GOOD FOR THE BUSINESS OF NASCAR: No. 24 atop the scoreboard.PLEASE CHECK BACK HERE MONDAY, MARCH 7, TO READ ABOUT AND SEE MY THRILL RIDE WITH TREVOR BAYNE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY.
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Since I wrote 18 stories last week on NASCAR at Phoenix International Raceway -- 13 for the Arizona Republic and five for National Speed Sport News -- I'm going to invite you to check out those writings.
Below are links to what was in the Republic, found at http://azcentral.com/ .
* Tuesday: Review of NASCAR off-season changes --http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/21/20110221get-up-speed-nascars-many-changes.html
* Wednesday notebook: Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/22/20110222nascar-joey-logano-adjusting-sprint-cup-series.html
* Thursday: Dale Earnhardt Jr. --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/23/20110223rick-hendrick-tries-help-dale-earnhardt-jr-end-woes.html
* Thursday notebook: Travis Pastrana and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/23/20110223travis-pastrana-set-2nd-stock-car-start.html
* Friday notebook: PIR sells out grandstands and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/24/20110224phoenix-international-raceway-grandstand-seats-sold-out.html
* Friday: Drivers remember an old friend --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/24/20110224phoenix-international-raceway-prepares-repaving.html
* Saturday notebook: Danica, Trevor Bayne and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/25/20110225nascar-pir-danica-patrick-nationwide.html
* Saturday: Kyle Busch wins Truck race --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/25/20110225nascar-pir-kyle-busch-wins-trucks.html
* Sunday: Kyle Busch wins Nationwide race --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/26/20110226nascar-pir-kyle-busch-nationwide-win.html
* Sunday: Kyle Busch Q&A --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/26/20110226qa-nascar-driver-kyle-busch.html
* Monday: Accidents eliminate top drivers --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/27/20110227nascar-pir-accidents-sprint-cup.html
* Monday notebook: Why Busch left Hendrick, Danica, and more --
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/speed/articles/2011/02/27/20110227nascar-pir-kyle-busch-sweep-ends-sprint-cup.html
Please go to http://nationalspeedsportnews.com/ for my Speed Sport stuff, including a column on the state of racing in Arizona. Or check out this week's paper. By the way, this is my 40th consecutive year as a NSSN subscriber.
Thank you!
PIT STOPS: Trevor Bayne's Daytona 500 victory played well with America's obsessions with youth, surprise and an upset result. The ABC and NBC nightly newscasts had features the following night . . . Over at PTI, the co-hosts -- SURPRISE! -- thought the NBA's gimmick dunk contest and exhibition All-Star game were a higher priority than a legitimate sports event. When they got to Daytona, intellectually lazy Tony Kornheiser twice called it "Sprint Car." Shame on NASCAR "partner" ESPN. The show's title really should be: Pardon The Interruption IF We Talk About Anything Other Than Basketball . . . It's one of the oldest ethical considerations in sports journalism: No Cheering in the Press Box. Too bad it wasn't honored when the checkered flag waved at Daytona . . . We'll see: ESPN will have The Poynter Institute serve as its Ombudsman function for the next 18 months. One place for P to start would be the disastrous Daytona Nationwide race presentation. Still waiting on Speed to understand it needs an O. Apparently the added "journalism" to its new Speed Center is for host Adam Alexander to pace around the studio -- with his hand hanging out of his pocket . . . Man, does ESPN have problems when it comes to racing. On ESPN Radio Sunday morning, host John Kincade asked a caller, "Who do you think will win the Indy 500 TODAY?"
[ more next Monday . . . ]
