Friday the 13th could bring many twists of fate (Busch Series - Funai 250)
#1
05-13-2005, 06:54 PM
Friday the 13th could bring many twists of fate (Busch Series - Funai 250)
The Funai 250 will be broadcast by FX and MRN at 7:30 p.m. ET. TONIGHT
Kevin Harvick had a late-night scare recently at Talladega. Credit: Autostock
Friday the 13th could bring many twists of fate
From Team Release
May 13, 2005
10:55 AM EDT (14:55 GMT)
WELCOME, N.C. -- What happens when you combine Friday the 13th and stock car racing? The Busch Series is about to find out at Richmond International Raceway.
Kevin Harvick, who will drive the Twizzlers Twizted Chevrolet in Friday night's race, asked his friends at Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc. to reveal their most twisted racing stories to give us an idea of what twisted events could occur Friday night.
Jeff Burton
Brandon Miller and Jeff Burton have both experienced lights out racing during their careers.
"It was about four years ago and I was driving in a Late Model race in California, Miller said. "I was on the inside of another car getting ready to pass it, and all of a sudden all the lights went out. It was really weird. I couldn't see anything. The track was completely pitch black. I slammed on my brakes hoping not to hit anyone.
"Once the lights came back on I looked around and realized that everyone was able to get stopped without hitting anyone. That was the craziest thing that has ever happened to me since I have been racing."
Burton's dark experience had a mind-twisting affect on a fellow driver.
"I was racing one night back in 1986 or '87 in the Late Model division at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.," Burton said. "We were in the middle of the race when the lights went out. It was pitch black.
"When the lights came back on, a young rookie driver got out of his car and walked over to the ambulance because he thought he had blacked out. True story."
While Harvick's story does not involve the track going dark in the middle of a race, his story happened in the middle of the night while attempting to avoid a twister.
"The craziest thing I can think of that happened to me while I was at a track was a few weeks ago in Talladega," Harvick said. "It was about three or four in the morning, and I was asleep in my motorcoach. All of a sudden, this really loud alarm started going off. At first, I really wasn't sure what the alarm was for and then I heard this voice telling us to seek shelter.
"I finally realized it was a tornado alarm, and we needed to find a place to go. DeLana and I got dressed, but then realized we didn't know where to go. We just stayed in the motorcoach and waited for the storm to pass. Thank the Lord a tornado didn't come because we were sitting ducks."
Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama has stymied many drivers, whose cars became twisted as the result of numerous accidents. Clint Bowyer suffered that fate in April.
"The Talladega race has got to be the most twisted race I have ever been involved with," Bowyer said. "I have never had an opportunity to make up that many points so easily when all you had to do was finish. It was very disappointing that we couldn't do that. I have never been in that kind of situation and not capitalized on it. It was just crazy.
"I wrecked three times and I have never wrecked that many times in one race either. That was pretty much three strikes and you are out. We went back out to get our fourth one, but NASCAR pulled us in. That race was just a nightmare."
Tornadoes were the least of Tony Raines' worries on an August day in Canada. Another type of weather event interrupted his race.
"I was racing in an ASA race in Canada a while back," Raines said. "It was early August and I would say it was about 70 degrees or so when the race started. The race was slated for 500 laps, but at lap 300 the race was canceled because of snow. That was the first and only time I have ever had a race canceled in August because of snow."
Dave Blaney
Everyone has seen Carl Edwards twist and turn off the top of his car after a victory, but Dave Blaney saw a horrible accident in which a driver flew out of his window after an accident and walked away unhurt.
"I was sitting in my sprint car waiting to get in a practice session at the track in Butler, Mich., back in the mid-1980s," Blaney said. "Another group of drivers was already on the track at the time when two cars got together and crashed on the front straightaway. All of a sudden, one of the guys flew out of his car and landed on the dirt track pretty hard.
"I couldn't tell but it looked like the other car ran him over, though it turns out it didn't. The driver then shocked everyone when he stood up and walked back into the pits like nothing had happened."
The odds are against any of those events occurring Friday night in Richmond, but it is Friday the 13th. Something twisted is bound to happen at the track. Harvick and Bowyer are the only two of our storytellers competing, while the others will wait and watch to see the action unfold.
The Funai 250 will be broadcast by FX and MRN at 7:30 p.m. ET.
----------------------------------------------------------
Qualifying Order
Funai 250 | Richmond International Raceway
May 13, 2005| Race 12 of 35
Order Car Driver Make Sponsor
1 143 Aaron Fike Ford Kleenex/Cottonelle
2 25 Ashton Lewis Ford U.S. Marines
3 11 Paul Menard Chevrolet Menards/Pittsburgh Paints
4 4 Jeff Green Dodge GEICO
5 157 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Lowe's/Spectracide TripleStrike
6 22 Kenny Wallace Ford Stacker 2
7 90 Elliott Sadler Ford CITI Financial
8 27 David Green Ford Kleenex/Dollar Tree Stores
9 6 Paul Wolfe* Dodge Lipton Tea
10 33 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash
11 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Waste Management
12 28 Derrike Cope Ford HoodiaChoice.com
13 31 Dave Blaney Chevrolet Whelen Engineering
14 14 David Stremme Dodge Navy "Accelerate Your Life"
15 59 Stacy Compton Ford Kingsford/Bush's/Ukrops
16 0 Kertus Davis* Chevrolet RaceGirl
17 52 Eric McClure Ford Means Racing
18 5 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's/Shop-Vac
19 35 Jason Keller Ford McDonald's
20 1 Johnny Sauter Dodge Yellow Transportation
21 49 Steve Grissom Ford Advil Liqui-Gels
22 20 Denny Hamlin* Chevrolet Rockwell Automation
23 64 Jamie McMurray Dodge Top-Flite Long & Soft Distance
24 40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Cottman Transmission
25 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Vigoro/The Home Depot
26 58 Brent Sherman* Dodge Hickory Farms/Serta
27 10 Michel Jourdain Jr.* Ford ppc Racing
28 38 Tyler Walker* Dodge Great Clips
29 47 Jon Wood* Ford Clorox/Wisk/Farm Fresh
30 34 Randy LaJoie Chevrolet Dollar General
31 36 Stanton Barrett Pontiac DCT Motorsports
32 99 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet State Fair Corn Dogs
33 32 Shane Hmiel Chevrolet Win Fuel
34 60 Carl Edwards* Ford Charter Communications
35 44 Justin Labonte Chevrolet U.S. Coast Guard
36 79 Kasey Kahne Dodge Trus Joist
37 66 Greg Biffle Ford Purex/Armour
38 12 Tim Fedewa Dodge Supercuts
39 23 Mark Green Chevrolet Vassarette
40 178 Jerry Robertson Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing
41 2 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet ACDelco
42 72 Geoffrey Bodine Chevrolet Vector Security
43 21 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Twizzlers Twizted
44 56 Tim Sauter Chevrolet Lester Buildings
45 9 Mark Martin Ford Pennzoil Platinum
46 8 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker
47 41 Reed Sorenson* Dodge Discount Tire
48 7 Jeff Fuller Chevrolet Big Boar Customs
* Denotes Rookie
Kevin Harvick had a late-night scare recently at Talladega. Credit: Autostock
Friday the 13th could bring many twists of fate
From Team Release
May 13, 2005
10:55 AM EDT (14:55 GMT)
WELCOME, N.C. -- What happens when you combine Friday the 13th and stock car racing? The Busch Series is about to find out at Richmond International Raceway.
Kevin Harvick, who will drive the Twizzlers Twizted Chevrolet in Friday night's race, asked his friends at Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc. to reveal their most twisted racing stories to give us an idea of what twisted events could occur Friday night.
Jeff Burton
Brandon Miller and Jeff Burton have both experienced lights out racing during their careers.
"It was about four years ago and I was driving in a Late Model race in California, Miller said. "I was on the inside of another car getting ready to pass it, and all of a sudden all the lights went out. It was really weird. I couldn't see anything. The track was completely pitch black. I slammed on my brakes hoping not to hit anyone.
"Once the lights came back on I looked around and realized that everyone was able to get stopped without hitting anyone. That was the craziest thing that has ever happened to me since I have been racing."
Burton's dark experience had a mind-twisting affect on a fellow driver.
"I was racing one night back in 1986 or '87 in the Late Model division at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.," Burton said. "We were in the middle of the race when the lights went out. It was pitch black.
"When the lights came back on, a young rookie driver got out of his car and walked over to the ambulance because he thought he had blacked out. True story."
While Harvick's story does not involve the track going dark in the middle of a race, his story happened in the middle of the night while attempting to avoid a twister.
"The craziest thing I can think of that happened to me while I was at a track was a few weeks ago in Talladega," Harvick said. "It was about three or four in the morning, and I was asleep in my motorcoach. All of a sudden, this really loud alarm started going off. At first, I really wasn't sure what the alarm was for and then I heard this voice telling us to seek shelter.
"I finally realized it was a tornado alarm, and we needed to find a place to go. DeLana and I got dressed, but then realized we didn't know where to go. We just stayed in the motorcoach and waited for the storm to pass. Thank the Lord a tornado didn't come because we were sitting ducks."
Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama has stymied many drivers, whose cars became twisted as the result of numerous accidents. Clint Bowyer suffered that fate in April.
"The Talladega race has got to be the most twisted race I have ever been involved with," Bowyer said. "I have never had an opportunity to make up that many points so easily when all you had to do was finish. It was very disappointing that we couldn't do that. I have never been in that kind of situation and not capitalized on it. It was just crazy.
"I wrecked three times and I have never wrecked that many times in one race either. That was pretty much three strikes and you are out. We went back out to get our fourth one, but NASCAR pulled us in. That race was just a nightmare."
Tornadoes were the least of Tony Raines' worries on an August day in Canada. Another type of weather event interrupted his race.
"I was racing in an ASA race in Canada a while back," Raines said. "It was early August and I would say it was about 70 degrees or so when the race started. The race was slated for 500 laps, but at lap 300 the race was canceled because of snow. That was the first and only time I have ever had a race canceled in August because of snow."
Dave Blaney
Everyone has seen Carl Edwards twist and turn off the top of his car after a victory, but Dave Blaney saw a horrible accident in which a driver flew out of his window after an accident and walked away unhurt.
"I was sitting in my sprint car waiting to get in a practice session at the track in Butler, Mich., back in the mid-1980s," Blaney said. "Another group of drivers was already on the track at the time when two cars got together and crashed on the front straightaway. All of a sudden, one of the guys flew out of his car and landed on the dirt track pretty hard.
"I couldn't tell but it looked like the other car ran him over, though it turns out it didn't. The driver then shocked everyone when he stood up and walked back into the pits like nothing had happened."
The odds are against any of those events occurring Friday night in Richmond, but it is Friday the 13th. Something twisted is bound to happen at the track. Harvick and Bowyer are the only two of our storytellers competing, while the others will wait and watch to see the action unfold.
The Funai 250 will be broadcast by FX and MRN at 7:30 p.m. ET.
----------------------------------------------------------
Qualifying Order
Funai 250 | Richmond International Raceway
May 13, 2005| Race 12 of 35
Order Car Driver Make Sponsor
1 143 Aaron Fike Ford Kleenex/Cottonelle
2 25 Ashton Lewis Ford U.S. Marines
3 11 Paul Menard Chevrolet Menards/Pittsburgh Paints
4 4 Jeff Green Dodge GEICO
5 157 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Lowe's/Spectracide TripleStrike
6 22 Kenny Wallace Ford Stacker 2
7 90 Elliott Sadler Ford CITI Financial
8 27 David Green Ford Kleenex/Dollar Tree Stores
9 6 Paul Wolfe* Dodge Lipton Tea
10 33 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash
11 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Waste Management
12 28 Derrike Cope Ford HoodiaChoice.com
13 31 Dave Blaney Chevrolet Whelen Engineering
14 14 David Stremme Dodge Navy "Accelerate Your Life"
15 59 Stacy Compton Ford Kingsford/Bush's/Ukrops
16 0 Kertus Davis* Chevrolet RaceGirl
17 52 Eric McClure Ford Means Racing
18 5 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's/Shop-Vac
19 35 Jason Keller Ford McDonald's
20 1 Johnny Sauter Dodge Yellow Transportation
21 49 Steve Grissom Ford Advil Liqui-Gels
22 20 Denny Hamlin* Chevrolet Rockwell Automation
23 64 Jamie McMurray Dodge Top-Flite Long & Soft Distance
24 40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Cottman Transmission
25 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Vigoro/The Home Depot
26 58 Brent Sherman* Dodge Hickory Farms/Serta
27 10 Michel Jourdain Jr.* Ford ppc Racing
28 38 Tyler Walker* Dodge Great Clips
29 47 Jon Wood* Ford Clorox/Wisk/Farm Fresh
30 34 Randy LaJoie Chevrolet Dollar General
31 36 Stanton Barrett Pontiac DCT Motorsports
32 99 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet State Fair Corn Dogs
33 32 Shane Hmiel Chevrolet Win Fuel
34 60 Carl Edwards* Ford Charter Communications
35 44 Justin Labonte Chevrolet U.S. Coast Guard
36 79 Kasey Kahne Dodge Trus Joist
37 66 Greg Biffle Ford Purex/Armour
38 12 Tim Fedewa Dodge Supercuts
39 23 Mark Green Chevrolet Vassarette
40 178 Jerry Robertson Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing
41 2 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet ACDelco
42 72 Geoffrey Bodine Chevrolet Vector Security
43 21 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Twizzlers Twizted
44 56 Tim Sauter Chevrolet Lester Buildings
45 9 Mark Martin Ford Pennzoil Platinum
46 8 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker
47 41 Reed Sorenson* Dodge Discount Tire
48 7 Jeff Fuller Chevrolet Big Boar Customs
* Denotes Rookie