[A.G.]

urrrrrrrrppppppppppp! Uh, excuse me. Much better now. Have to avoid those afternoon happy hours. Oh, where was I? Oh yeah. I HATE FORD (but love Sadler).

[Rocketfan]

The one sport that i absolutly can't stand.........well that and figure skating of any kind.

[givemethemic]

rocketfan.... you are quickly becoming apart of the minority of people who hate NASCAR... it's here and it's getting bigger? By the way is rocketfan (Mr.Adams)?

[Sly Fox]

He's just stating his opinion. Frankly, I'm not big fan either. I understand and appreciate the passion by many fans. But I'm just not caught up in the hype.

[Rocketfan]

Sadly i probably should be a fan, i mean in HS i helped build a stock car for a dirt oval track racing and watched my buddy ( like 21 at the time) win some races. In Nascar you can watch the crashes and the last five laps and feel like you didnt miss much, not many other sports that, that can happen. Yes Rocketfan is Mr. Adams OR Mr. Adams is Rocketfan whichever you prefer.

[El Scorcho]

In Nascar you can watch the crashes and the last five laps and feel like you didnt miss much, not many other sports that, that can happen.

I used to think that way until I really started to understand pit strategy and planning. Now I want to know every detail of how the lineup got to be the way it did for the last five laps. I have video games to thank for that. I wasn't a fan until I started playing NASCAR Thunder on Gamecube with a friend. Two years later, I'm going to races and my wife is a Kasey Kahne nut. Go figure.

[PAmedic]

I also have the S.O. in my life to thank for this addiction!

[givemethemic]

Nothing like NASCAR on a Thursday afternoon... Let's Go Vickers!!!!!!

[A.G.]

Yeah Buddy!!! Looks like the boys are fixin to get racin' after a rain delay.

[A.G.]

ATTABOY SADLER!!!!

[bigsmooth]

hendrick finishes 1,2. guess who finished first medic??? 24. nuff said.

[PAmedic]

umm, lets wait for a race that COUNTS pal!

oh- and thru the majority of qualifying for the truck race my boy is #1.

[El Scorcho]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, keep an eye on Hamlin.

I was happy to see him with another Top 10 today. I really hope he has a great day at the big race.

[PAmedic]

Yes indeedy! #6 Scott Turfbuilder Ford- piloted by the great one, Mark Martin- with his first Daytona poll at 178.68 mph.

[A.G.]

OK. The prelims are over.
Who ya got?
I think this is Tony's year to finally reach victory lane (after leading the most laps the past 4 years).

[PAmedic]

figured you guys would want to hear it from me first: Mark Martin wins at Daytona!

ok- it was the Craftsman Truck race- but the man dominated, leading the most laps and bringing the Scotts #6 home first.

on to the weekend!

[PAmedic]

Trucks: Martin throws caution to the win

By Mark Long, The Associated Press
February 17, 2006
11:12 PM EST (04:12 GMT)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Mark Martin found rare success at his least favorite track Friday night.

Martin won the season-opening Craftsman Truck series race at Daytona International Speedway, picking up his fourth victory at the famed track in 111 races.

Driving a partial truck series schedule, Martin took the lead with 13 laps remaining, got a fortuitous caution flag in overtime and cruised into Victory Lane.

Sort of.

Martin once gave away a Busch Series victory when he turned onto pit road before taking the checkered flag in a similar situation.

"I've messed this up before," Martin radioed while completing the final two laps under caution. "This race isn't over with yet."

Toyota teammates Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave finished second and third. Bodine closed last season with three consecutive wins, and Musgrave is the defending series champion.

But Martin has more experience at Daytona than the two of them combined -- just very few victories.

Martin's only other wins at Daytona came in the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race (1999) and in the IROC series (2003, 2005).

He had hoped to add to his total earlier Friday in the IROC event, but crashed out early and finished last. It gave him plenty of time to prepare for his fourth truck race in his long and storied career. He has won half of those starts in the truck series. His other victory came in his second start, at North Wilkesboro in 1996.

Martin led 42 of 102 laps and was in control until a late caution reset the field. Martin was shuffled back to ninth, then powered his way back to the front.

He was back in first when a caution came out with three laps to go, setting up a green-white-checker finish. The restart was for naught, as Ron Hornaday Jr. spun out and wrecked several other trucks. That instantly froze the field, meaning Martin only had to complete the final two laps under yellow for the win.

"Kind of made it easy on me here at the end without me having to fight for it," Martin said.

Musgrave said if the race would have finished under green, he would have teamed up with Bodine to run Martin down.

"Mark got his Christmas present because we had a plan," Musgrave said. "It's a last-lap deal where you just use the brakes real quick, let him shoot out, and then we come charging like a freight train."

A. I watched that Busch race about 15 yrs ago when he turned into victory lane on the white flag lap. Nearly threw myself over a cliff.

B. To say he "crashed out" of the IROC race is a little like saying I had an "encounter" with a mass transportation device. The dude got plowed in the rear and spun into the wall by an idiot open-wheeler. Not that I'm bitter

[A.G.]

TONY WINS IT!!!!
(OK, it's the Busch race, but beats the heck out of a truck race win)

[PAmedic]

how about that finish? 3 wide, 4 deep for 4 laps? AMAZING!

the bump drafting continues to be an issue- hope no one gets seriously injured tomorrow.

but what a race!

[A.G.]

I have to agree about the bump drafting. Seems like the 77 certainly gave Tony a nudge to get him in front--not unlike Tony doing the same for Hamlin in the shootout last week. The problem is that some (Little E comes to mind) don't know when NOT to do it.

[cheerbren]

My dad was there at the race yesterday and he said it was great to watch! I hope it doesn't rain!

[A.G.]

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity!
Let's go racing, boys!!

[A.G.]

Glad to see they were able to avoid The Big One. Hated TS showing his backside, but what else is new--that's why I like the guy. Sadler did the Virginia contingent proud, and a GM car in victory lane. Good times. Real good times.

[givemethemic]

Medic say it with me.... Hendrick, Hendrick, Hendrick....... Great to see my boy Vickers leading towards the end and we will take a top 10 finish... By the way I really hate Tony "we are gonna.... I mean I am going to kill somebody with all of this aggresive driving" Stewart.... NASCAR should really fine and take points away after his performance... Go Hendrick

[PAmedic]

of course I was disappointed with the results, but even more disappointed w/ Smoke- who I really thought had grown up. The man caused 4 wrecks and still got to finish in the top 10 while everyone else paid for his behavior. Not the way the champion should behave.

As for cheater Jimmy Johnson and the cheater 48 team, they need to cheater pass post race inspection cheater before I concede the victory to them cheater.