Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Author: Joseph Shelton

  • MoSport Finish Highlights Double Standard Set By Fans, Drivers

    MoSport Finish Highlights Double Standard Set By Fans, Drivers

    I have three words to describe yesterday’s Camping World Truck Series finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park: It. Was. Awesome.

    Plenty of beating and banging, with the No. 8 of John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 00 of Cole Custer leaning on each other coming to the checkered flag, smoke flying, metal crunching as both trucks were hooked together unable to pull apart. Then, for an added bonus, Custer straight up sacked Nemechek as he was going to grab the checkered flag. Don’t let anyone tell you differently; that’s usually the best way to settle any racing issue when you’re not in the mood for talking and explaining. Face-to-face or hand-to-hand is how all disagreements should be settled at the race track.

    Now, do I understand why Custer was upset? Absolutely. The incident was, in fact, Nemechek’s fault. On top of that, in his first full season, Custer has yet to score his third career CWTS win, and his JR Motorsports truck has not been operating up to par in 2016. He isn’t solidly in the Chase and with one race left before it begins, he’s under a lot of pressure. So yes, of course, he’d be furious after seeing his best shot at a Chase spot go up in a cloud of smoke and dirt because of a guy who has already won this season.

    That said, has Nemechek deserved the hate and vitriol he’s been getting over social media? No. Absolutely not. He did what he was paid to do, and he wanted that win just as badly as Custer did. It’s a racer’s prerogative to go for the win; why should we hate on that? Yes, he was at fault for the incident. He drove a little over his head, had a rare lapse in car control, and both he and Custer ended up in the grass. Keep in mind there, they were in the grass. With slicks. Hooked together coming to the checkered flag. Going for a win, it would have been stupid to let off the gas to regroup, but even if he did do that it would have taken a little longer to get their trucks unstuck.

    Yet after the race, people made it as if Nemechek was a dirty, soulless driver with a habit of wrecking others. It makes no sense, honestly. Nemechek races other drivers as respectfully and clean as possible. Sure, he’s slipped, he’s had issues, but which driver hasn’t? Kyle Larson let loose with this tweet following the race:

    I find it funny Larson showed a bit of savagery with this tweet, considering Larson dumped C.E. Falk at Daytona in 2013 for a win.

    Other tweets from the NASCAR contingent include these:

    I love how some of these guys plus plenty of other drivers were quick to bash Nemechek like they were bastions of clean, respectful racing and had never pulled a similar stunt on a race track.

    I bring all that up because I want to point out a few things regarding this latest blatant example of a double standard. All this outrage, all this anger, where was it when Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch were beating and banging for the win at Darlington in March of 2003? They were leaning, turning into each other, bumping each other, rubbing each other, and to this day we as fans eat that up. That was as big an event to us as the 1979 Daytona 500.

    What about the 2012 CWTS season finale at Homestead when Cale Gale squeezed Kyle Busch into the wall to score his first career win in the series? Where was the outrage there? Where was the seething hatred for Gale? Does anyone have any idea? I don’t.

    What about a personal favorite, last year’s fall Sprint Cup race at Martinsville where the lapped car of Matt Kenseth crashed then-leader Joey Logano in the first-turn wall? I don’t recall this much outrage for Kenseth’s actions. Instead, I hear nothing but cheers for Kenseth handling Logano. Never mind the fact that they weren’t going for the checkered, but were still several laps away and Kenseth had already been involved in a crash. That only goes to further accentuate the double standard. When it came to a lapped car taking out the leader, everyone was overjoyed. But yesterday, when two hungry drivers slammed and banged for the win, everyone was ready to crucify Nemechek.

    It makes no sense.

    The finish at MoSport is exactly what the CWTS needs. Gripe and complain now, but years from now this finish will be remembered fondly. That was good racing in a season full of great finishes. This has been a banner year for the trucks, as only two non-regulars have won this season, race quality has been spectacular, and on top of that, we’re seeing the rise of stellar young drivers like William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Daniel Hemric.

    Instead of dropping the hammer on a driver for doing nothing more than racing hard for a win, accept the fact that MoSport was a heck of a race with a fun finish. Accept that, and leave it at that. Don’t go harebrained and take to social media to bash Nemechek for doing his job.

  • Former NASCAR Driver Facing Lawsuit

    Former NASCAR Driver Facing Lawsuit

    Former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and five-time NASCAR XFINITY Series race winner Bobby Hamilton Jr. is currently faced with a lawsuit regarding accusations of being unable to pay his drivers. Hamilton, who previously drove for Roger Carter in 10 ARCA events in 2015, has made 19 career starts since 1998.

    Court documents dated March of 2016 show that driver Kevin Hinckle of Kansas, filed a lawsuit against Hamilton, after Hamilton allegedly breached a contract that he and Hinckle had previously agreed to. According to Hinckle, the two met in 2015 while Hamilton was racing the Carter 2 Motorsports entry. After a deal between Hinckle and Carter 2 fell through, Hinckle says that Hamilton contacted him with plans to start his own ARCA team for the 2016 season.

    According to Hinckle, after meeting with Hamilton in August of 2015, he and Hamilton signed a letter of intent for 18 races in 2016, excluding Daytona and Talladega. Under this letter of intent, Hinckle was to pay a total of $60,000 to compete. The first payment of $3,000 was to take place upon the signing of the letter of intent, with the remaining $57,000 paid in installments that Hamilton and Hinckle both agreed on, with Hamilton allegedly signing the letter of intent as “HMI President.”

    “I asked Bobby about HMI and he said it was just a standard contract that he had and that it would be fine with the sponsor,” said Hinckle. “He also said High Performance Motorsports was him and Jack (Hughes) was more of a silent partner which he was with Roger (Carter) as well.”

    A car accident lawyer from Queens shares: “The legal issues surrounding Bobby Hamilton Jr. and his alleged failure to fulfill contractual obligations with his drivers, including Kevin Hinckle and Cassie Gannis, are concerning and warrant a thorough examination. Such cases raise questions about contractual agreements, financial transparency, and ethical conduct within the racing industry.

    According to the court documents, based on information and belief, “HMI” is neither a formed and an existing entity under Tennessee law, nor is it an entity registered to do business in the state of Tennessee.

    Hinckle states that Hamilton sent him instructions via text message on how to wire the payments on the new contract. Hinckle would go on to send payments by wire and one personal check for a total sum of $17,000. The personal check, says Hinckle, was endorsed by High Performance Motorsports.

    In September of 2015, Hinckle alleges that Hamilton contacted him with a new proposal to replace the previous letter of intent signed by both parties. This new proposal, per Hinckle, would put him in the car in Daytona as well as the events at Iowa and Berlin. Hinckle further alleges that he and Hamilton both agreed to this new proposal and Hinckle obtained a sponsor for the Daytona event.

    In December of 2015 Hinckle says that Hamilton texted him regarding his availability for the pre-race testing being held at Daytona, which Hinckle traveled to and was on hand for. According to Hinckle, Hamilton stated that he was bringing multiple cars down for testing. Hinckle was also bringing two sponsors to Daytona to watch him during testing and to meet with Hamilton.

    However, the Monday before testing, Hinckle asserts that Hamilton contacted him to inform him that he wasn’t going to attend the Daytona test, and afterwards both sponsors canceled their plans with Hinckle. Upon arriving in Daytona Hinckle said that he found only one car with a seat that was unable to fit Hinckle. Due to the seat not fitting, Hinckle was unable to test.

    The next morning Hinckle said he texted Hamilton about putting their verbal agreement in writing, as Daytona was coming up as well as his final payment. Hamilton allegedly called and began berating Hinckle for being “difficult to work with” because he didn’t trust him and then told Hinckle that he was cancelling his contract and that he would be getting the money back to Hinckle.

    According to court documents Hamilton reaffirmed through several texts that Hinckle would be getting his money back and then told Hinckle that his lawyer would contact him regarding a plan to set up getting his money back.

    The lawyer then contacted Hinckle by text, but Hinckle says that when he attempted to contact the lawyer they would not answer the phone when called and the number would not permit him to leave a voicemail. Hinckle asked the lawyer to call him, but the lawyer never did.

    Hinckle further explained that Hamilton’s lawyer then communicated with him in a series of texts, which, according to Hinckle, were filled with grammatical and spelling errors similar to mistakes found in Hamilton’s texts. According to Hinckle, the lawyer then stated he wanted records of the wire transfers, but afterward, the texts began changing tone from working with Hinckle on getting his money back to Hinckle supposedly being under the initial contract, suggesting that he owed money and if he didn’t appear at Daytona he would be a breach of contract, upon which legal recourse would be taken.

    Hinckle said that he then researched the lawyer’s number only to find out that it was a fake number.

    Hinckle then sought legal action against Hamilton for fraud, and although Hamilton was served the summons, he never showed up for the court date.

    Attempts to reach Hamilton regarding this story weren’t met with a response from him or a representative.

    Hinckle isn’t the only driver pursuing legal action against Hamilton. Cassie Gannis, the 2012 K&N Pro Series West’s Most Popular Driver, was to make some starts in ARCA for Hamilton in 2016 as well. According to legal documents, an agreement was entered on January 11, 2016, for Gannis to drive a Hamilton-Hughes entry for two events, Talladega on April 29, and Lucas Oil Raceway on July 22. In consideration for Cassie’s exclusive racing rights, the Gannis family was to pay a $12,000 fee, which was paid in two installments on January 11 and February 1.

    According to a statement by Cassie’s mother Kathy Gannis, Hamilton suggested the possibility of running a full season because he had an interested U.S. contractor that needed to show diversity in his audits with the government. Hamilton allegedly stated that this potential sponsor would bring in $200,000 if the Gannis family brought in $60,000 showing that they were vested in the agreement. Also, according to the statement by Kathy Gannis, Hamilton wanted $20,000 upon signing of the contract with $40,000 due by April 1 for a total of four races minimum or a full season with the new sponsor.

    After discussing race options via an alleged Google Hangout session between Hamilton, a team consultant, and Kathy Gannis, it was decided the team could not financially come up with $60,000 and would stick to the original option of racing at Talladega and Lucas Oil Raceway.

    On February 1, the Gannises once again wired $7,000 on time,as per the contract to Hamilton and High Performance Motorsports for the two events. On February 18 a press release was released via Hamilton-Hughes Racing that an agreement was signed with Cassie Gannis.

    As Talladega was approaching Hamilton contacted the Gannises with the possibility of changing the Talladega and Lucas Oil Raceway dates to four races in September because the contractor had brought another sponsor to the table that was interested in Cassie specifically because they felt she would relate to their clientele, according to Kathy Gannis. However, they needed to be in the Chicagoland, Kansas, and Kentucky markets.

    According to Kathy Gannis, Hamilton also expressed the possibility of competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Homestead-Miami Speedway as an added bonus. The Gannis’ allege they entered into the exchange in good faith.

    In April, Kathy Gannis stated that Hamilton withdrew from competing at the Nashville event to focus on his team. The Gannises alledge they called Hamilton to check in, however Hamilton never returned their calls. They saw Hamilton compete at Talladega, however, he still didn’t contact the Gannises or return their phone calls. According to Kathy Gannis, Hamilton would occasionally send texts saying, “call you later” or “in a meeting,” but by June those texts stopped.

    After noticing that Hamilton-Huges Racing stopped fielding cars in the 2016 ARCA campaign, they looked into High Performance Motorsports and noted that it was an LLC in the name of Charles Adcock, who was Hamilton’s brother-in-law.

    In July the Gannises were notified that Hamilton had been locked out of his shop. After not receiving any correspondence from Hamilton, the Gannises decided to pursue legal action.

    Kathy points out that the ordeal has been difficult on Cassie, who sold her Super Late Model to help the deal with Hamilton transpire.

    “Along with working full-time, she is working two other jobs to get back into racing,” says Kathy. “She recently bought another Super Late Model and is slowly getting the parts to put it together to race in Tucson. She’s still looking for sponsors and appreciates all the fan support.”

    Cassie remains positive despite the setback.

    “There are good teams and people out there, so I’m not giving up on my dream,” she says. “I want to race, grow as a driver, and win a championship for my fans and sponsors.”

  • Mid-Ohio Event Proof That NASCAR Needs More Road Courses

    Mid-Ohio Event Proof That NASCAR Needs More Road Courses

    Following yesterday’s NASCAR XFINITY event at Mid-Ohio, it was depressing to check Twitter and see people bashing the event instead of congratulating an unsuspecting Justin Marks on a surprise win. Sure, those people were in the very minor minority. Still, the race was exciting, fun, and definitive NASCAR. Kyle Busch wasn’t there to dominate, and considering the series is relatively new to Mid-Ohio it was a given that this race belonged to anyone.

    With a true underdog in Marks taking the checkered flag coupled with the absolute insanity that was the race, it’s a simple fact that NASCAR needs more road courses. It’s been pointed out repeatedly that the Sprint Cup Series is over-saturated with cookie-cutter tracks and the Camping World Truck Series is loafing around with the lone road course at MoSport. Add more road courses to diversify the competition.

    Each road course in the continental United States, from Sonoma to Watkins Glen, from Road Atlanta to Road America, from Lime Rock to Virginia International Raceway, has its own individual personality. There’s no worry about confusing Charlotte with Texas or Chicagoland with Kansas. The fact that each road course is a bit different from each other makes it clear that each race could be anybody’s. Doesn’t that define good competition – the unpredictability of a race’s outcome? It’s why true fans watch the sport.

    Strategies, techniques, maneuvers, everything like that is amplified on a road course. That’s why we see some of the names that we do at the top of the board once a road course race is over. Names like Andy Lally, who finished seventh at Mid-Ohio. Lally, who piloted the No. 90 for Mario Gosselin, is also a three-time IMSA champion. Also up at the front was Israeli-born Alon Day, who finished 13th after running as high as fourth. The NASCAR Whelen Euro standout drove the No. 40 for MBM Motorsports.

    Also, it would be easier for NASCAR to run events in the rain. Now considering the events of Mid-Ohio, a lot of people would be happy if they never ran in the rain again. But being able to compete in the rain would be a convenience for fans, plus it would help get a scheduled event in on time as well as cut down on yellows and red flags. Plus, it could open the door to a whole new learning curve for some of NASCAR’s growing drivers and teams. Fans and competitors could bear witness to the possible growth of some of NASCAR’s up-and-coming underdogs, like Marks, who prior to winning at Mid-Ohio, had a season-best finish of 11th at Talladega.

    All that and more is why we need more road courses. Granted, ovals are what put NASCAR on the national map and sets the sport apart from other forms of racing. But road courses these days are producing definitive NASCAR racing, a good product that represents what’s great about stock car racing. NASCAR needs to drop these silly second dates on some of the 2.5-mile race tracks and start adding in more road courses.

     

  • Thoughts On Bryan Clauson’s Passing

    Thoughts On Bryan Clauson’s Passing

    It’s weird when a racer dies and you look at their birth and death dates. Granted, it’s a given in motorsports that despite our best efforts to ensure the safety of our drivers, no matter how evolved the safety features are, no matter how strong the integrity of the car is, no matter how well everyone did their job making sure the car was the very best it could be, there are going to be freak accidents and drivers will be hurt and on a few tragic occasions killed.

    But still, looking at Bryan Clauson’s birth and death dates, it’s jarring. June 15, 1989 – August 7, 2016. He wasn’t even a year younger than me. At 27, he should still be around, continuing to solidify his status as a racer’s racer, getting behind the wheel of anything and everything and beating the competition senseless. He was an excellent driver and had the fan following, the respect of his peers, and the trophies to prove it. This guy was supposed to be the next Steve Kinser or Danny Lasoski.

    Yet here we are, early in the morning of August 8, 2016, mourning the loss of another fantastic racer. It’s not right. It makes no sense at all.

    I used to be so jealous of this guy when I first heard of him during my sophomore year of college. While I was up to my neck dealing with classes and homework and things of that nature, this guy was taking the green flag at places like Texas and Daytona and doing an excellent job behind the wheel at that. His NASCAR career may not have bloomed, but his resume was pretty impressive.

    He won the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 2009 and 2010. He won the Chili Bowl in 2014. He was a three-time (2010, 2011, 2015) USAC Midget champion. He was a three-time (2010-’12) USAC National Drivers Champion. He was a two-time (2012-’13) USAC National Sprint Car Series champion. He was a prolific Sprint Car and Midget driver, in case you couldn’t tell.

    But there’s much more. Not only did he make three starts in the Indianapolis 500, but he became the first driver to win a feature race the same day as running the Indianapolis 500 this year when he wheeled a Sprint Car to victory at Kokomo Speedway just hours after finishing 23rd in the Indy 500. It’s also pretty neat to point out that he also managed to lead a few laps at Indy as well.

    Of course, can’t forget the 2016 “Circular Insanity” Tour. The gist of it was simple: Compete in 200 races in 2016, including wingless Sprint Cars, Midgets, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, and the Indianapolis 500. Traveling from track to track in an RV, Clauson’s plan epitomized the old-school racer’s mantra of “race anything, anytime, anywhere.” That’s what was so awesome about him. He loved racing, no matter what, and also happened to be damn good at it.

    Yet now he’s gone.

    You think about the fallout. You think about his family, including his fiancee Lauren. Your heart breaks for them because you can’t even fathom just how great and terrible their loss truly is. You think about his fellow competitors. You think about the Midgets they were racing when he crashed and you can’t help but wonder what, if anything, can be done to prevent another tragedy like this from happening.

    It’s an ugly whirlwind of confusion and emotion and heartbreak. It will never pass over or go away completely. The most it will do is mellow out, maybe subside a bit. But two years, three years down the road our hearts will still be heavy when we think about Clauson and what could have been.

    We’re going to mourn, and there’s no set time on that. All we can do is keep our eyes straight ahead, stay strong, and soldier on until we see the sun rise again. I’m sure it’s what he would have wanted. Until then, my heart goes out to the Clauson family. Race in peace, Bryan.

  • Online NASCAR Community Holding Charity Drive For Mental Health

    Online NASCAR Community Holding Charity Drive For Mental Health

    The NASCAR on Reddit community is holding a charity drive in honor of longtime group moderator Amy Branch, who passed away last month following the Kentucky race. Branch, who went by the name “beezwacks” in the group, served as something of a go-between between the group and several of NASCAR’s personalities, leading to regular interactions from individuals such as Brad Keselowski, Ryan Ellis, and Monday’s Pocono winner Chris Buescher.

    In lieu of flowers, group moderator /u/51rogue3 published a post linking The National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization that accepts donations in a person’s memory, for community members who wish to donate. In the post, /u/51rogue3 spoke of Branch’s work in the NASCAR community.

    “Amy worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this sub the best it could be and she left it in a much better way than when she first arrived. But her work isn’t done here, not by a long shot. In her passing, she has presented us with the opportunity to help others, to make a difference in other people’s lives.”

    Fellow group moderator /u/ClarksonianPause spoke of the charity drive, stating that mental illness affects millions of Americans and is sadly stigmatized rather than supported.

    “While the outpouring of love and support may have come too late for Amy, it may not be for others. One of her final wishes was that we help others experiencing the same pain as her, with the hopes that maybe we could prevent a similar tragedy for another family. In her passing, like she did in her life, her selfless nature and love for others know no bounds.”

    Following her passing, outpourings of grief and condolences came from all over the NASCAR world. Camping World Truck Series driver Jordan Anderson, a highly active member in the NASCAR on Reddit community, sported a decal (pictured above) to commemorate Branch on his Bolen Motorsports truck for the event at Eldora Speedway on July 20.

    For those interested in donating to NAMI or donating in Branch’s memory, the site can be found here.

  • Buescher’s Pocono Win Won’t Be Last

    Buescher’s Pocono Win Won’t Be Last

    Think back 13 years to Greg Biffle’s rookie year in 2003, then known as the Winston Cup Series. Having already earned a truck series championship in 2000 and a Busch Series (XFINITY) championship in 2002, it was surprising to see how bad he stunk up the show. Crashes, equipment malfunctions, and even a DNQ at Las Vegas seemed to be the norm despite earning three top-fives and six top-10s on the way to 20th-place finish in points, along with a Rookie of the Year runner-up spot to Jamie McMurray.

    But despite all that, Biffle did manage to score a strategy-based win at Daytona in July. Unlike McMurray, Biffle actually scored a win during his rookie year and was the only rookie to do so that season. Now come back to the present, where 2015 XFINITY Series champion and Roush-Fenway Racing-backed Chris Buescher is now a Sprint Cup race winner, thanks to his strategy-based upset in the weather-shortened Pennsylvania 400 Monday at Pocono.

    Look at the 2016 class. Despite Ryan Blaney’s quiet consistency and Chase Elliott’s impressive results, it was Buescher who took the first checkered flag for this season’s rookie class. Maybe it isn’t enough to base anything off of considering how his season has fared (five lead-lap finishes in 21 starts, previous season-high of 14th at Indy), but don’t let that take anything away from Buescher’s success. Like Biffle, Buescher is not only a former Roush champion but is also a quietly consistent driver who manages to get the most out of his equipment without tearing it up or making too many mistakes.

    Also, look at Front Row Motorsports as well. As a RFR satellite team, it’s a given that the No. 34 seat is serving as a placeholder, at least until a seat opens up at Roush. Although they’re not an organization with an abundance of funds, they still provide their drivers with solid, sound equipment that they can work with. FRM is a consistent organization that makes the most with what it has, be it crew or equipment, and as a result can be built around newer drivers like Buescher and Landon Cassill, who drives the No. 38.

    A team like that which continues to grow and become a stronger organization could eventually become the next Furniture Row Racing. And with drivers like Buescher who continue to learn and grow and consistently bring the car home in one piece, they could become a contending group as the years go on. Remember, in Biffle’s sophomore season of ’04, he had his struggles yet he won twice, both times with a stronger car. By 2005, he led the series that season in wins (six) and earned a runner-up points finish to Tony Stewart.

    Given time, Buescher will grow as a driver, be it with FRM or RFR. Either way, he’ll post more results as he matures, and he will be a Sprint Cup winner again. It’s too early to gauge when he’ll become an actual Cup title contender, but that day could very well come.

  • Kyle Busch Claims XFINITY Pole at Indianapolis

    Kyle Busch Claims XFINITY Pole at Indianapolis

    Kyle Busch took the pole for Saturday’s Lily Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his fourth straight pole in five XFINITY Series events at the track. Busch, a two-time XFINITY winner at Indy, exceeded 181 mph to circle the track at 49.467 seconds. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones took the second spot on the charts, circling the speedway at 49.469 seconds in his No. 20 Hisense Toyota.

    Kyle Larson, who won at Eldora in the truck series on Wednesday, posted the third-fastest time on the grid, taking a lap of 49.695 seconds in his No. 42 Chevy. Kevin Harvick took the fourth position in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevy, laying down a 50.030-second lap while Daniel Suarez was the third JGR Toyota in the top-five, with his No. 19 circling the track in 50.031 seconds.

    Rounding out the top-10 was Justin Allgaier in the No. 7 JRM Chevy, who battled a loose condition to take the sixth spot, while Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Ryan Reed, and Brennan Poole took positions seventh through 10th. Notables who didn’t make it past the first round of qualifying include Darrell Wallace Jr., who took the 14th spot on the grid, and Ty Dillon took the 16th spot.

    Saturday’s race will be divided into three heats, a format first adopted earlier this year at Bristol as part of the XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash program. Jones has won the Dash 4 Cash twice this season (Bristol and Dover) while Dillon was the Dash 4 Cash winner at Richmond. Odd-numbered qualifiers will race in the first heat while even-numbered qualifiers will compete in the second heat.

    The front row of the main would be the winners of the two heats with lane choice going to which driver was fastest during qualifying. The odd-numbered starting spots would be based on the finishing order of the first heat while the even-numbered starting spots would be based on the finishing order of the second heat.

  • Bowman’s Loudon Performance Proof of Driver Talent

    Bowman’s Loudon Performance Proof of Driver Talent

    It’s an unspoken opinion among many NASCAR pundits and competitors: Alex Bowman is a talented, capable driver. Granted, there’s been an absence of trophies in his record, with a 13th-place at Daytona in 2014 being his career-best finish. But with the right equipment, Bowman could very well pull off some strong performances.

    Case in point, Sunday at Loudon. Subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman posted a 20th-place qualifying effort and marched his way steadily to the front. Before tangling with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, Bowman had reached the top-10 in the No. 88 and was in position to take a top-five spot at race’s end. The record books will show a 26th-place finish, which is pretty standard for Bowman’s Sprint Cup efforts. What the record books won’t show is how well he was performing beforehand.

    Bowman has had a NASCAR career built around subpar equipment and lesser-funded teams. So by driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports in the XFINITY Series, Bowman’s talents have been on full display in 2016, as he has scored a pole, two top-fives and five top-10s in five starts. It hasn’t been a fluke at all; Bowman is an excellent driver in need of a full-time ride, especially with JRM. If that’s accomplished, then wins and title runs would be within grasp for that organization.

    So look more into Bowman’s performance on Sunday. He ran better than he ever had in his Sprint Cup career and was on pace for a career-best day. Even with the accident, his race was something for other team owners to look at and see that Bowman holds a lot of untapped potential. His XFINITY efforts this season have backed that up.

    Bowman can put a car in the top-10 if he has the right equipment. He’s very good about taking care of his equipment and has the right amount of discipline to not get himself into a situation that he can’t get out of. Put him on a good car with a team that can be built around him. He’ll be a contender in no time.

     

  • Carl Edwards Teams Up With SUBWAY, USO, To Host Lunch For Coast Guard Members

    Carl Edwards Teams Up With SUBWAY, USO, To Host Lunch For Coast Guard Members

    On Friday at Daytona International Speedway Joe Gibbs Racing driver Carl Edwards teamed up with the USO as well as his primary sponsor SUBWAY to host a lunch for the members of the United States Coast Guard. Also in attendance were SUBWAY Firecracker 250 Grand Marshal Kelly Miller and Honorary Starter Fred Gardner. Both Miller and Gardner are military veterans as well as Subway franchise owners.

    SUBWAY will also be donating $125,000 to the USO, including 5,000 meals as a part of their continuing support for the United States military.

    The luncheon was held before Saturday’s XFINITY Series race in which NASCAR continued its tribute this July 4th weekend to show its support for those who have served and those who continue to serve and defend the United States. During the race, all of the XFINITY Series drivers displayed the name of an active military unit and installation on their windshields.

    Meanwhile, Edwards will be starting on the outside of the front row for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. He currently sits third in points, with wins at Bristol and Richmond solidifying his spot in the 2016 Chase playoff field. Edwards has never won a Sprint Cup restrictor-plate event, with his best finish being a pair of second-place finishes in the 2008 Coke Zero 400 and the 2011 Daytona 500.

    Along with being a sponsor for Joe Gibbs Racing since 2008, SUBWAY has also been the primary sponsor of the July XFINITY Series event at Daytona since 2009.

    The green flag will wave for the 2016 Coke Zero 400 at 7:45 pm ET on NBC.

  • Stewart’s Emotional Sonoma Victory One Of NASCAR’s Defining Wins

    Stewart’s Emotional Sonoma Victory One Of NASCAR’s Defining Wins

    Once Tony Stewart broke his leg in a Sprint Car crash in 2013, it was easy to write him off in the long scheme of things. He had only won once that season with five top-fives and eight top-10s.  In 2014 he was winless with three top-fives and seven top-10s. Then 2015 wasn’t any better, with a measly three top-10s. There was no reason to expect anything remotely different out of that No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2016, which is Stewart’s retirement year.

    So to see Stewart bring the fight to Denny Hamlin on the last corner of the last lap of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway and emerge victorious in his battered No. 14 Chevy was not only a pleasant surprise, but capped off one of the most emotional roads to recovery this sport has ever seen.

    Stewart has always been strong on the road courses, leading all active drivers with eight wins at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, so his win there isn’t exactly a surprise, especially on the heels of a strong seventh-place run at Michigan. But look at his last three finishes there beginning in 2013: 28th, 19th, and 12th. It was definitely his worst streak at Sonoma since his first start in 1999, where he finished 15th after starting second.

    But take some of the other things into consideration. In 2013 he struggled mightily, worse than he ever had, behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car. He did win at Dover in June, but that was due to good pit strategy. He wasn’t consistent, he wasn’t near the front, and he wasn’t doing so well. That carried on into 2014 and 2015, and what was once a question of when Stewart would win again became a question of if he would win again. Top-10s alone were cause for celebration among the Stewart supporters.

    Then came Michigan two weeks ago, and Stewart put on a performance that was so strong and unexpected that many were wondering if he had turned the corner with his No. 14 and rookie Crew Chief Mike Bugarewicz. Then comes a 10th-place qualifying effort at Sonoma, followed by a determined performance by Stewart, where he led 22 laps and had no qualms door-slamming Hamlin out of the way on the way to victory.

    Is this a championship statement? Not likely. Even though SHR has now won three times in 2016, they’re still being overshadowed by the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing. On top of that, even though it’s a given that Stewart will claim that 30th-place in points and claim his Chase spot come Richmond, it’s still too early to say if he’ll even contend for the championship. It would be nice, granted, but one win does not a championship run make.

    The next race is Daytona, where Stewart has multiple wins in the July event. Daytona is also a crapshoot when it comes to winners and losers. Stewart is a strong superspeedway racer and could very well nail a top-five or a top-10 easily. He’s got a lot of good tracks coming up and he will be the one to watch in the next two months before the Chase starts.

    Regardless of Chase status, it’s evident that the questions of whether or not Stewart has lost his edge can now stop. Drivers like Stewart, people like Stewart, never really lose that edge, that will to win. It may have been subdued over the last three years, but it never left Stewart completely. In the final corner of the final lap at Sonoma, it was made clear that that the will to win was stronger than ever. Stewart wanted to win at all costs and with the amount of crew members and peers including SHR drivers Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch as well as runner-up Hamlin coming up to congratulate him on his way to Victory Lane, it was obvious no one could blame him.