The Monkey is Finally Off Junior's Back

It took about 76 races, a team change, a sponsor change, and a new set of teammates to do it, but he finally did. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finally won a race this year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He won the LifeLock 400 @ Michigan International Speedway, on a bit of a lucky break, considering the caution caused by Sam Hornish, Jr. spinning out, with 3 laps to go, creating a green-white-checkered finish as his fuel was running really low towards the end, so much so- that he ran out of fuel on the cool down lap, having to be pushed into victory lane.

"We needed that caution. It is what it is. We run out, we run out. We knew we had a chance to win the race. They can write what they want about how we did it but we got one. We made it happen." - Dale Earnhardt Jr

The next race- a race I myself am looking forward to is the Toyota/Save Mart 350 from the road course in Sonoma, California. Finally, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series can go fast and turn left....and right, this weekend, a rarity in the "running joke" of the series.


Photo Courtesy: Paddock Talk.com

The Great American Race Turns 50

That's Right, as today the country celebrates Lincoln's & Washington's birthdays on this Presidents Day weekend, the Daytona 500 will celebrate its very own birthday, turning 50. All throughout the month of February, there have been many stories leading up to the golden anniversary of the great american race. The biggest one is of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. who is with a new team - Hendricks Motorsports, and is winner of the Budwiser Shootout, and the first race of the Gatorade Duels at Daytona. he has been right near the front of the pack, but Toyota is not too far behind him. Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin, drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing, powered by Toyota, have also been towards the front. Tony has won Saturday's NASCAR's Nationwide Series (formerly the NASCAR Busch Series) Camping World 300 at Daytona. His teammate, Hamlin, has won the second race of Thursday's Gatorade Duels at Daytona, along with finishing a close second behind Stewart, at the 300.

Toyota, being their second year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Formerly Nextel Cup) is doing much better than I even expected. Finishing higher up in the field, and actually even winning. I believe, to the hatred of many Fans that hate imports runnint in what's called "An American Sport" (ironically, a driver once used a jaguar to race in NASCAR, in the early beginnings) will have a very good chance of winning the 500. If they can accomplish this, they will be the first ever foreign born manufacturer to ever win the Daytona 500, and possibly even a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Dale Jarrett, Multiple winner of the 500, and driver of the #44 UPS Toyota, by Miachel Waltrip Racing, will be retiring this year and fans, including this one, will be sad to see him go. David Reutimann will take over for him, at this year's Food City 500 at Bristol, Tennessee

The other big issue...The Car of Tomorrow. will it be safe for Daytona - a track, and a race, notorious for "the big one", and close, tight 3 and 4 wide restrictor plate racing. we'll find out later today. Stay tuned for more info from The Hot Lap.