Dateline: Daytona Beach (And so it begins)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – If I hadn’t let it get dark before I sat down to write this blog Tuesday night, I could have honestly told you I was looking at the ocean beyond the sands of Daytona Beach out the window of where I’ll be staying the next two weeks.
Even though it’s way too chilly to frolic – even if I were one predisposed to frolic – it was nice to be able to see the water when I got here today. A lot of the days during Speedweeks begin before the sun is up and end well after it’s down, so I won’t be spending much time gazing out that window at the ocean.
But at least I know it’s there.
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Jeremy Mayfield has announced plans to run a full Sprint Cup season as the driver and co-owner of Mayfield Motorsports.
His Toyotas will carry the No. 41, but the car will not have the owner points amassed by Reed Sorenson with that number at Chip Ganassi Racing last year.
Mayfield said the suspension of testing and the car of tomorrow helped him get into position to field a team along with co-owner Gary Smith. Smith is chairman and chief executive officer of Big Red Inc., and that company’s All Sport brand of energy drink will serve as the team’s sponsor.
“Team ownership is something I’ve always wanted to pursue,” said Mayfield, who has five career Cup Series victories. “Things have really fallen into place this year with the NASCAR rule changes and with All Sport coming on board as a partner.”
Tony Furr is the crew chief and Triad Racing Technologies will supply the engines and chassis to support his racing efforts.
“We’re here for the long haul,” said Mayfield. “This isn’t something I’m going into with short term aspirations. Together with All Sport, we’re going to compete this year with the goal to build a solid team for many years to come.”
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Darlington Raceway wants fans to choose the most memorable moment in the track’s 60-year history. Voting has begun at darlingtonraceway.com.
The nominated moments are the inaugural Southern 500 in 1950, Ned Jarrett’s record 14-lap victory margin in the 1965 Southern 500, Richard Petty moving past his father, Lee, to first on the sport’s all-time victory list with Richard’s 55th career win in 1967, first Darlington wins in 1968 for South Carolina natives David Pearson and Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip’s dramatic win over Petty, Pearson and Bobby Allison for Waltrip’s first superspeedway win in 1977, Pearson’s 105th and final career win in 1980, Dale Earnhardt’s first Darlington win in 1982, Bill Elliott’s 1985 Southern 500 victory that earned Elliott the Winston Million bonus, Jeff Gordon’s first Darlington win in 1995, Jeff Burton’s win in the 50th Southern 500 in 1999, the dramatic fender-banging finish to Ricky Craven’s 2003 win over Kurt Busch and back-to-back wins in 2005 and 2006 by Greg Biffle.
Frankly, I am not sure about some of those nominees. Darlington has a lot of great history. But the choice for me comes down to Elliott’s 1985 win and the Craven-Kurt Busch battle in 2003. The 2003 race was epic, no doubt, but Elliott’s win in 1985 to earn $1 million from R.J. Reynolds was a big, big moment for the sport.
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Briefly: Sherry Clifton, who was the race promoter of Hickory Motor Speedway for more than a decade, is the new director for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Director. Clifton has racing in her blood. Her father, Hal, is the brother of short-track legend Tommy Houston. …Golden Corral restaurants will sponsor Travis Kvapil’s car in the Daytona 500. …The third annual Speed Performance Awards show will air for the first time Thursday at 10:30 p.m. The show will also repeat several times after that – 7 p.m. on Feb. 11; 2 a.m. on Feb. 12; 3 p.m. on Feb. 13 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 17.