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Month: June 2011

  • Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NSCS Race Advance – Michigan

    Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NSCS Race Advance – Michigan

    Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes

    NSCS Race Advance

    HELUVA GOOD! Sour Cream Dips 400 Michigan International Speedway

    Sunday, June 19, 2011

    DODGE NEWS AND NOTES

    ·  Kurt Busch is the only Sprint Cup Series driver who has been in the top-10 of driver points all season.  He has scored more points – 121 – in the last three races than any other driver in the top 10.  Kevin Harvick has earned 119, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 118.

    ·  Robby Gordon returns as the driver of the No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge Charger this weekend at MIS.  Johnny Sauter and Scott Wimmer filled in the last two races.  Gordon must make the field on time this weekend as the No. 7 is not in the top 35 in owner points.

    DODGE AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

    ·  Dodge has won nine races at Michigan International Speedway (Charlie Glotzbach, Richard Petty (2), Sterling Marlin, Ryan Newman (2), Jeremy Mayfield, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch.

    ·  Kurt Busch started from the pole at MIS last June, his first at the two-mile track.  He won the rain-shortened race in August 2007 after starting 15th.  He has two wins at MIS and eight top-10 finishes in 20 starts.

    ·  Dodge holds the MIS qualifying record of 37.069 seconds, 194.232 mph (Ryan Newman, June 2005).

    ·  A Dodge has started from the pole seven times at MIS.

    THE DODGE BOYS

    ·  Dodge has 208 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories.

    ·  Dodge’s most recent win came at Kansas Speedway.  Brad Keselowski led nine of 267 laps en route to his victory in the STP 400.  The victory is Dodge’s first of the 2011 season.

    ·  Dodge teams have posted 48 victories since the manufacturer’s return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.

    ·  Dodge has posted wins each season since its return in 2001 including seven wins twice (2002 and 2006).

    ·  Dodge earned victories at the season opening Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duel at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

    ·  Dodge claimed two Sprint Cup victories in 2010.

    INSIDE THE NUMBERS

    ·  Penske Racing and Dodge will be seeking a fourth straight pole this weekend at MIS.  The last time Penske and Dodge recorded four consecutive poles was in 2004 (Charlotte, Martinsville, Atlanta and Phoenix).

    ·  There have been 83 Sprint Cup races at MIS.  The first was run June 15, 1969.  There have been two races at the track every year except 1973.

    DID YOU KNOW

    ·  Dodge’s Brad Keselowski and father Bob are two of eight drivers from Michigan who have won an event in one of NASCAR’s three touring series (Brad – 2 Sprint Cup, 12 Nationwide and Bob – 1 Camping World Truck).

    ODDS AND ENDS

    ·  Dodge’s Kurt Busch has posted three consecutive top 10s in his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger (Charlotte 4th, Kansas 9th and Pocono 2nd).  His second-place finish last weekend at Pocono was a season best.

    ·  Dodge earned its third consecutive pole of the season last weekend at Pocono.

    ·  Brad Keselowski is one of three drivers outside the top-12 in the driver point standings with a win this season.

    MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY BEST

    ·  Kurt Busch                  Start – Pole – 2010 (June)                     Finish – Win – 2003, 07 (Jun/Aug)

    ·  Brad Keselowski     Start – 12th – 2008 (Aug.)                     Finish – 24th – 2008 (Aug.)

    ·  Robby Gordon          Start – Third – 2003 (Aug.)                     Finish – Sixth – 2003 (Aug.)

    FROM THE ENGINEER “As we come to the two-mile, wide-open spaces of Michigan, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly three months since we ran on the same length oval at Fontana. The two tracks are very similar, not the same, but similar and teams tend to use notes from one to the other.  Fontana in March was the first time we ran on a two-mile track with NASCAR’s new lower front fascia.  Lessons learned from that race should give teams a better starting point for their aerodynamic package for MIS.  Michigan is unique in many ways and the aerodynamic package that teams need here is at the forefront of that uniqueness.” Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering

    FROM THE CREW CHIEF: STEVE ADDINGTON “I’ll bet if you look back at the record book, you’ll see that a huge proportion of the Michigan races were won because of fuel mileage.  The reason for that is simple – there are always so few cautions on that track.  It’s so wide and there is so much racing room, you don’t see guys running into each other like you do on most of the other tracks.  But with the importance of getting the race wins and probably 20 or more teams out there truly capable of winning, you can bet on it being a fuel-mileage deal at Michigan.”

    DODGE MOTORSPORTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I think if you look at the way that our team is performing, we’re more than capable of being in the top-20 on our own merits with the way that we’ve been running.  We just need to continue to execute.  We’re a team that is growing stronger every week.  If we can continue to grow as we’ve grown so far and at the same rate, I think that not only will we be a Chase-capable team, perhaps makes some noise in it.” Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T

    DODGE QUOTES “Really, the fuel mileage importance has become the nature of our sport, like it or not.  With NASCAR changing the points system around and throwing the ‘wild card’ entry into the Chase by race wins, it’s sent the importance of winning through the roof.  Teams are willing to take more chances than ever.  They’ll roll the dice and throw caution to the wind.  We’ve seen it in almost all the races recently.  At Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600, there were all the cars trying to go the distance stretching their fuel and running out at the end.” Kurt Busch, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T

    “I always have a lot of fun when it’s time to head to Michigan.  It’s one of those tracks that mean so much to me and my family.  I remember going there watching my dad race back when I was a little kid and can remember coming through the tunnel amazed at how big this place was to me.  It’s cool to be back home and race in front of family and friends.  It’s in Dodge’s backyard and we certainly know how important of a race it is for them.  They’ve been a tremendous help to our program and to get them, a long with Miller Lite, in Victory Lane would be awesome.” Brad Keselowski, No 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T

  • Landon Cassill Thanks a Teacher, His Lucky Stars at Pocono, and Readies for Michigan Celebration

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”214″][/media-credit]Landon Cassill, driver of the No. 51 Security/Benefit Thank A Teacher Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing, has much for which to be thankful.

    First and foremost, he is thankful that he is competing at the Cup Series level as a driver for an up and coming team, owned by James Finch.

    Cassill, the 2008 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and former development driver for Hendrick Motorsports, recognizes that he is most fortunate to be behind the wheel of a race car at NASCAR’s highest level.

    Cassill is also thankful to Bill Elliott, who had been in the Phoenix Racing machine prior to his coming aboard. ‘Awesome Bill for Dawsonville’ was able, as a former champion, to shake down the car to prepare it for Cassill’s tenure behind the wheel.

    In order to be on the track, Cassill is incredibly grateful to his new sponsor, Security Benefit, and their special program ‘Thank A Teacher Today.’

    “It’s great,” Cassill said of his sponsor and their program. “Security Benefit has been on board with us and Phoenix Racing and they’ve got this program ‘Thank A Teacher Today.’

    “It’s kind of new and it’s just starting up but I think it speaks for itself,” Cassill continued. “We really need to thank the teachers out there that have gotten us to where we’re at. I know I have a lot of teachers to thank.”

    Top on the list of teachers for which Cassill is grateful is his science teacher, Mr. O’Connor. Cassill graduated from high school in 2007.

    “Mr. O’Connor, my science teacher from high school was my favorite teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” Cassill said. “He was a good teacher that was a good friend to me.”

    “He taught me a lot about discipline and things like that,” Cassill continued. “Some of what he taught wasn’t even science but he was just an impactful teacher and I think that’s what makes a lot of them special.”

    Cassill believes that his sponsor and their ‘Thank A Teacher Program’ are a perfect match on and off the track.

    “It’s really neat for me to have the opportunity to carry that banner because I’m so young and I just got out of high school a couple of years ago,” Cassill said. “I can remember my teachers and I can go back to my school.”

    “We’re planning to go back once school is back in session,” Cassill continued. “Even outside of school, I’ve had a lot of teachers that have helped mentor me in what I do.  It’s a really neat sponsor and a really fun deal.”

    Cassill’s sponsor is designing a new website where fans will be able to post on the wall and share their favorite teacher stories. Security Benefit will also be providing opportunities for teachers to come to the track, hang out with the young driver, and be a part of the NASCAR experience.

    “I’ve shared a story about my favorite teachers and it’s a place to go to thank your teacher,” Cassill said of his sponsor’s new website. “And then we’ll entertain teachers at the race track.”

    “It’s just a neat deal,” Cassill continued. “A lot of these sponsors in the sport are pushing products, but this one with Security Benefit is taking the initiative to thank our teachers.”

    In addition to his sponsor gratitude, Cassill is thrilled with his run at Pocono Raceway this past weekend. He not only managed to finish the race on the lead lap, which was one of his major goals, but he even had his No. 51 Thank A Teacher race car out at the front of the field for a few laps.

    “It was a great day for the Thank A Teacher Today team,” Cassill said. “For us to go out and finish on the lead lap, and lead the race along the way, says a whole lot about us.”

    “And yeah, it was cool leading laps in the world’s greatest motorsport so I’m proud of that.”

    Cassill was also grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Pocono, particularly as last year he was only able to start and park there.

    “I learned a lot about the track,” Cassill said. “Seat time is so important and I felt a lot more comfortable by the end of the race. This is just what we needed after a few tough finishes.”

    Although Cassill was thankful for his good run at Pocono, finishing 25th, he paid a bit of a price for his personal accomplishment.

    “I have a nice little blister tomorrow from the shifting,” Cassill said. “There was a lot of shifting going on so it made it interesting. It was fun though.”

    With Pocono in his rear view mirror, Cassill is getting ready to celebrate a major milestone in his young career at this weekend’s race in the Irish Hills of Michigan. Cassill will be marking his one-year anniversary in the Cup Series.

    “I made my first start in the Cup Series with Phoenix Racing last year in the first Michigan race,” Cassill said. “It was a neat opportunity for me at the time because it was my first opportunity in the Cup Series.”

    “And it was kind of a surprise and we didn’t even have the funding to go race,” Cassill continued. “So, we had to qualify for the race. We qualified in and it was just a neat deal for me. It sparked my opportunity to go Cup racing.”

    How will Cassill celebrate his special anniversary at Michigan?

    “I’m just going to be there and race,” Cassill said. “Hopefully we’ll keep this momentum up and capitalize at Michigan.”

    “And hopefully I’ll have a good race and make an even better memory from it.”

  • Pocono….​ No Honeymoon

    Pocono….​ No Honeymoon

    Pocono’s tricky triangle is located in the honeymoon capital of the world. But this race was anything but a honeymoon. Frankly, it was missing something. This race lacked intensity, it lacked excitement, and it lacked intrigue. Frankly, it was boring.

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]Pocono for years has been a lag date on the circuit. It was always known that as a rule it was going to be too hot, too long, and well boring. It did not disappoint. The race itself was totally void of excitement. The new qualifying procedure was long and drawn out. The practices were too short and misplaced.

    Pocono’s seats were sparsely filled. The weather man said rain and the fog was threatening. But the weather man was not to blame for the empty seats. That responsibility fell squarely on NASCAR’s shoulders.

    For several years now drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, and A.J. Allmendinger have said that Pocono needs to be shortened. The race is too long. It leads to monotony. This one was no exception.

    The long, for the most part, uninterrupted 500 mile ordeal drug worse than Carl Edwards sick Kellogg’s car. Thankfully there was only one incident a single car spin by Greg Biffle that didn’t even bring out the caution. The rest of the cautions 3 of them to be exact were for debris.

    The new safety improvements are top notch; the innovation of the new solar power plant admirable. But the racing at Pocono is dull. The scenery is beautiful, the people are awesome. But the competition level at the tricky triangle lacks a lot to be desired.

    This is not new. It has been the case since the 90’s The keys to this race are being able to stroke and stay on the lead lap and close enough to the front for your crew chief and pit crew to put you in a position with enough gas on the last stop to win the race.

    The three vastly different corners create a situation where crew chiefs may hit 2 of the 3 but there is no way to get three of three right. This creates strung out follow the lead type racing in a difficult passing scenario.

    As a disciplined follower of the sport, I watched every lap. And although I was happy for Jeff Gordon’s Network, I felt at the end of the race that I had missed something. Did I doze off? Was the race not live? Was it edited? Surely I didn’t just sit for 3 hours and watch something that gave me no reaction whatsoever.

    I am not a wreck monger. I dislike wrecks a great deal. I hate holding my breath until the driver exits the car or gets it back in gear and pulls away. I am not much for Fuel Mileage races either. Although figuring out fuel strategy is more entertaining than what we saw.

    400 miles at Pocono is plenty. It’s plenty if you are there. It’s plenty if you are watching on TV. It’s probably plenty if you are a broadcaster trying to find a way to fill the constant lull with entertaining color commentary.

    And speaking of the broadcast, I realize that it was TNT’s first of the year but Kyle Petty needs some serious help in the booth. He is basically all by himself up there. Adam Alexander although he was an acceptable Indy Car announcer is poor at best in the NASCAR booth. Wally Dallenbach is as good in the booth as he was in a Roush Ford. Not very.

    The camera work was excellent. The tune in to driver’s radio communication was well done. It was timed well. It was informative. And it was not walked on. Pit Road reporters need some help. Seriously, Jeff Gordon is a four time champion and he has been in the 24 car from the very beginning of his long and illustrous career. Of all the car numbers to get wrong the one that has not changed in an entire career? Then I thought well he does have the new sponsor, and realized he was driving the DuPont Chevrolet. There is never an excuse to put the wrong driver in the wrong car on television.

    The only real excitement at Pocono came in the post race inspection line, when it was determined that the 18 M&M’s Toyota of Kyle Busch was 1/16th of an inch over tolerance too low in the left front corner.

    When asked, Dave Rogers said, “We were 1/16th too low on the left front. They give us a yellow area and we were a 1/16th over that. There are rules for a reason and we were out of tolerance so we broke them. We will wait and see what happens.”

    This couldn’t have come at a worse time for Kyle Busch. After last weeks altercation with Richard Childress and this weeks mind games on the race track with Kevin Harvick, to have the car found to be out of compliance is simply another stone on the board that is lying on his chest. The jokes on social media ran rampant. The accusations were more so and at no time did anyone stop to ask if Kyle Busch had anything to do with building or working on the car. The answer is probably not. In this day and age the drivers drive. They do not work on the cars themselves. They have crew chiefs, car chiefs, mechanics and engineers who do that. They drive. They relay information and they are the “front man” for the effort.

    Those that dislike Kyle had lots to say last week when NASCAR found him to be innocent in the altercation with Richard Childress. They are armed to the teeth with this new developement. You don’t have to be a Kyle Busch fan to feel bad for Rowdy. Between rude fans, boo’s, those that throw things in his direction, Ugly comments about his wife’s choice of shoes and wardrobe, to add this to the pile seems well at the very least unsportsmanlike. If the car was out of tolerance, it was out of tolerance. That doesn’t mean the driver is responsible. It also doesn’t mean they were intentionally cheating.

    Broken parts, failed parts, wall contact, etc all could make a difference in that height. 1/16th of inch is approximately the same length of your little finger fingernail if you have medium size hands.

    Now, granted the team had been warned about this problem before according to Dave Rogers. But for whatever reason they did not correct the problem or attempts to correct it failed.

    Monday morning NASCAR announced that it had fined Dave Rogers, $25,000 and taken 6 points from Kyle Busch. They did not take his finishing position but the point’s deduction would be the equivalent of 25 points under the old system. The point’s deduction does not make Kyle the final car on the lead lap even. Although in a points race as tight as the one currently going on in the Sprint Cup Series those 6 points are going to be hard to make up.

    But the abuse that will come from fans on message boards and twitter may be even more punishment. Kyle Busch is the man people love to hate. Ok, he brought it on himself with some of his antics. But we all tend to forget that he is now 26 years old. If we all think back to when we were kids we all did stupid things. We all did things that we wouldn’t want someone to judge us for as we matured and found out who we were and how to express it appropriately. Kyle Busch however is not given that respect or courtesy. No matter how thrilling his performances on the track are. No matter how talented he is. And he is talented people. Even his co competitors whether they like him or not do not deny his talent.

    As NASCAR prepares to vote for it’s next Hall of Fame class, I would encourage everyone to take a moment and think before you speak. Read what you have just typed into Twitter and ask yourself if the formidable task of making up the 6 points that NASCAR penalized Kyle Busch is not enough punishment. Then ask yourself, if it was being said about me or my younger brother how would I feel. As NASCAR fans remember that we are the basis for how our sport is judged by new fans. With the seats half empty can we afford to lose anymore?

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Congratulations to Clint Bowyer on his victory at the Prelude to The Dream. It was an awesome race for an awesome cause.

    Congratulations to Ron Hornaday and his Kevin Harvick Inc. team on their Camping World Truck Series Win.

    Congratulations to Jeff Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports team on their Sprint Cup Series victory.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • Eddie Sharp Racing, Craig Goess End Relationship

    Goess Out of No. 46 Toyota Tundra, Sharp to Continue Operations

    Denver, NC (June 14, 2011)– Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) owner Eddie Sharp announced Tuesday the relationship between the No. 46 Toyota crew and driver Craig Goess has been dissolved, effective immediately. Goess, who had driven for Sharp since 2008, recorded one top-10 this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). Sharp’s No. 46 is currently in the top-25 in owner points following last weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway.

    “It’s really an unfortunate circumstance for all of us at Eddie Sharp Racing and for the Goess family. We’ve had a long standing relationship together, but we will respect everyone’s decision and move forward from here,” Sharp commented. “Craig and his parents have become like family to me, so it’s that much more difficult to see them go in a different direction.”

    Expectations of the team and driver duo at the beginning of the year ran high following a championship contending season in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in 2010. The entire team moved up to the NCWTS together, and had hoped for similar results. However, the group had not gelled the way everyone was hoping, which is what contributed to the separation according to Sharp.

    The team intends on moving forward with business and operations as scheduled and anticipates competing in the next scheduled NCWTS race at Kentucky on July 7th.

    “We have a championship caliber crew chief in Trip Bruce, and an outstanding team at our shop preparing really fast trucks, and we’re anxious to continue racing the full schedule this season. We’re not going anywhere, we just need to find the correct driver for our organization and finish the year strong,” Sharp concluded.

    For more information on Eddie Sharp Racing, visit TeamESR.com, follow us on Twitter (@TeamESR) and find us on Facebook.

  • Mark Martin NNS Michigan Quick Facts

    Mark Martin NNS Michigan Quick Facts

    MARK MARTIN QUICK FACTS

    No. 32 Dollar General Chevy

    Michigan International Speedway

    Alliance Truck Parts 250

    June 18, 2011

    No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

    • Welcome Back – Mark Martin returns to the No. 32 Dollar General Chevy this week for his third of four NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts for Turner Motorsports. In his two previous starts for Turner Motorsports this season, Martin recorded the team’s first win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and an eighth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway.

    • Sorenson Back on Top – After the Dollar General team’s sixth-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway two weeks ago, Reed Sorenson returned to the top of the NNS driver standings. It is the second time this season that Sorenson has been leading the points. He currently holds the top spot by two markers over Elliott Sadler. This weekend, Sorenson will be piloting the No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet at Michigan while attempting to keep his place atop the point standings.

    • Martin at Michigan – Martin has made 11 NNS starts at Michigan International Speedway, notching two wins, eight top-fives, nine top-10s and one pole award with 304 laps led. He has an average start of 10.6 and an average finish of 5.1. Martin recorded his first NNS Michigan win in his first series start at the track in 1993, with the second two years later in 1995.

    • Looking for Golden Win No. 50 – Throughout his illustrious NNS career, Martin has amassed 49 wins, the most of any driver in the series. Even though there is fierce competition for the title from Kyle Busch, who has 48 series victories, Martin enters the Michigan weekend still on top and looking for win number 50.

    • Consistency Is Key for Dollar General Team – The No. 32 Dollar General team continues to prove their worth week in and week out with consistent finishes. In the 14 races run this season, the Trent Owens-led group has 12 top-10 finishes which leads all NNS teams. Additionally, the Dollar General team has posted one win and six top-five finishes, putting them third in the owner point standings.

    • This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Martin will pilot TMS-130 in the Alliance Truck Parts 250 at Michigan International Speedway. This is a brand new car and will see its first competitive laps this weekend at the two-mile track.

    Martin on racing for Turner Motorsports again this weekend:

    “I’m really looking forward to getting back in that Dollar General car for Turner Motorsports this weekend. We didn’t have the result at California that we were looking for, but still got a solid top-10 finish out of it. I’m hoping we can go out there and do what we did in Vegas and get another win for all those guys. Engines are super important at Michigan, and, of course, we have Hendrick horsepower, so that’s encouraging, too. I love racing in the Nationwide Series and am hoping to get to number 50 on the win list this week.

  • MIS CARES TO AUCTION OFF AN EXTREME BUS MAKEOVER FOR CHARITY

    Extreme Bus Make Over!

    Back for a third year, MIS Cares Extreme Bus Makeover benefits local charities, great causes

    BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 14, 2011) — The third time might be the charm for a lucky fan who will win the chance to have the exterior of their race weekend bus professionally designed, painted and decaled by Michigan International Speedway.

    Following two years of successful paintings and unveilings, MIS and the NASCAR Foundation will auction off the chance for a lucky fan to have the exterior of their race weekend bus remodeled. All proceeds will go to MIS Cares.

    Fans will have the opportunity to enter into the auction beginning with the June 17-19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race weekend.

    To submit a bid, fans must log onto www.auctions.nascar.com. The contest will carry on through the summer, concluding on August 26.

    “We appreciate everything the fans do for us and are honored to be able to provide these experiences for them,” track President Roger Curtis said. “We have so many loyal fans and we work very hard to deliver on our brand promise. It’s about continuing our mission statement of providing lasting memories for every person, every time. This year’s version of the event is also very special, because it helps a great cause, MIS Cares!”

    Once the winner is announced, the lucky race fan will meet with staff in January 2012 to mutually agree upon a design that will be a fabulous transition. The bus will need to be delivered to MIS (at the cost of the auction winner) in January and will be stored, made over and unveiled to the owner of the bus by April 15, 2012.

    Restrictions and limitations include: designs produced only by the MIS staff, no fabrications of the bus and strictly paint and vinyl will be added to the exterior.

    Great seats are available for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 by calling 800-354-1010 or visiting www.MISpeedway.com.

    Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is a Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where race fans and sports fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the fun of NASCAR and the thrill of a great time for guests and drivers alike.

    You can also visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MISpeedway or Tweet with us @MISpeedway.

    Michigan International Speedway – 2011 Schedule

    Thursday, June 16 Race Fest in Downtown Brooklyn – 1 p.m. – 10 p.m. Friday, June 17 ARCA Racing Series RainEater Wiper Blades 200 Saturday, June 18 NASCAR Nationwide Series Alliance Truck Parts 250 Sunday, June 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

    Friday, Aug. 19 Meijer Pole Day Saturday, Aug. 20 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200 Sunday, Aug. 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    Sunday, Sept. 11 Spirit of America Blood Drive – 10th Anniversary!

  • CHEVY NSCS AT MICHIGAN ONE: Team Chevy Advance

    CHEVY NSCS AT MICHIGAN ONE: Team Chevy Advance

    34-TIME MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPION – NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

    TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

    HELUVA GOOD!

    SOUR CREAM DIPS 400

    MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

    BROOKLYN, MI

    JUNE 12, 2011

    DID YOU KNOW? Two years of standard maintenance including oil changes are now a part of purchasing a Certified Pre-Owned Chevrolet. Owner Care, a first in the certified pre-owned vehicle industry that includes a two-year/30,000-mile standard vehicle maintenance program, will cover oil changes based on each vehicle’s Oil Life Monitor system, tire rotations, and multi-point vehicle inspections at no charge to the customer.

    CHEVY RACING AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY JEFF CHEW, MARKETING MANAGER, NASCAR, CHEVY RACING: “With Michigan International Speedway in our backyard, this is a very special weekend for us at Chevrolet, and we are proud to be able to share our excitement with the fans. Racing is a very important part of Chevy’s long history and sharing that heritage with our fans is very important to us. The display has something for everyone, and the Team Chevy Racing Tour, which is easily accessed in the New Holland Fan Plaza outside of the track, provides an opportunity for fans to experience all of the newest Chevy products – including the opportunity to take a test drive.”

    CHEVY RACING FOR THE FANS AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:

    . Follow Team Chevy on Facebook and Twitter to receive the latest news as well as updates with times and locations of events

    . Fans can visit Chevy Racing Display and Chevy Test Drive at Michigan International Speedway (MIS)

    . The Team Chevy Racing display will be located in the New Holland Fan Plaza.

    . Fans can check out great Chevrolet vehicles including: Camaro Coupe, Camaro Convertible, Corvette Grand Sport, Cruze ECO, Malibu, Volt, Equinox, and Traverse.

    . Display hours of operation: Friday – 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Saturday – 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; and Sunday – 7:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

    . Activities at the Chevy Racing Display includes a variety of interactive activities for adults and kids

    . New this year is the GM Performance Parts display including crate engines and an assortment of GM accessories and performance parts

    . The Chevy Test Drive will on a closed course outside Turn 3 in the Highbanks Village

    . Fans can test drive a Traverse, Equinox, Malibu, Cruze, Volt, Silverado HD, Corvette Grand Sports, Camaro Convertibles and Camaro Coupe. For participating, they get a free Chevy Heritage T-shirt.

    . The Test Drive Hours; Friday, 9am-5pm; Saturday, 8am-4pm and Sunday, 7am – 12:30pm.

    . Fans can take a tram from the Midway to Highbanks Villiage or get a shuttle from the Team Chevy display in the New Holland Fan Plaza to the Test Drive location

    . Fans are encouraged to bring old cell phones to Chevy Display and donate in drop box for Cell Phones for Soldiers program

    . DRIVER APPEARANCES: FRIDAY – Q&A with RCR drivers Ty Dillon & Tim George; SATURDAY – Q&A with Turner Mtrspts driver Reed Sorenson at 1:05 p.m. SUNDAY – Q&A with RCR driver Clint Bowyer at 9:30 a.m. & Q&A with HMS driver Jimmie Johnson at 10:15 a.m.

    . CREW AUTOGRAPH SESSION: SUNDAY – The No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet over-the-wall pit crew will sign autographs – time TBD

    TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:

    . Chevrolet has won 34 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships

    . Team Chevy drivers have scored 676 wins AND 614 poles in NSCS competition

    o 2011 wins – 7

    o 2011 poles – 5

    . In 2010, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team scored their unprecedented fifth consecutive drivers’ and owners’ NSCS championships

    CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK-MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:

    * Team Chevy drivers have won 19 of 83 previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races at Michigan International Speedway (MIS)

    . Chevy drivers have won 23 poles at MIS

    . Team Chevy drivers have scored 138 top-five finishes and 282 top-10 finishes at MIS

    * A Chevrolet has led 6,014 laps (36.5% of possible 16,489) at MIS

    * Mark Martin, No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, has five (5) previous NSCS victories at MIS (’90, ’93, ’97, ’98, ’09) * Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, has two (2) MIS NSCS wins (’98, ’01) * Ryan Newman, No. 39 US Army 236 BirthdayChevrolet, has two (2) MIS victories (’03, ’04) * Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet has one (1) win at MIS (’08) * Tony Stewart, No. 14 Office Depot/ Mobil 1 Chevrolet, has won once (1) at MIS (’00) * Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, has one (1) MIS win (’10)

    . TEAM CHEVY IN THE GARAGE AT MICHIGAN INERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY – PAT SUHY, GM RACING NASCAR GROUP MANAGER: “Team Chevy rolls into Michigan International Speedway on a roll of its own. With seven wins in the first 14 Cup races this year, we have a 15 point lead in the Manufacturers’ Cup standings and seven drivers in the top-12 points positions with only 12 races to go before the field is set for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    “This is an important race to us since it’s in our proverbial backyard. Winning for us at the two-mile Michigan oval has always been special, although not easy. After a long dry spell, Team Chevy drivers have brought home a win in each of the last three years in either the spring or the summer event.

    “Michigan International Speedway is similar to the California track, but it has longer straightaways and more banking in the turns. Those long straightaways put a premium on horsepower, and those that don’t have it will suffer. The Chevy R07 engine, in the hands of our top engine builders, has proven itself to be a top horsepower producer. Handling is also important. With the high straightaway speeds, crew chiefs must find the right balance point between downforce and drag to allow their drivers to pass, or keep from being passed, in the turns and not “dragged down” on the straights. The wide track also allows racing in several grooves. A setup that allows the driver to run multiple lines gives him options in terms of finding the fastest one, rather than having the car dictate the line. Our Team Chevy drivers and crew chiefs have shown that they can communicate and work together to come up with that optimum chassis/aero configuration that gets one of them to victory lane.

    “I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with this weekend and hope to be celebrating our eighth victory of 2011 Sunday in the Winner’s Circle at MIS.”

    . TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:

    . JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET – 2ND IN STANDINGS:

    “We’ve been close (to winning at Michigan) and our fuel mileage has been kind of our nemesis with two or three things that have taken place there. We’ve led a fair amount of laps over the years and just kind of haven’t had the luck or the mileage or whatever it is at the end of the race. Looking forward to going back. We’re always looking forward to going racing in the area where the manufacturers are based and I want to put on a good show for all the Chevrolet fans and do my part to represent the bowtie. Looking forward to it. We’ve been making a lot of progress on our intermediate setups and race cars. I think this could be a win for the 48 this weekend.”

    . DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET – 3RD IN STANDINGS: “I really like Michigan. It’s a real fun place to race. It is a wide racetrack and has a lot of different grooves. We can move around and find places to run on the track which makes it pretty enjoyable. A lot of times that is a fuel-mileage race. You do need a lot of motor too, and we’re pretty good in that department.”

    . KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET – 4TH IN STANDINGS: “We were fortunate enough to win the last race we ran there (at Michigan). The tires wear out; you have a lot of options as a driver to move from the bottom of the race track to the top and I think that is why everybody likes going there. It is a fun race track to race on. You have got to have good fuel mileage. You have to have a good handling car. You have to have the whole package. If you are having a good day, it’s not very hard anywhere to drive a good handling race car around and tell your guys what it needs and everybody is in a good mood. If you are having a bad day, you can get behind at Michigan really fast and usually when you are hooked up at Michigan, the leader’s in clean air and moving through traffic pretty well and if you are mid-pack, you can find yourself getting behind and a lap down pretty fast because you are going to have a green flag pit stop and you are going to have a whole bunch of green flag laps. You have just got to be going from the time the green flag drops and keep up with your car and keep yourself up in the pack.”

    . CLINT BOWYER, NO. 33 CHEERIOS/HAMBURGER HELPER CHEVROLET – 8TH IN STANDINGS: “I like racing at Michigan. I like how it’s really wide; it opens up and you can run a lot of different lines on the race track. But I’m telling you, it has been a hit or miss track for us. We either run really well there or we don’t run good at all. You’ve just got to find consistency on a track like that and that’s what it all boils down to. There’s just so many things that happen there that you have to capitalize on. You’ve got to be in position. And then a lot of times, more often than not, it comes down to stretching that fuel as far as you can.”

    . TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET – 9TH IN STANDINGS: “There has to be a good balance of both horsepower and handling at Michigan. You can have the best horsepower there, but if you can’t make it handle through those long corners you aren’t going to be able to carry speed down the straightaway. But at the same time you can have the best handling car in the corners but if you don’t have something to make it handle down the straightaway it’s not going to matter either. I don’t know that there is anything hard about it (running 400 miles at Michigan). Its knowing the closer you get to the front the better your car is going to drive. It’s having the confidence of knowing what you need to do with your car during a race and knowing where to move out on the race track as your balance changes. That’s the good thing about Michigan races; really wide and you can move around and help yourself out. That’s probably half the battle.”

    . RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 U.S. ARMY 236 BIRTHDAY BUD MOORE TRIBUTE CHEVROLET – 10TH IN STANDINGS: “You talk about an added incentive; I sure have a few this weekend. To pay tribute to Bud Moore at the race we celebrate the Army’s 236th birthday is an immense honor. Throughout the course of American history it’s been the Army Strong Soldiers like Bud who have put their lives on the line to protect and preserve freedom. I have personally witnessed our Soldiers’ mental, emotional and physical strength and it is truly remarkable. From the U.S. Army NASCAR team to all the Soldiers past and present, Happy Birthday U.S. Army and thank you for 236 years of Army Strong. I like everything about the Michigan facility, including the natural and peaceful beauty of the surrounding area. For some reason, we just haven’t been able to put it together there in recent times. Our intermediate track program has improved and I am looking for our Army Chevrolet to perform well this weekend.”

    . JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET – 11TH IN STANDINGS: “I’ll always take handling (over horsepower). But it’s hard to just come out and say that at Michigan because those straightaways are long. You’re on the throttle a long time. Unless you’re saying to me that I can have 25 more horsepower than the competition, then most of the time when we talk about having more horsepower it’s four or five or six or eight horsepower. I’m thinking we’ve got some things to work on in the power department but that to me, is not what’s preventing us from winning races right now. “To me, here (Pocono), Michigan it sort of takes the same package; a lot of power and then you’ve got to get through the corners really good. You can’t just have one. You used to be able to have just one but now you’ve got to have it all and now you’ve got to throw in fuel mileage as well. At these two tracks, fuel mileage is key. And we’ve been working so hard and making our cars faster, that we have not put a lot of focus into fuel mileage and it’s something we need to put a lot more attention on. We actually had a road course test this week and we played around with some things there and we’ll continue to move forward with that. But first and foremost we’re going to try to have a fast race car.”

    . JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 CARS 2 CHEVROLET – 13TH IN STANDINGS: “Well, Michigan was one of those tracks we never seemed to have much luck at up until the last few times we’ve gone there. The guys have been working really hard to get our cars back to where we need to be so hopefully we’ve learned a few things these last 14 races and can go in there with a strong showing. Aside from that, it’s a really cool race for us this weekend because we’re running the Cars 2 paint scheme on our No. 42 Chevrolet. I had the opportunity to play a part in the Cars 2 Spanish version and now we get to run a cool paint scheme on our car through the Target program.”

    . MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET – 15TH IN STANDINGS: “If you look at statistics, Michigan could be labeled my best track on the circuit. Last year, we struggled a bit, suffered damage in the fall race that we could never really overcome. But back in 2009 we got the win on the final lap and when you win them like that, on the last lap, it’s so much fun. Those are the best kind of wins I think. We’ve got some work to do on our intermediate program, but we’ll get there. This is a great track for us to turn that all around on.”

    . PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 PITTSBURGH PAINTS/MENARDS CHEVROLET – 19TH IN STANDINGS: “I really enjoy racing at Michigan. We had a really fast car there last year in practice, but the pace fell off during the race. You kind of have to guess where your gaps are as far as front-end settings are concerned and we missed that last year. This year we just have to try and put it all together. We’ve been pretty solid at the intermediate tracks this year so I think we’ll unload well and work on it from there. It definitely gives you confidence going in with the ECR engines, plus, the RCR teams have a history of running well there. You can move all over the place at MIS. You can run from the top to bottom of the racetrack. You’re not dependent on certain lines. Instead, you can move around and see where your car works the best.”

    . JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET – 25TH IN STANDINGS: “That’s what I like about it (Michigan). I like the fact that you can slide around. I end up sliding around too much and then I’m screaming too much about being loose. But I like the fact that you can really side track the car there and you spend a lot of time with the back of the car rolling around pretty far. It’s a really fun race track. The thing that we have to do is just continue to be better. When we’re better at Charlotte, we’ll be better at Michigan. When we’re better at Michigan, we’ll be better at Vegas, you know what I mean? It’s just a continuation of an improvement of our stuff. I feel optimistic going there. Certainly I like the race track. It’s fun to race on and I feel like we can have good finishes there.”

    . REGAN SMITH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW RACING CHEVROLET – 27TH IN STANDINGS: “Michigan is a track that I truly feel we can produce a strong performance. It’s wide and you can pass there. Last year we had solid performances at MIS but didn’t get the finishes (21st and 23rd) that our Furniture Row Chevrolet deserved. Our recent 15th-place finish in Pocono was decent, but as I have said in the past, we’re just okay with top 15’s, we want to have results in the top-10 and top-five. Though we’re making steady progress, we need to get stronger if we want to get in the top-20 in points and have a possible wild card spot in the Chase.”

    . JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET – 29TH IN STANDINGS: “We have had a couple of frustrating weeks here lately, so I am hoping that going to Michigan will be a change of luck for us. Michigan seems to come down to being a fuel mileage race, so you can try lots of different strategy to put yourself into position to be up front at the end of the day. I would prefer to just go outrun everyone, but we would take whatever we can get to have a solid finish. Our guys continue to work hard on our cars and we want to represent Chevrolet proudly when we race so close to Detroit. It is always nice to go up there being close to home for Chevrolet and getting to see a lot of people that support our program, but don’t get to many of the races. Hopefully we will give the hometown crowd something to cheer about!”

  • THE NUMBERS for the HELUVA GOOD! Sour Cream Dips 400

    THE NUMBERS for the HELUVA GOOD! Sour Cream Dips 400

    THE NUMBERS for the HELUVA GOOD! Sour Cream Dips 400 Michigan Int’l Speedway (all Sprint Cup races)

    0 – fewest cautions (three times, most recent 6/13/99)

    1 – fewest laps led by race winner (Mark Martin, 6/14/09)

    2 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (five times, most recent 6/15/75)

    5 – fewest leaders (five times, most recent 8/12/84)

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

    6 – wins by Dodge at MIS since manufacturer’s return to NASCAR in 2001

    7 – fewest lead changes (8/12/84)

    8 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend at MIS

    9 – most wins (David Pearson)

    10 – most poles (David Pearson)

    10 – most cautions (8/20/06)

    11 – wins by car owner (Wood Brothers, Jack Roush)

    14 – fewest cars running at finish (6/16/74)

    15 – most leaders (6/20/82)

    18 – drivers with more than one win

    20 – drivers with more than one pole at MIS

    24 – wins from the front row; 16 from the pole

    32 – worst starting position for race winner (Mark Martin, 2009)

    33 – different race winners

    37 – most cars on lead lap at finish (6/18/06) 40 – different pole winners

    41 – most cars running at finish (five times, most recent 6/17/07)

    63 – most caution laps (8/24/75)

    65 – most lead changes (8/16/81)

    120 minutes – approximate amount of time it takes to dry the 2.0-mile track

    162 – laps led by race winner (Rusty Wallace, 8/20/89)

     

    Key Dates in MIS History

    1967 – year construction began on MIS

    1969 – first Sprint Cup race

    1972 – track purchased by Roger Penske

    1973 – only one Sprint Cup race

    1999 – year MIS purchased by ISC

    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)

    115 – number of cautions in the first 14 races of 2011; includes 51 for accidents, 27 for debris and 19 for spins

    565 of 4,548 – number of laps under caution in 2011

    745.429 of 5,872.000 – miles under caution in the first 14 races

    BONUS: In addition to Michigan Int’l Speedway, three other Michigan tracks hosted five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events in the 1950s – Grand River Speedrome (Grand Rapids), Michigan State Fairgrounds (Detroit) and Monroe Speedway. (Marshal Teague and Lee Petty posted victories in the two races at Grand River Speedrome, Tommy Thompson and Tim Flock won the two at Michigan State Fairgrounds and Flock was the winner in the only race at Monroe Speedway).

    Provided by Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports

  • Greatness still is Jeff Gordon

    Greatness still is Jeff Gordon

    Richard Petty (200 Cup wins), David Pearson (105), Bobby Allison (84), Darryl Waltrip (84), and Jeff Gordon (84). Three Hall of Famers, one who soon will be, and the winner of the last race at Pocono. Yes, Mr. Gordon is among some fine company.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]In his 19 full seasons in NASCAR, Jeff Gordon has accomplished all that a driver can, other than maybe winning three more championships to tie the seven of Petty and Dale Earnhardt in that category. The odometer turns 40 in August, yet it would seem that Gordon could have another decade in him if he so chooses. He has piled up his victories by averaging between four and five per year, and he has been in the Top Ten in more than 60% of all the races he has run.

    Still, some think the man is on the downside of his career. We can all wish our twilight years could be so bright. Gordon’s 50th victory came at Talladega more than 11 years ago, almost a decade has gone by since his fourth title, and last year he tied for his second worst finish in the standings. Of course, we are talking about Gordon, who calls a bad season one where he finishes 14th, as in his rookie year (1993), and 11th in 2005 and 2010. Since the last time he was king, he still has won 26 events. Only two drivers have won more over that time, five-time champ Jimmie Johnson (54) and Tony Stewart (27) with only twenty other drivers in Cup history even able to claim to have won more than 25 races over their entire career.

    While he remains outside the Top Ten, and an automatic berth in the dash for the crown, his two victories this season should almost give him a lock on one of the two wild card invites. I think the odds are high that Rick Hendrick will once again be the championship car owner, however there remains an argument as to which of his top two performers over the years will provide that honor. We were witness to that last Sunday at Pocono.

  • Justin Allgaier Alliance Truck Parts 250 Quick Facts

    Justin Allgaier Alliance Truck Parts 250 Quick Facts

    JUSTIN ALLGAIER QUICK FACTS

    No. 31 DEFT FinishesChevrolet

    Alliance Truck Parts 250

    Michigan International Speedway

    June 18, 2011

    No. 31 DEFT Finishes Chevrolet News and Notes

    • Career Win Number Two… Justin Allgaier earned his second career victory in front of his hometown fans and sponsor two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway. Allgaier led only one lap in the 300-mile event as he stretched fuel mileage close enough to coast across the finish line to claim victory for the first time this season.

    • Welcome Aboard DEFT Finishes… DEFT Finishes will adorn the hood of the No. 31 Chevy Impala for Saturday afternoon’s 125-lap event at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). DEFT Finishes is a leader in the coating industry in the development of high performance, low volatile organic content (VOC) coating systems. DEFT Finishes has more than 35 years experience in lowering toxicity and air pollution in high performance primers and topcoats. Turner Motorsports uses DEFT paint products on their race cars in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS).

    • Allgaier Heads to The Motor City Fourth in Points… Allgaier remained in fourth-place in the NNS championship point standings, just 11-points behind leader and Turner Motorsports teammate Reed Sorenson, after his win at Chicagoland Speedway. All three championship contending Turner Motorsports drivers are currently in the top-10, with Sorenson leading and Jason Leffler in sixth-place.

    • Michigan by the Numbers… The 24-year-old DEFT Finishes Chevy driver has two NNS starts at MIS. He is credited with one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He has an average finish of 5.5 and has a 100% lap completion rate.

    • This Week’s Impala… The No. 31 DEFT FinishesChevy team will hit the track with chassis TMS-121 this weekend at MIS. This chassis has impressive stats, claiming the victory at Chicagoland Speedway two weeks ago. Additionally this chassis saw racing action at Darlington Raceway where Allgaier started 12th and finished in the fourth spot, and earlier this season at Texas Motor Speedway where he started 12th and finished in the sixth position.

    • Prelude to the Dream… Allgaier along with teammates Ricky Carmichael and Jason Leffler took part in the seventh annual Prelude to the Dream last Wednesday evening at Eldora Speedway. This marked Allgaier’s second consecutive Prelude run and he didn’t disappoint. The young Nationwide Series competitor utilized his old dirt skills by winning his heat and finishing 5th in the feature event.

    • In the Loop… Thus far in 2011, Allgaier ranks among the top-10 in several of NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics: Closers (1st), Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap (5th), Fastest on Restarts (6th), Laps in the Top-15 (6th), Average Running Position (7th), Fastest Speed in Traffic (9th), Quality Passes (9th), Fastest Early in the Run (9th), Fastest Late in the Run (10th) and Green Flag Speed (10th).

    Justin Allgaier on Michigan International Speedway:

    “I love competing at Michigan. I have always run well and finished strong there. Michigan was one of the few tracks the “new car” ran last year, which gives us a strong set of notes to go off of heading into this weekend. We’re coming off a big win at Chicago and hope to continue this momentum to get back in the thick of the championship hunt.”

    Follow the No. 31 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No31TurnerNNS

    Follow Justin Allgaier on Twitter! Twitter.com/J_Allgaier

    Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports