<![CDATA[Jalopnik: Daytona 500]]> http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: Daytona 500]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/daytona 500 http://jalopnik.com/tag/daytona 500 <![CDATA[How Trevor Bayne used a video simulator to win the Daytona 500]]> Last Sunday, 20-year-old rookie Trevor Bayne became the youngest winner of the Daytona 500 in Nascar history. His first experience with the track? Driving the iRacing video simulator at Daytona a year earlier, with Michael Waltrip giving him pointers. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5768561&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Man regrets selling hearse that carried Dale Earnhardt Sr.]]> During Sunday's Daytona 500, an ad appeared on Craigslist to sell the Lincoln hearse that carried NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. body during his funeral for $8,800. It sold. Now, the seller tells us exclusively he now regrets it. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5766186&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The biggest crash in Daytona 500 history]]> Don't like NASCAR? Not watching today's race right now? That's OK, you'll probably still enjoy this vintage footage from the 1960 Daytona 500. Watch as 37 vehicles crash in what we believe to be the biggest smash-up in NASCAR history. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5765050&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Ten Greatest Daytona 500 Crashes Ever]]> More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5765497&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[How To Repave A Race Track]]> Crews destroyed, hauled away, and repaved the 1.4-million square feet of racing surface at Daytona International Speedway in just 19 weeks. It took 100 million pounds of asphalt and a ton of engineering know-how. Here's how they did it. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5696407&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NASCAR In The 1960s Was So Much Cooler Than Today]]> Stock car racing was cooler when the cars were actually stock and safety crews wore Stetsons instead of fire-proof suits. [via HotVVheels] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5513428&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tony Stewart Lashes Out At Reporter Who Asks If NASCAR's "Too Safe"]]> Tony Stewart on NASCAR being too safe-thus-boring: "The media center is getting boring in here and it's too safe because y'all got four legs on your chairs. So we can start sawing legs off, you like that idea?" More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5472103&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2011 Ford Mustang GT Daytona 500 Pace Car: Redder, Not Just Better]]> As we reported earlier, the 2011 Ford Mustang GT is the official 2010 Daytona 500 Pace Car and it will be auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson for charity. First live picture of the pace-setting 'Stang below. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5451943&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[New Daytona 500 Pace Car Outed As 2011 Mustang GT]]> The 2011 Mustang GT doesn't just bring back the 5.0-liter V8, it's also the first Ford to pace the Daytona 500 in 40 years. Hmm... Camaro at Indy and Mustang at Daytona? Let the Muscle Pace Car Wars begin! More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5448986&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Chevy Camaro: Official Pace Car Of Daytona 500, Unofficially]]> A marketing poster snapped by the forumites at Camaro5 appears to confirm rumors the 2010 Chevy Camaro will be the official pace car of the Daytona 500. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5141790&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Winner Ryan Newman]]> After a three lap sprint to the finish after some BS caution shenanigans Ryan Newman is the winner of the 2008 Daytona 500. We certainly bagged the first 9/10ths of the race, but the final couple of minutes was less than unexciting. Congratulations to team Alltel and all the work that went into securing the victory. We look forward to not understanding the ramifications to the points system and later making more generic racing jokes at the expense of the NASCAR. It's been a pleasure to bring you this lackluster coverage, now to tend to that waitress... More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357462&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Many of Final Laps Surprisingly Run Under Caution]]> Yeah, between laps 187 (on the mu f**n cop) and lap 192, things were tightly controlled by that Corvette Z06 Pace car. Making things incredibly exciting. Wait... hooooooooly crap look at the sparks form underneath Casey Mears' car, looks like the fourth of July in the poor kids neighborhood. Of course those sparklers lead to another series of caution laps, but oh no, there they go, final 3 laps... hang on to your butts. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357459&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Spinouts... FINALLY]]> Though it didn't involve fireballs or barrel rolls, there was a spin out on lap 176. Jimmie Johnson got loose in turn 2 and got a bit friendly with Sam Hornish Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. during the spinny aftermath. Nobody was seriously damaged or forced out of the race, but it's way more exciting than staring at the salt crystals on the table. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357456&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Finally, Something Happens]]> We were elbow deep in delicious burger when David Ragan slammed into the wall creating major damage to the front of his generic sponsormobile, so please excuse our lack of relevant crappy photo of the television. Instead, we assumed you'd enjoy this vaguely disturbing hirsute tribute to the Intimidator. With Ragan's shenanigans in play, the field was shuffled around and now everybody's favorite son Dale Earnhardt Jr. is leading the pack. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357454&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Three Quarters Done]]> Maintaining its ISO14001 enviable zero lost time accidents record, the 2008 Daytona 500 forges on. Even though many pitstops have occurred which we should be interested in, the cute waitress who just started her shift is way more engaging than this race. At this point, every telecaster worth his stones is delving into the minutia of NASCAR mechanics in an attempt to make this race exciting. If you are an actual fan, things have probably been pretty interesting... More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357451&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Lap 109, Sweet God in Heaven. It's More Than Half Over]]> Lap 80 saw some pace car action from "debris on the track", which is entirely less exciting than "massive fireball" or "barrel roll of death from hell", but it did give many of the competitors a chance to fuel up or re-tire. We're looking outside right now at Michigan's rain over snow at 46 degrees, while enviously watching Daytona's 77 and sunny and quietly hating everyone there. We would consider it fair if the fans in the stands also had to sit through as many unfunny Semi Pro ads as we're enduring. Also, Matt Kenseth is in the lead, is that newsworthy? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357448&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Lap 74, Kyle Busch Leads]]> If hockey and bowling had a kid, it would be more interesting than this race so far. Does anybody watch NASCAR for the race? No. Every fanboy out there watches it for the crashes. Don't give me that crap about team work and the precision of the pit stop. I want to see carnage. I'm not an ogre though, nobody wants to see wanton injury, but come on, we're 74 laps into this thing and NOBODY sees fit to accidentally fidget behind the wheel? Not so much as a puff of tire smoke. Waitress... another please! More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357444&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: That Didn't Take Long, Denny Hamlin Steals Lead]]> It's lap 35, and while we didn't capture the moment it happened on Fox's Gopher Cam, Denny Hamlin (who?) has wrested the lead from his other template car drivin' buddies. We're on the edge of our seats and despite the overwhelming onslaught of "Built Ford Tough" ads, we're sticking with this bitchin' race... all the way until we pass out to the end. In case you were wondering, Fox Sports' coverage makes us want to strangle something. So far, the most entertaining part has been the ad where kids are controlling the cars via radio controller and they eff it up just like everybody does in Gran Tourismo. Also, gorillas + Earnhardt jr... WTF? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357439&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!]]> Despite the barely palatable buildup from all manner of whogivesacrap singers, the race has begun. With AJ Foyt at the wheel of the Corvette Zo6 pace car and Richard Petty dropping the green on this years historic 50th running of the Daytona 500, the race is on. Pole sitter, Jimmie Johnson is driving a car that looks like all the other cars save the fun decals and colors but he's in front. Now they're driving in a big circle.... weeeeee. Man, those car's of tomorrow sure are spoilerific. There's a breakdown of the starting grid below the fold, even though it's probably uncontrollably mixed up by now. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357432&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2008 Daytona 500: Liveblogging From Rock on Third!]]> Have you ever seen coverage of a sporting event where the reporter as literally no idea what the context is? Well, like Dennis Miller on NFL's Monday Night Football, I'll be liveblogging this years running of NASCAR's Daytona 500, which will be starting right about 3:30 EST, with the green flag being dropped by the legendary Richard Petty. I'll be here at Royal Oak's most down to Earth bar, Rock on Third doing my worst to document the progess of this afternoon's race. Of course, two dollar Buds and delicious hamburgers may conspire with my already awful spelling and grammar to make things really fun, so hang out for the worst NASCAR coverage you've ever seen. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357421&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Reigning Champ Jimmie Johnson Takes Pole For Daytona 500, We Make Johnson Joke]]> At today's qualifying session for the 50th running of the "Great American Race," Jimmie Johnson clinched the pole for next Sunday's race with a lap speed of 185.082mph today on the 2.5-mile banked tri-oval. It's a good way for Johnson to start out a season where he's looking to match the record set by the great Cale Yarborough who is the only NASCAR driver to ever win three consecutive Championships. According to the stickers on his car, Johnson was driving a "Chevy Impala," beating out the "Toyota Camry" be-stickered "Car of Tomorrow" driven by Michael Waltrip who will start the race in second position but in the lane next to Johnson. And if you think that Johnson can only turn left, well, he also raced a Daytona Prototype at the Rolex 24-hour sportscar race here last month and finished 2nd overall — so there's that. Stay tuned as the melodramatic man-soap opera plays out at next weekend's big race. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=354747&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[If Only NASCAR Was Still This Cool: '79 Daytona 500 Finale]]> More of this and less thanking of sponsors and we might well give a flying doody about top-rank stock car racing again. – Davey G. Johnson More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=242506&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Daytona 500 After-Party: Clint Bowyer Makes Driving Upside Down Look Easy]]>
In case you missed the "fun" and "excitement" of the first 185 laps of yesterday's "Super Bowl of racing" — and our tremendous coverage — you missed out on a really superb nap. But if you missed the last 15 laps — you missed a helluva good show. It wasn't just for the close finish, it was because it was such a wild finish. As cars headed up the frontstretch towards the finish on the final lap — and as more than a dozen drivers thought they had a shot at history — a little friend named "chaos" paid a visit to Daytona International Speedway. You see, while race leaders Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin were jockeying for the lead, behind them cars began spinning into the walls and into the infield like a slot car set running with just a bit too much juice. With one car careening wildly toward the pits, and others shooting off into walls and other cars, we saw one of the oddest things we've yet seen in a race, Clint Bowyer's #07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, sliding upside down like a matchbox car, on fire, past the finish line. Beyond the flag-line, the car hit the infield, flipping back over onto it's wheels. I mean, we knew NASCAR was easier than your average racing circuit, but we never realized it was easy enough that you could finish a race upside down and oh yes, on fire. Full gallery of Bowyer's hoonage below, proving yet again that Jack Daniel's and racing don't normally mix — unless of course you're a viewer. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=237885&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Daytona 500: Kevin Harvick Beats Mark "Old Man" Martin By A Tenth Of A Second!]]>
Wait, what — Mark Martin just won the Daytona 500? What is this — February of 1982? That's because '82 was the first year Martin raced in Florida's 200-lap "Super Bowl of Racing." Before today, the man's won 47 races and finished in the top ten 141 times. But the one win he'd never had — was Daytona 500. After leading 26 laps, he finally saw his first win in the 500-mile race today — beating out a hard charge by fellow Impala SS driver Kyle Busch in his #5 car and the #16 Ford run by Greg Biffle. But they just couldn't...quite...do...it. Good job for the old man.
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]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=237716&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Daytona 500 Live-Blog: Drive Quickly, Call Me Jeff Gordon...]]> Yup, the man in the rainbow brite car's moved up from 42nd place to 20th, and somehow Boris Said found a way to disappoint his legions of Said-heads by taking himself out of the race. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=237698&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Daytona 500 Live-Blog: It's All About The Pre-Race]]>
Well, Big n' Rich just sang the national anthem, and we're all set up in our comfy chair ready to watch some racing. Stick with us today as we keep y'all in the know on the latest happenings in what's been dubbed "the Super Bowl of racing." We'd call it that ourselves but although it's got some big money ads, we're not entirely convinced it's a "Super Bowl" if there aren't lines at every bar around — and as we've been reading, that's not always the case above the Mason-Dixon line. Oh wait, Nick Cage's asked for gentlemen (and unlike the Indy 500, it's still the case) to start their engines...so let's get ready to race, or you know, go around in a circle. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=237694&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Michael Waltrip Handed Biggest NASCAR Sanction Ever, We Don Rocket Scientist Hats]]>
There's more news from Daytona, as the closed-cockpit 'merican rubbin' is racin' league has levied what would seem to be some pretty serious sanctions against Michael Waltrip over the "undetermined substance" in the engine manifold of his #55 Toyota car before qualifying runs at Daytona on Sunday. In fact, the sanctions are the worst NASCAR's ever given out, as AutoWeek reports:
"Crew chief David Hyder and MWR director of competition Bobby Kennedy were physically ejected from the speedway and suspended indefinitely. Hyder was fined a NASCAR-record $100,000. "Indefinite means very long," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice-president of competition. "They were ejected, so they can't appeal not being here this weekend. At some future time they'll apply and ask to be let back in, and we'll sit down and look into it."
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]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=236957&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Oh What A Not Good Feeling! Underwhelming Michael Waltrip Sees Toyota Impounded Due To "Potential Cheating Scandal"]]>
The first potential ToMoCo slight of the day involved the NASCAR.com website, but the second's coming directly from NASCAR officials track-side. Michael Waltrip's being accused of potentially using "an undetermined substance in the intake manifold" of his bright and shiny new Toyota by officials during normal inspections before qualifying runs today. NASCAR officials then confiscated the manifold, causing "widespread speculation among rival teams in the garage area that Waltrip's team could put an illegal fuel additive in its manifold to increase engine combustion." After the qualifying race, officials confiscated the entire car for an indeterminate period of time while the manifold's going back to NASCAR's testing labs to determine if the substance was merely an oil leak or part of some "potential cheating scandal." I remember when Dodge first re-entered NASCAR with the "Intrepid" in 2000, similar concerns of potential tampering of engines and use of additives were levied against the teams. The only difference was Dodge drivers were finishing 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th in qualifying runs — not 15th, 16th, 18th, 39th... – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=235704&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NASCAR Web Site Refuses To Let Go Of American Automotive Hegemony, Excludes Toyota From Leaderboard]]> We're not sure if the NASCAR.com pole qualifying leaderboard is maybe showing off some poorly-coded flash animation or whether Toyota sponsorship of NASCAR is really sticking in the craw of some of their web crew. What we do know is Michael Waltrip probably didn't run fast enough to hit 23rd. That means that although the leaderboard from today's qualifying race for the Daytona 500 shows the make of drivers running Dodge, Chevy and Ford vehicles — but drivers ridin' in the car made by the automaker from the land of the rising sun, Toyota — they get a blank space. Does NASCAR.com have it in for Toyota? Probably not — but as none of ToMoCo's cars have broken higher than 15th in qualifying, it doesn't bode well for the first skirmish of their "invasion" (Fox's Mike Joy's word, not outs) into the always-turning-left and always-'merican Daytona 500. Full image of the leaderboard below the jump. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=235685&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Geezer to Pull a Foreman: 72-Year-Old James Hylton to Attempt to Qualify for Daytona 500]]> Coincidently, we just got done reading a screed from Jezzo's, The World According to Clarkson: And Another Thing in which the great Jeremy admits that he thinks of little else since turning 40 save death. Obviously, he doesn't want to die with a tube up his nose. No, Clarkson thinks being blasted into space aboard one of Branson's Virgin rockets might be the ticket. Could it be that the 1966 NASCAR Rookie of the Year has been reading the Sunday Times? If Hylton is not in fact familiar with "that fat yob from Top Gear" he would still surely agree with Clarkson that "middle-aged men buy Porsches because they want to die at 180mph." As Hylton puts it, "I am doing this for seniors to show that at 70 years old, you don't have to go hunting for an old-folks home. You can go race for a little bit." Bravo we say. Go for it, absolutely. Best of luck, old chum. Though we, existing in the form of Jalopnik like we do, prefer Clarkson's conclusion on how he wants to go out. "I want to be drunk. And happy. And then I want to explode." – Jonny Lieberman More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=228893&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Questions Linger Over Johnson Daytona Win]]> C'mon, why's everyone gittin' all over Nascar star and yesterday's Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson? Just because his crew chief Chad "The Finagler" Knaus got himself suspended for slapping illegal aerodynamic appointments on Johnson's car before a qualifying run doesn't mean JJ's win in the most high-profile race of the year wasn't anything but legit. Or does it? According to NBC Sports's Bill Center, it could be the sport's rebel roots bubblin' up from the still.
After all, the sport is rooted in the hills of the rural southeast as a Saturday night release for men running moonshine as an occupation. Bending the rules until they looked like a hula hoop was part of the game ... part of the attraction.
At least Johnson wasn't driving the "Waste Management Chevrolet"(our apologies, Sterling). More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=155832&view=rss&microfeed=true