Questions (And Answers) About Danica At Daytona

Thanks Jeff…great article as always. Yes she did good in a minor race with minor drivers in a Hendrick car…I don’t wish her ill will, I just want to see if she really has it. And I think all along the car has been set for her to drive at NW and they were just waiting to see what happended with ARCA b4 announcing. They knew all along that unless she fell flat on her face, she would drive NW in Daytona.

I also heard a rumor that there were other drivers in the ARCA race…can you please confirm that? LOL

Being undecided to race in a week is one thing, But isn’t it unfair to make Bires wait this long to find out he won’t be driving? At least give the kid a chance to find another ride prior to 5 days before the race.

I’m so glad you posted this because now it really all does make sense. Twitter is a wonderful thing and I got my eyes opened this morning for sure. It seems this has all been planned out for a long time I just wish we’d known that Bires potentially running Daytona was really going to be as a substitute for Danica if she didn’t feel ready. That’s so not how it sounded at all.

I understand the sponsorship thing and now that I think about it this makes a lot of sense. JRM didn’t get full sponsorship with Brad, a winner, until into the season last year so it makes sense they might have a hard time funding Kelly full time. It’s unfortunate, but very understandable. This also makes Danica’s not knowing about his running or not running make sense because why would she? It’s her car paid for by her sponsor. She and the team should be the ones to make that decision.

Anyway, do I still think she’s being over rated based on her lack of accomplishments to date? Yes I do. But is it her fault for Kelly not being in the car? No, apparently not. I guess she could have stepped out on her own but that’s not fair to either her team or her sponsors. Who knows, the money still may not have been there for Kelly anyway! And as for why Junior doesn’t fund a third car out of his own pocket…

That’s just ridiculous.

Glad you posted this to clear the air and set things straight. Now I have to admit, I’m very curious to see what happens Saturday!

Awesome article. I feel bad for Bires not being able to race in the Nationwide race. I am not a fan of Patrick, but I don’t think people should be getting mad when there’s nothing that the fans can do. We are supposed to be Jr fans, we are supposed to stick by everything & every decision he & Kelly E make. They know what they are doing.

While I’m really not happy that Danica is racing and Kelly isn’t, racing is a business and like any other business money talks. That’s unfortunately the nature of the beast.

I look forward to seeing Kelly racing really soon!!

I understand where JRM is coming from but I still think that Kelly Bires got screwed. They should have made it more clear and obvious to Kelly that he wasn’t going to drive at Daytona and given him the opportunity to look elsewhere for a ride. Or JRM should have stepped up earlier and help Kelly look for a ride, like they are saying they will now. I think JRM is blowing smoke currently to cover their rear ends. I know how the PR game works.

My main complaint is she new all along that she would drive, why wait till this week to confirm. They just wanted the drama and media blitz again this week last week was not enough. Also maybe Kelly could have gotten aride had they announced earlier. I guess what really got me was when she talked about a possibility of racing this week she innocently said I just found out if I race Kelly will not. Bull ,,,, is she stupid or what. They have been saying this all along. but guess they forgot to tell her. Hope ESPN and some of the other media remembers there are 42 other people racing on Saturday and not just her. Keep up the good work Jeff this article was really good.

Jeff, this is more a comment about how you said it than what you said. I appreciate your objectivity. I have a problem with “my way or the highway” writers.

Great as usual Jeff. I think its unfortunately a sign of the times.
I don’t think it would make any difference if it was Danica or Kelly in the 7.
And it sounds like the 7 runs with GoDaddy.com if Danica is at the wheel.
The points for championship is on the #88 which Dale Junior has to drive to satisfy the sponsor, Hellman’s. They called the shots. No Dale Junior, no sponsor.
Business wise you cannot blame the sponsors for wanting to of the most high profile drivers in their cars. I feel very sorry for Kelly. He’s up and coming. It wasn’t meant to be this time, but something better probably waits down the road.
As for me I’m a winner because Dale Junior’s in the race. I can’t imagine a Daytona 300 Nationwide without Dale Junior.

Had to get the shot in at the end about her being “way over her head.” You would have thought she was a moving chicane every time she hit the track in IndyCar, not a driver with top-10 finishes in over half her starts.

You could make the same comment about being “way over her head and potentially caus(ing) a huge wreck” about a dozen of the guys in the field. I’d expect Danica’s day to play out much like the ARCA race – which was much like her typical IndyCar start – don’t push things, even drop back at the beginning of a run, then work her way back toward the front. She’s always been very safe to drive around – safer than a bunch of these jokers that’ll be in cars Saturday.

Thanks Jeff,
I know what your initial knee jerk reaction was to this; you echoed what many fans felt. Impressive that you made a U-turn when evaluating the big picture. Kelly Bires still has an amazing opportunity with a great team. Junior poured a ton of money into starting this company. Why would anyone think he should go into his personal account? I’m incredulous anyone would think that. People forget too that Hendrik decided not to run the #5 car this season, and GoDaddy moved the majority of their sponsorship to cup. They are sponsoring Danica in the NNW. The fact that the deal with Junior and Hellman’s is contractual and was decided before any of this took place. Disappointing for Kelly, of course. Does he still have a great future, yes. There are an infinite number of drivers who would still love to be in KB’s shoes. I think KB understands this.

Thanks Jeff for pointing out the reality of the business side of NASCAR. Bottom line is Danica brought new attention to the ARCA race; ESPN is adding coverage of the NNW practice, so the added exposure helps the entire sport including Kelly. It’s win, win. This is one small disappointment compared to the big picture.

Great article Jeff.

I still think it’s a really crappy situation all around. She claimed the decision was up to her, bad choice she made in my book. It would have looked far better on her had she done the decent thing and not stepped into NW at a track like Daytona, not to mention leaving Kelly with no real options on such short notice.

I understand the facts laid out, but come on, if she’d left it alone, Kelly would likely be in that car this weekend and not searching for a ride. Just wasn’t a good call by her in my opinion and I don’t think I’m alone in that. not to mention the fact that it’s Daytona and anything can happen.

If she doesn’t know how to handle that track, she could mess up the first race of the season for a lot of drivers who need a good fresh start. Besides, I’ll be far less interested in the coverage now (despite the fact my favorite driver is in the race) because it’s very likely to turn into the Danica 300 and to me, she’s yet to deserve such attention in the series. Ok, it’s big news, she is a big name in racing coming to NASCAR, but it’s seriously overkill and I’m over her, regardless of how well she does.

While I will never be confused with a Jr. fan, I understand the company’s position. When people talk about Jr putting up his personal money, this is a business. While I am sure that he is not hurting for money, there are alot of people who depend on him to make good business decisions, for the good of the everyone, not just Kelly. I hope that Kelly can find a ride for Saturday, so he will have to chance to race for the championship.

But remember this is not the first time that sponsor issues have caused a young driver to get shafted. Anyone remember the deal with Denny Hamlin and Aric Almirola a few years ago. Same deal.

I hate the fact that Corporate America has taken over sports and dictating if and when a team can compete.

For a while every venue was named, teams had multiple sponsors, even laps had a Corporate sponsor – but when Dale Earnhardt Jr can not find a sponsor – that sucks.

Just as ticket prices have gone down, and ‘conditions’ on ticket packages have changed, maybe sponsorship for race teams will take a turn for the better.

I hate it for Bires, but happy as a member of the Earnhardt Nation that Jr. will be in the Nationwide race.

As far as Danica – I wish David Poole was around to give me the over and under.

I hate it for Bires and it would be really ironic if Danica ends up taking out her and her car owner. I wouldn’t feel safe as a driver with her out there with no Busch expereince at all, she barely did well in Indy. She’s a famous name and famous cause she takes her clothes off. WHAT A RACING TALENT!

I’m going to pretend she isn’t there…it won’t take very many laps before she hits the garage anyway.

if the 7 car is Danica’s car and GoDaddy is the sponser and wants her to drive the car there should be no problems with that,i am glad that she will be running the Nationwide race at Daytona…That alone will give NASCAR a huge Boost!!!!!!!!!!!!!….GO DANICA!!!!!

Jeff, nicely done piece. I have to admit, from your past blog and comments yesterday, this isn’t what I expected. Thank you for taking the time to dig and get to the bottom of the situation. I’m glad you sorted it through it and gave it the length it deserved.

Even though NASCAR is a sport, it’s also a business. For teams like JRM, it really does come down to sponsors – now more than ever they dictate who’s in the car and who’s out. I feel bad for Kelly, and I do hope he’s able to find a ride for Saturday. But his maturity and class through this situation will hopefully catch the eyes of sponsors, and we fans will have to do our best to support him.

I’m not thrilled about your parting line. This is Daytona – anything can happen, and any driver can potentially cause a huge wreck.

Regardless, good story.

Thank you for the clarification that Bires probably never was going to run for the championship. Sounds suspiciously like a ‘Watergate coverup’ conspiracy thing-a-magiggy or at the least a cover-your-butt move but maybe just a Moody black helicopter deal or whatever. Seriously, thanks for getting to the bottom and reporting back to us. Appreciate your tenaciousness.

I still think it sucks, but I get where JRM is coming from. Dale Jr’s trying to run a team. I’ll give him that much.

It all makes sense, but it still sucks. I’m afraid sponsorship money may end up being the downfall of the sport as a whole at some point.

I’m just hoping there is a team out there that will put Kelly in a car for Daytona.

And Danica, I figure she’s in for a different beast this weekend. I just hope we actually see the rest of the field instead of just her! Pretty sad that its possible the Daytona 500 winner could be overshadowed in the media by Danica-mania.

Thanks for getting this out there, Jeff. I figured that whether or not Danica was going to race the nns race was more than just her decision – Sucks for Bires, but its happened to other drivers (Almirola comes to mind).

I think the hiring of Danica was strictly Kelley’s and Tony Jr’s. Jr has taken a hands-off approach. Maybe they are not doing such a good job in protecting the company. But having said that, why don’t all the bitchers pool their money, buy a S&P for Kelly and give him a ride?

Thanks for going out and investigating for us. I’m disappointed for Kelly but so proud to be a fan of him. He is a classy young man.

Am looking forward to seeing Danica do well in the Nationwide race – and to fight back if one of the ‘big boys’ trys something dirty.

She won’t take crap off of them. Hope Dale, Jr. helps her out during the race and they have fun drafting with each other!

Carol

Looking up the entry list for the Nationwide race, I saw someone who has an even flimsier resumé than Danica in the field: Chrissy Wallace. Sure, she’s made seven Truck starts, but only one has been on a superspeedway and she’s never finished better than 13th. Say what you want about Danica’s credentials, but she’s got way more experience at high-level, high-speed ovals. I suspect if Chrissy Wallace’s last name were different, SHE wouldn’t be in the Nationwide race, either.

So, Danica vs. Chrissy: WHO YA GOT? Me, I’ll take Danica.

NNS is a very different animal. I was actually surprised people were surprised Danica did well. Let’s be honest here – ARCA is a purely developmental series and DP is NOT a developmental driver. She has spent the last 5 years racing world class talent in Indycar. New car, sure. But against those drivers? I did not expect her to have a problem. Aside from Kimmel, Gerhardt and a couple others, the Arca drivers have never faced her quality of driver! Like her or not, she is better than the Arca series. I do, however, think the Nationwide race could be a disaster. Several Arca drivers mentioned her reluctance to get up on their bumpers. She will either have to bump draft like mad in the NNS race or she’ll get dumped out of the way. Tony Stewart calls her a friend, but he will not hesitate to move her over! My only wish for Saturday is she doesn’t wreck a cup driver or a driver trying to race in the NNS for points.

Dale Junior added Kelley Earnhardt and Tony Jr as part owners to take the pressure of himself, allowing him to focus on Cup.

Tony Jr left HMS for JRM in order to relax and have fun with racing.

After this media mess, which was totally blown out of proportion by many has, it amazes me that both of them don’t retire and let the media find something else to write about.

Nice try Jeff. I just don’t think some people want to know the truth. They have too much fun throwing Dale Jr and his company under the bus. Its a sad day when someone puts his own money into giving young drivers a chance only to have it thrown in his face.

I hope Kelly does great in the other races, well enough for other sponsors to come on board, decreasing the total $$$ the owners will have to put out to keep the 88 car on the track full-time.

Danica, for her part, is willing to put herself out there knowing she will be more scrutinized than Junior was last year (if that’s possible). She brings interest to a sport that is hurting both financially and in viewership. All so she can be accused of stealing the ride of another driver.

I wish Dale Jr, Kelley, Tony Jr, Kelly Bires, and Danica the best. They deserve it.

Yeah, sometimes it hurts and alot of times we don’t want to hear it.

Jeff, you’re wasting your time presenting the facts. By and large, NASCAR fans are too invested in their own misguided opinions to be swayed by facts. Anyone who has been around this sport for more than a minute and a half knows that Bires’ chances at winning the Nationwide driver’s championship in his first year at JRM was an outside chance at the most.

Now, in point of fact, how much is missing the Daytona race really going to affect Bires points situation the rest of the year? Not all that much. It’s one race.

For some reason, there is a large segment of the NASCAR fan base that has put a hate on for Danica. It has nothing to do with her talent, or lack of; it has nothing to do with bumping Bires or not; it is totally related to the fact she gets headlines and attracts attention.

So don’t feel too bad that giving the facts in this controversy really didn’t sway many people. They just can’t be bothered with facts. They have their version of how the world turns, and won’t be convinced by people who really know what is going on.

So the beef with Danica is that she gets preferred treatment because of her popularity? She shouldn’t have a chance in Nationwide because she can only run in the middle of the pack in IRL…? Hmmm…

I agree that she has gotten a chance in NASCAR because of the exposure that she brings the sport. I say that exposure is good for everyone. Say for example viewership for the Nationwide series increases 15% because she is in the race. That means that more sponsors will be attracted to the series and more guys like Kelly Bires or Jason Leffler or whoever will get more chances at their own rides. At this point of declining everything in NASCAR, anything that brings positive attention to the tracks is good, and Danica brings plenty of attention. If it wasn’t for attention that the media “superstars” bring to the sport, Kelly Bires wouldn’t have a job driving a car for 1 race let alone a whole season.

This takes me back to my point at the top of the post. There is someone else who is a middle-of-the-pack to maybe an above average driver that got their chance because of who his daddy was. That dude is super popular and has a ride in the best equipment money can buy because of his popularity, not his solely on his driving skills. That’s right – I’m talking about our crowned prince of NASCAR, Dale Jr. Sure, he has talent, but chances are there are lots of drivers in that garage that would have that Hendrick 88 running closer to the front and contending for wins. But Dale Jr. gets that ride because sometime, years ago, he got a shot he likely never would have gotten because his daddy was popular. Don’t get me wrong – I think Dale Jr. is good for NASCAR – he brings people to the track. I think it would be even better for NASCAR if he could run up front.

My point is before we throw stones at Danica’s “unfair” shot at a Nationwide ride, let’s put down our cans of Amp and take a look around at our glass houses.

Kelly Bires wasn’t ever going to run this race. He wasn’t bumped for Danica.

Whatever happened to 2008 Rookie of the Year Landon Cassill? Thought he would have a ride at JRM before Bires or Keselowski last year even.

Right on the “money”. Pardon the pun…;)

Great read as always Jeff. I love they way you can get all the views of everyone. Keep you the Great work!

The TV ratings for the ARCA race were up 86% over last year. TV ratings, which means bucks and in this case big bucks all around, will go through the roof today with Patrick in the #7.

I am an Indy Car fan and rarely do I watch NASCAR, sorry folks, but I will be watching today.

As far as Patrick causing a crash. We will just have to wait and see.

Finally. I wonder how much of this decision has to do with Palin being at Daytona this weekend, primarily for the 500. Palin has a very strong base among the NASCAR crowd.