James Hylton / 1966 Nascar Rookie of the Year to Attempt Daytona 500 / 2007

[Tyyrus]

It's been further Reported that former Rookie of the Year James Hylton , will attempt to Qualify for the 2007
Daytona 500 with Race Prepared RCR Chevrolet .

P.S. I,ll put my Money on the Silver Fox..Eh ! Wonder who the Oldest Dude is between the Pair..Man !

[Bryan Blanton]

I think hylton will be lucky to find a car fast enough to make the show?

Wasn't hylton the guy who used to run rumple on his car as a sponsor?

[Tyyrus]

I don't know Bryan , could be pretty stout car since it's been set up by RCR with their reputation for Horsepower ! If the 72 Yr. Old Dude can still wheel the car he may just get lucky and qualify..miracles do happen..Eh ! Don't think he will last long in the race..though not enough chemistry with him and his team.

P.S. Don't know about his former Sponsors , since I did not start following Nascar until 1969..Chris would
probably know..Eh !   Take care Bryan..have a Great Day !

[Chris]

well let me jump in....

I think hylton will be lucky to find a car fast enough to make the show?

If anything RCR stuff and their aero package is among the best.  IMHO I just don't think ol' James is up to the task.  ONLY way I see him getting in is on speed.  I do NOT see him racing his way into the 500.

Wasn't hylton the guy who used to run rumple on his car as a sponsor?

I think you are talking about J.D. McDuffie.  He had Rumple on his cars for years.  Sadly we lost JD during a CUP race at Watkins Glen back several years ago.  Thats the reason the "bus stop chicane" is put in now at the end of the long back straight...

  Oh and Tyyrus

I,ll put my Money on the Silver Fox..Eh ! Wonder who the Oldest Dude is between the Pair..Man

Hylton is older than Pearson my just a few months.  Both were born in 1934.  Hylton in August,... Pearson in December.  SO it's Hylton the oldest by just a few months.

[sugar]

Admittedly I am a NASCAR rookie, but I was reading about this guy today and I think he has some hutzpah, but does he have the stamina to last the race.  I imagine it's pretty grueling to drive that fast, that long.  I'm in my 50's and my joints hurt!  But, hey, I say if the guy wants to try it, then he should go for it.  Who knows? 

I read where some drivers were worried about him causing a crash, but isn't that a risk everytime they go on the track - I think I've seen some (sarcasm) crashes that is.

That's my two cents.

[Bryan Blanton]

I thought i heard ken squier say 1 year i think it was 1995 that james hylton came to daytona with rumple on his car. But in that year james hylton failed to qualify for the daytona 500 i think it was shortly after that that james stopped trying to qualify for what at the time was known as winston cup races.

[Bryan Blanton]

Does anyone else besides myself remember when mario andretti at age 62 in 2003 actually came out and practiced an indycar at indianapolis.

I heard they were even thinking about having him qualify tony kanaan's car cause kanaan was injured at the time.

But mario had a nasty wreck where he ran over a piece of debris from kenny breck's car and it launched his car up in the air fortuanately mario was okay.

Also i think paul newman has ran in the 24 hours of daytona in recent years and is he in his late 70's early 80's?

Didn't him and kyle drive a porsche in 2004 when it rained i think they were out early though.

[Chris]

hhuummm...
Not gonna say it "didn't" happen.  Could have.
Hylton could of made a "one off" deal with Rumple..??
Could of been one of those deals where McDuffie missed the race,.. and they switched the sponsorship to Hyltons car.??

I was always under the impression that Rumple Furniture was a place kinda "local" that just always supported J.D. because he was a low budget independant racer..??
By and large Rumple always supported J.D.

[paulfan]

The one factor that I haven't seen expressed yet is a racer that doesn't plan to run the full season attempting to make the Daytona race.  Age is not an issue.

Think of the affects that it would have on Waltrip, Marlin, Mayfield, Menard, Ruddiman, Ward Burton, etc if they don't make the race. 

Making the first 5 races is critical for these teams.  Remember Robby Gordon season before last.  If you miss the early races you are in a hole for the whole season.  Riggs did it last year but it was an uphill battle.

[Tyyrus]

I agree with you , for an attempt of Qualifing for most Races for a Young Feelin 72 Yr Old is not astronomic .
It will be harder than normal @ Daytona because of the G-Forces involved in the Corners at this specific track.
As I said before , really did not follow Hyton's career , nor do I know of his more recent physical condition
(must meet minimium Nascar Standards) or his ontrack performance of late. I will be keeping a close eye on
this news item..should be interesting , hope it's not all smoke an mirrors , just for publicity for RCR. I would
love ta see the Old-Timer put down a great lap or maybe even a few more in the Race...but I think thats
rather unrealistic...well you never should say never they say...so lets just see...Paulfan...Eh !  

[flamehothead]

I think Nascar should put a stop to this. If your gonna race then race all year not just the biggest race of the year. Kirk Shelmerdine does the same thing every year and it screws things up for the guys who plan on running the full season. I forget how many races a driver can run and still be considered a rookie the following year, I think it's 5 or 7. I don't really like that either. I feel the same way about the Cup drivers running Busch. If a Cup driver wants to run Busch then go and run Busch and if a Busch driver wants to run Cup then he should run Cup. Don't switch back and forth because it totally screws everyone up in the series that your Invading. Could you imagine how happy Menard or Sauter would have been to have won the Championship or how happy someone would have been to have finished inside the top 35 but didn't because someone wanted to try to qualify for ONE race. Of course I'm sure if J.Johnson or one of Nascars Puppets was effected by this then they would put a stop to it immediatly. And no I'm not picking on J.Johnson, I used him because he was the Champion last year.

[Tyyrus]

Hell..Flammer all poor Old Kirk does is take up xtra space in the Pits ! Hardly ever qualifys , don't understand
how one of the better Crew Chiefs can set cars up so badly..maybe he just has junk for engines. Seems he
is always about 3-5 MPH of the Qualifying Pace , no matter which track he attempts to qualify on. As far as
the Bush Wacker situation , hell we have flogged that issue to death. But I just thought of something , why
would Nascar just NOT allow upper division competitors (Cup) to actually Win or Accumulate Point in the lower
Divisions. They always say their there only for seat time..well get your seat time but no peso's or points.
I know Iv'e see Cup guys in Arca also...no deterent inplace in that Series either ! But then if they do , I guess
Tony , should'nt be racing in other Santioned Races in Dirt or Asphalt cause he is a Professional Driver in the
formost Racing Series in North America. I don't no what there answer is , but as a Fan I love watching Mark
Tony , Scrader and the rest in all Series...Hell wonder if I could get these guys into Snowmobiling..Heck Id come out of Retirement for that ... Baby ! Hell even brake out my Fox Racing Leathers to Compete against
Cousin Carl & R. Gordon if I knew they entered a Sanctioned Enduro or Moto- Cross Event , still have my North American Racing Credentials Active Baby !

P.S. Actually on the serious side Flammer , I just hope these Old Guys , just don't get their selves or any
other competitor seriously injured.by their actions or lack of reactions...but Nascar is Responsible for that matter..Eh

P.S.S. Just a further update Flammer Buddy ! Are you settin down ? Ward Burton apparently going to race 20 Busch Series or Walmart  Events , just when Harvick and Cousin Carl have indicated they were going to scale down their
involvement in Busch. Seems the Money is still the Issue , too many Sponsors wanting Cup Guys in their Busch cars and
Nascar just Loves the extra attention. Like I said unless Nascar sets stricter policy nothin is going to change ?

[flamehothead]

WHEW!!!!!!

Glad I was sitting down LOL. In a way I think it's a good thing that Ward is going to run some Busch races because ya have to figure he is a little on the Rusty side. After a driver is out for a couple of years I think Nascar should have them run in both series just to get the feel of stuff like different types of tire compounds or things that they have now that they didn't have back when he was racing. As you and I both know it takes a little time to get the hang of racing again once you have been away for awhile. And yes I said I am glad to see him running the Busch series, I'm just not sure where Nascar needs to draw a line or even if they need too. I think in some instances it's ok but it's not in others. Who know's?

As far as K.Shelmerdine, I'm gonna have to agree with ya on the Junk Engines. If a driver really has to try and qualify for ONE race then you would think he would buy at least ONE good engine from Childress or DEI. AS a matter of fact you would think that RCR would give him a break on the price of an engine with all of the Championships he won for Childress. Hell I would demand it LOL. Ya wanna know the strange thing about it, I still can't figure out why he tries to qualify for Restrictor plate tracks and usually doesn't show up for a Mile and A Half tracks.

[flamehothead]

Skinner to attmept the Daytona 500 in the #23: Mike Skinner will start testing next week in Daytona in his #5 Toyota Tundra Truck - then head right into the 2nd Nextel Cup test in the Bill Davis Racing #23 Toyota in preperation to make the Daytona 500 with Tommy Baldwin leading the attempt.

I was sitting down for this also Tyyrus. This is the kinda stuff I am talking about. M.Skinner knows he can race at Daytona in a Cup car and Bill Davis has won there in a Cup car so if they are not going to race the season then don't RUIN it for someone who is going to run the full schedule. I promise I will stop Bitchin about this when they stop announceing more drivers to run in the Daytona 500.

[Tyyrus]

They say it's the Great American Race..and Dream..Eh ! Don't know whatta tell Ya Flammer Buddy ! It's like
Chris and Shockey keep tellin us..The Color of Money..Baby ! It's getting out of Control...everyone wants to
get a piece of the action in Daytona...Eh !