ARCA RE/MAX Slick Mist 200 Comes Up Sixes (Danica Update)
ARCA RE/Max Series veteran Bobby Gerhart won his sixth ARCA event at Daytona followed by Mark Thompson, John Wes Townley, pole winner James Buescher and Patrick Sheltra.
But Gerhart’s sixth Daytona win wasn’t the story, The Story was Danica Patrick’s sixth place finish.
Starting from the twelfth position she remained in the top ten despite numerous yellow flags, two of which were for race cars tumbling down the race track.
Truth be known it wasn’t until F1 exile Nelson Piquet ran her into the grass on lap 54 creating a spin, and remarkable save to keep the GoDaddy car off the wall, that she may have won over a couple fans.
The spin and subsequent pitstop sent her to the back of the field with less than 25 laps to the checkered flag.
From that point she quickly drove through the field as far as fifth with 5 to go, then inexperience took over.
The 10 car pack was single file when she took her JR Motorsports Impala to the outside lane, alone.
Big mistake. The move shuffled her back to tenth, however she recovered enough to drive the car back up to sixth at the checkered flag.
Rick Hendrick told her over the radio, “You drove the wheels off that thing, girl. We’re proud of you.”
Post race Danica said she had fun but wouldn’t commit to Nationwide race. Crew Chief Tony Eury Jr said he was pleased with the effort and added, he would call her Sunday.
Presumably that discussion will be about whether she would make a start in the NNS event next weekend.
Stay tuned for an announcement either way on Monday.
UPDATE: JR Motorsports’ general manager Kelley Earnhardt on the decision for Danica to debut in Daytona’s NNS event: “It’s totally her decision,” Earnhardt said. “I don’t know if one race is gonna put it in the bucket for her so she’s going to have to think about that. She probably, right now, would be like ‘Hell yes, let’s go’ because she’s beaming with excitement. But take the night to think about it.”
Crew Chief Tony Eury Jr: “We’ll just keep talking and she’ll keep asking questions [but] tonight is the most homework she could do, you know what I’m saying whether, as far as getting ready for a [Nationwide] race or California,” Eury Jr. said. “If she decides she wants to come next week that would be great, if she don’t that’s great, we’ll go to California and have a good time. I’m just glad to be around her and it’s cool.
“I learned a lot and I had so much fun in a racecar today,” Patrick said. “So I can’t wait to do it again.”
Judging from the crowd reaction during her spin and recovery after Piquet punted her into the grass I’m thinking the fans would love to see her next week.
It’s interesting to note a record six women started the ARCA race, yet the one with the least experience, Patrick, led the way at the end.
Jennifer Jo Cobb was the only other female to finish on the lead lap ending the day in 17th. It was expected veteran Alli Owens would contend for the win, she did run up front all day, but was two laps down in 23rd after spinning in someone’s oil.
Milka Duno and Leilani Munter were collected in a lap seven accident but the worst shunt of the day was that of Later Model/WoO star Jill George.
George made hard contact in the No. 48 Radon.com Dodge on lap 27 that damaged the SAFER Barrier and created a 21 minute Red Flag.
ARCA Racing Series teams will test at Palm Beach Int’l Raceway in Jupiter, Florida on Monday in preparation for the February 27 Tire Kingdom 150, the second of 20 events on the 2010 series schedule and the first of two road course races this year.
Exit question: How the hell does Nick Igdalsky get named RE/MAX Rookie of the Race when finishing 20th a lap down?
UPDATE II: The JR Motorsports brain-trust held a pow wow Monday where it was decided Danica would make her NNS debut at Daytona Saturday in the series’ opening DRIVE4COPD 300.
“Racing in the Nationwide Series race was my goal during this entire two-month preparation process, but we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do,” Patrick said in a statement. “The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing.”
Patrick is guaranteed a starting position in the Nationwide race due to JRM’s acquisition of owner points from CJM Racing’s No.11 team, which finished 15th in points last season.
She will compete in the first three Nationwide races this season — Daytona, California and Las Vegas - before taking a four-month break in the series due to her full-time IndyCar schedule.
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So the big question of the day is: Was Nelsinho under team orders to take out Danistar? The move looked highly suspect from my couch. Yeah, I know, another rookie not listening to his spotter.
How soon before the anti-Danica nut-jobs start jabbering away with their NASCAR conspiracy theories as to why she did so well?
From what I’ve seen the anti’s haven’t latched onto that flawed line of reasoning, they’ve gone further over the edge.
On three different forums/blogs I’ve seen suggestions she had an illegally large engine, no proof is offered of course, just stupid assertions.
I’ve come to the conclusion Danica is the Sarah Palin of auto racing, and BTW that’s not an original thought.
For the media’s part, they hardly help the situation. I saw one headline, “Danica Looks Like She Belongs, that is total nonsense and only serves to feed the idiots with every mistake she makes.
Well I’ve been one of her detractors in the IRL, & with good reason. However, in this outing she proved she could mix it competitively. My guess is that she will need plenty of practice before stepping up the NASCAR ladder of Nationwide & Sprint. Let’s see how she goes.
As for the Sarah Palin comparison .The only comparison between the two is that they are both promoting themselves as a brand. To be fair, racing is all about the laws of physics, you can’t really push an ill informed or poorly constructed ideology on a race track, that thing called the wall is a reality you can’t just ignore or sidestep. There is a huge void between having fans & a populist “fan club” looking for someone, or something, to blame…………& sadly in some cases, to hate.
BTW, is it too soon to start a Piquet conspiracy.
Re; Piquet conspiracy, I already started, see comment one above.
George, how come you & I get little, grotesque avatars next to our names & Marc gets an image of a hot dog?
Serious questions, on serious topics and you wanna whine about “grotesque avatars.”
For the record I get a hot dog because I am one, ’nuff said.
As for you two, the FT complaint dept is closed for renovation. Suck it up and move along.
If I knew what an “Avatar” was I would have complained! (I thought it was a new movie??) But compared to what I really look like it’s an upgrade!
“…. the FT complaint dept is closed for renovation”
There IS a complaint dept???
Sure Peter, there is and has been a complaint dept.
That said doubt you can gain entrance, a secret decoder ring is required and may only be obtained by purchasing specially marked tins of Vegemite.
Sorry, but I do offer consolation prizes for people such as yourself.
A prize of FT’s STUPID, NONSENSICAL article of the day.
“V8 Supercars team eyeing F1 ace for Gold Coast”
Someone needs to put down the Magic Mushrooms.
Ridiculous, Vodafone be damned,McLaren are not going to allow it, & Roland cound not afford it if it were on the cards.
What, you don’t think Lewis can cut it on the Gold Coast?
Snark aside, pretty stupid suggetion I’d say, smoking some whacky tobaccy I think.
You guys are too funny.
I guess there will always be conspiracy theory where ever you go. Everyone said that Nascar set it up so JR could win the Pepsi 400 the year that Dale SR was killed. I really don’t think Nelson Piquet took Danica out on team orders.
The over exposure that Danica is getting is quite old I must say, but like they say news sells and she is big news right now.
I hope she does well in Saturdays race.
Bob, George and Peter are long time, really long time commenters here. As such we are comfortable enough with each other to let loose so to speak.
Don’t take it too seriously, we all go off on wild tangents on occasion.