66 – THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald Wednesday, July 8, 2015 QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE Compelling questions ... and maybe a few actual answers SPEED FREAKS A couple questions we had to ask — ourselves 3 THINGS WE Remember when? In 2004, Trump posed with How lucky is Austin Dillon? drivers before the NASCAR banquet. GODSPEAK: He must be wearing a driver's suit with LEARNED AT DAYTONA ASSOCIATED PRESS/KATHY WILLENS a rabbit's foot sewn into it. Even Junior said that the Surprised NASCAR joined the accident "scared" him. "Dump Trump" campaign? KEN'S CALL: It might've taken Not at all. Nothing personal, as they say, every ounce of safety innova- just business. NASCAR pulled its Xfinity tion ever invented to let him and Truck Series banquets from Donald walk away from that wreck. Trump's Doral resort in Miami basically because NASCAR had to do that. When a How'd NBC do in its return to major sponsor — Camping World, in this NASCAR? instance — demands it, you have little GODSPEAK: New is good. We choice. No choice, actually. For what got a different perspective it's worth, while Trump was never deep from fresh voices. It was in NASCAR, he did have a relationship refreshing. dating back more than 15 years, and KEN'S CALL: Listen, I'm so he once was a point man in NASCAR's thrilled to be "boogity-free" efforts to navigate Big Apple bureau- for several months, I'm not cratic hurdles and build a speedway on complaining about anything. Staten Island. Didn't work out. Will we ever see Jeff Gordon Cars aren’t supposed to look like this after practice, but crewmen for Kyle Busch (18) and Denny Hamlin (11) race at Daytona again? were forced to unload backup cars at Daytona last week. NEWS-JOURNAL/DAVID TUCKER Time to rethink plate racing and GODSPEAK: Maybe racing catch fences? to the Fox broadcast booth 1. Practice hurts 2. Tighten those belts 3. Junior's plate to join Mike Joy and Darrell After watching Austin Dillon's Yes, Joey Logano won the It seems like they’re flirting with Daytona opened the gates to Waltrip. We might see him in stock car flip in the air like Daytona 500, but Dale Earn- absolute disaster. Not sure what the the 2.5-mile tri-oval course a race car in January, too. a pancake and take out a hardt Jr. has won the past answer is, but we haven’t found it yet. for Cup practice, and within KEN'S CALL: Don't rule out section of fence at Daytona, two restrictor-plate races and Keep repeating it: They need to spread 10 minutes there was a huge a future Rolex 24 effort, you can bet drivers will be three of the past seven. Junior the cars out and/or get them back down wreck in Turn 2. A total of 10 or maybe even the annual doubling down on their safety is the current king of plate to about 185-190 mph. teams had to go to backup half-marathon. But never, equipment in the weeks to racing, until further notice. cars to compete in the race. ever, ever in a Cup car with a come. Ken Willis has been Never take practice for restrictor plate. Never. Ever. covering NASCAR for granted. — Godwin Kelly, [email protected] The Daytona Beach News-Journal for 27 ONLINE EXTRAS years. Reach him at ken. [email protected] news-journalonline. com/nascar 3 THINGS TO WATCH 1. Bump & grind FEUD OF THE WEEK facebook.com/ Kentucky Speedway doesn't nascardaytona shy away from its bumpy surface; it embraces the idea @nascardaytona of its rough asphalt. Kentucky hosted its first NASCAR race, Questions? Contact Godwin a Camping World Truck Series Kelly at godwin.kelly@news- event, in 2000. Sprint Cup started there in 2011. As Brad jrnl.com Ken Willis at ken. Hamlin Harvick [email protected] Keselowski said after win- ning last year, "It's a little bit DENNY HAMLIN VS. KEVIN HARVICK: rough." Get out the heavy- Hamlin said Harvick kept pushing his SPRINT CUP POINTS duty shocks. car after the Coke Zero 400 finish, which triggered the crash that sent Austin 1. Kevin Harvick 656 Dillon into the Daytona catch fence. 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 593 2. Brad gets it GODWIN KELLY'S TAKE: Causing a wreck 3. Jimmie Johnson 589 Brad Keselowski has won half of the Sprint Cup races at Kentucky, Kentucky has hosted four after a race is over won't win you many 4. Joey Logano 581 including last year’s race. ASSOCIATED PRESS/GARRY JONES Cup Series races, and two of friends. 5. Martin Truex Jr. 569 those have been won by Brad might show a little bit more schedule, and their chances 6. Jamie McMurray 526 Keselowski. He won at the 1.5- development." of qualifying for the Chase 7. Brad Keselowski 520 mile oval in a Dodge in 2012 playoffs are growing smaller 8. Kurt Busch 508 WHAT’S ON TAP? and a Ford last season. "Kez" and smaller with each passing 9. Matt Kenseth 501 3. Nine and counting says he just likes the track. week. From this point of the SPRINT CUP: Quaker State 400 10. Jeff Gordon 500 "The things it takes to go fast If you feel a little despera- season last year, only two SITE: Kentucky Speedway 11. Kasey Kahne 496 there aren't too far off from tion in the air, it could be that drivers won races to get into TV SCHEDULE: Friday, practice (NBC 12. Paul Menard 480 those other (1.5-mile) tracks, drivers are realizing only nine the 2014 Chase. The window is Sports Network, 1 p.m. EDT), qualifying 12. Denny Hamlin 480 and I think when you hit this regular-season Cup Series slowly closing. (NBC Sports Network, 5:45 p.m. EDT); 13. Ryan Newman 472 mark in the season, some cars races are left on the 2015 Saturday, race (NBC SN, 7:30 p.m. EDT) 14. Clint Bowyer 465 15. Aric Almirola 441 — Godwin Kelly, [email protected] XFINITY: Kentucky 300 16. Carl Edwards 408 SITE: Kentucky Speedway 17. Kyle Larson 395 TV SCHEDULE: Thursday, practice (Fox 18. Greg Biffle 392 GODWIN’S PICKS FOR QUAKER STATE 400 Sports 1, 2 and 4 p.m. EDT); Friday, quali- 19. Danica Patrick 386 fying (NBC Sports Network, 3:45 p.m. Godwin Kelly is the 20. Austin Dillon 379 WINNER: Brad DARK HORSE: Clint EDT), race (NBC SN, 7:30 p.m. EDT) Daytona Beach News- 21. Casey Mears 378 Keselowski Bowyer Journal’s motorsports 22. AJ Allmendinger 352 REST OF TOP 5: Joey DON’T BE SURPRISED CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS: UNOH 225 editor and has covered 23. David Ragan 336 Logano, Dale Earnhardt IF: Some ill will from SITE: Kentucky Speedway NASCAR for 30 years. 24. Tony Stewart 331 Jr., Jimmie Johnson, the events at Daytona TV SCHEDULE: Thursday, practice (Fox Reach him at godwin. 25. Sam Hornish 321 Denny Hamlin spills over into this Sports 1, 10 a.m. EDT), qualifying (Fox [email protected] 26. Trevor Bayne 319 FIRST ONE OUT: Brett weekend’s Bluegrass Sports 2, 5 p.m. EDT), race (Fox Sports 1, 27. Ricky Stenhouse 311 Moffitt State racing. 7:30 p.m. EDT) WEEKLY DRIVER RANKINGS — BASED ON BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE JIMMIE KEVIN JUNIOR MARTIN JOEY LOGANO BRAD KURT MATT JEFF KYLE JOHNSON HARVICK EARNHARDT TRUEX JR. Will finish KESELOWSKI BUSCH KENSETH GORDON BUSCH Luckily in front Middle name Daytona plate More bad luck fourth at Say hey to Should let Mild Matt will One plate left He’ll still of the Daytona is Michael conspiracies at Daytona Kentucky your Kentucky Kyle borrow love Sparta before he can reach top 30, mayhem reborn winner some points relax trust us 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mon. & Thurs. 8:30-8:30 OVER 70% COMPLIMENTARY LIFETIME SPRINT CUP SCHEDULE AND RESULTS People Drive from RETURN TO PA STATE Tues., Wed., Fri. 8:30 -6 OH PA NY BUY SERVICE INSPECTIONS HERE AGAIN LOANER INCLUDED Feb. 14Sat., — x-Sprint 8:30-2 Unlimited (Matt Kenseth) 0% June3 7 — StatesAxalta “We Paint to Winners” HUMES 400 (Martin Truex Jr.) Oct. 10 — Bank of America 500, Concord, N.C. 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