V hoteli Daytona bolo oznámené, že Michael Waltrip by riadiť Toyota Racing labuť v Daytona 500 zvýšiť povedomie a podporu pre Newtown, Connecticut a Sandy Hook ZŠ. DAYTONA BEACH NA FLORIDE – Pred pár týždňami, ovládače Denny Hamlin a Kyle Busch rozplýval a o nadšení, ako boli zmeny v ich Joe Gibbs Racing team. Pridanie Matt Kenseth pre sezónu roku 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup by pridať hĺbku a skúsenosti tímu a prípadne robiť to silnejšie majstrovstvách súťažiacich. Ako povedal Kenseth na šampionáte línie (Sprint Cup titul vyhral v roku 2002) a jeho bohatstvo vedomostí by značne prispieť k Gibbs, tak efektívne, že všetky tri svoje tímy by mali byť ešte lepšie, než v minulosti. OK, Matt, teraz viete, čo sa od vás očakáva. Takže to, čo očakávate od Gibbs organizácie? Majú Busch a Hamlin dostal správny nápad? "Dúfam, že máš pravdu," Kenseth povedal na ročný NASCAR Media dňa Feb 14. "Dúfam, že ich očakávania nie sú príliš vysoké." Naozaj nemôžete chyba Busch a Hamlin, alebo ktokoľvek iný v Gibbs, ak sa cíti Kenseth budú zvyšovať latku. Wisconsin rodák súťažil vo všetkých svojich 15 rokov v Sprint Cup racing s Fenway Roush Racing. On má 24 víťazstvo kariéry a ako povedal, na šampionáte 2002. Len dvakrát v jeho kariére mu skončil mimo top 10 v poradí posledný bod. Bol to siedmy v roku 2012. Teraz si predstavte, že prichádza na tím, ktorý Hamlin a Busch, už dlho úspešným. Áno, ani vodič získal titul. Ale Hamlin Gibbs sa pripojil v roku 2006 a získal 22 preteky od. On vyhral osem krát v roku 2010 a päť v roku 2012. NASCAR CEO Brian Francúzsko Jr (centrum) bola v meste Newtown na schôdzach na podnet Sandy Hook a on a jeho manželka darovali 50.000 dolárov na príčinu. Bol mimo top 10 iba raz v jeho sedem rokov Gibbs a likvidácii šiesty v roku 2012. Potom je tu Busch. Nastúpil v roku 2008, Gibbs roka získal osem pretekov. On je už na vyhrať 16 viac. Avšak, on je len raz skončil medzi top 10. On pošmykol v minulom roku stráca miesto v prenasledovaní na poslednú chvíľu Jeff Gordon. Napriek tomu, neznamená to však trvať veľa vzdelanosti dospieť k záveru, že zdravý čísla svojich vodičov ponúkli v priebehu rokov, Gibbs má sadzbu ako titul contender. "Ja myslím, že kedykoľvek budete mať veľký tím a spoluhráči, môžete skúsiť využiť každý nástroj, ktorý máme," povedal Kenseth. "Pokúsite pracovať spoločne. Pokúsite vykonať organizácia tak dobré, ako to môže byť. Môžete skúsiť získať všetky tri autá spustiť dopredu." Ak ako to je, povedal Kenseth, potom výsledok je ponúka každý individuálne tím viac príležitostí. "Áno, dúfajme, že s vášho tímu môžete vymyslieť spôsob, ako vyhrať," povedal. "Ale je to všetko o získanie spoločnosť spustiť dobrý. Ak sa tak stane, potom to bude tak oveľa lepšie pre mňa a tak oveľa lepšie pre ostatné. "Môžeme dostať do bodu, kde všetky tri tímy tvrdia výhier a, dúfajme, že šampionát." Právo teraz, Mnohí pozorovatelia uvažujú, že šance sú dobré, to je presne to, čo sa bude diať. PRIPOMIENKY: Media deň, bolo oznámené, že NASCAR, labuť Racing a dva-merať Daytona 500 šampión Michael Waltrip by viesť osobitné hold na zvýšenie povedomia a príspevky pre Sandy Hook škola podporného fondu. Po súkromných stretnutí s mesto úradníkov, vodcov, záchranárom a obetí rodinám minulý týždeň v Newtown, Connecticut, NASCAR Swan Racing a Waltrip oznámila, že Toyota Racing Swan číslo 30 Lean1 namiesto stane No. 26 Sandy Hook škola podporu fondu Toyota na počesť 26 obetí z Sandy Hook ZŠ a znakom obtisky výzvu na akciu podpora spoločenstva NASCAR zarobiť 10 dolárov dary textových NEWTOWN na 80888. Príspevky-100 percent z nich – prospeje Sandy Hook škola podporného fondu, ktorý podporuje proces hojenia toľko Newtown občanov. Okrem jazdy Newtown auto v Daytona 500, Waltrip potvrdil, že všetky tri položky Michael Waltrip Racing spustí "text NEWTOWN na 80888" obtisky v závode. NASCAR predseda a CEO Brian Francúzsko tiež oznámila, že s manželkou Amy by osobne odštartuje priemysel NASCAR podporovať s 50.000 dolárov dar, ktorý bude zodpovedať tým NASCAR nadácie. Teraz sme všetci videli charitatívne programy v ktorom autá a vodiči sa vybrali pomôcť zohnať pomoc. V priebehu rokov došlo k ich desiatky. To je rôzne. Ako Waltrip a iní hovorili o stretnutia v meste Newtown, nikto nedokázal upozorniť na emocionálne zmeny priniesla v publiku ako oni počúvali to, čo bolo povedané. Mnohí sa usmial – a neurobil tak od hrozné Dec 14 incidentu v ktorom zahynulo 20 detí a dospelých, šesť. Tí, ktorí vykonávajú stretnutie povedal, to stalo sa jasné, že Newtown občania neboli tak moc o peniaze. Skôr, oni boli nadšení cez udalosť, ktorá by podporila ich duchovia a poskytnúť im teraz centrálnym zdrojom hrdosti. Newtown bude mať svoje vlastné auto v Daytona 500. To bude riadený dvojnásobný víťaz Daytona. To bude zdrojom jednoty, ducha a uzdravenie pre spoločenstvo. Aj keď nie jeden desetník prispelo, je spôsob, ako to bude. Myslím, že je občanom Newtown dôležitejšie než peniaze. To je to, čo odlišuje toto úsilie. Nejde o charitu, ako je starostlivosť, podporu a obnovu. V NASCAR, že nikdy to takhle predtým- a si zaslúži najvyššie uznanie. — - Pri hlasovaní to uzavreté v noci, fanúšikovia hlasovali o prvej zložky Sprint Unlimited-dĺžka závod tri segmenty – stanovená na 30 kôl, 25 kôl a 20 kôl. Prvýkrát v histórii športu 65-ročný NASCAR a Sprint oznámila minulý mesiac, že fanúšikovia by hlasovalo rozhodnúť niekoľko kľúčových súťaže prvkov v závode na Daytona, stanovená na sobotní noc v 8 pm ET. Výherné kombinácie segmentu dĺžok získaných 55 percent hlasov, zatiaľ čo možnosť 40 kôl, 20 kôl a 15 kôl skončil druhý s 23 percent. Posledné miesto bola možnosť pre 35 kôl, 30 kôl a 10 kôl s 22 percent. Hm? Bol som jeden z mnohých, ktoré cítil fanúšikovia by určite hlasovať v prospech 10-kolo "prestrelke". "Hej, myslel by existovať"prestrelke", príliš," povedal vodič Arica Almirola. Fanúšikovia stále máte čas na hlasovanie na použitie alebo nepoužitie, pit stop- a typ bude – možné vylúčenie ovládače, a naozaj, ktoré firesuit Miss Sprint Cup bude nosiť v victory lane. It was announced at Daytona that Michael Waltrip would drive a Swan Racing Toyota in the Daytona 500 to raise awareness and support for Newtown, Conn. and Sandy Hook Elementary School. DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – A couple of weeks ago, drivers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch gushed about how excited they were with a change at their Joe Gibbs Racing team. The addition of Matt Kenseth for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season would add depth and experience to the team and, possibly, make it a stronger championship contender. Both said Kenseth’s championship lineage (he won the Sprint Cup title in 2002) and his wealth of knowledge would contribute greatly to Gibbs, so effectively that all three of its teams should be even better than in the past. OK, Matt, now you know what it expected of you. So what do you expect from the Gibbs organization? Have Busch and Hamlin got the right idea? “I hope they’re right,” Kenseth said at the annual NASCAR Media Day on Feb. 14. “I hope their expectations aren’t too high.” You really can’t fault Busch and Hamlin, or anyone else at Gibbs, if they feel Kenseth will raise the bar. The Wisconsin native has competed in all of his 15 years in Sprint Cup racing with Roush Fenway Racing. He has 24 career victories and, as said, the 2002 championship. Only twice in his career has he finished out of the top 10 in the final point standings. He was seventh in 2012. Now, consider that he is coming on board a team that, with Hamlin and Busch, has long been successful. Yes, neither driver has won a title. But Hamlin joined Gibbs in 2006 and has won 22 races since. He won eight times in 2010 and five in 2012. NASCAR CEO Brian France Jr. (center) was in Newtown for meetings on the Sandy Hook initiative and he and his wife have donated $50,000 to the cause. He’s been out of the top 10 only once in his seven years with Gibbs and wound up sixth in 2012. Then there’s Busch. He joined Gibbs in 2008, the year he won eight races. He’s gone on to win 16 more. However, he’s finished among the top 10 only once. He slipped last year, losing a spot in the Chase at the last moment to Jeff Gordon. Still, it doesn’t take a whole lot of brainpower to reach the conclusion that with the healthy numbers its drivers have put up over the years, Gibbs has to rate as a title contender. “I think whenever you have a big team and teammates you try to utilize every tool you have,” Kenseth said. “You try to work together. You try to make the organization as good as it can be. You try to get all three cars to run up front.” If that is how it is, Kenseth said, then the result is it offers each individual team more opportunity. “Yes, hopefully, with your respective team you can figure out a way to win,” he said. “But it’s all about getting the company to run good. If that happens, then it will be so much the better for me and so much the better for the others. “We can get to the point where all three teams contend for the wins and, hopefully, a championship.” Right now, many observers are thinking that the odds are good that’s exactly what’s going to happen. OBSERVATIONS: At Media Day, it was announced that NASCAR, Swan Racing and two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip would conduct a special tribute to raise awareness and contributions for the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. Following a private meeting with town officials, community leaders, first responders and victims’ families last week in Newtown, Conn., NASCAR, Swan Racing and Waltrip announced that the No. 30 Lean1 Swan Racing Toyota will instead become the No. 26 Sandy Hook School Support Fund Toyota to honor the 26 victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School and prominently feature a call-to-action decal encouraging the NASCAR community to make $10 donations by texting NEWTOWN to 80888. The contributions – 100 percent of them – will benefit the Sandy Hook School Support Fund, which supports the healing process for so many Newtown citizens. In addition to driving the Newtown car in the Daytona 500, Waltrip confirmed that all three Michael Waltrip Racing entries will run the “text NEWTOWN to 80888” decal in the race. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France also announced that he and his wife Amy would personally kick off the NASCAR industry support with a $50,000 donation that will be matched by The NASCAR Foundation. Now, we all have seen charity programs in which cars and drivers have been selected to help drum up support. Over the years there have been scores of them. This is different. As Waltrip and others spoke about the meeting in Newtown, none failed to note the emotional change it brought about in the audience as they listened to what was said. Many smiled – and they hadn’t done so since the terrible Dec. 14 incident in which 20 children and six adults perished. Those who conducted the meeting said it became abundantly clear that the Newtown citizens were not so much concerned with money. Rather, they were excited over an event that would bolster their spirits and provide them with a central source of pride. Newtown will have its own car in the Daytona 500. It will be driven by a two-time Daytona winner. It will be a source of unity, spirit and healing for the community. Even if not a single dime is contributed, that’s the way it will be. I think that is more important to the citizens of Newtown than money. This is what makes this effort different. It’s not about charity as much as it is caring, support and renewal. In NASCAR, it’s never been done like this before – and is worthy of the highest commendation. —- In voting that closed last night, fans voted on the first component of The Sprint Unlimited – the length of the race’s three segments – to be set at 30 laps, 25 laps and 20 laps. For the first time in the sport’s 65-year history, NASCAR and Sprint announced last month that fans would vote to decide several key competition elements in the race at Daytona, set for Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET. The winning combination for the segment lengths received 55 percent of the votes, while the option for 40 laps, 20 laps and 15 laps finished second with 23 percent. In last place was the option for 35 laps, 30 laps and 10 laps with 22 percent. Huh? I was one of many that felt fans would surely vote in favor of a 10-lap “shootout.” “Hey, I thought there would be a ‘shootout,’ too,” said driver Aric Almirola. Fans still have time to vote on the use, or non-use, of a pit stop – and the type it will be – the possible elimination of drivers and, by golly, which firesuit Miss Sprint Cup will wear in victory lane.