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Testing the theory that anyone can win this weekend

A lot of wild and crazy things go on at Talladega — and at this place, that’s before the cars even hit the track. From wrestling in barbecue sauce out in the parking lot to big wrecks and fantastic finishes, the 2.66-mile superspeedway has provided NASCAR fans with plenty of memorable moments over the years.

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But when the TV announcer hits the airwaves and says, "Anyone can win at Talladega," is it true? Or is there more myth to that statement than meets the eye?

Join NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert and George Winkler as they go head-to-head to debate whether Talladega is as wild as it seems.
 
Winkler: This whole debate started when I was looking at the list of past race winners and thought, ‘Boy, these aren’t a bunch of no-name drivers.’ Sure, the 2013 season brought David Ragan to Victory Lane for Front Row Motorsports‘ first Sprint Cup Series win — and later that same year Jamie McMurray won — but recently the drivers you’d expect to dominate in the series have also dominated at this track.

Going back to 2001 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. got the first of his five wins at Talladega, we’ve seen drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin also take home the checkered flag. While the temptation is strong to think that anyone can win at Talladega because of the unpredictable nature of restrictor-plate wrecks, the recent history has shown that the theory doesn’t hold much water in regards to who finishes atop the stand.
 
Albert: Well, that makes sense in some regard, George, but that theory overlooks the cumulative history of Talladega’s tendency to play spoiler. The track’s list of all-time winners includes such underdogs as Ron Bouchard, Bobby Hillin Jr., Phil Parsons, Dick Brooks and Lennie Pond — all of whom crashed Victory Lane at the Alabama speed plant and never won again in NASCAR’s top series. The fickle nature of the aerodynamic draft, combined with the horsepower-sapping restrictor plates create almost a hyper-parity at Talladega, where the playing field is even more level.
 
The track can be a scary place for its frequent, field-thinning pileups, but Talladega’s springtime spot on the schedule has NASCAR’s long shots licking their chops to become Buster Douglas for a day, earning a surprise berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.
 
Winkler: Another thing that gets my wheels turning is the regularity at which the winning driver has come from the top-10 qualifiers in the race. Sixty-three of the 91 Sprint Cup races at Talladega, or 69.2 percent, have been won from a top-10 starting position. That makes it a little more unpredictable than Daytona or Texas, for example, but on par with Martinsville and far more predictable than Auto Club Speedway, where only 52 percent of winners have come from top-10 starts.
 
You might be thinking, duh, of course the winner of the race is going to come out of the top-10 qualifiers at most tracks, but the fact that Talladega isn’t that far from the norm is further proof that it isn’t as wild as some folks will have you believe.
 
Albert: Qualifying at Talladega may carry some clout for teams in terms of preparing a specialized plate-track car, but the biggest consequence coming out of time trials is pit-stall selection. Otherwise, the teams may as well draw for starting position out of a hat. The pendulum of drivers dropping to the rear of the field and working back up to the point is always in full swing at Talladega. It’s one of the rare places where a running position in the bottom 10 isn’t a huge cause for concern.

Jeff Gordon won there from a record 36th-place starting position in 2000, and Denny Hamlin‘s victory in this race last year made him one of three winners who started in 34th.
 
Winkler: Wrapping up here, I don’t want to be a complete ‘Debbie Downer.’ I definitely think it’s worth tuning in for the race, because it’s always fun to see the enormous spectacle that is Talladega. Just don’t be surprised if after all the smoke clears that the driver standing in Victory Lane isn’t all that surprising.
 
Albert: This is why we all watch — to see the dark horses make a run at the heavyweights. Powerhouse teams don’t have a monopoly on performance at Talladega, where the scrappy Cinderellas, the promising mid-majors and the top-seeded favorites all compete on equal footing. Seeing a fresh face or unfamiliar car number in Victory Lane might be called "stunning" or "shocking" by Sunday’s headline writers, but considering the venue, it might just be the least surprising thing of all.

Posted on by Eric Johnson

Boris Said Q&A: ‘If I win (Talladega), I’ll let you shave my head!’

As many a NASCAR wheelman will attest — Dale Earnhardt Jr. being amongst the foremost — Boris Said helped them learn the abstract art of hustling — and racing — a lumbering 3,400-pound race car around the road courses of this nation.

A journeyman sports car racer for nearly two decades, Said became something of a NASCAR road-race hired gun before Jack Roush — appreciative of what Said had done for him and his road-race program — helped him set up a highly competitive satellite team back in 2006. Said ran well for the next few years before the money, as it often does, ran out and the opportunities started to vanish.

But now he’s back and ready, willing and able to go racing as over the winter as Joe Gibbs Racing and sponsor Monster Energy made a collective decision to hire the 52 year-old to tail gun for Kyle Busch and the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry in seven XFINITY races this season. Certainly typecast as a road-racing ace, in a somewhat surprising move, it was also announced that Boris would compete in a host of oval races this spring and summer.

Which leads us to the daunting 32-degree high banks of Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s Winn Dixie 300 (3 p.m. ET, FOX). For it will be there that Said will, if all goes to plan, circulate the 2.66-mile monstrosity 117 times. With a phenomenal car beneath him and one of NASCAR’s premier organizations behind him, Said, who last won at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal way back in 2010, has a full-on shot at success on Bill France Sr.’s fabled tri-oval.

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Eric Johnson: Just how did you land the ride with the Joe Gibbs Racing outfit?

Boris Said: It just came up. Monster was looking for a driver and a guy there named Mitch Covington asked me if I was interested. Who wouldn’t be? You know that’s every driver’s dream. For me it’s been so hard because I found out about this right before Christmas and for any driver that’s probably the best Christmas present you could ever get — to be able to get a ride in the Monster Energy-sponsored Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Imagine getting the best Christmas present you ever got and then having to wait until May to play with it. I’m just beyond excited to get to Talladega and start racing.
 
E.J.: Why did Monster and Joe Gibbs Racing choose you to drive the No. 54 in seven races in the ’15 XFINITY Series?

B.S.: You know it was really a surprise. I thought for sure at first that they wanted me for just the road races and I think I would be the logical choice for the two road courses that Kyle couldn’t go to because I get called all the time to do that. I was a little surprised they picked me for the ovals. It’s twofold because 1) it makes you a little nervous because you have big shoes to fill and you have a frontline car, and 2) for me, it’s going to really help me to be even that much more prepared when I get to the two road-course races which I think I can have an excellent chance to win. In the past I’ve had good luck on the superspeedways in Cup. I had the pole and finished fourth at Daytona in 2006. Maybe with the new rules and the lack of testing available they thought a veteran would be a good pick.
 
E.J.: The pole you won and the upset you almost pulled off at the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona was an eventful and memorable night, wasn’t it?

B.S.: Yep. 2006 we sat on the pole and we ended up finishing fourth after a long race. You know back then it was the go-or-go-homers — the guys who didn’t have points had to really set their car up for qualifying — and they were impound races so during the race you had to take all of the qualifying setup out and switch it back to race setup so during the course of the race you made a lot of pit stops to try and always ended up in the back and had to come all the way back through. That was a race I’ll never forget, that’s for sure.
 
E.J.: The last race you did at Talladega was the Aaron’s 499 in the spring of 2007. What do you think of the track and can you do well there?

B.S.: Yeah, I mean a superspeedway is kind of a crapshoot. I love it because of the speed and how big it is. It’s the biggest track NASCAR goes to and it’s probably got the wildest bunch of fans. The whole atmosphere is awesome. It’s the only track that has a jail on the premises so you get some pretty rowdy fans and that makes it fun. Also, on a superspeedway a lot can happen beyond your control so you need a little luck there. It’s really easy to get caught up in the Big One. You can have two strategies: you can go out as hard as you can and maybe you won’t be in it, or hang back and maybe won’t be in it. I’m just going to go there and try and get comfortable and just race as hard as I can the whole time.
 
E.J.: And like you mentioned earlier, you’ll have a very competitive car, won’t you?

B.S.: Yeah, I mean in my whole NASCAR career I don’t think I’ve ever had an opportunity like this and with this competitive of a team. The organization of Joe Gibbs Racing is second to none. To have a sponsor like Monster, I think Monster fits my personality. They’re a little wild and they like to have fun and they’re just a fantastic sponsor. Hopefully, if I drink enough Monster, it’ll throw some youth back into me and give me some energy for the speed I need.
 
E.J.: How old are you now, Boris?

B.S.: 52.
 
E.J.: So you’re going to be one of the older dudes out there, huh?

B.S.: Probably the oldest guy out there unless Morgan Shepherd is still dragging around. I think the oldest NASCAR winner was Harry Gant at 52 years, six months. Hopefully by the time we get to those road-course races, I’ll be able to maybe get that record.
 
E.J.: You have been racing. Going back to 2011, you’ve done the Sonoma and Watkins Glen races.

B.S.: Right. I did them with low-budget teams. I hate calling them back-marker teams, but they were definitely underfunded underdog teams and so I’ve never really had the equipment that can compete for a win. I’ve also been pretty busy sports car racing the last few years. This year my commitment is to do these nine NASCAR races I’m going to do — seven with Monster — Talladega, Iowa, Chicago, Mid-Ohio, Road America and Kentucky — and hopefully the two Cup races with an underdog team.
 
E.J.: Have you spoken with the two guys who have driven the No. 54 car this year, namely Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin or even Kyle Busch?

B.S.: You know, it’s funny I haven’t talked to those guys yet. Who I’ve been talking to a lot actually has been Kurt Busch. We’re personal friends and we play golf together and he’s been running like the wind this year. He told me, "When I get to Talladega, you come see me." I think I’ve got a lot of people I’ll be able to lean on. Once I get to Talladega I’ll probably meet the other guys like Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez and hopefully I can trade out some road-racing secrets and they can help me on the ovals. I think we can be good teammates.
 
E.J.: How about the No 54 team and crew? Have you been able to talk with them at all?

B.S.: Yeah, I spent two days down at the shop with (crew chief) Chris Gayle and it seemed like we got along great. The one thing about my career is that I’ve run a lot of one-off races in NASCAR. Normally that’s really hard because the communication between the driver and the crew chief is so important in how you work together. It’s really hard when you do a one-off or you just show up because you don’t really know each other. You don’t know how tight your tight is compared to his tight and how loose your loose is so you really have to get the communication right. My whole career has been doing that. I feel really comfortable with Chris and we got along great and hopefully we can get some good results. Give me a few races to kind of get my feet back under me with driving a stock car and I think I’m going to be really prepared by the time we get to Mid-Ohio. I plan on going there and doing nothing but winning.
 
E.J.: For both you and all of the Said Heads out there, you must be thrilled to be back racing at this level again. I know nothing tops racing for you…

B.S.: Yeah, I mean racing is my passion. If I could just do that every day… You know this is my 28th year racing and I still feel like a little kid. I mean I eat, sleep, breathe, live and love racing. I’m like the most excited kid on Christmas Eve right now waiting to get to Talladega and getting into that Monster-sponsored car.
 
E.J.: And there’s nothing like going back to Talladega, is there?

B.S.: At Talladega you never know what to expect. It’s a pretty crazy place. If there were ever aliens living on Earth, they might be at Talladega on a Saturday in the infield. Hopefully I’ll have something to celebrate after the race, like a good finish and then Saturday night I’ll be in the infield with all those people having fun.
 
E.J.: If you win will you cut your hair?

B.S.: (Laughter) If I win, I’ll let you shave my head! No problem!

Posted on by Staff Report

Keep tabs on the activity at Talladega Superspeedway

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series head south for a weekend of racing at Talladega Superspeedway.

The Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 will be held on Sunday, May 3 at 1 p.m. ET, with coverage on FOX. 

The XFINITY Series Winn Dixie 300 is on Saturday, May 2 at 3 p.m. ET with coverage on FOX.

For more information on track times, press conferences and GarageCam, you can check out the full weekend schedule.

We know you may not have the time to watch the race action without any interruptions, so if you’re on the go, here’s how to keep up at Talladega.

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NASCAR.com’s live Sprint Cup Series leaderboard and XFINITY Series leaderboard update in real-time and offer constant text updates of lead changes, cautions, strategies, strong runs and everything in between. From the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leaderboard, fans can also access live standings. On the go? Download the NASCAR Mobile app to follow the leaderboards live from your device.

Lap-by-Lap will keep you caught up even if you can only take a peek here and there. Check in to read back through all the laps you’ve missed, or keep an eye on the feed for real-time race updates.

We’ll also send race updates via Twitter through the official @NASCAR and @NASCARStats handles.

RaceBuddy will have enhanced views and coverage for the Sprint Cup Series and for most XFINITY Series races with 10 HD live race views, including up to eight in-car cameras, two mosaic views, live leaderboard and interactive chat.

Haven’t tried RaceView yet? If you sign up, you’ll get virtual videos of cars on the track from various angles and hear what your favorite team is saying over the radio in both the Sprint Cup and select XFINITY Series races. Use it as a second screen or as your only screen. Just want to scan the radios? You can have that too with Scanner (formerly RaceView Audio). On a mobile device? Get RaceView Mobile here.

If you want to be more involved in the on-track action, you can manage your fantasy team on NASCAR.com and follow your team’s performance in NASCAR Fantasy Live. Mobile users can also download NASCAR Connect, a game from OneUp Sports that allows users to play other fans with race predictions for some off-track competition while drivers battle it out on the track.

Live Press Pass video streams will keep the NASCAR action rolling even after the winner goes in and out of Victory Lane. Catch interviews with the top finishers and series champions immediately following the checkered flag for both national series events, and stay tuned to NASCAR.com throughout the week for the latest news.

Posted on by Staff Report

XFINITY points leader to pilot No. 33 Chevy, will be sponsored by Nexium

Ty Dillon will have a new primary sponsor for his second 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14 (1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).

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Dillon will carry primary sponsorship from Nexium 24HR as Richard Childress Racing has partnered with Pfizer Inc. The over-the-counter heartburn medication will be on Dillon’s No. 33 Chevrolet SS Circle Sport Racing entry at the two-mile venue.

"Nexium 24HR has helped my wife Judy and me improve our heartburn routines," Richard Childress, the Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing said in a release provided by the team. "The NASCAR schedule requires long days at the race track and Nexium 24HR gives me complete heartburn protection all-day and all-night so I can stay focused on our race team."

Circle Sport is affiliated with RCR and the No. 33 team has used XFINITY Series regulars Dillon and Brian Scott for several starts the past two seasons. Dillon has made three previous starts in the No. 33 Chevrolet with his best finish coming in his Sprint Cup debut, a 25th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last Labor Day weekend.

Dillon is currently the points leader in the NASCAR XFINITY Series by a margin of eight over the defending series champion, Chase Elliott, heading into this weekend’s Winn Dixie 300 on Saturday, May 2 (3 p.m. ET, FOX) at Talladega Superspeedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

Brenda Jackson on the Stewart scuffle, Gus and social media

RELATED: Stewart hits Dale Jr., spins out | Dale Jr.’s incredible tree house
MORE: Listen to this week’s episode

Brenda Jackson never knows when the texts to her son are going to go viral. When he does share their conversations, the audience gets big fast since her son is the ever-popular Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jackson’s not on social media and told Dirty Mo Radio that she doesn’t know when Dale Jr. tweets their text messages until someone else tells her.

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She says she’s not on social media because, "I have a hard time controlling the (expletive) that comes out of my mouth sometimes. I know a lot of people, personally, that shouldn’t be on there, either. Once it’s there, it’s there for the hundreds to see."

Jackson says Junior often complains about her spelling and shorthand in her texts, so she doesn’t need that trouble on Twitter, either.

"I got spell-check, but I got no time for that," Jackson says. "I got a point to make. If you can’t figure it out, you shouldn’t be textin’."

Jackson said on Tuesday’s "Dale Jr. Download" that sometimes she’s critical of her son after races, but was encouraging after a disappointing day at Richmond, where the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet finished 14th after making contact with Tony Stewart‘s No. 14 Chevrolet.

After the Richmond race, Junior tweeted out his mom’s encouraging words:

On the radio show, Jackson reiterated, "You’re gonna have them days. He did finish. I’ll take a finish."

She also weighed in on the Stewart scuffle: "I won’t get in the mess of it, but I don’t know what (Stewart’s) beef is. You know, you can’t run around with your left eye shut."

On Dale Jr.’s tree house: "I want a tree house village. I want him to build me one so we can go down there and camp together. He told me no, it’s too expensive."

And on the latest addition to the family, Gus the dog: "Gus is precious."

Posted on by Staff Report

Team owner Bob Jenkins: ‘We are working on finalizing the driver lineup…’

RELATED: Ragan to drive full-time for Michael Waltrip Racing

With his primary No. 34 driver David Ragan on to a second team as a replacement driver, Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins wished Ragan well in a statement on Tuesday and addressed the future of the ride.

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"We are grateful to David Ragan for his contributions to the growth of Front Row Motorsports and his commitment to our partners over the past three years," Jenkins said. "He led us on our first trip to Victory Lane, and that’s a moment we’ll never forget. We wish him the best with his new team.
 
"As previously announced, Chris Buescher will be the driver of the No. 34 at Talladega this weekend. We are working on finalizing the driver lineup for races to follow and will announce those plans soon."

Ragan earned Front Row’s first and only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in the fall of 2013 at Talladega. He ran the season-opening Daytona 500 for the team before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing for nine races and now Michael Waltrip Racing starting next weekend at Kansas.

Since Ragan’s departure, Buescher, Joe Nemechek, Brett Moffitt and Reed Sorenson have filled in for him in the No. 34. Buescher has earned the best finish for the team this year with a 20th-place result at Auto Club Speedway in March.

Posted on by Staff Report

Driver will fill seat formerly held by Brian Vickers for rest of 2015 season

RELATED: Vickers sidelined because of blood clots

David Ragan will take over the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next weekend at Kansas Speedway. According to the team, he will remain in the ride for the rest of the season as there is no timetable on primary driver Brian Vickers‘ return from recurring blood clots.

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After driving in the Daytona 500 for Front Row Motorsports, Ragan has run the last eight races in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 car, replacing Kyle Busch, who broke a leg and a foot in the season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Ragan sits 19th in the points standings after the first nine races of the season and will make his 300th career start and last for JGR on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in the GEICO 500 (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

"The only way I can repay all the people I have to thank for making this happen is to go out and win races and get MWR, Aaron’s and Toyota in the Chase," Ragan said in a team release. "It’s going to be awesome knowing when I climb in the No. 55 at Kansas that car will be mine the rest of the season. I look forward to working with (teammate) Clint Bowyer, the crew and shop employees at MWR. It’s tough what’s happened to them this year, but I hope I can come in and make 2015 something special."

MWR team owner Michael Waltrip ran the Daytona 500 for Vickers and will run Sunday’s race at Talladega for the driver. Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Brett Moffitt has run six races in the No. 55 and Vickers ran at Phoenix and Las Vegas before a recurrence of blood clots returned him to the sidelines.

"Life has thrown a lot at MWR the first part of this racing season, but our team has stood tall and worked through it," Waltrip said in the release. "Our original plans for the No. 55 team have been challenged since December, and we felt it was important for our employees and our sponsors to solidify the remainder of the 2015 season.

"The opportunity to bring David Ragan into the team is incredible for a number of reasons. He will bring experience, consistency and a lot of confidence based on how he has been running with our Toyota teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing. He also puts the No. 55 team and Aaron’s right back into the Chase for the Sprint Cup contention, which is a very positive turn of events for that team."

RELATED: Front Row taps Buescher for now

Ragan took to his Twitter account on Tuesday to express his gratitude for the chance to race with Michael Waltrip Racing.

With Ragan stepping out of the No. 18 ride, speculation centers around 18-year-old Erik Jones to take over at Kansas. Jones earned his first career XFINITY win earlier this month at Texas. Moffitt, who had filled in for Ragan in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports ride at Phoenix and Las Vegas, should be a candidate to return to that Ford Fusion next weekend as well.

"I’m really proud of the incredible job Brett Moffitt has done for us in the 55," Waltrip said. "He has been a big part of this organization for the last couple of years and he will continue in that role. With the limited number of starts Brett has in this industry, he has proven that he has the talent to be a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and we are still committed to helping him get that opportunity."

Meanwhile, Front Row Motorsports reiterated that Chris Buescher would be in their No. 34 ride for Talladega but did not divulge plans for the rest of the season for Ragan’s former car.

"We are grateful to David Ragan for his contributions to the growth of Front Row Motorsports and his commitment to our partners over the past three years," team owner Bob Jenkins said. "He led us on our first trip to Victory Lane, and that’s a moment we’ll never forget. We wish him the best with his new team.
 
"As previously announced, Chris Buescher will be the driver of the No. 34 at Talladega this weekend. We are working on finalizing the driver lineup for races to follow and will announce those plans soon."

Posted on by Nascar

Carl Edwards: ‘All of us respected … Steve because he was fair and honest’

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Byrnes was remembered not just for his work in front of the television camera on Tuesday, but more importantly for his life outside of NASCAR.
 
The longtime FOX broadcaster was celebrated as a family man and a Godly man, a husband and a son, a brother, father and friend.
 
Byrnes, 56, passed away April 21 following a lengthy battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Karen, son Bryson, parents Jerry and Claire, sister Betsy, brother Dan Byrnes, sister-in-law Tammy, nephews Tyler and Dylan and niece Samantha.

Scores of folks from all walks of life, inside NASCAR and out, paid their respects at Calvary Church to Byrnes, a testament not just to his on-air popularity but also to the personal life that he lived and how he lived it.
 
"Every single one of us is here because we loved Steve, and we want to express our respects to you and Bryson and the family for the man that he was and the impact he had on our lives," Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards said in addressing Karen Byrnes and members of the Byrnes family.
 
"I really struggled with what to say today … it’s not because we’re nervous talking in front of people, it’s because when you speak about such a great man, you want to do him justice."
 
Just days before Byrnes’ passing, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams competed in the Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up to Cancer at Bristol Motor Speedway.
 
"In the garage area, all of us respected and liked working with Steve because he was so honest … he was fair and honest," Edwards said. "He delivered our sport (to the viewers) for what it was; he didn’t come at it from the angle of what’s the … latest gossip. He came into every situation wanting to deliver what was going on in the sport. I think to him we owe a great debt of gratitude for presenting our sport that way.
 
"I never heard a bad word said about Steve, and in our garage there are a lot of bad words said about everyone."
 
Tyler Byrnes said his uncle was "more like a father figure to each and every one of us in some way or another.
 
"Steve taught my family many valuable lessons," he said. "He taught us that if it was worth doing, it was worth doing the right way and I think that’s something that I continue to carry with me.
 
"He taught us that if we were going to love, love wholeheartedly, and he taught us whatever we were going to do in life, to have fun doing it."
 
As the group assembled in the church’s sanctuary Tuesday, photos of Byrnes on the job interspersed with family photos were shown on two large video screens. In nearly every photo, it was hard to miss his wide smile. Byrnes loved what he was doing, and he loved his family. And he was able to balance both career and family life as well as if not better than most.
 
Jeff Trotter, minister at Church of Christ at Gold Hill Road, opened Tuesday’s celebration of life by noting that to accurately measure one’s life, one has to measure the "context of the quality of the life itself."
 
"Length of days has a tendency to be valued," he said, "more than the width and breadth of the life itself."
 
Byrnes’ life may have been "shorter than we would have liked", but those days were "filled with memories and contributions and blessings of several lifetimes," Trotter said.
 
When Byrnes expressed a lack of understanding about the outpouring of concern about his health, telling Trotter "I just don’t get it; all I do is talk for a living," Trotter responded by telling him, "Steve, you may talk for a living, but there are so many people who live to hear you talk.
 
"And it’s not so much your words, but the man behind the words that connects with the people."

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Posted on by Pat DeCola
At the season’s quarter mark, Harvick has half as many top-five finishes (seven) as he did in his championship campaign last year (14). All signs point to him matching that figure by the halfway point.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
Hendrick Motorsports
RELATED: Harvick’s post-race thoughts
Johnson is on pace for the worst average starting position of his career (17.3). Considering he has two wins and sports a better average finish (12.0) than last year (15.3), if the 48 team can get better on Fridays, watch out.
RELATED: Johnson rallies for dramatic finish
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
Team Penske
The defending winner of the spring Richmond race, Logano couldn’t capitalize on his pole position with a victory. A top-five finish — his fifth — with 94 laps led ain’t too shabby, though.
RELATED: Logano’s post-race thoughts
Gordon is enjoying a six-race top-10 finish streak, but it could be in danger this weekend at Talladega. Despite having six wins at the superspeedway, the Hendrick Motorsports driver hasn’t finished in the top 10 there since 2012 and suffered finishes of 39th and 26th last year.
For the second week in a row, Keselowski is the most recent winner at a track. Richmond didn’t go so well for the No. 2, however, as it lost a cylinder and wound up 17th.
It was only a matter of time. We knew that. The 41 has routinely been one of — if not THE — fastest cars out there each weekend so it’s no surprise to see it wind up in Victory Lane.
RELATED: Busch dominates field in Richmond win
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
-3
Hendrick Motorsports
Three drivers have eight 2015 top-10 finishes: Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and, you guessed it, Martin Truex Jr. No other driver has more than six.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
-3
Joe Gibbs Racing
Take it for what it’s worth, but Matt Kenseth has run the most laps of anyone this season at 3,060, finishing on the lead lap a series-best eight times.
Richard Childress Racing is known for its superspeedway program, and it has paid off for Newman in his first two races at ‘Dega with the organization. With an average career finish of 20.9, the No. 31 driver averaged a finish of 11.5 last year.
Kurt Busch may have had the fastest car at Richmond, but Kahne had the most impressive race. After a bizarre starting position of 40th, Kahne picked up the most spots to finish sixth and stands sixth in points.
A 14th-place finish could’ve been a lot worse for Earnhardt after a run-in with Tony Stewart sent the SHR driver’s No. 14 car reeling. Junior rebounded, but still fell two spots in the standings.
RELATED: Junior’s thoughts on run-in with ‘Smoke’
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/clint-bowyer/
ClintBowyer
1
Stewart-Haas Racing
Hamlin punched his ticket to the Chase at this Talladega race last year. Coming off a disappointing run at Richmond, it’ll be interesting to see how he races at the Alabama track, given that his 2015 Chase spot is all but locked up already.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/danica-patrick/
DanicaPatrick
-1
Stewart-Haas Racing
McMurray’s winless streak continues, but a fourth-place finish does a lot for a team looking to hang around in the points picture. Still, the series moves to the site of his last points win, so that 49-race drought could end Sunday.
RELATED: Winless streak lives, but no regrets for McMurray
Edwards never seemed to take advantage of Roush Fenway Racing’s strong restrictor-plate program in his decade with the organization — zero wins in 21 Talladega starts — but it’ll be interesting to see how that could change with his new Joe Gibbs Racing outfit.
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Column from 2002 recounts birth of son, support of NASCAR community

RELATED: Steve Byrnes passes away at 56 | NASCAR statement on Byrnes
WATCH: President Obama offers condolences to Byrnes’ family

Editor’s note: From 2002-2007, Steve Byrnes called every week for a race preview. I couldn’t wait for his 803 area code to pop up on Thursdays, and he became a personal and professional mentor.

In January, the number appeared again. Once more, we worked together on a story. This time, it was about Byrnes being named to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel. He shared wisdom and perspective on his battle with cancer and his support of our colleague Holly Cain. The next day, he wrote "Reminded me of the old days!" and "Glad you are in her corner, and mine!"

The entire NASCAR family was in Steve’s corner as he and wife Karen prepared for the birth of their son, Bryson, on July 23, 2002. Steve’s column from 13 years ago "reminds you how connected we can be with each other if we want to," a quote from his conversation with Cain 13 days ago for a story on his 56th birthday. — Stu Hothem

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I enjoy the opportunity to contribute [on FOXSports.com] because I’m able to share things that I can’t during a NASCAR on FOX broadcast or a "Totally NASCAR" show on Fox Sports Net. I’m also given a forum to express opinions, concerns, human interest stories or my unbridled passion for the Maryland Terrapins (Class of 1981) and the Washington Redskins.

In any case, I’ve struggled with this particular column, though not for lack of subject matter. On July 23, my wife, Karen, gave birth to our first child, Bryson Parker Byrnes. This article could most certainly be about the joys and frustrations of parenthood or how I feel when he smiles at me as I clumsily change a diaper. Great material to be sure, and I’ll happily bore you with proud father stories in the weeks to come, but I’ve decided to write about what happened before Bryson was born.

The reason I’m conflicted about this column is I don’t want it to appear self-serving. I pride myself on having positive professional relationships in the sport, but over the past 17 years, I’ve been careful not to get too close to the competitors. I would rather they respect me than like me.

Having said all that, I also want you to know that there are some very nice people in this sport. People who have compelled me to share "Thanksgiving in July."

My wife and I tried for many years to have a baby and were incredibly thrilled when we got the great news last Thanksgiving weekend that we were pregnant. We felt even luckier when we figured out that our baby was due in July after the FOX half of the broadcast schedule concluded on July 6.

Little did we know how complicated our lives would become.

The weeks clicked by pretty quickly early in the season as Bristol, Texas and Martinsville gave way to Talladega, Fontana and Richmond. With the exception of torrential rain at Texas and Richmond, I was convinced that the pregnancy was routine.

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Travel tougher with trials at home

The week before The Winston — which was actually Nazareth, Pennsylvania, for me as I worked the booth for the Busch race — we spent a night in the hospital as my wife started experiencing painful contractions. At that point, a premature delivery was a scary proposition. I knew to be scared when our doctor considered sending us to another hospital in Charlotte, but by early morning, the contractions subsided. Dr. Mark Peacock sent us home, but instructed my wife to take it easy.

We made it through the Coca-Cola 600, and Karen started cutting her hours back a bit at work. The month of June is the toughest travel month for the NASCAR on FOX crew. We go to Dover, Michigan, Pocono, California and Wisconsin on consecutive weekends. We did double duty during the Michigan weekend, traveling to Nashville for Saturday’s Busch race and again the next week in Pocono as we did the Kentucky Busch race on Saturday night.

I checked my voicemail when I got back to the motel room after the Busch race at Dover, the first race weekend in that stretch. I felt panicked and sick to my stomach when I heard my wife bravely say, "Don’t worry, but I’m in the hospital." I felt helpless and contemplated going to the airport until I finally got her on the phone in the hospital. "Not to worry," Karen said, "Dr. Peacock just wanted to be on the safe side. There’s no need for you to come home."

Well, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I knew we were in trouble.

I barely made it through the Winston Cup race that Sunday in Dover. They tell me Jimmie Johnson won, but I don’t remember much. To make matters worse, Larry McReynolds and I got stuck in a traffic jam five miles from the Philadelphia airport that night and watched our U.S. Air flight head to Charlotte without us.

That Tuesday night we were back in the hospital, and Karen spent the rest of the week being pumped full of a nasty drug called magnesium sulfate. Finally, the contractions subsided, but the doctor ordered her to stay in bed for the remainder of the pregnancy or risk premature birth. When I say "stay in bed," I mean she was able to walk the four steps to the restroom and back to bed.

So here’s where the "Thanksgiving" is actually my way of giving thanks. To say I was treated kindly is an understatement. I will never forget the many acts of kindness, big and small, during this time, and I want to share them with you.

Team members are friends indeed in time of need

I was very nervous about going to Sears Point, California. Three thousand miles from home might as well have been Nagano, Japan. I called Neil Goldberg, our producer, and shared my fear. Within hours, Neil and Pam Miller, our pit producer, formulated a game plan. Artie Kempner and Richie Zyontz, the director and coordinating producer, called me at home and told me not to even consider coming to California. My absence caused Matt Yocum and Dick Berggren to work even harder, and Jeff Hammond left the air-conditioned confines (and the righteous food) of the Hollywood Hotel to fill my slot.

It was strange to watch the FOX broadcasts on television, but I was very proud of my teammates and more thankful to have them as teammates.

Oddly enough, one of our producers, Barry Landis, and his wife, were going through a similar experience at the same time. Barry’s wife, Lindsey, was put to bed in March and had the same exact medicine and monitoring program Karen had. Barry and I relied on each other a great deal during this time and joked that we were going to appear on "Oprah" together to share the expectant father’s side of the story. We decided that our wives wouldn’t think that was a good idea. Thankfully, Barry and Lindsey are now proud parents of baby Emma.

Darrell and Stevie Waltrip offered me their airplane, and support, in the closing weeks of our schedule. Knowing that I could call at a moment’s notice was a tremendous comfort. Thank you.

My teammates at "Totally NASCAR" gave me lots of room and never said a word when I started skipping post-show production meetings so I could get home and feed my wife. Thanks for picking up my slack.

‘Being a father is the most important thing in my life’

Elliott Sadler, Jason Keller, Dale Jarrett and Ken Schrader all offered me the use of their pilots and planes, and all stopped on pit road to ask about Karen week after week.

Todd Bodine stopped me in the garage area one day to ask about Karen. His career was in a tremendous state of flux at the time. His Winston Cup ride was all but folded because of a sponsor problem. He took the time to encourage me and put my mind at ease. "Racing is what I do for a living," Todd said, "but when I see my daughter, I realize that being a father is the most important thing in my life." I thanked Todd for the perspective and was struck by his positive attitude during a tough time.

Karen’s considerable career came to a screeching halt when she was put to bed. She never complained. I must also say having witnessed my son’s birth that words are inadequate to thank her, or any mother, for what they endure to deliver a child. Thanks for being my son’s mother and my wife.

There are many more thank-yous to write: neighbors, family, friends and healthcare professionals await.

Thankfully, I have a lot of stamps to buy.