Daytona Dreams

Kevin Harvick, after winning the Coke Zero 400 last month, set the tone for what was to come when he said in victory lane; "I don't care so much about the trophy; I want some of the pavement from the start/finish line..." Harvick went on to say from Victory Lane, "This race track obviously is the most historic racetrack that we race on, and I think if that asphalt could talk, you can go back and look at all the stories. Any time you can win, though, whether it's new asphalt or old asphalt, it's always going to be the baddest place to win, and that's Daytona."

Immediately after the end of the 2010 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway workers started swarming over NASCAR's most famous racetrack. For the first time in Daytona’s fifty plus years, the old racing surface is being completely removed and replaced (In 1978 a fresh layer of asphalt was laid down on top of the existing track). This is a pictorial of the process one month in.

First, the perimeter light poles, safety fencing and safer barriers had to come down.

Then the fun began as the old asphalt was ripped up and hauled away to what I suppose is someplace like a Fort Knox. I say that based on the fact that the old, historic track surface is going to be marketed to the general public. This work is taking the surface out, completely down to the original lime/rock base.

If you’re interested in picking up a piece of NASCAR’s history, go to this site and check into it: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/

I’m not sure what they plan on asking for a piece of asphalt but with Jostens (yes the yearbook and class ring people) it probably will be pricey…

Wouldn’t ya know it! Gene Haddock’s close friend, DW, along with his little brother were there to lend a hand and help out on the removal job. (Good Ol' DW...)

HEY! Put that back Mikey!

(You do have to hand it to those Waltrip brothers. They always seem ready to show up and help promote the sport that made them famous.)

With the old track surface removed, the soil base will be carefully laid back out and re-compacted then a four-layer repaving process will be carried out. This is a cross section of what the new track surface will be:

Here’s a peek at the repaving equipment at work:

How'd you like to run up and down that banking?

As precise as this initial layer (drainage) work appears, I’m going to venture to say that each subsequent layer will receive ever higher levels of precision. We hear the drivers talk out of both sides of their mouth concerning the old surface. Some hated the bumpiness while others welcomed racing on it saying the bumpiness gave Daytona uniqueness found nowhere else. Well boys, I’ve found in my life that although most people don’t like change, that is one of the few things that's inevitable. It’s my opinion that this new surface will take the quality of racing to a whole new level.

A job this size requires an on-site asphalt cooker!

As the repaving process continues fans can still tour the Daytona International Speedway, notice the tour trams in the foreground:

So why the estimated $22 million job? (This has been added to satisfy CR) Remember last February's 500? It's all Fox Sports' fault!

There he is! Get 'em!

____________________________________________
January 1st is the completion date at which point 33 acres of new pavement will have been precisely laid out on NASCAR’s premier racing facility. Recently Jamie McMurray and Chip Ganassi unveiled the 2011 Daytona 500 logo.

I can’t wait!

Resources:
http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/07/06/daytona-to-mine-asphalt-for-gold/
http://www.roadracerx.com/breaking-news/daytona-international-speedway-to-repave/
http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2010/july/121009/Waltrip-brothers-help-repave-speedway
http://www.examiner.com/x-9182-Motorsports-Examiner~y2010m5d1-FYI-WIRZ-Earnhardt-Jr-in-No-3-Daytona-over-old-track

Australian V8 Supercars Now Using Overtake Button!

It was one year ago that the innovation of a power boost feature on Indy race cars was introduced. The system that requires a turbo-charged engine, boosts the car's power output from 5 to 20 bhp for a limited time. The range in boosted output is based upon whether the engine is set to run a rich or lean fuel mixture (a lean fuel mix will yield up to 20 bhp while a rich mix will result in around 5 bhp since the engine is already set-up close to optimum output). The power boost feature can only be used a total of 20 times during a race and includes a 10 second delay between uses.

The "push to pass" system has resulted in some interesting race strategies concerning whether the system should be used to overtake another car (offensively) or used to prevent other competitors from overtaking you (defensively).

The following video was produced last weekend prior to the Indy Edmonton race by one of Versus Television's race announcers, Jack Arute. Arute talks strategy concerning the Edmonton track. It gives us a good idea of how this innovation is making the Indy car circuit quite a bit more interesting...

While researching this piece I ran headlong into a similar feature now being used in the Australian V8 Supercars' circuit. In the following video you'll learn how Greg Murphy uses this system while overtaking the competition...

Since NASCAR continues using carburetors making the Indy car power boost system unworkable, perhaps they need to take a hard look at the Australian version of the "Overtake Button"!

Resource: http://www.crash.net/indycar/news/150529/1/indycar_series_introduces_push_to_pass.html

NASCAR News with Indy in the look back...

Jamie McMurray wins the Brickyard 400!

The Tampa Bay Rays’ oldest starting pitcher is James Shields at 28 years of age.
Shields’ claim to fame is the ability to bring his game up a notch when faced with stiff competition. Apparently Jamie McMurray fits that same mold as he seems to rise to the occasion too. For this reason I’m going to borrow James Shields’ nickname and lay it on Jamie McMurray… BIG GAME JAMES! So far in 2010, BIG GAME has won the two most lucrative race purses on the NASCAR schedule, the Daytona 500 with a 2010 total purse of $16,280,466 and the Brickyard 400 with a 2010 total purse of $8,055,895. In those two wins, McMurray brought in a total of $1,947,826 or just over 8% of the two race total.

Not too shabby there BIG GAME!

Eleventh place is the best you can do?

HMS has problems at Indy.

Mark Martin ended a long day for Hendrick Motorsports at the Brickyard 400 by placing 11th, eleven places ahead of Hendrick’s second place finisher Jimmie Johnson in 22nd. Jeff Gordon, klvalus’ new favorite driver, came in 23rd while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was taken out as an innocent bystander when Juan Pablo Montoya’s run for the checkered flag came up short once again. A four tire pit stop left Juan back in the pack, this after Montoya accumulated 86 laps leading the race. Gotta love that road rage Gene! As a result, Junior came in a distant 27th. Gordon was never comfortable in his ride while Jimmie seemed to be taking one step forward and two steps back the whole race…

Junior in the wrong place when things went bad for Montoya...

This is very unfamiliar territory for Rick Hendrick and with Pocono on the immediate horizon things may not improve too much next weekend.

Who came up with this racing trifecta anyway?

Yeah, yeah, Ganassi Racing won the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and now the Brickyard 400 in the same year, but who else is in a position to do such a thing? Penske is the only other team to come to mind so what’s the big deal? Why not have a trifecta where every team has a chance at winning it? Personally I think NASCAR should put together an “In-house” trifecta if it’s such a big deal or better yet, a Grand Slam of NASCAR and throw in an incentive of a million bucks or so to anyone who can win it in one racing season. That might stir up some interest. Now, which four races would be logical? First off you’ve gotta have the Daytona 500. Next could be Charlotte’s Coca Cola 600 followed by Bristol’s Irwin Tools 500 lap night race in the stadium and then to put the finishing touch on it, Talladega’s Amp Energy 500. Daytona's 200 laps on the 2.5 mile tri-oval, the 400 laps of 1.5 mile quad-oval racing at Charlotte, Bristol’s 500 laps on the .533 mile stadium oval and finally 500 miles on the Talladega Superspeedway! Got a better idea?

Daytona 500 in February------------------------------------------------Coca Cola 600 in early July

Bristol's 500 laps of night racing in late August-----------------------------------------------Talladega's Amp Energy 500 at the end of October.

You listening Mr. France?

Kyle Busch spins his way to an 8th place finish on the bricks

Love him or hate him, what Kyle pulled off at Indy on Sunday was truly something given the type of line dancing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway spawns. After spinning out of control on the green track during the first lap of the Brickyard 400, Kyle and his crew put together a quiet, steady and consistent run that placed him in the top ten at the end.

NASCAR News…

A spokesman for NASCAR confirmed Monday that the nation’s foremost auto race sanctioning organization had fined at least two of its most prominent drivers for making critical comments concerning the Sprint Cup racing series. The Associated Press granted anonymity to the people who spoke to them. NASCAR is not making public the top driver’s names. It’s thought that one driver in particular was fined 50 grand… The NASCAR spokesman, Ramsey Poston, stated it was a move to protect the sport’s brand.

My two cents: Why the fines? Considering the current financial woes and some of the moves already made and others that NASCAR may institute in 2011, it seems to me they should welcome a public airing of what’s perceived to be the sport’s problems. This should be especially true of the people that have a vested interest in seeing the sport succeed.

After 20 races in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season,

here are the average team earnings standings:

---------------------------# of
-----Team------Earnings ----Teams Ave./Team
1----EGR ------$7,452,138 ----2 --$3,726,069
2----HMS -----$13,222,919 ----4 --$3,305,730
3----RCR ------$9,817,673 ----3 --$3,272,558
4----JGR ------$9,729,844 ----3 --$3,243,281
5----Front R---$6,131,437 ----2 --$3,065,719
6----SHR ------$5,925,143 ----2 --$2,962,572
7----RFR -----$11,200,143 ----4 --$2,800,036
8----Penske ---$8,042,833 ----3 --$2,680,944
9----RPM ------$7,917,588 ----3 --$2,639,196
10---Daughrty--$2,440,198 ----1 --$2,440,198
11---Red Bull--$4,700,617 ----2 --$2,350,309
12---MWR-------$6,861,852 ----3 --$2,287,284
13---Phoenix --$2,190,056 ----1 --$2,190,056
14---RGM-------$2,168,811 ----1 --$2,168,811
15---Furn. R---$2,034,105 ----1 --$2,034,105
16---NEMCO ----$1,665,410 ----1 --$1,665,410
17---Latitude -$1,583,695 ----1 --$1,583,695
18---Germain --$1,461,444 ----1 --$1,461,444
19---Prism ----$1,260,906 ----1 --$1,260,906
20---Wood Br. ---$828,020 ----1 ----$828,020
21---Baldwin --$1,472,905 ----2 ----$736,453
22---TRG ------$1,438,910 ----2 ----$719,455
23---Whitney ----$601,195 ----1 ----$601,195
24---Gunselman --$492,745 ----1 ----$492,745
25---Keyed-Up ----$72,575 ----1 -----$72,575

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, on the strength of BIG GAME JAMES’ two BIG wins, has solidified its position at the front…

Are You Ready to Rock?

Maybe it’s the mid-summer heat. I want everything on the rocks!

So… How about a few of the rocks I’ve had the pleasure to have gazed upon…

The Grandeur of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range

Tehipiti Dome, Kings Canyon National Park, Central Sierra Nevada Mountains…

This granite monolithic dome rises 3,000 feet above Tehipite Valley... An 18 mile hike to get to great Rainbow fishing in the King's River there.

Devil’s Postpile National Monument, Central Sierra Nevada Mountains…

Layer upon layer of lava flows made this unique basalt formation in eastern Madera County.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, Central Sierra Nevada Mountains…

Probably the most famous of the Central Sierra domes. In the old days the Park Service put on a real show on summer nights with the Fire Fall from Yosimite's Glacier Point...

The practice was meant to compliment the many water falls around Yosimite Valley and as you can see it was quite an attraction. The park became too popular and the Fire Fall was discontinued to discourage the huge crowds...

Moro Rock, Sequoia National Park, Central Sierra Nevada Mountains…

I've been to the top of Moro Rock many times to look across the Kaweah River Valley below while up above I could gaze upon the High Sierras that reach 14,000 feet above sea level.

The Glorious West

Morro Rock, Morro Bay, California, Central Coast

A huge rock planted in the beach that forms the bay of the same name... Many a time in the grey of the morning did I ride with Virg in one of his party boats headed out past Morro Rock for some deep sea fishing.

The Northern California Coast...

If you're ever able to drive Highway 1 and 101 along the Pacific Coast scenes like this are commonplace... You can basically follow the coast from Washington all the way to San Diego. A nice leisurely four day drive oughta do it!

Hole in the Mountain Peak, Ruby Mountains Nevada

Just below the summit it looks like someone took a huge drill bit and bored a hole through the granite.
The Ruby Mountains, a beautiful range of mountains east of Elko, Nevada...

Sedona Arizona’s Red Rock Mountains

The Red Rock Country is truly a spiritual experience... It's little wonder why many of our nation's most highly respected artists have spent time in this part of the country.

Monument Valley, Arizona

Can't you just see John Wayne leading the cavalry across that scene?

Petrified Forest, Arizona

Hard Rock Candy Mountains?

Coyote Butte, Arizona

If you listen you can here the pack howling...

Arches National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Reminds me of a Gothic Cathedral... They need to move the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's huge pipe organ in here and give a concert...

Bryce Canyon deserves another look...

What can I say?

Zion National Park, Utah

These scenes of such beauty are from only a small corner of our Earth... A corner I've been lucky enough to enjoy. Someday I hope to see them all again.

Did you rock out???