Congratulations, Matt Kenseth!

Credit: Zimbio

In the early hours of this morning, Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Best Buy Ford  for Roush-Fenway Racing was crowned the 2012 Daytona 500 Champion.  A special congratulations to the entire Roush-Fenway organization, the No. 17 team and crew, and Matt Kenseth! 

Rain, Rain Go Away!

My very depressing cartoon
NASCAR logo Credit: NASCAR

You would think that Mother Nature would have gotten the hint that she was not allowed at anymore races after last season.  When she showed up this morning and her ticket wouldn't scan, she was somehow able to sneak past the ticket scanners and into the track.  Shortly after entering the gates, she started to wreak havoc on the track.  Rain started to fall and that was the end of that - the track was lost. 


For the first time in history, the Daytona 500 has been postponed.  The race will air tomorrow, February 27, 2012, on FOX at 12:00 pm ET.  However, it looks as if the NASCAR officials are going to have a hard time getting Mother Nature out of the track and the surrounding area, since there is a 70% chance of rain again tomorrow. 


Wow, all of you reading this article are starting to look really sick, I think you should all stay home tomorrow.  The only cure for that illness, which is highly recommended, is watching the Daytona 500.  Trust me, you'll all feel a lot better after the race is over! 

NextEra Energy Resources 250 Recap

Friday night's NextEra Energy Resources 250 left us pondering two important questions:  "Who is this John King?" and "Who actually finished the race?"  Luckily, I have the answers to both.

As the final Camping World Truck Series practice ended, Parker Kligerman, in the No. 29 Cooper Standard Ram, was the one everyone was watching.  After putting down the fastest lap of 46.663 at 191.767 miles per hour, he was the one everyone thought had the best chance of winning. 

Credit: NASCAR

After starting on the pole, Miguel Paludo seemed to fall right into place when the Green Flag fell at 7:52.  By lap eight, the speeds were already at 191 miles per hour going three-wide into turn three, and Paludo was still leading. 

It seemed to be smooth sailing until lap twenty when Paulie Harraka got loose and collected Jason Leffler in the No. 18 for Kyle Busch Motorsports and Dakoda Armstrong in the No. 98 for ThorSport Racing; the first wreck of the 2012 Camping World Truck Series (CWTS) season.

By lap forty-seven, James Buescher, who was in contention for the 2011 CWTS championship, had taken the lead, but didn't hold onto it for very long because on lap fifty, there was debris on the track, bringing out a caution.  But when the Green Flag flew again, Paludo led. 

John King taking the Checkered Flag
Credit: NASCAR

Lap sixty-one, John King bounced Cale Gale sideways up into the wall and collected Mike Skinner; Piquet, Jr., led the field back to the Green Flag.  Fifteen short laps later, pole sitter, Miguel Paludo, got loose and spun, hitting the inside wall extremely hard.  Thankfully, Miguel emerged from the car, virtually unscathed. 

With ten laps to go, this is when the race got interesting.

Jason White took the lead and it was a calm three laps…that is, until Parker Kligerman, David Starr, and Dusty Davis went three-wide.  Kligerman, in the middle, didn't have enough room and spun out. 

Johnny Sauter was able to take the lead with two laps to go, this wasn't going to end well though.  With a single lap to go, Greenfield spun Keselowski and collected rookie, Max Gresham, and Rick Crawford.  This was the Green-White-Checkered number one.

Green-White-Checkered number two came out when John King unintentionally got into the back of leader, Sauter, and led to a pile-up including:  Starr, Gaughan, Sauter, Enfinger, Kligerman, and Crafton.

Of course, it didn't end there.  With John King leading, James Buescher got into the back of Joey Coulter, sending Coulter into the catch fence.  Coulter, thankfully, was okay and that marked the end of the race - and the third Green-White-Checkered; John King was the winner!

Click on the video to learn  more about winner, John King, and his team.

Race Results:

1. John King
2. Timothy Peters
3. Justin Lofton
4. Travis Kvapil
5. Jason White
6. Todd Bodine
7. Chris Fontaine
8. Ward Burton
9. Ty Dillon
10. Clay Greenfield 
11. Parker Kligerman
12. Grant Enfinger
13. Dusty Davis
14. Ron Hornaday
15. Ryan Sieg
16. Chris Cockrum
17. James Buescher
18. Joey Coulter
19. Paulie Harraka
20. Brendan Gaughan
21. David Starr
22. Nelson Piquet, Jr.
23. Matt Crafton
24. Johnny Sauter
25. Rick Crawford
26. Max Gresham
27. Brad Keselowski 
28. Ross Chastain
29. Bryan Silas
30. Miguel Paludo 
31. T.J. Duke
32. Cale Gale
33. Mike Skinner
34. JR Fitzpatrick
35. Dakoda Armstrong
36. Jason Leffler 

Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 Starting Lineup

Credit: NASCAR

The Camping World Truck Series will make its Daytona 2012 debut tonight at 7:30 pm ET for the NextEra Energy Resources 250.  This 100-lap race will be televised live on SPEED starting at 7:00 pm ET for the Camping World Truck Series Setup.

1. Miguel Paludo
2. Nelson Piquet Jr.
3. James Buescher
4. Ty Dillon
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Jason Leffler
7. Cale Gale
8. Jason White
9. Joey Coulter
10. Todd Bodine
11. Brendan Gaughan
12. Ron Hornaday Jr.
13. Mike Skinner
14. Paul Harraka
15. Justin Lofton
16. Dusty Davis
17. David Starr
18. Dakoda Armstrong
19. Travis Kvapil
20. Johnny Sauter
21. Grant Enfinger
22. Chris Fontaine
23. John King
24. Ross Chastain
25. Ward Burton
26. Clay Greenfield
27. Timothy Peters
28. Parker Kligerman
29. Max Gresham
30. Matt Crafton
31. JR Fitzpatrick
32. Bryan Silas
33. Rick Crawford
34. Jake Crum
35. David Reutimann
36. Derek White

Failed to Qualify:

• Norm Benning
• Wes Burton
• Caleb Roark 
• Jennifer Jo Cobb
• T.J. Duke
• Chris Cockrum
• Ryan Sieg

Nationwide Series Drive 4 COPD 300 Starting Lineup

Credit: NASCAR 

The Nationwide Series will make its Daytona debut tomorrow at 1:15 pm ET for the Drive 4 COPD 300.  This 120-lap race will be televised live on ESPN 2.

1. Danica Patrick
2. Trevor Bayne
3. Elliott Sadler
4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
5. Austin Dillon
6. Sam Hornish, Jr.
7. Tony Stewart
8. Cole Whitt
9. Brad Keselowski 
10. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
11. Kasey Kahne
12. Justin Allgaier
13. Mike Bliss
14. Kurt Busch
15. James Buescher
16. Michael Annett
17. Denny Hamlin
18. Ryan Truex
19. Brian Scott
20. Eric McClure
21. Johanna Long
22. Joey Logano 
23. David Ragan
24. Kyle Busch
25. Tayler Malsam
26. Kenny Wallace
27. Joe Nemechek
28. Mike Wallace
29. Timmy Hill
30. Johnny Sauter
31. Blake Koch
32. Casey Roderick
33. Benny Gordon
34. Robert Richardson, Jr.
35. Joey Gase
36. Jeremy Clements
37. Josh Wise
38. J.J. Yeley
39. T.J. Bell
40. Jason Bowles
41. Danny Efland
42. Reed Sorenson
43. Jeff Green

Failed to Qualify:

• Morgan Shepherd
• Derrike Cope
• Erik Darnell
• Scott Speed
• Mike Harmon
• Chase Miller
• Donnie Neuenberger

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup

Credit to NASCAR

With the Gatorade Duels in the books, the field for the Daytona 500 has been officially set!  Just think, we only have to wait two more days and then the craziness of the 2012 season will be upon us!

1. Carl Edwards
2. Greg Biffle
3. Tony Stewart
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
6. Regan Smith
7. Marcos Ambrose
8. Jimmie Johnson
9. Jeff Burton
10. Elliott Sadler
11. Michael McDowell
12. Joey Logano
13. Kevin Harvick
14. Kyle Busch
15. AJ Allmendinger
16. Jeff Gordon
17. Robby Gordon
18. Ryan Newman
19. Jamie McMurray
20. Kasey Kahne
21. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
22. Mark Martin
23. Trevor Bayne
24. Dave Blaney
25. Brad Keselowski
26. Martin Truex, Jr.
27. David Ragan
28. Kurt Busch
29. Aric Almirola
30. Clint Bowyer
31. Danica Patrick
32. Bobby Labonte
33. Denny Hamlin
34. Joe Nemechek
35. David Stremme
36. Casey Mears
37. David Gilliland
38. Tony Raines
39. Juan Pablo Montoya
40. David Reutimann
41. Paul Menard
42. Landon Cassill
43. Terry Labonte

On the Move: Part One

It's no joke that the future of NASCAR is quickly working its way up the ranks, and by the talent that each NASCAR series boasts, we're all in for many years of good racing ahead of us.  In this three-part series, On the Move, I will list the top-ten drivers I think we should all be watching as they make their way to the Sprint Cup Series.

* * The drivers chosen are based solely on my opinion and do not reflect the opinion of NASCAR or anyone associated with NASCAR * *

Ryan Truex

Ryan Truex, the younger brother of Sprint Cup Series driver, Martin Truex, Jr., has proven himself in the K&N Pro Series East and will now have the opportunity to do that once again in the Nationwide Series.  In 2009, Ryan moved up NASCAR's K&N Pro Series East and didn't disappoint.  In his rookie season, he compiled three wins, seven top-fives, and eight top-tens; becoming only the second person to ever win the Rookie of the Year and Championship titles in the same year.  In 2010, Ryan won his second K&N Pro Series East championship with two wins, eight top-fives, and nine top-tens.  Also in 2010, Ryan made his Nationwide Series debut with Michael Waltrip Racing, earning three top-fifteen finishes in seven starts.  Last year, Ryan spent the first half of the 2011 Nationwide season in the No. 99 for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing.  When it was announced that there was a lack of funding and sponsorship, Ryan was out of the ride.  In September 2011, Ryan joined Joe Gibbs Racing for a total of six races - finishing in the top-fifteen in all of them.  During the upcoming 2012 season, Ryan will be piloting the Tommy Baldwin Racing car for only the first race at Daytona due to a lack of sponsorship and funding; this means Ryan will be looking for a ride with any other teams. 

Why I think we should all keep an eye on Ryan Truex:  If you look at Ryan's stats - in both the K&N Pro Series East and in the Nationwide Series - over the past three seasons, they boast a lot of talent.  I think, if given the chance to be in more races in good-quality equipment, Ryan Truex will once again prove himself and his talent and will win at least one race during the 2012 season. 

Ty Dillon

Ty Dillon took the ARCA Racing Series by storm last season, amassing seven poles, thirteen top-fives, sixteen top-tens, and seven wins.  This massive amount of success led to Ty taking home the title of 2011 ARCA Racing Series Champion.  Starting out in Bandolero minicars, Ty quickly moved up to compete in the K&N Pro Series in 2010 and competed for the championship where he only ran eight races - finishing thirteenth in points.   In late 2010, Ty made three ARCA starts and won two of them.  Last season, Ty made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Kentucky Speedway, finishing eighteenth after running out of fuel while running in the top-five.  He also ran two more Truck Series races at Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, finishing in the top-five both times.  This year, Ty will take on the Camping World Truck Series in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado that his older brother, Austin, won the championship with last season.

Why I think we should all keep an eye on Ty Dillon:  In only three Camping World Truck Series races last season, Ty proved his immense amount of talent.  When looking at Ty's stats from last season in both the ARCA and Camping World Truck Series, people will quickly realize that he possesses the pure talent to succeed in the Camping World Truck Series.

Ryan Blaney

You all probably recognize Ryan's last name.  To answer the question that is plaguing you, yes, he is the eighteen-year-old son of Sprint Cup Series driver, Dave Blaney.  During the 2011 season, Ryan ran a combined three races in the K&N Pro Series East and West.  In his third - and final - start, Ryan captured the checkered flag at Phoenix International Raceway.  Ryan also competed in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) where he was named the 2011 PASS South Champion.  Also competing in the ARCA Racing Series in two races, he finished in the top-ten in both.  This year, Ryan will be racing in NASCAR's Nationwide Series in the No. 36 for Tommy Baldwin Racing in six races, starting April 27th.  In addition to the Nationwide Series, Ryan will also run a combined six K&N East and West races for his family-owned team, DB Racing. 

Why I think we should all keep an eye on Ryan Blaney:  Ryan has certainly proved that racing is in his blood and that it's what he loves doing, judging by the number of wins and top-five and ten finishes he's had over the past year.  When you look at what Ryan has accomplished at his age, many people trying to break into NASCAR would be envious of his recent success and future endeavors.   

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the next set of drivers! 

*All photo credits to their rightful owners:  I don't own any of them*

Daytona Schedule

Credit: NASCAR

The time has come, the first race of the season is finally here!  What seemed to be a crazy off-season, plagued by changing drivers and crew chiefs, really did help the time fly by.  

Last season I started posting the weekend schedules and it seemed to be a big hit among NASCAR fans, so as a result, I will once again be doing them this year.  If you're new to the blog and don't have the slightest idea of what I'm talking about, you'll quickly find out!

*All times are Eastern* 

Wednesday, February 22

• 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Sprint Cup Series Practice (on SPEED)
• 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm - Sprint Cup Series Practice (on SPEED)

Thursday, February 23

• 9:00 am - 9:50 am - Nationwide Series Practice (Not Televised)
• 10:00 am - 11:50 am - Nationwide Series Practice (on ESPN 2)
• 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Camping World Truck Series Practice (on SPEED)
• 1:40 pm - Sprint Cup Series Driver Introductions
• Coverage starts at 1:00 pm on SPEED
• 2:00 pm - Sprint Cup Series Gatorade Duels (on SPEED)
• 6:00 pm - 7:20 - Camping World Truck Series Practice (on SPEED)

Friday, February 24

• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Sprint Cup Series Practice (on SPEED)
• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm - Sprint Cup Series Practice (on SPEED)
• 2:00 pm - Nationwide Series Qualifying (on ESPN 2)
• 4:00 pm -  Camping World Truck Series Qualifying (on SPEED)
• 7:00 pm -  Camping World Truck Series Driver Introductions (on SPEED)
• 7:30 pm -  Camping World Truck Series NEXTera Energy Resource 250 (100 laps) (on SPEED)

Saturday, February 25

• 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Sprint Cup Series Practice (on SPEED)
• 12:45 pm - Nationwide Series Driver Introductions
• 1:15 pm - Nationwide Series Drive 4 COPD 300 (120 laps) (on ESPN 2)

Sunday, February 26

• 12:00 pm - Sprint Cup Series Driver Introductions (on FOX)
• 1:00 pm - Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 (200 laps) (on FOX)

I hope you all enjoy the races - and remember, if you're there and you take pictures and would like them to be featured in an article (you will be given credit), send them to TheNASCARCorner@yahoo.com.