Hanging With Herman: A Reluctant Goodbye to Speedweeks

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Written by Amy Henderson Thursday, 21 February 2008 18:38

A Daytona Whirlwind
Kenny had quite a ride at Speedweeks 2008 with a stellar performance in his Gatorade Duel race to qualify for the Daytona 500, and some wild dirt racing to temper the disappointment of missing the first NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season.  Kenny says that he was very grateful to make the 50th running of the Daytona 500 and that it was a truly special experience, and his 43rd place finish following a part failure did not dampen his enthusiasm for being a part of a historical weekend.

“I had a wonderful time in Speedweeks,” Kenny says.  “It was full of surprises.  I couldn’t wait to get down there and I wasn’t ready to leave, so that tells me how good it was; from starting out at the dirt track to making the 500 I has so much fun!

“The low point was qualifying 32nd in the Nationwide Series car and not making the race.  I have to say I quickly got over it because I raced into the Daytona 500, which was really big to me. I was so thankful. I thought, ‘I’m just going to be thankful for making the Daytona 500 and I won’t worry so much about not making the Nationwide race.’  I didn’t realize how big a deal it really was until I made the Daytona 500.  Race day was just fantastic. From the drivers’ meeting to introductions, it was really a big deal.  We broke a motor very rare for a Hendrick to break. We had a part failure with a valve spring in the #1 cylinder.”

California Dreamin’
This week Kenny and the No. 36 Shark team head to the West Coast and California Speedway.  The team is optimistic this week as the number of entries assures them a place in the field for the Stater Bros. 300.  Kenny looks at it as a fresh start after last week’s disappointment: “Now we get to go to California Speedway and there are only 42 cars entered, so we are not gonna miss the race. It’s another new beginning”

Back to Reality
Kenny said that he doesn’t get to drive much during the week with his busy schedule, but a recent road trip with Kim reminded him of the rising cost of gas of late.

“Me and Kim decided to drive home from Florida,” Kenny says, “so we unhooked our pickup truck from the motorhome and drove home.  My pickup truck runs on diesel fuel.  When I drove home, I pulled off to fill the tank and it was about thirty gallons.  I couldn’t believe it; it cost $105.40!  It was the first time in my life I paid a hundred dollars for a tank of gas.  I felt what the fans felt for the first time, because I realized to take my pickup truck to Daytona and back was about $400, and because I don’t drive a lot that shocked me.”