msrpk.com blog

"American Hero Visits the World Center of Racing"

Sergeant First Class Samuel Potter is another one of those men and women we thank for the freedom to do what we do. He saw enough rough stuff with the 1st Infantry Division in Tikrit, Iraq (the home of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein) to earn an award of the Combat Action Badge, and was also awarded a Purple Heart for combat wounds. Potter is back in the States, and is assigned as a recruiter in nearby Orlando, FL. He is a senior non-commissioned officer, responsible for the supervision, education, training and welfare of his junior soldiers. His counterpart on Ryan Newman's #39 US Army Chevy Impala SS team is crew chief Tony Gibson. Gibson is getting a backup car ready for Newman on Sunday after Newman's woes in the second Daytona Duel.

I mention Sgt. 1st Cl. Potter because this morning after the Duels, many things were said about giving back by Jeff Gordon, who walks the walk and talks the talk with his foundation, and Greg Biffle, who mentioned his foundation (like Army driver Ryan Newman, Biffle has a soft spot for animals) in press conferences. That's important and appreciated.

But none of us could exercise our freedoms if it were not for the selfless service and leadership of soldiers like Sgt 1st Cl. Potter. The Army is calling 2009 the "year of the non-commissioned officer". So when you see a soldier in uniform wearing stripes, you are looking at the reason the US Army is able to do what it does every day.

Not so much to report from on-track...with practice for Sunday's Daytona 500 just concluding.

Jamie McMurray topped the charts in practice number 5 at 191.546 miles an hour. Newman did get on track to run 20 laps--his best speed 187.750 miles an hour. T'would seem that Chad Knaus used this session--by running 40 laps, the most of any of the 37 drivers--as a test by three time and defending Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson.

We'll lay low until the race, unless developments warrant a break-in.