It had it all...and by all, I mean every god damn car in the field was torn up in one way or another after 120 laps at Wilkesboro. At the end, 3 cars remained on the lead lap, and only 5 saw the checkered flag. John Hooper, who last won in Cup competition at Daytona in 2011, finally grabbed the regular season checkered flag the team had been looking for since day one. "It was a crashfest today, but somehow we managed to keep it on the track and with bailing wire and spit, held it together." Hooper said in Victory lane, "I'm proud of this Fearless team, the whole 11 Gatorade bunch kept this SS together and got me here today.". 2nd place and new points leader, Andre Leichtfuss said, "It was a great race. I was lucky enough to escape that demolition derby unscratched to fight for the win with John. He had a great race today and in the end I had to let him go. I'm very proud of that 2nd place though. Remember this is my rookie season. Third race, third top 5." Kylee Stockton, Eliott Henderson and Jake Keel rounded out the top 5.
It was a day for the underdogs as Part-Timer Brandon Salvato and newcomer Daniel Ruppel both squeak out wins in the Gatorade Duels. Both races were relatively uneventful trouble-wise, aside from the pace laps of both events. In Duel 1, Tim Kunkel shorted the ignition, causing the car to be unable to start. He finshed last. In Duel 2, Amy Tebo slammed into the door of defending champ Theodore Petersen. Tebo went to pit road for repairs and ended up finishing 20th. DAYTONA 200 STARTING LINE-UP
*- Kunkel to go to rear for Engine change Bold- Denotes Rookie Post-Race Quotes:"Nice try today guys. Damn draft just wasn't working. See if Kevin's setup was any different than ours and we'll slap that on there. I gotta pee. I'm not taking interviews. I've got a lot of things to say, but I cain't say em on TV." "My God this is awesome man! This is the same chassis we destroyed at Watkins Glen at last year's finale, and we spent the offseason preparing this car thinking we would have a shot at scoring big here! This is amazing, these guys worked so hard to come here and get this done. I would like first of all to thank Sean English for racing hard in this duel, sadly the results do not show. West has been amazing since the TCS days, Mobil 1, Siemens, Pepsi, the crew, Jay Lopez and John Hooper Sr. for the amazing engine, and my crew chief ... I'm sure that if everything goes our way we will be back here Sunday" "The car was really on today. I think that that had to be one of the best cars I've ever driven. I think if we keep this set up, and find Rob during the 200, we should be up there giving em a challenge. Overall, the ExtenZe Camry was just awesome. And these guys are awesome to race around." "Well, obviously we have some work to do with these engines, that's the 3rd engine this entire team had gone through these speed weeks, but at least Salvato go the best one!" "Well, we'll go 23rd, but the Gen6 has shown us it's plenty of time to get to the front." LOCKED-IN: #53- Trebeschkov (Busch Pole Winner) #1- Henderson (Outside Front Row) DUEL RACE #1 (Determines Inside Row): 1. 53- Trebeschkov 2. 39- Matt Sandri 3. 3- R. Petersen 4. 32- Roger Sandri 5. 86- Mckown 6. 2- Earnhardt VI (R) 7. 33- Bretherick 8. 31- Mongillo 9. 69- Jonsson (R) 10. 91- Gamboa (R) 11. 15- Kunkel 12. 73- Meyers 13. 07- Sampson 14. 16- Salvato 15. 11- Hooper, Sr. 16. 24- Mackereth 17. 20- Conway 18. 10- Stockton (R) 19. 13- Holcombe 20. 83- Asher 21. 4- Sandcastle (R) DUEL RACE #2- (Determines Outside Row) 1. 1- Henderson 2. 88- Hooper, Jr. (R) 3. 40- Robinson 4. 75- Schreiner (R) 5. 7- Clabaugh (R) 6. 36- Peeters (R) 7. 5- Adams (R) 8. 42- Gallon 9. 17- Pielert (R) 10. 6- Austin (R) 11. 49- Jensen 12. 44- Tebo (R) 13. 8- T. Petersen 14. 19- English (R) 15. 00- Shore (R) 16. 41- Ruppel 17. 77- Newitt (R) 18. 25- Lopez 19. 43- Leichtfuss (R) 20. 9- McConnell 21. 82- Keel* Bold- Denotes First CRL Cup Start at Daytona *- Blew Engine during Qualifying, Start at tail-end. Ooohhhh, it's upon us! The sights, the sounds, and the feeling of Racing is once again pushed into our senses as we all gather in Sunny Florida for CRL Speedweeks! We've finished testing, and pole day has ended as well, and with the Gatorade Duels tomorrow, it's only fitting to see who can come out on top at the end of 200 miles on Sunday! To a great racing season, here are the top 5 drivers, our sleeper, our disappointment, and our rookie of the race! ...and here...we...go! 1.) Ivan Trebeschkov-He was a favorite to win the title back in S2 and also triumphed at Riki Raceway (Superspeedway) last year. He's got the pole, and with Motorbreath (and the couple teams that are supported by them, the #24 and #39) being tremendously strong so far at Daytona, look for the Russian to be a favorite on Sunday. 2.) Eric Mackereth- Eric Mack was very strong when he wasn't wadded up against a wall last year. The 'other twin' grabbed a win at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while his then-teammate Paul Smith also grabbed a win at Trois-Rivieres. However, both his brother John, and teammate Paul left at the end of S2, leaving Eric with full possesion of his team. Now backed by Ford and Motorbreath Engines, Mackereth seems more poised than ever to win a Winston Cup title. That title hunt will be greatly helped by a Daytona trophy. 3.) Matt Sandri- Is it fair to pick someone this high that's NOT a series regular? Well tough shit, because this dude deserves this ranking. Relatively unheard of before this season, the relative (we don't know yet...just roll with it) of driver #32 has been exceptional. Had he been just a little faster, he'd be on the front row. He's not full-time, which gives him a little extra incentive to push the envelope for a win on Sunday. 4.) André Leichtfuß- ZEE GERMAN!!! Seriously though, for someone who has very little oval track experience, Andre has worked the draft extremely well. He hasn't been fast, but his car control and knowledge of Gen-6 Aerodynamics has been second-to-none. He could very well be the first German-born driver to win in CRL history on Sunday. 5.) Zach Holcombe- How many times can we praise a driver that doesn't have the results to show it? Well, we're doing it once more as Holcombe proved why he's a favorite to win on Sunday. If (and that's a pretty fuckin' big 'IF') he can stay out of trouble in the Duels and more importantly, on Sunday, he can be a favorite to take the win. SLEEPER PICK:Tim Kunkel- Everyone forgets how strong B&T was at Daytona last year before his hilariously up-and-down season. If Kunkel's (and Bretherick's, his draft partner and teammate) eBay-purchased motors can hold together, B&T could make a statement on Sunday. Don't forget, they entered a third entry, the 16, specifically for drafting help (rumor has it the 16 will also be at Talladega for the same purposes) to help Tim to a Daytona triumph, something he experienced last year in Camping World Truck competition. DAFUQ HAPPENED?James Gallon- Not a usual household name, Gallon stayed quietly consistent last season before dominating the Martinsville race, only to wreck the car with less than 10 to go. So far in Speedweeks he's looked flat, constantly losing the draft and not looking up-to-par with the rest of the Chevrolet teams, despite the once-in-a-while quick lap. Gallon needs to step it up in the Duels to have a shot on Sunday. ROOKIE OF THE RACE:Lorraine Jonsson- In her CRL career, she's run ONE race. The LRP race for the trucks last year. However, it was enough to impress Motorbreath owner Roger Sandri, and lo-and-behold, she's in not only a cup ride, but a successful one. If she can figure out Daytona, she will be a favorite to upset the field. PRESEASON RANKINGS! aka some halfassed power rankings that are most likely completely wrong.12/5/2012 The preseason is upon us. Teams are finishing up the final touches to their test cars and getting ready to head out and get their first laps of the season. Sure, Daytona is still over a month away, but you know fans, and drivers as well, are getting more and more excited as the days pass by until Speedweeks. So our Christmas present to you guys, these rankings. Gift wrapped and almost 100% guaranteed to be wrong once the season ends. But hey, at least it's something, am I right? Here are your top-5 drivers, your rookie, and your sleeper to watch for 2013.
And here...we....go... 1.) Theodore Petersen- #8 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Who can bet against the Champ? Theodore Petersen has been a legitimate threat ever since stepping foot in a stock car and he only solidified his SuperStar status with a championship season last year. Can he repeat? Only time, and fate, will tell. No number and sponsor change are gone keep this man down, look for the newly-numbered #8 team up front early and often. 2.) John Mackereth- #51 Trojan Dodge John Mack, the short track master. Or at least, that's what his runs last year suggested. Wins at North Wilkesboro and Flemington, along with a top 5 at Bristol, showed that no one could match the #51 at the shorties. If John can move that success across the board, then the #51 will be hard to beat. 3.) Daniel Asher- #26 GameStop Honda Dan Asher had a tale of two seasons. The first 6-7 races, he was dismal, and could barely string together a decent run. After a top 5 at Riki during the all-star race, everything changed. Asher lit up the track collecting 3 top 5's and a win in the last 5 races of the season. If Asher can keep the momentum going, 2013 can be a great year for Asher and the first-year Honda program. 4.) John Hooper, Sr.- #2 Canadian Tire Chevrolet Yes, Hooper had a shit-tastic, for lack of a better term, 2012. But we know that one season doesn't define a career, as Hooper has shown us time and time again. Hooper can and most likely WILL bounce back, and rejuvenate a Fearless Motorsport program that has been floundering as of late. We at CSN believe that 2013 is the year Hooper comes back and lives up to the 'Dominator' nickname. 5.) Matt Mongillo- #31 Guitar Center Chevrolet Mongillo had a fantastic season in 2012, despite not capturing any wins. Bunches of top 5's and top 10's, bunches of laps led, and even getting booted from his former team near the end of the season couldn't derail this phenom from capturing the 2012 Holley EFI Rookie of the Year award. Can Mongillo live up to the potential for a second year, and his first running every race? Most likely, as his equipment is coming from the same who produced the Champion's. Honorable Mention: 6.) Tim Kunkel- #15 Spy Chevrolet 7.) Eric Mackereth- #24 Nike Ford 8.)Roger Sandri- #32 Hemming's Ford 9.) Carl Robinson- #40 Dodge 10.) Will Meyers, #73 NAPA Dodge ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 2013: Daniel Ruppel- #41 West Chevrolet Why did we pick Ruppel as our favorite for ROTY Honors in 2013? Because his limited starts in Winston Cup at the end of 2012 showed significant promise. In an un-sponsored car, Ruppel ran very well at Martinsville and texas, and even had a top-5 going at Watkins Glen before a wreck ended his chances. Now with full-time sponsorship from West and technical support from Fearless Motorsports and Hooper Racing Engines, Ruppel has the tools he needs to not only make a serious run at the ROTY award, but also the championship. SLEEPER PICK FOR 2013: Zach Holcombe- #13 DuPont Chevrolet So, Holcombe. His runs in 2012 were either extremely great (3rd at Tally, Win at Texas, 4th at Martinsville) or absolutely horrid. Which is why he's our sleeper. If he can correct the bad runs, he can be a serious contender, almost an overhwelming favorite. If not, then it will be a tough season for the #13 crew. Mid-Ohio announces 2012 plans: Tyler Clabaugh announced that he and Chase Austin will run in WCS this season. Clabaugh will pilot the #4 Mozilla Firefox car and Chase will pilot the #99 Mobil1 car. It is unknown however, if the team is going to Ford or Chevrolet after the release of the SS. More to come later. Recently re-instated Sampson picks up Aaron's, will run Tennessee Vols alternate at Bristol: Jacob Sampson took to the podium today to announce a new partnership with Aaron's Rent to sponsor the #07 BS Racing Chevrolet in the upcoming S3 season. Sampson, who was suspended halfway through S2, completed some kind of drug program to be eligible for reinstatement. He finished the program by Watkins Glen last year, and after spending most of the offseason in Free Agency, decided to bring his CWTS team to Cup, and originally bring Jack Daniel's along as a sponsor. "This is a big partnership. It gives us the funds to not only run two series, but two series successfully." Sampson told the press at Lime Rock Park's Media Center this morning. "I think this is the year that I prove I'm not only a crackhead, but a successful crackhead." Sampson also announced that University of Tennessee and Aaron's agreed to allow Sampson to run a 'bright-orange' Vols scheme at the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Both schemes are expected to be unveiled within the next 24 hours. Justin Hobgood to possibly run events for DRR: via Twitter, DRR announced: No other details have been released.
This is all news between the merger on 11/23 and Today (11/28)
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