Speed51.com's "The Big 10"

Our Take on the Week That Was in Short Track Racing

by Speed51.com Staff

Danica and Friends?

Are there any other drivers besides Danica Patrick entered in Saturday's ARCA Series race at Daytona?  We're just wondering since it seems that Danica-watch is the only storyline for the race that seems to be talked about by anyone these days.

Doin' It On Dirt

Although tonight is the first night of racing at New Smyrna Speedway during Florida Speedweeks, there has already been a full week's worth of racing on the dirt tracks of Volusia Speedway Park and East Bay Raceway.  To keep up with everything that is happening down in the Sunshine state on dirt, check out our friends at DirtonDirt.com and DirtTrackDigest.com

Missing in Action

One notable absence, for the second year in a row, at New Smyrna's World Series will be the #29 Super Late Model of Maine's Cushman Competition team.  We've seen Ted Christopher beat up on the field in that car before and also recall seeing Louie Mechalides and Trevor Sanborn run strong in it as well.  Team owner Jay Cushman was a spectator at New Smyrna last February and it looks like it will be the same deal this year.  We're hoping he puts a deal together to return in 2011.

Highway Robbery

Given the popularity of the History Channel's Madhouse program, you might think that DVDs of the show would be a highly marketable item.  Well, they are…but we have to wonder if they might sell better if they were priced lower than $24.95 per 60-minute episode.  It will be cheaper to just buy a ticket for a show at Bowman-Gray Stadium this year than to buy a DVD of the action that took place there last year.

Go Go Gugu!

“Best Racing Name” is a category that has been in previous editions of the 51 Awards, but isn't on the roster this year.  We might have a winner anyway.  Gugu Zulu finished just outside of the top ten in the recent Free State 500 ASA race in South Africa.  Considering how that name just rolls off the tongue, and given the fact that it is a quite memorable and marketable one, we think that it could just be the coolest racing name of the year.

Driver or Team?  Both!

Fadden Racing has won two championships in what is now known as the K&N Pro East Series.  Joey Logano is one-for-one in championships in that series and is a previous winner of the NASCAR All-Star Showdown.  What happens when a great team and a great driver join forces for one race?  Well, they win…which is just what happened when Logano drove the Fadden Racing #25 to victory lane in Saturday night's Showdown.

Driver or Team?  Part Two

Richard Moody Racing has won oodles of PASS Super Late Model races and a few titles with Ben Rowe in the driver's seat.  Brad Leighton has won plenty of races and championships as well in ACT and what is now known as the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series.  RMR and Leighton got together for the first time this weekend in the PASS WinterFest 150 at New Smyrna.  They won.  In news welcomed by many of their competitors, the duo only plans to run a partial schedule of SLM races this year.

The Real Bad Brad

In winning the PASS South WinterFest, Brad Leighton joins Dale Shaw as the only drivers that we can think of who have won in what was the Busch North Series along with the ACT Late Model Tour and PASS Super Late Models.  Guys like Ben Rowe, Dave Dion, Mike Rowe, Joe Bessey, Kelly Moore and others have won on two of the three tours but only a couple have truly conquered all of the three big Northeastern-flavored fendered series.  That radio guy on “Madhouse” might call himself “Bad Brad”, but we think that Leighton fits the nickname much better.  There's even an Irving billboard near New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Leighton's mug on it and the words "Big Bad Brad".

Madhouse Musings - Turds and More

You can say what you will about reality television, but it is great for some strong one-liners.  One of the main storylines of The History Channel's Madhouse program is the rivalry between the Myers Brothers and Junior Miller at Bowman Gray Stadium and that's brought about some good ones.  When Jason Myers said that he felt a little sorry for Junior Miller, Burt Myers asked if he also felt bad for a turd before he flushed it.  Then, Miller commented that Jason Myers might have been cranky one night because his family put the wrong nipple on his baby bottle.  Good stuff.

Kickin' Ass

In today's age of sponsorship and corporate influence over racing, most drivers are somewhat politically correct in their interviews.  But Dirt Late Model legend Scott Bloomquist didn't get the memo.  After dominating Tuesday night's Lucas Oil LM feature at East Bay, Bloomquist referred to the race as a “Tennessee Ass-Kicking” in a track press release.  Jimmie Johnson he isn't and we thank God for that!