Long Wait Over - Daytona

Since the checkered flag waved at Homestead-Miami and Brad Keselowski was crowned 2012 Champion, fans have been anxiously awaiting the start of the 2013 season.  The cold winter months have left NASCAR die-hards chomping at the bit for the sun and fun of Daytona and the beginning of the new season. 

A lot happened in the off-season, especially for new Dad, Denny Hamlin.  There is a new focus to his life as of late and for good reason. His beautiful daughter, Taylor James, was born on January 20th.  Her full head of dark hair, full lips and precious smile have melted Daddy's heart and caused him to fall head-over-heels in love with his tiny angel.  But this latest, tiny edition to the Hamlin family hasn't dampened the fire in the #11 Toyota's belly to win races and get that Championship.  He is still a racer at heart, who just so happens to have added the title of Dad to his impressive resume.

The first race at Daytona was the Sprint Unlimited. The new format for the season-opener that awards 2012 pole sitters and previous Unlimited winners with a non-points event, was unique and Hamlin started 5th.    Things didn't go as planned for the #11 FedEx Toyota, as Hamlin was involved in a crash and finished 15th.  Not exactly the way the team wanted to start the season, but lesson learned.

Or was it?  Denny went out to qualify for the Great American Race 24th and logged the 7th fastest time, behind pole-sitter Danica Patrick.  His time gave him a 4th place starting spot for the first Budweiser Duel.  And the inevitable happened when yet again he was caught up in someone else's mess and finished 20th in his Duel.  Not exactly where the Virginia native wanted to finish.  It put the FedEx Toyota 33rd in the lineup for the Daytona 500.  This race fan was hopeful that the old adage "it doesn't matter where you start, it only matters where you finish" would hold true.

There was plenty of sheet metal getting tangled up during the Daytona 500 but luckily Denny avoided the catastrophes.  His teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, as well as fellow Toyota driver, Martin Truex Jr, suffered engine failures, leaving doubts in the minds of the Joe Gibbs Racing crewmembers about the powerhouse under the hood of Hamlin's ride. 

It was an impressive race for Denny, leading 33 laps and finishing 14th with all the fenders on his machine.  He lead the second-most laps and is 13th after the first race is complete.  Given the difficulties of his fellow Toyota teammates and a field that was unable to make a move seemingly throughout the entire race, it's a pretty good start to the season.

The Joe Gibbs Racing #11 team heads to Phoenix for race #2 of the season with plenty to be proud of.  Any time you finish at Daytona on the lead lap without cosmetic damage it's a good day. 

Wheels up....Phoenix, AZ here we come!

SPEED Ready for Start of 2013 Season

SPEED is prepared to broadcast 11 days of programming, nearly 100 hours of coverage, live from Daytona International Speedway, in preparation for the 55th running of the Daytona 500.

It all kicks off February 14th at 6 PM with a special 2 hour edition of NASCAR Race Hub from Media Day.

The fan voted-upon format for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona (formerly the Budweiser Shootout) will be revealed on Feb. 14th on Hub.

A total of 25 SPEED on-air personalities present 2 weeks of on-track action to viewers beginning when Cup Series cars fire up Feb. 15 for the first The Sprint Ultimate practice session, carried live on SPEED at 5PM/et.

NASCAR Race Hub returns to deliver all the days' happenings Feb. 18-20 at 6 PM/et, with Danielle Trotta hosting from the SPEED studios and Steve Byrnes and Ray Dunlap on-site at Daytona.

SPEED is live from the Budweiser Duel at Daytona on Thursday Feb. 21 at 2PM/et as drivers battle for the final spots on the Daytona 500 starting grid.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens its season under the lights Feb. 22 at 7 PM/et with NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda setting the stage for the green flag at 7:30 PM/et.

Rick Allen hosts with Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons providing analysis and Ray Dunlap, Hermie Sadler, and Bob Dillner reporting from the pits.

NASCAR Race Day Fueled by Sunoco returns for 3 pre-race editions from Daytona with John Roberts hosting.  Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace, Larry McReynolds and Matt Clark provide analysis and Wendy Venturini and Rutledge Wood will be reporting from the garage.

NASCAR Race Day offers pre-race coverage of the Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel at Daytona and an expanded 3 hour show Feb 24 (9am- Noon/et) leading into FOX Sports live coverage of the 55th running of the Daytona 500.

TRACKSIDE, the network's longest running NASCAR program returns Feb 22 at 5:30 PM/et for a live 30 minute edition hosted by Krista Voda, Kyle Petty, Rutledge Wood and Kaitlyn Vincie.  The gang hangs around the next day for another 1 hour edition at 4:30 PM/et.

Live coverage of Cup and Truck series practice and qualifying sessions, as well as up-to-the-minute updates from NASCAR Live! round out the schedule.

Wind Tunnel has Dave Despain hopping back in his chair for an 11th season Feb 24 at 8 PM/et live.

NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED's Cup Series post-race show, rolls into the famed Victory Lane at Daytona Feb 21 and Feb 24 at 5:30 PM/et live with hosts John Roberts, Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace and garage reporting by Bob Dillner.

What's So Unusual About Dominance?

In the above picture you see the amazing TEAM of Joe Gibbs Racing that is responsible for winning Joe Gibbs Racing the 2008 Owner's Championship for the No. 20 Toyota. JGR Teammates Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were selected to drive the season dominating car for the races they were best suited to and did it ever pay off. Big time.

Rookie phenom Joey Logano was being kept in the wings to become the heir apparent to the ride that would eventually be his. There was just one small problem. Sliced Bread wasn't old enough to pilot the No. 20 until May 24th. So the veteran drivers of team the entire Nationwide garage has chased all season long stepped up in a big way for their team.

It's been slated that JGR's approach to its Owners Championship is unusual. Wow, jealousy makes people say crazy things. Excuses and reasons are a dime a dozen but this one is certainly the most colorful I've ever heard. So, the fact that all 4 drivers in a stable were able to climb behind the wheel of the same car and get the same stellar results is odd. Interesting philosophy.

Perhaps the fact that even after the suspension of crew chief Dave Rogers, the team didn't slow down one bit makes it an even more bitter pill to swallow. The entire team stepped up to the plate and showed its qualifications. While the No. 18 car of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch was the more dominant of the JGR cars after the addition of Logano, the consistency never waivered.

Seeing 4 drivers that get along, look out for one another and strive to bring out the best in each other is definitely something unusual in today's fiercely competitive racing. But it only showcases the caliber man that Joe and JD Gibbs put behind the wheel of their cars. Anyone can hire a race car driver. But when an owner hires a man to do the job, the results are incredible.

Just ask the guys shaking their heads trying to figure out what happened this season. There is such a thing as teammates. There is such a thing as being a gentleman and the drivers of JGR are the finest caliber gentlemen ever to hit the sport of auto racing. There isn't a more deserving group of guys than the ones that earned this trophy.

I've watched Denny Hamlin mentor Joey Logano in a way that leaves me in awe. Joey's first race, Denny was talking to Logano on the radio and his encouragement was breath taking. The entire team is there for each other in the same way and it's refreshing. There is no competition. The other drivers need to take notice and see how it's done.

After winning the pole for the Nationwide series race at Phoenix, Denny Hamlin was more concerned about teammate Joey Logano than he was about himself. That's just Denny but it's also the entire JGR team. Always looking out for each other and doing whatever it takes to help their friend shine if they can't.

In this day and age of fierce competition and struggles to find sponsorship for up and coming superstars, Joe Gibbs Racing and it's champion drivers prove that it truly is a team effort to be successful. It wasn't just one driver. While Kyle Busch has the majority of the wins, he didn't capture them all and he is fully aware of the efforts of his fellow drivers. Perhaps if more teams built their organizations the same way Joe and JD Gibbs have with the caliber of man behind the wheel that they possess the sport would not only be better off, it would be spectacular.