BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT NOTEBOOK – The “Green White Checkered” Finish Discussion February 8, 2010

– Claire B. Lang 3/7/10
The “Green White Checkered” Finish Discussion:

The entry blank for the 2010 Budweiser Shootout indeed said there would be one attempt to finish the race under green — exactly as it played out Saturday night. Several drivers thought that they heard TV commentators say that the race had to end under green. That of course was not correct information.

Here’s exactly what drivers Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray and NASCAR said about the matter after the race ended:

Q. Kevin, was there any confusion as to whether they were going to do multiple attempts at a ‘green white checkered’ at the end? Did you pretty much know what was coming?

KEVIN HARVICK: I was a little bit off kilter on that one. They knew. But I thought myself, I didn’t say a word on the radio. That’s why I didn’t say a word. I read on something somewhere, it wasn’t the entry blank, I know that for sure, but I read race will end under green. Maybe it was on a TV telecast as I was delusional sleeping in bed on Thursday. I don’t know. Maybe I dreamed it. But they knew what was going on. As long as they know what’s going on.

(NASCAR) KERRY THARP: The entry blank was ‘green white checkered’ one attempt.

KEVIN HARVICK: I should have known that because that’s how it ended last year. It ended exactly the same as last year.

Q. Did you think this race was supposed to end under green? Regardless, if you did or didn’t, would you have liked to have seen it end under green?

KASEY KAHNE: I’m happy I’m right here. I mean, I don’t know. I thought it was ‘green-white-checkered’.

JAMIE McMURRAY: I’m the same way. On TV it said it must end under green. There wouldn’t have been anything left. They would have just kept wrecking.

KASEY KAHNE: In the drivers meeting they did say one attempt at a two-lap ‘green-white-checkered’. That’s what I understood. The way it ended was normal

Danica Patrick – Nationwide Racing at Daytona!
“Have at it Boys,”…..you too Danica

At 8:01:25 a.m. this (Monday) morning the (not unexpected) news release came out that Danica would be racing in the Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The majority of the media center was pretty sure after the ARCA show by Danica that the decision would be to race –for most of the media corps it seemed a matter of when the announcement would be made. The announcement was not a shocker, and everyone was glad it came first thing in the morning. Kudos to Danica, Junior Motorsports, GoDaddy and IMG for making a decision early but also for announcing it when they did. It shows strength and foresight and organization and believe me it can’t be easy for all her camps to get on the same page. Danica is in control, she knows what she wants. She had a great time racing in the ARCA race – and the fans can’t wait to see more.

Through The Field – 2010 Bud Shootout

A look at the handling of the race cars, the drivers’ perspective on the racing, and the issues that the teams had during their first race outing this season. On the first outing of the Sprint Cup cars this season we saw the largest restrictor plate since 1989, slight tweaks to the shocks, curved end plates on the wings, and new fins on the rear window and deck

Out of Control:

KEN SCHRADER, No. 82 Red Bull Toyota Camry, (finished 14th)“Everybody was just out of control. I think you can make a lot of changes on the chassis, but it’s not going to do anything because there’s nothing holding it down. It’s not on the ground, so I don’t think it’s going to make much difference. I like the cars. They are out of control and race cars aren’t supposed to be real easy to drive.”

Drivers’ Meeting Plan:

KASEY KAHNE No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion (finished 6th) “To me, my car slid around a lot, but it always turned. You can’t really push off these corners because it kills your straightaway speed, to me. So the way ours was, it slid around a lot but it was fast that way, and I thought it was some pretty exciting racing. I was on edge from the time it went green. Even in the first 25. In intros there were guys saying, Should we take it easy? Should we do this? Should we do that?’ And I felt like it was on from the time the green flag came out tonight.”

What was the issue?

KYLE BUSCH: #18 JGR (finished 4th) “I couldn’t keep the throttle down the way that I wanted. Dave (Rogers, crew chief) and I will go to work and fix it up to get it ready for the (Daytona) 500.”

Behind Jeff Gordon – bammmm

MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Finished 16th) – “You
don’t expect it because you know that you can wreck anytime at a plate
race, but you don’t really expect it. When you’re behind Jeff Gordon,
who is one of the sport’s best, and the 16 was on old tires. I don’t
know, one of them got into each other and lost it or something.”

OUCH- Another Hard Hit for Kurt

KURT BUSCH: (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger) at the care center: “Tough night for our Miller Lite Dodge. I’m not sure what really happened. I’m just making more laps in the ambulance than I am on the track (chuckles). We still have two good bullets. I thought that I was in the outside lane, crossed into the middle; I was just trying to figure out the draft with the big restrictor plate. Man, I’m making a bunch of mistakes I guess.

“Once I got hit, the hood just popped up and I couldn’t see much. I was just trying to stay out of the wall, but the momentum took us up there. All in all, I thought that I was in the high lane and I got on the high side of Mark (Martin) going through Turn 4. I don’t know if I pinched him or he wanted to come up. It’s not fun. I’m making more laps in the ambulance then I am on the track. Sorry Roger (Penske, team owner). I’ve got two burned up cars. We still have our primary (car) and a primary back up, but not a good average right now. I’m just looking for this weekend to be over and we’ll start up again next Wednesday.”

We’re in a Tight Space

JOHN ANDRETTI – No. 34 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 22nd)
– “Somebody turned the 51 and, boom, there he was right in front of
me. It happened that quick.” YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS RACE BEING
HELPFUL FOR FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FOR NEXT WEEK?
“Well, it is but this is our backup car, so now we’re in a tight
space.”

I Don’t Know What Happened – No backflip

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Scotts Ford Fusion (Finished 17th) – “I didn’t
see what happened, but they all started wrecking there. I saw Biffle
get real sideways, but I had a lot of fun. We led a bunch of laps and
it’s just too bad it ended that way. That was coming for a long time.
Guys did a really good job, everybody did, the whole day or racing
pretty clean.” WHAT DID YOU LEARN FOR NEXT WEEK? “My pit crew is
really good. That’s good.”

And It’s on to the Duels…….