Michigan rearview June 11, 2019
MICHIGAN MADE GOOD
Joey Logano had the fastest car all weekend, but he just needed the weather to cooperate at Ford’s home track FireKeepers Casino 400 i The Biff Is Back i Suarez Impresses Logano’s Tactics Questioned I NASCAR Defined I Bowyer Bites Lip
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community creator: Eric Estepp
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Michigan Race Review and Analysis
I
n the latest episode of Out of the Groove, host and creator Eric Estepp gives us his review and analysis of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. After last week’s lackluster product at Pocono, this week had a lot to live up to for fans online. First up we have the total domination of the 2019 season by the Penske team and Joe Gibbs Racing. Together these two teams have won 14 of the 15 races so far this season. Not far behind them in the standings, there’s Stewart-Haas. The 2019 “Big 3” will be teams, not drivers, it seems.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
Kevin Harvick’s pit team sadly made an impact again this week, this time by likely costing Harvick several positions on track with his final pit stop. Without that mishap, it’s possible that Harvick’s car performance would have been enough to overcome winner Joey Logano, owner of arguably the second fastest car of the night. But what about the rest of the field, and their point standings as we near the halfway point of the season? And how did the FireKeepers Casino 400 rank on Eric’s patented Groovy Gauge? You’ll have to watch the episode and find out!
5 lessons learned
5
lessons learned at michigan Rain Can’t Wash Away Logano’s Ford
J
oey Logano prevailed for the second time in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, scoring an impressive victory for Team Penske in Monday evening’s race at Michigan International Speedway where a postponement for rain delayed the start of the FireKeepers Casino 400 by some 27 hours. Before the series heads into the upcoming off-weekend, here are five takeaways from MIS. By Jared Turner
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
5 lessons learned
5
Michigan Is Still About the Manufacturers
R
aces at Michigan International Speedway are always in large part about manufacturer bragging rights, and Monday’s rain-delayed affair was no exception. Just ask race winner Joey Logano, whose No. 22 Ford crossed the finish line just ahead of Kurt Busch’s Chevrolet and Martin Truex Jr.’s Toyota. “It’s Ford’s home track,” said Logano, referencing the fact that Ford is headquartered in nearby Dearborn, Michigan. “What that means to the Ford family is so big; I can’t say how big, how much they talk about how bad they want to win at this racetrack, really in general, but particularly this racetrack, bringing home that Heritage Trophy. That means a lot. When you’re able to be that person that delivers that for them, that’s a special feeling. Maybe one of the best feelings, when you’re in Victory Lane, being able to see your manufacturer take home that trophy. It’s a really special thing.”
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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5 lessons learned
4
Daniel Suarez Is Progressing And Feels Good About His Future
T
hree days after telling reporters at Michigan International Speedway that he feels confident about keeping a seat at Stewart-Haas Racing beyond this season, Daniel Suarez proved why he’s upbeat about the future. Enjoying one of his best overall outings of the 2019 campaign, the first-year SHR driver finished fourth in Monday’s rescheduled race — best among the four SHR drivers and second-best among the Ford contingency. “The car was pretty strong the entire weekend and then again today,” said Suarez, who came home in the top 10 for the sixth time this season but recorded only his second top-five finish of 2019. “We just struggled for whatever reasons on the long runs in the first half of the race. We were able to make some adjustments and come back, and I am proud of my guys. We still have some work to do, but we are slowly heading into the right direction.”
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5 lessons learned
3
The Final Restart Was Controversial
J
oey Logano got a big final restart for Monday’s green-white-checkered finish and was able to speed away and go basically unchallenged over the final two laps at Michigan. Not everyone was happy with how Logano handled the last restart, however, as fellow top-five finishers Kurt and Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. all later said they thought Logano jumped the restart and therefore deserved a penalty. So did Logano accelerate too early coming to the green flag, as he was accused of doing, or did he merely catch his closest challengers sleeping? “Well, I was able to see right in front of me,” the Team Penske driver said of his approach to the final restart that extended the race beyond the original distance. “I hit it (the gas) when I got there (to the restart zone). Had a good start, though. It was a good one. That one felt good.”
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5 lessons learned
2
Clint Bowyer Is No Fan of the 2019 Rules Package
A
dd Clint Bowyer to the list of drivers who aren’t too keen on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ 2019 rules package. After wrecking out of Monday’s race on lap 130, the defending June Michigan winner didn’t mince words in offering his take on this year’s aero package, which created tighter racing at Michigan than typically occurs at the 2-mile track where cars generally tend to get strung out. “It was a pretty frustrating day. Pretty frustrating out there,” Bowyer said. “I mean, it is not racing. I am sorry; I am biting my tongue. I have never been penalized for trying to make a pass in my whole life since I was 4 years old. You get a run on somebody and you can make a complete pass and by the time you get to the next corner, you have been passed by four people. It is really, really frustrating.”
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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5 lessons learned
1
Joey Logano Is In Championship Form
J
oey Logano hasn’t been the most dominant driver of 2019, but the reigning series champion has looked consistently solid and plenty capable of repeating as champ if all the stars align in his favor. Logano’s championship potential was on full display at Michigan as the Team Penske driver won both the pole and the race, leading a whopping 163 of 203 laps in the process. “It was nice to be able to show that the car had a lot of speed throughout the whole race; I’m proud of that,” said Logano, who now has two victories on the season and leads the standings. “What I’m more proud of is the way we handled everything throughout the weekend. We unloaded with speed, but the car didn’t drive good. We were able to put some handling in the car, got the car driving decent. Qualifying on the front row and putting it on the pole was huge.”
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
Just Sayin’
Rescheduled Michigan Start Time Was Absurd
N
Competing in his first major NASCAR event since 2016, Greg Biffle won the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Biffle Still Has the Goods By Jared Turner
T
he most heartwarming moment of the past weekend occurred when Greg Biffle — competing in his first major NASCAR event since 2016 — won the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Making a cameo appearance in a Kyle Busch Motorsports truck, the 49-year-old driver looked not even the least bit rusty as he led 18 laps and went to Victory Lane despite it being his first truck race since November 2004. Now that he’s proven he can still be competitive and run up front in a NASCAR national series event, will Biffle enter more truck races or possibly even entertain a return to NASCAR’s premier series where he won a total of 19 races between 2002 and 2016? Don’t hold your breath. Given Biffle’s age, it’s doubtful he would seriously consider running a full schedule again. But, regardless of whether Friday night’s race at Texas was a one-off or a precursor for bigger and better things to come from “The Biff,” there’s no way that anyone could at this point ever question the veteran driver’s aptitude to go racing and make his presence felt.
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o one could help Mother Nature’s lack of cooperation on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. What could have been helped, however, was the completely absurd Monday start time. Instead of rescheduling the race for 10 or 11 o’clock in the morning as would be customary for such situations, the green flag waved just after 5 p.m. ET. No, that wasn’t a misprint. Thanks to a scheduling conflict with FS1’s coverage of the World Cup, drivers and teams were stuck in Michigan until sunset on Monday. For obvious reasons, there were no winners in this situation — not the fans in attendance, not the TV viewers and certainly not the drivers and team members at the track. This scenario simply can’t happen again, and let’s hope it never does.
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nascar series standings
monster energy nascar cup series
no. Driver Pts. Wins
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
Kyle Busch 605 Brad Keselowski 541 Martin Truex Jr. 499 Joey Logano 614 Denny Hamlin 491 Chase Elliott 531 Kevin Harvick 539 Kurt Busch 485 Ryan Blaney 434 Alex Bowman 433 Aric Almirola 426 Clint Bowyer 404 Daniel Suarez 401 William Byron 383 Kyle Larson 369 Jimmie Johnson 364 Ryan Newman 361 Erik Jones 357 Paul Menard 336 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 326 Austin Dillon 306 Chris Buescher 304 Ty Dillon 265 Daniel Hemric 234 Ryan Preece 213 Matt DiBenedetto 204 David Ragan 176 Corey LaJoie 170 Bubba Wallace 170 Michael McDowell 161 Matt Tifft 136 Reed Sorenson 46 Quin Houff 41 Jamie McMurray 19 J.J. Yeley 3 Stanton Barrett 2 Casey Mears 1
4 3 3 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
nascar xfinity series
no. Driver Pts. Wins
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
Christopher Bell 538 Cole Custer 510 Tyler Reddick 627 Michael Annett 406 Austin Cindric 486 Justin Allgaier 479 Chase Briscoe 440 John Hunter Nemechek 429 Noah Gragson 423 Justin Haley 395 Ryan Sieg 380 Brandon Jones 353 Gray Gaulding 268 Brandon Brown 256 Jeremy Clements 222 Garrett Smithley 201 Ray Black Jr. 188 B.J. McLeod 182 David Starr 180 Stephen Leicht 160 Vinnie Miller 147 Matt Mills 141 Joey Gase 127 Jeff Green 52 Josh Williams 195 Jeffrey Earnhardt 166 Timmy Hill 121 Zane Smith 119 Chad Finchum 109 Jeb Burton 94 Tommy Joe Martins 89 Mike Harmon 85 Josh Bilicki 70 Ronnie Bassett Jr. 67 Kaz Grala 65 Riley Herbst 51 Ryan Truex 40 Landon Cassill 36 Alex Labbe 36 Chris Cockrum 33 Max Tullman 26
3 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
nascar gander outdoors truck series no. Driver Pts. Wins
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
Johnny Sauter Austin Hill Ross Chastain Grant Enfinger Stewart Friesen Matt Crafton Brett Moffitt Ben Rhodes Harrison Burton Todd Gilliland Sheldon Creed Tyler Dippel Jordan Anderson Spencer Boyd Gus Dean Brennan Poole Tyler Ankrum Austin Self Cory Roper Josh Reaume Anthony Alfredo Angela Ruch Natalie Decker Jesse Little Jennifer Cobb Timothy Peters Korbin Forrister Joe Nemechek Norm Benning Myatt Snider David Gilliland Ray Ciccarelli Raphael Lessard Derek Kraus Greg Biffle Ryan Reed Jesse Iwuji Clay Greenfield Codie Rohrbaugh Chad Finley Bobby Gerhart
307 302 265 379 342 338 324 323 293 267 254 184 160 159 134 179 158 128 127 112 102 100 95 91 89 84 83 76 58 56 56 54 52 48 45 31 31 29 29 28 26
1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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iRacing’s 2019 Season Three Update New Rules and Vehicles Added for NASCAR Fans By M atteo M archeschi
T
his past week, many iRacing regulars may have noticed that many of their normal series were absent, and some new series appeared. This is because last week was iRacing’s week 13. Week 13 is named as such because it comes at the end of iRacing’s traditional 12-week season. iRacing uses this special week to administer updates, including fixes, the addition of new features to the sim, and add and update cars and tracks.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
As a result, the reliability of the sim can decrease, and a few downtimes are necessary to issue updates and hotfixes. As a result, only a few “official” series run during week 13, with most series being “fun” series, which have no impact on Safety Rating or iRating. Any new content is usually featured in their own special series. Last week was the introduction of the 2019 Season Three update, which was fairly
crew member profile: William gilbert exciting for NASCAR fans. It introduced the new-for-2019 Ford Mustang Cup car, the 2019 Chevy Silverado Truck, and a new NASCAR Whelen Modified provided by Fury Race Cars. Also new additions were the green-whitecheckered, which allows three attempts to finish a race under green. This was the system used in NASCAR until 2016. Night versions of Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway were also introduced into the sim. Lucas Oil Offroad Trucks and two off road tracks were also introduced in this update, among many other smaller changes.
Endless changes are on the horizon in future updates, maybe the most highly-anticipated of which being the new damage model, which will allow the damage done in wrecks to both look and act much more like real life than it does currently. Also in development is a new, more accurate tire model, AI, and rain. While these only have very rough estimated arrival times, iRacing does a good job keeping its audience updated on progress with each of these new aspects. To keep from overpromising, though, iRacing staff, when asked about when any faroff feature may arrive, responds with “soon.” So we’ll see all of these features in the sim… soon.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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community creator: Danny B
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Joey Logano Dominates Close Race at Michigan Danny B Talks, a regular fixture of the online NASCAR community, is back with a new episode of his trending series, Danny B Needs a Minute. In it, the NASCAR vlogger takes us on a blistering fast trip around the top stories of the week. In this latest episode, Danny B, aka Daniel Baldwin, covers the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, and specifically, he covers the dominating performance by Team Penske’s Joey Logano.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
Although the racing was close throughout the day, only Kevin Harvick posed a serious threat to Logano’s lead the entire race. With a finish of only just 0.147 seconds, this was one of the closest finishes of the 2019 season so far, and Danny has his thoughts on how the aero package contributed. Check out that and more hot stories in this week’s episode of Danny B Needs a Minute, and be sure to leave Danny B a comment on this video to let him know what you think!
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health and wellness Dr. Jason Cormier has helped MSG provide a comprehensive, grassroots marketing campaign focused on preventative health care education and wellness training.
msg: making racing safer TM
By dan guttenplan
M
otorsports Safety Group is a collaboration of innovators in the sport who are determined to improve the safety of racing. MSG shares tips for race car drivers to help avoid injuries during races and practice sessions. Acknowledged as one of the country’s leading neurosurgeons, Dr. Jason Cormier has helped MSG provide a comprehensive, grassroots marketing campaign focused on preventative health care education and wellness training. For Dr. Cormier’s most recent side project, he co-authored an autobiography – with the help of acclaimed author Clifton Lambreth. The book, “Challenges: The Inspiring Story of Dr. Jason Cormier” shares the brain surgeon’s journey overcoming significant obstacles to achieve extraordinary things. “I had no intention of doing a book,” Cormier said. “I’m a private person, and the last thing I wanted to do was wallow in the embarrassment of some of the challenges I’ve faced in my life. People were pushing me to share my life experiences because there are many others currently suffering through some of the same things. My hope is that people might draw from
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
this reservoir of experiences so as to foster more positive solutions in confronting the difficult challenges in their lives.” Cormier, along three other siblings, was raised by a single mother who also served as a high school and college educator. His father was absent throughout his childhood, and money was tight for the Cormier family in Lafayette, La. “My dad was absent and not the best role model,” Cormier said. “He battled with alcoholism, and that was something we had to deal
health and wellness with in a single-parent home. Not having the monetary means of what other kids in the neighborhood had, we’d eat certain meals and have to make it last for two or three days.” Cormier eventually graduated from high school, played college basketball at LSU, then played pro basketball before returning to school and receiving a medical degree. He has since worked his way to the top of the profession in neurosurgery. “All through life’s trials and tribulations, my close friends and family have always been my biggest supporters,” Cormier said. Cormier said the experience of writing about
his past unearthed some feelings that he’d compartmentalized for years. “You don’t really know how your parents’ divorce resonates deep inside you,” Cormier said. “In self-reflection, I don’t think I ever dealt with that correctly. I recall a lot of yelling and screaming in front of us, in addition to physical abuse. That became somewhat of the norm. I kept it hidden and tucked away. I have come to realize that this really wasn’t my fault. Hopefully this helps with issues that others currently deal with – like relationships and friendships. This is what I’ve come through. Things could always be so much worse.”
The Man Behind the Book Dr. Jason Cormier teaches both medical students and residents many innovative neurosurgical techniques including endoscopic pituitary and image-guided surgery, and minimally invasive complex spinal surgery. Dr. Cormier was named as one of “America’s Top Surgeons,” in the field of Neurosurgery, by the Consumers Research Council of America, Guide to America’s top surgeons and currently listed as one of the leading physicians in the world for Neurosurgery. Dr. Cormier is a member of the American Association of
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Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. His busy practice involves performing complex brain and spinal operations on patients from around the country that seek out his surgical acumen.
Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
Cormier crafted his strategic partnership with the ARCA racing series’ safety initiative Program to form a “Motorsports Healthcare Education Plan” Medical car. Utilizing the strength and demographic reach of NASCAR and the ARCA racing series, their mission is to provide a comprehensive, grassroots marketing campaign focused on preventative health care education and wellness training. Sign up for more news and updates on “Challenges: The Inspiring Story of Dr. Jason Cormier” at www. thechallengesbook.com.
nascar defined
▶▶ THE CONNECTION TO THE KIDS. Ryan Blaney signs autographs after driver introductions during the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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nascar defined
▶▶ THE MAN OF THE HOUR. Chase Elliott signs autographs on his way to the car during qualifying for the FireKeepers Casino 400.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
nascar defined
▶▶ COCKTAIL HOUR. Tyler Reddick celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series LTi Printing 250.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
nascar defined
▶▶ THE BIFF. Greg Biffle celebrates in Victory Lane by putting the winner’s sticker on his car after winning the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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nascar defined
▶▶ THE MICHIGAN MOB. Fans enjoy the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
nascar defined
â–śâ–ś Martin Truex Jr. and the 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota team go through a pit stop during the FireKeepers Casino 400.
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Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
nascar defined
â–śâ–ś A GO ROUTE. Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney throw a football during a rain delay for the FireKeepers Casino 400. 0 4 6
Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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▶▶ CRUISING THROUGH MICHIGAN. Joey Logano led 163 of 203 laps at the 2-mile track in the Irish Hills. He had the fastest car in qualifying on Saturday and the fastest car in the 15th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event of the season.
Michigan rearview: June 11, 2019
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nascar defined
â–śâ–ś MAKING IT RAIN. Joey Logano needed overtime to seal the win. He needed a superb restart on Lap 202 to gain an edge. And he needed a determined drive over the last two laps, aided by spotter T.J. Majors, to hold off charging Kurt Busch by .147 at the finish.
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NASCAR PETS
Jeffrey Earnhardt’s hunting buddy By Jared Turner
L
ike most NASCAR drivers, Jeffrey Earnhardt finds his weekends consumed with racing. That means he typically has to carry out his passion for duck hunting during the week – when most of his friends are working and can’t go. The fourth-generation NASCAR driver has found the perfect duck-hunting companion, however, in Bama, an 80-pound, male Chesapeake Bay Retriever that he bought from a breeder near Nashville, Tennessee, two years ago. Bama – given his name because of Earnhardt’s affinity for University of Alabama football – was about nine weeks old and weighed only about 15 pounds when Earnhardt picked him up. “He grew quite fast,” Earnhardt said in late February. “He’s put on a little weight now that duck season’s over and we’re not hunting every morning. He’s packing on a few pounds.” When duck hunting season is in, Earnhardt has been amazed by how helpful Bama has been during their various adventures into nature. “It’s crazy to see the drive that these dogs have just to want
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to please their owner, or their father, if you will,” Earnhardt said. “Just to see the drive a dog can have, to just want to go work, is pretty incredible.” But when Bama isn’t hunting ducks, he’s more of a “couch potato.” “He’s 80 pounds and thinks he weighs 20,” Earnhardt said. “He wants to lay on your lap 24/7, gets up on the couch and just puts all his weight up against you. He’s just a good companion, man. It’s a cool bond that you get with a dog like that. Literally, when they say man’s best friend, it’s a true statement, because even on your bad days, he finds a way to make them better.” Earnhardt grew up around various animals with his stepmother working as a veterinarian assistant, and he hopes to eventually purchase a motorhome so Bama can travel with him to the track on race weekends. “I don’t think they (NASCAR) would let him in the garage, but he would take up half the hauler if they did,” Earnhardt said with a laugh. “We probably wouldn’t get a whole lot of work done if he was around.”
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