Spade Racing's Dover Trucks Adventure

Yesterday afternoon I went with my dad to the Lucas Oil 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway.  Here's the photographic evidence:

Pre-race festivities.  Circled is something I never really noticed before--it's a scoreboard-style electronic display that shows the number of a car that's been penalized, black-flagged, or disqualified.  So, basically, Norm Benning.

Case in point.

The Air Force with a pretty cool art installation--it was called "RAGE: Brad Keselowski, Martinsville 2014"

For those of you who don't live in the Delaware Valley, ACME is a local chain of grocery stores, NOT the guys who supplied the coyote with all those malfunctioning contraptions in Looney Tunes.

My tax (and speeding ticket) dollars hard at work.

Trucks preparing to restart--the outside line was the dominant line, so the leader (read: Kyle Busch) chose it every time.

Trucks coming around Turn 4 under green as Mason Mingus serves a penalty for not calling before he dug.

The view from the front row--Dover is so steeply-banked (even on the frontstretch) that you can't see the racing surface from here.  The concrete you're seeing is the pit lane, and the asphalt is the walking area for the fans.  Granted, this could also be because I'm a crappy photographer...

Matt Crafton (the only real threat to Kyle Busch) being towed to the garage after blowing a tire and wrecking on the backstretch.

Wreck between Gray Gaulding and Random Turner-Scott Truck Series Driver.

 Great on-track action, crappy action up-front, Kyle Busch wins.  Yep, sounds like a Camping World Truck Series race to me!

Bully in the smoke.

Dover "News" and Notes (The Early Edition)

--I'll be attending the Camping World Truck Series race on Friday (weather and beach-traffic permitting), hopefully returning with plenty of cool pictures.  I'd LIKE to come back with some cool stories, but Kyle Busch is entered in the race.

--Gene Haas is delaying his entry into Formula 1, shocking a grand total of nobody.

Click it or somethingorother

--Congrats to Jeb Burton, who picked up Estes Trucking as a sponsor for the rest of the season.  Always great to see the son of a millionaire ex-driver get a fair shake.

--It's good to know that my tax dollars (meager as they may be) are going, in a roundabout way, to sponsor Reed Sorenson in this weekend's race.

--Could Greg Biffle leave Roush-Fenway?  Yes.  Would it be a good career move?  Yes.  Would he get sued if he tries to take 3M with him?  Yes.

--Remember that Dover is one of the few tracks on the circuit that doesn't have an asphalt racing surface (using concrete) joining Bristol (concrete) and Kentucky (rumble strips).

--Brett Moffitt makes his Cup debut this weekend in the #66 car.  I'm hoping against hope that his seat is made by Toffitt Manufacturing.

Kyle Busch Announces Plan to Do IndyLights/Nationwide Double

Inspired by his brother's nearly-successful double, Kyle Busch has announced plans to run an IndyLights Series race and a Nationwide Series race in the same day.

"I wonder if NHRA still has
a sportsman's division?"

"We have to see how it works out schedule-wise, but it's something I definitely want to try", the younger Busch said shortly after today's Coca-Cola 600.  "My personal goal is to win 200 races across major national touring series, and the more series I run, the more races I can win."

Kyle Busch, who regularly runs Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races to "gain track experience", has said that he sees similar benefits in running an IndyLights race at a common track.

"Well, let's say that we run at Pocono", Busch said, referencing the upcoming IndyLights race at The Tricky Triangle.  "And let's say that I have an early front-end wreck later in my stock car.  Well, if they peel off the front end, it'll look just like an IndyCar!  Not to mention the fact that it helps to see where the deer and drunks are congregating."

Busch is said to be trying to put together a deal with an IndyLights team, while the series appears to be receptive to his plan.

"We always love to see new talent here in IndyLights, though I honestly have no idea why Mr. Busch would want to run here", said an IndyCar PR rep.  "We told him that we can't offer much tv exposure or prize money, but he really wanted to do it.  Plus, any chance to increase our car count by 10% is great for us."

Kyle Busch also said that there are more intangible reasons for his desire to run two races in two developmental series in the same day.

"Sure, going out there and competing with the best in your sport is nice, but that's not what I want", Busch explained.  "To go out there and compete with drivers 10 years younger than you, teams that barely have any sponsorship, while you come in with first-rate equipment and completely dominate them, that's what really makes me happy."

When reached for comment, Nationwide Insurance replied with a press release: "Meh."