This is Daytona! The new surface and the racing style set in motion for the Daytona 500 created a touch and go and hook and push race that created the final scenario of a Wood Brothers Motorcraft #21 Ford victory.

Rookie Trevor Bayne, in his second Sprint Cup start and his first run at Daytona, hooked with some of the best drivers throughout the day, watched as many fell by the wayside in damaged cars, and managed to keep the historic #21 mostly clean and clear to the green-white-checker.

Was this sheer beginner’s luck? No… Not here. Not at Daytona. The 20 year old (birthday the day before the 500) kept his nose and the car clean, backing out of tight spots and driving safe. Beginner’s luck…? Driving nose to tail approaching 200mph for most of 200 laps…? No… Not here. This racing style set up by a new, smooth surface was a new deal for most of the drivers. Drafting isn’t new by any means but requiring it to run at speed lap after lap set tension and fatigue at high levels while magnifying the slightest mistake.

Keeping out of the mess took some driving. Trevor Bayne earned this win. The Wood Brothers needed this win. A team that has been running a short season for the past couple of years and has had to endure hushed whispers in the garage has won the 2011 Daytona 500.

Now we have something new to cheer for in NASCAR. “Go Dale Jr.” has a nice ring to it. Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick….  Johnson…  Gordon…  Whatever hat you have on your head to show your allegiance on race day doesn’t matter when a 20 year old rookie puts some shine back onto an iconic name of NASCAR racing.

The Wood Brothers have Daytona this season and that is something every fan should be able to cheer for.

Possibly most noteable is the move of Budweiser from Kasey Kahne to the 29 of Kevin Harvick. Harvick is a good fit for Bud. He is respected among the drivers and generally well-liked in the grandstands.

Perhaps Bud should go to a “Harvick Special” with 29 can cases…

Jeff Gordon is no longer carrying the DuPont colors but will have AARP and the “Drive to End Hunger” on the 24 Chevy for a bulk of the 2011 races.

Kurt Busch is out of the #2 Miller Lite car and into the #22 Shell/Pennzoil but will continue with Penske Racing. Brad Keselowski will be taking the seat of the #2 Miller Lite car.

Kasey Kahne is running with Red Bull Racing, for this season anyway, before making another move in 2012 to Hendrick where he is slated to take the #5. Look for Kahne in the #4 with Red Bull this year.

However, don’t look for these changes at nascar.com. It may be fixed before the Daytona 500 but as of this writing, NASCAR has not corrected the drivers or team colors on their website. Odd, as many of these changes were announced as early as May of 2010!

As for the Bud Shootout – there are currently 20 laps to go. 14 cars remain.  Junior is out. Kyle Busch is out. Mark Martin is out. Two car hookups are the rule for the night.

The first 25 lap segment was uneventful as drivers hooked up and tested the cars and the track at speeds over 200 mph. The second 50 lap segment brought out tangles and touches and the yellow to put several in the garage. The remaining 14 are currently pushing it 2×2 around Daytona to chase the top spot.  Jimmie Johnson started in the back  and has pushed or pulled to the front of the pack. Will the #48 roll out? Will Harvick take the new Bud #29 over the line for three in a row?

Too many questions – I’m going to watch!

The next big test is the Budweiser Shootout to show how the stock cars of NASCAR take to the surface. It looks promising!

There are some body modifications with a new nose on the cars.  The wing was replaced during last season for a more traditional spoiler in the rear.  The new surface should show the advantages of these modifications with more speed and more control at those speeds.

Let’s go racing. 2011 offers changes in the cars, some changes in drivers and teams, some new sponsors and colors and some new examples of speed.  This new season has put the fire into all the teams to go out and run hard. Every race matters with the new 43 point system so every start should be taken with a go out and run hard attutude. This can only mean a better show for the fans.  Since it ultimately comes back to the fan base anyway, it will be a win-win for the checkered flag and the grandstand. 

Start your engines and green-green go-go-go!

“I’ll watch it – Give it a chance…” to “No way – Can’t touch the original…”

So… How was it? I watched it. Despite my love of the British original I sat down at the TV and flicked on the History Channel at 10:00PM Sunday night and tried to pry open the mind to what I suspected would be a distilled version of the original. I was, as much as the pre-show opinions reflected, as much entertained as disappointed.

What is good about American TOP GEARr?

It is fast. The production value is good and the edits and camera shots and all that make for a visual experience are done quite well. They have taken the knowledge of filming cars and speed from the original and used it well for the American show.

It is American. It will have appeal to the NASCAR general public that has not seen the original. It will showcase vehicles that are common on American roads and the “challenges” that have been previewed will have an American flavor. The hosts are American so have the potential to connect with the average car guy that doesn’t know what a “boffin” is. It isn’t boring. It’s actually pretty good and worth watching at least until we see what nicknames the hosts come up with for each other. On the premiere episode, the guys were having fun and it shows and it does make for some entertaining viewing.
The scenery and backdrops and locations will be easily familiar. And, if we so desire, we can go to a taping of the show without having to submit to a full body scan or genital pat-down or rent a car with the steering wheel on the side of the car we usually use for holding our cheeseburgers.

What is wrong with American TOP GEAR? Everything… And nothing.

If you are a fan of the original… If Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are the final word on humor and driving… You will be, quite possibly, disgusted with the American show. And I wouldn’t fault you at all. I get it. I have told people before the show is “Monty Python meets Road and Track”. The American show may be “Saturday Night Live meets Car and Driver” but with one of the SNL casts that nobody really remembers…. Beyond that, if you can’t find the humor in the “Ministry of Silly Walks” sketch it is likely you wouldn’t find the original series all that captivating in the first place and the American version may be a perfect fit for your pizza and light beer mentality.

The hosts do not exhibit a lust for the car. They have fun with them but it seems obvious they have pre-scripted the information they put out about the car rather than let that knowledge fuel the excitement of driving it. Are they “CAR” guys or simply guys that have been given access to cool cars? Beyond that, they seem to actually like each other… What’s up with that? Jeremy, James and Richard (the British hosts) don’t “hate” each other but they do exhibit a healthy disdain for each other. It is that little bit of friction that gives them personality. The American hosts are simply “personalities” at this point.

Adam Ferrara is a comedian and actor. Yes, he’s funny and all that as a comedian. He’s fine on the firefighter drama “Rescue Me”.
Rutledge Wood is possibly going to be most well known to the standard American NASCAR watching public. Regular segments for SPEED and RACEDAY and TRACKSIDE and such have put him in the homes of Sunday race fans for a while.
Tanner Foust actually has some wheel to wheel racing experience as a Rally, Drifting and X-Games champion. His driving skills are also in demand as a stunt driver in the movie industry.

Now we have to see if these persons can create some personality and some fire between them. First, can we lose the obvious concern for what happens to the other hosts. That alone may create enough humorous drama to add the seasoning that leads to something fun. Forget American sensitivities and make this a “rubbin’ is racin” and “put’em in the wall to win” and “super glue the radio knobs at full blast just to mess them up” kind of show. We need that careless non-concern for the others’ well being stated in such a way as James May said so brilliantly about Richard and Jeremy being “killed to death”.

They are going to have to come up with a better introduction for The Stig. Part of the mystique is we DON’T know the background. Don’t tell us we’ll never see his face or that he is there to set the lap times for the track cars or any of that stuff. Give us some credit, for crying out loud! Some say you are giving the background because Americans don’t get simple hyperbole… Others say the viewing audience is being under-estimated to the lowest common denominator… All we know is it’s called “rubbish”. The Stig is the super-hero, stunt-dude, mystery behind the helmet that defies explanation and doesn’t need one beyond two humorous non-sequiturs and some car keys. Fix it.

Maybe it was that silly American concern for someone else getting a bruise or breaking something or whatever… But… If you are going to compare 3 Lamborghinis on straight line speed… PUT THEM SIDE BY SIDE AND HAVE A RACE! That is the TOP GEAR way. One at a time and what was your speed and oh my he seems to be going fast and oh he shifted too soon… Are you kidding? What I saw was a drag race with all of the “drag” and none of the “race”.

A Suzuki? Its AMERICAN TOP GEAR and you have a Suzuki? “Big Star in a Small Car” is a nice American conversion for “A Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” but… but… a Suzuki? How about a Chevy Aveo or a Ford Fiesta….? Something! I don’t care where its made but slap an American badge on it! Of all the choices you got a Suzuki….? You can rename the segment to “Big Star in a Car I wouldn’t be caught dead in….” and see how many times the drivers duck under the dash when they see the camera crews….

The Dodge Viper – Apache Attack Helicopter segment was…. good. Really, it was. However, and maybe its just me, but there was something off about it. Maybe I enjoy the British bickering too much. “You’re going in circles, you pillock!” and “You’re directions are rubbish” and all that. There was some of that but it lacked the “no, I really mean it” attitude of the original show. But perhaps I’m just picking at this point.

Where does American TOP GEAR fit on the “Cool Wall”?
I think we can all agree it is not on par with the Aston Martin DB9. Despite the appearance on the show its not a Suzuki, either. Possibly, American TOP GEAR is as cool as the Dodge Viper featured in episode 1. It has no real personality except what has been forced into it. There is a lot of power but no balance on transfer to the road. It may have European styling but the American influence has sapped away a bit of soul for market-tested mass appeal. So…. American TOP GEAR is as cool as the Dodge Viper. Which makes it only as cool as the average American television viewer.

Bottom line…? Those of us who have seen, and become fans of, TOP GEAR on BBC-America are heavily biased and influenced by what we already know. We want “saloons” instead of “sedans”. We want “boffins” and bickering and shameless slaps at the other hosts’ dignity. We want double entendre Stig introductions. We want careless disregard and barely restrained distain. We don’t want American Idol to do Beatles’ songs. We want the Beatles! It is what we know and love.
However, those of us that do know Jeremy, James and Richard can have this opportunity to feel superior because we know most of America wouldn’t “get it” if they did see the original.
It is also possible that every single one of us would have jumped at the chance faster than Jeremy Clarkson can say “How hard can it be…?” if we were asked to be a one of the hosts. We weren’t.

It’s here.  It’s on and we’ll watch because we like cars and there is enough of the TOP GEAR spirit to get into. We’ll watch to see how the hosts settle in. We’ll watch to see where in the United States they are going to be. And after the 10 weeks of the first run we’ll likely be a little depressed it is over.
Crikey!

photo courtesy NASCAR / Getty Images

Most noteable is Jamie McMurray and his move to the #1 Bass Pro Shops ride with Earnhardt Ganassai. Roush-Fenway came up against a four team NASCAR ruling and the #26 program was cut.

So…  Where is Martin Truex, Jr.? He is behind the wheel with the new #56 team of Michael Waltrip Racing, which is also running David Reutimann’s #00 and a #151 driven by Waltrip.

So… Where is the #55 that Waltrip drove last year? That number is now under the banner of Prism Motorsports with Michael McDowell handling the driving. Prism also handles the #66 Toyota with Dave Blaney.

And the #26 that was McMurray’s ride …? Latitude 43 Motorsports has Boris Said and the #26 with Window World Cares sponsorship. Window World Cares is also sponsoring the #34 Ford with John Andretti being backed by Front Row Motorsports with Yates racing.

photo courtesy NASCAR / Getty Images

TRG Motorsports is running the Sprint Cup Series again in 2010. Last year a few drivers drove the #71, including Mike Wallace and David Gilliland. TRG has been running in the Camping World Series Trucks and comes to NASCAR from Grand-Am where they have a very successful Porsche program. For 2010, Bobby Labonte is taking the TaxSlayer.com Chevy through the early season.

David Gilliland is driving the BAM Racing #49 on track with Warner Music Nashville / Larry the Cable Guy. Perhaps Gilliland can “Git-R-Done” in the #49…  (Apologies, but it had to be done)

Mike Wallace is starting the season in the really high numbers…  #198, with K-Automotive Motorsports. The #198 is not the only triple digit entry. Waltrip has the aforementioned #151, Todd Bodine will be in the #127, Reed Sorenson is in the #132, Casey Mears will be trying to get the #190 qualified for 2010 races…

Now, there probably won’t be a rush to Goodwill with last year’s gear as there aren’t many of the stereotypical, high profile drivers shifting rides. Jamie McMurray and Martin Truex, Jr. fans…  Well, sorry. You had your fun with Dale Jr. fans a couple of years ago. Bite the bullet and get new gear or get really talented with a Sharpie real quick.

Oh…  Wait…  You might want to check on sponsors for your favorites this year. For instance, Mark Martin, on the pole for the Daytona 500, has Go Daddy on his car… 

Watch the Daytona 500, check the driver list at nascar.com, see who is driving what and who is paying their bills and find out if you need to buy a new hat. Either way, or whoever you shout for, the race, my friends, is ON!

Seriously…  Drivers from practically every motor sports discipline on hand to get the racing season started with a 24 hour showcase of speed and the stands are so empty you would have food left over from a Bojangles Family Pack! I don’t get it…

But I don’t understand the average racing fan anyway. Perhaps that is the key. Perhaps there are very few “racing” fans out there. It seems there are millions of NASCAR fans but offer an INDY or Formula 1 or Grand-Am race and they just turn away. Why…? Either step up and be a “racing” fan or pose away in your Dale Jr. cap.

I say open yourself up to anything that goes fast. There are people out there that want to shut it all down for political, social or supposed “green” reasons so those of us that enjoy motor sports need to broaden our horizons and embrace some of these other racing series.

Support you local weekend tracks, drivers and race events. If you get the chance to see the INDY, LeMans, Grand-Am or even SCCA races in your neck of the woods get a ticket and GO! It is all racing and it is all good.

All I’m saying is don’t let the naysayers have their way. Be a “racing” fan and support as much of it as you can!

The Grand-Am / ROLEX season start with the ROLEX 24. Do the regular drivers secretly harbor some hidden issues with these usurpers in their seats? It is a double-edged sword when you turn it over and look at it. On the one hand, the starting series points could be jeapordized by the one race visiting drivers. On the other, the fact of these visiting drivers brings a huge motor sports spotlight on the series as a whole.  It is a frenzy of media and speed for this January weekend in Daytona with Grand-Am drivers catching a lot of attention because of the presence of the stars from other dimensions of racing. Is it a good thing…? Yes. Whatever points may be won or lost due to the presence of these other drivers falls in importance next to the attention drawn to Grand-Am racing because of them. The ROLEX 24 is a bright start to the racing season for everyone involved.

Enough commentary and philosophical drivel. Let’s talk racing. Qualifying is done for the 2010 ROLEX 24. There were some incidents during practice sessions that left 3 cars on the lift for repairs. All should be ready to race by Saturday to take the green. The Daytona Prototype pole position is held by the #10 SunTrust Ford Dallara following the drive by Max Angelelli. The outside spot on row one is held by the #60 Crown Royal Ford Riley driven through qualifying by Ozz Negri.

The GT series front spot is held by the #69 SpeedSource FXDD Mazda RX-8 driven to qualify by Jeff Segal. The GT series has a large pool of entries consisting of Mazdas, Porsches, BMWs and Chevy Camaros.

The large field of GT cars sharing the track with the Daytona Prototypes is going to make for some tight racing and challenging pass positions. The size of the road course layout at Daytona makes for a 3.5 mile distance but when these cars bunch up in groups fighting for series position it will be a force of will and patience to move through.

It all adds up to one thing. The ROLEX 24 is a must watch on SPEED this weekend. They will broadcast all but the overnight ours of the race which, in a way, is a bit disappointing. Some of the best racing can happen under the lights. However, those of us who are fans might also benefit from a little sleep and catch the headlight highlights on Sunday dropped in over live coverage.

Get your pizzas and snacks and beverages of choice and get ready to watch some racing to get 2010 off to fast start. The Super Bowl is yet to come so no conflict there. Basketball…? Are you kidding? Hockey…? Do we need to be reminded it’s cold outside? This is racing! This is speed! This is a world wide showcase of some of the best drivers from the hottest disciplines of racing. Put aside anything that has no wheels and watch this. Enjoy.

As the out in front spokesman for the man-made global warming scare, his statements and his Oscar winning movie are touted as banners and talking points for everyone who has been frightened into action on the behalf of polar bears and sinking land masses. However, the “Climategate” explosion has caused a wave in his rising water. He has recently cancelled an appearance in Copenhagen of which thousands of tickets at up $1200 a pop were sold. In Chicago, he was confronted with pointed questions about details of man-made global warming and, rather than answer with facts which he should have easily been able to do if there was an ounce of integrity in him, had the people removed. (See Youtube Vid – click here) He left in a Mercedes-Benz GL Class SUV.

The GL Class, pictured above, comes in several trim packages including the GL320 diesel powered version. Now, we could give Gore the benefit of the doubt and suggest he and his security team were in the GL320 which is a new technology diesel powered and rather efficient luxury SUV sporting a 3.0 liter, 210hp V6 rated for the new G2 Bio Diesel fuels with an estimated 17/23 mileage rating. However, the imaging in the video does not match the GL320 trim package. 

courtesy BenzBlogger

Note the twin spoke wheels on the Merc. They were standard on the GL450 which is a 4.7 liter, 335hp V8 burning gasoline (premium rated). The GL450 has an estimated 13/18 mpg rating.  Hmmmmmmm.

Either way, the vehicle is definitely not one of the many full size hybrid SUVs available with 35+ mpg ratings…  Hmmmmmmmmm.

 These actions raise several questions:

Why did he not simply counter these questions with answers of fact that could be easily verified and substantiated? Why was his movie the subject of a British court fight resulting in the action of having the inconsistencies in the movie pointed out before it could be shown in British classrooms?  Why does the Man of Green get around in a Mercedes GL SUV? He has not said, but why cancel his appearancein Copenhagen just as the “Climategate” news began to get notice? Why does the cover of his book “Our Choice” contain factual image errors? Does he have a financial stake in the passing of “green” legislation which could be proven to be the same as “racketeering” with false claims to push the legislation forward?

These are just questions that open the discussion for motives beyond “save the world” scare tactics. The statements of a “consensus” on man-made global warming are obviously false. The released e-mails from East Anglia point to references of exclusion of non-conforming papers in peer-reviewed journals, modification and destruction of data, and many references to the top names in the global warming scientific community. On top of all that, the obvious hypocrisy of these people setting in motion legislated demands of how we live and what we drive while they arrive in Copenhagen in private jets and imported limousines.

We, the public, are not stupid. Well, most of us…  Many are clinging to this scam simply because they have invested so much time and effort into it. However, the basic assumption that we, as human beings, can and should make moves to be better stewards of the air, sea and land are correct. We can develop better energy and cleaner lives. That said, the actions of these people to frighten the general public into accepting their view as how we do that and set in motion laws that also make us pay them for the privilege are criminal and should be investigated completely before ANY law or treaty is designated.

Has it worked? Have the execs at these companies learned anything? Imports made out nicely with small car offerings for “clunkers”. Ford did OK. But they did not take the “bail out”. GM and Chrysler sales fell in August.

Maybe they just don’t get it. Maybe they don’t see the American auto buyers’ market the way they should. Chrysler has the 2010 line out there and the cars look good and are likely great vehicles offering the range from sipping economy to road burning performance. The question is…  Will the public take notice?

Take, for instance, the 2010 Dodge Demon. It looks sharp and reports list it with a 172 horsepower, 4 cylinder engine. It should appeal to sports car lovers with an eye towards effeciency.

However, it has been introduced as a concept car. It might showcase in Europe. Will the U.S. have this car? If not… Why not?

A few other details holding it back are unclear sources for the engine and base chassis. The chassis could come from Chevy… from China! The engines could be Mitsubishi or Hyundai produced. So what we have is a Chinese Chevy with a Japanese or Korean engine and a Dodge logo glued on the front. Yes…  I can see where Americans would be clammering to get one.

Another hurdle is the mindset. We’ve heard what Chrysler and Dodge execs have to say about the 2010 lines. Peter Fong, President & CEO at Chrysler had this to say.

“The Chrysler brand delivers provocative, eye-catching designs engineered for passionate living. Our owners are expressive, creative and vibrant, and seek a vehicle that rewards their independence. Through American design and ingenuity, Chrysler strives to deliver premium vehicles that exceed the aspirations and needs of our customers, all at a great value.”

Here’s an idea, Mr. Fong. How about “sexy, fast cars that offer economy and heart-thumping excitement at every acceleration, every turn and, yes, even every trip to the corner market.” Dammit, man! What does “expressive, creative and vibrant” have to do with how the car feels on a country road at 62mph?

The Dodge CEO, Michael Accavitti, is no better.

“In 2010, the Dodge brand stands as the quintessential American brand that continues to defy industry convention in order to build products that allow customers to do more, grab more life and flat-out live life to the fullest.”

Michael…? Quintessential…? You want to sell Challengers you better drop “industry convention” and let consumers know the thing is going to snap them back against the headrest when the light turns green!

Have you people been out of the office and seen the way American consumers think, speak and live? Have you seen the way Mitsubishi, Honda, Mazda and others from the other side market their vehicles? All we’re saying is you would be better off talking to real people instead of reading a thesaurus. You aren’t selling cars to first year art students. You are selling cars to Americans. If you can’t tell us what you’ve got without using words like “aspirations” and “quintessential” you had better prepare for the biggest year-end closeout clearance sale you’ve ever had. We’ll look for it in November and December of 2010.

Chrysler and GM might well be building cars “Americans” would want. Unless they can deliver a message to let us know that, they might as well be selling burgers at a PETA convention.

But football…? Why does the Monday morning talk shift from “Did you see the race?” to “Did you watch the game?” Even the heads from the sports news are all crazy about the football season. They spend hours on player trades, camp reports, predictions and all types of pre-season blather. Women talk about shoes less than that.

While all this football talk is going on, what coverage does racing get? You might get the NASCAR race winner… Maybe Indy… Formula 1…? Not likely unless something spectacular happened. Grand-Am…? NHRA…? Nada. Zip.

But get 6 weeks away from the first pre-season NFL game and you can’t shut them up about football! What is it?

The short answer is probably “money”. Odds makers and wager takers love it as so much money is tossed over the line on football bets. That means that all these “fans” who wager on the games simply must know every minute detail about every team so they can place their bets. That keeps these talking heads yammering away while thousands are hanging on every word to get some line on a bet they will make in two months.

Yes. There is wagering on racing. The difference is there is one race on any given race day. There are 15 games on NFL Sundays. Betting on a football game essentially gives you two choices. Betting on a race could give you 40+ choices. Football variables are more predictable. Point spreads give the wager a cushion. Fifteen games gives the option to pick a few “sure bets” and go for the bomb on a possible payout.

The wagering offers a possible explaination on the popularity of football. However, not everyone gambles on the game. The majority do not. So… Why? Why abandon racing for football just when the points are tight and the championship is on the line?

NASCAR is racing at full spead with some points drama still left in the chase. There some Sunday night races so if you simply must watch the day games to maintain some kind of conversation on Monday, have at it.

Don’t get suckered in to College Football Saturdays, either! Flip channels until you find something fast and watch it! SCCA, F1, Motocross… We don’t care. As long as it is fast and the only balls involved are the ones it takes to make a 3-wide pass on the outside in lap traffic.

We believe you will enjoy the race much better. Wanna bet on it?