The hibernation is over and there is activity in the garages as Speed Week opens at Daytona. We’ll be able to see some action and maybe get a surprise ending. Who could have called it beforehand that a young driver on his second Sprint Cup start would roll over the Daytona checkers for the oldest continuous team in NASCAR? Certainly there are eyes on Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers #21 Motorcraft Ford but what of other drivers and teams shifting and shaking for 2012.
Hint – If you want the LATEST on who is driving what for whom, don’t check nascar.com… Go to Jayski’s.
A simple example… How long has David Ragan been out of the #6 and UPS pulling for the bulk of the season…? There is even a front page story (2/15) on nascar.com all about Ragan in the #34 for Front Row Motorsports… Yet check the “Drivers” link and there he is, in UPS brown, sporting the #6. Hopefully, the folks in charge of the NASCAR home website will get this updated before the halfway point of the 500.
Teammate David Gilliland is moving to the #38 which was the seat of Travis Kvapil. It appears Kvapil is going to the team formerly known as “Red Bull Racing”, now “BK Racing” (Burger King). There are some TRG Team people involved in this buy of Red Bull assets as well.
However, David Reutimann will be in the #93 for the Daytona 500 with Kvapil, apparently, taking over afterwards. (FOX Sports) Reutimann, no longer with Michael Waltrip Racing and the Aaron’s squad, is slated to run the #10 car when Danica Patrick isn’t. Patrick has slated partial starts with Stewart-Haas but also has the full Nationwide series to run.
So who is driving over at MWR if Reutimann is playing musical chairs down the grid…? For one… Mark Martin. Clint Bowyer, also. Martin is in the #55 with Aaron’s along for most of it. Michael Waltrip will trade off in that seat also. Bowyer is in the #15 with “5 Hour Energy”. Sorry #00 fans, looks like you need new hats…
Kasey Kahne, who was driving a Red Bull car, is in Martin’s #5 ride with Rick Hendrick…
Confused yet…? We are… But we’re used to it. This is just a sample of who goes where in the cars that don’t run all day in the Top 20. Don’t worry, it appears the “regulars” are all secure in their previous numbers. Stewart, Gordon, Johnson and Earnhardt fans get to keep their shirts on…
It should all be sorted out by the “500”. Perhaps there should be a running start with driver’s sprinting to their cars as they used to do for LeMans… Then we can see who trips over each other by going for the wrong car…
OH.. Kurt Busch… Well… It seems that Busch and Dr. Jerry Punch have paved their differences with apologies and best wishes following the angry exchange at the Ford 400 last November. However, Busch was released from Penske Racing. It seems A.J. Allmendinger is behind the wheel of the #22 for 2012. Busch has wound up with Phoenix Racing and will run the #51 Chevy for James Finch.
Who would have predicted that it would be Kurt and not Kyle that wound up with the bad press over a bad mouth…?
The “Bud Shootout” rolls out this weekend. Mid-week (and midday) the Gatorade Duels run. The Daytona 500 will start the official points season on February 26th. Grab some “Sharpies” and alter your fan gear as needed and let’s go racing!