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Author: SM Staff

  • Move Over Boys, It’s Time for Fans to Have at It

    Move Over Boys, It’s Time for Fans to Have at It

    While the action has been intense on the track all season long with ‘boys have at it’, double-file restarts and the most intense battle for the Chase still to be played out, NASCAR fans will soon have the opportunity during Champion’s week to ‘have at it’ themselves with their favorite drivers , unfiltered, in Las Vegas.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]NASCAR’s wildly successful ‘After the Lap’ event will be repeated for the third year at the Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Vegas. Tickets for the December 1st opportunity to ‘have at it’ with the champ and Chase contenders are officially now on sale by visiting www.nascarafterthelap.com.

    “It’s one of our favorite events,” Norris Scott, Vice President of Partnership Marketing and Business Solutions for NASCAR said. “It’s 3,000 fans packed into the Hard Rock getting an hour or even more of unfiltered access to the drivers.”

    “At this point, they have their helmets off, the champion has been decided and it’s a lot of fun,” Scott continued. “There’s a large Q&A session with the fans and Jamie Little hosts it to keep it all going.”

    “What I like about it most is the drivers are just having fun up on stage with the fans and with each other,” Norris said. “We’re glad to be continuing this.”

    Last year’s event definitely lived up to the ‘unfiltered’ status that Scott described. But, according to Scott, that is exactly what makes the event so special and unique.

    “There were some really funny moments,” Scott said. “One of the questions to Tony Stewart was ‘If you were on a reality show, which one would you want to be on.’ He went through all of the reasons he wouldn’t want to be on one but then ended up saying it would be ‘The Bachelor,’ much to the delight of the fans.”

    “Clint Bowyer was talking about the green room and about how all the guys were changing into more comfortable clothes and he was busting Kyle Busch for wearing green underwear, asking him what that was all about.”

    “Unfiltered is the best way to describe it,” Scott said. “They’re just so good and so comfortable up there and the fans love it.”

    Do Scott and the NASCAR leadership ever worry that the fans may cross the line or get out of hand a bit with their questions?

    “They’re respectful but I’m not going to lie to you,” Scott said candidly. “There were a few moments last year where we wondered where this was going to go. But Jamie Little is a great host and keeps it in line.”

    Last year, one of the Vegas headliners, Carrot Top, made a special appearance, adding another unique element to the event. This year will be no different with Bill Engvall, best known from The Blue Collar Comedy Tour, making his own cameo appearance.

    “He is pretty funny and he will spice it up a little bit,” Scott said. “When I tell people about the event, I really have a tough time finding another sports league as a comparable event to this.”

    “ There’s no doubt that others have a Q&A for fans but I can’t think of another event where the top 12, including the champion of the sport, are in a venue allowing fans to ask these raw questions to them and them answering them on the spot,” Scott continued. “It’s really unique and special for us.”

    Another unique aspect to this year’s event will be that all proceeds, $20 per ticket, will benefit the NASCAR Foundation, particularly programs helping children.

    “That’s a new element this year,” Scott said. “In prior years, it’s been free but this year all the event proceeds will go to the NASCAR Foundation. The Foundation has a new focus on kids and children’s initiatives so the money will go through that.”

    The ‘After the Lap’ event, while special and unique, is just one of the many events planned for Champion’s Week.

    “Prior to the NASCAR ‘After the Lap’ event, the drivers are doing their drive around on the Strip, doing burnouts and then they pull into the Hard Rock,” Scott said. “There is the Coca Cola Fan Zone and the drivers sign autographs. That builds on the excitement before the drivers get into the Hard Rock.”

    “Sprint will also have their Sprint Experience there,” Scott continued. “They are bringing a smaller version of what they bring to the track each week outside the Hard Rock.”

    One of the sport’s other major partners, Ford, will be further sweetening the fans ‘have at it’ experience with their unique ‘Send Me to Vegas Sweepstakes.”

    “One of the unique things about Ford is not only is there the ‘Send me to Vegas Sweepstakes’ where fans can not only go to ‘After the Lap’ but also a chance to win a 2012 Ford Explorer,” Scott said. “Ford is bringing a lot to the table in terms of supporting the event as well as making it pretty memorable for one lucky fan.”

    Scott affirmed that Las Vegas is the perfect place to hold all of the Championship events, from the banquet to the burnouts on the Strip to the Hard Rock event. Last year, close to 20,000 fans lined the streets and the ‘After the Lap’ event was sold out with 3,000 fans in attendance, as it is expected to be again this year.

    “Las Vegas has been a great city to work with,” Scott said. “Vegas is very quickly become a packed week in terms of events for the fans.”

    “Being on the Strip, with the lights and the casinos, it is pretty awesome.”

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Dover AAA 400

    In spite of the monstrously cloudy skies that yielded a bit of drizzle throughout the race, every lap of the AAA 400 was completed at Dover International Speedway. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the track affectionately known as the ‘Monster Mile.’

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]Surprising:  It was surprising that a ‘Polish Victory Lap’ rather than a back flip capped the finish of the Cup race on the concrete. Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge, surprisingly scored his first ever victory at the ‘Monster Mile.”

    “It was just a perfect execution with making the car better during the race,” Busch said. “To win in a Sprint Cup race in the Chase, this is what it’s all about.”

    “We knew that the 22 was a good car,” Travis Geisler, Director of Competition, Penske Racing, said. “It was a great day.”

    Not Surprising:  Although not a winner as he was in the Nationwide race the previous day, Carl Edwards, to no one’s surprise, finished a solid top-five. The driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford rebounded from a pit road speeding penalty to finish third, which was good enough to keep him tied atop the leader board in the Chase point standings.

    “It was a great day, other than that feeling I had when I ruined it there on pit road,” Edwards said sheepishly. “We were very, very fortunate.”

    “As frustrated as I am with myself for messing that up, I’m really, really grateful for the give that was given to us with that caution and the ability to come back up there.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising to see a not-so-happy Harvick in the media center after the race, especially after assuming the top spot in the Chase standings. The driver of the No. 29 Rheem Chasing the Cure Chevrolet is now officially tied with Edwards but claims the top spot due to his higher number of wins.

    After finishing tenth, Harvick seemed subdued and perhaps even a bit exhausted in the media center, complaining at one point about the flash of the photographers’ bulbs bothering his eyes.

    “We circled this one as a place to come to overcome some things and the guys did a good job today,” Harvick said. “All in all it was okay.”

    Not Surprising:  To no one’s surprise, old ‘Five Time’ is back, even taunting the media after the race a bit, asking if he was still considered out of contention for his sixth consecutive championship with his third place finish at Dover.

    Jimmie Johnson, behind the wheel of his familiar No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, also seems to have reconciled well with his crew chief Chad Knaus, at least from the improved politeness during the radio chatter.

    “It was a great day for us, to lead that many laps and to have great stops on pit road across the board,” Johnson said. “I wish that we could be one spot better but I just did not get two good restarts that the end of that thing and cost myself.”

    Surprising:  Although Tony Stewart predicted that Dover was not his best track, it was surprising just how badly both he and his teammate Ryan Newman ran at the ‘Monster Mile.”

    The driver and team owner of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet finished 25th, with his teammate behind the wheel of the No. 39 US Army ROTC Chevrolet finishing just ahead of him in 23rd.

    “Even when we got the balance half-way decent, it didn’t have speed,” Smoke said. “So, we just missed it.”

    Stewart’s crew chief, Darian Grubb, echoed his driver’s sentiments exactly.

    “The biggest thing is just that we don’t have the concrete tracks figured out,” Grubb said. “At Bristol and Dover, we’ve just struggled for three years now with Tony there.”

    Sounding very much like his teammate, Newman also seconded theme of totally missing the set up.

    “We just didn’t have it right all weekend,” Newman said. “We tried a number of adjustments and pit strategies but nothing seemed to work in our favor.”

    “We just have to put this weekend behind us and move on.”

    Not Surprising:   It is not surprising that A J Allmendinger, driver of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion, just keeps rolling along with solid finishes. In fact, not only did the ‘Dinger finish with a top-10, but so did his Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion.

    “It was a solid day,” Allmendinger said. “Obviously, we want to try to win but at least we were there all day.”

    “We’ve been bashed up pretty good the last month, so it’s just good to come back with a solid day,” Ambrose said. “I’m proud of the team. They’ve stood by me after a tough month.”

    Surprising:  In a surprising version of ‘Chasers Gone Bad’, at least three of the drivers in contention had monstrously bad days.

    Brad Keselowski, who had been wearing the Cinderella slipper, took a bit of a stumble at Dover International Speedway. After battling a power steering problem, the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge came in 20th.

    “I finally caught the back end of the field, but when I got up to the rear of a car, I couldn’t do anything, couldn’t get around them,” Keselowski said. “It’s frustrating. I think we were good enough to get a solid run out of it but ended up 20th.”

    “That’s the way it goes.”

    With his tough finish, Keselowski fell three spots in the Chase standings to the sixth position.

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driving the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, also battled mechanical issues, in his case a broken sway bar. Then towards the end of the race, he had a loose wheel, which caused him to finish 24th, two laps down to the race winner.

    “That’s racin’,” Junior said. “That’s all I can say. I’ve had a lot of shit happen to me over the years, good and bad. I’ve just kinda got to roll with the punches.”

    Dale Junior fell two positions in the point standings to the 10th position.

    Junior’s teammate Jeff Gordon also struggled all day long in his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet. Starting from the 34th position, Gordon rallied to finish 12th, however, fell four positions in the point standings to ninth.

    “Yeah, that’s been a struggle for us here at this track this year,” Gordon said. “It started off good and we worked our way forward pretty quick from the 34th starting position, but once we got up there I made some mistakes and we just didn’t have it on the restarts.”

    Not Surprising:  Quiet Kenseth continued his Cup quest with a top-5 finish at the ‘Monster Mile.”  The driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion maintained his seventh place in the Chase standings, just 14 points out of first.

    Not surprisingly, Kenseth claimed “We got lucky.”

    “We had a pretty solid day,” Kenseth continued. “We were able to lead a little bit. There were times in the race when we were pretty dominant.”

    “I was hoping for a little better at times, but it’s important to get a good finish every week.”

  • Johnson Inches Closer With Just a Little Help

    Johnson Inches Closer With Just a Little Help

    Dover International offered a nice respite from the cookie cutter mile and a half tracks, but the winner was a surprise, at least to me. You just can’t count anyone out this year. Many had Jimmie Johnson left for dead and had already crowned Tony Stewart, but Stewart returned to his 2011 form and Johnson finished second. Carl Edwards had the fastest car, and but for a driver mistake, might be leading the pack. Such is the 2011 Chase. It’s unpredictable.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]Still, I feel Johnson is in the driver’s seat. Johnson, after a couple of bad performances coupled with the leaders falling back to the norm, is back in the race. That’s bad news for the rest of the field. You might blame Edwards for this turn of events. Edwards dominated the Nationwide Series race on Saturday and appeared to be doing the same on Sunday, but a mental mistake cost him the win and left him third in the race. Champions rarely make these kinds of mistakes. In an earlier column, I asked if the No. 99 team was ready to be Sprint Cup champions. I stand by my conclusion then. The mistake cost Edwards two positions and the point lead and allowed Johnson to close in on a sixth straight championship.

    Kurt Busch spoiled the party. The former champ took the ball and ran with the Edwards mistake. He was able to win and keep Johnson behind him. Matt Kenseth’s team made an error by taking on four tires when everyone else took two. Kenseth probably had the second best car, but that call from the crew chief once again allowed Johnson to gain another position. This is how championships are won. Putting space between themselves and Johnson is all important. Those two teams didn’t do that and allowed the five-time champion to inch closer to another title. It was almost scripted.

    Of course, there are the wild cards in the final seven races. Talladega is one place where any one of the nine leaders can have a bad race (I’ve already written off Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Ryan Newman, and Denny Hamlin). I would consider the short track at Martinsville a wild card, but Johnson’s track record there, as well as the fact that Kenseth and Edwards don’t run well there, tends to be in his favor.

    Unless the Roush-Fenway teams of Edwards and Kenseth get their act together, the champion will be a battle between Kevin Harvick, Johnson, and Kurt Busch, but you just never know, as we’ve seen this year. Brad Keselowski could return to his latter season hotness, Jeff Gordon could go on a win streak (which I really doubt),Kyle Busch could revert back to his mid-season form, or Edwards and Kenseth could surprise, but I doubt it. It’s down to Harvick, Johnson, and Kurt Busch, and you know who my money’s on.

    Johnson chided the media after Dover with marked comments. He is a confident fellow. It would be good for the sport if someone else won the Cup, but you can’t argue with performance. The thing that bothers me is that’s it’s almost like other drivers are helping “Old Five Time” to another championship. Sure, they don’t mean to, but the result is the same. Give the trophy to Johnson and let’s race the rest of the season.

  • The Slow Death of the Nationwide Series

    The Slow Death of the Nationwide Series

    There was an alarming sight while watching the Nationwide race on Saturday. It’s a sight that’s become all too familiar with the series and no one is at more fault than NASCAR and Joe Balash the Nationwide Series director.

    [media-credit name=”nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]At first I thought I was the only one who noticed it. Then I heard someone say “Wow, there are 13 cars out already?”

    I shook my head, looked at the cars and realized all the cars that were listed as “out,” were what the NASCAR world knows as “start and park” teams.

    I then thought about the Nationwide Series from 2 years ago. Since Homestead 2009, the Nationwide Series has lost several full time teams, including: Baker-Curb Racing, Rensi Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Phoenix Racing, Germain Racing, Specialty Racing, JTG- Daugherty Racing, K-Automotive Motorsports and Wayne Day Racing.

    Several things have affected why most of these teams have left. One of the major reasons is the economy. Sponsorships have left the smaller organizations to go to bigger, powerful organizations in a minority role to get more recognition for a similar price. The economy is a good excuse but it’s only part of the problem.

    One thing that hurt the series was NASCAR decided run the Nationwide Series new C.O.T. full time in 2011, forcing teams to spend a lot of money building new race cars. Many people felt this was a good idea for the series because in the long run it will cost less to make the cars. The C.O.T. is also a safer car as well and that is always a good thing.

    But then NASCAR  got the brilliant idea that hurt many NASCAR Nationwide teams the most. They cut the purses by 20% effective for the 2011 season.

    Huh? Teams have to build several new race cars, in a rough economy, and NASCAR cuts the purses? And that’s looking out for the “best interest of the sport.” NASCAR still makes money and yet they cut the purse?

    And yet the so called “start and park” teams constantly get ripped apart for starting and parking. Maybe the teams are not the problem after all. Maybe the Rick Ware and the Curtis Key’s of the world are hanging on for dear life after a horrible call by the the Sanctioning Body.

    Maybe NASCAR should put some more money back into the Nationwide Series.

    I mean they are here for the best interest of the sport? Aren’t they?

  • Called the Heart and Soul of the CWTS, Hornaday Will Have a Ride in 2012 … Right?

    Called the Heart and Soul of the CWTS, Hornaday Will Have a Ride in 2012 … Right?

    Some will find it hard to think about the landscape of the Camping World Truck Series in 2012 without Kevin Harvick Inc. Those who do will find it even harder to think about it without one of its staple drivers, Ron Hornaday.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”226″][/media-credit]The four-time CWTS champion is searching for a ride for next season. Last month team owners Kevin and Delana Harvick announced that Richard Childress had bought out their Nationwide Series program and that they would be closing the doors on the truck operation.

    It leaves Nelson Piquet Jr. and the driver with the most wins in CWTS history looking for new homes. Saturday night in Kentucky Hornaday captured the checkered flag for the 50th time in 295 career starts and for the third time in the Bluegrass state. Hornaday did so with a fast truck and not because he was in the right place at the right time like Texas or Atlanta.

    “Unbelievable, I know Bruce [Cook, crew chief] ain’t gonna take the credit because he builds fast trucks and everything but he’s going to take the credit tonight,” Hornaday said afterwards. “Coming in to get those four tires, run Austin [Dillon] back down and he had to pit and we had to 15 laps to go.”

    Hornaday thanked the crew for adjusting the truck to his driving style. At Kentucky Hornaday wasn’t behind the wheel of his normal No. 33 but the No. 2 to help KHI in the owner’s championship. Things went better than planned for everyone as they led on four different occasions for 42 laps, moving Hornaday within 42 points of the championship lead and putting KHI 41 points over Kyle Busch Motorsports on the owner’s side.

    There are five races left in the season.

    Perhaps the bigger picture though isn’t the championship. Right now Hornaday needs all the camera time and wins he can get. Knowing he isn’t bringing youth to the table for potential teams or bringing money, he’s hoping his credentials and experience will speak for themselves. He even joked afterwards he needed to find some new friends.

    “Hopefully I can find me a job and take him [Cook] with me,” said Hornaday. “So, if you guys got any money, I need three friends with a $1 million apiece and we can start our own race team.”

    The fact that Hornaday is searching for a job at all is disturbing for the CWTS. The fact that he hasn’t had anyone calling him is even more disturbing; everyone knows he should be racing and want to say he will be. Hornaday is one of the faces of the series and losing him would hurt. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the first time.

    After Johnny Benson won his first CWTS title in 2008 he was out of a ride halfway through the following season. Sponsorship woes took away one of the great and favorite drivers. Benson hasn’t been back to the series with a full-time ride since.

    “I kind of need that right now, a little boost for my career,” said Hornaday. “Hopefully wherever Nelson don’t sign maybe I can get a job at. Everybody’s waiting for Nelson, I guess.”

    Meanwhile, Hornaday will focus on winning another championship. In the process hope that by the team the season starts again in Daytona he’ll be there in a driver’s suit and not watching from the sidelines. The CWTS hopes Hornaday will be in the field too.

    If not, they’ll continue to hear all about the “sad state” the series is in. Or what some are predicting to be its impending demise. Officials say that’s not going to happen while fans continue to praise the racing and the drivers, even if the stands look bleak week after week.

    But that’s what every series and sport is experiencing. The latest victim though, might be one that no one saw coming. Just like Benson, Hornaday is one of the last remaining good ‘ol boys but hopefully unlike Benson, NASCAR won’t lose him too.

  • Ron Hornaday Makes Strong Case For Veterans and Experience

    Ron Hornaday Makes Strong Case For Veterans and Experience

    At the age of 53, Ron Hornaday won his 50th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night.  While a lot of people focus on bringing forth that brand new young talent, an argument could be made that veteran experience is where it’s at.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]The win marked his third of the season and puts him fifth in points, only 42 points behind Austin Dillon with five races left in the season. The focus on the series standings has been the young guns, Dillon, James Buescher and Timothy Peters, though here Hornaday is ready to capitalize as he’s done other years.

    A veteran is also someone that a team can look at to lead them to victories and championships, without having to worry about going through the rookie, young-gun lessons of gaining that experience. However, team owners look beyond that as they want that youth for the future.

    Following last season, Hornaday was a driver that many questioned wondered if he should hang it up after he finished seventh in points with only two wins. A season of bad luck and misfortune happens every once and awhile in a driver’s career as you can look at any driver who has been racing for a number of years and see this string.  Just the year before in 2009, Hornaday won the championship with six wins.

    The comments made were like most in racing, who say that you’re latest results are the only ones who matter. While making those types of comments and articles, Hornaday’s four championships were forgotten along with the wins. On top of that, the strength of Hornaday’s team Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) was misplaced amongst the talk.

    Speaking of KHI, they announced last month that they would be shutting down operations at the end of the season as Kevin Harvick considered it a distraction. Truthfully, you could also argue that the issue of being able to find sponsorship in this economy probably played just as big as a factor.

    Regardless, the announcement leaves Hornaday without a ride for 2012 with only a month and a half left in the 2011 season. Considering the success that Hornaday has had as of late, a ride is something that he should easily be able to find. However, it’s not a guarantee as Johnny Benson wasn’t able to find a ride and now finds himself back running at the short track level.

    One scenario plays that Hornaday could find himself at Kyle Busch Motorsports, running a second truck for the team while Brian Ickler and Kyle Busch split the No. 18. It’s a scenario that has potential as Hornaday and Busch could work together to attract sponsors as Busch has proven that he has a strong team. Hornaday would also be an important asset to the KBM organization as he could possibly bring Busch his first driver’s championship.

    Silly Season always brings out the best and worst scenarios like these and in the end, you will probably see Ron Hornaday find a ride or else there will be a lot of fans confused.

  • HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: DOVER DRAMA

    HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: DOVER DRAMA

    During the previous NASCAR weekend we watched Miles The Monster, the official concrete mascot of the Dover International Raceway, smile on some Sprint Cup Chase contenders and we watched him growl at some other Chase hopes. We watched “Concrete Carl” dominate the Nationwide Series and then come perilously close to a crash landing after the race. We also watched a hard earned milestone from one of NASCAR’s best truck drivers. With all of this in mind, let’s begin this week with:

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]HOORAH to Kurt Busch and his Penske Dodge Team for winning the AAA 400 at Dover. It marked Busch’s second win of the season and 24th Sprint Cup career win. The #22 Shell Penzoil Dodge led a total of 90 laps in the race including using a pair of great restarts to lead the final 42. More importantly, the win rekindles the driver’s status as a Chase contender. He’s now fourth in the standings only nine points from the leader.

    HOORAH to Jimmie Johnson who also rekindled his plans to win a sixth, consecutive, title during the Dover race. Johnson drove to a second place finish, led a race high 157 laps and moved from tenth to fifth, 13 points out, in the Chase standings. Last week, after a very bad day in New Hampshire, there was a lot of speculation that said this driver’s championship string was broken and the dynasty was over. After watching his performance at Dover, it appears that quest for “Jimmie 5 Time” to become “Jimmie 6 Pack” is very much alive and well.

    The HOORAH for making chicken salad out of chicken do do goes to Carl Edwards. On lap 246 Edwards was caught speeding on pit road and fell a lap down after serving a drive through penalty. He had to endure the frustration of the penalty all the way to the eighth yellow flag of the race, lap 301, before he could get the Lucky Dog pass and return to the lead lap. Edwards had a very fast Ford at Dover and he used it to charge his way back to the front of the field. He was driving his car so hard the feathers from the AFLAC duck, on the hood of his car, literally flew through the air. Edwards finished third in the final rundown and, more importantly, left Dover tied for the lead in the points standing with Kevin Harvick.

    A second chicken salad from chicken do do HOORAH goes to driver A J Allmendinger. On lap six he spun his Ford and did an outstanding job of getting it back under control and avoiding what resembled a sure fire wreck. He restarted the race in 43d and drove the car to a 7th place finish.

    WAZZUP with bad luck for Chase contender Dale Earnhardt Jr which he later referred to as being ‘snake bit?” Having to come down pit road due to a loose wheel is bad enough. But the big blow came under some bizarre circumstances; a broken sway bar. That led to a 24th place finish two laps down. He’s now tenth in the Chase standings and 34 points out. The math potential says he has not been eliminated from winning the championship. The reality of the situation indicates otherwise. Sorry about that Junior Nation.

    WAZZUP with Dale Earnhardt Jr calling in over his radio to request football scores? You would think he would have been a little too busy out on the race track for something like that. Earnhardt was interested in his favorite team: the Washington Redskins. He was delighted to hear that they won their game. It was probably the best part of his long afternoon in Dover.

    WAZZUP with the bizarre circumstances surrounding Brad Keselowski’s Dodge. He somehow managed to break a power steering belt, something that you rarely see, which led to a 20th place finish. He’s still in Chase contention despite this unusual problem. He left Dover sixth in the standings 14 points away.

    WAZZUP with Jeff Gordon’s crew making a bad situation worse by accidentally turning the adjustment wrench the wrong way during a pit stop? Gordon was experiencing some handling problems prior to this pit stop and this was the last thing he needed. He finished 12th in the race and has now dropped from fifth to ninth in the standings 19 points away.

    WAZZUP with Tony Stewart being completely ineffective in any category you could name during the Dover weekend? After winning the first two Chase events, Stewart just couldn’t catch a break. During the pre race practice sessions he was ranked 41st and 25th on the speed charts. He qualified 28th and then spent the race plowing around the track while screaming at his crew over the radio. He finished 25th two laps down in a car that was just terrible all day long. The truth be known, I’m sure there were farm tractors plowing fields that had better handling than Stewart’s Chevrolet.

    After his win at New Hampshire the week prior, Stewart made that elusive comment about “shedding some dead weight” which helped towards the race win. After watching his car at Dover, I’m beginning to wonder if some devious person placed that “dead weight” in the car’s trunk prior to the race.

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

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Dover also contained several interesting moments. HOORAH to “Concrete” Carl Edwards for his dominant performance during this race. Edwards, and his Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang, led 179 laps of the One Main Financial 200. The event marked his seventh series win of the season, his 36th series career win and his ninth win on a concrete oval, a racing format he seems to excel on.

    WAZZUP with that moment of uncertainty while the winning driver launched his signature back flip in front of the grandstands? The right side tires of his car were resting on the frontstrech banking which added to the degree of difficulty of the victory jump. For a brief moment there, we all thought that “Concrete” Carl was going to land horizontally on the concrete. I still believe that the back flip tradition is a source of major stress for team owner Jack Roush because no one wants to watch their superstar driver get injured after the race.

    WAZZUP with that bizarre pit road wreck involving driver Brian Scott? On lap 160 Scott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr nearly collided while attempting to enter pit road. This was despite the fact that Scott’s crew chief came over the radio to remind his driver to take it easy on the entry because they were located at the very first pit stall on pit road. Somehow that didn’t happen. Scott drove across the pit road commitment line and then slammed into some sand filled plastic safety barrels located at the edge of the pit wall. Despite all of that flying sand from the ruptured containers, the damage to Scott’s car was surprisingly light and he was able to continue. He turned an embarrassing negative into a positive 11th place finish. It could have been worse. It wasn’t that many years ago when those plastic barrels were filled with water and that would have inflicted some serious damage to Scott’s car.

    WAZZUP with the lack of communication involving driver Reed Sorenson’s final pit stop? During a caution flag Sorenson’s car was extremely low on fuel to the point that the engine was sputtering. He came down pit road for gas despite the fact that pit road was still closed. That’s normally an automatic penalty. Sorenson returned to the track but there were no instructions from NASCAR Race Control advising him of a penalty. He was told by his spotter to line up fourth for the upcoming restart until NASCAR told him to do otherwise. The race resumed and Sorenson eventually finished seventh despite the fact that everyone was wondering when, or even if, NASCAR was going to impose a penalty.

    That leads to a HOORAH to NASCAR Race Control for admitting their failure to advise Sorenson’s team of their status in a timely manner. No penalty was imposed and the driver was allowed to keep his top ten finish.

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

    HOORAH to inconic veteran Ron Hornaday Jr for winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Kentucky Speedway. The four time series champion’s latest win was his 50th in a career that dates back to the beginning of the series back in 1995.

    Despite this amazing accomplishment, Hornaday is looking for a ride for the 2012 season following the announcement that his team owner, Kevin Harvick Inc, will not be competing in the series next year. At age 53, Hornaday still has a lot of fire and racing inside him. There’s already rumors that says team owners are calling him about securing his services.

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

    In some final thoughts, HOORAH to the teams and their sponsors who placed the color pink on their cars and uniforms in honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is especially true of Team Chevy who had their teams use pink numbers on the doors and roofs of their cars. The Chevy bow tie logo and the word Impala were also adorned in pink.

    It was part of the auto maker’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” campaign that resulted in a $29,800 donation to this very important cause. During the Sprint Cup’s events at Atlanta and Richmond the field was led by a pink 2011Chevrolet Camaro SS pace car. Chevrolet donated $200 for every lap that was led by the pace car during the yellow caution flags of these two races. The Atlanta and Richmond events had a lucrative total of 149 caution laps.

    Finally we have a GOD BLESS for Pattie Petty. The wife of Sprint Cup driver, turned television analyst, Kyle Petty was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. The diagnosis came from a hospital in Kansas. Pattie Petty was there handling the massive details of opening a camp for kids with chronic illnesses. The camp, known as Victory Junction Midwest, is a sister facility to the famed Victory Junction Camp created by the Petty family in Randleman-North Carolina. Pattie Petty has made it clear that she will not allow her illness to deter her efforts to build the new camp in Kansas. Send her some good thoughts and prayers. This is a very classy lady who is an inspirational to us all.

  • Travis Pastrana Renews NASCAR Commitment During Recovery

    Travis Pastrana, who was so seriously injured during an attempted freestyle X-game trick on his motorcycle, renewed his commitment to NASCAR racing during an appearance in the media center at Dover International Speedway.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]And although the action sports super star was still hobbling on crutches, he was thrilled to be back at the track, especially at the Monster Mile.

    “I was real excited to come out here to Dover because this is like my hometown track,” Pastrana said. “This is the first time I’ve been able to see it really up close. I definitely am disappointed to not be out there driving for sure.”

    In spite of his disappointment to not be out on the track, Pastrana has every intention of getting back behind the wheel of his No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota for Pastrana Waltrip Racing in the Nationwide Series as soon as possible.

    “Right now recovery has been slow but going well I guess,” Pastrana said. “I get the pins out on Monday, which is always nice.”

    “Hopefully, I get all the pins out and start getting in the pool and be able to get down to the shop a little more,” Pastrana continued. “I want to drive the I-racing simulator a little bit more. I’ll do whatever I can to get back driving cars as soon as possible.”

    Pastrana will not be able to race at Daytona, however, his plan is to make his Nationwide debut at Phoenix. Although Boost will continue as his sponsor next year, providing twenty races at present, Pastrana hopes to race as many different types of cars and as many different series as possible.

    “Not being able to start out at Daytona and not being able to run the entire Nationwide Series is definitely a disappointment,” Pastrana said. “But we’re basically looking to do as many as we can do.”

    “I’m trying to do as many Nationwide and K&N and any kind of car races I can to get as much experience as I can,” Pastrana continued. “I haven’t really finalized all the deals for next year but I’m really hoping to get more than less I guess.”

    “The goal is definitely the same, to race as much as possible,” Pastrana said. “We just have to work out the sponsorship. My goal is to get in as many cars as possible.”

    Pastrana has experienced many lessons learned by being injured an unable to race. Although disappointed, he has also gained invaluable experience that he would not have had otherwise.

    “Definitely sitting on the sidelines and not racing, every time I watch a race, the disappointment is there,” Pastrana said. “It’s a small positive, but I’ve been able to watch all the races.”

    “I’ve been able to watch all the drivers,” Pastrana continued. “I actually know a lot more about who runs up front and who runs aggressive and who doesn’t, which drivers tend to stay up there at the end, and which drivers tend to qualify well.”

    “It’s been a great learning experience but I would much rather have been learning on the track of course.”

    Although he will not be officially racing until into the 2012 season, Pastrana does plan on doing some testing in his race car as soon as possible.

    “Doctors say that I’ll be walking in a month,” Pastrana said. “And I figure as soon as I can walk, I can drive. Put me in coach.”

    With all this talk of NASCAR racing, is the XGames superstar done with that chapter of his life?

    “To be perfectly honest, I was supposed to do my exit from the X-games,” Pastrana said. “That was not exactly the exit that I was looking for.”

    “I will not be on a bike this next year and do not plan to be on it for X games ever,” Pastrana continued. “But at the same time, motorcycling is something I’ll always do for training.”

    “Whether I’ll be riding at a competitive level, I sincerely doubt it,” Pastrana said. “But with Red Bull and a lot of the stuff they have in years to come, I’ll never say I will never do motorcycle stuff again.”

    “It’s who I am,” Pastrana continued. “But at the same time, this is my number one priority for the next two years. And then we can assess what life is going to bring.”

    Pastrana has also been busy with another project, filming the Nitro Circus 3-D movie. This too, however, has seemed to solidify for the action sports phenomenon that those days are over, with only racing ahead as his new goal.

    “We just finished filming Nitro Circus 3D movie, which Waltrip Racing had helped us with many products along the way,” Pastrana said. “For me, as soon as that movie is done filming and I have to do a little press for that, my action sports career is done.”

    “But as far as anything taking risks, I’m definitely going to be in this car and do the best I can to put my best foot forward,” Pastrana continued. “It was the most disappointing thing in my life to not only have myself but an entire team waiting for me and banking on me being in the car.”

    “I see the guys around the track and they’re all on different teams,” Pastrana said. “It’s tough because not only did we lose some of the top guys but a lot of friends had to find other work. Definitely something that I took to heart and I don’t want to happen ever again.”

    As soon as Pastrana has his pins removed, his intense rehabilitation will being. This will include time in the pool, as well as bicycling, based on whatever his ankle will tolerate.

    “I’m sure it will start out for an hour or two a day and work up from there,” Pastrana said. “My only job right now is to get that ankle healthy and to learn a little bit about the car.”

    “We’ll be doing physical therapy as much as that ankle will tolerate it without making it swell.”

    But even with his injury, one that he characterized as “the biggest failures” that he has ever experienced, Pastrana acknowledged that it has just made him even more focused on his upcoming racing career.

    “It’s been really frustrating but fortunately or unfortunately, I’ve been in a lot of pain the first month,” Pastrana said. “ It hurt to have the foot down.”

    “So, I’ve been watching a lot of NASCAR,” Pastrana said. “For better or for worse, it was a good learning experience.”

  • Chrissy Wallace Comes Into Her Own With Two Championships

    Chrissy Wallace Comes Into Her Own With Two Championships

    Although Chrissy Wallace may be from a famous racing family, including Uncle Rusty, Uncle Kenny, cousin Steven and dad Mike, she is definitely  coming into her own, especially with two championships now under her belt.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Julian LeBallister” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The 23 year old racer scored the I-44 Speedway Track Champion title, as well as the championship of the ASA West Regional Series. In the latter, Wallace made history as the first female champion ever.

    “It’s a huge honor,” Wallace said. “It means so much to me. I still have butterflies in my stomach from being so excited.”

    Although her own racer, Wallace is still following in her family’s footsteps, especially her father Mike, with these two championships.

    “Years ago, my dad did the same thing,” Wallace said. “He won the track championship at I-44 Speedway and then he won the West Regional Championship.”

    “It means a lot because of the whole family but at the same time it means a lot to me,” Wallace said. “I’ve never achieved a championship before.”

    Wallace’s championships are even more impressive due to her team’s limited budget, as well as the staffing.

    “There is so much support and effort that we’ve put into that car all year,” Wallace said. “We have one guy that works on our car full-time. My uncle and his son help me at the race track.”

    “So, to achieve what we have is beyond my goals,” Wallace continued. “My goals at the beginning of the year were to finish in the top five in points and be able to win one race.”

    “We wound up winning two championships and six races.”

    Wallace has also been able to leverage her success, scoring a ride in the final ARCA race, the Toledo ARCA 200, presented by Federated Car Care, in Toledo, Ohio on October 16th for Cunningham Motorsports. The deal came about quickly, thanks to some sponsorship from her famous father and family.

    “After I won the championship, Cunningham Motorsports and Paul Andrews did not have anybody running their car,” Wallace said. “They had Dakoda Armstrong that had been running their car on and off this year.”

    “They didn’t have a sponsor so they came to my dad and said, ‘Look we know your daughter needs an opportunity and she would be a very good person to be in our car,” Wallace continued. “But we need sponsorship.”

    “Pretty much we pieced together a deal to where my dad helped fund the deal along with a few more sponsors and some that we’re waiting back for a response.”

    “This means so much to me,” Wallace said. “It’s finally something that I’ve been able to achieve to help my career go even further.”

    Although Wallace has never been to Toledo, she has raced in the ARCA ReMax Series before. In her previous two efforts, she finished ninth at Talladega and was in second at Pocono before crashing out of the race.

    “It will be my first time ever at Toledo,” Wallace said. “I’ve never seen the race track, never practiced, nothing.”

    “We’re going to go to test next week at a track similar to Toledo,” Wallace continued. “We’ll spend the day testing.”

    While Wallace has her hands full as champion of two series, as well as some upcoming racing, her future remains uncertain. And, like all young racers, the future is contingent on sponsorship.

    “Right now we don’t have anything set in stone due to sponsorship,” Wallace said. “We have talked to certain truck teams that feel that they can help me out through the year to where I could possibly run seven Truck races for next year.”

    “If we don’t have a sponsor, we will run the Late Model Series full-time,” Wallace continued. “If we find the sponsorship, I would run at least seven Truck races, and some ARCA races and perhaps even some Nationwide races.”

    Who might Wallace consider as the most ideal sponsor for her and her career?  She has some interesting and creative thoughts for sure.

    “Honestly my ideal sponsor is a company like Maybelline or Victoria’s Secret, a female based sponsor that will be behind me and know that I can market them,” Wallace said. “I can help them as much as they can help me.”

    “Even something like Tampax would be a great sponsor,” Wallace continued. “It’s never been on a race car and all the guys would never have it on their cars.”

    “But I want a female-based or female-driven company as a sponsor,” Wallace said. “Of course, I’d be happy to have any other sponsor, but a female driver with a female-based  company directed to females would help me out more.”

    “I want to be able to market somebody and give them the value back they are giving me,” Wallace continued. “I really think that it would work out well.”

    Although now one of many up and coming female racers, from most recognizable Danica Patrick to Johanna Long and Jennifer Jo Cobb to name a few, Wallace feels she is definitely unique.

    “Honestly I’ve had the chance to race against some of the other female drivers,” Wallace said. “What’s different for me is that I have the talent, I have the passion and I have the wins and the championships to prove it.”

    “I have more seat time too,” Wallace continued. “I think I have more of a driven goal than some of the others do.”

    Wallace is indeed driven in all that she does and refuses to give up, in spite of sponsor struggles.

    “I’ve been working hard trying to stay in the NASCAR Series since I was 19 years old,” Wallace said. “I’ve got to set my goals really high and try to over-achieve them.”

    “I never want to under-achieve, I only want to over-achieve.”

    “My main goal is that I want to start off in the Truck Series, win the Rookie of the Year and move my way up to be the first successful female as a NASCAR driver,” Wallace said. “I have to thank my family, all my fans and the sponsors that have helped me throughout my career.”

    The young driver definitely credits her family as one of her primary supports. Yet having that famous last name can also add even more pressure to the mix.

    “A lot of people expect things about of me because of having the last name of Wallace,” Wallace said. “I want to be the first successful female NASCAR driver.”

    “ I want to be in the Cup Series and I want to win the championship,” Wallace continued. “So, I do put pressure on myself.”

    “To make it to the level of achievement that my family has means a lot to me,” Wallace said. “There are not enough words to say what all this means to me because I haven’t figured out the right words yet to make it sound right.”

     

  • Kurt Busch King of the Concrete with Win at Monster Mile

    Kurt Busch King of the Concrete with Win at Monster Mile

    Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge, conquered the concrete track at Dover for the first time ever to score his second win of the season.  This was his 24th victory in 393 Cup Series races.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]“It was just a perfect execution today with making the car better during the race,”  Busch said. “I can’t be happier right now.”

    “To win a Sprint Cup race in the Chase, that’s what it’s all about,” Busch said. “We had everything go wrong last week and everything go right this week.”

    Busch’s race win puts him firmly in fourth place in the point standings.

    “This is the playoffs,” Busch said. “I feel like we’re right in the mix. You just have to cover up those bad days.”

    Busch’s crew chief echoed his driver’s sentiments, making the right calls at the right time. And Penske Racing’s team leadership, including the Director of Competition, could not have been more pleased.

    “We had to put a good bit of wedge in it and finally found a direction with the tire pressure,” Steve Addington, Busch’s crew chief said. “Then it came to life. We finally got us another win with this No. 22 car.”

    “This is definitely awesome,” Travis Geisler, Director of Competition for Penske Racing, said. “We knew that the No. 22 was a good car. To win in the Chase is awesome.”

    Busch was trailed by two other Chase contenders, Jimmie Johnson, in the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, who finished as runner up and Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford, who overcame a pit road speeding penalty to finish third.

    Johnson scored his 14th top-10 finish in 20 races at the Monster Mile. It was his 19th top-10 finish of the season.

    “Obviously it was a great day for us to lead that many laps and having great stops on pit road,” Johnson said of his runner up finish. “I wish that we could be one stop better.”

    “But all in all, it was exactly what we needed,” Johnson continued. “Mission accomplished.”

    With his second place finish, Johnson is now fifth in the point standings, just 13 points out of the lead. With that, Johnson couldn’t help but poke a little fun in the media center, especially since many had pronounced him out of contention for the championship.

    “Are we out of this?” Johnson asked coyly. “Last week we were considered done.”

    Edwards posted his 11th top-10 finish in 15 races at Dover International Speedway. For Edwards, however, who won the Nationwide race at Dover the day before the Cup race, this was a hard fought battle back to the front after his mistake on pit road.

    “It was a great day other than that feeling I had when I ruined it on pit road,” Edwards said. “That’s about as small as you can feel in a race car.”

    “We talked about it before the race on pit road but I just blasted right through it,” Edwards continued. “As frustrated as I am with myself, I’m grateful for the gift I was given, especially with my guys sticking beside me.”

    “That was fun.”

    After Busch, Johnson and Edwards, Matt Kenseth was the next highest Chase finisher. The driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford, finished fifth.

    “We got lucky,” Kenseth said. “The last restart was good but the one before that was no good.”

    “As good as everybody is these days and as equal as everybody is, it’s important to get a good finish every week,” Kenseth continued. “You need to be in the top five to be able to stay in the hunt.”

    Kevin Harvick, this week sporting a pink No. 29 Rheem Chasing the Cure Chevrolet, assumed the points lead with his top-10 finish. He is, however, tied with Carl Edwards, but has a higher number of wins so is the highest seed.

    “Obviously, we circled this one as a place to come to overcome some things,” Harvick said. “We had to put two tires on there at the end to protect the track position side of it.”

    Harvick admitted that the competition is so equal. In fact, only 15 points currently separate the top eight in the point standings.

    “The competition level is so even,” Harvick said. “You’re going to have to be consistent and solid and keeping yourself in contention until the last couple of races.”

    There were four non-Chasers who finished in the top ten at the Monster Mile. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, finished fourth; A.J. Allmendinger, behind the wheel of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford, finished seventh; Clint Bowyer, in the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet, finished eighth; and Marcos Ambrose, in the No. 9 Stanley Ford, finished ninth.

    “We weren’t quite good enough to win,” Allmendinger said. “It was a solid day. Obviously, we want to try to win, but at least we were there all day.”

    “We’ve been bashed up pretty good the last month so it’s just good to come back with a solid day,” Ambrose said. “I’m proud of my team. They’ve stood by me after a tough month and I’m looking forward to getting to Kansas.”

     

    Unofficial Race Results
    AAA 400, Dover International Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=29
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 2 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 47
    2 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 44
    3 4 99 Carl Edwards Ford 42
    4 9 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 40
    5 18 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 40
    6 5 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 39
    7 7 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 38
    8 27 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 36
    9 12 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 35
    10 22 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 35
    11 13 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 34
    12 34 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 32
    13 14 0 David Reutimann Toyota 31
    14 30 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 30
    15 23 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 29
    16 3 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 28
    17 16 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 27
    18 11 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 26
    19 17 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 25
    20 15 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 25
    21 19 6 David Ragan Ford 23
    22 24 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 22
    23 20 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 21
    24 21 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 20
    25 28 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 19
    26 8 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 18
    27 10 16 Greg Biffle Ford 17
    28 36 34 David Gilliland Ford 16
    29 33 20 Joey Logano Toyota 15
    30 1 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 15
    31 25 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 0
    32 41 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 12
    33 37 71 Andy Lally * Ford 11
    34 43 38 J.J. Yeley Ford 10
    35 39 13 Casey Mears Toyota 9
    36 40 32 Mike Bliss Ford 0
    37 26 37 Josh Wise Ford 0
    38 38 7 Reed Sorenson Dodge 0
    39 42 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    40 35 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 5
    41 31 30 David Stremme Chevrolet 3
    42 29 46 Scott Speed Ford 0
    43 32 55 Travis Kvapil Ford 0