Sporty Blog - The Sport Blog

This Sunday marks the start of another racing season, as NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) hosts its 51^st running of the Daytona 500, which is referred to as the series “Super bowl” of races on its calendar. And while it’s the 60^th Anniversary of NASCAR, ironically it’s also the same for the FIA’s (La Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) premiere racing series Formula 1, as both are reputedly the top racing series of Europe and North America.

But In case you’re wondering about the discrepancy in years between the Daytona 500 and NASCAR, the Daytona International Speedway wasn’t completed until 1959, when Bill France Sr. vision was opened for competition upon what once were Florida swamplands.

And while you’ve all heard of names like Gordon, Stewart, Johnson, Earnhart (Jr.) Kahne and Edwards, are you aware of the influx of Open Wheel talent to try making it as Stock Car drivers? As the person to potentially open the floodgates of talent transfer was none other then F1 pilot Juan Pablo Montoya who shocked the racing world with his decision to leave the glitz ‘N glamour of Formula One and return Stateside to his previous boss chip Ganassi in 2007. Montoya’s move was also mimicked by rising Champ Car driver AJ Allmendinger, who jumped upon the Red Bull bandwagon after receiving a massive pay raise.

Yet, last year saw the largest talent drain upon the Open Wheel Racing world, as four high profile drivers made the headlines as the stars of the 2008 Rookie crop, as the past two year’s Indy 500 and IRL Champions Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr. were joined by past Formula 1 and CART Champion Jacques Villeneuve and CART star Patrick Carpentier, whom would all have less than stellar seasons, as three fourth’s of the quartet are gone. Although Carpentier managed to score a single pole position, he, along with fellow countryman Villenuve and Scotland’s Franchitti have all since departed.

Thus with the current plight of the Global economy, there’s been much reshaping of the Racing Team’s landscape, with the amalgamation of three storied franchises, as first Petty Enterprises closed its doors after 60yrs of business before merging with Gillette-Evernham Motorsports, forming a new four car entity known as Richard Petty Motorsports.

This was preceded by the legendary DEI (Dale Earnhart Inc.) founded by the late “Intimidator,” seeking to merge with the floundering Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates team to form Earnhart Ganassi Racing, which saw driver Martin Truex Jr. capture the pole for this year’s event. Lastly, Roger Penske did a deal with Bill Davis Racing to form Penske Championship Racing and secure Owner’s points for the team’s third entry, as the top 35 points holders are assured of racing each week.

And thus, this year’s qualifying saw 56 drivers vying for the field’s 43 starting spots, with Truex on pole with 50yr old “Ironman” Mark Martin alongside, as only the first two spots were locked-in, with the rest to be decided with the running of the Gatorade twin 150’s, where all even qualifiers race in one sprint heat, while all odd competitors race in the second, with the races final eight transfer slots up for grabs. But don’t ask me to explain it, As the last eight open grid spots were determined in the following manner: Tony Stewart, whose started his own racing team known as Stewart-Haas Racing, along with Scott Riggs, Jeremy Mayfield and AJ Allmendinger gained entrance based on their Thursday race performances, while Bill Elliott, Travis Kvapil and Regan Smith made the show based upon their qualification times, with the final spot going to past champion Terry Labonte.

Rookie Scott Speed, the latest American to race in Formula 1 for Scuderia Toro Rosso before losing his ride to Sebastian Bourdais, was inserted at Red Bull Racing as AJ Allmendinger’s replacement this season, while Allmendinger who now drives for Richard Petty Motorsports fortunately raced his way into the big show and fared much better then Speed. Allmendinger will start from Row 10 in the 20^th position in the Daytona 500 which pays a quarter of a million dollars for starting, as Speed wound up 38^th, in Row 19, while Hornish Jr. Rolls off 29^th in Row 14 for Penske Championship Racing this Sunday…