David Ragan, driver of the #34 Farm Rich Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane with Miss Sprint Cup Jacklyn Roney and Rich Lamprey, director of sports marketing for Aaron's, after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 5, 2013 in Talladega, Alabama. - Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

This year’s panel includes current writers and editors, a current NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner, and a former driver providing a plethora of angles from all forms of the industry.

This week’s edition includes a look back at the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Talladega Superspedway, plus some IZOD IndyCar tidbits from Brazil and we’ll again talk about the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Plus, we’ll preview Darlington this weekend!

The 2013 Panel:

Ross Bynum (@theRossBynum): Ross Bynum, a frequent contributor to Queers4Gears joins CATCHFENCE.com exclusively for our IndyCar section. His in-depth reporting and analysis on the series makes him a welcome fit to the He Said, She Said panel.

Erin Crocker Evernham (@CrockerErin): Erin Crocker is no stranger to racing. A veteran and prominent winner of the USAC tour, she is the only female driver to win an ARCA Superspeedway challenge championship. She also has starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. She is the wife to former crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham.

Chris Knight (@Knighter01): Chris Knight is the assistant news editor, senior staff writer and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com. In addition to those roles, he is also known for his public relations duties for a variety of different race teams and an active Motorsports sponsor.

Adam Niemeyer (@adamniemeyer): Adam Niemeyer is a NASCAR-affiliate based in Ohio with experience in reporting and writing for multiple news network in the Indiana and Southern Ohio area. He also has his own NASCAR-blog.

Jason Sciavicco (@JSciavicco): Jason Sciavicco is a majority owner of SR2 Motorsports competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with current drivers Blake Koch, Michael McDowell and Jason White.

AnnMarie Strawhand (@MrktgFullSpd): AnnMarie Strawhand is a long-time Motorsports marketing and public relations professional and the founder of Marketing at Full Speed.

Lori Tyler (@lorityler): Lori Tyler is a long-time staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and one of the original contributors to “He Said, She Said.”

Marty Tyler (mtyler@catchfence.com): Marty Tyler is a senior staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and is known for her long-time attentiveness to safety and a variety of driver’s personal projects on-and-off the track.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

• A big win for the underdogs on Sunday afternoon after teammates David Ragan and David Gilliland paired up on the last lap of the Aaron’s 499 and scored a 1-2 finish for Front Row Motorsports. Your thoughts on the race and finish?

Ross Bynum: I always like to see an underdog win. Luckily for the little guys in NASCAR, they can survive the carnage at Daytona and Talladega, they have a legitimate shot at winning. I did not see the race live, but I did watch some clips afterward. I really do not like seeing the big wrecks. It makes my stomach turn. Although IndyCar’s are a whole other story, I was in the Press Box at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and witnessed the wreck that killed Dan Wheldon. I was in the Media Center when Randy Bernard announced his passing. After that, I just can’t watch the pack racing. Yes, NASCAR racecars are like tanks, but no one is invincible or immune to possible disaster. Huge pile-ups and cars getting airborne are unacceptable. That’s not a jab at NASCAR, it’s just a gut feeling that applies to all racing series.

Erin Crocker Evernham: I loved the finish! It was really unexpected and exciting! I was so happy to see David Ragan get the win and an underfunded team steal the show. I also appreciated that NASCAR worked so hard to get the cars back on the track. I am not a huge fan of restrictor plate racing in general. I get why it is part of the NASCAR tradition but as a racer I don’t really care for it and I would think if I were a team owner I wouldn’t like it much either considering how many cars get destroyed. However, the ending of this race made up for my ill feelings towards super speedways.

Chris Knight: Some people love restrictor plate racing and some people hate it. I understand both sides. However, for me, I love restrictor plate racing and Sunday’s race proved why.

Front Row Motorsports is a team that doesn’t have the funds that a Hendrick Motorsports organization has, but, it does have in my eyes an elite caliber of drivers in David Gilliland and David Ragan. It would have been great to see Gilliland net his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win, but I guess second is the next best to thing in this case.

Teammates proved to be the winning move on Sunday and no one even looked at Front Row Motorsports all day long or even thought that teammates would even come into play. Surprise.

Congratulations to David Ragan, someone I consider a friend for his second NSCS victory. More importantly, Bob Jenkins – this is what you’ve worked so hard for over the past many, many years, so congratulations are also in order for you too.

Adam Niemeyer: I was so happy NASCAR let the race run as long as they did. I know Matt Kenseth was unhappy, and he should have been because he had the best car all day. But it was so cool to see that finish. It was so much better than Daytona because not only was it clean, but people were darting all over making amazing moves and passing guys left and right. It was awesome.

AnnMarie Strawhand: Nice to see such a hard working team like Front Row Motorsports get such a great finish. I have been really watching this team and their marketing is outstanding as well, bringing a variety of new sponsors in – they have great leadership and I look for more great things to come from them.

Lori Tyler: Great race and great finish. I understand some people were unsatisfied with the action on the track, but I thought the racing was what we have come to expect for Daytona and Talladega. The finish, seeing Front Row Motorsports grab this win was a fantastic effort put forth by an underfunded team. It was a joy to see them celebrate in a sport that has made it very difficult for underfunded teams to really shine. This gave them an opportunity, and I loved watching every minute of it.

The article He Said, She Said Featuring: Talladega Superspeedway, Brazil and Darlington Raceway is from Catchfence.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #29 Bell Helicopter Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 27, 2013 in Richmond, Virginia. - Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

This year’s panel includes current writers and editors, a current NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner, and a former driver providing a plethora of angles from all forms of the industry.

This week’s edition includes a look back at the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Richmond International Raceway, plus some NASCAR K&N Pro Series East action and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards – and a preview of this week’s events at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

The 2013 Panel:

Ross Bynum (@theRossBynum): Ross Bynum, a frequent contributor to Queers4Gears joins CATCHFENCE.com exclusively for our IndyCar section. His in-depth reporting and analysis on the series makes him a welcome fit to the He Said, She Said panel.

Erin Crocker Evernham (@CrockerErin): Erin Crocker is no stranger to racing. A veteran and prominent winner of the USAC tour, she is the only female driver to win an ARCA Superspeedway challenge championship. She also has starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. She is the wife to former crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham.
Chris Knight (@Knighter01): Chris Knight is the assistant news editor, senior staff writer and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com. In addition to those roles, he is also known for his public relations duties for a variety of different race teams and an active Motorsports sponsor.

Adam Niemeyer (@adamniemeyer): Adam Niemeyer is a NASCAR-affiliate based in Ohio with experience in reporting and writing for multiple news network in the Indiana and Southern Ohio area. He also has his own NASCAR-blog.

Jason Sciavicco (@JSciavicco): Jason Sciavicco is a majority owner of SR2 Motorsports competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with current drivers Blake Koch, Michael McDowell and Jason White.

AnnMarie Strawhand (@MrktgFullSpd): AnnMarie Strawhand is a long-time Motorsports marketing and public relations professional and the founder of Marketing at Full Speed.

Lori Tyler (@lorityler): Lori Tyler is a long-time staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and one of the original contributors to “He Said, She Said.”

Marty Tyler (mtyler@catchfence.com): Marty Tyler is a senior staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and is known for her long-time attentiveness to safety and a variety of driver’s personal projects on-and-off the track.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

• Kevin Harvick took advantage of a late race caution to steal the win from Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Burton at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on Saturday night. Your thoughts on the race?

Erin Crocker Evernham: I honestly didn’t get to watch all of the race but I thought the last 50 laps or so were great. A lot of action and different pit strategies involved. I thought for sure they were going to wreck on that GWC with some with no tires, some with 2 tires and some with four. I thought Kevin’s last two laps were impressive!

Chris Knight: I thought the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond was pretty solid. Not the most spectacular race I’ve ever seen at Richmond, but it was one that did keep me on the edge of my seat, especially at the end. I was honestly rooting for Juan Pablo Montoya. The win would have been more emotional than his first win, but I expect JPM to come back in the fall and have a similar performance.

As for Kevin Harvick? Where did he come from? He was a rocket ship following that last restart. I’m surprised that we didn’t see another yellow as car were everywhere, but it was a great finish to the race. It has me looking forward to the fall race.

Adam Niemeyer: I thought overall the race was just OK. People will rave about the finish and the beating and banging that occurred, but I saw many folks who complained about the lack of anything exciting the first 100-125 laps. In fact, I believe it was Jenna Fryer who noted that the most interesting part of the first 100 laps was Nelson Piquet’s explanation of Friday night via Twitter.

Jason Sciavicco: This race came down to…. tires! Hate to be negative Nancy here, but I’m not sure JPM will ever see a win on an oval in NASCAR.

AnnMarie Strawhand: I thought it was a really good race and showed off good short track excitement with a variety of drivers. The instigator for potential trouble was Kurt Busch and I have to say that he was bumping and hitting his way through (that really irritated the guys he hit) that gave it the Saturday night short track feel for sure.

Lori Tyler: I really felt bad for Juan Pablo, in all honesty. They had a very solid run and looked poised to grab the win. However, Harvick also had a stellar run, coming on strong in the closing laps. The caution gave him just what he needed to muscle by Montoya. He was coming quickly in the closing laps, but without the caution, I am not sure he was going to make it past Montoya. Congrats to both teams though for putting on a great show for the fans.

The article He Said, She Said Featuring: Richmond International Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway and More! is from Catchfence.

To those of you who have read my columns in the past I am sorry I stopped writing, and you who are new to these scrubbings welcome in the precious name of Jesus our Lord and savior! My intention is to write at least once a month, and use a little different format. The scripture below relates directly to my opening paragraph, I listed several verses so you can consider them in whole. But will be teaching them separately,

Matt 6:24-34
“24 You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Money and or stuff) This verse is Jesus teaching us about the things we let distract us from Him and thus we miss all he has for us! The first commandant says “I am the LORD your God and you shall have no other gods before me!” And that means that anytime we spend more time with that rather than with the Lord you are rejecting Him and putting a false god before Him. If you have put your faith, life and trust in Him then we become Born again, saved and are guaranteed eternal life in Heaven. But by our following the things of this world we are insulting our Lord. This stops God from blessing us to the full extent He wants to. The LORD said He is our sustainer He provides for all we need and often even things we just plain want. We need to make sure that whatever that thing is it does not become your god!

Race cars have always been my passion but my LOVE for Jesus is way beyond my love of any other person or thing. It means that thanking Him for the ability He has and will give me what I need to complete whatever is asked me! The words we hear most is “that is Sin or that could lead to Sin”. The word comes from a old word the actually is an archery term for missing the mark or target. God despises sin but He loves the sinner so much that He sent His son to Die for my sin and anyone who believes in Jesus, give their life to Christ and asks for forgiveness RECIEVES this FREE gift.

I am going to stop here and continue next month. I am glad to answer any questions you may have.

My email is Jbubbico@aol.com or by Phone at 951-232-7630

Check out our new website at ontrackwithjesus.org

Like us on Facebook

God Bless you all,

Rev. Joe Bubbico

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (clothing or outward appearance)
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit (refers to about an inch )unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon (the third King of Israel) in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more cloth you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(KJV)

God wants us to worry for Nothing He will take care of those who believe in Him.

The article Racing into the new season! is from Catchfence.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas. - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images

This year’s panel includes current writers and editors, a current NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner, and a former driver providing a plethora of angles from all forms of the industry.
This week’s edition includes a look back at the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Texas Motor Speedway, plus the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series campaign for Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, plus some scoop from the IZOD IndyCar Series.

The 2013 Panel:

Ross Bynum (@theRossBynum): Ross Bynum, a frequent contributor to Queers4Gears joins CATCHFENCE.com exclusively for our IndyCar section. His in-depth reporting and analysis on the series makes him a welcome fit to the He Said, She Said panel.

Erin Crocker Evernham (@CrockerErin): Erin Crocker is no stranger to racing. A veteran and prominent winner of the USAC tour, she is the only female driver to win an ARCA Superspeedway challenge championship. She also has starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. She is the wife to former crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham.

Chris Knight (@Knighter01): Chris Knight is the assistant news editor, senior staff writer and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com. In addition to those roles, he is also known for his public relations duties for a variety of different race teams and an active Motorsports sponsor.

Adam Niemeyer (@adamniemeyer): Adam Niemeyer is a NASCAR-affiliate based in Ohio with experience in reporting and writing for multiple news network in the Indiana and Southern Ohio area. He also has his own NASCAR-blog.

Jason Sciavicco (@JSciavicco): Jason Sciavicco is a majority owner of SR2 Motorsports competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with current drivers Blake Koch, Michael McDowell and Jason White.

AnnMarie Strawhand (@MrktgFullSpd): AnnMarie Strawhand is a long-time Motorsports marketing and public relations professional and the founder of Marketing at Full Speed.

Lori Tyler (@lorityler): Lori Tyler is a long-time staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and one of the original contributors to “He Said, She Said.”

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

• Kyle Busch had a dominant weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. A new track record, plus a double-whammy with a win both divisions. What were your thoughts on the race?

Erin Crocker: I thought it was a good race, but a bit too long for my taste. I was heartbroken for Martin Truex Jr. He really dominated the race and again couldn’t seal the deal. Kyle is definitely on a roll. If he continues at this rate, he will be a championship contender for sure.

Chris Knight: I thought that the race was okay. I thought that the Gen 6 performed to standards at Texas Motor Speedway. I thought the speed was impressive and not something to be taken lightly. It will be interesting to see if the car possess the same characteristic noting the same type of weather in the Fall.

Hands down, Kyle Busch and the Joe Gibbs Racing team was the team to beat. The car was super-fast, but Martin Truex Jr. tried to spoil the party. If not for that last pit stop, things might have ended very different. After all of his bad luck last season and the disappointment at Daytona, it’s nice to see things going in the right direction for Kyle Busch and the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Camry.

Adam Niemeyer: I thought the race was OK. I think it was another test for the Gen 6 car, and I’m excited to see the progress each team is making with the new car.

Lori Tyler: The race was no Fontana, but they can’t all be. Kyle appears to be happy and focused. It was a fun race to watch, and it’s good to see him enjoying himself again.

• Both Penske Racing cars of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano failed pre-race technical inspection with an issue of their rear-end gears. Both drivers narrowly missed the start of the race. Your thoughts.

Ross Bynum: Sometimes walking the line between innovation and what is considered cheating is a thin one and difficult one to walk. I think if you are doing all you can as an organization to win, you may bend the rules just a little and risk being caught. That’s part of racing and what drives it. Like the old saying goes, “If ya’ ain’t cheatin’, ya’ ain’t tryin’.”

Erin Crocker: It’s hard to have an opinion when I don’t have all the details. I felt for Joey though as the field was starting their engines and his car was still at the gas pumps and he hadn’t even strapped in. As a driver, I liked to have everything pre-race go smoothly and panicking or rushing can be a distraction, but he came back and had a great race!

Chris Knight: Penske Racing was taking a significant risk and they were caught.

They probably would have looked like heroes had it paid off, but who really knows if NASCAR wouldn’t have caught it in post-race inspection. There are just so many variables. If the rumors are true that potentially another team turned in Penske Racing, we may see a different type of war ignite in the garage. I think it’s very possible that another team did turn them in. You better bet your bottom dollar, that Penske Racing will have their eyes wide open viewing everyone as an enemy. There’s that old saying, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

The article He Said, She Said: Featuring Texas Motor Speedway, Rockingham Speedway And Kansas Speedway is from Catchfence.

Kyle Larson, driver of the #30 Autism Speaks Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Carolina 200 at Rockingham Speedway on April 14, 2013 in Rockingham, North Carolina. - Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

A late-race caution jumbled the field back together under overcast skies at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway. A potent rookie driver Kyle Larson in complete command of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine, with a former track winner Joey Logano on fresher tires in his tire tracks.

Game over right? Wrong.

Logano spun his tires on the restart and despite a charge by the former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie-of-the-year, it still wasn’t enough and Kyle Larson soared to his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in the No. 30 Autism Speaks Chevrolet Silverado for Turner Scott Motorsports.

“I knew when I was lapping him (Logano) there with about 60 or so to go, I figured he had to be on a different strategy. Then I saw him get the lucky dog and I figured he had to be on new tires. I was definitely worried and I could see him getting closer and closer in the mirror and was hoping we could get to the line, and we got that yellow with just a couple to go. I’m usually not the best on restarts, so I was surprised I got that good of a start. I’ve just got to thank all these guys on the Turner Scott Motorsports team. It’s cool to have Autism Speaks on the truck, especially since Trent (Owens, crew chief) – his son, Gray, has Autism. So, I wish Gray was here with us to hang out and have fun. I’m pretty happy.”

Larson who started his fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from the third position took the lead from teammate James Buescher on lap 18 and dominated the race to lead a whopping 187 of the event’s 205 laps. Larson also celebrated in a big way last November after being crowned the NASCAR K&N Series East champion driving for Rev. Racing.

“This is very special. I just want to thank all the fans for coming out and watching this and I hope all the fans watching at home enjoyed it too. I can’t wait to get back in a truck.”

Logano finished second followed by Brendan Gaughan, Johnny Sauter and Chase Elliott to complete the top-five.

Matt Crafton claimed sixth with pole sitter Jeb Burton, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Miguel Paludo to comprise the remainder of the top-10.

The race took a dramatic turn with several incidents broke out inside the final five laps of the event. The attention was centered on Ron Hornaday and Darrell Wallace Jr. A few laps before the caution, Wallace Jr. laid on Hornaday’s No. 9 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet Silverado. When the yellow broke out originally for an incident between Timothy Peters and Ryan Sieg on the frontstretch, Hornaday then butted against the side of Wallace’s No. 54 ToyotaCare Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, before hooking the right rear of the KBM truck and sending him into the outside wall.

Wallace’s truck was destroyed and Hornaday was penalized by NASCAR for aggressive driving. He rebounded after starting at the tail of the field to claim 15th. The incident was nearly identical to the wreck at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2011 when Kyle Busch slammed Hornaday Jr. into the wall. Busch was suspended the next day by NASCAR for those actions and other run-ins throughout the season.

The two drivers did though talk about the incident in the garage after the race without incident. No word yet from NASCAR on any possible further penalties or even possible suspension.

Other notables in the top-20 included John Wes Townley (11th), Ty Dillon (12), James Buescher (14), Max Gresham (16), Dakoda Armstrong (17) and David Starr (20).

Ryan Sieg’s hopes for three consecutive top-10 runs ended with a 22nd place finish.

Clay Rogers had an uncharacteristic day at Rockingham, a place where’s he normally seen out front. Instead, he struggled with the No. 92 BTS Tire Chevrolet Silverado and finished 25th.
Peters was credited with a 26th place finish. Wallace 27th.

Todd Bodine, a favorite heading into Sunday’s event was spun late in the race following a restart and retired with a 32nd place finish in the No. 13 SealMaster Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing.

Mike Harmon brought up the rear of the field, finishing 36th and completing 131 laps after colliding and spinning out the reigning NCWTS truck champion James Buescher.

With his third consecutive top-five finish, Johnny Sauter maintains the championship lead by 16 points over rookie Jeb Burton heading to Kansas Speedway next weekend. Sauter, Burton and Crafton
are the only three drivers who have recorded three top-10 finishes this season.

Logano stated in his post-race interview conference that he will return to the No. 19 Ford F-Series for Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) next weekend at Kansas Speedway. He says it will be race number two of four to five races driving for his Cup teammate.

Next up for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, April 20 with live coverage on SPEED, MRN and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.

The article Kyle Larson Captures First NASCAR Win At Rockingham; Hornaday Jr. And Wallace Jr. Tango is from Catchfence.

North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock Presented by Cheerwine

So am I.

The second-annual North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine is shaping up to be a great show. After all, it’s only the third race on the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. But, the excitement surrounding this race has been building up since Daytona in February.

Not surprising.

Sunday though, the preparation will be over and Andy Hillenburg’s group will be mounted as heroes (as they should be), a race will be run and another racer will be etched into “The Rock.”

Right now though, it’s hard to say who’s going to be a threat to win on Sunday afternoon. The race is 200 laps and a lot can happen. One thing is for sure though, Kasey Kahne isn’t entered, so we’ll have a first-time NCWTS winner.

Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Jeb Burton and Darrell Wallace Jr. are all off to a good start, but there’s a few other drivers lurking for attention. Max Gresham, point’s leader Johnny Sauter, Erik Jones, Caleb Holman, Tyler Reddrick and Brennan Newberry all showed Saturday they have some good equipment, but I think the tall-tale sign will be qualifying on Sunday morning at 11:05 a.m.

From the veteran camp, you cannot count out Todd Bodine. Driving for ThorSport Racing this weekend, Bodine, a two-time NCWTS champion is also a two-time Rockingham winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series including a thrilling last-lap pass coming to the start / finish line in 1995 driving for Ron Parker. Many are keeping their eye on “The Onion” Sunday afternoon.

One of Rockingham’s signature trademarks is its abrasive surface and monstrous tire wear. The track will be hard to pass on once the green flag drops, track position will be everything.

No matter the speed your truck may have, the talk of the NCWTS garage was “tire conversation.”

Whoever is able to salvage their tires and race smart, they’ll have earned the right to say, “I’ve won at the Rock!”

I like Kyle Larson, Jeb Burton and Ryan Blaney for Sunday. Can’t count out Todd Bodine and I’m looking at Clay Rogers and Brennan Newberry as sleepers.

Here are some other notes from Rockingham Saturday:

• Kyle Larson hopes to make his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start of the season on Sunday afternoon. The Turner Scott Motorsports rookie has to make the race on time, since his No. 30 Autism Awareness Chevrolet Silverado isn’t locked into the show. Barring no issues, he’ll make his fifth career start and in search for his fourth top-10 finish of his NCWTS career. #OhYeah, he can win too Sunday too.

• Ken Schrader Racing is fielding an effort for Tyler Reddrick this weekend at Rockingham Speedway. Last fall’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series winner is piloting the No. 52 Broken Bow Records Toyota Tundra. The team doesn’t have a definite plan for the youngster, but the team is hoping to run him in some ARCA races this year including Pocono, Michigan and Kentucky. The team will likely be back with him on the NCWTS tour at Iowa Speedway.

• Matt Crafton is anxiously awaiting the birth of his first child in two weeks, but he’ll rewrite his name into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series record books Sunday afternoon as he’ll surpass the now retired Terry Cook for the most consecutive start on the tour. Crafton will start race No. 297 in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. The ThorSport Racing driver will be in search of career-win number three at the Rock after finishing second last weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

• Ryan Sieg is looking for his third consecutive top-10 finish of the season. The veteran driver credits the success of his RSS Racing team to new crew chief Kevin “Cowboy” Starland. The team doesn’t have sponsorship for the entire 2013 season, but the team plans to run the full schedule.

• Caleb Holman has Butch Miller as his crew chief in the No. 75 Food County USA Chevrolet Silverado and while his team will skip Kansas Speedway next weekend, Holman says you will see an increased NCWTS schedule for this operation. Holman says the morale of the organization is upbeat. He’ll also run some races in the X1-R Pro Cup Series this year.

• Coleman Pressley was in the No. 19 Carbon Forged Reese Towpower Ford F-Series dialing in the Brad Keselowski Ford F-Series for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano who was in Texas handling those responsibilities. Florida native Ross Chastain was originally scheduled to run the race (as of Martinsville), but the reigning Cup champion Brad Keselowski asked Logano to drive. Chastain hasn’t been seen on the grounds thus far this weekend.

• With a break in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, Spencer Gallagher and his Gallagher Motorsports team have elected to get a “jump start” on his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series campaign and run this weekend at Rockingham Speedway. Gallagher will run seven truck races this season including back-to-back races at Rockingham and Kansas Speedway respectively. Gallagher’s plan is to run the full NCWTS tour in 2014 with at least one start in ARCA planned for Daytona. Allegiant Air will continue to sponsorship the youngster’s efforts.

• Surprise! T3R2 and driver Bryan Silas are running the Cheerwine logo on their No. 99 Ford F-Series in support of Sunday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway. The team has been a big longtime supporter of the track dating back to 2008.

• 40 trucks are on the ground for a 36-truck starting field at Rockingham Speedway. Drivers that have to qualify on time include: Chase Elliott, Darrell Wallace Jr., Kyle Larson, Todd Bodine, Caleb Holman, Tyler Reddrick, Joey Logano, Tim George Jr., German Quiroga, Clay Rogers, Clay Greenfield, Spencer Gallagher, TJ Bell and Andy Seuss.

• Rockingham Speedway will host a tweet-up at the track on Sunday morning. The tweet-up will start at 9:00 – 10:15 a.m. with drivers expected to attend at 9:30 a.m. and occur at the Marquee (the entrance sign to the track).

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (200 laps / 200 miles) is the third of 22 events on the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. Qualifying is set for race day, Sunday April 14 scheduled to lift off at 11:00 a.m. The 36-truck starting field will take the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. with live coverage on SPEED, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). Pre-race coverage of the anticipated slugfest is tentatively scheduled to lift off at 1:30 p.m. also on SPEED.

Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.

The article Who To Watch At Rockingham is from Catchfence.

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP Gas Booster 500 on April 7, 2013 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Welcome to round two of “He Said, She Said”, where members of the racing community sound off on a variety of topics in the Motorsports community.

This year’s panel includes current writers and editors, a current NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner, a former driver and current radio personality, providing a plethora of angles from all forms of the industry.

This week’s edition includes a look back at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, plus the second race of the season for the IZOD IndyCar Series from Alabama.

The 2013 Panel:

Ross Bynum (@theRossBynum): Ross Bynum, a frequent contributor to Queers4Gears joins CATCHFENCE.com for our IndyCar section. His in-depth reporting and analysis on the series makes him a welcome fit to the He Said, She Said panel.

Erin Crocker Evernham (@CrockerErin): Erin Crocker is no stranger to racing. A veteran and prominent winner of the USAC tour, she is the only female driver to win an ARCA Superspeedway challenge championship. She also has starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. She is the wife to former crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham.

Chris Knight (@Knighter01): Chris Knight is the assistant news editor, senior staff writer and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com. In addition to those roles, he is also known for his public relations duties for a variety of different teams and an active Motorsports sponsor.

Adam Niemeyer (@adamniemeyer): Adam Niemeyer is a NASCAR-affiliate based in Ohio with experience in reporting and writing for multiple news network in the Indiana and Southern Ohio area. He also has his own NASCAR-blog.

Jason Sciavicco (@JSciavicco): Jason Sciavicco is a majority owner of SR2 Motorsports competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with current drivers Blake Koch, Michael McDowell and Jason White.

AnnMarie Strawhand (@MrktgFullSpd): AnnMarie Strawhand is a long-time Motorsports marketing and public relations professional and the founder of Marketing at Full Speed.

Lori Tyler (@lorityler): Lori Tyler is a long-time staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and one of the original contributors to “He Said, She Said.”

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

• Jimmie Johnson scored his eighth career-win at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this past Sunday. What were your thoughts on the race and why do you think Johnson is so dominate at the track dubbed as the paper-clip?

Erin Crocker-Evernham: I thought it was a great race. There was plenty of passing and lots of action but not too many wrecks. I think Jimmie and Chad have just figured out a great set up that works there and their whole crew is continuing to operate at that Championship level.

Chris Knight: For obvious reasons, Jimmie Johnson was one of the favorites going into last Sunday’s STP 500 and he proved why. Some teams just have a track figured out no matter what type of car or even situations they are faced with. Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and the entire Hendrick Motorsports operation now have sole possession of the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins as a team together and there’s a reason why. If you’re not looking at him for the fall, please see a physic.

As far as the race was concerned, it was about what I expected, nothing really over the top. We saw the typical beating and banging, but like Jason said, it was hard to top Auto Club Speedway and that was a fact.

Adam Niemeyer: After Johnson won at Indianapolis last year Kyle Busch said the No. 48 car “was in his own country.” It certainly seemed that Johnson was back in that form on Sunday. Martinsville is a tough track, and it takes a delicate balance to get the car to roll through the center of the turns just right. Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson have something that works well at Martinsville, and if I knew exactly what they were doing I’d probably be selling that info to other Sprint Cup teams—or just printing it here for them to read.

Jason Sciavicco: I thought it was a pretty good race. Hard to top the finish at Fontana, but it was a good race. Jimmie has definitely shown this is one of his best tracks, but I think you have to go back to the Hendricks team. All their cars usually run very well at Martinsville. Remember last year when they should have finished 1,2,3… Bowyer, Bowyer? They have obviously found a setup that doesn’t suck!

AnnMarie Strawhand: To me Jimmy is a calm and cool racer. I think his patience pays off for him repeatedly because this is how he approaches each race, with calm, cool confidence. While Martinsville may bring out the “short track” aggressiveness in other drivers, which puts on a good show, Jimmy stays consistent with his driving personality and I think that is why he is so very successful.

Lori Tyler: This team definitely has an advantage at this track. However, they are a threat to win consistently week in and week out. However, this track may just be the best combination of driver talent and crew chief talent blended to make them nearly unstoppable.

The race didn’t have quite the bang that California Speedway had. However, it was a great race. I am more and more impressed with the Gen 6 cars every week.

• Martinsville marked the first of potentially five races that Denny Hamlin will be sidelined following an injury at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway. Mark Martin filled the role and finished 10th. Was Martin the perfect fit or should the role have gone to someone else?

Erin Crocker-Evernham: How could you ever go wrong with Mark Martin? He is proven veteran who continues to run up front. I like the idea of giving some younger guys a chance but I didn’t see anything wrong with putting Mark in the car.

The article He Said, She Said: Martinsville, Texas, Rockingham & Barber Motorsports Park is from Catchfence.

NCWTS No. 84 Virginia Dent/Novak/Fontaine Toyota Tundra (driver Robert Bruce)

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) team owner/driver, Mike Harmon, is heading up this NCWTS alliance for them along with his own NNS season. The driver roster for the #84 Fontaine/Novak NCWTS Team, which will operate out of Mooresville, N.C., will be shared between Fontaine, Harmon and on certain short tracks will be made available for other drivers who bring their own sponsorship to the table.

Robert Bruce of Fredricksburg, Virgina will kick off the Fontaine/Novak alliance this weekend as the driver of the NCWTS #84 Toyota at Martinsville. Randy Dean of Mike Harmon Racing, formerly of the MRD NCWTS team with driver Travis Kvapil, will be the crew chief for Bruce this weekend. Dean has actually been crew chief for Bruce during much of his 20 year Late Model run in Virginia, so the comfort and knowledge of working together will be a big plus for the race.

“We are planning to run multiple races this year. The plan right now is to run Martinsville to get approved for bigger tracks which hopefully will include Rockingham and the 2 Iowa races,” explained Bruce.  ”My major sponsor this weekend is Virginia Dent, a high quality paintless dent repair service out of Richmond, Virginia. They have sponsored and supported my racing for the last 3 years and Mid Atlantic Towing, a local company has been a sponsor of mine during my Late Model career for the last 20 years.

“Back in October of ’08 I had some funding to run the (NASCAR) Camping World Trucks (Series) at Martinsville. We actually were rained out the whole day of practice,” continued Bruce. “I had 10 laps in the truck and was unable to qualify for that race. So this is very exciting for me and I’m very fortunate and blessed to have these supporters and sponsors. I feel blessed to have this opportunity. I’m very excited and grateful to Mike Hamon. He’s a true racer and I’m thankful to him for giving me this opportunity and the chance to fulfill my dreams of running in the Camping World Truck Series.

We at Catchfence wish him luck and hope we see much more of him in the future.

Note: Look for Bruce on Facebook …Robert Bruce Racing. And be sure to check out his sponsors at www.virginiadent.com and www.midatlantictowning.com.

The article Novak/Fontaine Join Forces With The NCWTS #84; Robert Bruce To Drive the Toyota at Martinsville is from Catchfence.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 24, 2013 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Tom Pennington/NASCAR via Getty Images)

This year’s panel includes current writers and editors, a current NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner, a former driver and current radio personality, providing a plethora of angles from all forms of the industry. Erin Crocker Evernham has agreed to join the panel but will be absent from this week’s edition.

This week’s edition includes a look back at the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway and the opening edition of the IZOD IndyCar Series from the streets of St. Petersburg.

The 2013 Panel:

Kyle Anderson (kyleanderson294@gmail.com): A long-time NASCAR enthusiast, Kyle Anderson is a long-time contributor to CATCHFENCE.com.

Tim Clagg (@Clagger01): A new contributor to He Said, She Said. Clagg is currently a radio personality for the Automobile Racing Club of America providing at-track commentary for non-televised events, while also co-hosting ARCA’s official show, “Inside ARCA.” Clagg is also known for his #ClaggStats providing statistical information about all things “racing” actively on Twitter.

Chris Knight (@Knighter01): Chris Knight is the assistant news editor, senior staff writer and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com. In addition to those roles, he is also known for his public relations duties for a variety of different teams and an active Motorsports sponsor.

Adam Niemeyer (@adamniemeyer): Adam Niemeyer is a NASCAR-affiliate based in Ohio with experience in reporting and writing for multiple news network in the Indiana and Southern Ohio area. He also has his own NASCAR-blog.

Jason Sciavicco (@JSciavicco): Jason Sciavicco is a majority owner of SR2 Motorsports competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with current drivers Blake Koch, Michael McDowell and Jason White.

Annamarie Strawhand (@MrktgFullSpd): AnnMarie Strawhand is a long-time Motorsports marketing and public relations professional and the founder of Marketing at Full Speed.

Lori Tyler (@lorityler): Lori Tyler is a long-time staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and one of the original contributors to “He Said, She Said.”

Marty Tyler (mtyler@catchfence.com): Marty Tyler is a senior staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and is known for her long-time attentiveness to safety and a variety of driver’s personal projects on-and-off the track.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

• This past weekend’s race at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway provided a familiar face in victory lane with Kyle Busch, but the race didn’t come without its drama either. What were your thoughts?

Kyle Anderson: This race provided some of the best racing this season in my eyes. Seeing four and five wide on a track with different pit strategies will always make for a fun and exciting race. As much as drama can be a bad thing, drama is exactly what NASCAR needs right now to regain some of its attention in the sports media world to regain its popularity.

Tim Clagg: This past weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway provided the best side-by-side racing that we’ve seen thus far with the new Gen6 car. I think it was the perfect combination of the new car, tire combination and a “seasoned” track. This surprised me because typically Auto Club Speedway doesn’t provide the most exciting racing. In my opinion this is hands down the best finish in ACS history and one of the most exciting finishes we have seen during the last few years. I am eager for the series to head to 1.5 mile tracks on the schedule such as Texas to see if the Gen6 car can provide great racing at tracks that typically provide the greatest side by side racing

Chris Knight: Personally, I thought it was the best race I’ve ever seen at Auto Club Speedway and by sure, the best race of the 2013 season thus far. There’s no hiding behind that the Gen6 car brought this racetrack to life. Typically, this race is known as a snoozer, but I found a lot of people including myself on the edge of their seats towards the end of the race. No doubt that the track also did a good job promoting the race, the fans really came out to the track to support. One thing is for sure, I’m looking forward to Michigan International Speedway (the sister track) in June and August.

Adam Niemeyer: I think it was the best race of the season. Sure it had its stretches of long green flag runs, but a lot of races do. Drivers had to drive their cars. Crew chiefs had the ability to make adjustments. Those who had the best cars were able to make them work (did you see Keselowski rocket to the front from the rear at the beginning of the race and Dale Jr do the same at the end?).

And certainly the finish was one for discussion as well. The race had just about everything you could ask for.

Jason Sciavicco: I thought it was the best race of the year as far an ending. Heck my wife was even into it. It’s what NASCAR really needed besides the injury to Denny. That race was the lead story on 90% of sports shows.

Annamarie Strawhand: I have to say it was a very good thing for Kyle Busch; he was not the center of a controversy for once which is good for his public image, which is still In the ‘healing process’. Overall I feel he was showing us smart driving and this year he is really racing in a mature ‘thinking man’s’ way. He is growing up. Happy to see this. From a sponsorship perspective this is very good for him and his team.”

Lori Tyler: I was so excited to see this for the Auto Club Speedway. For years, there were ranting’s over the lack of quality racing. And while I understand that, I also believe not every track is meant to be a Talladega, Daytona or a Bristol. Wow, is all I can say. It really couldn’t have been much better than it was. The race was exciting from start to finish, and those last 20 or so laps will be the makings of water cooler discussions and highlight reels for quite some time. It provided something for everyone. I was just glad to see this for the Auto Club Speedway. This is, after all, my home track, and a top notch facility.

Kyle Busch ran a stellar race and was in the hunt for most of the race. He was the dominant car, and deserved this win. While it probably wasn’t the television celebration it could have been, the performance of this team last weekend was phenomenal.

Marty Tyler: Kyle deserved that win. As far as drama, I feel that happens to some extent during most, if not all, races whether it is a big issue or not. And remember the drivers are still learning the capabilities or limitations of the Gen6 And, as fans we all love drama. We may not agree with some of it but it does make the viewing experience more exciting and enjoyable. After all that has certainly help make the NASCAR of today. And it was great to finally see this type of exciting racing at Fontana!

• In your eyes, give us your thoughts on the whole last lap tango between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Whose fault was it? Was it a racing accident? Will the feud continue?

Kyle Anderson: From what I saw throughout the race, Denny gave Joey quite a bit of space and raced him cleanly when the situation on the track came up. To me, if there wasn’t this whole “feud” between the two drivers prior to this race, it would be easy to stamp this incident as a race incident, but with all that has taken place that lead to this last lap crash, I would have to say that it was Joey’s fault. Denny had a lane up top that was given to him with Joey electing the low/middle groove. To me, it was more about Joey worrying that Denny would win the race electing that groove more than anything, and as he hasn’t had enough years in the Cup series to gain the respect of someone like Jeff Gordon or Mark Martin, the blame usually falls on the younger driver.

Tim Clagg: I was watching the race unfold between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano during the final few laps and knew that neither one of these “aggressive” drivers was going to back down coming to the checkers. A lot of people are pointing fingers saying this was payback for Denny taking Joey out in the late stages at Bristol while Logano was running 2nd. I disagree. This was a racing accident with two hungry drivers wanting to earn their first win of the 2013 season. The new Gen6 cars puts out a huge side draft in the corners for these cars and when Logano entered turn 3 his car kept pushing up the track, you then see his car get loose and make contact with Hamlin. In my opinion no driver would ever intentionally wreck another competitor at a track where you run 200 MPH plus entering the corner. Moving forward I truly believe this feud won’t be an issue because of the repercussions both drivers are facing after this incident. Hamlin now sidelined now for up to six weeks maybe more and Logano taking the heat from fans and some fellow competitors.

Chris Knight: Man, this is a touchy subject. I felt the last couple of laps were nothing but a typical racing deal. No driver was going to back down for the win and the intensity picked up a ton when it came down to either Denny Hamlin or Joey Logano. No one likes the end result of the crash, one that will keep Denny Hamlin on the sidelines for at least five races. I don’t think it was intentional on anyone’s part, just a bad outcome. If we learned anything, we learned that every single part of the track that has a wall, should be a “soft-wall.” There’s little doubt in my mind that Hamlin may have been able to walk away from the incident injury-free if the wall had been a soft-wall.

Adam Niemeyer: It was a racing incident. Period and the end. Joey Logano was not at fault. Denny Hamlin was not at fault. It was two guys giving it their all on the last lap. Did anyone expect Joey to back down, especially after what happened at Bristol and his comments all week? I didn’t. In fact, I was rooting for Logano to beat Hamlin just to prove his point.

This being said, no one, and I mean no one, wanted to see what happened to Hamlin. I hate seeing guys get hurt and I hope Denny can return as soon as possible. But I don’t think there was anything wrong with the finish. Good, hard racing occasionally involves a wreck.

Jason Sciavicco: I think Joey was either going to win the race or do whatever it took to make sure Denny didn’t. When he realized Denny was going to win…

Annamarie Strawhand: “The biggest thing I took from this is that Joey Logano is not just more aggressive, but I see a very “angry” young man with his behavior. Not sure what is the cause of this. I was stunned that he said “That’s what he gets” about Hamlin after Hamlin hit the wall and that was a bit immature, even if he did not know Hamlin was hurt. I used this as a lesson for younger drivers who follow on my Facebook page, that no matter how angry you are or the heat of the moment, saying something like Joey did was very in-appropriate. The on-track incident is racing and many factors involved, but you can control what comes out of your mouth, or at least think first that the other driver may be injured. I think Joey needs to get with his PR people and Roger Penske and learn how he can get better at thinking before he speaks and also understand that he is a leader of his team and must show a good example of sportsmanship, especially driving for the likes of a legendary class act such as Roger Penske. I know it’s the heat of the moment, and Joey is human and we need to give him some slack, so I hope he learns something from this.”

Lori Tyler: I truly believe this was simply a racing incident, that’s all, nothing else. Two guys, admitted rivals, were pushing their cars to the absolute limits. This close, hard racing was clean for the most part. I don’t believe that either driver made any intentional moves to limit the other from contention, other than to protect their own position and attempt to run for the win. The end result was two drivers challenging one another for position, in an attempt to grab that win. Furthermore, if these two had not had the heated exchanges that we have seen from them this season, I don’t believe this would have even been discussed or scrutinized the way that it has been. Isn’t this why we all believe the sport needs rivals?

Marty Tyler: Actually it could be viewed either way but relying strictly on Logano’s comments it wasn’t an accident therefore Logano is at fault. The fued? I think it will continue to some degree once Hamlin returns but the long arm of NASCAR will definitely be working on that situation. It will be interesting to watch this play out.

The article He Said, She Said: Auto Club Speedway And Streets of St. Petersburg is from Catchfence.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Jeff Foxworthy's Grit Chips 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 16, 2013 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

Kyle Larson in just his fourth Nationwide race floored everyone with a veteran like performance to score a runner-up finish in his No. 32 Cottonelle Chevrolet Camaro for Turner Scott Motorsports. Last March, the Chip Ganassi Racing development driver locked a top-10 finish in his first Bristol trip in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Based on his performance though, you would have thought Jimmie Johnson was behind the wheel.

He was that good.

The finish was the second-closest finish in the track’s history, as the two crossed the finish line .023 seconds apart.

The performance by the 20-year old Larson virtually erases a controversial finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway last month, when the development driver turned a regular coming to the finish for the win in the inaugural “Battle to the Beach.” Still, controversy or not, Larson will be a household name for many years to come.

“I did everything I could to try to protect the momentum,” said Busch, who collected his 53rd NNS trophy. “A young kid (Larson) like that, he’s got a lot of talent. He’s obviously made a name for himself.”

Sunday’s pole sitter for the Food City 500 now has 13 victories at the 0.533-mile oval, five in each the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series respectively and three in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Larson, the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champ offered, “I was catching him. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when I got to them. I was pretty happy that Kyle (Busch) went low on that last corner because I knew it would give me one more shot to get by him.”

Before the event became the “Kyle and Kyle” show, Kevin Harvick in the No. 33 Armour Sausages Chevrolet Camaro also kept the first short track race of the season an intense nail-bitter, but Harvick’s chances of victory would be dashed after a surprising decision to pit when the final caution flag waived inside the final 35 laps of the race. Harvick put forth a gallant effort to return to the lead pack, but his chances were ultimately eliminated after contact with teammate Brian Scott in the winding laps.

Harvick’s spotter took blame for the incident and apologized to both via Twitter.

Behind Larson, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brian Vickers in the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry finished third for the second straight week, while points leader Sam Hornish Jr. took advantage of the contact with Harvick and Scott to scoot into fourth with Harvick, who led 43 laps closed out the top-five.

Regan Smith in the No.7 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet Camaro also contended for victory and tried to inherit the lead from Harvick in the second half of the event, but his machine broke loose, made contact with Brad Keselowski and slid back to fourth. From there, Smith was out of the picture and settled for sixth.

Reining ARCA Racing Series champion Chris Buescher claimed seventh making his first start of the season for Roush Fenway Racing, but his finish didn’t come without a visit. Pole-sitter Justin Allgaier, who led the opening 62 laps of the event, had a personal conversation with his former ARCA racer after Buescher’s Ford booted Allgaier’s Chevrolet from seventh on the final lap. Allgaier, the soon father-to-be finished eighth.

Roush Fenway Racing officials confirmed that Buescher would race at Texas Motor Speedway in April in his No. 16 Ford Mustang.

After a rough outing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend, Parker Kligerman rebounded in his No. 77 Bandit Choppers Toyota Camry to net ninth and Scott, after the late-race mishap managed to hang on to 10th, continuing a top-10 streak that now extends to six, including the final two races from 2012.

Hornish Jr. and Scott remain the only two drivers to score a top-10 run in every race run thus far in 2013.

After starting on the outside pole, Austin Dillon finished 11th, but his performance was hindered after contact from a nasty wreck involving Jamie Dick and Nelson Piquet Jr.

Trevor Bayne, surprisingly was never a factor all day and finished a quiet 12th, he was flanked by Mike Bliss, Alex Bowman and Keselowski. In all aspects, it was a nice recovery from the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Keselowski, who blew out a tire while leading after contact with Smith.

After a nice save earlier in the race, Travis Pastrana learned a ton in his Bristol Motor Speedway debut and finished 16th in front of John Wes Townley, in a Venturini Motorsports-prepared Toyota, Reed Sorenson, Josh Wise and Scott Riggs rounded out the top-20.

The runs by Wise and Riggs were commendable coming from lower budgeted teams.

After destroying his primary car in a practice crash on Friday afternoon with Joey Gase, Brad Sweet couldn’t do much with his backup JR Motorsports entry and after an early race spin became literally, non-existent, but still finished 22nd.

The cars of 28th and 29th place finishers Mike Harmon and Brad Teague ignited some flames both on and off the track Saturday, as both drivers who struggled for speed all-weekend, found themselves as moving-chicanes throughout the race. Harmon and Hornish Jr. made contact early which caused the No. 55 of Dick to spin.

While later on a nudge from Teague sent the No. 44 of Hal Martin hard into the frontstretch wall. Martin climbed from his mangled Toyota and offered an applause gesture to the hometown native before climbing into the ambulance for the mandatory trip to the infield care center. He finished 31st.

Defending race-winner Elliott Sadler had high hopes for one of his favorite race tracks, but after grazing the wall early-on and succumbing to engine failure on lap 85, this was a day that Sadler would soon like to forget. It also dented Sadler in his championship chase as he dropped seven spots in the standings after his 36th place run.

Four teams started and parked their machines in the 31st annual event, Mike Bliss, J.J. Yeley, Chase Miller and Michael McDowell to finish 37th – 40th respectively.

After round four, Hornish Jr. continues to hold command in the championship standings with Allgaier trailing by 22 in the arrears. Brian Scott (-25) is third, flagged by Smith (-26) and Vickers (-30).

Next up for the NASCAR Nationwide Series is a return trip out west to Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway for the running of the Royal Purple 300 on Saturday, March 23.

Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.

The article At The End, It’s The Kyle Show In Bristol is from Catchfence.

Fans watch NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams prepare for a day of testing at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz - Photo Credit: Norm Hall/Getty Images for NASCAR

Growing up on the West Coast, before the opening of California Speedway, big league stock car racing didn’t have a prominent place within our culture.  There are some that may argue that given the attendance at our own Auto Club Speedway that it hasn’t yet found its way to the hearts of Southern Californians.  I will politely disagree with that point of view and save that argument for another article, as a simple trip through the canyons, toward the beaches, and the dreaded 91 freeway, proves that stock car racing, NASCAR in particular, is alive and well here.  This has developed, over time, due to the brilliant marketing strategy that NASCAR has set forth over the last several years.  Back then, fans had little recourse to obtain information here on the “Left Coast,” other than to pull up your favorite internet page, call your friends on the other coast, or catch what happened to be showing on television or recorded on the DVR, based on television packages purchased from cable providers that specifically included channels that featured coverage on the sport. NASCAR’s desire to move into a mainstream sport drove one of the most impressive marketing strategies I believe I have ever seen.

Fast forward a few years, and here they are, prominently displaying their place as a major league sport.  I must admit, there was a time that I never dreamed that this would be the case.  However, they have capitalized on every avenue available to them to propel this sport into the spotlight.  Technology, talent, and just plain hard work, has definitely played a hand in their current fortunes, but it took brilliance behind the scenes to properly align themselves in the move toward, “the future.” Back then, being a fan was a rather frustrating experience for many of us on the West Coast.  Purchasing fan gear was difficult if not impossible, as most stores didn’t carry merchandise pertaining to the drivers or the sport. Conversation with the locals proved fruitless, unless you surrounded yourself with those of like-minded interests.  Many had never heard of Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, or any other of the sports super stars.  In fact, quite honestly, I am unable to count how many times people questioned if I was a native or transplant to our beautiful state because it was difficult for them to understand how a Southern Californian grew up with a passion for auto racing.  Believe me when I say there were always plenty of us here, but it wasn’t always easy to meet up with people that shared our passion.   However, slowly but surely, that has changed, and a simple trip to any store is most assuredly to provide a plethora of NASCAR themed or related merchandise.  Bumper stickers and tshirts, jackets, hats, abound any area that people congregate as the general public has finally understood the draw to this sport. No longer are special television packages from cable providers needed to enjoy the mountain of coverage available to us on any given race weekend.  This concerted effort between sponsor and sanctioning body has created a marketing machine that is awe inspiring at the very least, and quite convenient for the avid race fan looking for their NASCAR fix.

For now, I will just sit back and enjoy the convenience of being a current fan of this sport.  With phone in hand, radio playing in the background, and television ready to fire up on any given race day, I am enjoying a unique perspective of evolution that has taken place right before my eyes.  While some may not appreciate the technology and perks available to us now, I can sure remember a time when things were much, much different.  NASCAR has finally made that transition into mainstream that was a topic of conversation a decade and a half ago.  Many questioned if it was possible, even under the best of circumstances, for NASCAR to shake its unflattering labels of the past, and move into a current and polished image.  For those detractors, I would love to hear their opinions now, as the sport continues to march forward.  They are here, loud and proud, and rightfully so, with every possibility of even more growth.  Yes, detractors, they have arrived.   At this point, I have to believe, that the people in place are capable of taking this sport just about anywhere they want it to go.

The article A Trip Down Memory Lane is from Catchfence.

Think not.

How about Rockingham?

Yep, the American 500 was the first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at the 1.0-mile oval back in 1965, nearly five decades ago, close to half a century and well, I wasn’t even near to being thought of yet.

Still, the inaugural race at “The Rock” drew attention. It showcased some of the legends of our great sport. And in-fact, some of them are still around today in one way shape or form, proving that Rockingham Speedway indeed provided some of the fondest memories in the sport’s legacy.

Who were some of the participants? How about Cale Yarborough, Elmo Langley (remember him, the long-time NASCAR official and pace car driver), Buck Baker (father of NASCAR great Buddy Baker), Ned Jarrett, Wendell Scott, Bobby Isaac, David Pearson, Junior Johnson, Tom Pistone, Richard Petty and Buddy Arrington were just some of the drivers that competed in the race held on Halloween, October 31st, 1965.

It was quite clear whoever won on All Hallows’ Eve would deserve to pocket a then $13,090 paycheck after taming the track’s grinding demeanor. 500 laps on a tough one-mile oval with hardly any of the luxuries made available today was a tough task. Still, the face of what every racecar driver desires doesn’t change, winning.

Curtis Turner

The 17-time NSCS winner stole the win with an 11-second gap in a race that took nearly five hours to complete (4 hours, 57 minutes and 17 seconds to be exact). Third-place contestant Marvin Panch, a teammate took the podium finish, two laps behind Turner and Yarborough.

So, what was so special about that win for Turner? Well, it was the very first win at Rockingham, but for Turner it was also about personal satisfaction. It was his first NSCS win since being banned from the sport four years earlier. Turner had been indefinitely outlawed from the sport by then NASCAR president Bill France Sr. in 1961 for trying to organize a drivers union with the Teamsters. After a meeting in Atlanta between France and some of the leading track owners of the day, Turner’s suspension was lifted and the popular driver, then 41 returned to the scene. Many were left wondering though whether or not he could win.

And an even cooler sidebar, the relationship between driver and team draws deeper than that, as Turner helped Glen Wood and his Wood Brothers racing team secure backing from Ford Motor Company, a relationship that continues to this day.

Car owner Eddie Wood summed up the day best, “It turned out to be the last win he (Turner) ever had, and it was in our car,” Wood said.

In part from an article on RacinToday.com it was noted that, Turner was an interesting character. His love of the party was almost as well-known as his driving ability. But when it came to racing, he was the Dale Earnhardt of his day, as his hard-charging style made him a fan favorite. No doubt that his victory in a second-car for Wood Bros. Racing was one probably one of the greatest days of his life.

The American 500 was the second-to-last event on the tour that year, race number fifty-four, yes, they ran fifty-five races back then. For eventual champion Jarrett, despite retiring from the event 75 laps from the finish because of a wheel bearing issue, a 16th-place effort accumulated enough points to ensure him second and final championship of his career. The now NASCAR Hall of Famer won 13 of the 54 races he competed in and driving all but one race for Bondy Long.

Two teams operating back then, still operate today. Wood Bros. Racing with driver Trevor Bayne and Richard Petty Motorsports with drivers Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose – adding just pages among pages of notes, lessons and pictures that will hopefully someday be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Fast forward to 2013, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Rockingham on Sunday, April 14. And while the race is often tagged as one of the “must-see” events on the year, an even better statistic stills need to be envisioned for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine.

35,000.

Yes, 35,000. That is the number of race fans who attended the race 48 years ago. What a sight that would be, to see one of NASCAR’s most richest tracks filled back to capacity when the stars of yesterday and the leaders of tomorrow take the green flag live on SPEED.

The UARA-STARS Late Model Series and the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals (FKSSN) will join the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine weekend. The UARA and FKSSN will be competing on Saturday, April 13, with qualifying on Friday, April 12.

The NCWTS will practice on Saturday with qualifying and racing on Sunday, April 14.

Tickets, suite packages and camping accommodations for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine are now available at www.rockinghamspeedway.com or by calling 910-205-8800. Saturday general admission tickets are $15 in advance ($20 at the gate), with grandstand tickets for Sunday’s NCWTS event beginning at just $20.

Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.

The article American 500, Remember That? is from Catchfence.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #54 Monster Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 200 fueled by AmeriGas at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2, 2013 in Avondale, Arizona. - Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Despite having the dominate car in the field, Busch had to overcome two miscues, both occurring on pit road to take the checkered flag first, something he has not accomplished in 24 races – including a winless 2012 season. Failing to win a race last year snapped an eight-year streak of winning at least one race in the series dating back to 2004. However, Busch’s 52nd career NASCAR Nationwide Series win now allows a chance to re-build that statistic under the reins of Joe Gibbs Racing.

In his 246th career start, Busch started from the pole for the 27th time in his career, led a race-high 142 laps and propelling from deep in the field to score his fifth win, the most of any driver at the 1.0-mile oval. Little were surprised by the stellar performance, even after the veteran driver was issued a speeding penalty for entering pit road too fast during the first round of pit stops.

That though wasn’t the lone hiccup of the day for Busch, who will start tomorrow’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from the fourth spot. Under that same yellow, the former Nationwide champion overshot his pit stall adding insult to injury. The circumstances set-up a perfect scenario to potentially divert him from a shot at victory lane. But, this is Kyle Busch we’re talking about. The mistakes only provided ammunition to recapture the lead and claim the checkered flag.

The win though had to be mixed feeling s for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Despite several chances to seal the deal and win last season driving for his own Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) team, he failed to do so. And it was Kurt Busch, Kyle’s older brother who provided the celebration for the team on the Nationwide side picking up their lone triumph of the year (2012) at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

“It’s great to be back, working with (crew chief) Adam (Stevens) and these guys,” said Busch. “It was a bummer deal not to be able to get a win at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) last year, but (owner) Joe (Gibbs) putting me back in his operation and being back with the Joe Gibbs Racing side of things and Mark Cronquist engines, it’s a phenomenal day for us to get back to Victory Lane, to feel the taste of it again.”

A decision was made during the off-season to turn the program over to Gibbs and with Adam Stevens calling the shots – it’s clear that potential dominance by Kyle Busch could be – - as may as well be back.

Reining Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski finished second in his No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang, 1.943 seconds behind Busch. Justin Allgaier, the leading NASCAR Nationwide Series regular is off to a hot start in 2013 and finished third in his No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet Camaro for Turner Scott Motorsports.

Nationwide regulars Trevor Bayne and Elliott Sadler both rebounded nicely from troubles at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to close out the top-five.

Austin Dillon, Sam Hornish Jr., Matt Kenseth, Aric Almirola – subbing for the injured Michael Annett and Brian Scott comprised the remainder of the top-10.

Regan Smith led the JR Motorsports train by finishing 11th while Jimmie Johnson in a rare Nationwide start finished 12th in the No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet Camaro also for JR Motorsports.

Rookie Kyle Larson was 13th followed by Mike Bliss and Nelson Piquet Jr. to wrap up the top-15.

Other notables in the top-20 included Black Koch (16th), Brian Vickers (17th), Parker Kligerman (19th) and Jeffrey Earnhardt (20th). Vickers in the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry had a strong car, but a late race tangle with Mike Harmon (No. 74) resulted in a caution and a restart near the end of the lead lap competitors.

Ryan Sieg substituting for the suspended Jeremy Clements was 21st followed by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Jason White in a second entry for SR2 Motorsports. Dexter Stacey in his ’13 debut driving for his family-owned team recovered from an early race spin to claim 24th.

Mexican driver Juan Carlos Blum was 26th driving an entry fielded by Rick Ware Racing.

After scoring a top-10 finish last weekend at Daytona, Travis Pastrana found hardship at Phoenix after becoming entangled in the first yellow of the day in a multi-car incident. Damage control would cost the rookie precious laps and result in a 28th place finish after starting 12th.

After soaring to a third place finish at Daytona last weekend, RAB Racing’s Alex Bowman was also a victim in the first yellow of the day which sent him to the garage for repairs. He later returned and completing 142 laps and a disappointing 31st place finish.

Pre-race hopeful Kevin Harvick found the wall just after the halfway point in his No. 33 Rheem / Menards Chevrolet Camaro after a tire failure deflated any chances of taking Richard Childress Racing back to victory lane.

After two consecutive weekends of solid qualifying efforts, Jamie Dick running his own deal this season found himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was swallowed in the lap three accident, which started when Johanna Long hit the wall causing a chain-reaction melee. Long though, disappointed took responsibility for the incident, but finished shotgun on the field in 40th.

Start-and-parkers were not in short supply in the “Valley of the Sun” with Jeff Green, Chase Miller and Josh Wise all making less than 20 laps.

After two races, Justin Allgaier and Sam Hornish Jr. are tied for the points lead at 79 points apiece. Brian Scott on the heels of two consecutive top-10 finishes is third, just six markers behind. Elliott Sadler is fourth (-10) and Kligerman (-14) fifth.

The race was slowed seven times for 38 laps, with six lead changes among four drivers (Busch, Keselowski, Kenseth and Vickers).

Next up for the NASCAR Nationwide Series is a trip to sin city for the third race of the season at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway for the running of the Sam’s Town 300 on Saturday, March 9. The green flag will waive shortly after 4:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.

The article Kyle Busch Rallies For Return To Victory Lane At Phoenix International Raceway is from Catchfence.

Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona presented by MAVTV American Real

Practice for the 44 teams on the grounds was cut short on Thursday afternoon after Mother Nature drenched the 2.5-mile superspeedway after just an hour and a half of the anticipated four hour run. For some, the weather left a soggy taste in their mouths, for others they were glad they participated in the open-test session back in December.

Qualifying took center stage at the “World Center of Racing” a tick after 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon and it was evident based on pre-season testing and Thursday’s shortened practice that the potent Venturini Motorsports team were expected to be a factor to claim the top-spot.

They didn’t disappoint.

All said and done and approximately two hours after it started, John Wes Townley in the No. 15 Zaxby’s Toyota Camry captured his first ever ARCA pole after turning a lap of 49.638 seconds at 181.313 miles per hour.

Although it was Milka Duno in the No. 35 CANTV / Milka Way Toyota Camry that in many eyes stole the spotlight from her teammate after rocketing to her career-best qualifying run by rounding up the second quickest lap, a little over two-tenths of a second behind Townley’s lap.

Veteran Daytona racer and defending champion Bobby Gerhart qualified third in his No. 5 Lucas Oil / MAVTV American Real Chevrolet followed by Venturini Motorsports’ third entry driven by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Darrell Wallace Jr.

The first of two Frenchmen in the field Julian Jousse qualified his No. 94 Dave Leiner Racing / Barbarac.fr Toyota Camry fifth in Milka Duno’s old ride. Grant Enfinger in one of two entries for Team BCR Racing qualified sixth while Ricky Ehrgott in the Coulter Motorsports’ entry will lineup seventh while defending ARCA champion Chris Buescher starts eighth.

Mason Mingus in his Daytona debut will start his first full-season of ARCA competition rolling from ninth with veteran Tom Hessert in his Cunningham Motorsports return completes the top-10.

The Turner Scott Motorsports entry driven by Kyle Larson will make his Daytona debut from 11th in the No. 4 Cessna Chevrolet Impala. Ken Schrader Racing’s Chad Boat, son of former IZOD IndyCar Series driver Billy Boat lines up 12th with freshman Justin Boston in the fourth and final Venturini Motorsports entry in 13th. The time trials run for Boston in the No. 25 ZLOOP Toyota Camry was quite surprising considering he was one of the fastest cars in December and in practice. Many though don’t expect the full-time rookie driver to stay outside the top-10 for long.

Michel Disdier making his ARCA return in a second Cunningham Motorsports entry qualified a strong 14th in his No. 22 auto-us.com Dodge Charger. He was trailed by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series sensation Brennan Newberry in his own NTS Motorsports entry.

Veteran Mark Thompson in the second Turner Scott Motorsports ride landed in 16th while last year’s runner-up finisher Drew Charlson starts 17th, while 2012 ARCA Daytona pole sitter Sean Corr in his No. 82 Empire Racing Ford Fusion will look to draft from 18th.

The Kimmel’s will occupy row 10 with nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel in 19th and nephew and last season’s third-place finisher Will Kimmel in 20th.

Caleb Armstrong who tested for Venturini Motorsports in December will make his Daytona debut behind the wheel of the No. 6 Eddie Sharp Racing Chevrolet in 21st, followed by Bo Lemastus (22nd), Mason Mitchell (23rd), Martinsville Speedway track president Clay Campbell in 24th and Canadian Terry Jones in 25th.

Donnie Neuenberger who didn’t turn a lap of practice Thursday afternoon successfully made his way onto the grid with the 26th fastest lap. Owensboro, Kentucky native Brett Hudson starts 27th with Benny Chastain back with Bob Schacht Motorsports right behind in 28th in toe with Matt Kurzejewski 29th and Josh Williams, the final car to qualify on-time in 30th. Williams experienced motor fatigue in practice yesterday forcing his Josh Williams Motorsports team to change engines Friday morning.

With ARCA shortening it’s starting fields for 2013, the traditional top-32 qualifiers were axed to just 30 and the final 10 starting spots were yielded for provisional starters.

Roger Carter who obtained the owner points from CGH Motorsports and driver Chad Hackenbracht last year netted the first safe spot into the race with 31st.

Spencer Gallagher in the No. 23 Allegiant Air Chevrolet starts 32nd followed by rookie Steve Kemp, Thomas Praytor, Galen Hassler, Ed Pompa, Rick Clifton, James Hylton, Dexter Stacey and Buster Graham round-out the starting line-up for the 40-car field.

Hylton will make his third and final Daytona start after announcing earlier this week that 2013 will be his retirement tour. Pompa makes the field after losing an engine in his first lap of practice Thursday afternoon.

Four drivers who had hoped to be racing in the race, but missed the show were Andrew Gresel, Brent Cross, John Ferrier and George Cushman.

Additionally, four drivers (Darrell Wallace Jr., Kyle Larson, Brennan Newberry and Dexter Stacey) are running the Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAVTV American Real in order to gain approval from NASCAR to compete in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or NASCAR Nationwide Series season-openers next weekend. Pending their performance, all are expected to be cleared to compete.

After carefully reviewing the starting lineup, unfortunately, the dreaded “big one” is highly likely with several young and inexperienced drivers poised to make their ARCA debut Saturday afternoon. In all, 19 drivers will make their first Daytona start while nine drivers will make their inaugural ARCA debut.

Who’s going to win? Well, at this point that’s anyone’s guess. The Venturini Motorsports posse will be tough to beat but you cannot count out the veterans of Bobby Gerhart, Chris Buescher , Tom Hessert, Mark Thompson, or Frank Kimmel.

But, there are also plenty of young and comers ready to win in ARCA’s biggest race of the year. Early-race favorites Darrell Wallace Jr., Mason Mingus Kyle Larson, Chad Boat and Brennan Newberry are all expected to be a threat.

But can she do it? Can Milka Duno pull off the upset? Will the Caracas, Venezuela native become the first winner in ARCA’s 61-year history? It’s Daytona, anything can happen.

Sleepers you ask? Well, there’s those too. Julian Jousse, Justin Boston, Michel Disdier, Drew Charlson, Will Kimmel, Caleb Armstrong, Josh Williams – the list goes on and on.

I’m getting a headache just thinking about who will the biggest race of their career, but one thing is for certain, if you’re not attending the race, strap yourself down in front of a television (4:30 p.m. SPEED), because the ARCA race is bound to produce all the fireworks that you’ll need to get revved up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Sprint Unlimited set to launch at 8:00 live on FOX.

Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.

The article After Qualifying, ARCA Race Will Be One To Watch is from Catchfence.

Jeffrey Earnhardt - Photo Credit: Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images

I appeared on Speed TV's Race Hub with Steve Byrnes last Tuesday night. I finally feel a little more comfortable being interviewed. The advice I was given when I was with DEI has helped and I guess it takes a few interviews to become more comfortable. It was cool. I was excited to be back over there with Steve and Jimmy Spencer. They both sat there afterwards and told me all kinds of stories about my Grandpa. That was pretty cool, too. Jimmy had some pretty funny ones and that was really neat to hear those.

Now back to Homestead. That was our second race with Go Green Racing and, actually, it went real well. We kept our nose clean throughout the whole race and we had to qualify in to the race which was a big start to the weekend. We did a pretty decent job in qualifying and we just ran our race throughout the entire run. It was obvious we were down on power but that's just because of the lack of sponsor money. We're still trying to get the bigger money to be able to afford the FR9 motors and be able to run just as fast as the big teams. But I feel like once the tires wore out and we were on old tires we could run right there with the best of them. For a smaller team we were running right there with Joey Coulter in the 21 car and some really fast cars. That tells us once everybody else's tires wore down and the cars got harder to drive we were able to run just as fast as they were. We finished 23rd and I feel it was a respectable finish with the situation we were in.

The guys seemed pleased and said it wasn't the greatest finish but it is something we can build on for Daytona. And the entire Go Green Team saw it as a positive but we are competitors so we will use that as a goal and continue to improve. We were down on power and it showed once we got on the straightaways but Go Green did a great job and Uponor coming on board to fill the sponsorship for that race and having Tobacco Free Florida back on board for that race was pretty neat. That just made for a great weekend, having everybody there. A lot of the Uponor people came in town for the race and the people from Tobacco Free Florida were there and everybody had a really good time. It was really cool.

Being back with Clint Cram, my crew chief from DEI, is pretty great. I was just at the shop yesterday and sat there and talked to him quite a bit. Later last night he told me how proud he is of how far I've come and being back together this season. Like I told everybody it's kind of like being back at home. We worked for 2 years together and to be back together with someone you already have a work chemistry with is going to be a big help putting together a good run next year. Many people don't realize what a key part of the team the chemistry you have with the team members is. Good chemistry with the crew chief helps you understand each other more and good chemistry with the crew members means they will work twice as hard for you because they know you are going to work just as hard for them. Just going by the shop, just showing your face is a big deal to the guys on the team because there aren't a lot of drivers that still do that. I feel that's important to your guys to be there and show them you appreciate everything they're doing. Those are key factors in building a successful race team, putting together good runs and having everything just right that weekend. Clint and I already have that great relationship and hanging out at the shop having fun with all the guys all adds up to better runs during the season. That's something we're working towards for next year. Before you know it Daytona will be here and they're already talking about wanting to do some testing so it's a very tight schedule with very little breaks and these guys are continuing to work just as hard even though Christmas is coming up. They are very committed and they deserve to know their driver appreciates all of their hard work.

The hunt for sponsorship is looking up. Like we said in the press release Uponor is sponsoring 6 races. FW1 has been a sponsor of mine for a long time and will more than likely do 2. There are other deals in the works and I know Archie St Hilaire, the owner of Go Green Racing, has some stuff he's working on. We've got a lot of things in the works that's going to help put the season together. It looks like it's going to be for a full season but whether it will be with the budget for the bigger motors remains to be seen. We are still looking for the sponsorship to make that a reality so that's the difference in where we're at now and where we financially need to be.

And I want the fans to know they are so important to me, too. Especially the kids. They could look up to you for the rest of their lives and you could be a good role model to them. The fans are there just trying to have a good time and they are no different than me. They deserve the same respect I would like people to have for me. Stopping to spend a few minutes with them or to sign something for them is real important. I think some drivers have lost that. It's showing and I've heard that from fans. At Talladega I was down in the infield. After every race I go out there and drink a few beers with the fans and I was walking down Talladega Boulevard where all the partying happens there and someone said, “Hey, it's Jeffrey Earnhardt.”. So I stopped and talked to them and they asked what I was doing down there. They said there I was hanging out having a good time with the fans and that none of the other drivers do that. A few still do. I've actually ran in to a couple out there but it's not like it used to be when the drivers were out there all the time with the fans. I feel that's the drivers' fault and partially NASCAR's for distancing the fans so far from the drivers. And drivers do want their own space, we all do but we wouldn't have this sport without those fans and fans are dropping off more and more and that's something us younger generation drivers are worried about. We want this sport to be around forever, to never go away and I'm sure it will but it would be cool to see it back to the caliber it used to be, to be back the way it was when my Grandpa raced. So I want to help bring some of that back, to bring the count back in the grandstands, to go up in the grandstands with the fans. It's a new era and the kids aren't as excited about racing as they used to be so I wish NASCAR would be more active towards that younger fan and get them more involved. Things like that are very important to my racing future and the future of this sport and

I want to be able to make a difference. That's important to me.

And the whole “Earn it” thing was important to my grandpa and is something that is important to me, too. My parents believed in it and have taught me that for as long as I can remember. That all started when I first wanted to go racing. That's when I learned they wanted me to earn everything I do. And as I did it I started understanding why that was so important. They said I had to get everything myself, the car, get it ready and get the sponsors and then I could race. So surprisingly to them I did it and then they said they had to let me race. Doing it yourself, putting in all the hard work is a huge, huge help in making you who you are, and you as a person. You are so proud of what you've done and it makes you a better person in the end. That experience has really helped me especially in the last few years having to work hard for what I've accomplished today and what I will accomplish in my future. Having the last name of Earnhardt kind of sucked in the beginning because a lot of people didn't want to see me succeed. People from outside the sport thought I was a spoiled, little rich kid who had everything handed to him. That wasn't the case. Those people just didn't know the true story. What they said doesn't matter now but for awhile it would really get under my skin. So I do take pride in the things I've done, the things I've earned and for my fans. They really do make it even more enjoyable. And I will always be careful with the Earnhardt name. I would never want to hurt what someone so great built. My grandpa was a great man and built a great name so I don't ever want to be a part of messing that up. I don't ever want anyone to look at me and say I am ashamed of that name. That is something I need to always consider and I will.

The little kid fans are really cool, too. If they are able to come up to the car and really get to look at the cars it's so cool to see their reactions. Anyone can watch them on TV going in circles and to them it just seems like a car but until you get up close and are able to look in one you just can't know what it's like. And to see all the switches and the seats in them and stuff, the kids just don't really realize all the stuff that's in them. Just to be able to watch their reactions is pretty much priceless. Some of the funny things you hear are completely out there. I've been told my racing seat looks like a big carseat. I've been told my racecar is fake because it has stickers for head lights. I've heard just about everything from little kids. It's neat just to see how excited they are to see the car and to hear them say they're going to be a racecar driver one day. It's just fun to hear them. I like kids. I have a little sister and after having her in my life and being around the little kids it's been pretty cool and fun to hear the things they say and their reactions. I don't want any of my own anytime soon, but, I'll gladly hang out with the ones that hang out in the pits.

Now I want to take this time to answer a couple of questions from the fans. Some have asked what I have going on before Daytona. I am going hunting in Pennsylvania the 12th through the 14th. I'm going White Tail hunting. And I went up to Canada to go on a black bear hunt and it was only me with my bow and the camera guy with his camera so it was pretty intense. The film was aired on North America Safari. I will probably post the video on my Facebook when I get a copy. So I've had some success with my bow so far. I've gotten several wild hogs too.

One real common question I get a lot on our fan page and in messages is from people who want to get into the sport, to start racing and they want to know how to do it. The best response I have for them is to never give up and keep working hard towards that. I've had times when I thought I would never, ever race again, but I learned if you really want something bad enough you will find a way to make it happen. Like I said earlier, “Earn It” is a huge, huge key to it. Nothing is going to be handed to you or given easy and if it is you're not going to appreciate it as much as working hard for it. It's like that for anything you do in life whether it's becoming a professional football player, becoming an MMA fighter or even being the manager of a restaurant. If you want to be that person, have that position in life then you have to work hard to be that. It's not going to come easy but if you truly want that then you have to find a way to make it happen. With racing it just takes a lot of hard work and never giving up no matter what anyone says. If you wreck 3 weeks in a row then you have to find a way to make that next weekend better. Just learn from everything, every experience and make it work for you. Never give up. Really be an open book to everything that happens and you decide whether that is important or applies to you.

And probably the biggest question I get is if I would ever drive for Dale, Jr or if I am going to drive for Dale, Jr. I still hear that everyday, pretty much. I just say it's one of those deals where JR Motorsports is working hard to keep sponsors. They're struggling just like everyone else. So as I said earlier I'm all about earning it. Don't get me wrong, if they were to offer me a ride tomorrow I'd have to take it because that's just something you can't pass up but they were raised the same way I was. Kelley is a firm believer in earning it and Dale, Jr knows what it's like to put in hard work. Back in the late model days all the work my Grandpa made them do to get their cars ready, to keep them prepared is all of the whole “Earn It” thing. Just because they're family I don't expect them to give me a free ride. A lot of people said, when I went to race for DEI, that it was given to me. I like to think that it wasn't, that it was something that I earned through the development driver deal I did and that my abilities were the reason I got that ride but I'm definitely not looking for a handout. I'll work 'til the end of time to get that big ride whether it's with Jr, or Turner Motorsports or whoever it may be. I'll continue to work just as hard and work my way to the top. JR Motorsports has their ideas, and I've had communication with them, but, not on a very high level. Right now the most important thing I can do to further my career is to get seat time and that's where I'm lacking. Who knows, maybe at the end of the year I can step into a winning car. We'll just have to see how things happen.

Also fans have asked when we will have some type of memorabilia for sale. We are definitely wanting to do T-shirts, hats and other stuff this year but our biggest hold up right now is deciding what number we're going to run and know who all our sponsors are going to be. When we know all of that we will go ahead and get orders placed for that stuff.

I guess that's it for now. Just keep watching and listening for good news for our team. We really do appreciate and value your support and hope to give you all a lot more to support in the future and we hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.

The article Homestead, Race Hub, "Earn It" and 2013 is from Catchfence.