solid finish to whittle into the 158-point advantage third-place Brad Keselowski holds over him. Wallace, meanwhile, recovered nicely and is now a career-best ninth in the top-10 rankings.

• Special Media Opportunities During Daytona Week

  Brad Keselowski will join Grand-Am drivers Joao Barbosa and Darren Law Wednesday, July 2 at the ESPN Club on Disney’s BoardWalk in Lake Buena Vista.

  The drivers will be available to the media beginning at 11 a.m. RSVP to Andrew Booth, abooth@daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

  Friday, July 3 also at 11 a.m., Carl Edwards, Kenny Wallace (No. 28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet) and Patrick Carpentier will join event promoter Francios Dumontier to preview the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge event weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Carpentier will drive the No. 99 NAPA Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing in the Aug. 30 race.

  The press conference will be in the DIS deadline media room and will also be streamed live on NASCARMedia.com. Visit the website for the streaming link and video download information.

• Bown, Carelli Ready For West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame Induction

  Chuck Bown, the 1990 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, will be among 10 new members inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.  Ceremonies are set for Friday, July 3 at Irwindale Speedway.

  Also included in Bown’s class is Rick Carelli, who now serves as general manager of Kevin Harvick, Inc.

  Bown, a native of Portland, Ore., won three races in the NASCAR Camping World Series West before heading across country and winning the NASCAR North Series title.

  Carelli, from Denver, Colo., won the NASCAR Southwest Tour title in 1991 and the NASCAR Camping World Series West championship in 1993.

• Baker Curb Salutes Golden Anniversary Of The King’s 200th Win

  Jason Keller’s No. 27 Ford will carry the familiar “Grabber Blue” and “Orange Neon” color scheme Friday night at Daytona to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Richard Petty’s 200th — and final — win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

  Keller’s current team co-owner, Mike Curb, was the owner of Petty’s famous No. 43 STP Pontiac for that win.

  Keller finished ninth at Daytona in February and is the lone series-only regular among four drivers — Keller, Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Ragan and Kyle Busch — to finish in the top 10 in both superspeedway races this year.

• In The Garage: Florida Natives
  
  Paul Flury (Hollywood) – No. 29 engineer
  Kenny Oates (Miami) – No. 38 engineer
  Thomas Costello (St. Petersburg) – No. 29 Mechanic
  Kevin Bellicourt (Daytona Beach) – No. 38 tire specialist
  Scott Lagasse Jr. (St. Augustine) – No. 11 driver
  Patrick Sheltra (Indiantown) – No. 81 driver

Manufacturers’ Standings

2009 Manufacturers’ Championship Standings
Toyota       110
Chevrolet      97
Ford             94
Dodge          51
Following Race 16 of 35, New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Toyota’s third win in the last four races has pushed its lead in the manufacturers race to 13 points over the second-place Chevrolet.

Toyota swept last year’s races at Daytona, but Chevrolet came back to win a close race at the superspeedway to start the 2009 season. Chevy has a series-leading 22 wins at the track.

Third-place Ford has won three times at Daytona, most recently in 2004. Dodge is looking for its first Daytona win and first overall since August 2007 at Bristol. Kasey Kahne was the driver then — he’s entered Friday night in the No. 9 McDonald’s McCafé Toyota.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie Standings

Rk / Driver                     Team      Points
1     Brendan Gaughan     RWR         165
2     Justin Allgaier           Penske      164
3     Michael McDowell    JTG-D         150
4     Scott Lagasse Jr.     CJM            139
5     Michael Annett        Germain       118
6     Jon Wes Townley    RAB             80
7     Erik Darnell             RFR             79
8     Ken Butler III           R3                50
9     Peyton Sellers        CM               37
10   Marc Davis             MDM             24
11  Terry Cook              MSRP           16

Up Next: Chicagoland Speedway

A second Friday night race under the lights is in store for the NASCAR Nationwide Series next week in Chicago.

The Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola at Chicagoland Speedway gets underway at  8 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will have coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on July 10.

Kyle Busch won last year’s race; David Reutimann captured the pole.

There have been only two multiple winners at the 1.5-mile track located in Joliet, Ill. — Kevin Harvick won in 2005 and ‘07 while Ryan Newman won the pole for the inaugural event in 2001 (Jimmie Johnson won the race) and  in 2005.

FAST FACTS

The Race: Subway Jalapeño 250 powered by Coca-Cola
The Place: Daytona International Speedway
The Date: Friday, July 3
The Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
The Distance: 250 miles / 100 laps
TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: Sirius NASCAR Radio/MRN (local WNDB-AM 1150/WKRO-FM 93.1)
2008 Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
2008 Polesitter: Bryan Clauson

Event Schedule (all times ET): Thursday—Practice 2-3:50 p.m. Final Practice—5:30-6:25 p.m. Friday—Qualifying 1:05 p.m.

Driver Standings
Pos.  Driver                      Points
1       Kyle Busch               2,581
2       Carl Edwards            2,419
3       Brad Keselowski       2,338
4       Jason Leffler             2,261
5       Joey Logano             2,040
6       Mike Bliss                1,910
7       Justin Allgaier           1,864
8       Brendan Gaughan     1,844
9       Steve Wallace          1,823
10     Jason Keller             1,810