Danica, Daytona, Team Zero, And Some Basketball Too

I think Danica Patrick might want to make a donation to the University of Nebraska engineering department.  Anyone who watched the NASCAR Sprint Cup Twin 150’s from Daytona saw Patrick hit an inside wall with tremendous force.  Ten years ago she might have been seriously injured or worse.  Yesterday, thanks to the SAFER Barrier designed by engineers from UNL, she was able to walk away from one of the hardest hits I can ever remember seeing.

In fairness to Patrick she had been doing exactly what she needed to do the entire race-log laps and keep out of trouble.  The wreck was not her fault-as drivers like to say, “Just one of them racing deals.” It didn’t look like she was able to apply brakes, it happened so quickly, but if she had, it might have turned the car and she would have hit driver’s side instead of passenger side.  I was amazed that she had the quick reaction to lift her hands from the steering wheel.  SAFER Barrier or not, that could have been a wrist breaking crash.

Tony Stewart showed he has a strong car, winning the first of the 150 mile races yesterday.  Stewart has won 17 races at Daytona, but never the Daytona 500.  Despite being surrounded by a gaggle of Roush Fenway Fords, I look for the three time Sprint Cup Series champion to remove that blot from his resume come Sunday.

Team Zero-Bloomquist chassis’-finished first and second at Volusia Speedway Park last night.  Dennis Erb. Jr. won his first WoO late model race in nearly five years, continuing a torrid 2012 Speedweeks, and Bloomquist himself finished second.  Chub Frank, Steve Francis, and Jimmy Owens rounded out the top five.

Friend Tony Anville is trying to convince Matt and me to take in Speedweeks 2013.  Anville wants to go for the big track races, and I would love to go for both the NASCAR races andVolusia Speedway Park action.  Unlike Anville who is best friends with the Ricketts family of TD Ameritrade and Chicago Cub fame, I would have to start saving my pennies today and pray for a kitchen pass too.

In today’s Omaha World Herald, Lee Ackerman mentioned “the voice” was going to be back in action tonight.  I thought he was talking about Stan Cisar and wondered what the sign magnate was up too, but he was talking of Rick Allen, announcer on Speed TV’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.

Finally, I received the following comment on yesterday’s blog: “Lady Tigers made it to state, not going up for the girls tourney too?” Yes, theFremontHigh Schoolgirls basketball team qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 1985.  The 19-5 Lady Tigers have lost only to other teams that have qualified for the state tournament, and are 11-1 in their last twelve games.  And no, I will not be going to their games.  The boys state tournament is a tradition for Matt and me.  We have missed only one tournament since Matt was 8 years old, the year we went to Mike Duvall’s driving school near Charlotte. If I have his age right, we have spent a day or two of March in Lincoln 26 of the last 27 years, so that is the event we will be taking in this year.

I would like to add grandson Henry to our tradition, but Matt says he can’t go until he is in third grade, just like I made him wait.  We’ll see about that in a few years.  Steph say Henry can only miss school one day for the tournament, and I am OK with that.  Matt said he must also get straight A’s and make his bed everyday.  Matt may have received straight A’s once or twice; my memory is a little foggy there, but as far as making his bed?  P-l-e-a-s-e.  He probably made his bed as often as he got straight A’s. Grandpa plans are being Henry’s biggest lobbyist.

Thanks for stopping by. 

P.S. TheFremontboys have not qualified for the state basketball tournament this century.  It may be 2027 before they do-led by future all state guard Henry Meyer.