Dale Jr Loses Daytona Pole, F1's Kubica surgery "successful"

Dale Jr had a feeling he didn't need to practice today.



"We had a pole sittin car...I didn't want to practice it".


Sure enough, slower traffic on track at DIS on Wednesday during practice caused Jr and draft partner and teammate Jimmie Johnson to check up. Trailing not far behind in another two-car draft team, Martin Truex couldn't avoid them and crashed into the #88 causing Jr to switch to his backup car for the Gatorade Duels tomorrow night and for the start of Sunday's Daytona 500. Since the #88 will start from the rear for both races, Hendrick decided to drop a new motor in the car for the weekend.

Nascar also added to the "slowing" rule changes today. Along with a higher operating temperature making cars unable to draft for such extended periods during the race, they've decreased the size of the restrictor plate, roughly shaving 10 hp from the cars. Speeds dropped significantly from the 206.068mph posted by Michael Waltrip on Lap 10 of the Shootout to less than 201 mph on Wednesday.

This is also the 10th anniversary of Jr's dad, Dale Earnhardt Sr's death at Daytona. RIP, #3






Formula 1 Team Lotus Renault driver Robert Kubica emerged from delicate elbow surgery with an encouraging progress report from doctors. Kubica was gravely injured and airlifted from his wrecked World Rally Championship Skoda Fabio rally car last week during the Rally of Italy. Among his injuries was a compound fracture of his right elbow, and an almost severed right hand. Team Lotus Renault announced Nick Heidfeld, (pictured @ right), will take Kubica's place to begin the 2011 season.















Kubica, pictured above in last year's BMW Sauber and below, is an avid karter, and graduated from the ranks of the elite European karting championships, having battled with Lewis Hamilton and Vittantonio Liuzzi. In the picture, Kubica's kart is operating at a maximum. Notice the wheel-up on his inside-rear wheel during braking/turning!












PS On a personal note, today is my dad's birthday, Thomas Cyrus Carroll, he would have been 79. Last week was my son's birthday, Chris Pendleton, he is 24, and my birthday was last week also, I turned 45. Happy Birthday guys!!

-Katykarter