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Tag: Daytona 500

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Talks Daytona Return

    It’s almost time for the Daytona 500 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. plans to take home another win. He knows better than anyone that winning takes a plan and some strategy and Earnhardt has been preparing for the race all year.

    While some drivers may not want to reveal their secrets, Earnhardt was happy to share some details about his plans for the race and what the race means to him personally.

    “I’m looking forward to it,” Earnhardt said Saturday night after his fifth-place finish at Kentucky Speedway. “Daytona in July, man. Great weather, kind of a laid-back weekend. Hopefully the cars are sliding around a little bit and we’re driving them a little bit in this race. I’ve won there before, but you love going there. Such a great place. You get a great feeling in your heart when you go there as a driver and as a person involved in the sport. It’s just a beautiful facility and a lot of great history there. I really appreciate that about it and that’s what makes me look forward to going there.”

    Earnhardt also said that the Daytona 500 is one of the most challenging races, but one that he looks forward to and genuinely enjoys.

    “Every time we go back to Daytona, we anticipate the asphalt sort of giving up more and more and hopefully giving us a bit of a challenge in the corners” he said. “The race itself, even though we’ve won the Daytona 500 and we’ve been successful there, the race itself is a challenge and hopefully one that we can succeed at. It’s not easy to win those plate races with the way the package works now. You’ve really got to be out front late and we can’t be coming down pit road and giving up track position. We’ve got to figure out a way to where we’re in the lead when there’s no more pitting to be done. … It seemed like in the 500, we had enough race car to really hold off anybody to battle for and keep the lead. We need that lead late in the race instead of being back there, stuck in a box, sort of, in traffic.”

    Earnhardt has made plenty of mistakes in racing but he sees each of them as a learning experience and he and his crew plan to make sure that they are at their best on race day.

    Are you excited to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. back at the Daytona 500 and do you think he will win this year?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Daytona 500: Dale Jr. Wins “The Great American Race”

    The Daytona 500 was slated to start at 1:00 pm EST on Sunday. If one does some quick math, the race should have finished somewhere around 4:30 pm. (It being 500 mile race with an average speed of 200 mph, adding some extra time for wrecks and caution laps.) “The Great American Race” would wind up taking nearly 11 hours to complete, though, following a massive rain delay of over 6 hours. While this wait may have taken its toll on some of NASCAR’s finest drivers, there was one driver who would not be perturbed – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    While Dale Jr. may have not had the most impressive car in the first 38 laps before rain delayed the race, his performance was nigh dominant after the race restarted at 8:53 last night. Out of the next 154 laps (the race restarted at lap 46), Junior would lead 54 – more than any other driver in the field: “Tonight it was just all about not giving an inch, not running fifth, not sitting there in fifth-place all night and being okay with it. I wanted to lead every lap, I wanted be in first every lap,” stated Earnhardt. While Junior would not be in first every lap, he was most certainly the leader at the end of the most important lap – the final one.

    Dale Earnhardt’s 2014 Daytona 500 victory marks his second victory at “The Great American Race,” coming an entire decade after his first victory at Daytona in 2004. The victory also marks an end to Junior’s 55-race winless streak – a phenomenon that has plagued Earnhardt over his NASCAR career. Before this most recent 55-race drought, Junior achieved a winless streak of epic proportions, going a whopping 143 races without a win. In fact, since 2005, Earnhardt has only won 5 races (Teammate Jimmie Johnson won 6 races in 2013 alone).

    For some reason, though, Earnhardt has felt that 2014 is going to be a special year: “Let’s be honest, where I am as a driver I feel like I’m on the verge of breaking through and having possibly one of my best seasons… We ran second a lot last year, and that felt great. It was a statement to us that what we’re doing is working. Maybe, this is the year we turn the corner. It doesn’t wear on me mentally, but it motivates and ticks me off,” stated Junior in a pre-season interview.

    And what better way to start the season than winning NASCAR’s biggest race and also sealing a position in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup post-season championship (Due to a new rule change which ensures that drivers who win at least one race will contend for the championship): “I feel uncomfortable sitting here bragging my ass off or saying that I run the best race of my life, but it was a unique race. We were all really pushing the envelope out there, really asking a lot of each other,” Earnhardt voiced following his victory.

    “We’re going for the jugular this year,” Junior declared – a statement his father, The Intimidator, would most certainly be proud of.

    Image via Dale Earnhardt Jr., Twitter

  • Danica Patrick Involved in Big Crash at Daytona

    NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was involved in a big crash at Sunday’s Daytona 500, effectively ending her night 145 laps into the 200-lap race and giving her a 40th place finish.

    According to a post-race report on Patrick’s website, the cars of Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, and Brian Scott got together and started a chain reaction crash.

    Almirola slammed into Patrick, causing her to crash into a concrete retaining wall and damaging her GoDaddy Chevy too heavily to continue the race.

    When her car finally came to a stop in the infield grass Patrick, who was not injured in the crash, could be heard saying “Oh, man. What the hell happened?”

    At least 12 drivers were eventually involved in the crash, one of several in an eventful race that also included a six-hour rain delay.

    Harvick finished 13th, Scott 25th, and Almirola 39th.

    “I think more than anything I am just upset because the GoDaddy car felt really good and it was the best car that I had all Speedweeks,” Patrick said. “It seemed like we could catch whoever and it seemed like we could move around, make lanes and just move around and move forward at the end of the day. I felt like everything was going pretty well, so it’s just upsetting. It’s a bummer, but you know that is the excitement of speedway racing that anything can happen, and it was unfortunate that I was on the short end of the accident. But that is the kind of thing that happens …”

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the race for the first time in a decade. The win was enough to inspire him to finally join Twitter:

    If he’s looking for Twitter tips, Earnhardt can always turn to NASCAR’s reigning queen of Twitter, Patrick, who recently became the first driver to top one million followers.

    Image via YouTube

  • Daytona 500: Danica Patrick Involved in 13-Car Wreck

    Danica Patrick’s Chevrolet was one of the cars involved in a 13-car wreck that happened during the Daytona 500.

    The accident occurred when Brian Scott and Kevin Harvick’s cars collided on the fourth turn of lap 146 of 200. Scott hit the car of Aric Almirola, whose vehicle went towards the infield and hit several cars during the spin. One of the cars that were caught in the spin was Patrick’s.

    Patrick lost control of the vehicle and stopped on the grass neighboring the racetrack. Tony Gibson, the crew chief, immediately radioed Patrick to ask if she was okay. The shaken driver replied “Yeah what the hell happened?” She was then brought to the care center and was eventually released with no injuries.

    According to her statement, she was disappointed due to the fact the she felt the Chevrolet she was driving was the fastest car she has had through the Speedweeks. Patrick also said that the accident was unfortunate and that she was at the short end. However, she was also quick to say that what happened was the exciting part of speedway racing.

    Also involved in the crash were Michael Waltrip, Josh Wise, Justin Allgaier, Marcos Ambrose, Kasey Kahne, David Gilliland, Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, and Parker Kligerman.

    According to Waltrip, he had no idea how the crash started, but he knew how it ended. He saw two cars collide and was then hit from behind by a black car. Waltrip also showed his frustration, as he was an innocent victim in the crash.

    After 16 laps, there was another big collision involving 10 cars. This time, the wreck was caused by Austin Dillon spinning into Kyle Larson. Other racers involved were Brian Scott, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Michael Annett, and Kasey Kahne.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. went on to win the 2014 Daytona 500. Danica Patrick officially finished 40th in the race.

    Image via YouTube

  • Daytona 500 Resumes After Rain Delay

    Daytona 500 Resumes After Rain Delay

    Rain, rain go away, Daytona 500 racers are out to play!

    The rain did let up, but only 6 hours, 21 minutes, and 41 seconds after the red flag was posted. The severe weather put both racers and spectators in danger, prompting authorities to stop the race and wait for the track to dry.

    The race was halted after the 38th lap. The red flag stayed on for more than six hours, after which a caution flag signaled the resumption of the event at 8:36 p.m. The green flag was finally dropped at 8:53 p.m., during lap 46.

    The Daytona International Speedway had tweeted a weather alert earlier, advising spectators to clear the grandstands, secure items at campsites, and take other necessary precautions. When the red flag was up, the track flashed warnings to fans, alerting them to take cover.

    Racing authorities are now being extra careful about the safety of both racers and fans after a fatal incident in 2012, during a race at Pocono Raceway. At 4:12 p.m. on August 5, a severe weather warning was issued, but spectators did not evacuate the stands until the race was stopped by NASCAR at 4:54 p.m. A few minutes later, a lighting strike hit the parking lot, killing a fan. Nine more were injured.

    While the racers and fans of the Daytona 500 waited out the rains on Sunday, a replay of last year’s race was aired on Fox Sports. The season opener rerun showed Jimmie Johnson winning the event, and thousands of viewers mistook this as this year’s race.

    The network ran a “replay” crawl at the bottom of the screen, but many fans were probably too eager to watch the coverage of Sunday’s race that they failed to read the message. The result was a bevy of fans and friends congratulating Johnson, who was understandably baffled and quite amused. Johnson tweeted out a reply, ending his post with the hashtag “#2013Replay” to clear things.

    Image via YouTube

  • Danica Patrick: 1 Million Twitter Followers

    Danica Patrick is the first NASCAR driver to top 1 million Twitter followers. The racer reached that mark just before the season opener at the Daytona 500 on Sunday.

    “It just shows what incredible and loyal fans I have,” she said during an interview with the Associated Press prior to the race. “It’s pretty humbling that 1 million people are curious about what I have to say and what I’m doing. I really can’t thank everyone enough for their passion and interest.”

    The next driver in line to Danica Patrick’s Twitter record is six-time champion Jimmie Johnson with 530,000 followers. Juan Pablo Montoya leads all IndyCar drivers with just under 800,000. Patrick’s boyfriend, NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr, is followed by 126,000 fans. There’s no question as to who reigns with regard to social media. Patrick thanked longtime personal sponsor TISSOT for introducing her to Twitter, and GoDaddy, her NASCAR sponsor, for allowing her to be “organic, real and fun” while communicating via social media.

    Boasting 1 million followers puts Danica Patrick ahead of Lindsey Vonn, Maria Sharapova, Mia Hamm, and Anna Kournikova. The only really big time female athletes she trails in Twitter followers are Serena Williams, who has 4 million followers, and U.S. soccer player Alex Morgan’s 1.3 million Twitter followers. Not bad at all for a girl from NASCAR.

    Patrick showed off her Revo Sunglasses before her race on Sunday.

    She also thanked her fans for helping her reach the 1 million mark for Twitter followers.

    Naysayers can talk about Danica Patrick not having earned her ride in the Sprint Cup Series, but it’s pretty clear to see who has more than a million people behind her–and who doesn’t.

    Do you follow @DanicaPatrick on Twitter?

    Image via YouTube

  • Jeff Gordon May Retire From Racing in 2014

    In the last NASCAR media tour, Jeff Gordon mentioned the possibility of retiring from his career if he wins the 2014 NASCAR championship. The stock car racing driver said he was jokingly serious about his statement.

    The 42-year-old racer has already won four NASCAR championships under the Winston Cup. He won in 1995, 1997, 1998, and in 2001. In 2004, Nextel/Sprint started sponsoring the NASCAR races. According to Gordon, his trophies won’t be complete until he has one that reads Sprint Cup, which is his last goal before he retires and spends time with his family.

    Gordon began racing at the young age of 5 and gained interest in sprint car racing when he was just 13 years old. His family then moved to California to support his love of racing, as there were more opportunities for young racers there. Before he was 18 years old, he had already won the USAC Midget Car Racing Rookie of the Year. At 20 years old, Gordon was named the youngest racer to have won the season championship for the United States Auto Club.

    Gordon has 88 cup winnings to date, and has had only two winless seasons since 1993. A section of the interstate highway in North Carolina was also named the Jeff Gordon Expressway in 2012 to commemorate his 85th career win.

    Last Thursday, the NASCAR Media Day was held in Daytona Beach. The press had the chance to ask Gordon about how serious he was about his statement in last month’s media tour. The racer replied by saying that winning the championship may trigger him to retire, as he wanted to end his career on a high note.

    The only thing that is holding him back from retiring now is his love of the sport, and of course, a Sprint Cup trophy.

    Jeff Gordon: Champion

    http://youtu.be/Ue-3W_Zy7Bc

    Image via Facebook

     

  • Pace Car Fire: Full Moon or What?

    This isn’t the first time something wacky has happened at the Daytona International Speedway.

    Saturday night, the pace car caught fire during the exhibition Sprint Unlimited Race at the home of the Daytona 500.

    No injuries were reported, but there must be some serious voodoo going on at the track.

    The fire in the pace car, driven by Brett Bodine, started near the end of the second segment of the Sprint Unlimited race. Flames and billowing smoke were seen coming from the rear of the car as it sat on the apron.

    “Tower, we’re on fire,” he radioed.

    ”I just saw the whole back of the car was on fire. I thought it was a race car,” said 2012 Cup champion Brad Keselowski. ”Someone said it was the pace car. I just couldn’t help but start laughing.”

    A statement released by Chevrolet Sunday morning said the fire came from the trunk where “a purpose-built auxiliary electrical kit to operate the numerous caution lights during the race.”

    “The pace car driver and passenger safely exited the vehicle,” the statement said. “An assessment is underway.”

    “I thought it was tire smoke until I saw flames,” said Denny Hamlin, the eventual winner of the race. “And then I realized Brett was on a mission to find the emergency vehicle.”

    Chevrolet said Sunday it was assessing the fire in the trunk and has yet to link the fire with the electrical kit.

    There was some twitter ribbing going on after the incident.

    Other odd mishaps at the track include a 2-hour delay in the 2010 Daytona 500 because of a pothole in the track and another 2-hour delay in 2012 when Juan Pablo Montoya ran into a jet dryer causing a blazing fire.

    And few can forget last year’s mishap when a crash in the last lap of the Nationwide Series injured at least 30 spectators and destroyed a part of the huge barrier between the track and the stands.

    Image via YouTube

  • Pace Car Fire At Daytona Speedway

    Pace Car Fire At Daytona Speedway

    Anything can happen at the Daytona 500 and on Saturday the pace car caught on fire. The fire started in the trunk of the Chevrolet pace car, but smoke could be seen coming through all of the windows. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire to start, but Chevrolet said it is assessing the incident to determine a cause.

    The pace car was leading the racers in Saturday night’s Sprint Unlimited exhibition Sprint Cup Series race. The car was being driven by Brett Bodine, a former Cup Series driver who was able to pull the car to the apron after turn two. After the car was pulled off the track, the smoke began to bellow out of the windows and flames came out the rear of the car. A replacement pace car was brought in so the race could continue after a short delay.

    The pace car isn’t the only car to experience difficulties at the Daytona Speedway. Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart both blew engines while practicing for the Daytona 500. Both engines were Hendrick engines and had to be swapped out, leaving Patrick and Stewart to start at the back of the pack.

    Two years ago the Daytona 500 race was delayed for several hours due to rain and an accident caused by driver Juan Pablo Montoya. A piece of Montoya’s car broke off during the race and caused him to hit a jet dryer. The jet spilled fuel all over the track and then both the jet and the track caught on fire.

    Hopefully there will be no more problems at the speedway and the Daytona 500 Nascar race will go on as planned.

    What do you think could have caused the pace car to catch fire and who do you think will win the Daytona 500?

    Image via YouTube.

  • Danica Patrick And Tony Stewart Blow Engines At Daytona 500

    Like most Nascar racers, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart were taking advantage of the practice time before the Daytona 500. All seemed well for both racers until the last hour of practice. Both Patrick and Stewart suffered blown engines. While changing the engines was a simple task for the team crews, diagnosing the problem and reason behind the blown engines was not simple.

    “We feel like we understand what’s happening,’’ Doug Duchardt, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, said. “The drivers have been consistent in feeling it’s something in the bottom end of the engine. For tonight and for the rest of the week when we go to race we really don’t have any concerns with the Sprint Unlimited or getting into the Daytona 500. I think it’s us trying to maximize two laps for tomorrow. It’s not a specific component issue. It’s how we go about trying to minimize the time around the track for qualifying.’’

    Even worse for the team, swapping for an unapproved engine will mean that the drivers will have to start at the rear of the field, even if they win the pole or outside pole position for the Daytona 500.

    Neither teammate seems to be concerned about using their backup motors and are still confident in their abilities to win. Patrick claimed that she was actually thankful that her motor blew when it did saying,

    “I only had a few hundred yards to go before the start/finish line then I would have shut it off (and ended practice), so I guess I’m glad it happened then — being five seconds away from blowing up — because that would have been tomorrow (if she had come into the garage as planned).”

    The Daytona 500 will take place on February 23.

    Do you think the engine swap will cause problems for Patrick and Stewart?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Optimistic About 2014 Season

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the best known NASCAR drivers in the world. Not only is he known for the skills he possesses on the track, he is also the son of Dale Earnhardt, the man who left a legacy on racing that will never be forgotten. While Earnhardt Jr. has not had the best past couple of years, he remains optimistic that the 2014 Sprint Cup Series will be his time to shine.

    “Let’s be honest, where I am as a driver I feel like I’m on the verge of breaking through and having possibly one of my best seasons,” Earnhardt Jr. said.

    Earnhardt Jr. has not won a restrictor-plate race since 2010, when he won the Daytona 500 and the Talladega’s fall race. While he seemed to be making a comeback in 2013, he always fell short, landing in the second place slot. He came in second five times last season finishing fifth in points, and has ranked second three times, during the Daytona 500, in the past four years.

    “We ran second a lot last year, and that felt great,” said Earnhardt Jr. “It was a statement to us that what we’re doing is working. Maybe, this is the year we turn the corner. It doesn’t wear on me mentally, but it motivates and ticks me off,” he continued. “When you see videos of last year, I see everyone else (Hendrick Motorsports teammates) in those videos holding trophies and celebrating wins. The only shots of me are those of me walking around pit road.”

    Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief Steve Letarte also thinks that 2014 will be his year. “By no doing of his own, Junior has a persona that’s bigger than any one person you can ever meet,” Letarte said. “No one can live up to what the fans want him to be. He loves the sport, and he wants to win every week. It’s surprising that a guy that good hasn’t won at Daytona in 10 years. But I can think of some of the close runs we’ve had. If he continues to put himself in position, then he’ll break through.”

    Speaking of Letarte, he announced, in early January, that he would be leaving to take a job with NBC. Like he did last time, Earnhardt Jr. will be handing over the task of choosing a new crew chief to Rick Hendrick. Hendrick made the decision to hire Letarte back in 2010, after an unsuccessful year with crew chief Lance McGrew. “I won’t make any suggestions at all,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

    “I’m ready to win races,” said Earnhardt Jr. “I think that the team is getting really close to being able to accomplish that.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 50 Cent: Erin Andrews Kiss Denied At Daytona 500

    50 Cent happened to catch up to Erin Andrews in the crowd on pit road before the start of the Daytona 500 race on Sunday, and what ensued was a horribly awkward attempt at a hello-kiss on his part that ended in Andrews dodging out of his way like Ellen Griswold ducking Cousin Eddie.

    Andrews was there reporting live and, to her credit, things were a bit hectic in the crowd. The rapper didn’t seem fazed by her diss, though, and grabbed hold of her waist to follow her through the throng.

  • Brad Keselowski Using Twitter During Daytona 500 Approved By NASCAR

    Brad Keselowski made history on Monday when he began tweeting from inside his car during some downtime at the Daytona 500. It was thought that Keselowski would be reprimanded as he was tweeting on the race track even though the cars weren’t moving.

    NASCAR was apparently cool with his tweeting during the race according to Yahoo! Sports. NASCAR said that he won’t be penalized in any way and even encouraged him by saying:

    “We encourage our drivers to use social media to express themselves as long as they do so without risking their safety or that of others.”

    Keselowski apparently gained a lot of new followers after his mini-Twitter campaign.

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Around 130k new followers
    @mlr285: @keselowski Im a new follower. Roughly how many new followers did you get? Love the tweets last night.” 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    He also got a few people to use the service for the very first time.

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    #WelcomeToTwitter
    @BrettTesdall
    I’ve resisted this social media thing 4 a while, but broke down while watching the 500…
    u got my 1st tweet 7 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Whoa
    @TheAmberHope: My parents finally understand twitter thanks to @keselowski tweeting from the track last night” 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    With NASCAR’s approval, it should be pretty interesting to see more drivers taking to Twitter during downtime in races. Now we just have to wait for the first crash caused by tweeting while driving.

  • First Tweet From a Driver Racing in Daytona 500

    Race car driver Brad Keselowski became the first driver known to tweet while racing. The Daytona 500 was under a red flag stop which means all cars including Brad Keselowski’s were stopped on the track. That’s when Brad Keselowski decided to make Twitter history by tweeting:

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Fire!
    My view http://t.co/RWn3xMn6 35 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Maybe
    😉
    @beachtowel43: @keselowski do you seriously have your phone in the car? Hahaha” 33 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    No worries
    We stopped
    @LisShoe: @keselowski please! Don’t tweet and drive! Lol 😉 ;)” 33 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    I took it…
    @ANikonNerd: @keselowski how did you get this pic?” 32 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Probly
    #Technology
    @photoarmy1: @keselowski first tweet from a car on the track in Daytona 500 history?” 32 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    So what does every1 think of the #DAYTONA500 ?
    We got a pretty good shot at it.
    I think the end is gonna be crazyyyyyy! 31 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Yup
    At least I’m not in the port-a-Jon
    🙂
    @darrenrovell: @keselowski are u sitting in the car right now tweeting?” 29 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    60%
    @jeff_gluck: How much battery life you have left on your phone? RT @keselowski: So what does every1 think of the #DAYTONA500 ?” 29 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    My pocket
    @zanestoddard: BK – Where’s that phone go when we’re green? “@keselowski: Fire!
    My view http://t.co/RWn3xMn6”” 28 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    can’t see it from here
    What do u guys think?
    “@Tazhoe61: @keselowski the track looks so bad? do think its over?” 23 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Still here bs-ing w other drivers
    @nootrac: @keselowski hey Brad where did you go??? Keep us in the loop!!!” 1 minute ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Haha
    @jeff_gluck: Looks like @keselowski is hosting the ultimate Daytona tweetup on the backstretch right now.” http://t.co/PF7BA05G 2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Nope
    They all think I’m crazy. ESP this guy!
    @mest_girl99: @keselowski Any of the other drivers tweeting?” http://t.co/c0EhSa3p 3 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Driver question of the day, “is that the best fox could do?”
    #IKid
    @MattYocum http://t.co/WvKuB4Fg 7 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @MartySmithESPN
    Marty Smith    Jet dryer driver is from Michigan International Speedway. Tracks says he’s okay. 8 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    U ain’t seen nothin yet!
    @stephensoileau: hey brad how cray do u think its goin to get in these last 40 laps @keselowski” 4 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    NASCAR exec-
    @odsteve: Update. Track washed off, now need to dry-wall fixed, barrier fixed. Stay with us” 3 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Haha
    @firefly911: I wonder if @keselowski ‘s Siri sits there all race saying “Left. Left. Left. Left. Left. Pass. Left. Left.”” 1 minute ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Sure let’s do it
    @TeamDodge: Hey @keselowski, you’re up to 133,519 followers and counting? Can you get to 150,00 tonight? @teamdodge” 21 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    Time to get back racing, thank you for following! 20 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @keselowski
    Brad Keselowski    That’s the plan!
    @mjackson918: @keselowski The only thing better would be tweeting from Victory Lane!” 16 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Daytona 500: Fire Breaks Out, Twitter Has A Blast

    It’s been one wacky event after another for this Daytona 500. It was initially supposed to begin at 1:00 on Sunday. The rain delayed it for hours, before it was finally cancelled for the day, to be postponed until Monday at Noon. After all the complaints that it would be happening while everyone was at work (oh yeah, and some more rain), they decided to reschedule it for 7:00PM.

    It did begin, and then during the second lap, there was a crash involving Jimmie Johnson and GoDaddy girl Danica Patrick. Then, later in the race, an explosion occurred when Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer truck.

    Here’s what the Twitterverse is saying about that:

    @CodyWill
    Cody Williams    OMG! JET FUEL FIRE AT THE DAYTONA
    500!!! 36 seconds ago via txt ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @S_Hundley
    Sheila Hundley    Wrecks, heavy rain then huge fire. Locusts next at the Daytona 500? 1 minute ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @k8tie335
    kathleen hickey    Jet dryers catching on fire,to Brad Keselowski tweeting, to Carl Edwards wanting cheese itz #craziest daytona 500 ever! 2 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Kellllllllllll
    Kelly Thompson    The firefighters putting out the fire on the Daytona wreck>>>>>> so hawt! 2 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @saintrosesid
    David Alexander    NASCAR just can’t win w/Daytona 500, 5x out, Danica out, now jet fuel fire. 3 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @jhanereifsteck
    Jhane Reifsteck    I thought God was a NASCAR fan. Apparently he really doesn’t like Daytona. Rain yesterday. Fire today. Manna tomorrow? 4 minutes ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @LaSportsDude
    Jordan Grove    Surprised there hasn’t been a “Fire, Water, Burn” reference to Daytona yet. No Bloodhound Gang fans on twitter? 4 minutes ago via txt ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @PCTrojan
    Brian Anslow    The fire at the Daytona fire is so sureal! I will be shocked if this doesn’t cause the end of the race. 5 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @RalphFilardo
    Ralph Filardo    In this day and age, the quickest way to clean a massive Daytona fire is laundry detergent?! 6 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @AlanRucker
    Alan Rucker    If you had Dave Blaney winning Daytona after a jet fuel fire in your prop bets you’re making straight bank tonight. #CashMoneyHomey 6 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Freshmen_Glory
    Mark Loggins    Jet fuel fire at Daytona product placement!!! #tide 7 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Stevegocke4
    Steve Gocke    I love me some NASCAR and wish I could have watched the Daytona 500 tonight and my favorite driver create a huge ball of fire! Nice job JPM! 7 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Daytona 500: 2nd Lap Wreck Takes Out GoDaddy Girl Danica Patrick

    The Daytona 500 finally got underway this evening, after a rain delay yesterday, followed by a cancellation for the day. Originally, it was rescheduled for Noon today, but after numerous complaints, it was rescheduled again for 7:00PM.

    No more than 2 laps in, there was a wreck involving Jimmie Johnson, Trevor Bayne and GoDaddy girl Danica Patrick. Johnson is apparently done for the night, while Patrick and Bayne are both in the garage waiting for repairs.

    This tweet points to video of the wreck:

    (image)@davidfucillo
    David Fucillo    Some video from Jimmie Johnson’s #daytona500 accident: http://t.co/GKWYplzL(image) 12 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    More Twitter reaction:

    (image)@Ben_Redd9
    Ben Redden    ESPN News – Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick in multi-car wreck on 2nd lap of Daytona 500, Johnson out of race… That has to be a joke(image) 2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@timeboat
    doc collins    Danica’s 3rd wreck at #daytona #nascarprimetime(image) 1 minute ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@misscouuugar509
    Tiona Shea    “@trmooney8: Anything more classic than Danica crashing out of the Daytona 500 on the 2nd lap?” 3rd wreck of the week… She needs to #GTFO(image) 2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@misscouuugar509
    Tiona Shea    “@trmooney8: Anything more classic than Danica crashing out of the Daytona 500 on the 2nd lap?” 3rd wreck of the week… She needs to #GTFO(image) 2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    A lot of people are making lame “women can’t drive” jokes.

    The TV crew just checked in on Patrick, and she’s still sitting in her car waiting for repairs so she can get back in the race.

  • Daytona 500 Time Moved: What People Are Saying On Twitter

    The Daytona 500 was supposed to run yesterday, but it was delayed for hours by rain, before ultimately being canceled for the day. Initially, it was rescheduled for Noon today, but it’s now been changed for 7:00PM Eastern.

    People were already tweeting their disgust yesterday about the rescheduling, as many would be at work. Some talked about calling in sick. This should make a lot of people happier, although I’m sure there are still plenty that are working at that time as well – especially in the western timezones.

    Here’s what people are saying on Twitter now:

    (image)@CrimsonFlavor
    Bryan (The Phoenix)    Daytona 500 tonight. I’m diggin’ it. The ratings “could” be higher than if it ran on Sunday afternoon. #NASCAR #Daytona500(image) 1 minute ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Dimples723
    Rob Johnson    I guess the Daytona 500 will be a night race.(image) 1 minute ago via Twitter for iPad ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@kaseykahne
    Kasey Kahne    Tune in tonight at 7pm on FOX. Daytona 500 under the lights. It’s going to be a show!(image) 6 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@joemattray
    Joe Ray    Daytona 500 start has been pushed back to 7 pm tonight from noon. “Hurray!” said all 5 NASCAR fans that have jobs.(image) 37 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@jonnykimball1
    Jonny Kimball    monday night daytona 500.. i okay with this(image) 2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@mckonomy
    Michael McKee    Places we’d rather be: Daytona 500 today after first rainout ever. Still bad wx, won’t start until 7pm. http://t.co/j7EjEwUX(image) 3 minutes ago via HootSuite ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@NASCARfeeds
    NASCAR Feeds    Rain might delay Daytona 500 again http://t.co/iT77qi7L #NASCAR(image) 3 minutes ago via twitterfeed ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@PeterVAmador
    Peter Amador    Will ratings be higher for Daytona 500 tonight than they would have been yesterday? New audience will be available. #sportsbiz(image) 4 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@mmchale26
    Mark McHale    Daytona 500 delayed until 7 pm EST. Talks of succession beginning in Southern states upset with the “Northern weather.” #NASCAR #whatajoke(image) 5 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Daytona 500 Canceled: Twitter Reacts

    As reported earlier, the Daytona 500 was experiencing a rain delay, and plenty of people were complaining (and rejoicing) on Twitter. Now, they’ve gone ahead and canceled it for the day, and it will run (hopefully) tomorrow at Noon.

    In 53 years of the race’s existence, this has never happened. There has never been a cancellation. There have been delays, but not like this. It was already supposed to be a historic race with the addition of Danica Patrick, but it’s already made history for another reason.

    Now (at least on my local channel) they’re showing an infomercial for the Time Life Music collection “Country’s Got Heart”.

    As you can imagine, there is, yet again, plenty of reaction to this news on Twitter. Here’s some of it:

    (image)@dlhirst
    DL Hirst    Am I reading too much in it when the canceled Daytona 500 is replaced with episodes of Cops? #Daytona(image) 8 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@ADolister
    Alex Dolister    Canceled Daytona 500? Sounds like a sick day Monday to me 🙂(image) 5 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@FauxPManning
    Faux Peyton Manning    Riots brake out in Hickville as the Daytona is postponed(image) 11 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@DCsk8turq
    David Crosby    Wow, Daytona canceled,,…atleast I’m off Mon. – DC(image) 2 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@AdamExtreme
    Michael Brienzi    Looks like the Daytona 500 I’d canceled cause of rain. That’s what happens when you make Cena the flag waver(image) 3 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@BhandsTheFROGG
    Branon Handsel    Daytona 500 canceled first time in 53 years. My first time down just my luck(image) 5 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@_JamieColson_
    Jamie Colson?    OMG THE DAYTONA 500 WAS CANCELED??? WTF RAIN IN FLORIDA?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?! #secretnascarfan(image) 1 minute ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@_Brave10Heart_
    Buddy Carrel    Daytona 500 canceled today! Wtf noooo! They will race tomorrow at noon! I’m pissed(image) 3 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Case182
    Casey Crittenden    Wow. They canceled they postponed the Daytona 500 till tomorrow. Just race in the damn rain.(image) 2 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@jlubb1133
    Justin Joseph    🙁 daytona 500 canceled for the first time ever til tomorrow at noon now what do I do(image) 2 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@peterpantsless7
    No Pants    Lame. Daytona 500 canceled and to be shown while everyones at work.(image) 2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Ben_Encar
    Ben_Encar    Noooooooooooo DAYTONA 500 canceled due to rain! Wow, first time ever happened, I think. http://t.co/8T5lQeEj(image) 3 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@secupp
    S.E. Cupp    Wow. #Daytona canceled for today, runs tomorrow. I hate you, nimbus rain clouds.(image) 3 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Her_Kisses
    ???0s?????? ??0l 0u    Dang the daytona 500 is canceled till tomorrow because the rain. I actually enjoy watching it. I’m rooting for Danica Patrick ?(image) 4 minutes ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@WilliamBohnak
    William Bohnak    The race has officially been canceled for today. I guess my stay in daytona will now be extended for at least another day(image) 4 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@racingsouthwest
    Racing Southwest    Looks like the Daytona 500 was canceled due to rain. Kind of a bummer.(image) 4 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Daytona 500 Rain Delay: Twitter Reacts

    Fox’s pre-race crew were talking about how Danica Patrick was going to crank of the ratings for the Daytona 500. Unfortunately, weather got in the way, and the race is currently on delay. I wonder how much that will impact those ratings.

    Luckily, the race is still getting plenty of attention, and while Fox shows some race footage from last weekend, the Twitterverse has plenty of commentary for the delay.

    Enjoy.

    @reedtimmerTVN
    Reed Timmer    Daytona 500 forecast update: Daytona, FL is in the east central part of FL coast right at the tip of where the… http://t.co/pPnAkmkG 4 minutes ago via Facebook ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @jayski_nascar
    Jayski    As of 3:15pm/et the Daytona 500 is still under a rain delay, supposedly will be an update at 4pm #raindelay #NASCAR 4 minutes ago via Facebook ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @cbmussel
    Caleb Musselman    I’m celebrating the daytona 500 by taking a nap. 39 seconds ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @NC_RaceFan
    Joshua White    Waiting on the Daytona 500 to get started hopefully before I leave to go to the concert at TPC tonight. 3 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Babygirl489
    Michelle Cooley    sitting home waiting for the Daytona 500 to get underway so wish i was there!!!!!!!!! 4 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Really?

    @AmyClipston
    Amy Clipston    Wondering if the Daytona 500 is going to happen today… 5 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @sokane1
    sokane1    if you’ve ever had a passing interest in NASCAR, today’s Daytona 500 will be a thrilling first race to watch. if it ever stops raining. 5 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Badboy49er
    Joey D    The rain really needs to stop on Daytona. Ready for the 500 !!! Might have to jump on @iRacing for a bit 5 minutes ago via Twittelator ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @TheFakeESPN
    The Fake ESPN    BREAKING: Daytona 500 delayed after NASCAR being called a sport causes God to shed tears all over the track. 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianMRN
    Brian Nelson    The ads for Daytona 500 positioned this as the day that would last a lifetime. Yup. It is. 7 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @StephyyyMarie_4
    Stephanie Contreras    When the Daytona 500 is about to be rained out and your family’s super bowl is ruined. #piiisssseeeeeddd 8 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @MoRocca
    Mo Rocca    Why can’t we combine the Daytona 500 & Oscars: Jimmie Johnson makes pit stop at the Kodak Theater to drop off Meryl Streep, then peels out! 42 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto