Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Month: June 2011

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON ROAD AMERICA

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON ROAD AMERICA

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be spending this Saturday afternoon taking on the always challenging road course at Road America at Elkhart Lake-Wisconsin. The series made its official debut at this mammoth road course last year. If the finish of the 2010 event is any indication, then Saturday’s Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, is going to be extremely competitive and very exciting.

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]The pre-race favorite has to be Carl Edwards who made a late race surge to win last year’s inaugural event. Edwards is one of the small group of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who has been campaigning full time in both series although a new NASCAR policy says he cannot win the Nationwide Series title.

    Edwards will be the only double duty Cup driver in Saturday’s race at Road America. He will be spending his off time flying back and forth between Wisconsin and Sonoma-California, the site of the Cup race at Infineon Raceway and the site of NASCAR’s other road course race this weekend. The seemingly frantic pace for the driver of the Roush Fenway Fords is actually not as bad as it seems. That’s largely due to the presence of Roush Air. Jack Roush’s flying armada can literally get any driver to any location in record time.

    But the question remains: why should Edwards put himself in the middle of this hectic schedule when he’s only eligible to win the Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship? The answer is the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Points Championship and that’s a trophy Jack Roush wants to add to his collection.

    Edwards, based on four wins including last Saturday’s race at Michigan, leads the owner’s standings in his #60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang. However, going into next Saturday’s race, he only holds a 13 point lead over Joe Gibbs Racing and their #18 Toyota normally driven by Kyle Busch.

    Saturday’s Nationwide Series race will be Busch-less. Driver Michael McDowell will be behind the wheel of Gibbs’ #18. Their second series team, the #20 often driven by Joey Logano, will be sitting idle this Saturday.

    *************

    There’s another points battle that Roush Fenway Racing will be defending this weekend as well. It’s of course the series’ championship. Roush protege Ricky Stenhouse Jr is leading those standings going into this weekend. However, he only holds a two point advantage over Elliot Sadler with Reed Sorenson only three points away in third. Also not to be overlooked here is the presence of Justin Allgaier who is ranked fourth in the standings only 17 markers from the top.

    Stenhouse and Allgaier found their debut at Road America last year to be somewhat of a struggle after finishing 26th and 35th respectively. Meanwhile, Sadler and Sorenson will be taking on this challenging road course for the very first time this Saturday.

    *************

    The points contenders may find themselves having to deal with an impressive list of road course ringers this Saturday. These are the drivers, who excel in this type of racing, that have been brought in by team owners just for the road course races.

    The Road America ringers list will be led by the presence of Jacques Villeneuve. The ex Formula 1 racing champion will be behind the wheel of the Roger Penske Racing #22 Dodge normally driven by Brad Keselowski. Villeneuve was a major player in last year’s race and appeared to be on the way to the win before a defective alternator wire sidelined him during the final laps.

    Also in this race is Max Papis who will be driving the #33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. Road race veteran Ron Fellows, who finished second last year, will be carrying the hopes of the Junior Nation by driving the #7 Chevrolet for J R Motorsports.

    Other road race ringer entries include Andrew Ranger, a star from the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, who will be driving the #53 Dodge for team owner Robert Torriere. J R Fitzpatrick will be behind the wheel of the #67 Go Canada Racing Ford for owner Steve Meehan. Tommy Drissi is the newest member of Rick Ware Racing’s Nationwide Series operation and will make his debut this Saturday in the #37 Ford. Drissi is the 2009 Trans Am Series champion and has been racing lately in the Rolex Grand American Series as well as the American Lemans Series. Also of interest here is the Nationwide Series debut of Ricky Carmichael which will take place at Road America this Saturday. The 15 time motocross champion has been building his NASCAR career in the Camping World Truck Series this year for Turner Motorsports. Saturday will be the first of four Nationwide events this year for Carmichael in a Turner Chevrolet.

    ************

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, will be 50 laps/200.4 miles around Road America’s massive 4.048 mile, 14 turn, road course. It’s the first of three road course events on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.

    The race has 41 entries meaning all entries will be guaranteed a start in a race that can accommodate 43 cars. The starting line up will be based on Saturday morning’s qualifying sessions.

    The race is also the official debut of the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ newly configured race car on a road course.

    If season statistics are an indicator then the race should be highly competitive. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series races so far has turned up eight different winners and seven different Coors Light Pole winners.

    The Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, will be broadcast live by ESPN on Saturday beginning at 5 pm eastern time.

  • 5th Annual Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament Tops $650,000 in Funds Raised

    5th Annual Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament Tops $650,000 in Funds Raised

    [media-credit name=”Johnson Foundation” align=”alignright” width=”150″][/media-credit]Becomes 5th-consecutive year hitting half-million dollar mark

    SAN DIEGO (June 23, 2011) – The Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament and Dinner Auction has raised over $500,000 each year since its inception in 2007 and this year is no different. The foundation announced today that the fifth-annual event raised $650,000, an event record. Proceeds will go toward funding the 2011 Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Champions Grants.

    “This is an amazing event and I’m reminded each year how proud I am to be a part of it,” said Johnson. “This is the fifth time we’ve done this and we raised more money this year than we ever have. I’m so thankful to everyone that supports us and to the sponsors like Lowe’s that believe in the educational grants we are able to work on. Chani and I look forward to continuing to help do great things.”

    Johnson, NASCAR’s five-time reigning Sprint Cup Series champion, hosted more than 130 golfers at The Grand Del Mar in San Diego for Wednesday’s golf tournament, including NASCAR drivers Brian Vickers and Juan Pablo Montoya and former NFL player Jason Sehorn.

    A dinner and live auction were held the previous evening with students from the Grossmont High School choir and drama performing. Grossmont High School was a recipient of a 2010 Champions Grant, which was used to purchase equipment for its performing arts center.

    The tournament, which in five years has raised more than $2.5 million, now focuses on the Champions Grants program, a partnership between the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Lowe’s Toolbox for Education. The grants range from $25,000-$100,000 and are distributed to K-12 educational programs in Chandra and Jimmie Johnson’s hometowns in California and Oklahoma, and where they currently reside in North Carolina.

    Applications for grants in are being accepted through Sept. 15, 2011. For more information, visit www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.

  • Mike Ford Named The WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Michigan

    Mike Ford Named The WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Michigan

    Roswell, GA (June 22, 2011) – Mike Ford, crew chief for the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400.

    Hamlin was in second when the day’s final caution came out with just nine laps remaining. With track position critical at this point in the race, Ford originally made the decision for four tires for what would be the last pit stop, but in a last minute call, decided to go with two only, in an effort to beat out the other front-runners. The outstanding pit stop allowed Hamlin to restart from the front of the pack and grab the lead once the green flag fell. Holding off second-place Matt Kenseth and teammate Kyle Busch, Hamlin scored his first victory of the 2011 season.

    From the get-go, the Ford-led team tackled the weekend with drive and determination. Qualifying in the tenth position, Hamlin battled with an ill-handling car, but Ford and crew made the right adjustments to get their driver up front. The flawless pit stops and instructions from atop the box help push Hamlin to victory.

    “For a team that was expected to be a front-runner for the championship, this hasn’t been the easiest season so far,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative and FOX/Speed analyst Jeff Hammond.  “But Mike came to Michigan with a positive attitude that he poured into his crew and driver as well. His critical and calculated call at the end of the race made the difference, earning them the victory.”

    WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results Steve Addington, Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team had a great run, starting from the pole, and then settling for 11th at the end of the day.

    “It was really a seesaw day for us,” Busch said.  “It seemed like our car would be good for the first five laps of a green flag run, and then once the track would rubber-in, we just couldn’t get the grip we needed. You need a good racecar, solid pit stops and good changes to keep up with the track and we just were too inconsistent today.  A solid points day for us and that’s important in the big picture.”

    “We were just off a little in every area here today,” Addington added.  “We have to get better with our adjustments made during the race and we need to be able to capitalize better on having that pit spot up there at the end of pit road. We’ll analyze everything that happened here this weekend and try to learn from it and improve from it.”

    Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge of Brad Keselowski finished a disappointing 25th after battling tight-handling conditions. Then on lap 81, Keselowski made contact with the outside wall in the middle of Turns 1 and 2. Just three laps later, his right-front tire went flat, sending him into the wall.

    “Obviously we had a poor qualifying effort that forced us to start at the rear of the field,” said Keselowski. “Once the green flag flew, our Miller Lite Dodge was a rocket. We were able to make our way up the field and raced as high as 18th. I was just trying to move around on the racetrack, trying to get us to where we needed to be. I just pushed too hard and hit the wall and that led to a flat tire that totally changed our day. From there, our day went downhill and we just had to battle. Later in the day, we started to make our car right and had an opportunity to make a good run out of it and get a good finish, but we had some engine issues on the restart. It’s tough. This track and race means so much to me. I really wanted to have good run and we just didn’t make it happen today.”

    WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Voting Team Addington and Wolfe, along with Hammond and Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Claire B. Lang, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners.

    Each weekly WYPALL Crew Chief Challenge winner will be a guest on Lang’s “Dialed In” program on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesdays throughout the season.

    The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $10,000 check during the weekend of the WYPALL 200 Presented by Kimberly-Clark Professional Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, November 12, 2011.

    About WYPALL Wipers: Since 2004, Kimberly-Clark Professional’s WYPALL Wipers brand has been affiliated with some of racing’s top teams.  Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provides race teams with a number of products providing strength and durability.  Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility. 

    The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the remainder of the 2011 season and spotlight the men behind the machines.  For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.

    About Penske Racing Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 332 major race wins, 396 pole positions and 23 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

  • The Numbers for Infineon Raceway

    The Numbers for Infineon Raceway

    THE NUMBERS for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Infineon Raceway

    2 – fewest laps led by race winner (twice, most recent 1995)

    2 – races won from outside a top-20 starting position

    2 – wins by Dodge in last four races at Infineon (Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne)

    3 – fewest cautions (four times, most recent 2002)

    3 – fewest leaders (1989)

    3 – fewest lead changes (1989)

    4 – drivers with more than one pole

    5 – most wins (Jeff Gordon)

    5 – most poles (Jeff Gordon)

    5 – drivers with more than one win

    7 – fewest caution laps (1992)

    8 – wins from the front row; five from the pole

    9 – most cautions (1990)

    9 – most leaders (twice, most recent 2002)

    12 – most lead changes (2010)

    13 – different pole winners 14 – different race winners in 22 races

    14 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (twice, most recent 1993)

    26 – most caution laps (1999)

    32 – worst starting position for race winner (Juan Pablo Montoya, 2007)

    33 – fewest cars running at finish (1993)

    36 – most cars on lead lap at finish (2009)

    42 – most cars running at finish (twice, most recent 2005)

    92 – laps led by race winner (Jeff Gordon, 2004)

    2011 Caution Update

    3 – number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011

    4 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana and Pocono)

    16 – most cautions this season (Daytona) 120 – number of cautions in the first 15 races of 2011; includes 54 for accidents, 28 for debris and 20 for spins

    583 of 4,748 – number of laps under caution in 2011

    781.429 of 6,272.000 – miles under caution in the first 15 races

    Provided by Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports

  • STEVE WALLACE / 5-HOUR ENERGY RACING NEWS AND NOTES: ROAD AMERICA

    STEVE WALLACE / 5-HOUR ENERGY RACING NEWS AND NOTES: ROAD AMERICA

    THE RACE.

    EVENT:  Bucyrus 200, Round 16 of 34 in the 2011 Nationwide Series

    DATE / TIME:  Saturday, June 25, 2011, 5:30 PM ET

    VENUE:  Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI (4.048-Mile Road Course)

    DISTANCE:  50 Laps, 202.4 Miles

    TV (PRE-RACE):  NASCAR Countdown, ESPN (Live-5:00 PM ET)

    TV (RACE):  ESPN (Live-5:30 PM ET)

    RADIO:  MRN Radio / Sirius (Live)

    THE HEADLINES.

    THE STORY:  One of the preeminent road racers among the NNS championship contenders, Steve Wallace heads into the first NNS road race of 2011 at historic Road America with two top-ten finishes in the last three NNS road course events.  Wallace ran as high as second en route to a top-ten in last year’s event at Road America and has the highest driver rating at Road America of all championship-eligible drivers entered in this weekend’s race.  His first career NNS top-ten finish came in 2008 on a road course, Mexico City’s former F1 circuit, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.  Wallace enters this weekend on a streak of six top-15 finishes in the last seven NNS races and is ranked eighth overall in the NNS championship standings.

    THE MACHINES.

    TEAM 66 PRIMARY:  RWR-052-Chassis 052 is a stunning example of the versatility of NASCAR’s new COT platform.  RWR-052 made its first and only NNS start last summer at Daytona, scoring a top-15 finish in a backup role.  It was later used as an intermediate backup car for much of 2011, before being again reconfigured as a road racer.

    TEAM 66 SECONDARY:  RWR-050-One of RWR’s first COT chassis, RWR-050 has two previous starts this season, with a best finish of 11th at Richmond.

    THE ENERGY SHOT.

    WELCOME ABOARD: 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Kwik Trip Convenience Stores as a partner for the Road America event.  Kwik Trip branding will adorn the TV panel of Wallace’s No. 66 Toyota in Saturday’s race.

    DID YOU KNOW?:  5-Hour Energy contains a blend of B-vitamins, amino acids and essential nutrients. It contains zero sugar, zero herbal stimulants and four calories. The amount of caffeine varies depending on the energy shot. Original 5-Hour Energy contains as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Extra Strength contains as much as 12 ounces of coffee, while Decaf 5-Hour Energy contains only as much caffeine as a half cup of decaffeinated coffee.

    FROM THE COCKPIT.

    STEVE WALLACE (NO. 66 5-HOUR ENERGY TOYOTA CAMRY):  “Road America is a fun track to drive.  It’s one that challenges every part of your race car and your team.  Your car has to handle, you need good forward bite, the long straightaways demand big horsepower and 14 turns mean you really have to manage your brakes.  When you add into it the strategy challenges of a four-mile road course, there are a lot of things that have to go right for you to have a good day at Road America.  The real key though, is conserving your car, staying on course and being there at the end of the race.  If we can just do that, I think that our 5-Hour Energy team is set to have a really strong race.”

    # # #

    About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

    North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace.  The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events.  RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons.  For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

    About Living Essentials, LLC

    Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots.  5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade.  Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week.  For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

  • Boris Said Says ‘I’m Back’

    Boris Said Says ‘I’m Back’

    Boris Said has just two words to share with his fans, dubbed ‘Said heads’ in honor of the curly wigs they wear to mimic their driver’s mane. “I’m back,” Said said to his fans. “And I hope you didn’t forget me.”

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”217″][/media-credit]After being absent since August of last year, Said will be taking over for young up-and-coming driver Landon Cassill in the No. 51 Security Benefit/Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet. Said will be proudly representing one of his favorite people, James Finch, and his team Phoenix Racing on the road course in Sonoma.

    Cassill who had his career best finish in the 12th position last weekend in the Irish hills of Michigan, will return to the helm of his race car the following weekend at Daytona.

    “I’m pretty excited about it,” Said said. “Landon is not a road course guy and they’re not running for points so they decided to put me in.”

    “I’m in a Hendrick car owned by James Finch,” Said continued. “I ran for him in Mexico City in the Nationwide Series and had a blast with him.”

    “I haven’t been in a car since last August so I’m chomping at the bit to get in and drive one.”

    Although off the NASCAR Cup circuit for some time, Said has been keeping busy in other areas of racing. He also has entered a whole new phase of his life, with a ‘real job’ as he terms it, as well as a new partner to boot.

    “The biggest thing I’ve been doing is the Grand Am Rolex Series,” Said said. “My other big thing is that I was awarded a BMW franchise, the first one in ten years that BMW has awarded.”

    “We’ve been open two weeks and one day,” Said continued. “And my partner is Rick Hendrick, so that’s really exciting working with him.”

    “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be a partner with Rick Hendrick,” Said advised. “So, I’ve been working a real job which has been pretty fun.”

    “I guess they’ll let me out of the dealership for the race,” Said said.

    What has Said missed most about being behind the wheel?  Simply the roar of the engines according to this road course racer, as well as the thrill of the competition.

    “It’s a blast feeling the horsepower,” Said shared. “It’s a blast racing with those guys.”

    “They are a bunch of animals and it’s so much fun,” Said continued. “I’ve always wished I could do it full-time but I’ve always cherished every race I get to do.”

    “I can’t wait to go out and start driving.”

    Said has been keeping up with the action on the track throughout the time that he has been away. And he realizes that at Sonoma, there will be plenty of action, especially with the double file restarts.

    “Especially at Infineon, I don’t think there’s a more exciting track to have those double file restarts,” Said advised. “The first couple of times that I did it, I had to be cautious and I just got run over. So, there’s no other way but to be aggressive.”

    “I always hear that ‘you only run one race and you shouldn’t mess with the regulars, blah, blah blah’,” Said continued. “But the fact is that James Finch is a regular and he pays me to do a job. I want to be as aggressive as I can no matter who I’m racing with.”

    While Said knows that the competition will be fierce, he is hoping that the final outcome will not be decided on fuel mileage, as so many races have recently.

    “I hope it doesn’t come down to fuel mileage,” Said said. “That’s not my style. But I would take it any way I could.”

    “I’ve been there and I’ve been the fastest car and then have had really bad luck,” Said continued. “It just takes so much to get a good finish in one of those races, whether it’s pit stops or knowing when to pit or not to pit, or getting involved with somebody. There’s so much that can go wrong.”

    Said is most grateful that he will not have to qualify in on time. Finch’s Phoenix Racing car is firmly locked into the show.

    “The last time we had that opportunity, I was in the Army car and I sat on the pole,” Said advised. “To not have that pressure feels so good.”

    Does Said see himself as that ‘road course ringer’?

    “You know I don’t like that term,” Said shared. “But I think it’s good because at least people are talking about us.”

    “The thing is that no part-time guy has ever won a Cup race,” Said continued. “But it’s still possible. Is it likely? No. It’s a long shot but it’s a long shot for lots of guys.”

    “I’m hoping that I can be competitive and I’m going to try my hardest to be competitive,” Said advised. “We’ve always run in the top-10 there and when that happens, you never know.”

    “You can always get lucky,” Said continued. “And I hope I can put on a good show.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Carl Edwards: Edwards led 30 laps at Michigan and finished fifth, earning his series-best eighth top-5 result of the year. Edwards boosted his lead in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now leads second-place Kevin Harvick by 20.

    “How does it feel to lead with nine laps to go and not win the race?” Edwards asked. “It’s the pits. My No. 99 Roush Fenway Ford was adorned with the Aflac ‘Now Hiring’ paint scheme, which hopefully served as a not-too-subtle hint to my crew members of the fleetingness of employment.”

    Now, as a driver for Roush Fenway, baseball and racing go together like Joe Gibbs Racing and cheating. From personal experience, I know an illegal oil can part when I see one. ‘Oil Can’ Boyd once roamed Fenway Park. ‘Oil Can Ployed’ makes its home at JGR.”

    2. Kyle Busch: An eventful week for Busch ended on Sunday with a solid third-place finish in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan. Busch’s probation ended last Tuesday, then the Joe Gibbs Racing fleet was ordered by NASCAR to change oil pans on Friday. On Sunday, Busch fought an indigestion problem before crew chief Dave Rogers rectified it with Tums and water. Busch improved one spot in the point standings, and trails Carl Edwards by 29.

    “Take it from me,” Busch said. “It’s not always a bad thing to run out of gas.”

    “My No. 18 hauler was parked beside Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 hauler. That was risky, because even our haulers are feuding. I’m guessing NASCAR thinks a parking lot is the only place these two teams can get ‘along.’ But seriously, it looks as though NASCAR is sending us mixed signals. It appears probation was NASCAR’s way of saying ‘no more.’ This must be their method of asking for ‘more.’ I rate NASCAR’s disciplinary methods an ‘A’ for ‘ambiguity.’ Let me say, though, there was a lot of glaring going on between the two teams. I believe that’s the first time Harvick and I have seen eye to eye.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home 14th at Michigan, struggling with handling issues and surviving  in the Heluva Good! 400. However, due to subpar days from Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Harvick vaulted two places in the point standings to second, and now trails Carl Edwards by 20 points.

    “See,” Harvick said, “I can revel in the misery of someone besides Kyle Busch. And I will continue to pester Busch without end. You would never hear me complain of heartburn. I’ve got a foolproof immunity to heartburn. It’s called being heartless.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 21st at Michigan, seeing a possible top-10 result fall to the wayside when his No. 88 Amp Energy Chevrolet was pinched into the wall on lap 191 when Mark Martin got loose and slid up the track. The contact caused a tire rub that ended Earnhardt’s charge to the front. He remained third in the point standings, 27 out of first.

    “It’s hard to stay mad at Mark,” Earnhardt said. “That’s why my crew and I held a ‘re-tire-ment’ party in the pits shortly after he sent me into the wall. At Mark’s last retirement party, I asked him to ‘stay in touch.’ Apparently, he took that a bit too literally. Now, unfortunately, he has to deal with the wrath of Junior Nation. The first rule of Junior Nation is: ‘If you ‘turn against’ the No. 88, regardless of circumstances, Junior Nation will ‘turn against’ you.”

    Despite it all, I still expect Mark and I to remain professional and work together. We’ve got lots of information to share. Mark’s finished second in the Sprint Cup rankings four times, so he’s got a wealth of advice to share about ‘not winning.’”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: An early spin on lap 8 foreshadowed a tough day for the No. 48 Lowe’s team at Michigan. A broken sway bar was found to be the culprit, and Johnson fell down two laps quickly after racing without the necessary equipment. A scarcity of yellow flags left the team with little opportunity for repairs, and Johnson finished 27th, one lap down. He tumbled three spots in the point standings to fifth, and trails Carl Edwards by 29.

    “As the five-time Sprint Cup champion,” Johnson said, “I normally advocate the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ philosophy. Not in this case. A broken sway bar sent me for a loop. And even the sport’s most notorious ‘spin’ doctor, Chad Knaus, couldn’t put it back together. Chad’s and the No. 48 strategists often have cram sessions to find ways to skirt NASCAR’s nebulous rules. We call those meetings ‘unapproved part-ies.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth chased Denny Hamlin down the stretch at Michigan, but came up short after a last-gasp effort in the final turn. Kenseth spun his tires on the final restart, but got a boost from Roush Fenway teammate Carl Edwards, but pushed him to clean air. He got close to Hamlin, but lost by .281 seconds. Kenseth improved one spot to sixth in the point standings, and trails Edwards by 41.

    “Kudos to NASCAR officials,” Kenseth said. “They did something that I couldn’t—‘catch’ Hamlin. I now know why the Joe Gibbs cars had to go back to their old oil pans—because the new ones were ‘busted.’ In any case, Hamlin applauded me for my efforts with the same words NASCAR uttered to the Gibbs team—‘nice try.’”

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won the race out of the pits during the final caution at Michigan, and repelled the advances of Matt Kenseth over the final laps. Hamlin’s narrow victory was his first of the season, and quite fulfilling in the wake of recent strong runs in which victory eluded him. He jumped three places in the point standings to ninth, and is 77 out of first.

    “Due to my slow start this season,” Hamlin said, “many people had written me off as a championship contender. To them, I say the same thing I told NASCAR inspectors last Friday: ‘It was an honest mistake.’ NASCAR’s fined the three JGR crew chiefs $50,000. That’s chump change, and not nearly enough to cause the ‘Great Oil Pan-ic of 2011.’”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 11th at Michigan after earning his third consecutive pole, just missing his fourth-straight top-10 result. He improved one spot in the point standings to seventh, and is now 41 out of first.

    “Even with an 11th-place finish,” Busch said, “I’m still not happy. I’m a habitual complainer. My crew chief Steve Addington will vouch for that. Tums may shut my brother Kyle up, but there’s not a product made that will stop my whining.”

    Despite my qualifying efforts, I’m still winless on the year. That, as well as my reputation as the most-punched driver in NASCAR, indicates that I’m unable to finish what I ‘started.’”

    9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished sixth in the Heleva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400, posting his seventh top-10 finish of the year. Newman is now eighth in the Sprint Cup point standings, and trails Carl Edwards by 76.

    “Amid all the fighting, probations, and unapproved car parts,” Newman said, “I’ve quietly ascended to No. 8 in the point standings. Just like my fine for punching a fellow driver, you could say I’m flying under the radar.”

    10. Jeff Gordon: Gordon was running seventh when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. hit the wall, bringing out the race’s final caution at Michigan. Gordon opted for four tires, which set him back to 15th for the restart. He lost two positions in the remaining five laps and finished 17th.

    “Obviously, two tires was the right call,” Gordon said. “We just made the ‘right’ call twice. And, as the saying goes, two ‘rights’ make a wrong.”

  • Chad Hackenbracht’s Biggest Hurdle Not the Racing But His Own Last Name

    Chad Hackenbracht’s Biggest Hurdle Not the Racing But His Own Last Name

    Chad Hackenbracht had his best ever career finish in this past weekend’s ARCA race, scoring a fourth place in his family-owned No. 58 Tastee Apple CGH Motorsports Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: CGH Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]But even greater than the challenge of the intense competition on the track is the 19 year old driver’s challenge in just getting folks to pronounce his last name correctly.

    In addition to being on a quest for name recognition, the driver is having a little fun with it all. His team has just developed T-shirts, which say “What’s a Chad Hacken-something?”

    The correct pronunciation of that all important last name is in parentheses (hock en bra) on the new T-shirts, which are on sale on Hackenbracht’s website  www.cghmotorsports.com for just $19.95.

    “That actually was started by my marketing guy who is looking for sponsorship for us,” Hackenbracht said of the T-shirt venture. “It has turned into a really big hit.”

    Hackenbracht, however, is focused solely on his racing and was thrilled with his good performance at Michigan.

    “We wound up getting a fourth place out of it which wasn’t too bad,” Hackenbracht said. “We were up there in contention.”

    “It’s a career best for us,” Hackenbracht said. “It was really good.”

    The young driver from New Philadelphia, Ohio has been on a tear even before the career best finish in Michigan.  He scored an 11th place finish at Toledo in May, a ninth-place finish at New Jersey and seventh place finish at Pocono Raceway.

    This is Hackenbracht’s first full year in the ARCA Series, after running a limited schedule in 2010, with just the televised races on the docket. Prior to that, the young driver ran the Legends series, scoring 18 wins and the national championship.

    Hackenbracht is a bit unusual as far as his driving pedigree. He is not from a traditional racing family, but instead caught the racing bug by seeing it on television.

    “I basically was watching the Daytona or Talladega Cup race and I saw it and said to my parents, ‘Hey, I want to race.’ Hackenbracht said. “I don’t think they took me seriously but they said to come up with different options.”

    “I came up with four-wheelers and go karts and my mom said no to both of them,” Hackenbracht continued. “So, then we saw quarter-midgets and started with that.”

    The young driver has been moving on up the ranks ever since, with his eye eventually on a Truck or Nationwide ride. Like so many others, Hackenbracht definitely sees himself in the Cup Series sometime in the near future, with just the economy standing in his way.

    “I’m in the perfect age range,” Hackenbracht said. “But just the wrong economic time.”

    “In a couple years, you’ll have a lot of rides opening up,” Hackenbracht continued. “But you’ve got to survive until then.”

    Hackenbracht survives with a little help from his friends, particularly those in the Cup garage, as well as good friend and mentor Ron Hornaday, Jr.

    “ARCA is kind of like a big family,” Hackenbracht said. “All the teams work with you.”

    “I’ve got a connection with Ron Hornaday in the Truck garage,” Hackenbracht continued. “He’ll stop in the shop after a race and we’ll talk a little bit.”

    Hackenbracht does follow one particular Cup driver, one in fact that he has inherited from his mother.

    “My mom’s driver is Jeff Gordon,” Hackenbracht said. “I follow him just because of my mom and dad.”

    “But I really like Mark Martin myself,” Hackenbracht continued. “He races hard but he races clean. That’s what I do and what I want to be.”

    In addition to the racers that Hackenbracht follows on the track, he also models himself after the premiere drivers in the sport as far as putting time in at the shop and at the gym. But he does have one other duty that has led to yet another name for the young driver.

    “The guys at the shop call me ‘Sticker Boy’ because I put all the details on the car,” Hackenbracht said. “That’s kind of my thing.”

    Whether you call him ‘Hacken-something’ or ‘Sticker Boy’, Hackenbracht will next be doing his thing in the ARCA Racing Series on Saturday, June 25th in the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts at Winchester Speedway in Indiana.

    “We came to Michigan and showed our performance was no fluke,” Hackenbracht said. “I’m anxious to get to Winchester as I feel we have a shot at our first career win.”

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO DRINK THE FANCY BOTTLE OF WINE AT SONOMA?

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO DRINK THE FANCY BOTTLE OF WINE AT SONOMA?

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be making their annual visit to Sonona-California’s wine country this Sunday for the running of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the Infineon Raceway. Race number 16 on the 2011 season schedule is the first of two road course events.

    [media-credit name=”SaveMart350″ align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]So, who’s going to drink the fancy bottle of wine presented to race winners at Infineon? It’s probably going to be a driver with experience in making sharp, high speed, left and right turns. It’s probably going to be a driver who will not allow those non traditional lefts and rights interfere with his ability to maintain focus.

    It will probably be a driver who has a crew chief comfortable with the process of counting race laps backwards. Because fuel mileage is so critical at this race track, the crew chief will employ the non traditional process of counting the laps beginning at 110 to insure accurate fuel mileage figures.

    It will probably be the driver whose pit crew will not lose a half a second during the stop because they were distracted by the sight of their car arriving in the pit box facing the wrong way. That’s yet another non traditional aspect to racing at this track. Because of the unique pit road entry, the crews will be changing the tires on the driver’s side first. Just the slightest distraction, even a mere one half second, could be catastrophic to track position which will be very difficult to make up on a road course this size.

    At the conclusion of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, the driver will be treated to a glass of some of the best vino from California’s wine country. That’s yet another non traditional aspect to this race.

    CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS FROM WINE COUNTRY

    To get an accurate view of who’s favored to drink the win at Infineon, we again call on the experts from “The Las Vegas Insider”, (LVI), who are well known for their ability to crunch numbers and produce very accurate predictions.

    JEFF GORDON AT 7 TO 2 ODDS.

    We begin with NASCAR’s “Mr. Road Course. When it comes to turning left and right on a race track Jeff Gordon is one of the best in the business and he has the stats to back it up. Gordon leads the Sprint Cup Series’ Infineon stats in wins-5 including three consecutive trips to victory lane from 1998 to 2000. He also leads the series in the categories of top five finishes-11, top tens-14 and most laps led by a race winner-94. Gordon is also very good at qualifying at Infineon. He has a series high five pole wins there and holds the track qualifying record, 94.325 MPH, set in June of 2005.

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on two road courses per year: Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen. Gordon’s combined stats, for road courses, are also chart topping and includes nine wins, 17 top fives and 23 top tens along with an average finish ratio of 11.8. He’s a top notch wager consideration worthy of being on top of the LVI’s list this week.

    JIMMIE JOHNSON AT 9 TO 2 ODDS.

    In June of last year Jimmie Johnson became the latest Infineon wine taster after race leader Marcos Ambrose stalled his engine while trying to save fuel. Many called it a silver platter win, and still do. But, remember, to take advantage of a silver platter opportunity, one must be in position to do so. Johnson and company has a way of often being around at the end of a race and that makes them a worthy wager consideration despite the fact that his career Infineon stats only shows the lone win, three top fives and a finish ratio of 15.6 .

    KYLE BUSCH AND TONY STEWART AT 6 TO 1 ODDS.

    Kyle Busch is a former Infineon winner but has a somewhat roller coaster performance level there with just the lone win, one top five and a finish ratio of 20.2. Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team has been the topic of NASCAR headlines for all of the wrong reasons for several weeks now. Some NASCAR observers may want to believe that these headlines may become a distraction to this driver. Don’t even go there. Whether he’s setting new speed records on a North Carolina country road or taking on the challenge of a road course, anytime Busch puts on his helmet he’s focused.

    Tony Stewart has also earned the right to be called “NASCAR’s Mr. Road Course and, at 6 to 1, he’s an excellent wager consideration. “Smoke” is a two time winner at Infineon with a very healthy average finish ratio of 9.2. His overall road course stats are also very impressive and includes seven wins and a finish ratio of 7.3. Seriously consider this driver as a potential winner this Sunday.

    JUAN PABLO MONTOYA AT 7 TO 1 ODDS.

    With his success in the Indy Racing League and Formula 1 racing it’s only natural that Montoya would be a road racing ringer. His two Sprint Cup wins came on the road courses. There should be no distractions regarding his current contract status with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. It’s anticipated that an announcement regarding a contract extension will be made within the next couple of weeks. This is another strong wager consideration.

    MARCOS AMBROSE AT 8 TO 1 ODDS.

    It’s very likely that this very popular Australian is one of the most prolific road racers among the Sprint Cup drivers. We all remember what happened at Infineon last year. Ambrose, during the final laps of the race, was conserving fuel during a final caution flag by turning his engine off and on. Unfortunately he turned his engine off, while coasting up hill, and the the car stalled. That’s why Jimmie Johnson is the defending race winner. That mistake was quickly dubbed “the blunder from down under” and you can bet Ambrose won’t let that happen again. He’ll be arriving at Infineon believing Infineon Raceway owes him one and he’ll be looking to collect on Sunday.

    KEVIN HARVICK AT 10 TO 1 ODDS.

    Harvick is still looking for his first Sprint Cup win at Infineon but he does have a road course win at Watkins Glen. Harvick has a way of showing up at the end of a race and becoming a major player in the outcome. That’s exactly how he has won three races this year and why everyone now calls him “The Closer.” At 10 to 1 he’s a very worthy long shot consideration.

    Taking a look at the middle tier, of the “Las Vegas Insider’s” ranking this week, you will find the Dodge power of Kurt Busch ranked at 14 to 1.

    The “LVI’s” 16 to 1 ranking is rather interesting because of a pair of possible long shot considerations here. It’s begins with previous race winner Robby Gordon. His road racing prowess is well known and respected but, let the buyer beware. This owner/driver has endured terrible racing luck that has been going on for quite a long time now.

    Also listed at 16 to 1 is Carl Edwards. His driver stats indicates that road racing is not one of this driver’s major strengths. But, let’s face it, it’s Carl Edwards. He’s the series points leader, his momentum is red hot, and he has the power of the FR9 engine under the hood of his Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

    The 18 to 1 category is also interesting featuring road racing ringer Boris Said, driving for owner James Finch, and previous race winner Kasey Kahne who’s determined to give Red Bull Racing another Sprint Cup win during what will possibly be the organization’s final NASCAR season.

    Denny Hamlin, at 20 to 1, will be bringing a lot of momentum to Infineon Raceway coming off of last Sunday’s win at Michigan but the stats indicate road racing isn’t exactly a source of strength. Ranked behind Hamlin is Jamie McMurray, 30 to 1, and Ryan Newman at 35 to 1.

    The “LVI’s” 40 to 1 group includes a group of hard chargers featuring Greg Biffle, Paul Menard, Dale Earnhardt Jr and and Clint Bowyer. At 50 to 1 you will find drivers A J Allmendinger and Andy Lally. Both are successful road racing veterans from other racing series but I don;t know if I would put any money on them in a NASCAR race.

    In the 60 to 1 ranking you will find previous race winner Mark Martin along with Matt Kenseth. Also at the bottom of this week’s list are Brad Keselowski and Jeff Burton, at 75 to 1 and David Ragan at 80 to 1, Martin Truex Jr and Joey Logano are ranked at 100 to 1 while Brian Vickers closes the list at 125 to 1.

    Time for this week’s disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers are for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their events. They would much prefer that you spend your money online at the NASCAR store where you can find those special items such as the Dale Earnhardt Jr bar b que grill covers.

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Toyota/Sav Mart 350 is 110 laps/218.9 miles around the Infineon Raceway’s mammoth 1.99 mile, ten turn, road course.

    The race has 44 entries vying for the 43 starting berths and the winner’s share of the $5.5 million plus purse. Nine of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race.

    The Infineon Raceway opened in 1968. The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held in 1989 and won by Ricky Rudd. Since that time there has been 22 Sprint Cup races there that has sent 14 different winners to victory lane. Chevrolet leads the manufacturers list with ten wins.

    Track position is extremely important at Infineon Raceway and so is qualifying. Five of the 22 races there has been won from the pole position, 14 have been won from the top five and 17 races has been won within the top ten starting berths.

    The Infineon Raceway currently has seating for 47,000 fans but there’s also plenty of room on the grassy hills that surrounds the track for spectators to see a good race. Those grassy areas are carefully maintained by the annual presence of 3,000 sheep.

    Some patchy fog, prior to 11 am, could make Friday’s practice session a little interesting but, other than that, it should be ideal weather conditions for racing. Look for sunny skies and daytime highs of 77 to 80 degrees throughout the weekend.

    The Toyota/Sav Mart 350 will be broadcast live by the TNT Network with the pre race showing beginning at 2 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, June 29th, at 12 pm eastern on SPEED.

  • NASCAR Drivers Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart And Brian Vickers To Appear in A&E’s The Glades

    One-Hour Drama Airs Sunday, June 26th At 10:00 p.m. ET

    Los angeles, Calif. (June 22, 2011) – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers will pull double-duty of sorts, playing themselves in Sunday night’s episode of the popular A&E drama The Glades.

    Road-course action from Infineon Raceway kicks off a full day of NASCAR-centered television that ends with a new episode of The Glades on Sunday night. When the show debuted in 2010, it was the most-watched and highest-rated original drama series telecast ever for the network.

    Set to air on Sunday, June 26 at 10 p.m. ET on A&E, the episode “Moonlighting” will explore the murder investigation of Cole Hunter, the fictitious mechanic for NASCAR driver Trey Lancer. In his search for the truth, Jim Longworth – played by Matt Passmore – centers much of his attention inside the NASCAR garage, where he meets NASCAR stars Edwards, Logano, Stewart and Vickers.

    Filmed earlier this year, the NASCAR scenes in Sunday’s episode of The Glades were shot at Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of the season-ending and championship-crowning races for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    “Shooting The Glades was a really cool experience,” Logano said. “To see Homestead-Miami Speedway turned into a Hollywood movie set was certainly interesting. I can promise you this: I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon. The show did an amazing job making the set and garage area look authentic. I know we had The Home Depot Toyota there, the extras were in our crew shirts and we even had our tool box in the garage stall. They did their best to make it look as real as possible and I think the NASCAR fans will appreciate that.”

    In its second season on A&E, The Glades is based on a Chicago detective forced to move to South Florida after being falsely accused of sleeping with his captain’s wife. Assuming his job with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will afford him a more relaxing lifestyle, Longworth actually finds things more complicated than he had ever imagined.

    Produced by FOX Television Studios for A&E Network, The Glades premiered on Sunday, July 11, 2010. The series executive producers are Clifton Campbell for Innuendo Productions and Gary Randall for Grand Productions, Inc. The series is created by Clifton Campbell.