Just in case you were cruising the web looking for a few TV telecast dates, here’s some info from NBC on the 2012 Super Bowl TV schedule and (like totally related… or not) NASCAR’s Daytona 500 telecast date:
SPECIAL SUPER BOWL EDITION OF “NFL TURNING POINT” AIRS THURSDAY AT 10 P.M. ET ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK
Final Episode examines Turning Point of the season for Giants and Patriots and Turning Points that shaped season for other teams
Bill Belichick and Eli Manning also featured in Final Episode
Dan Patrick, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison to Conclude Program with Super Bowl XLVI Quarterback Analysis
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On NBC (All Times are Eastern):
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.: ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL (live)
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During Speed Weeks at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR prepares for the 2011 Daytona 500. In the meantime, the repaving of the venerable restrictor plate track took place in the off-season and this new flat surface, along with the new configurations of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars has made for a very fast track and twitchy drafting issues.
Looking towards the 2011 Daytona 500, there are a lot of contributing factors to the new speeds and what would seem to be a very jumpy draft equation. One being that the splitters have been covered prior to the season so that grass plowing doesn’t take out a front end. But when Kasey Kahne hit 206 mph in the draft, NASCAR stepped in to slow the cars down.
To slow the car packs down, NASCAR stepped in and added coolant release valves to the engines set at 33 PSI so they can’t draft for too long a period of time. That and they reduced the restrictor plate opening.
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On Wednesday, NASCAR announced the reduction of the size of the restrictor plate opening in their NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
The reduction was prompted when they saw speeds of up to 206 mph during the Budweiser Shootout.
The move will reduce effective horsepower by 10.
They’ve also added another measure to help reduce the speeds… by mandating the addition of an external pressure-relief valve near the top of the water overflow tank, with the PSI set to 33 PSI.
What this will effectively do is actually force the drivers to get out of a draft in a few laps, limiting the length of time two-car drafts can run.
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Here’s one for the conspirators: During practice on Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway, in preparation for the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended up running into Jimmie Johnson and got himself sideways. While sideways, Martin Truex Jr., following behind, smacked into Dale Jr., sending him into the inside wall. This wrecked Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s primary car.
The back-up car will be Dale Jr.’s third car. He used up another car practicing for the Budweiser Shootout!
Because he won’t be able to start the race in the car he qualified in, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have to start at the back of the pack in both the Gatorade Duel he’ll compete in on Thursday and in the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
The team has started getting to work on the car he wrecked practicing for the Shootout, making that his back-up car.
If there’s anything you know about Jr., he tends to race better in wrecked cars. Now that he’s wrinkled up two of them, if he crumples this third car, he may very well be a force to be reckoned with. If he actually pulls off a win on Sunday, the Dale Jr conspirators will have a hilarious field day with this one.
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During the Budweiser Shootout, on the last lap Denny Hamlin dodged below Ryan Newman to pass him for the win. But that move took him below the yellow line and while crossing the yellow line, Hamlin passed Newman.
I can’t tell you if his pass took place before or after the entire car or two tires were below the yellow line but NASCAR said it was an infraction and awarded the win to Kurt Busch.
During that move, I held my breath. Was Newman going to try and block Hamlin? Will Hamlin fight for his spot above the line? Will Newman go flying? Will this be the first controversy of the season?
I guess it doesn’t matter, people have made it that.
Prior to 2008, the garage had the perception that if you can see the checkered flag, all’s fair. This came about from a Johnny Benson pass of Travis Kvapil in the truck series in 2007.
In 2008 we were shown that the last 1/2 lap of the race is not a free-for-all in regards to that rule when Regan Smith ducked below the yellow line to beat Tony Stewart.
To be honest, if I recall correctly, Stewart blocked low and Smith ducked to dodge wrecking Stewart. For his chivalrous move of not wrecking Stewart, Smith was penalized for the move and put in the last position on the lead lap and Tony Stewart took the win.
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This weekend we started to get our dose of NASCAR action. First up was the 2011 Budweiser Shootout which is a non-points event. Then today, (Sunday 2/13) individual qualifying runs were attempted for the 2011 Daytona 500. Today’s qualifying runs were only to set the front 2 spots in the race, the front row.
The front row for the 2011 Daytona 500 will be hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the pole and Jeff Gordon in the outside front row spot (#2). It’s a Hendrick Motorsports front row.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the top spot from Jeff Gordon in his run, you can tell where the loyalty of the majority of the fans in attendance lie. The entire place lit up with cheers as Dale Jr. eclipsed Jeff Gordon’s time and retained it for the rest of the day.
The Saturday night event, the Budweiser Shootout, provided a potential preview of what’s to come next weekend as cars can go three-wide a bit more safely on the resurfaced track, but now the cars, due to the nature of the new surface, have been tracking speeds around 10+ mph faster than usual.
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Budweiser Shootout
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After all the rule changes and such regarding eligibility for entry into NASCAR’s Budweiser Shootout for 2011, we finally have a list of drivers that survived the new qualifications.
The Qualifications for the Shootout:
- The 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers
- Past Cup Series champs
- Past Budweiser Shootout champs
- Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 champs
- Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year drivers from 2001-2010
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After all that was said and done and the field filtered through, we have our 30 drivers. After looking through this list despite the respect paid to past achievements, in the real world it does not matter what you have done… no matter how significant. It’s more about what you are doing right now. With that in mind, I think there are a few drivers that just don’t belong in this field, and I don’t mean any disrespect to them. What I do recognize is a complement of drivers that will, or could, draw in fans that range from new fans to older fans of the sport.
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Budweiser Shootout Rules
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A few days back NASCAR announced a new adjustment to the line-up eligibility for the non-points race, the Budweiser Shootout. Now, previous Cup Rookies of the Year from the 2001 to 2010 Cup seasons are able to compete in the Budweiser Shootout.
It seems, NASCAR is trying to fill up the Budweiser Shootout so that, (my guess only) the field has more contenders and can be more of a draw for fans. Core NASCAR fans will always participate in watching but I think they needed to add more drivers to pull in other fans too. Make it more interesting.
With this new eligibility rule, it can be added to the following list:
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Dave Moody on SIRIUS just reported that his sources say that Kenny Schrader is coming back for a 1-up race in the 2010 Budweiser Shootout.
He’ll be doing it in the No. 82 Red Bull Toyota! Now, we get to see Kenny in good equipment!
Folks, Red Bull just made a serious fan out of me for that move. That’s awesome.
News is also that Bill Elliott will be driving the No. 6 UPS car in the race also!
I’m starting to like those rule changes for the Budweiser Shootout they’ve instituted. 
In past years, the NASCAR Budweiser Shootout had specific requirements to get into the race. Only pole-winners from the previous season, then former Shootout winners and Cup champs were later added to the requirements to get some more drivers in the race. I mean come on, there was one year that Ryan Newman might have been the only car in the race, the way he was qaulifying!!! (LOL)
The old rules meant a few things: Not everyone’s favorite driver could be in the race or some of the more popular “name” drivers wouldn’t be in the race, period.
As far as the marketing of a sport goes, that’s not the healthiest business practice. But it was a practice adhered to via stead-fast focus to tradition.
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