Over the past few days we witnessed the latest round of Danica mania, we saw an early glimpse of 2010 excitement during the Budweiser Shoot Out and apparently there’s a baby boom going on within Hendrick Motorsports. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin this week with:
HOORAH for Danica Patrick’s official stock car debut in last Saturday’s ARCA Series season opener at Daytona. Her sixth place finish in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 garnered a lot of favorable observations and the driver herself exited her car exhilarated after the race. It also led to a decision on making her NASCAR debut in next Saturday’s Nationwide Series race also at Daytona.
Patrick’s original plan was to make her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut, in her Go Daddy Dot Com/JR Motorsports Chevrolet, at the February 20th event at California’s Auto Club Speedway. Many observers felt this was a solid plan and agreed that a debut at Daytona, with its restrictor plate racing elements, was not a good idea. Reaction to last Monday morning’s announced change of plans seems to be running at about fifty fifty in terms of opinions.
Whether or not next Saturday’s series debut at Daytona is a HOORAH or a WAZZUP will of course be ultimately determined by her finish position. Realistically an incident free race and a top fifteen finish would be considered another stock car triumph for Patrick. Right now the mission is about seat time on the track and the lessons that will come with that.
But Saturday’s race will not be easy. With all due respects to the very fine ARCA Racing Series, comparing their Daytona event to next weekend’s Nationwide Series race is like that old philosophical comparison of apples and oranges.
There are several drastic differences to support that theory. First there is the higher level of competition in the Nationwide Series race. This race traditionally attracts entries from Sprint Cup drivers and teams. The elements of aerodynamics and down force in the cars are also drastically different in the two series. There will also be a dramatic difference in the element of drafting and its by product known as bump drafting. Not to be overlooked here is the possible sense of challenge Patrick will feel during a routine four tire pit stop. It’s also likely that Patrick will feel some angst over her debut with NASCAR’s double file-shoot out style- restart policy.
But the real HOORAH winners here will be those who benefit from the massive exposure that comes with Danica Mania. Again with all due respects, can anyone remember the last time an ARCA race received that much attention? The SPEED Channel certainly drew some good numbers from last Saturday’s race as well. ESPN will also be a big winner this weekend when they present the Nationwide race. Daytona International Speedway is already anticipating a ten percent spike in ticket sales for this event.
Despite all of the hype and the attention one can’t help but wonder if the change of plans is the best idea. Is Daytona really the place to launch a transition from open wheel Indy Cars to NASCAR stock cars? Will the team’s original schedule, calling for Patrick’s NASCAR debut to be held in California, turn out to be the correct call? We will all find out this Saturday.
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HOORAH to Hendrick Motorsports team mates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr for putting their cars on the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Members of the Junior Nation are already heralding Earnhardt’s qualifying time as the sure sign of resurgence they have been praying for.
The iconic Mark Martin thrilled his fans with a lap of 188.616 MPH to take the coveted pole position. Maybe it’s time for his sponsor, Go Daddy Dot Com, to consider expanding their corporate empire with a new division: Go Grand Daddy Dot Com.
Speaking of Go Grand Daddy, a HOORAH goes out to the equally iconic Bill Elliot who turned in the fourth fastest qualifying time last weekend in his Wood Brothers Ford.
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HOORAH to Kevin Harvick for coming up with a sure fire cure for the flu: winning the Budweiser Shoot Out. Harvick needed the help of his Richard Childress Racing team mates who drove his car during the Shoot Out practice sessions but when it was green flag time he got the job done and won this race for the second, consecutive, time. Also a HOORAH goes to team owner Richard Childress who now has a record setting seven Shoot Out victories.
HOORAH to Fox Sports broadcaster Darrell Waltrip who, after the race, said “Kevin Harvick is a sick little man in more ways than one.”
WAZZUP with that humpty dumpty move from Jeff Gordon that launched a miniature “big one” during the final moments of the Budweiser Shoot Out? If that move is an indication of NASCAR’s decision to repeal their no bump drafting in the turns rule then Sunday’s Daytona 500 will likely get most interesting.
HOORAH to the Zac Brown Band for their exquisite rendition of “The National Anthem” prior to the race. Their layered, five part, acapella harmonies were outstanding.
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Now it’s time for some HOORAH and GOD BLESS combos. The first goes to reigning NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson who recently announced that he and his wife Shandra were expecting their first child.
A similar sentiment goes to Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon who announced that he and his wife Ingrid were expecting their second child. Gordon gets an extra HOORAH for his sense of humor during the course of making that announcement. Gordon said that he called team mate Dale Earnhardt Jr and told him with he and Jimmie both making birth announcements there may be something going on at Hendrick Motorsports and told Dale Jr “be careful buddy.” Gordon next relayed the same message to his fourth team mate, Mark Martin, who assured him that “he was pretty sure that he had nothing to worry about.”
HOORAH to whomever raised the question “has Rick Hendrick opened a fertility clinic?”
A HOORAH and GOD BLESS also goes out to driver Kyle Busch and his long time girlfriend Samatha Sarcineih who announced that they’re engaged to be married. WAZZUP with alleged media concerns that this news might mellow out the always interesting Kyle Busch to the point of no return?
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Finally this week we have a series of HOORAHS for some well timed and well said comments from the past few days.
The first goes to Dale Earnhardt Jr. During last week’s media day Earnhardt was asked about the facial hair he grew during the winter off season. Junior responded “I grew the beard during the off season thinking I could use it as a disguise. Then my mom and sister started giving me so much crap about it I decided to keep it.”
When asked about the length of NASCAR’s off season driver A J Allmendinger said “I’ve always said the off season is way too long. Just ask my wife, she says I really get annoying after January first.”
Also on media day driver Brad Keselowski was asked what does four time champion Jimmie Johnson have that he doesn’t. Without batting an eyelash, Keselowski said “a beautiful wife.”
The final HOORAH this week goes to the always fun Kenny Wallace who gets the honor for best NASCAR themed “Twitter” message. When Wallace arrived in Daytona Beach, Florida last week the weather was very dismal. That inspired him to send the following message: “what shall I talk about? Me not know. Rainy and shitty shitty boom boom in Daytona Beach, Florida. Me man of mountain because me say so” That’s why everyone loves “Herman The German.”
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