Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKZkIt0QRoM
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DK: A new year dawns. New possibilities arise. New faces come onto the scene. But with everything that is new and fresh, one thing never changes... tradition. Time honored and everlasting, the 9 drivers of the Fantasy Cup Series enter the 2025 season with one tradition on each of their minds... winning!
Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rslJpib0C6o
DK: And a winning tradition is one that will be remembered for years to come. But no tradition begins without a new day. Hello everyone, I'm Dave Knight alongside a man who is no stranger to a winning tradition, NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip. Welcome to the famous Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin for the opening race to the Fantasy Cup season, the McDonald's 200. DW, how anxious does opening day make a driver?
DW: Dave, when I raced, I was always itching to see that green flag at Daytona and that was after just 3 months. These teams and drivers prepare for 10 months. They build, they test, they work ot sponsor and driver deals, and it all leads to 7 weeks in March and April. Every one of these men and women want to make it all worth it and put their stamp on history.
DK: And we've got some familiar faces along with new ones. Let's go trackside for the opening ceremony!
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your hats as the Army Field Band Brass Quintet performs our national anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBK-_7cDNUM
And now, race fans, it's time for the most famous words in motorsports! Please welcome our Grand Marshal, 1991 CART Champion and 5-time Milwaukee Mile winner Michael Andretti!
MA: Drivers, start your engines!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkmntt7xrU
DK: And now for the starting lineup for the McDonald's 200!
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DK: On the pole is the Burger King Buick driven by 2013 series champion JR "Razorback" Sealey.
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DK: Joining him on the front row is the Valvoline Thunderbird of Rattlecan Dan.
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DK: Starting 3rd is newcomer Billy "Knucklehead" Hobin in the #42 Country Time Ford.
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DK: The 4th place belongs to fellow newcomer Dude Watson in the #00 DeWitt Trucking Buick.
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DK: Row 3 inside, it's the Valvoline/Purolator Thunderbird of David Johnson with 2024 series champ Lee "Spud" Loggins on the pit box.
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DK: Amy "Hollywood" Hilton starts 6th in the Krispy Kreme Buick.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZIiQ35m.png)
DK: Rookie Kim Johnson starts 7th in the only Chevrolet in the field.
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DK: The 8th starting spot goes to the 2023 champion Sheldon Hatterfield in car #17.
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DK: And rounding out the field from Tennessee is Steve Hutson with multi-time Ned Houk Motorsports Park 4-cylinder champion Speed Racer atop the pit box.
(https://i.imgur.com/CjVq2nE.png)
Green Flag
DW: Boogity boogity boogity! Let's go racin' in 2025!
DK: And a smooth start for Rattlecan Dan but it looks like Sealey may have spun the tires just a bit. The 6 out to an early lead with Dude Watson in tow. Sealey settles back in 3rd as the field comes thundering out of turn 2. Amy Hilton leapfrogs her teammate Billy Hobin and David Johnson goes to her inside.
DW: Meanwhile, up front, Rattlecan Dan's gonna sail out of turn 4 and lead the opening lap!
DK: Watson though, he wants that lead and he drops his Buick to the onside of Dan's Ford. Dan chooses not to throw a block and Watson takes the lead on the back stretch. He'll continue the run and gain a 2 car length advantage through 3 and 4. Lap number 2 goes to Watson!
Lap 50
DW: Dave, I think Hollywood's got a rocket under that hood. She's managed to chase down ol' Razorback.
DK: And she brought company in the form of Sheldon Hatterfield. He's not let Hilton out of his crosshairs since the outset of this event.
Lap 88
DW: Trouble in turn 3! Smoke pouring from the 8 of Hutson! And we've got someone in the wall!
DK: That looks like Kim Johnson. I think she may have run through the fluids from the 8 car. What a rough start to the season for both of these drivers. Hutson's gonna limp his Ford back to the infield but Johnson's gonna get a ride to the care center as we see her out of the car and following the officials to the ambulance.
Lap 107
DK: Amy Hilton has fought her way to the front, putting the 6 of Rattlecan Dan in her rear view.
DW: And don't look now but he's got a mirror full of that 17 car. Hatterfield's closing the gap but getting to him is one thing. Passing him's another.
DK: He's gonna make that T-Bird as wide as possible early in the 2nd half of the McDonald's 200 which is what Hilton wants to see.
Lap 149
DK: And the caution comes out after Dude Watson takes a hard hit to the turn 4 wall!
DW: Dave, I think he cut a right front tire at the apex because that car just shot to the outside.
DK: The windo net is down as the AMR safety crew attends to him. He looks a little winded as he climbs out of that car but he walks to the ambulance under his own power as he get a round of applause from the crowd.
Lap 179
DW: Boy, ever since that last restart, Sheldon Hatterfield has been wearing out that rear bumper of Hilton. She's managed to keep him at bay but it looks like he's gonna make a move off of 4.
DK: They come to the line dead even. Hilton held on by inches but Hatterfield stays glued to the inside in turn 1. Hilton, not gonna let him get away. No pressure from behind from Rattlecan Dan for now but with these 2 racing toe to toe, that could allow the 6 to close the gap.
White Flag
DK: And we've got 1 to go here in Milwaukee! Hilton lost a little ground and trails by 2 car lengths and Rattlecan Dan has managed to reel her in. He's about half a carlength from her bumper. Sheldon Hatterfield hammers down the back stretch. Just 2 more turns for the 2023 Fantasy Cup champion!
DW: Hollywood's keeping that air awfully dirty for ol' Dan. He's lost a little ground in 2.
DK: And he's gonna make a run in 3 and 4. He gets a nose in but can't hold the inside. Hilton shuts the door as Sheldon Hatterfield comes to the line to win at the Milwaukee Mile! Amy Hilton retains a hard-fought 2nd place over Rattlecan Dan.
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DW: Man, what a battle! Nobody wants to run 2nd but it's a heck of a lot better than 3rd and that 0 car proved it today.
DK: And what a rally by the 17 of Sheldon Hatterfield. He scratched and clawed his way from 8th and didn't look back once he got that lead in the last 20 laps. And that's going to do it for us here in Milwaukee. For Darrell Waltrip, I'm Dave Knight. Thank you for joining us and we'll see you next week on the dirt of Tri-State Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops 100!
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Hatterfield in victory lane-
"Well, we got ourselves in a hole after qualifying... but this SMR Racing NOS Energy Drink West Tennessee Expediting Hunt Brothers Pizza ZMax Snap On Ford Fusion just kept digging, thanks to these great Hoosier tires wrapped around Weld Wheels and supported by Factory Kahne shocks, and Red Line Oil keeping the SKF Bearings, Mahle Pistons, Comp Cam and JE Pistons in our Gaerte Engine lubricated and the Wix oil filter keeping it all clean. The BSR-Hess body was really slick today. Thanks to all the fans who came out to support this series, and to the next one!"
Congrats to the #17 Team.
Beating the dents out of the Pennzoil, Johnson Racing Chevy and replacing a couple of front suspension pieces. I have Kim in a simulator working on her qualifying ability. Maybe if we get a better starting position, her driving ability will get us to the finish line in one piece. Getting it set up for dirt is going to be a new experience for the team, but we'll be ready for Tri-State
We've got the Thunderbird back at the Bull Run Creek Motorsports facility swapping out the blown engine and changing over to a dirt track set up. Thankfully our crew Chief, Speedracer is the multi time track champion at the old dirt track in Clovis, NM. I grew up working on dirt late models in and around East TN. I raced my own dirt car for one season in East TN before being transferred to Nashville with my job. Then I raced on asphalt for ten years. Hopefully we'll have a better race at Tri-State.
.....Checked in on the owner/builder of the 00 car John Gorday today, had some rough weather go thru his neck of the woods last night in Mississippi.
John reports that the damage to the 00 car wasn't as bad as originally thought. Superficial as he puts it...besides the body work,broke the upper control arm ,ball joint and bent up a tie rod...hanging new sheet metal today, should have it all ready tomorrow (Thursday) for the race at Tri-State. Dude is no stranger to the dirt tracks,either. Caught him at a dirt race in Arkansas last season, he's like Larry Phillips reincarnated....dirt or asphalt he's in it to win it.