The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

Photo by Matthew  Lowell Thompson

Yup, Jeff. We hate waiting out the rain too. And now we're going to have to wait until tomorrow for the Daytona 500. Let's hope Mother Nature cooperates. Maybe rain in the first race of the season means good weather for the rest of the season.

FYI - Matt took this photo during a rain delay at New Hampshire.

And Away We Go!

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Six years ago, Matt and I were fortunate enough to attend the Daytona 500. Attending NASCAR's biggest race of the year was everything I expected and more. And if you're going to have your photo taken at Daytona, there was no better place than lying down on the start-finish line. This is still one of my favorite photos of Matt and me.

This year we'll be enjoying the Daytona 500 from our couch, rooting for our favorites and watching our fantasy picks. Our family fantasy league on Yahoo is quite competitive. With three consecutive championships, my dad is looking to become the Jimmie Johnson of our league. And we can only hope to spoil his ambitions.

I'll share my fantasy picks every week, time permitting. Without further ado, here's my picks for Daytona:

A-List: Tony Stewart. This is a gut pick. I don't know why, but I have this feeling that this is Tony's year to win the Daytona 500. Maybe it's his confidence coming off his championship last year. Or it could be his new crew chief Steve Addington. While I think he could win it all, every other driver I picked is driving a Ford with a Roush-Yates engine.

B-List: Greg Biffle. Roush Fenway is not known for its restrictor plate program, but their cars have looked impressive this year. I may be taking a gamble by picking Biffle over some drivers who are strong on the superspeedways, such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jamie McMurray. But this is where I'm going to put my money on Roush Fenway.

Marcos Ambrose. If you had told me a week ago that I would be picking Marcos Ambrose in a restrictor plate race, I would have said you were crazy. But Marcos has been impressive in his two races in Daytona. Let's hope this Daytona 500 changes people's minds on Marcos being just a "road course guy."

C-List: Trevor Bayne. Yeah, I know. It's easy to pick the defending champion. But that kid, that car and this race seem to work well together. And the Roush-Yates engine doesn't hurt either.

As far as points go, Daytona is only of 36 races in the season. But for the drivers, it is THE race to win. Sit back, hang on, and enjoy the ride!

Confessions of an NHRA Newbie

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Do you smell that? If you're an NHRA fan, you know that's nitromethane in the air. Yup, the NHRA is back with two straight weekends of racing to open the season.

I'm new to NHRA, which would surprise most people. I've followed racing most of my life. My dad's shop, which was right down the road from Englishtown, was a sponsor at the drag strip. But somehow I never got into it. But Matt was kind enough to introduce me to the series. He went to New England Dragway as a kid, and he was a track photographer for Moroso Motorsports Park (now PBIR).

We started watching the NHRA on TV, and I instantly was hooked. Even though they're race cars, drag racing as a whole different language compared to other types of racing. I slowly learned the lingo (so I could at least hold my own in a conversation). And I educated myself on the history of the NHRA, which is fascinating.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Then a couple of years ago, we went to Englishtown so I could see this for myself. My head was on a swivel the whole time trying to take in the whole thing. I was amazed how accessible it was for race fans. I was pretty surprised when Tony Schumacher sat down on his golf cart, called me over, and signed autographs for us.

But it was standing outside John Force's hauler that my mind was completely blown. We were waiting for John to start his Funny Car before qualifying. Matt explained exactly what was going to happened, but I still wasn't prepared. The noise was deafening. My chest was pounding. The smell of nitro literally took my breath away. Part of me wanted to turn away, but the other part of me kept my feet glued to the ground because I didn't want to miss a thing.

That was the exact moment that I got it. And I've been hooked ever since.

Unfortunately our schedules have kept us from returning to the drag strip, but that's going to change this year. E-Town is on the schedule. In ink. I'm not missing this. I've missed too many already.

Snow Day in Green Hell

When Mother Nature gives you snow, should that keep you off the track? Apparently not at the Nurburgring.

(Thanks to Nancy for the link!)

What Was Your Favorite Super Bowl Car Ad?

Everyone was trying to sell a car last night during the Super Bowl. According to USA Today's Ad Meter,  these were the top five car commercials:

• Volkswagen: Dog Strikes Back: A dog loses weight to chase the new Volkswagen Beetle.The punch line? Darth Vader found last year's Volkswagen with little Darth funnier!
• Kia: A Dream Car. For Real Life: Mr. Sandman leaves a little too much sand for one dreamer, and what results is a combo of bikini girls, Motley Crue, and oh yeah, a racing Kia.
• Chevy: Silverado: Apparently the only things that will survive the apocalypse are Chevy Silverados and Twinkies.
• Audi: Vampire Party: Note to self: Audi's new headlights can kill vampires.
• Honda: CRV's Day Out: A short version of the Ferris Bueller video we've seen all week. Either you love it or you hate it.

Strangely, Chrysler's ad with Clint Eastwood to start the second half was not on the list. But that one definitely got my attention.

What was your favorite car ad from the Super Bowl. Choose from these six below. Or let me know if the comments which car commercial was your favorite.

Does NASCAR Need the Top-35 Rule?

The news yesterday was the "alliance" formed between Stewart-Haas Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing that gives Danica Patrick TBR's owner points and guarantees her a spot in the Daytona 500. Many people have been questioning whether such a deal should be allowed to happen. But I'd take it one step further -- should NASCAR get rid of the whole top-35 rule?

Under the rules, owners in the top 35 in points are guaranteed a spot in the race. Presumably this is to ensure that the "top" NASCAR drivers and teams are always in the race, even if they have a bad day qualifying. But I've never been a fan of this safety net. These drivers are professionals. They should make the race based on their qualifying time, not based on where they stand in the points or whether they are a past champion.

Yes, this means that the sponsor doesn't get the exposure that it paid for. And I'm sure there are some fans who would be disappointed if they get to the track and their favorite driver doesn't qualify for the race. Your favorite driver also could qualify for the race and crash or have an issue on the first lap. That leaves the fan and the sponsor in the same position -- the driver is out of the race essentially before it began. That's the gamble sponsors and fans take.

Very often there are more cars to qualify then there are places in the race, which raises yet another question -- how many of the cars qualifying for the race actually intend to finish it? I get the economics of NASCAR -- it's not a cheap sport and it's often less expensive to qualify the car, start it, park it, and collect the prize money. But are these start-and-park cars part of the reason why the top-35 rule is needed? They fill out and expand the field beyond 43 cars, with absolutely no intention of finishing.

And on a side note, I'm not sure how I would feel about this "alliance" if I were Danica Patrick. Sure, the pressure would be off because I know I'm running the Daytona 500. Especially since I'm sure she is getting plenty of pressure from NASCAR and the media about making the race. But in the back of my mind, I'd be wondering how many people are questioning my ability to make the race and why the deal had to be made.

So my plea to NASCAR is this -- keep it simple. Do away with the top-35 rule (and the champion's provisional as well). The 43 fastest cars make the race. No exceptions. This is the easiest and simplest way to do away with "alliances" or "deals" for owner points.