Down in the Pits: Future in doubt for Rudd
The last few days, I’ve been sitting by the pool enjoying life at my condo in Daytona Beach. As most of you know, this is a tough life.
I’ve got to drag myself out of bed, brush the teeth I have left, and then spend the rest of the day napping by the pool. If I was any more relaxed, I’d slip into a coma.
As far as racing news goes, I’ve spent the last two days chatting to Ricky Rudd. Ricky stays in the same condo as I do and we always have a big time each year.
The first question I had to ask Ricky was about his future. And of course Ricky has no idea I actually write a newspaper column. Looking dumb does have its advantages at times.
Ricky is as accessible as any human could possibly be and I was quick to congratulate him on his first win of the season last week in California. Will that win be enough to keep him in the Robert Yates No. 28 car next year? Ricky sure isn’t telling.
He said he doesn’t know if he will retire, if he will stay in the No. 28 car, or if he will seek another ride. He did say the first person he will know is his car owner, his boss and his friend, Robert Yates. He sure wasn’t going to tell me.
As far as how this season is shaping up, the surprise has to be the fact Sterling Marlin is still leading the points race. When Sterling jumped out in front at the start of the year, I figured it wouldn’t last more than a race or two the way Sterling seems to have a love affair with the wall.
But he is still clinging to a lead over second place Mark Martin, who has been asleep the last two years but is finally starting to show some energy out on the track. If Mark can keep it up so to speak, he is sure to be there at the end because he’s good on so many tracks.
If it wasn’t for some abysmal luck, my man Ricky Rudd would be challenging for the points lead, but right now he is some 150 points back and in seventh place.
When talking about surprises, rookie Jimmie Johnson, currently in fourth place, has to be one of them, as does Dale Jarrett, who has run into bad luck around every corner and is currently stuck in 11th place. To show you how bad that really is, Jarrett is behind Bill Elliott in the points race. That can’t be considered good by any measuring stick.
Speaking of Bill Elliott, he continues to be one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers even though he hasn’t won a race since Jeff Gordon was in diapers.
But it appears Elliott won’t be voted the most popular driver by NASCAR fans. That distinction goes to young gun and party animal Dale Earnhardt Jr. With voting just getting started, Earnhardt already has received over 1 million online votes — the most in history. Others in the top 10 include Gordon, Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Rusty Wallace, Kevin Harvick and Michael Waltrip.
As for the big race next weekend in Daytona, the talk has been about who is going to win. Going by recent history, Gordon and Jarrett have a great shot at it.
Gordon won the 1998 Pepsi 400 and the 1999 Daytona 500. Jarrett won the 1999 Pepsi 400 and the 2000 Daytona 500. They’re the only back-to-back winners at Daytona since Bobby Allison won the 1987 Firecracker 400 and the 1988 Daytona 500.
For there to be another back-to-back winner Ward Burton will have to find his way to the winner’s circle next weekend. If you recall, Ward stunned the racing world by winning the Super Bowl of racing this year in his No. 22 car.
Since then, Ward’s luck has not been the best. And, through the years, his racing luck has been known to be pretty poor. I don’t think Ward will win this time around.
If I had to make a prediction, I’d say it will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. in victory lane followed by Jeff Gordon.