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Author: Briar Starr

  • Exclusive: First seasons with Paul Tracy

    Exclusive: First seasons with Paul Tracy

    In this edition of Speedway Media’s first seasons’ column, we caught up with former IndyCar driver turned NBC broadcaster, Paul Tracy. In the interview, Tracy discusses what brought him into the sport in 1991, meeting with Roger Penske to help him get a full-time ride, winning his first race at Long Beach in 1993, among many other memories throughout Tracy’s early career.

    SM: You made your CART debut at the age of 22 in the 1991 season at Long Beach for Dale Coyne before ultimately driving for Roger Penske. What it was like to make your debut at that age and how did you make the connection with Roger Penske that landed you a full-time ride for the 1992 season?

    PT: “I started out winning the Indy Lights Championship and then I had a test with True Sports Racing and they were sponsored by Budweiser,” Tracy said. “I was still 20 years old and the test went really well and they signed me to an option contract and then they couldn’t get Budweiser to sponsor me because I was under 21. We went through the winter trying to find a sponsor, but we had nothing to start the season.

    “Much to the dismay of my mom, my dad refinanced our house and made a deal with Dale Coyne to drive for him (at Long Beach) all with the hopes of a good race and some prize money. I qualified really well in Dale’s car, which at that time, Dale was known for not having the best equipment. The car was a year old. In the race, the motor blew up and that was it. I thought that was the end of the road.

    “Penske had contacted us and asked me what I wanted to do. I said our goal was to get to Indianapolis. He said, sit tight and wait for me to call you. We put a lot of faith in Roger and the day after Indy qualifying, Roger called my dad and said, ‘I need you to drive to Detroit and meet me at my office at midnight.’ That’s what we did, got in a car and drove to Detroit. The contract was on the table and he said sign this now, or I have another driver waiting at the motel to sign it.”

    SM: When was your first conversation with Roger and did you feel like this was a place to be after the first meeting?

    PT: “Oh obviously,” he said. His team was the best team. How could you not go with your first real racing opportunity to be with the best team in the history of the sport? To some degree, he kind of spoiled me. After I left Team Penske, you were so spoiled with the best preparations.”

    SM: During the ‘92 season, you ran 11 out of the 16 races that year. What kind of expectations did you have at the beginning of the season? Was managing expectations difficult knowing you weren’t full-time?

    PT: “Yeah, I started (racing) in ‘91 and there were really no expectations,” Tracy said. “Roger said, I’m going to sign you as a test driver. You might test for one year or five years, I can’t promise you anything. Other than that, you’re going to do a lot of testing for us.

    “My test came at Mid-Ohio. I had already been there with True Sport Racing, so I knew the track well. I admittedly was very quick. I was quicker than Emerson (Fittipaldi) and Rick (Mears) on the first day. That raised a lot of eyebrows.

    “We went to Michigan, tested there and I was quick again. Roger said ‘I’m going to have you race at the Michigan 500.’ I went out in my first race and crashed. I thought immediately, my career was over. He asked my doctor how long I would be, and my doctor said five to seven weeks. I had a rod and screw in my leg. At five weeks, I was out of my cast and in the soft cast.

    “The first test he (Roger) took me back to was Michigan, the site of my crash. There was the car that was smashed, sitting in the paddock, and the mark on the wall. (Roger) wanted me to do a 500-mile test when I went out. I was shitting myself and got through it (test). Speeds were good. That set the stage for the ‘92 season, where I would run Phoenix, Nazareth, Michigan and Detroit. He put sponsorship together with Mobil 1 and that’s how the ‘92 season came about.”

    SM: Your first race with Roger came in ‘91 at Michigan. Discuss what it was like in the weeks leading up to your first IndyCar start? Were you anxious or nervous or were you thinking, ‘I’m ready to go out there and show what I’ve got’?

    PT: “I was a little bit nervous, but I tested so much there at Michigan,” he said. “I had been there (Michigan) like 10 times, but I had never drafted with anyone else. I remember Roger telling me at the start, ‘just take the start and don’t pass anyone. If anyone passes you, it’s no big deal. Just stay on the lead lap and wait until the last 100 miles and then we’ll start racing.’

    “The green flag dropped and I was in the top seven or eight after qualifying. I remember I was behind Scott Brayton on the first lap, he was somewhat slow I thought. So, I thought, I’m going to pass him and I came up behind him (Brayton) in Turns 3 and 4 and I lost the rear of the car. I caught the car, but the car went the other way and hit the wall. My first start with Penske didn’t go very well.”

    SM: In ‘91, your best finish came at Nazareth finishing sixth, and then the year after, you bettered that finish with a second-place at Michigan while leading 67 laps. Did you think at that point, Michigan was probably your best shot to win after having gearbox problems earlier in the season?

    PT: “That was the comeback race at Michigan after breaking my leg the year before,” Tracy said about the 1992 Michigan race. “So, to come back, run up front, lead the race for a long time, the win came down to a shootout with me and Scott Goodyear at the end. I was really happy with how that race went. I thought that was really close to being my first win, but ultimately my first win didn’t come until the following year at Long Beach in 1993.”

    SM: As the season wore on, your two other podiums came at Mid-Ohio (second) and third at Nazareth. During your rookie season in ‘92, was there still a learning curve for you and the team? Was there a moment when you began to feel comfortable?

    PT: “I thought I was pretty comfortable in an IndyCar right away,” the 2003 CART champion said. “After my first test with True Sports, I thought the car suited me well, the horsepower level, everything.”

    SM: Your first-ever Indy 500 experience was in 1992. I know it wasn’t the result you wanted with a 20th place finish but regardless of that, what was it like experiencing your first Indy 500? What were your thoughts as you entered the garage on race day, the pre-race ceremonies, pace laps before the green, etc.?

    PT: “Indy has always been a tough place for me,” Tracy said. “That track, for whatever reason, was not suited for me. 2002, you can argue whether or not I won the race, that was my best result ever there. Other than that, every time I ran Indy, I struggled. I never qualified that great. (Indy) was just a hard track for me.”

    SM: Fast forward to 1993. You scored your first career win at Long Beach. You qualified on the outside pole and led 81 of the 105 laps. What does that first career win still mean to you to this day and have you ever had a chance to re-watch that race? Earlier in the week, the broadcast mentioned you fell off a mountain bike and that your hands were sore.

    PT: “There’s a story behind that as well,” Tracy said about falling off a mountain bike. “I had told the team I fell off a mountain bike, but I was out with some buddies go-karting at a track in California called Adams Raceway in some shifter karts. My friend (Mark Smith, former IndyCar driver) and I got tangled up and I flipped the go-kart and that’s how I tore myself.

    “However, I had crashed the week before at Phoenix after leading two laps. Everyone was looking at me sideways. After crashing the go-kart Wednesday of the Long Beach week, I showed up at the track black and blue and covered in blood. I thought, ‘shit, I better win this race or I am going to get fired.’ Luckily, Long Beach was one of my favorite tracks and everything went well in the race.”

    SM: After 1992, you went on to win 31 races, 74 podium finishes and even won the championship in 2003. However, are there any races where you wish you had another chance at or a do-over? If so, which race stands out the most and why?

    PT: “There’s a lot of them but Phoenix stands out the most,” the Canadian native said. “In my first full-season in ‘93, there’s some specific races that stand out because I lost the championship to (Nigel) Mansell by 25 points. I was right there at the championship, but I crashed out at Phoenix, Milwaukee and Mid-Ohio, all three while leading those races by a huge margin. I would like to have one of those three back.”

    SM: I wanted to follow up on this. I saw a video on your Instagram post about racing four days after the September 11th terrorist attacks in Germany. What was going through your mind at that time?

    PT: “Yeah, we didn’t know if we were ever going to get back across to the United States because, at that time, the worldwide flights were canceled,” Tracy said. “CART had gotten permission from the United States and the German government to let us race. At that race, there were a lot of crazy things that had happened. (Alex) Zenardi had got hurt there and there was a lot of stuff going on.”

    SM: What is your fondest memory of entering the sport?

    PT: “Just all the people I’ve worked with in the sport,” he said. “I can walk around the paddock and talk to any of the teams and ask them about their game plan for the race. Not only knowing the drivers on a good level but the mechanics as well. They will tell me straight and that really helps with our NBC broadcasts.”

    SM: Some drivers keep their own memorabilia and some don’t. Are you a driver that collects your own merchandise and if so, is there anything in your collection that reminds you of your rookie years?

    PT: “I have helmets and (fire) suits from specific times and races that I won over the years,” Tracy said. “The ones I’ve won specific races in, I still have them all. I have the suits from the 2003 championship and some Team Penske items. I have helmets that are of significant importance to me.”

    SM: Out of winning 31 races, which trophy out of your collections means the most to you and why?

    PT: “It’s hard to say which one is the most important to me, but winning in my hometown was great, winning in Vancouver in my own country was great and then my Long Beach trophies are really important as well. I guess if I had to categorize them, winning in my country meant a lot for sure.”

    SM: It’s hard to believe your CART debut came 30 years ago. However, what would a 52-year-old Paul Tracy tell a 20-year-old Paul Tracy? Is there anything you would do differently?

    PT: “Well, when I started racing, I drove flat out like it was the last lap,” Tracy said. “Back in those days, you couldn’t do that because the equipment wouldn’t hold up, the gearboxes would break, engines would blow up, etc. One of the things that Roger’s people would say, if they were developing their own cars, if it’ll hold up when Paul drives it, then anybody can drive it. If the car doesn’t break behind the wheel with him driving it, then the car will race the whole race. That would be everything inside the car. Now the cars are so reliable. It’s rare that you see an engine fail or gearbox fail. The drivers now drive like I did at the beginning of my career, but you just couldn’t do that back then since the equipment wasn’t as strong.”

    Throughout Paul Tracy’s career, the Scarborough, Ontario native has made 261 career CART starts with 31 career victories, 74 podium finishes and 24 pole positions along with winning the 2003 championship. Additionally, Tracy made 20 NTT IndyCar starts sporadically from 2002 to 2011. He also has 10 wins in 35 races from 1988 to 1990 in his Indy Lights career while winning the championship in 1990. He has also made starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series and the former NASCAR Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series.

    Fans of Paul Tracy can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out his website here.

    Special thanks to Kevin Lee of NBC Sports for helping with this interview and many thanks to Paul Tracy for taking the time out of his schedule to conduct the interview.

  • Tate Fogleman scores first career win in wild overtime finish at Talladega

    Tate Fogleman scores first career win in wild overtime finish at Talladega

    It took one overtime and one wild last lap for Tate Fogleman as he collided with John Hunter Nemechek coming to the finish line to capture his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory.

    “I had never finished a superspeedway race before,” Fogleman said. “Before, we had tried laying back and have a second draft going on behind the main pack that obviously didn’t work out in the past.

    “We weren’t really sure what our game plan was going in. We were going to try and stay toward the front, take the positions we were given and just work our way up.

    “The biggest thing was avoiding wrecks. Once we got through that first big wreck, we knew we had a shot at it. A few laps after that, we got through another wreck and we finally had a little bit of luck on our side. There at the end, we lined up third on the inside and knew that was our shot (at the victory). My truck had damage from both the wrecks, but I got a good push out back and that’s really what got me to the front. Ended up sliding across the finish line and be able to get the win.”

    Talladega Superspeedway served as the second race of the Round of 6 Saturday afternoon, with Ben Rhodes on the pole. Stages of 20/20/94 laps originally made up the event before an overtime finish pushed the lap length to Lap 99.

    The first two stages were relatively calm and stayed green, with the exception of one caution on Lap 29 for the No. 28 of Bryan Dauzat who crashed on the backstretch off Turn 2. In Stage 1, the victory went to Ben Rhodes as the Kentucky native dominated the first stage with help from teammate Matt Crafton.

    The second stage only had one caution and Sheldon Creed grabbed the stage victory after Nemechek originally made the pass for the lead on Lap 38, but was shuffled out of the top spot as Creed went on by to take the stage win.

    Three cautions slowed the final stage with multiple crashes. The first big one occurred on Lap 57 when Gilliland got a big push from the No. 23 of Chase Purdy which then caused Gilliland to turn into Austin Hill and set off a multiple-vehicle crash. Several drivers were involved, most notably, Chandler Smith, Zane Smith and Tanner Gray.

    After the first one big one, the field went single file for a brief period until Grant Enfinger went high off Turn 4 and got turned by Creed. Enfinger got hit from behind in an incident that saw Friesen, Hocevar, Deegan and Greenfield taking hard hits.

    The final yellow was on Lap 93. Purdy had a big run and tried coming down on Gilliland, but was too close to his bumper and Purdy spun in the tri-oval causing an overtime restart.

    As the field came back around for the checkered flag, Nemechek made a move on the leaders to get out in front, but it was Fogleman who made another move, spinning Nemechek and taking the win while wrecking with second-place finisher Tyler Hill.

    It was Hill’s career-best finish and his first top-five in 23 Camping World Truck Series starts.

    There were 23 lead changes among 18 different leaders and six cautions for 29 laps with one red flag lasting nine minutes and 41 seconds. Fogleman led one lap en route to victory.

    Playoff Standings following Round of 2 of 3 in Round of 6:

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, +34
    2. Ben Rhodes, +34
    3. Matt Crafton, +27
    4. Sheldon Creed, +4
      Below the cut line
    5. Stewart Friesen, -4
    6. Chandler Smith, -33
    7. Carson Hocevar, -36
    8. Zane Smith, -39

    Official Results following the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway:

    1. Tate Fogleman, led one lap
    2. Tyler Hill
    3. Todd Gilliland, led 39 laps
    4. John Hunter Nemechek, led 11 laps
    5. Ryan Truex
    6. Cory Roper
    7. Spencer Boyd
    8. Danny Bohn
    9. Chase Purdy, led four laps
    10. Keith McGee, led one lap
    11. Jordan Anderson
    12. Sheldon Creed, won Stage 2, led six laps
    13. Ben Rhodes, won Stage 1, led 20 laps
    14. Matt Crafton, led four laps
    15. Bret Holmes, led 11 laps
    16. Codie Rohrbaugh, OUT, Accident
    17. Norm Benning, 1 lap down
    18. Willie Allen, 5 laps down
    19. Chandler Smith, 7 laps down
    20. Derek Kraus, 9 laps down
    21. Grant Enfinger, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    22. Stewart Friesen, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    23. Clay Greenfield, OUT, Accident
    24. Hailie Deegan, OUT, Accident
    25. Carson Hocevar, OUT, Accident
    26. Dylan Lupton, OUT, Accident
    27. Jason White, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    28. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    29. Austin Wayne Self, OUT, Electrical
    30. Johnny Sauter, OUT, Accident
    31. Jennifer Jo Cobb, OUT, Accident
    32. Austin Hill, OUT, Accident
    33. Zane Smith, OUT, Accident
    34. Tanner Gray, OUT, Accident
    35. Drew Dollar, OUT, Accident
    36. Kris Wright, OUT, Accident
    37. Parker Kligerman, OUT, Accident
    38. Lawless Alan, OUT, Accident
    39. Bryan Dauzat, OUT, Accident
    40. Jack Wood, OUT, Engine

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take a couple of weeks off before heading to Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 30 at 1 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Exclusive: First Seasons with Andrew Hines

    Exclusive: First Seasons with Andrew Hines

    In this edition of First Seasons, Speedway Media catches up with six-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Andrew Hines. During this interview, Hines discusses entering the sport in 2002, racing for his dad’s team, Vance and Hines and memories of his first start. Other topics covered were winning the championship in 2004 and whether he has a favorite trophy out of his collection.

    SM: You made your debut at the young age of 19 years old in 2002 at Denver. What was it like making your debut at that age which at the time was considered young for the sport and what drew you to compete in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class? 

    AH: “That race was a challenge to get to,” Hines said. “I’ve grown up around drag racing and hadn’t known much else, watching my brother and dad race throughout the early 90s and ‘00s and I got the chance to go racing. My dad (founder of Vance and Hines) told me if I wanted to go racing, I needed to learn the entire aspect of a motorcycle. He told me here’s a chassis and go ahead and build it up. I had to learn all my fabrications at that point.

    “Had some struggles getting there. We went testing prior to that race and the engine expired at the 1,000-foot mark on the run and oil got all over the exhaust pipe and the bike went up in flames. We originally were shooting for Chicago that year, but we had to get the body repaired and rewire everything, just regroup and figure out what to do from there on forward. It was a lot of work, a lot of headaches, I put so much time into that motorcycle and to see it burning at the end of the racetrack was not a very easy feeling. 

    “At that point, it kind of sets into your mind what can happen on these motorcycles. They’re not really safe and they can have a mind of their own. That was instilled in me early on and that was an eye-opening experience to have so many things happen early in my career. Getting to Denver, I was able to qualify at the top half of the field, which was a cool feat for the team.

    “Some people think it’s a good place (Denver) to start because you’re going slower due to the altitude. The track is one of the most technical races on the tour because you’re going slower and any change you make on the motorcycle will drastically impact the motorcycle more than a sea-level track.”

    SM: In 2002 you competed on a part-time schedule running seven races before going full-time from 2003 to now. As you entered the ‘02 season, was managing expectations difficult knowing you were part-time that year and eventually going full-time in ‘03?

    AH: “In ‘02, the way the Rookie of the Year worked out in NHRA, once you compete in your fifth event, you’re no longer considered a rookie,” he said. “By running seven events, I was saying 2002 was my rookie season. At the end of the year, I was nominated for the Rookie of the Year, but I did not win it.

    “I didn’t really know what was going to happen in 2003. We didn’t have any plans set in stone. The Harley-Davidson contract that Vince and Hines picked up and we weren’t sure where that was going to go in the future. Throughout 2002, I was just focused on getting experience, racing new people, and going to these different venues. Every track we go to is a quarter-mile track, but they’re all unique to their own.

    “Going into ‘03, I didn’t know where I was going to go, but ultimately I ended up getting a second ride on the factory motorcycle through Vance and Hines. History has been written since. Though I got to race my dad (Byron Hines) twice that year, once at Reading and the other at Pomona, and we went 1-1, and after that, he was done racing. So our record still stands to this day as a tie.” 

    SM: Are you encouraging him to try and come out and race with you so you can break the tie with him? 

    AH: Yeah, exactly,” Hines said. “He’s always got the itch to come out and race, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to get on a motorcycle since then.” 

    SM: Your debut came at Denver in 2002. Before we talk about your first qualifying run and eventually your rounds that weekend, what were the weeks like leading up to that event? Were you nervous or anxious, or were you tired of waiting and ready to get going? 

    AH: “I was definitely anxious,” the six-time champion said. “My brother was racing for Eagle One (corporate sponsor) and here I was, the younger brother coming out here trying to make waves in the class. I had high expectations, but unfortunately at the time, we weren’t running my motorcycle at peak performance. I was using some old parts at the shop that were lying around. Just trying to race as a low-budget deal and not gobble up all the resources that my brother needed to go race for the championship.

    “It was older engines, crankshafts, that’s why we had some failures along the way. Very anxious going into that first race at Denver. I was actually able to borrow a truck and trailer from an industry friend of ours, PR factory store, Don Plesser. I worked at his trailer that weekend, so I wasn’t getting in the way of my brother. My dad would come over and make the tuning calls and things like that. Denver was a cool experience.

    “Up to that point, I hadn’t figured out how to get good reaction times. I ended up racing one of the well-knowns of the sport, Reggie Showers, in the first round. Did a very bad job on the tree and he beat me. Got my first round win at the next race in Sonoma.”

    SM: What did that first round victory at Sonoma mean to you at the time? 

    AH: (Winning) my first round meant a lot,” he said. “I can’t remember where I qualified at that event. Thinking about it now, I went over to Craig Treble’s trailer on Saturday night and used his practice reaction timer. I had bad lights in all rounds of qualifying and I came up with what was then called 500 on the tree in the first round against John Smith. Luckily I had the motorcycle to carry me on through the win.

    “In the second round, that was my turning point knowing I can do this because I had a better reaction time. I was amped up getting that round win.”

    SM: As Sunday came, unfortunately, you lost in your first round match against Showers after you moved toward the centerline at the 330 feet mark. Is there anything you wish you could have done differently in order to advance that day or do you feel it just wasn’t meant to be? 

    AH: “It was just experience at the time,” he said about losing in his first round. “I hadn’t had enough seat time staring at the Christmas Tree and learning the reaction times. Twisting the throttle and hearing 10,000 rpm at the time it’s hard to get that through your head and throw your clutch away at the start line. It just comes with seasoning and you have to learn from the experience along the way.

    “Ultimately, it would have been nice getting my first round win in my first round, but I’m not going to hang my head on that. There were a lot of good people racing in that class.”

    SM: For the rest of 2002, you qualified for all the events you entered. Being on a part-time schedule was there still a learning curve racing on the bike or did you start to become more comfortable after making more runs as the season went on?

    AH: “Definitely a learning curve,” Hines said. “It didn’t come quickly by any means. I raced my brother at Pomona in the final round and had a huge holeshot lead and then red lighted because I forgot to shift on time. Had I been a better rider and not pay attention to what’s happening in the other lane, I probably could have got him (Byron Hines) on that win.”

    SM: One year later in 2004, you scored your first career victory racing against GT Tonglet. What does that victory mean to you to this day and have you ever had a chance to go back and re-watch that race? Did you ever think it was going to come after racing for only a couple of years? I’m sure it was a special win coming at the Gatornationals. 

    AH: “My first race win was definitely special not only for me but the first race win for Harley-Davidson in NHRA with our Vance and Hines team,” he said. “We put both bikes in the final round and there were a lot of Harley-Davidson executives on the starting line. I think the biggest reaction came when I won my semi-final round. I was still rolling to the shut down area and I could still hear the crowd roaring because GT (Tonglet, former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer) had won, and at that point, we sealed it (victory) for Harley-Davidson. 

    “You know, Gainesville being near the Daytona bike week time frame, a lot of motorcycle riders were in the area. The place just went nuts.”

    SM: When you won that year in Gatornationals, it started a season of three wins and your first-ever championship. Why was that season so special and why do you think it clicked together with your team? 

    AH: “I was coming into my own as a rider,” Hines said. “The team was learning clutch management going down the racetrack. We were so good when NHRA started hammering us with extra weight penalties to get parity back in line. We took a big hit between Englishtown and St. Louis that year with a 40 lb weight increase from one weekend to the next. After that, we never won another race (that year), but we accumulated enough points early in the season to win the championship.

    “That was an extra special time, winning the first championship and being 21 years old at the time. You kind of take it for granted at the time wanting to win races.”

    SM: After 2004, the stats speak for themselves, 56 wins and six championships. When you reflect on your early days, are there any races where you wish you had the chance to go back and re-do it? If so, what races stand out the most? 

    AH: “Oh man, probably 2005 Pomona in the final round racing against Ryan Schnitz,” the Vance and Hines rider said. “I went 11 thousand fouled red and he went 10 thousand red. Not winning that race kind of plagued me forever, I was never able to win Pomona after that race. It (winning Pomona) didn’t happen until 2012. That’s one where you wish you can get it back.” 

    SM: What is your fondest memory when entering the sport? 

    AH: “I was the young kid at the track everyone knew,” Hines said. “It was cool being out there when my dad was racing, being only 8 or 9 years old, and people were still racing when I came back out. Racing with peers I looked up to for so long was a pretty fond memory.”

    SM: Some drivers keep their own memorabilia and some don’t. Are you a driver that collects your own merchandise and if so, is there anything in your collection that reminds you of your rookie years? 

    AH: “I have a few shirts from those early years that are still in bags,” he said. “That’s something I’ll let my kids look at in the future. Obviously, I still have all my trophies, leathers and helmets. I guess the helmets are probably the biggest thing. I kept all my helmets from the start. I can look at each helmet and remember what happened during that exact race.” 

    SM: Out of 56 victories, I know it’s kind of hard to pinpoint as all of those wins have special meaning, but what would you say is the favorite trophy out of your collection? 

    AH: “The next one,” Hines jokingly said about his favorite victory. “To pinpoint one, there are so many. Probably my 50th win that came at Charlotte in 2019. That was big for me, breaking the 50th milestone. Everything lined up that weekend, I think that race was a four-wide race too.”

    SM It’s hard to believe your debut came 19 years ago. However, if time travel was available, what would a 38-year-old Andrew Hines tell a 19-year-old Andrew Hines? Is there anything you would do differently? 

    AH: “When I was younger, you get caught up in what other people think of your performance on the racetrack,” the six-time champ said. “It’s tough at times, you can have those red lights, holeshots, you can make a bad run riding. I would always dwell on what people thought of that last round. As I got older, I realized the performance would come as long as I don’t dwell on the negatives. I have to be positive for the future. I think that’s where my mindset changed probably in 2014.

    “The best thing I told myself is that it doesn’t matter what other people are thinking, it only matters what you’re thinking. If you think about what the outcome should be, you’ll get there. That’s probably my biggest takeaway is I was too worried about what other people were thinking.” 

    Many thanks to Natalie Torrence for setting up this interview and special thanks to Andrew Hines for taking the time out of his busy schedule to conduct the interview.

    Fans of Andrew Hines can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, you can check out the team’s website here. 

  • Herta scores IndyCar victory, Palou wins championship at Long Beach

    Herta scores IndyCar victory, Palou wins championship at Long Beach

    For the final time in 2021, the NTT IndyCar Series took to the streets of Long Beach where the series looked to crown a champion and a race winner. Colton Herta, starting deep in the field in 14th after being the fastest in both practice sessions took over the lead on Lap 34 after Helio Castroneves made his scheduled stop and held off Newgarden to win at home for the first time in his career.

    “I’ve been coming here since I was a baby when my dad was racing in the 2000s,” Herta said about the victory. “It (Long Beach) was the only race I could come to because I couldn’t fly, and it was so close. This one means so much, being my hometown race. I can’t believe I won it on my second try – this was a big one. It’s been mostly a perfect weekend, aside from qualifying, but it was fun to come from further back. I can’t thank Gainbridge, Dan, Cassidy and the entire Andretti Autosport 26 team enough for such a strong weekend. We started the season with a win and got to end the season with a win. I wish we had a few more in between, but this win was big.”

    Meanwhile, as Herta grabbed the checkered flag, Alex Palou needed to finish 12th or better entering the final race of the season to capture the championship. Josef Newgarden, who won the pole, needed to win the race and gain the maximum points. Newgarden was close to doing so after leading through the first 18 laps, but with how the cautions fell and varying strategies, Newgarden had to fight his way back up to the top.

    Following Lap 18, Newgarden was unable to lead another lap hurting his championship chances. As Herta clinched the most laps led late in the race, the championship was guaranteed for Palou as the Spaniard finished fourth in the overall result to win his first-ever NTT IndyCar Series Championship.

    Yeah, man, what a season,” Palou said in regards to winning the championship. “What a season. I cannot really believe it. I’m super happy. We worked so, so hard. Getting into the season finale, this place, didn’t know the track, but the guys gave me a really good car. They gave me good strategies. Today we went from P10 to P4, right? Just amazing, super happy. I think all the season we were super consistent. Feels amazing to be a champion. I want to do it again now.”

    Photo Courtesy of Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

    When the green flag flew for the 85-Lap race, the race lead was all Newgarden who led early on. Unfortunately, troubles found another championship contender as Pato O’Ward was clipped from behind by the No. 18 of Ed Jones to bring out the first yellow. Ultimately, O’Ward’s chances would be over on Lap 17 due to a broken half shaft. O’Ward was relegated to a 27th place finish after being unable to finish the race.

    Prior to the yellow, Newgarden and Palou were already on pit road for service but 12 cars had stayed out with Newgarden restarting in the 13th position. Unfortunately for Newgarden, another yellow fell on Lap 25 for the No. 8 of Marcus Ericsson who plowed into the Turn 9 tire barrier.

    After the two early yellows, the green flag came back out on Lap 30 with Newgarden third and Palou seventh. Colton Herta passed Newgarden for third two laps later and eventually took the lead on Lap 34.

    For the majority of the race, Herta had a tremendous race pace and kept a sizeable gap over Newgarden. At one point, the California native Herta had an eight-second gap ahead of Newgarden. But, the last yellow bunched the field one more time on Lap 61 due to an incident with Oliver Askew and Conor Daly in Turn 9.

    With the help of the caution, Newgarden had one more chance to overpower Herta while Palou was lurking behind in fourth. Herta’s lead, however, was one second through the final 20 laps. Newgarden did close in with eight laps to go and was only half a second behind, but the win eventually went to Herta for the third time this season.

    Palou finished fourth to become the first Spanish champion and gave Chip Ganassi his 14th different title joining Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zenardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti.

    “It’s (winning the championship) as big as it gets,” Ganassi said. “Just to see this young man come along, it’s been a few dry years in the 10 car. I go back to think of Dario and Dan Wheldon in the 10, all the successes they had. Unfortunately for one reason or another, we haven’t found that right combination for a few years. You have to work just as hard. Sometimes you’re probably working harder than the guys on the 10 car and the 8 and the 48. They have to work harder sometimes than the champion.

    “Like last year with Dixon, I’m really, really happy for the team. Championships are won by a lot of hard work, by a lot of people making a lot of sacrifices that aren’t obvious to the naked eye or get lost and they never get the press or the coverage of the late nights over the winter in Indianapolis, cold and dark and blowing snow. Guys are in there toiling away on their computers or on their cars, making them just a little better, getting ready for the start of the season or getting ready for the Indianapolis 500. That’s where the championships are won.

    “There’s a whole slew of people back in Indianapolis that I’m sure right now have a big smile on their face. They’re in our race shop, family members that aren’t able to be here with their spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends. It’s a pleasure to represent those people. So that’s what makes this championship special.”

    There were four cautions for 13 laps and seven lead changes among seven different leaders.

    Official Results following the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

    1. Colton Herta, led 43 laps
    2. Josef Newgarden, led 18 laps
    3. Scott Dixon, led one lap
    4. Alex Palou, 2021 NTT IndyCar Champion
    5. Simon Pagenaud
    6. Alexander Rossi
    7. Jack Harvey
    8. Sebastien Bourdais
    9. Takuma Sato
    10. Will Power
    11. Scott McLaughlin, 2021 IndyCar Rookie of the Year
    12. Ed Jones
    13. Felix Rosenqvist
    14. James Hinchcliffe
    15. Max Chilton
    16. Graham Rahal, led four laps
    17. Jimmie Johnson
    18. Dalton Kellett
    19. Helio Castroneves, led 15 laps
    20. Conor Daly, 1 lap down
    21. Oliver Askew, 2 laps down, led three laps
    22. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2 laps down
    23. Romain Grosjean, OUT, Contact
    24. Rinus VeeKay, OUT, Mechanical
    25. Callum Ilott, OUT, Mechanical
    26. Pato O’Ward, OUT, Contact
    27. Marcus Ericsson, OUT, Contact

    Up Next: The NTT IndyCar Series will head into the offseason before opening up the 2022 season Sunday, Feb. 27 at the Streets of St. Petersburg live on NBC.

  • Christian Eckes secures first Truck Series win at Las Vegas

    Christian Eckes secures first Truck Series win at Las Vegas

    Former ARCA Menards Series champion Christian Eckes took home his first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday night. He did so with help from his ThorSport Racing teammates and after passing Todd Gilliland on a late-race restart.  

    “I knew we had a shot on that restart,” Eckes said about the victory. “For whatever reason, our restarts have been stellar. The last one all we had to do was go forward one spot and we were able to do that. The 16 (Austin Hill) was able to give me a great push and my teammate (Ben Rhodes) gave me a good push too. My Curb Records Tundra was really damn good.

    “Just proud of my whole team, this is a brand new truck we brought here. Our team did well finishing 1-2-3-4. My crew chief’s (Jeriod Prince) first win and my first win, it was a great night.”

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series headed west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to begin the Round of 6 in the Truck Series Playoffs, a race that took an interesting turn Friday night. Stages of 30/30/74 laps made up the 134-lap event. John Hunter Nemechek was on the pole by virtue of NASCAR’s metric system.

    There was only one caution in Stage 1 and it happened only three laps into the event. The No. 45 of Chris Hacker crashed off Turn 4 and brought out the only yellow of the stage. Nemechek had a dominant truck early and led every lap of Stage 1 to take the stage victory. Gilliland, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, Stewart Friesen, Zane Smith, Eckes, Sheldon Creed, Austin Hill and Tyler Ankrum were the top 10 finishers.

    During Stage 2, the action picked up with two cautions and a major incident that impacted two of the playoff drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Zane Smith. On Lap 38, Zane Smith went three-wide with Nemechek and Friesen, only to cut down a left-rear tire and bring out the yellow. Under the yellow, his No. 21 truck eventually lost power, but the team replaced the battery with a new one.

    Nemechek’s issues began on Lap 48. The Mooresville, North Carolina native slowed on the backstretch and brought out the yellow on Lap 52 as he had no ignition fire. He did, however, get the truck refired.

    Meanwhile, Todd Gilliland turned the page and scored the stage victory. Rhodes, Carson Hocevar, Friesen, Creed, Tanner Gray, Austin Hill, Matt Crafton, Eckes, and Chandler Smith rounded out the top 10.

    Stage 3 was even more intriguing. A major crash occurred on Lap 70 with multiple trucks involved, including playoff drivers Chandler Smith and Creed. Creed’s teammate, Ankrum, spun off Turn 2 which caused a chain of events. Creed went to the bottom to miss the accident but was not clear and he plowed into the back of Smith’s truck. The accident ended the night for both drivers. Creed and Smith were treated and released from the infield care center following the incident.

    Later on in the stage, Nemechek’s problems continued to worsen. He once again brought out the yellow flag with 54 to go after stalling on the backstretch. Due to his mechanical problems, Nemechek was relegated to 33rd place finish, 49 laps down.

    The final caution of the night came inside 10 laps to go when the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar spun prior to pit road. The Niece Motorsports driver was penalized one lap for bringing out the yellow intentionally.

    With a four-lap restart, Gilliland hoped to gain his second win since Circuit of Americus back in May. However, Eckes powered right on by and eventually grabbed his first Truck Series victory with his ThorSport teammates Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter taking the top four spots. It was the first time in series history that one team has accomplished the feat.

    “It’s tough to begin with but at this track it’s even crazier,” Rhodes said about finishing second. “We all saw at this track the restarts were wild all night long. I think I’m just happy with the night. Come in from Bristol, barely getting in, and now I hear we are the points leader. But I couldn’t be more proud of ThorSport Racing. Heck, we were one-through-four. I heard that was the first time in series history.”

    “I’m super proud of Christian Eckes. I gave him as big of a shove as I could down the backstretch and when that happened, he got the lead. I thought I could challenge him. We needed one more corner before that caution came out and maybe I could have challenged him for the win, but super proud of him. He deserves it. He’s been working hard on it, and with his part-time schedule, it’s really good to see. ThorSport Racing is on fire tonight.”

    Meanwhile, playoff driver Matt Crafton continued his consistency by finishing third. With the exception of Watkins Glen (finishing 22nd), Crafton has finished inside the Top 10 or five since Nashville back in June.

    “These guys behind pit wall. Junior (Carl Joiner, crew chief) and them making all of the right adjustments,” Crafton said. “We’ve never ever made as many adjustments as we did tonight. The Menards Toyota Tundra was good on long runs, but our short run speed – we were pathetic. We weren’t wanting that last restart but we did. I thought I had a good run off turn four and was going to try to do something with the 98 (Christian Eckes) and then the 99 (Ben Rhodes) turned underneath me and drove on by me. All-in-all, I’m really happy for Duke and Rhonda Thorson. 1-2-3-4, I don’t think that has ever been done. Thanks to Menards and everybody.”

    Eckes led once for four laps en route to victory.

    There were 10 cautions for 39 laps and 14 lead changes among 11 different leaders.

    Updated Truck Series Playoff standings following Race 1 in the Round of 6:

    1. Ben Rhodes, +34
    2. John Hunter Nemechek, +28
    3. Stewart Friesen, +9
    4. Matt Crafton, +5
      Below the cut line
    5. Sheldon Creed, -5
    6. Carson Hocevar, -16
    7. Zane Smith, -19
    8. Chandler Smith, -24

    Official Results following Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    1. Christian Eckes, led four laps
    2. Ben Rhodes, led five laps
    3. Matt Crafton
    4. Johnny Sauter, led two laps
    5. Todd Gilliland, won Stage 2, led 66 laps
    6. Stewart Friesen, led one lap
    7. Grant Enfinger
    8. Austin Wayne Self
    9. Ryan Truex
    10. Austin Hill, led 12 laps
    11. Bret Holmes, led one lap
    12. Derek Kraus
    13. Chase Purdy
    14. Tate Fogleman, led one lap
    15. Spencer Davis
    16. Kris Wright
    17. Tyler Hill, 1 lap down
    18. Danny Bohn, 1 lap down
    19. Spencer Boyd, 1 lap down
    20. CJ McLaughlin, 1 lap down
    21. Dylan Lupton, 1 lap down
    22. Carson Hocevar, 2 laps down, led 8 laps
    23. Tanner Gray, 2 laps down
    24. Drew Dollar, 2 laps down
    25. Brett Moffitt, 3 laps down, led one lap
    26. Howie DiSavino III, 4 laps down
    27. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 5 laps down
    28. Cory Roper, 13 laps down
    29. Zane Smith, 19 laps down
    30. Jack Wood, OUT, Accident
    31. Hailie Deegan, OUT, Accident
    32. Keith McGee, OUT, Too slow
    33. John Hunter Nemechek, 49 laps down, won Stage 1, led 33 laps
    34. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Accident
    35. Chandler Smith, OUT, Accident
    36. Sheldon Creed, OUT, Accident
    37. Chris Hacker, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head back east to Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, October 2, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 1 p.m. ET.

  • Wilkerson, Hart, Koretsky, Sampey win Carolina Nationals

    Wilkerson, Hart, Koretsky, Sampey win Carolina Nationals

    Just one race removed from the Countdown (NHRA’s version of the NASCAR playoffs), the action heated up this past weekend at the zMax Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Tim Wilkerson won in Funny Car, while Josh Hart upset Brittany Force, Kyle Koretsky defeated all-time great Greg Anderson, and Angelle Sampey picked up her 44th career victory over Joey Gladstone in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

    Funny Car

    Five years – 2016: You would have to go back five years to find the last time Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson earned two victories in one season. Since then, the Springfield, Illinois native went on a winless streak from 2017 to 2021.

    Wilkerson broke the winless streak at the U.S. Nationals, one race prior to the beginning of the Countdown. Heading into the Countdown, Wilkerson’s team was hoping to make some noise and he did so Sunday afternoon by eliminating two-time Funny Car champion, Cruz Pedregon.

    “It was tremendous pressure today and a crazy day,” said Wilkerson, who now has two victories at zMAX Dragway. “It was a tough day and we barely made it to the rounds in the semifinals and finals. I’m very proud of my guys. We were thrashing and I’m worn out. Sometimes, there’s too much time to stare at the (car) and make changes. Today, I made wholesale changes and lived with them, and it worked out.”

    Wilkerson qualified in the eighth position and paired up with a first-round matchup against the No. 9 qualifier, Bob Tasca III. Wilkerson defeated Tasca going 3.931 seconds and 323.58 mph to advance to the quarterfinals where he was slated to go up against 16-time champion and championship points leader, John Force. As the two drivers rocketed off the staging lane, it initially appeared that Force had grabbed the victory. But, unfortunately for Force, he was disqualified after hitting a cylinder block.

    As Force was disqualified, Wilkerson was handed the victory and once again was in a rematch of the U.S. Nationals with NAPA Dodge driver, Ron Capps. Wilkerson again advanced and eliminated Capps going 3.909 seconds and 315.42 mph to face Cruz Pedregon in the finals.

    Pedregon defeated Dave Richards, J.R. Todd, and won over Alexis DeJoria in the semis to advance to the 80th semi-final of his Funny Car career.

    In the finals, Wilkerson got off the starting line and powered over Pedregon’s Snap-On machine to score his third career victory.

    Pedregon finished second earning his second runner-up finish of the season and the 42nd of his career.

    Funny Car Results

    1. Tim Wilkerson
    2. Cruz Pedregon
    3. Ron Capps
    4. Alexis DeJoria
    5. Matt Hagan
    6. J.R. Todd
    7. Terry Haddock
    8. John Force
    9. Jim Campbell
    10. Blake Alexander
    11. Bob Tasca III
    12. Mike McIntire
    13. Tony Jurado
    14. Robert Hight
    15. Dave Richards

    Funny Car Championship Points Standings

    1. Ron Capps, 2,233 points
    2. Matt Hagan, -5
    3. John Force, -25
    4. J.R. Todd, -46
    5. Cruz Pedregon, -52
    6. Robert Hight, -72
    7. Tim Wilkerson, -72
    8. Alexis DeJoria, -97
    9. Bob Tasca III, -103
    10. Blake Alexander, -169

    Top Fuel

    Rookie Josh Hart has only competed in seven races in his debut season in Top Fuel and did not start at Las Vegas I, Epping, Denver, Sonoma, Pomona I, Topeka, and Brainerd. Even though Hart hasn’t run a whole season and wasn’t qualified for the Countdown, it doesn’t mean he can’t compete for wins.

    Sunday Hart earned the second victory of his career upsetting Brittany Force in the final round. The drag race was close between Hart and Force, but as the win light came on at the top end of the racetrack, the victory went to Hart on a holeshot.

    “We just planned on getting our feet wet and building the team this year, and that has obviously been accelerated,” Hart said. “The team has gelled together right away and I think the results are showing. I’m glad to be out here and the real magic happens in the pits. The guys are awesome and watching them is like a well-orchestrated symphony, and that’s where the praise needs to go. I’ve got a lot of confidence in (crew chief) Ron Douglas and I’m happy I could return the favor for them in the final round.”

    Runner-up Brittany Force had high hopes heading into Charlotte as she continued her qualifying momentum this weekend by picking up her 10th No. 1 qualifier of the season. She had a first-round match with No. 16 Arthur Allen and Force was victorious with a run of 3.689 seconds and 332.67 mph to go to the quarterfinals.

    In the second round, Force faced Top Fuel returner, Spencer Massey. She won again by going 3.734 seconds and 325.85 mph to advance to a semi-final round with three-time champ Steve Torrence.

    Force won again in the semi-finals and eliminated Torrence though the win light came on in the wrong lane and originally gave the victory to Torrence. Despite the malfunction, Force went to the finals against Hart.

    Unfortunately for Force, she continued what has been a bit of a winless streak as she finished runner-up for the fourth time this year.

    “Tough for a driver to lose in the final round that way,” Force said. “Fortunately, I have a great group of guys around me in this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team and we’re staying positive,” Force said. “We’re still out in front and, overall, we had a great weekend, going to the finals, getting that eighth No. 1 in a row and picking up a lot of bonus points. I’m going to put this weekend behind me, build from it, move on and plan to win the next one.”

    The Monster Energy driver has not won since Topeka last month in August.

    Top Fuel Results

    1. Josh Hart
    2. Brittany Force
    3. Steve Torrence
    4. Justin Ashley
    5. Spencer Massey
    6. Billy Torrence
    7. Clay Millican
    8. Mike Salinas
    9. Antron Brown
    10. Doug Kalitta
    11. Doug Foley
    12. Leah Pruett
    13. Alex Laughlin
    14. Shawn Langdon
    15. Arthur Allen
    16. Joe Morrison

    Top Fuel Championship Points Standings

    1. Brittany Force, 2,274 points
    2. Steve Torrence, -21
    3. Justin Ashley, -74
    4. Billy Torrence, -82
    5. Leah Pruett, -128
    6. Mike Salinas, -136
    7. Antron Brown, -138
    8. Shawn Langdon, -141
    9. Clay Millican, -148
    10. Doug Kalitta, -210

    Pro Stock

    After winning last week at the Mopar Express Lane Nationals in Reading, Greg Anderson was seeking to break the all-time wins record tie in Pro Stock with Warren Johnson this weekend in Charlotte. However, with the young class of Pro Stock drivers, there were hungry drivers waiting for their moment to shine.

    One of the drivers that shined was Kyle Koretsky who defeated Greg Anderson in the finals. Koretsky qualified in the fourth spot and faced Cristian Cuadra in the first round. From there, Koretsky eliminated Dallas Glenn in the quarterfinals, local favorite Wally Stroupe in the semis, and eventually Greg Anderson in the finals.

    In the finals, Koretsky won his first-ever career Pro Stock victory against all-time great Anderson by setting an ET of 6.629 seconds and 208.20 mph.

    “I’m out here living my dream,” Koretsky said. “KB Racing supplies me with the best power out here and my team just works flawlessly. This is huge and what I’ve wanted my whole life. Pro Stock is the most competitive class out there, and we always looked up to Greg. I just raced Greg Anderson in the final round and picked up the first Wally for my family. It feels great and I needed to get this done.”

    Anderson will have to wait until next weekend at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis to break the tie with Warren Johnson.

    “The stars were aligned,” he said. “I had a great car and something in the clutch broke. I went to start the car and drive up to the water and some $5 part broke. It cost me. It’s just another way to lose. I can’t feel bad; we had a great day, everything was going swimmingly. It was a first for me. I at least gained a few points. We love racing here, it’s home for us, no matter where we started our lives and our careers. I don’t know that you have an advantage racing at home, but it’s a powerful motivator to have your team owners, sponsors, friends, and family cheering you on. You want to win every race you go to, but there is always something special about racing here.”

    Anderson had victories over Fernando Cuadra, Troy Coughlin Jr. and four-time champion Erica Enders and claimed his 68th runner-up finish.

    Pro Stock Results

    1. Kyle Koretsky
    2. Greg Anderson
    3. Wally Stroupe
    4. Erica Enders
    5. Troy Coughlin Jr
    6. Deric Kramer
    7. Mason McGaha
    8. Cristian Cuadra
    9. Vincent Nobile
    10. Fernando Cuadra
    11. Kenny Delco
    12. Alan Prusiensky
    13. Matt Hartford
    14. Chris McGaha
    15. Aaron Stanfield

    Pro Stock Championship Points Standings

    1. Greg Anderson, 2,327
    2. Erica Enders -65
    3. Kyle Koretsky, -91
    4. Dallas Glenn, -147
    5. Aaron Stanfield, -157
    6. Troy Coughlin Jr, -158
    7. Matt Hartford, -197
    8. Mason McGaha, -207
    9. Deric Kramer, -212
    10. Chris McGaha, -217

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    It was a wild day of action in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. In the second round, teammates Joey Gladstone and Cory Reed faced each other. However, once the two bikes crossed the finish line, Reed’s bike went over in the other lane and made contact with Gladstone. Reed then fell off his bike and hit the wall. Fortunately, he was alert, conscious, and talking to the Safety Safari personnel and was transported to the local hospital.

    The past month has been a challenging time for Angelle Sampey. Sampey’s hometown was affected by Hurricane Ida last month. The Louisiana driver had been without power until this past Thursday when the power came back on.

    With all of what was going back in Louisiana, Sampey had to put that in the back of her mind for a couple of hours Sunday and was determined to bring home a Wally for the first time this season.

    She qualified second and was paired with Ryan Oehler. The Louisiana native won over Oehler, Andrew Hines in the second round, and Eddie Krawiec to help her advance to the finals to face Joey Gladstone.

    When the Christmas tree went green, Sampey came through with the win over Gladstone, as Gladstone’s bike shut off and the killswitch came unplugged. It was an emotional win, her first of the season and the 44th of her career.

    “I’ve struggled this year on the Suzuki. It’s been a rocket ship and I’m getting close to where I need to be,” Sampey said. “This race, I didn’t think I was going to make it to the final. I wanted to win it for my team and I feel like we raced our butts off today. I’m very excited and proud to have my win light come on, and I definitely dedicate this Wally to southern Louisiana.”

    The runner-up was the second of Gladstone’s career.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Results

    1. Angelle Sampey
    2. Joey Gladstone
    3. Eddie Krawiec
    4. Steve Johnson
    5. Andrew Hines
    6. Scotty Pollacheck
    7. Cory Reed
    8. Matt Smith
    9. Karen Stoffer
    10. Ryan Oehler
    11. Angie Smith
    12. Jim Underdahl
    13. Michael Phillips
    14. Kelly Clontz
    15. Jianna Salinas
    16. Chris Bostick

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship Standings

    1. Steve Johnson, 2,272
    2. Angelle Sampey, -17
    3. Matt Smith, -30
    4. Eddie Krawiec, -39
    5. Scotty Pollacheck, -95
    6. Joey Gladstone, -101
    7. Cory Reed, -147
    8. Angie Smith, -150
    9. Karen Stoffer, -155
    10. Andrew Hines, -162
  • Exclusive: First seasons with Angie Smith

    Exclusive: First seasons with Angie Smith

    In this edition of Speedway Media’s first seasons’ column, we catch up with two-time NHRA Pro Stock winner Angie Smith. Smith has been competing on the NHRA tour since 2004 and currently drives the DENSO/Stockseth/Matt Smith Racing EBR machine in 2021.

    During this interview, Smith discussed how she got into the sport of drag racing, why she chose the Pro Stock Motorcycle class and her introduction to George Bryce, Smith’s former team owner. She also spoke about making her debut at Gainesville in 2004 and scoring her first career victory against her husband Matt Smith.

    SM: You entered the NHRA scene back in 2004 racing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class when you were 25 years old. Briefly discuss what it was like debuting at that age and why you were interested in racing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class? 

    AS: “I was racing in the Outlaw Pro Street which was a no wheelie nitrous class before that and Pro Stock is the elite of Motorcycle drag racing, so that was the end goal,” Smith said. “Everybody that drag races motorcycles wants to go Pro Stock racing. That was my goal to go Pro Stock racing and at the age of 25, I debuted at Gainesville. I’m glad I did it then because I learned a lot since then. 

    “I had a lot of nerves and emotions going into that race because when you never race in front of thousands of people you’re very nervous and you want to do well. There’s a lot of nerves that go into a race like that.”

    SM: As you chose the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, you began racing for the Star Racing Team owned by George Bryce. How did you connect with Bryce and get your first opportunity in NHRA? I read that you went to a drag racing school and impressed him right out of the gate. 

    AS: “I got connected with George (Bryce, former Team Owner of Star Racing Team) when I was racing Outlaw Pro Street,” she said. “We raced a series in Georgia that was called the Southeastern Motorcycle Drag Racing Association. I won a championship in Outlaw Pro Street and I was the only girl to ever race and win a championship in Outlaw Pro Street. I also used to buy one of my parts from Star Racing Team.” 

    “He (George) invited me down to the Drag Racing School he had. I went down there and got my seat wet on a wheelie bar bike because I had never ridden one before. I did really well at the school and we talked about going to Pro Stock racing and we started racing at Gainesville.” 

    SM: Through the first couple of years of your racing career, you competed off and on, only racing one to three races a year and even taking a year off in 2006. Was it hard managing expectations being a part-time racer through those early years, knowing you would only have a couple of races under your belt? What was going through your mind in the early stages of your career? 

    AS: “It really was hard,” Smith said about managing expectations. “When you jump in Pro Stock racing, all you want to do is go Pro Stock racing. With being part-time, it was really hard, but what I had to do was look at my goals and figure out a plan to get those goals. If part-time was the only option I had at the time, then that’s what I was going to do.

    “So, I raced part-time. After several years, Matt Smith (Angie’s husband) asked me if I wanted to come race his Pro Stock bike. Me and Matt were fierce rivals at the time because Matt used to race Outlaw Pro Street too. We really didn’t have a good connection so I didn’t think being a teammate to him would be a good idea.

    “I finally took his offer up in 2007. I went in and tested at Rockingham Dragway and when I did that, I really knew that’s where I needed to be.”

    SM: Eventually, your debut came at the famous Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida in 2004. You had a first-round matchup with Joe DeSantis. Before we get to that first-round matchup, what were the weeks like leading up to your debut at Gainesville? Were you starting to get anxious or nervous, or were you more like, ‘I’m ready to rock n roll. Let’s get this thing going? What were your emotions leading up to Gatornationals? 

    AS: “I was really, really nervous,” she said. “I don’t think you’re ever prepared to go to the track if you’ve never made your debut because it is very overwhelming. From fans to expectations, to media, you always have a lot going on at your first race.

    “I will say, the weeks leading up to that, I was very nervous. A lot of people talked me through it. However, when I put on my helmet for the first time, I thought I was going to throw up because that’s how bad your nerves are going into your first race.

    “I think the only thing I could have done differently is not debut at that race (Gainesville 2004) or I should have got a little more seat time before that race,” Smith said. “I think seat time is the biggest thing in NHRA and if you don’t have enough seat time going into your first race, then with all the emotions going in your first race, you could never have enough laps, especially when your nerves take over.”

    SM: Following the off-and-on seasons from 2004 to 2007, you entered the ‘08 season racing a career-high 14 races that year. By 2008, were you starting to get more comfortable with the bike, or was there still a learning curve process since you had never run a full season before then? 

    AS: “There’s definitely a learning curve,” the two-time winner said. “I think I was learning all the way up until the last several years. You always continue to learn, like I am still learning today. How you have to be smooth on the bike, etc, everything is a learning curve.”

    SM: What were you doing to stay actively involved in the sport despite being a part-time competitor? Did you want to run a full schedule? 

    AS: “I did (want to run a full schedule),” Smith said. “I was racing with Matt (Smith) and I went to all the races with Matt, but unfortunately I didn’t have the funding to race and that’s part of the process too. Learning to deal with those emotions and that this thing is a money pit. You can’t spend every dollar you have in your name on it. You have to have sponsors to go do this.

    “That’s part of the emotions, where you can race this race, but you can’t race this one and go out there and learn. I didn’t go to college for Marketing, I went to college for Computer Science. Learning the whole marketing aspect of what you need to and how to make yourself different from everyone else, that was a whole learning curve.”

    SM: Your first-ever career round victory came in 2008 racing against Wesley Wells. What did that victory do in terms of momentum and confidence? Were you ecstatic you got your first-ever career round victory? 

    AS: “Yes, you’re always ecstatic when you get your first-round victory in NHRA because it’s a tough crowd out there,” she said. “It’s so tough because all the riders out there are tough and you’re racing against the best of the best. When you make it to the next round these days, you can give yourself a pat on the back.”

    SM: In 2008, you raced to two semifinals at Dallas and Memphis. Do those still somewhat sting knowing you were just one round away from getting your first elusive victory? 

    AS: “It didn’t sting at the time, because I was proud of what I had accomplished in a small amount of time,” Smith said. “Everybody has a desire to win and you just have to take baby steps. It (winning) doesn’t come easy and it doesn’t come without a lot of hard work.

    “I was proud of my semi-finals finish. Yes, I wanted to go to the finals and yes, there’s nothing more that a driver wants to do than hold a Wally (NHRA’s trophy) at the end of the day. Though you have to walk before you can run.”

    SM: It wouldn’t be until 2014 at Epping when you would score your first career victory against your husband Matt Smith. What does that victory still mean to you to this day and have you ever had a chance to watch that race back? 

    AS: “Actually that race gets watched a lot, only because we’re the only husband/wife that do this deal together,” she said. “For both of us to be successful and to be able to put both of our bikes in a winner circle, be a team effort, that’s all you want to do. If you can have your teammate in the final, then it’s a win-win for everybody no matter who wins.

    “Your first victory is always a very special one for sure.”

    SM: What was the conversation like following the victory? Was Matt giving you a hard time beating him in the finals or was he very supportive knowing it was your first victory? I’m sure it was a great moment between the two of you. 

    AS: “No, he was proud, because when I win, he wins as a Team Owner,” Smith said. “He’s won a lot of races. He hasn’t shifted his focus, he still wants to win every weekend and win championships every weekend. But, for him to win it as a Team Owner/Crew Chief, those are the things where he’s the only driver to have ever done that.” 

    “Matt is the type of person where he likes to do things that other people have not done. If I were to win a championship, or if Scotty (Pollacheck) was to win a championship, that would be something he’s never done before. He would be very proud of it.”

    SM: When you look back on your early years of racing in Pro Stock Motorcycle, are there any races that come to your mind where you wish you had another chance to do it over again? If so, what races stand out the most? 

    AS: “There’s a couple of races,” she said. “One of the races that stand out is where I helped people win a championship. When you’re a blocker for Matt, I think the Memphis race against Andrew Hines (stands out the most). Hines and I had a staging battle and when I beat Andrew, that helped Matt (Smith) end the championship hunt that year.

    “He (Matt) didn’t win the championship that year. He lost the title by three points, but when I beat Andrew Hines, I took him out of contention because Memphis was one of those races where it’s late in the Countdown (NHRA’s version of the NASCAR Playoffs).”

    SM: Continuing to reflect on your early career, what are some of your fondest memories of racing in NHRA and entering the sport? 

    AS: “Racing early on, I really struggled in the beginning,” she said. “The fondest memory I have is me winning Epping (2014, Angie’s first career victory) and being in the Top 10 for the first time in my career. That was a big turning point in my career and it really helped me to know what it takes and know what to do to win races and finish the season off in a good position.”

    SM: Some drivers keep their own memorabilia and some don’t. Are you a driver that collects your own merchandise and if so, is there anything in your collection that reminds you of your rookie years? 

    AS: “I always get a different set of leathers every year and I have a lot of helmets,” she said. “Sometimes, I do two helmets a year, and potentially one helmet a year. I have never sold any of my helmets or leathers, I still have every single pair that I ever owned. One day, I probably will get rid of some of them, but at this point, I’ve never got rid of any. The last day I took them off (helmet and leather), they are all hanging in our shop.”

    SM: Which wins mean the most to you? The 2014 Epping win against Matt, 2020 Vegas win against Steve Johnson, or your first-ever round victory? 

    AS: “The one with Matt was special, because both of our bikes were in the finals,” Smith said. “I think the (victory) that means the most to me is the 2020 one (Las Vegas victory against Steve Johnson) because it was such a trying year with COVID and our team, with me winning. We won half the races that year and (winning) was special. 

    “When I won in 2014, there were always the naysayers where they would say, well Matt laid down for her or he let her win and so I had to shut up all the naysayers when 2020 came because I beat Steve Johnson in the final. He had a better reaction time than me, but I drove around him and I drove a really good weekend. After that, nobody could say anything, because that (winning the 2020 Vegas race) was a legitimate win. My teammates weren’t in the other lane. Nobody could say anything except for, I got it done that day.” 

    SM: It’s hard to believe your debut came 17 years ago. However, if time travel was available, what would a 42-year-old Angie Smith tell a 25-year-old Angie Smith? Is there anything you would do differently? 

    AS: “Yes, I would do a lot of things differently,” Smith said reflecting back on her career. “I didn’t start working on the bike and learning how to assemble motors until about five years ago. I would tell my 25-year-old self that I needed to do all that because it made me a much better rider and I can give Matt much better feedback of what happened the following run. I wish I would have learned the mechanics a lot earlier because I would be that much further along at this point in the game now. Just being really involved, I wish I would have done that earlier.” 

    In Smith’s career, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina native has amassed 191 career starts dating back to 2004, has made 103 first-round appearances, 49 career quarterfinals, and has 15 semi-final finishes. In addition, she has scored two career victories at Epping in 2014 and Las Vegas in 2020. Smith’s best career elapsed time came in 2021 at Sonoma, where she ran a time of 6.736 seconds and 203.06 mph. She has made the Countdown five times in her career. 

    For the 2021 season, Smith has one No. 1 qualifier that came in Sonoma, three first rounds, has made six quarterfinal appearances and one semi-final in just 10 races. Her best career points finish was fifth that came last year. 

    Fans of Angie can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and visit her Instagram.  

    Special thanks to Angie Smith for taking the time out of her busy schedule to conduct the interview. 

  • Chandler Smith powers through to next round of Playoffs with Bristol victory

    Chandler Smith powers through to next round of Playoffs with Bristol victory

    In a must-win situation, 19-year-old Chandler Smith made a power move on Sheldon Creed with three laps to go, moving Creed out of the way. He hung on to win the Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway and locked the No. 18 team into the Playoffs Round of 6.

    “All week, I’ve been talking about 2019 when I finished second to Brett Moffitt and what I would have done different to win that race and these things are so hard now to win,” Smith said about the victory. “I haven’t done anything different since 2019. I’ve been doing a lot of sim time and watching film to get this win. My faith has been tested plenty of times.”

    Creed, who was dominant most of the night, led a race-high 189 laps before spinning with three laps to go due to a left-rear tire. He finished in the 19th spot, two laps down.

    “I knew I was going to get hit at some point, but it hurts nonetheless,” Creed said. “We’ve had three really fast trucks to open up the Playoffs and and it’s been really fun to go out there and dominate races. I’m having a lot of fun right now and I’m looking forward to heading to Vegas and setting our team up to make it to Phoenix.”

    Bristol Motor Speedway served as the final race in the Round of 8 Thursday night. Already a two-time winner in the playoffs, Creed was on the pole due to the qualifying metric system. Stages of 55/55/90 made up the 200-lap race in what would be a wild night of action.

    In the first stage, the caution was flown as early as Lap 3 for the No. 32 of Sam Mayer and the No. 3 of Howie DiSavino III for spinning in Turns 1 and 2. Following the accident, there were two more yellow flags, one at Lap 22 for Tanner Gray and on Lap 49 for Spencer Boyd. Prior to the Lap 49 caution, Smith was concerned as he had a left-front tire rub after making contact with another playoff driver, Todd Gilliland.

    With a one-lap dash set up for the first stage, Creed and Matt Crafton were on the front row, but Creed took off first with the faster truck and went on to take the first stage win. Austin Hill, Crafton, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Carson Hocevar, Stewart Friesen, Todd Gilliland, Tyler Ankrum and Johnny Sauter rounded out the Top 10.

    Stage 2 began on Lap 66 and was one of the calmer stages of the night. There was only one yellow flag that slowed the field on Lap 70 when the No. 51 of Drew Dollar spun on the backstretch and collected Tate Fogleman, Dawson Cram, Howie DiSavino and Danny Bohn. The caution prompted the first red flag of the night, lasting six minutes and 23 seconds in length.

    Despite the red flag stoppage, Creed was once again dominant, and collected another stage victory. Ankrum, Austin Hill, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Nemechek, Friesen, Enfinger, Parker Kligerman and Crafton completed the Top 10. During the stage break caution, Zane Smith was penalized for throwing a fuel can, while Ankrum and Austin Hill were penalized for being too fast on pit road.

    The third and final stage had five cautions and the second red flag of the night. Most notably, when the fourth yellow came out with 11 to go, playoff contender, Austin Hill, came down on the No. 25 of Josh Berry on the frontstretch and wrecked in Turn 1. Hill then went up the track and collected Hailie Deegan, Derek Kraus, Lawless Alan and Austin Wayne Self.

    The major accident brought out the second red flag of the race and the field was halted for seven minutes and 37 seconds. Unfortunately, for the Georgia native Austin Hill, his playoff chances came to a close as he was eliminated from the next round.

    The final restart came with five laps to go with Creed and Chandler Smith on the front row. Smith’s teammate Nemechek was close behind in third. As both Creed and Smith fired off, the two raced side-by-side before Smith got the better of Creed by moving him up the track.

    Creed went high on the outside and fell back in the running order and eventually made contact with another driver and spun due to a left-rear flat tire.

    Even though Creed spun, no caution was called and Chandler Smith drove away with the victory. Enfinger, John Hunter Nemechek, Friesen, Sauter, Hocevar, Crafton, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, and Gilliland completed the top 10 finishers.

    Despite their best efforts, Austin Hill and Gilliland were eliminated from the Playoffs. Gilliland missed the next round by just two points.

    Smith led one time for five laps and gained five playoff points.

    There were 11 cautions for 85 laps and three lead changes among three different leaders.

    Playoff Standings for the Round of 8 beginning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, +44
    2. Sheldon Creed, +20
    3. Ben Rhodes, +13
    4. Zane Smith, +3
      Below the cut line
    5. Chandler Smith, -3
    6. Matt Crafton, -5
    7. Carson Hocevar, -7
    8. Stewart Friesen, -8

    Official Results following the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway:

    1. Chandler Smith, led five laps
    2. Grant Enfinger
    3. John Hunter Nemechek
    4. Stewart Friesen
    5. Johnny Sauter
    6. Carson Hocevar, led six laps
    7. Matt Crafton
    8. Zane Smith
    9. Ben Rhodes
    10. Todd Gilliland
    11. Josh Berry
    12. Doug Coby
    13. Derek Kraus
    14. Austin Wayne Self
    15. Colby Howard
    16. Ryan Truex
    17. Timmy Hill
    18. Lawless Alan
    19. Sheldon Creed, won both stages, led 189 laps, 2 laps down
    20. Cory Roper, 2 laps down
    21. Parker Kligerman, 3 laps down
    22. Sam Mayer, 7 laps down
    23. Clay Greenfield, 7 laps down
    24. Austin Hill, OUT, Accident
    25. Hailie Deegan, OUT, Accident
    26. CJ McLaughlin, 12 laps down
    27. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 12 laps down
    28. Howie DiSavino III, OUT, Electrical
    29. Taylor Gray, OUT, Accident
    30. Chase Purdy, OUT, Accident
    31. Spencer Boyd, OUT, Overheating
    32. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Accident
    33. Danny Bohn, OUT, Accident
    34. Drew Dollar, OUT, Accident
    35. Dawson Cram, OUT, Accident
    36. Kris Wright, OUT, Engine
    37. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Accident
    38. Tanner Gray, OUT, Accident
    39. Ray Ciccarelli, OUT, Rear Gear
    40. Josh Reaume, OUT, Accident

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head west to begin the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday night, September 24, live on Fox Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET with radio coverage on MRN Radio.

  • Alex Palou fights back with Portland victory

    Alex Palou fights back with Portland victory

    Following a rough couple of weeks with a crash at Gateway and an engine failure at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou fought back into the championship points lead with a victory at Portland International Speedway Sunday afternoon. Palou qualified on the pole and took the lead on Lap 86 to score his third victory of the 2021 season.

    “It was massive,” Palou said about the victory. “I don’t think that much about the three wins or two wins. I think that’s important but not super. What I think is important is that even having a really bad start of the race, we were able to fight. At some point we were behind Rossi and Dixon, so we overtook them even on the same strategy. I’m really proud of the work we did today together with our guys at the No. 10 PNC Bank Honda car. And yeah, it’s good to have three wins this year.”

    Meanwhile, Alexander Rossi has had a tough season with two DNFs and no podium finishes. However, Rossi had a decent day in the No. 27 NAPA Autoparts Honda earning his first podium of the year after finishing second in the Grand Prix of Portland.

    “Yeah, I mean, I’m glad it all came back to us because we all would have looked pretty silly, I guess,” Rossi said about his day. I thought it was pretty low grip in Turn 1 when Felix, I guess — when Scott and Alex and them kind of slid through, I didn’t really have anywhere to go, and I thought if we got back to the styrofoam chicane, that was acceptable. But it was self-penalizing because we all went from like first, second, third to sixth, seventh, eighth, and then they’re like, oh, you’re going to 24th. It was like, okay, cool.”

    “But fortunately it all came around, and as Scott said, it put us on the two-stop, which is ultimately the strategy to be on.”

    The pace of the car was good all weekend. I think we gave it everything we could there on that last stint, and the red tires had a window of time where they were a little bit better, and then it was just tough with dirty air, and Alex didn’t make a mistake. It’s always going to be hard to just go and drive around the pole sitter, but ultimately it was a good day for the team, good in pit lane, great calls, so yeah, started second, finished second.”

    For the first time in two-years, the NTT IndyCar Series returned to Portland International Raceway with just three races remaining in the 2021 season. Pato O’Ward entered the race with a nine point lead over Palou.

    As the field took the green flag for the 110-lap event, there was a massive melee in Turn 1 involving multiple cars. The No. 7 of Felix Rosenqvist turned into the No. 9 of Scott Dixon, which then caused a traffic jam. Others involved were the 51 of Romain Grosjean, the 06 of Helio Castroneves, the 12 of Will Power and the 45 of Oliver Askew.

    After multiple laps ran under yellow with IndyCar shuffling the lineup order, the restart came at Lap 11 with Graham Rahal and Pato O’Ward leading the way.

    Early in the first stint, O’Ward led the first 29 laps heading into the first stop. However, with varying strategies, Rahal stayed out one lap later and did not pit until Lap 35. When Rahal pitted, the Indiana native came out in front of O’Ward on the fronstretch. Rahal cycled back into the lead on Lap 45 and led O’Ward by 2.3 seconds. He then stretched the lead by 3.5 seconds five laps later.

    During the ongoing pit stops, the second caution flew on Lap 51 when the No. 77 of Callum llott came to a stop in Turn 1. The yellow created a restart on Lap 57 (just two laps past halfway) with Rahal and Ed Jones on the front row, creating one more pit stop for the field.

    After the restart, Rossi moved into the fifth position after making a three wide move into Turn 1. With Rossi moving into the top five, Rahal continued to lead second place Jones by 1.6 seconds with 40 laps to go. On Lap 74, Rahal and Jones made their final stop with hopes of battling it out for the win. However, others stayed out longer including eventual race winner Alex Palou who didn’t make his stop until Lap 78 for four tires and fuel.

    Palou came out ahead and cycled into the lead, but another caution came with 25 to go for Simon Pagenaud who spun in Turn 8 after contact with Will Power. One more yellow was caused on the Lap 90 restart, as the No. 45 of Askew stalled when the No. 14 of Bourdais made contact.

    After the final yellow of the day, an 18-lap dash to the finish was set up with leaders Palou and Rossi. With cloud cover in the area, Rossi was able to use that to his advantage and decrease the lead to 0.830 seconds with 13 to go. However, race leader Palou kept Rossi at bay with a manageable gap inside the last 10 laps.

    As the checkered flag flew, Alex Palou took home the third checkered flag of his career in just his 27th NTT IndyCar Series start. Rossi finished 1.2 seconds back in second, Scott Dixon third, Jack Harvey fourth, and Josef Newagarden rounded out the top five finishers.

    Even though Dixon is 49 points behind in the standings, Palou’s teammate believes he still has a shot at the championship and doesn’t mind helping Palou win the title when it comes down to it.

    “I don’t know, try and win,” Dixon said. “It’s definitely been a trying season for us, but ultimately if it comes down to we need to help Alex, that’s fine, too. I think for us it’s about keeping the championship at home and at the team.”

    “So yeah, it’s just the way it rolls sometimes. But yeah, we’ll — obviously we’ve seen it. We saw it at St. Louis how quickly it can flip. We’ve seen how quickly it can flip this weekend. Unless you’re out, you’re not out. We’ve won championships on a tiebreaker. It’s all possible.”

    Palou led three times for 29 laps en route to victory and takes over the championship points by 25 over Pato O’Ward.

    Official Results following the Grand Prix of Portland.

    1. Alex Palou, led 29 laps
    2. Alexander Rossi
    3. Scott Dixon, led four laps
    4. Jack Harvey, led five laps
    5. Josef Newgarden
    6. Fleix Rosenqvist
    7. Marcus Ericsson, led one lap
    8. Colton Herrta
    9. Scott McLaughlin, led five laps
    10. Graham Rahal, led 36 laps
    11. Ed Jones, led two laps
    12. Takuma Sato
    13. Will Power
    14. Pato O’Ward, led 28 laps
    15. Ryan Hunter-Reay
    16. Conor Daly
    17. Rinus VeeKay
    18. Sebastien Bourdias
    19. Max Chilton
    20. Jimmie Johnson
    21. Simon Pagenaud, 1 lap down
    22. Romain Grosjean, 15 laps down
    23. Helio Castroneves, 19 laps down
    24. Oliver Askew, OUT, Contact
    25. Callum llott, OUT, Mechanical
    26. Dalton Kellett, OUT, Mechanical
    27. James Hinchcliffe, OUT, Contact

    Up Next: The NTT IndyCar Series will continue to stay out west as they head to Laguna Seca for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at 3 p.m. ET live on NBC.

  • Exclusive: First-Seasons with Greg Zipadelli

    Exclusive: First-Seasons with Greg Zipadelli

    In this edition of Speedway Media’s first-seasons column, we caught up with former NASCAR Crew Chief and now Vice President of Competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, Greg Zipadelli. He discusses how he became a crew chief in NASCAR, how he connected with Joe Gibbs Racing, his success with Tony Stewart, and more.

    SM: You burst onto the NASCAR scene in the early 90s when you were only 21-years-old as a crew chief for your family team in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with Mike McLaughlin in 1988. The team advanced to the Busch North Series in the early 90s and had success. What drew you to make a career in racing and why did you choose the role of crew chief versus being a driver?

    GZ: “I don’t know, I just always remember being three or four years old going to the races because my uncle, he always owned an asphalt modified and ran in New England, my dad built the motors in the early days and the car was kept in our house a little bit so I was just around it,” Zipadelli said.

    “I always liked working on them (cars), that seemed to be my comfort zone. I just never had a desire to drive. I never had money to speak of to build my own car or even try that. I just don’t know, I didn’t have a lot to desire (to drive a car) I always enjoyed working on them more.”

    SM: You had a lot of success early on in your career, winning a combined eight races in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Why did you have so much success in your career as you started?

    GZ: “Well, I had been involved early on when I was working on them,” he said. “I was just young as a crew chief. I think when a lot of people come into the sport young, they have a different mindset. I didn’t have any bad habits or notions of this is what works. It was like, ‘let’s try this. Let’s do that.’

    “I was working on the same car when Brett Bodine came to work for us. With Mike (McLaughlin), we ran (NASCAR) Busch North Cars. Mikey was doing really well at that time and him and I hit it off.”

    SM: After spending some time in the Modified Tour and Busch North Tour, your first major break came in 1997 as a crew chief for Mike Stefanik in the Nazareth race. Unfortunately, your day ended early due to a crash. But, in the weeks leading up to that event, were you anxious or nervous about working as a crew chief in the Busch Series knowing it was your big break?

    GZ: In ’88, ’89, ’90, we ran the Modified and then ’91 we ran with a limited schedule with McLaughlin,” Zipadelli said. “We were kind of dabbling with the Busch North Car, going back and forth. We then went Busch North racing for a few years. McLaughlin was there for a few years and then Stefanik came and took the ride.”

    “I had crew chiefed all those years in the Busch North Tour. We did a lot of things together as friends.”

    SM: Following the ‘97 season in the K&N East Series, you were on a one-year hiatus before returning to the sport full-time crew as a crew chief for one of the up-and-coming drivers of the sport, Tony Stewart. How did you connect with Joe Gibbs Racing and get paired with Stewart for your first season in Cup?

    GZ: “So, in ’92 and ’93, I moved down and worked for Todd Bodine in the Busch Series, but I still owned a house in New York with Mike McLaughlin,” he said. “That’s when I took McLaughlin and said ‘come on back here. We’ll put you full-time’ and so I packed up and moved home.

    “Honestly, it felt like I never accomplished something in the Busch North Tour. I wanted to win a championship in that series before I left to crew chief in the Cup Series.

    “I went to work for Jeff Burton and I built shocks, changed tires, I was the car chief for that role in that year (1998). We were parked next to the 18 (Bobby Labonte) and I got to meet with Jimmy Makar and they were starting their second team and he asked if I was interested in working for their second team. I met Jimmy at the old Cracker Barrel and we hung out for a while and talked.

    “That afternoon, I got a call from Joe Gibbs and he asked if I could meet him at Denny’s in Huntersville, North Carolina and we sat down and just talked. At that time, I could do anything on a racecar. Jimmy was talking to me about doing shocks and car chiefing that team. However, a day later, Joe called me back and asked me if I was interested in the crew chief job. It literally happened that quick. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded with a lot of great drivers in my life. With that being said, it was fun and we had a lot of fun.”

    SM: Do you remember your first conversations with Tony Stewart? How did that all become about?

    GZ: “I talked to Joe (Gibbs) and I accepted the offer,” Zipadelli said. “Afterward, he gave me Tony’s number and I gave him a call. (Tony) was still in Columbus, Indiana. I called him and Tony had a bunch of people over at his place playing pool and we talked for a quite bit. I don’t know when (we met), but it wasn’t long after that where we went down to Daytona and started working the test session.

    “Tony wasn’t very involved in what went on with the team, he would just show up and drive. My personality was just to take ownership of everything and being responsible, it worked good for us.”

    SM: Your first Daytona experience was that year and your driver was on the front row in your first gig as a crew chief in the Cup Series. Even though you, unfortunately, finished 28th, 19 laps down, do you have good memories of that experience? Do you remember your thoughts when you first entered the track and experienced all of the excitement that racing at Daytona brings? Did you look forward to it and did you feel ready or were you nervous?

    GZ: “Oh gosh, there’s always nerves,” he said. “To roll down to Daytona, we didn’t have any points. Back then, you had 50 cars (show up and qualify) and we had to qualify our way in. Fortunately, we tested and had a really good racecar and qualified on the outside pole. However, we had an issue with the intake manifold and we ended up not running very well in that race.”

    SM: At the Martinsville race that season, you qualified on the pole with Stewart and were a part of helping the team gain momentum with a string of top-five finishes, with the exception of Richmond. Was there a particular moment during the ‘99 season when you and the team began to get comfortable with the car or was there still a learning curve as the season progressed?

    GZ: “I’ll be honest with you, I’m always a believer that there is a learning curve,” Zipadelli said. “I don’t know, if the learning curve ever ends, you’re always trying to adjust. There was a time during midseason, I don’t know when exactly, but I think it was the Loudon race that we should have won but ran out of gas. At that point, we realized, we can do this but we just have to clean up the loose ends. Winning a Cup race is hard.

    “I learned a lot and I still beat myself up over it. Shortly after, we won Richmond, then Phoenix and Homestead. We had a very successful rookie season.”

    SM: You got your first Cup Series win at Richmond as Stewart dominated the race leading 333 of the 400 laps. What does that victory mean to you today and have you ever had a chance to go back and re-watch that race?

    GZ: “No, I haven’t been able to re-watch that win,” he said. “I haven’t done a good job in my life of going back to enjoy those special moments. It’s kind of been, what’s next and working harder to go to the next race.

    “As far as that moment, it was surreal. We ran really well that night. That night, we closed the deal.”

    SM: You and the team finished fourth in the points standings in 1999. Did finishing fourth in your first season exceed your expectations especially after earning two more wins at Phoenix and Homestead?

    GZ: “Oh, absolutely,” Zipadelli said. “I don’t know if there’s anyone who has ever had that kind of season. If you go back and look, I don’t know if anyone has won three races and finish fourth (in the standings) in a rookie year as we did.”

    SM: When you reflect on your career, are there any races that you wish you could go back to and have a do-over, such as a win that got away? Is there one race in particular that stands out?

    GZ: “There’s a few that got away from us that we never did win,” he said. “A couple of Daytona 500s where we had some good racecars, good opportunities, but things always seem to get taken away from us at the end of the day. It is what it is at the end of the day.”

    SM: Do you collect memorabilia from your career? If so, what do you have in your collection that reminds you of your early years in the sport?

    GZ: “I have some articles that were done,” Zipadelli said. “I try to keep a shirt or firesuit every year that I crew chief. Other than that, not a lot. some collectible cars that we used to get all the paint schemes. I’ve got a few hoods in my shop, just the normal stuff.”

    SM: Do you have a favorite victory or two from your career? What were your favorite wins and why?

    GZ: “Obviously, the first Indy win for sure because that was more of a relief than excitement,” Zippadelli said. “Tony put a lot of pressure on himself to go out and perform and we had a good racecar that day. Without the Loudon win, the Indy win is definitely a highlight.”

    SM: What do the Winston Cup championships in ‘02 and ‘05 mean to you and were they the highlights of your career?

    GZ: “Yeah, for a kid to grow up in New England and have the opportunity to work yourself through the ranks, I mean at the time, (winning the championship) was pretty special,” he said. “During that period, there were some tough characters you were racing against, some of the greats of the sport. We were fortunate enough to have that success early on.”

    SM: Do you miss working as a crew chief?

    GZ: “I do. The ups and downs, the adrenaline, making good calls and bad calls. I didn’t think I would miss it as much as I do I honestly, sincerely miss it.”

    SM: It’s hard to believe your first start as a crew chief came 33 years ago. If time travel was possible, what would a 54-year-old Greg Zipadelli tell a 21-year-old Greg Zipadelli? Is there anything you would do differently?

    GZ: “Man, I don’t know,” the two-time Cup Series champion crew chief said as he reflected on his career. “You always look back and think if I can go back and know what I know today, how much could you do? I don’t know if I would have a whole lot to change. I was an extremely dedicated hard worker, very motivated. I think I would do the same things.

    “Would I go back and do it all over again today? Definitely, I would. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anything I could change. I would have to really think about that. I had a lot of fun crew chiefing for 33 years and having that success. I was fortunate to meet a lot of good people and make really good friends. I don’t think I would script it (my career) that much different.”

    Fans of Greg Zipadelli can follow him on Twitter and visit his website here.

    Throughout Zipadelli’s Cup Series career, the New Britain, Connecticut native has made 468 starts, earned 34 career victories, 143 top fives, 237 top-10 finishes and won 13 poles. Additionally, he won two Cup Series championships with former NASCAR driver and Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005.

    Special thanks to Greg Zipadelli for taking the time out of his busy schedule to conduct the interview.