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  • Shark Attack in Daytona; 11-Year-Old Gets Souvenir

    This past weekend 11-year-old Riley Breihan was bitten by a shark in Daytona Beach, Florida. She was swimming at WinterHaven Park in Ponce Inlet on Sunday when something began to bite at her leg.

    Breihan was on her boogie board when she realized that her leg had come in contact with a shark.

    The little girl said, “At first I wasn’t thinking about pain, I was thinking I got bit by a shark and I have to go to the emergency room. Then I felt the sting and it hurt real bad.”, according to WKMG-TV, Orlando.

    She was bitten on her leg and near her ankle. Two people who did not know Breihan witnessed the attack and very quickly wrapped her leg up in a towel and took her to the hospital.

    Doctors soon began to check her wounds and confirm that she had been bitten by a shark. As they were examining her, they found a shark tooth in her skin, where one of the bites had taken place.

    The medics had to numb the area in order to remove the shark tooth from the 11-year-old’s leg. “They had to numb me and they had to prick it out,” Breihan also told WKMG-TV, Orlando.

    She is now at home, recovering on crutches with the assistance of her family.

    [Image via Youtube]

  • Racing Support For Social Media Savvy Driver Using Twitter

    Racing giant Roger Penske gave his endorsement and support to Brad Keselowski, the Social Media Savvy Driver who used Twitter during Monday’s Daytona 500. The NASCAR driver is setting the pace with his savvy use of social media. Last week, Keselowski honored over 2,600 of his Twitter followers who had won a contest on his website by featuring their Twitter handles on his Number 19 truck in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Then during the Daytona 500, Keselowski became the first NASCAR driver to tweet during a race. Keselowski began tweeting during the two-hour red flag in Monday night’s race and actually posted a picture of his view of the race for fans to share. In addition, the driver answered fans’ questions and posted updates on the delay including allowing other drivers to check weather radar. Keselowski’s use of Twitter has increased his followers from around 65,000 at the start of the race to over 200,000 by the night’s end.

    @nytimes
    The New York Times    Nascar’s Keselowski Gains More Than 100,000 Twitter Followers During Daytona 500 http://t.co/eTulxAU1 2 days ago via The New York Times ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @TwitterSports
    Twitter Sports    Here’s a chart of @keselowski‘s growth in followers 2 hours after sending this Tweet: https://t.co/2LSPFYPm http://t.co/xkcxl4KI 22 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Roger Penske, a virtual legend in racing, who recently turned 75, said that even he might have to join the craze and get on Twitter. “I don’t Twitter myself, but I guess I’m going to have to, maybe,” joked Penske. “I think social media is here to stay. All of our businesses are involved in Twitter and Brad is a creative young guy. I take my hat off to him and I think the followers he picked up liked it and, to me, our sponsors were excited about it.”

    Earlier this week, NASCAR officials determined Kelelowski could keep his cell phone and that all drivers are encouraged to use social media. In a statement, “NASCAR will not penalize Brad Keselowski for his use of Twitter during last night’s Daytona 500. Nothing we’ve seen from Brad violates any current rules pertaining to the use of social media during races. As such, he won’t be penalized. We encourage our drivers to use social media to express themselves as long as they do so without risking their safely or that of others.”

    @nateryan
    Nate Ryan    Roger Penske says team, sponsors endorse Keselowski’s social media at Daytona: “I don’t Twitter myself. Guess I’m going to have to.” #nascar 20 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Hinchtown
    James Hinchcliffe    Anyone can tweet under a red flag, this is tweeting under green! Impressed, @keselowski?! http://t.co/sUruPAhE 22 hours ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Danica Patrick OK After Crash

    Danica Patrick walked away from her crash at the Gatorade Duel at Daytona Thursday, after slamming into a wall on the last lap of the qualifying race. Thanks to Nascar safety innovations, along with Patrick’s quick thinking, she was uninjured. The video below shows how Patrick took her hands off the wheel to avoid broken wrists:

    “It felt like a pretty big hit, so I don’t know what (the crash) looked like,” Patrick said, according to USA Today. Tony Stewart, winner of the race, and also the owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, the team fielding Patrick stated, “it was really impressive to watch how she just kept picking her way through the field. She got up to sixth at one point. I thought she did a good job – There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that she would do that.” Patrick was in 10th place at her crash, which cost her starting position for Sunday’s Daytona 500. She have to use a backup car, and will have to make up her points-race Cup debut from the back of the field.

    “It felt like a pretty big hit, so I don’t know what (the crash) looked like,” Patrick told her pit crew, “I’m really just bummed out that we didn’t finish the last two corners. Instead we have a car in the wall and lots of damage and I’m sure a backup. But maybe the backup car will be faster.” Stewart mentioned one of Patrick’s biggest priorities presently is gaining the respect and trust of fellow drivers. “It’s hard for her now because she’s trying to gain the confidence of the guys around her that she’s solid and is going to make good decisions,” Stewart said. He adds that for a while during the race, drivers seemed wary to run with Patrick, and were avoiding her.

    Patrick is set to race full-time in NASCAR this year. She’ll drive Nationwide for JR Motorsports, and plans to run a partial Cup schedule for Stewart.

    “I feel really feel good,” Patrick said. “I feel comfortable, I feel confident, I feel like if things fall our way and I can take the experience from today into Sunday, I think it will be a good day. And obviously, things that are out of your control can make it a bad day, but that’s kind of the excitement about racing.” Stewart added that Patrick gained respect in the field by showing patience and poise during the qualifier, noting that she’s a typically a more aggressive driver.

  • Pay the Fan and MRN Unveil Free Fantasy Racing

    Motor Racing Network, in agreement with Pay the Fan, are launching free 2012 fantasy racing gmaes. According to Pay the Fan, users can “come play where the pros play, and sign up for a chance to win over $15,000 in cash and prizes!”

    The fantasy racing games are said to be easy to learn, but difficult to master, and users can sign up for the 1st Segment Series, starting with the Daytona 500 on February 26th. The series ends at the 18th race at Daytona, on July 7th. Users pick 2 drivers from each of the groups A, B and C. Points are earned on how drivers finish, and cash and other prizes can be had each week, with a chance at more winnings, dependent on top scores of the entire series.

    Users can also sign up for the Combined Series. Fantasy teams can be operated through the 1st and 2nd Segment Series, as well as during the Combined Series. With the racing off season being officially over, Motor Racing Network is looking forward to seeing users in the games at Pay The Fan. Racing enthusiasts can sign up for the fantasy games here.

    Press release courtesy of PRN.