Bliss-full ending to rain-soaked Carquest Auto Parts 300

CONCORD, N.C. — It took more than an hour for the track to dry enough for the Nationwide Series cars to begin the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway and before the night was over rain would again fall and cut the race short by 30-laps — leaving Mike Bliss and the Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevrolet sitting at the front of the field.

In fact, Bliss was one of only a dozen cars on the lead lap because of an ill-timed yellow flag that came out as most cars were cycling  green flag pit stops. The caution caught even the fastest cars of the night off guard and forced one of NASCAR quirky restarts, where the leader was actually mid-pack in the field behind a gaggle of cars trying to stay on the lead lap.

"It ended up really good," Bliss said. "We stretched our fuel mileage a little bit, so I guess that's why we're here. We just stayed out one lap longer and it paid off."

Bliss said he wasn't aware that showers were on the way and he also wasn't aware that  the No. 62 5-Hour Energy Drink Chevrolet driven Brendan Gaughan was the only other car ahead of the rest of the pack.

"I really didn't know Brendan was there until he got by me," Bliss said. "They said, 'that's your leader now.' So, when Brendan went by I knew I would get back by him but I was trying to take it a little bit conservative because I figured everybody was battling pretty dang hard in front. I had no idea there was any rain. When we went through one and two, there was a little bit and when we went back by there were five of us and we all went sideways and it came down pretty hard over there."

Gaughan said was ecstatic with his second-place finish and thanked his team for giving him good equipment. As far as the rain, he said he was glad to get a little good luck on his side considering bad things had been pestering the team recetly.

"Had a couple of flat tires and Goodyear makes great tires, we just ran over something on the racetrack," Guaghan said of his previous misfortunes. "We've had our share of bad luck and today I don't know how we did it."

A lot of drivers were less than thrilled when the skies opened up but one in particular saw his dominating run come to an early end. Kyle Busch drove from the back of the field to the lead in the first 35-laps of the race. But when the final caution came out and the rains began to fall, he was one of those cars that got caught after pitting. He restarted the race on point, leading the field to retake the green flag but he was actually in third-place at the time.

"I was very disappointed that we didn't get a win and the guys aren't able to celebrate themselves in Victory Lane for putting together the fastest car out there," Busch said. "But the NOS Enegry Drink Toyota was good — it was fast and circumstances just didn't hit our was tonight."

Feeling somewhat jinxed after missing out wins that he should have notched on his steering wheel, Busch was vocal about lady Luck turning her back on him recently.

"It's not just this series — it's every other series too," Busch said. "I had bad luck all week in the truck series — had bad luck with the All-Star race just not getting the right set-up there for the final 10 laps. Last week at Darlington was a bad one — both Cup and Nationwide. I don't even know where we were the week before — I think it was Talladega — wadded up two cars there. Just very, very frustrating to be one of the fastest cars week in and week out and not have anything to show for it."

But Busch does have something show for it. In fact, he has already amassed two wins in the Camping World Truck Series, three wins in the Nationwide Series and three wins in the Sprit Cup Series. A fact that didn't go over looked by a jubilant Bliss, who said he wasn't worried whether people feel like he stole the win.

"I don't care, got it from a guy who is winning too much anyway. We had a good enough car to run in the top three all night. Yeah, the 18 was a better car but he wins too much an nobody likes him," Bliss joked after the race.

Rounding out the Top 5 were Brian Vickers and Joey Logano, respectively.

"The Rocket" on the pole for Coke 600

CONCORD, N.C. — For many NASCAR fans this won't come as a surprise but Ryan Newman, a.k.a "The Rocket" is the pole winner for Sunday's Coca-Coal 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

His fast lap of 188.475 mph was quick enough to beat out Kyle Busch's 188.258 mph and Jeff Gordon's 188.193 mph lap.

But what is more interesting is that the first three racers heading off into Turn 1 on Sunday are the same three  that got together coming out of Turn 4 last week in the Sprint All-Star race. The ensuing crash cost Newman a shot a the win. Newman said there were all even and Busch and Gordon talked in the media center in between their respective press briefings. But that doesn't mean they all three won't go charging off into Turn 1 battling to lead the first lap.

" Yeah, right now, I'm gonna call it even between me, the 18 and 24 and throw Tony Stewart in there on Sunday, too," Newman said.

Busch said he was just slightly unhappy with his car after qualifying, wishing he could have been justa tick faster.

"Trying to get the thing running as to where it'd be fast," Busch said. "Messed up in the corner and it cost us. Just trying to make it as to where it would bust loose but it turned out the exact opposite because of the way I arched into the corner."

Gordon followed up saying that Newman is always fast at Charlotte but that he was pleased with the qualifying run of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. Gordon, who got his first-ever win at Lowe's in the Coke 600, said this is always a special weekend for him.

"It means a lot to me, winning my first race here," he said.

Rounding out the Top 5 in qualifying were Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson, respectively.

PHOTOS: Sprint All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway

Stewart snags $1 million in Sprint All-Star race

Tony Stewart became only the second driver/owner to win the Sprint All-Star race Saturday as he came around Turns 1 and 2 to pass Matt Kenseth with just two laps to go.

Stewart battled from mid pack, starting the four-segment 100-lap event from the 15th position. He finished the first 50-lap segment in the 9th spot and moved up one position at the conclusion of the second stage, which was 20-laps. He followed that up with a 6th place finish in the second of the two 20-lap stages.

Then, with only a 10-lap shootout remaining, Stewart worked his way through the field and at one point, he was pushed teamate Ryan Newman to the front but Newman got caught up in a three-car collision with Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon. The crash took Gordon out of the race and crippled the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet.

That set the stage for a battle between Stewart, Kenseth and Busch for the win. After getting a great restart following the caution, Stewart drove up like he was going to make a pass on Kenseth but dipped below the white line getting loose, just as NASCAR  threw another caution, this time for debris on the track.

With just five laps to Stewart restart third and battled around Busch to take on Kenseth. After making the pass on Kenseth, Stewart drove away and took home a cool $1 million.

Going through the final laps, Stewart said he couldn't believe Kenseth gave him the bottom of the track, considering he had just almost motored by the No. 17 previously.

"He ran up high on the restart and I was like man I can't believe he is giving me the bottom again," Stewart said. "Darien made a handful of changes on the final caution and man did it wake the car up."

On his teammate's misfortune, Stewart felt it should have been someone else in Victory Lane.

"Ryan Newman was probably the guy that should have been in Victory Lane tonight but he got a tire cut and had to come in and change it," he said. "The pan was to follow Ryan. I thought we could both get by the 17 and just go on. I was thinking man Ryan in gonna win this thing and I was just going to be happy wherever I ended up."

Hornish wins, gets into All Star race with McMurray

Sam Hornish won the Sprint Showdown to work his way into the Sprint All Star Challenge, taking a shot a $1 million win.

HJamie McMurray finished second to also get the nod. And they are anouncing at this very minute that Joey Logano is the fans' choice to get in the race.

Hornaday Jr. wins truck race in Charlotte

Ron Hornaday Jr. held off a late race charge by Kyle Busch to take the checkered flag and win the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Friday.

Hornaday Jr. had a little trouble earlier in the night, getting caught on pit road when the caution came out. But he was able to stay on the tail end of pack in front of the leader and catch back up on an ensuing caution that was brought out when Busch got into the back of the No. 6 truck driven by Colin Braun. Busch was able to go on but Braun ended up crashing and finishing in 26th place.

Hornaday's crew chief Rick Ren said he missed the set-up on the truck, slightly and Hornaday Jr. said he believes he had a 3rd place truck all night.

"Clean air is really big and we had the truck really tight early in the race," Ren said. "I just missed it a little bit today. Our truck was really fast in practice and in clean air."

After the race, Busch, who already has two wins on the season, was complaining that Chevrolet had a motor advantage over the Toyotas

Hornaday fired back, "Why did he go by me on the back straightaway like I was standing still," Hornaday Jr. said. "I have lost four or five races to Kyle Busch. We won he finished second. We will find out when we go to Michigan because I am sure NASCAR will take all the motors and dyno them like the always do"

As for the massive crash between Mike Skinner and T.J. Bell earlier in the night, Hornaday Jr. said he didn't see it but knew that Skinner was upside down and worried if he was okay.

"I hate Mike Skinner on the race track but I love him as a brother outside it," Hornaday Jr. said. "I didn't actually see the wreck but I heard he got upside down."

Finishing up the race in 3rd place was last year's race winner Matt Crafton in the No. 88 Chevrolet. He was followed by Ryan Newman and Terry Cook, respectively, in 4th and 5th places.

Rounding out the field was:

6th David Gilliland

7th David Star

8th Tayler Malsem

9th Stacy Compton

10th Dennis Setzer

11th Rick Crawford

12th James Buescher

13th Johnny Sauter

14th Jason White

15th Chad McCumbee

16th Brian Ickler

17th Mario Gosselin

18th Ryan Hackett

19th Ben Stancil

20th Chris Jones

21st Brain Scott

22nd Brent Raymer

23rd Johnny Benson

24th Norm Benning

25th Todd Bodine

26th Colin Braun

27th Mike Bliss

28th Brandon Knupp

29th Mike Skinner

30th T.J. Bell

31st Timothy Peters

32nd Marc Mitchell

33rd Johnny Chapman

34th John Jackson

35th Donnie Neuenberger

36th Chris Fontaine

OUCH!!! He walked away

The No. 5 Toyota, driven by Mike Skinner, got loose after being run down into the grass through the tri-oval at Lowe's Motor Speedway. As he tried to save it the truck slid up the racetrack and slammed into the outside wall at the exact moment that T.J. Bell in the No. 11 hit him from behind and sent the No. 5 airborne.

After a few tense moments, with even the NASCAR officials saying, "just get outof the truck," Skinner signaled to the crowd that he was okay.

He and Bell were both taken to the infield care center, where they were evaluated and then released.

Currently, we are halfway through the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 and Kyle Busch is working his way back through the field after sustaining ancillary damages from Skinner and Bell's crash.

Collin Braun is leading the race and holding off the No. 33 driven by Ron Hornaday Jr.

Pit Crew Challenge in Charlotte

Here's a quick video clip from Charlotte, N.C. at the Time Warner Arena where we are well into the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge. The action is heating up and the field is set for the second round of competition among the crews.

If you want to check out the action tune into the SPEED Channel at 8 p.m. (Beaumont time) and you can see it all. I will have a wrap-up article later this evening and I will be updating the Web site throughout the week.

Will Chrysler bankruptcy jeopardize racing?

 Like just about everyone else in the sport of NASCAR, I am anxious to see what the bankruptcy filing by Chrysler and its most recent comments about not repaying the American taxpayers for the $7 billion in federal loans it took to stay financially afloat for the past few months is going to have on auto racing.

  We already know that American automakers lie to the public, so why should the people supporting NASCAR believe they are being told the truth about Dodge’s continued participation? I don’t know if anyone else caught this little slip of the tongue but Kasey Kahne said there was talk of the new Richard Petty Motorsports switching to Toyota. That was just one of the reasons why the team wasn’t using the much-improved engine that Dodge created for the Sprint Cup teams.

  As a NASCAR fan, I want to see the sport grow and do well but I think we are about to get a rude awakening. Even if the economy comes out of its slump by the end of the year, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke alluded on Monday, it might take NASCAR years to recover fully.

  The automakers are strapped for cash and, honestly, when you can buy a Japanese car that performs better, gets better fuel mileage, is more reliable and safer than its American-built counterpart, why wouldn’t you pick a Toyota or Honda over a Chevrolet Impala or Ford Fusion?

  And each time one of those foreign cars is sold, it takes money out of NASCAR. Still, when I drive to Charlotte next week for the Sprint All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 the following weekend, it won’t be in an American-built car. Why? Because mine gets 41 mpg.

  If I could have found an American-made vehicle that had that type of fuel mileage and that I knew would last longer than the number of payments I will be making on it, then I would have bought that car.

  I think the auto companies have come around; I just hope it is not to late and there stubbornness over the years doesn’t end up killing a sport that we all love.

  Now that I am off my soapbox, lets talk about the race at Richmond International Raceway, last week. The action was great and it was cool to see Kyle Busch win on his birthday. You could see it coming and when he got out front, you knew the only way he was going to lose the lead was if someone wrecked him.

  And what about Tony Stewart? Back-to-back second place finishes. He is on a roll and I expect a win to come pretty quick for either him or Ryan Newman.

  Now, I am biased but a lot of people said early on that Stewart didn’t have a chance this year because he was opening his own team and it would take time.

  Guess what? So far, he is proving you all wrong and I knew it from day one. StewartHaas Racing is essentially an extension of Hendrick Motor Sports, so why wouldn’t he do well right out of the gate? Those guys have a pretty good history over there — seven series championships between two drivers. This was a no-brainer and it’s nice to see an owner/driver doing so well.

  Looking ahead to this week, it’s back to the sport’s Southern roots at Darlington Raceway a.k.a. “The Lady in Black.” If you are new to the sport and don’t know the reason behind the nickname, just watch the race and notice as the white retaining wall changes colors throughout the weekend.

  That’s about it for this week. There aren’t a lot of rumors, which is par for the course a week out from the All-Star Race. I expect that we might see some changes to some crew chiefs and others for the Coca-Cola 600 in two weeks. One of those changes may finally come at HMS with Dale Earnhardt Jr. seeing a different face on his pit box. Who knows for sure? The one thing that has been consistent with that team is that they aren’t working well together. Aside from a good finish at Talladega, they haven’t been spectacular. And they surely aren’t living up to all the hype from when Junior made his big switch.

  One thing that will be different in Charlotte is the trophy they will present for the winner of the 50th Annual Coca-Cola 600. According to NASCAR media Web site, the trophy is a spectacular one-of-a-kind piece of art.

  “More than 120 man-hours of work went into the design and construction of the finished piece of artwork that weighs 225 pounds,” the release states. “The trophy is 18 inches wide and 31 inches tall. The base was cut from black Oscuro marble and the center was bored out to relieve weight and accommodate the vertical portion of the trophy. The first World 600, 50th Coca-Cola 600 and Lowe’s Motor Speedway Fifty Years of Firsts logos are engraved across the front of the base.

  “In the center of the base sits the familiar prize that winners of the Coca-Cola 600 have received since 1981. The piston was cast in Everdur bronze and plated with 22-carat gold. Surrounding it are 10 monolithic columns of fine crystal that were hand-etched with the winners’ names and dates from the past 49 Coca-Cola 600s. The name of the winner of the 50th Coca-Cola 600 will be added to both a crystal column and the marble base.”

  The media was told it was priceless but for the winner of the race its worth a lion’s share of the record $6.4 million purse that will be awarded.

  Be sure to check out www.kickinthetiresnet. I have been updating more frequently and will be posting a lot while I am in Charlotte, N.C., over the next two weeks. That’s it for now. If you want to watch this week’s race, check it out on FOX on Saturday night.

You will be missed, my friend

David Poole types his notes while Mike Mulhern and I record our interview with Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008. 

Photo by Dwight Drum, racetake.com

On Tuesday morning, I knew exactly what this week’s column was going to be about, but that all changed at 3:28 p.m. when I received an untitled e-mail from the National Motorsports Press Association.

The first line of the e-mail was clear enough. “It is with great sadness that I inform you that David Poole of the Charlotte Observer died this afternoon of a heart attack,” wrote Dustin Long, NMPA president.

I had to read it a couple of times and I even fired off an immediate response hoping this was some sort of sick joke.

But it wasn’t. My friend, David Poole, had died.

Now, I know this doesn’t mean a whole lot to anyone out there other than the most devoted NASCAR fans that remember me mentioning David’s name in my column from time to time, but to me it was chilling — in more ways than one. I couldn’t believe it. I had just heard him doing his radio show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio a few hours earlier. And in two weeks, we were going to meet and discuss a project that we began last year because he had better access to some of the people were needed to speak with. On the radio, he sounded a little congested but I would have never known he was about to die. And neither did he, apparently.

Later in the day, I found out that he had made plans to meet with NASCAR legend Buddy Baker about an upcoming article he was working on and that he had just spoken with Texas Motor Speedway’s Eddie Gossage the night before. No one knew that David’s heart was about to give out.

If you ever saw Poole or heard his show, it was no secret — he was a big guy. He and Tony Stewart would even joke about finding the buffet in the media center during race weekends.

Anyway, David would probably deny it but he was a nice guy. Behind his gruff, ornery demeanor he was always willing to help. And that included reporters who were still trying to gain membership in the tight-nit group that is the NASCAR press corp. David helped me with that and he would always give a wave or yell “Hey, Jerry” or “Hello” from across the room when he saw me. He was my friend and I know I will miss seeing him at the track later this month when I go to cover the All-Star race and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.

After the news set in, I did some basic research and found that each year there are about 1.5 million people in the United States that suffer from a heart attack and that one-third of them die. So, 500,000 people each year die from a heart attack. Someone is stricken by a heart attack about once every 20 seconds, which means that someone dies from a heart attack every minute or so. Wow, that is a pretty strong statistic.

Suffice it to say, if you are at risk of a heart attack you probably should get checked out or, at the very least, start eating healthier and exercising.

Leave it to my wife to point out that I am no poster child for the cover of Men’s Health Magazine. Yeah, I can stand to drop a few pounds — hell, I can stand to drop a few dozen pounds. This wasn’t something that I wanted to face just 30 minutes after I told her of David’s death, but it is a harsh reality.

To those in the NASCAR community — the ones that travel the circuit regularly — David Poole was the go-to guy for NASCAR news. Think about it this way. When David Poole wrote a column, covered a race or interviewed a driver, it was people like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jack Roush and Richard Childress who read his work. Being based in Charlotte and working for the Observer, he was the “local” reporter for the NASCAR. In the media center, he was the person that set the tone and he could be very vocal about it. But if there was something that he could do to help facilitate getting the story out to the fans quicker, he would push for it.

I have read a lot of quotes about what David meant to different people but I think the one from Dale Jr. says it all, “David Poole was as much a fixture in this sport as the actual cars themselves.”

As for David’s wife, Katy, his grandson Eli, daughter Emily and sons Matthew and David and other loved ones, you all should know that David was very special to a lot of people that you never met, including myself. As I listened to Sirius throughout the afternoon on Tuesday, it was overwhelmingly apparent that David Poole had touched many, many people’s lives. He cared about what he wrote and he cared for the people he wrote it about. That is an ability that not every journalist has. I looked up to David Poole and I hope that I can be half as good at covering this sport as he was. I will miss seeing him at the track each time I cover a race in the future. His loss is huge and I don’t envy the person who has to come along behind him and try to fill his shoes.

NASCAR remembers David Poole

 “The NASCAR community is stunned and saddened by the loss of David Poole. David was as passionate about NASCAR as anyone and had very definitive opinions about the sport. He served the industry, and most importantly the fans, through his reporting and commentary in the Charlotte Observer and Sirius Satellite Radio. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David’s family and friends. He will be missed.” — Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO

Texas Motor Speedway’s staff offers its thoughts and prayers to the family of respected veteran Charlotte Observer motorsports reporter David Poole, who passed away today. Speedway President Eddie Gossage also expressed his sentiments: “David was a powerful and prolific voice in NASCAR as a result of his role at The Charlotte Observer. He called me just last night and we talked for a while about a column he was working on, so this is very stunning to me. The thing I liked about David was that you could argue a counterpoint to his thoughts and while he might argue his point vociferously, he had an open mind to understand your position. Even if he still disagreed, he would respectfully concede the validity of your position. I’ve lost a friend and colleague, the sport lost a prescient voice but, worst of all, the Poole family lost a vital member.” — Eddie Gossage, president, Texas Motor Speedway

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of NASCAR beat writer David Poole. Our thoughts go out to his wife, Katy, and his entire family. Our sympathy also goes to everyone in the NASCAR community – David’s extended family.

“It is extremely difficult to put into words the impact David Poole had on our sport. His talents went beyond the ability to craft mere words into a story. David had a gift for debate that drove fans wild, and he was sometimes as entertaining as the action on the track. He was a passionate racing fan and cared deeply for the sport he treasured. His passion was evident in the countless hours he invested from the earliest of wake-up calls for his live SIRIUS show to the latest of nights at the track to meet his deadline for the Charlotte Observer. David was a staple in the sport and always will be remembered as a NASCAR legend. He will be missed.” — Statement from Sprint, title sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to David’s family. He was a friend of everybody in the garage area. He could be controversial from time to time but he always wrote and spoke what he believed. He didn’t pull any punches with anybody and that’s what people respected about him. He was good for the sport and will be missed.” — Richard Childress, President and CEO Richard Childress Racing

“David worked his ass off for our sport, whether it was in his writing or on his radio show. His life revolved around the sport and we’re obviously very saddened by the loss. He will be missed.” — Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet

“I’ve gotten to know (David) Poole really well over the years. He spent a lot of time with the No. 31 team every weekend and would sit and have conversations with us on just about everything. He was fun to agree and debate with. I admired his professionalism and work ethic and he did a great job of reporting our sport to the fans. He’s someone I have a lot of respect for and he will definitely be missed.” — Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet

“David was a great person. I loved being on his radio shows because he always found a way to make you laugh during the interview. He always made you feel like you were best buds that had known each other for years. He was a superb writer that always had creative angles to make a story the best it could be. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time. We’ll all miss seeing his face in the garage area. It’s a sad day for our NASCAR community to lose this incredible writer and dear friend.” — Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet

“David Poole was a professional and his passing is a big loss to our sport. I always had a very good working relationship with David. He always knew when the right time to approach a driver was and when it wasn’t. He was a fair and objective reporter and someone who I had a great deal of respect for. I always appreciated his no nonsense approach. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.” — Casey Mears, driver of the No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet

“Losing David is a huge blow to the NASCAR community. I feel we have lost one of the “old-guard” of the NASCAR press corps. As a longtime motorpsorts journalist, David was as knowledgeable about NASCAR as anyone I have ever met. I want his family to know that the thoughts and prayers of everyone at Talladega Superspeedway are with them during this difficult time. “ — Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey

 “I am shocked and saddened to hear the news that our sport has lost David Poole. My thoughts go out to his family. He was someone who loved our sport and wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion. That’s what made him one of the most respected members of our media. I know I worked twice as hard to make sure I earned his respect. I am proud of what he has done for our sport and I know he will be truly missed by everyone in NASCAR.” —Jimmie Johnson, driver of No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet

 “David was one of those guys that I always looked forward to seeing in the media center, because David and I always understood each other.   We always gave each other a hard time, in a fun way, whenever we were in the media center and that normally got everybody laughing.  It’s going to be different without seeing him every week.  He was a huge part of the sport.  Being with The Charlotte Observer and with Charlotte being the hub of our series, he was right in the middle of it all the time.  He’s very well respected in our sport, and definitely in the media center.  We’re all just going to miss him.  It was just a big shock to hear the news." — Tony Stewart, Owner-Driver, Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet

“The staff at Auto Club Speedway is saddened to learn of the passing of David Poole. His passion, knowledge and dedication to motorsports will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and colleagues.” — Gillian Zucker, President, Auto Club Speedway

Edwards jogs across finish line after horrible crash

In a scene reminiscent of the worst movie in history, Carl Edwards was leading the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway when he was wrecked on the final lap just a few feet from the checkered flag. And when the cars came to a stop, Edwards climbed out of the No. 99 Claritin Ford Fusion and made a dash for the finish line on foot — just like Ricky Bobby did in “Talladega Nights.”

I think I am going to be sick after writing that but there just isn’t any other way to describe it. I absolutely hated that movie and to see it play out on live television was almost too much. Now, if Edwards had gone up and mouth-kissed race-winner Brad Kesolowski, I would have turned in my NASCAR credential and switched my fandom to water polo.

Seriously, the crash was horrific and resulted in injuries to seven fans seated along the front stretch.

And given the ride that he had just taken, Edward wasn’t lost for words in the post-race interview concerning his feelings about NASCAR and restrictor plate racing.

“NASCAR puts us in a box,” Edwards said. “We will race like this until they kill somebody, and then they will change it.”

Edwards words hadn’t even cleared his lips and the paramedics were already rushing to the scene to immediately assess those who were hurt.

Two people were flown to area hospitals but the most severe injury appeared to be a broken jaw.

As for NASCAR’s reaction and whether anything would be done to either slow the cars down or decrease the banking angle at the track, the answer is still up in the air.

A late-Monday press conference didn’t leave many in the NASCAR press corp. with a warm fuzzy feeling about the issue.

The following comment came from NASCAR Vice-president of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter: “In regards to Sunday’s late race incident at Talladega Superspeedway, it’s extremely unfortunate that a few fans suffered minor injuries. No one wants anyone to get hurt while attending one of our events and our thoughts are with each of the fans injured this weekend. Safety is, and always will be, NASCAR’s No. 1 priority, and we are glad that each of the safety devices at Talladega yesterday worked properly, including the roof flaps and the catch fence. As most of you know, we are constantly evaluating safety initiatives. It’s something we do every day we are at the racetrack, and it’s something we do every day at the R&D center.

“We tried letting the competitors police themselves when it comes to blocking and bump drafting. After reviewing all of those procedures, we might have to start making some judgment calls of our own and penalize, issue penalties for drivers who blatantly block and abuse the bump drafting. We are going to take whatever measures we need to in order to ensure the races are as safe as possible for everyone.”

So, what are we being told here? I am not really sure but it sounded like NASCAR was blaming the entire incident on a driver making a poor decision. And that may be the case but drivers make poor decisions at other tracks all of the time — they don’t result in a car ending up four-feet from clearing the inside catch fence and slamming into the crowd.

I admit Edwards and Kesolowski made mistakes but if NASCAR or International Speedway Corp. thinks that the track configuration and intense speed didn’t play a part in the No. 99 getting airborne, I am not buying it.

Here is what I know. It is called racing because you are trying to go faster than the other guy. Yes, there is an element of danger. Yes, people can get hurt — even die. But does that mean that every precaution in the world shouldn’t be taken to ensure the unthinkable doesn’t happen.

Had Edwards cleared the fence, this column would be totally different. I think the fact that Edwards didn’t end up in the stands is a testament to the safety measures that NASCAR has in place. I just hope they don’t sit back and say, “Hey, it worked. We don’t need to change anything.”

Even though Hunter proclaimed that all of the safety measures performed properly, we still had fans get injured. I saw a huge piece of metal get thrown into the stands. We were lucky. Several drivers have shared that same feeling. But just because we were lucky last week doesn’t mean we’re always going to dodge that bullet.

NASCAR, I implore you to assess the Talladega situation so that what Edwards said about people dying can be avoided.

Goodbye, my friend

David Poole and Mike Bagley on Sirius Satellite Radio's The Morning Drive Show from Hendrick Motorsports last year during between the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 weekends. Photo by Jerry Jordan

David Poole — 1959 - 2009

A lot of people knew David Poole as gruff and ornery but to me he was a friend and one of the first people to help me out when I had a question about the inner-workings of NASCAR.

I would never claim to know David Poole, as well as, other more regular reporters covering the sport but I still looked up to him for inspiration and advice.

David Poole invited me into a tight-nit club known as the NASCAR press corps and he would always make it a point to say, "hello" when he walked by me in the media center. He and I even started working on a major story together but we never got around to finishing it.

For his family and anyone that might stumble across my Blog, I want to let you know that David Poole will be greatly missed. My condolences to you as I know you are struggling to cope in this very difficult time.

UPDATE! Talladega nights - Redux - Kesolowski wins

PHOTO BY CIA STOCK PHOTO
In a scene reminiscent of the worst movie in history, Carl Edwards was leading the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway when he was wrecked on the final lap just a few feet from the checkered flag. And when the cars came to a stop, Edwards climbed out of the No. 99 Claritin Ford Fusion and made a dash for the finish line on foot — just like Ricky Bobby did in Talladega Nights.

Oh God, I think I am going to be sick after writing that but there just isn't any other way to describe it. Now, if I see Edwards go up and mouth-kiss race-winnerBrad Kesolowski I am turning in my NASCAR credential and switching my fandom to water polo.

It was a horrific crash that almost sent the Edwards into the stands on the frontstretch. 

And he wasn't lost for words in the post-race interview about his feelings concerning NASCAR and restrictor plate racing. "NASCAR puts us in a box. We will race like this until they kill somebody and then they will change it."

Early reports indicate that several fans were injured from debris sent into the stands. Paramedics rushed to the scene and immediately began assessing those who were hurt.

UPDATE: According to reports, there were at least eight people in the stands injured from debris and from people trying to get out of the way. The most severe injury appears to be a broken jaw. I will continue to post updates, as NASCAR releases information. And don't forget to pick up a copy of The Examiner Newspaper on Friday for a full recap of the race and any actions taken by NASCAR in the wake of Edwards' accident.

Martin breaks 97 race winless streak

Finally, Mark Martin has gone back to Victory Lane — this time in the Subway 500 At Phoenix International Raceway.

Martin, first passed Ryan Newman following a late race caution with just seven laps to go, and then held off Newman's team owner Tony Stewart to take the checkered flag. As he was celebrating is win in Victory Lane a parade of drivers came through to congratulate him. First was Jeff Burton, then Roush Racing's Jack Roush, followed by Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and others.

Not taking away from Martin's victory, who actually started the race from the pole position, but look for penalties against Casey Mears and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who both used their race cars as battling rams following the checkered flag.

The post-race incident stemmed from incidental contact on-track that was responsible for bringing out the last caution. Junior was obviously upset and spun Mears on the cool down lap. Then, Mears went around several cars and battered the rear of the No. 88 car with the front of his No. 07 machine.

Early word is that both drivers were summoned to the NASCAR hauler to speak with officials. Check back or read Kickin' the Tires in The Examiner to see what comes from their trip to NASCAR's version of the principal's office.

Helio Castroneves acquitted on tax charges

I don't usually write about the Indy Racing League but it was very good to see that IRL star Helio Castroneves walked out of the federal courthouse in Miami as a free man, who no longer has to worry about the tax cheat charges that were dogging him.

A jury returned a verdict that acquitted him on all but one of the charges and ruled they could not decide whether he was guilty of the main charge of conspiracy. The jury was deadlocked on the conspiracy charge but had already found Castroneves' sister and his agent not guilty on the charges they were facing. The lack of decision on the conspiracy charge could be retried by the government but doing so would be a daunting task to mount against Castroneves. And it could make the government look like sore losers, who wanted to punish the iconic racer for trouncing them in the courtroom just like he does his competitors on the track.

As for the Brazilian speed demon, he is already in California, preparing for the Long Beach Grand Prix — the first time he has been behind the wheel of a race car since October 2008. As he left the courtroom with tears in his eyes, he said that he was glad the nightmare was over.

Teresa Earnhardt's short-sightedness led to DEI's troubles

Note to Teresa Earnhardt: You should have just let your stepson take the No. 8 with him when he walked out the door.
Now, with that said, let’s embark on a short journey into the history of the No. 8. Regardless of how dear the number is to Ms. Earnhardt, it once belonged to Junior’s grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, and also to his father, Dale Sr. That was what made it special to him and that is why he should have been allowed to take the number with him when he joined Hendrick Motor Sports in 2008.
But she didn’t and now look what has happened. The famous No. 8 is sitting parked in a shop in Mooresville, N.C., collecting dust. Junior one-upped his stepmother by adapting to the No. 88, but he shouldn’t have had to.
I don’t want to pile on — OK, yes, I do — but let’s face it. Teresa Earnhardt’s arrogance has killed what was once known as DEI.
Even with the mergers of the now Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, the best guy on the team is ex-Formula 1 racer Juan Pablo Montoya. And he came from Ganassi. The supposed star of the show, Martin Truex Jr., is mired deep in the points standings and could be looking for a new ride.
It might be too early to publish DEI’s obituary, but I feel safe in saying that with the lack of sponsorship dollars and only one driver performing above par, EGR is definitely on life-support.
Perhaps the best thing that could happen is to remove the Earnhardt affiliation and let those who know about racing do what they do best. No doubt that Teresa Earnhardt wants to hold on to everything she can pertaining to her late husband and the company he so proudly built, but maybe it’s time she let go because it will never be the same. Besides, those who were once fans of what was once considered the jewel of the sport are pointing fingers … and they are pointing them in her direction.
In other NASCAR news, Lesa France-Kennedy will become the CEO of International Speedway Corp., the publicly-traded sister company of NASCAR. She is the sister to Brian France, the chairman of NASCAR. In the grand scheme of things, nothing really changes except for the fact that her uncle, Jim France, is stepping down from the position she is filling. The announcement from ISC stated that this has always been the plan and that it falls in line with the “plan of succession” for the company.
Just a note, the ISC stock price closed 6 cents higher on the NASDAQ after the announcement was made.
The sport is heading to Phoenix this weekend after taking off for Easter. It looks like there will be a full field of competition despite some of the teams not having sponsorship, which in some ways is not surprising.
Looking back at the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, I think the last place car earned something like $84,000-plus. That’s not bad money when you think about it. Do that several times a year and you can earn a decent living running at the back of the field. Sure, you will never be a contender for the Sprint Cup Championship but not everyone can be a winner — someone has to run last.
I am willing to bet that whoever finishes dead last at Phoenix will take home at least $50,000. Maybe I should learn to drive a hauler, buy a Sprint Cup car, hire some crew guys and get a driver looking to go fast — albeit not as fast as everyone else — and go racing. Hmmm, maybe not.
Anyway, back to racing. With the Sprint Cup taking the weekend off, the only NASCAR racing action was in the Nationwide Series this past week. And if you missed, the race then you missed one of the coolest crashes that I have ever seen. Don’t ask me how because the camera wasn’t focused in, but Joe Nemechek ended up flipping his car, landed on four wheels, managed to keep it off of the retaining wall and drove away. Now, NASCAR made him come in with just a handful of laps in the race but he could have continued with a pretty good finish. Why did NASCAR give him a black flag? His roof flaps wouldn’t go down. Is that not ridiculous or what? There were seven or eight laps left in the race; they could have let him finish.
By the way, Joey Logano held off Kyle “Rowdy” Busch to take the win, proving that he won’t be rattled by Rowdy.
That’s about it for this week. If you are interested in attending the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Indy Racing League double-header at Texas Motor Speedway in June, keep watching. I am working on a ticket giveaway that will allow several fans VIP access during the event.

Gordon’s number finally comes up at Texas

It’s a funny thing how numbers work. This past Sunday, had Jeff Gordon not won his first-ever race at Texas Motor Speedway on is 18th attempt, he would have extended his overall losing streak to 48 races.
That’s an odd coincidence, especially since Kyle Busch, who drives the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, has been dominant just about everywhere he has driven this year. And even more so because Jimmie Johnson, who is seeking his fourth straight Sprint Cup Championship, drives the Gordon co-owned No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet.
Now, there were some after the race that said Johnson was gaining on Gordon and that he could have passed him. In fact, some people suggested that Johnson let Gordon win. Nope, no way, no how, it wasn’t going to happen. In fact, had Johnson tried to make a pass on Gordon for the lead in the final laps, team owner Rick Hendrick would have been picking up the pieces of two very damaged racecars while either Greg Biffle or Tony Stewart celebrated in Victory Lane.
For those still living under a rock, need you be reminded of Martinsville Speedway last year, when Gordon and Johnson traded shots with one another fighting for the lead? Johnson prevailed then.
Neither Gordon nor his pit crew was having any of it on Sunday. I hadn’t shot photos from pit road all day long but I went to Gordon’s pit just before he came in on his final stop. His crew was on its game. And when crewmembers ripped off a lightening-fast stop to get Gordon out in front of the field, it was like they had won the lottery.
Since Daytona, the word has been that Gordon “has a fire in his eyes” and he is looking like a champion. Sure he wants another championship but on Sunday, all he wanted was a win at Texas. And he would have put both Hendrick cars into the wall to keep Johnson from taking that away from him.
Since we are on the topic of numbers, here are some interesting numbers that were released by International Speedway Corp., the sister company to NASCAR. Apparently, the severely depressed economy is hurting ISC’s bottom line. It’s not like they can’t afford to take a loss but this is a significant amount of cash. According to recent public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, ISC has lost 31 percent of its revenue compared to last year.
“While pleased with the level of excitement and competition on the track as well as the fans’ avid support of NASCAR, we are not immune to the broader macroeconomic challenges facing all businesses,” said ISC President Lesa France Kennedy. “We are addressing these challenges on a number of fronts. Most notably, we are making it more affordable for our fans to attend our events by reducing ticket prices, providing value-added opportunities to enhance the guest experience, and working with community partners to further reduce the overall cost of attending a race. Also, given the close scrutiny that is being placed on marketing budgets, we have escalated our efforts to provide our corporate partners with innovative marketing solutions that deliver a clearly measurable return on investment.”
The numbers show that ISC revenue dropped $28 million over to $166.1 million for the first quarter of 2009. But some of that loss would be expected regardless of the economic conditions considering ISC is basing its figures on revenue gained from the historic running of the 50th Daytona 500 in 2008.
Well, ISC is hurting. That is because the average consumer is hurting and some fans just can’t afford to go to the track, regardless of how much ticket prices are slashed. There is a lot of talk that these next few years could be defining ones in the sport and could not only result in major changes but quite possibly its demise. I would hope that is not the case but with NASCAR so closely tied to the auto industry, I am sure there are a several nervous executives at NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach.
In other news around the garage, it is now public knowledge that the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 8 Chevrolet is officially parked. Apparently, what was once the most popular car number in the sport (when it was driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.) doesn’t have the sponsorship to continue the 2009 Sprint Cup season with Felix Sabates driving. I have to ask this question — is anyone surprised?
Since Dale Jr. left DEI, it has gone through two merger/acquisitions and seen its biggest sponsors seek greener pastures or darker asphalt, whichever you prefer.
And while some are shutting down, other teams are working diligently to find sponsorship. That is the case with A.J. Allmendinger’s No 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge. Rather than sit out the rest of the season, “The Dinger” as he is known, will get a reprieve thanks to sponsorship from Hunt Brothers Pizza.
Before I wrap up this week, I would like to send out a special thank you to Market Basket and Time Warner Communications for their sponsorship and support of our Texas Motor Speedway VIP NASCAR Getaway Weekend. The contest was a huge success and I look forward to the Texas triple-header in November.

PHOTOS: Samsung 500 at Texas MOtor Speedway