Bump-Drafts.com

(Prepared specially for NASCAR_Nation from the pages of bump-drafts.com)

What’s This? For our new readers, On Track was born shortly after I joined a Yahoo! Group devoted to NASCAR- NASCAR For Dummies. Group owners wanted to put my background in media to work in the form of a weekly newsletter. Drew and Amanda gave me free rein to do what I wanted with it, so I cobbled together a newsletter that was a combination of NASCAR news, information, track trivia and a primer of terms for the beginning fan. In the Fall of 2007, NASCAR For Dummies merged with NASCAR_Nation, and at that time I graciously accepted the invitation to keep it going.

Operations shut down at the end of the season, and with excitement building for another season of track pounding, fire breathing, fender bending action- I present the first edition of On Track for the 2008 season.

Coming Up- The Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida. Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Televised by FOX.

This race is the Super Bowl of NASCAR. Daytona National Speedway opened in 1959, the inspiration of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Daytona is a 2 1/2 mile speedway with 31-degree banking in the turns (wicked steep), 18-degree banking in the turns and 3- degrees on the back stretch. The length of the track is 3,800 feet on the front stretch, 3,000 feet on the back stretch. DIS is home to two races per season- in addition to this Sunday’s Cup race is the Pepsi 400 in July.

Chevy driver Kevin Harvick won last year’s season opener in a thrilling photo finish against veteran Mark Martin. Lee Petty, the Petty family patriarch won the first race at this track by whisker in 1959 over Johnny Beauchamp in a highly publicized controversial finish as Beauchamp was at first named the winner. France invited witnesses from all over the country to submit photos to help determine the outcome, and with a few days- the original decision was reversed and Petty was named the winner.

For the Record- For TRACK records (again- there are two Cup events here per season, two Nationwide events, plus a Craftsman Truck event)- Bill Elliott owns the fastest qualifying record with a speed of 210.364 mph in days before restrictor plates. Buddy Baker owns the fastest race speed of 177.602 mph, running the February 17, 1980 Daytona 500 in a time of 2 hours, 48 minutes, 55 seconds.

“The King” is the King- Richard Petty has won the most Cup races here with 10. Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with 6 visits to victory lane. Cale Yarborough is the “President of Poles” at Daytona with 12 pole victories. Bill Elliott leads active drivers with 5. “Front Row” Joe Nemechek earned 6 Nationwide (formerly Busch) poles here.

Other track trivia- The oldest winner was Bobby Allison at age 50 in 1987, Jeff Gordon the youngest at age 23 in 1995. The most lead changes occurred in February, 1974 with 60. The Summer 1960 race had only ONE leader- Jack Smith- the pole-sitter. The 2006 Daytona 500 had 18 different leaders before Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag. The Most cautions came with 12 in the 1989 Pepsi 400, the fewest? Zero. That happened 12 times, the most recent in the 1971 edition of the Daytona 500. In the 2006 Pepsi 400, 40 drivers took the checkered. In the 1965 Daytona 500, only 7 crossed the finish- Freddy Lorenzen getting there first.

In News- This weekend’s festivities represent a fresh start. Just ask Bud Shoot Out winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. or front row qualifier Michael Waltrip. Each has their own embarrassments and trials- no doubt their recent accomplishments providing hope for a much better year. “Go or go-homers” David Reutimann and Joe Nemechek must also be relieved to know they are in the race, though for these two, their position won’t be known until after the running of the Gatorade Duel 150s Thursday.

Of course now the question for many doubters is whether or not the events of the last few days represent a true new beginning or a mirage. Some doubt Junior can keep up his success for 500 miles without burning his engine out. Those who loathe the existence of Toyota in NASCAR are left wondering how their cars will run outside of qualifying. Admittedly, Toyotas had a difficult time sustaining success in 2007, and their season got off to an embarrassing start when Michael Waltrip Racing was penalized for “illegal fuel substances.”

Speaking of trouble, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch were place on 6 weeks probation today for their practice behavior last week. Stewart and Busch have bad blood between them going back to a pit road incident last summer. Stewart tapped Busch into the wall during practice last week, Busch returned the favor by slamming into Stewart three times going down pit road. It also widely believed, but unconfirmed that Stewart punched Busch inside the NASCAR hauler. The season hasn’t started and we’re already having tempers flare. Just wait ’til the racing starts.

NASCAR Terminology- your opportunity to learn terms that will help you impress your newbie friends at back yard barbecues this summer.

Draft- This has nothing to do with beer or military conscription, but “draft” is a slang term for something that Junior Johnson discovered in the 1960 Daytona 500, enabling him to win in spite of having a slower car. Draft in NASCAR-speak is: “…the aerodynamic effect that allows two or more cars traveling nose-to-tail to run faster than a single car. When one car follows another closely, the one in front cuts through the air, providing a cleaner path of air (that is, less resistance) for the car in back.”

RPM- Revolutions per minute. This is a measurement of speed for the engine’s crankshaft. Drivers don’t have speedometers in their cars, relying more on RPM’s to determine how fast their going.

Tachometer- This dashboard instrument enables drivers to measure RPM’s, assisting them in gear selection and monitoring engine power.

That’s all for this week. Enjoy the festivities and as Red Green says: “Keep your stick on the ice.”

Thanks to NASCAR media.com and the 2007 edition of the Sporting News’ Officially Licensed NASCAR Record and Fact Book.

Extra Special thanks to my fellow fans at fanzone.com, NASCAR_Nation and letsgoracingfans.com- your friendship means a lot to me.

Extra, extra special thanks to- God, my wife and my kids for their love and support.