Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Author: SM Staff

  • J J Yeley Does Double Designated Driver Duty at Dover

    J J Yeley Does Double Designated Driver Duty at Dover

    J. J. Yeley is pulling double designated driver duty in Dover, Delaware this weekend.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]On the track, Yeley is the designated driver to get the No. 38 Ford team of Front Row Motorsports not only into the race, but also into the top 35 in the point standings by the season end.

    And off the track, Yeley is participating in a special promotion entitled, “J.J. is My D.D.”, encouraging all to “Drive Sober, Arrive Alive” by using a designated driver.

    For Yeley, his primary focus this race weekend as the team’s designated driver is getting the car into the show. This will be especially daunting due to the fact that Yeley wrecked his primary car in practice, with a too close encounter with the Monster’s wall.

    “There are a lot of things that make Dover unique and there is a reason they call Dover the ‘Monster Mile,” Yeley said. “The straight-aways at this race track have more banking than other tracks where we go.”

    “It is by far the fastest race track we go to,” Yeley continued. “What makes this place the toughest is the transitions from the corners to the straight-aways.”

    “That’s what bit me in practice,” Yeley said. “As I exited Turn Two, the car jumped sideways and there was no time for recovery.”

    “They call it a self-cleaning race track but it’s more a gobble them up and spit them out track.”

    Is Yeley worried about having to be the designated driver of his back-up car? While he might be confident, he also admitted that it makes for an even more unnerving situation.

    “The back-up car is actually going to be better,” Yeley said. “That’s the beauty of having a multi-car team.”

    “Me and David (Gilliland) have a compatible driving style,” Yeley continued. “So, I’m not worried about jumping into a back-up car. Most likely it will just be a lot of fine-tuning.”

    “We will have to make it in on time,” Yeley said. “But we should easily make the race based on my practice averages.”

    “It’s still very difficult because you cannot afford to make any mistakes,” Yeley continued. “The difference between who makes the race and who goes home is the matter of a thousandth of a second.”

    “It always makes you nervous, no matter if you’re a veteran driver or one with a short amount of experience,” Yeley said. “I talked with Bill Elliott last year and he even got nervous when he had to qualify in and perform under those circumstances.”

    “The team has to prepare the car as good as possible and I as a driver cannot make any mistakes.”

    Yeley has a singular focus as the team 38 designated driver.

    “The goal for this weekend is to gain points on the No. 71 team,” Yeley said. “We’ve been making up an average of 5-7 points per race.”

    “So, by the end of the year, we should get the car back into the top-35 in points,” Yeley continued. “Ultimately for 2011, that’s the goal for the No. 38 team.”

    “It makes 2012 so much easier,” Yeley said. “Those first five races, you don’t have to worry and it makes getting sponsors so much easier.”

    “All we can do is go out there and do our best,” Yeley continued. “This is a particularly tough race track but I think we can capitalize.”

    Yeley’s other Designated Driver duty is even more critical, as this one is designed to save lives. Yeley is partnering with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety to call attention to the dangers of drinking and driving.

    “When I was here in the spring race, I worked with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety on their seatbelt promotion,” Yeley said. “I had some friends who were killed in accidents where they were not wearing their seat belts so we just built that relationship.”

    “Anytime you can have a sponsor, it’s a fantastic thing but when you can promote such a great cause, it is perfect.”

    The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is also thrilled to be working with Yeley yet again.

    “The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is very excited to partner with J.J. and Front Row Motorsports to promote the Drive Sober message,” Jana Simpler, Director of the OHS, said. “NASCAR is a very popular sport with lots of loyal fans.”

    “We think that promoting Designated Driving and a Drive Sober message with a NASCAR racing team will create more buzz among 18- to 34-year old males about driving sober and arriving alive.”

    Both Yeley and the DOHS agree that the partnership between their office and Yeley is the best way to reach a maximum number of people, especially in that targeted age group.

    “When you have over 100,000 people at a race, most of them having a good time, it’s very important to pass along the “Drive Sober, Arrive Alive” message,” Yeley said. “You have so many people show up at these races that sometimes people forget the fact that they have been drinking all day, which just magnifies the alcohol.”

    “Having a designated driver because usually there is so much traffic leaving the races, getting caught with a DUI is not only costly but very dangerous.”

    For Yeley, being the designated driver is not only a passion, but it is personal.

    “The previous team that I was with, one of the sponsor’s had a niece that was almost killed by a drunk driver six months ago in Dallas,” Yeley said. “She almost lost her life but she was one of the lucky ones.”

    “Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who don’t give it a second thought,” Yeley continued. “That is what this promotion is all about.”

    Yeley will actually be participating as a designated driver for a fan this race weekend. He will be traveling with a contest winner, Andy Anderson, to several local pubs as his DD.

    “We will start signing autographs at a local pub and then travel to another bar at Dover Downs,” Yeley said. “Andy Anderson was the lucky recipient. He will have more than a good time than I will as I won’t be drinking obviously.”

    For more information about the ‘Drive Sober, Arrive Alive’ campaign, visit www.duirealtime.com or www.jjismydd.com.

  • Carl Edwards Conquers Concrete Monster for Nationwide Win

    Carl Edwards could now be dubbed ‘King of the Concrete’ after a conquering win at the Monster Mile in the 26th Annual OneMain Financial 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]The driver of the No. 60 Fastenal Ford even did his trademark victory back flip, although not quite sticking the landing due to the high banking at Dover International Speedway.

    “My back flip was terrible,” Edwards said. “I was nervous doing it on the banking. I’m not going to do it tomorrow if I win because there is too much banking.”

    Edwards also made his traditional foray into the crowds to celebrate his victory. On the way, he signed one fan’s Subway car and received plenty of congratulations.

    “There was one guy up there that had all my gear on and he was just pumped,” Edwards said. “It’s just neat up there and all the drivers should try it.”

    This was Edwards’ seventh win of the season. But more important, this was Edwards’ ninth win on the concrete, scoring him a perfect driver rating.

    “That was a great race,” Edwards said. “It all starts at the shop because these Ford Mustangs are spectacular.”

    “That was a very fast car,” Edwards continued. “Pit stops were great. Strategy was great. And we hung on for the win.”

    Mike Beam, Edwards’ crew chief, echoed his driver’s sentiments.

    “We really worked hard on the car,” Beam said. “Carl’s feedback was perfect. It worked out well.”

    Team owner Jack Roush praised the chemistry of the team, as well as all of the members of the group that works on the car.

    “It’s been a great team,” Roush said on the one year anniversary of the team coming together. “We put our Nationwide shop in the same location as the Cup shop. So, the help that Ford was giving would help all of the teams.”

    “Thankfully, Carl didn’t crack his noggin on his back flip.”

    Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 22 Ruby Tuesday Dodge, finished second.

    “I almost felt like we were first in class until the restarts,” Keselowski said. “We did a great job with our Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger.”

    “Carl was just way faster than anyone else,” Keselowski continued. “We weren’t as good as Carl was.”

    “I thought we were going to steal one with strategy but it wasn’t meant to be,” Keselowski said. “We just didn’t have enough for him today.”

    Clint Bowyer, behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Heating Cooling and Water Heating Chevrolet, scored the third spot in the finishing order.

    “I was pretty sure we weren’t first in class,” Bowyer said with a chuckle. “The caution came out and took two tires and then we had to take four and lost a lot of track position.”

    “We just got beat up on pretty bad,” Bowyer continued. “Carl was fast and he was the class of the field.”

    Ryan Truex, driving the No. 20 Heinz 57 Sauce Toyota, was the race’s top finishing rookie, bringing his race car home in eighth position. Not to be confused with his brother, Cup driver Martin Truex, Jr., Ryan still showed the same affinity for his local, home track.

    “I don’t appreciate being called Martin,” Truex said in the media center when he was incorrectly introduced. “But we had a great day.”

    “The caution got us off sequence,” Truex continued. “We deserved to be top five.”

    “It’s great when you can have good cars and run like that but it’s disappointing when you don’t get the finish you thought you should.”

    Probably the luckiest driver on the track for this Nationwide race was Reed Sorenson, driver of the No. Dollar General Chevrolet, who finished seventh.

    Sorenson benefitted from a NASCAR error where he should have gone to the rear of the field due to pitting too early, however, NASCAR failed to get the information to him in a timely manner.

    “I didn’t know what was going on,” Sorenson said. “I knew a lot of cars had to do the wave around. I don’t think it would have affected where we finished.”

    “I don’t know what the problem was but all in all it was a top-10 day for the Dollar General car.”

    Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., driving the No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford, scored a top five finish. But more important, he came out of the Monster Mile with the points lead, 22 points over Elliott Sadler.

    “I wish I would have been a little bit better,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “We just never had the car the way we needed it.”

    “We stayed tight the whole day,” Stenhouse continued. “We didn’t make any mistakes and that’s what we need to do each and every week.”

    “A top five is definitely a good result for us.”

    Stenhouse Jr. now sees himself and his team as in control of the championship competition.

    “I think we’re in control for sure but we have to control what we do,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I’ve got to keep it out of the fence and keep the fenders on it.”

    “We’ve got a real good shot at this thing,” Stenhouse said. “We have a race team that’s pretty determined to win this thing.”

    No doubt, Elliott Sadler, who had started from the pole position in his No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, was the most disappointed driver coming out of the Monster Mile. Sadler finished fourteenth, trailing Stenhouse Jr. in the point standings.

    “We were a little bit too loose with the cloud cover,” Sadler said. “My car would get too free. As soon as we pitted, the caution came out and it put us in a bigger hole.”

    Sadler, however, is still hopeful about his championship hopes.

    “We got five races left and anything can happen,” Sadler said. “I got to do a better job in practice for how I like it in practice to be able to get into Victory Lane.”

    “We just have to find that next level and we will have to win a race or two to get back into this.”

    ——–

    Unofficial Race Results
    OneMain Financial 200, Dover International Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=29
    =========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 2 60 Carl Edwards Ford 0
    2 8 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 0
    3 4 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 0
    4 7 38 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 0
    5 6 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 39
    6 9 16 Trevor Bayne Ford 38
    7 19 32 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet 37
    8 5 20 Ryan Truex * Toyota 36
    9 13 19 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 35
    10 14 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 34
    11 11 11 Brian Scott Toyota 33
    12 18 62 Michael Annett Toyota 32
    13 3 18 Joey Logano Toyota 0
    14 1 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 31
    15 16 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 29
    16 10 9 Kenny Wallace Toyota 28
    17 15 7 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 0
    18 23 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 26
    19 17 30 Jason Leffler Chevrolet 25
    20 12 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 24
    21 22 81 Blake Koch * Dodge 23
    22 42 15 Timmy Hill * Ford 22
    23 31 39 Fain Skinner Ford 21
    24 27 14 Eric McClure Chevrolet 20
    25 39 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 19
    26 41 28 Derrike Cope Dodge 18
    27 37 52 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 17
    28 36 70 Casey Roderick Chevrolet 16
    29 21 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 16
    30 24 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 14
    31 25 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 13
    32 33 171 Matthew Carter Ford 12
    33 40 40 Josh Wise Chevrolet 11
    34 34 175 Carl Long Ford 10
    35 35 141 Johnny Chapman Chevrolet 9
    36 38 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 8
    37 26 104 Kelly Bires Ford 7
    38 20 147 Charles Lewandoski * Chevrolet 6
    39 43 146 Chase Miller Chevrolet 5
    40 30 142 Tim Andrews Chevrolet 0
    41 28 182 Scott Wimmer Dodge 3
    42 32 150 T.J. Bell Chevrolet 0
    43 29 44 Jeff Green Chevrolet 1

  • Martin Truex Jr. Scores Monstrous Pole at Track He Owes

    At a track that he considers home, as well as the one to whom he owes the launching of his Cup career, Martin Truex, Jr., driver of the No. 56 Napa Auto Parts Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, scored his first pole of the season.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]This was Truex’s sixth pole in his Cup career but his second in 12 races at Dover International Speedway. Truex conquered the concrete mile for the fastest lap at a time of 22.641 seconds and a speed of 159.004 mph.

    “It was a good lap,” Truex Jr. said. “I knew it was good coming off of (Turn) Four but you never know exactly what kind of time you have to run, especially today with the track being so much faster than in practice yesterday.”

    Truex Jr. also affirmed his affection and affinity for the Monster Mile, which is just two hours away from Mayetta, New Jersey where he grew up.

    “It’s always nice to come here to Dover,” Truex Jr. said. “I love this place.”

    “I feel like I understand what it takes to get around the place,” Truex said. “It’s a really challenging and difficult race track and if you don’t like it, it’s one of those places that you’re never going to figure out.”

    “I really enjoy the place and I’ve had good race cars too.”

    Truex Jr. also hopes that being on the pole can catapult his team back to Victory Lane, a place where he has not been in awhile.

    “I feel good we can get back there this weekend,” Truex said. “Certainly our team has done a phenomenal job the second half of the year.

    “We’ve had some really strong runs lately,” Truex continued. “This is a great thing for us. It would be nice to get back to Victory Lane before the season is out.”

    Truex Jr. was also proud that he was able to outrun the Chase competitors for the pole position. Having said that, however, he still lamented that he was not chasing the Cup championship this year.

    “It doesn’t feel good to not be in it,” Truex Jr. said. “But this is what we come to the race track to do every weekend.”

    “Today we were the best out of the cars out of the race track,” Truex continued. “If we do this next year, we will be in the Chase.”

    Truex, Jr. was just 0.003 seconds ahead of second place qualifier Kurt Busch, driving the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge. This was Busch’s 17th top-10 start of 2011 and his 15th in 23 races at the Monster Mile.

    “This has always been a fun track to qualify on and one you have to get really amped up for,” Busch said. “It was a nice lap for us but I left a little bit on the table.”

    “Sure enough Martin Truex Jr. got us by three thousandth of a second.”

    Busch acknowledged that qualifying was a challenge after a night of rain led to a ‘green’ race track.

    “It’s difficult,” Busch said. “I remember in years past when the track would be fresh from rain and it would be on the looser side. But when you are on the tight side at the Monster Mile, you don’t have the speed.”

    Busch also said that he was not worried in the least about being the only car in the Chase to qualify in the front of the pack.

    “It won’t be scary,” Busch said. “We’re qualified on the front row so you have to trust the guys around you.”

    “That’s only lap one of the race,” Busch continued. “You race your own race and let it all pan out.”

    “When you get to the final two pit stops, that’s when you look for the other Chase guys.”

    Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet, qualified in the third spot. This was Menard’s third top-10 start at Dover and his 14th in 29 races in the 2011 season to date.

    “It was a good run for us,” Menard said. “Obviously, I wanted that pole.”

    “I’m still shaking a little bit from the run,” Menard continued. “It takes a lot to get up on the wheel after not practicing. Starting P3 is pretty good for us.”

    Carl Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Aflac Ford, and Kyle Busch, this week in the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota rounded out the top five in qualifying for the AAA 400.

     

     

  • Darrell Wallace Jr. and Max Gresham Duo Winners at Dover

    Darrell Wallace Jr. and Max Gresham Duo Winners at Dover

    There were dueling victory lane celebrations after the final NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, the Dover 150, at the Monster Mile.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]Darrell Wallace, Jr., driving the No. 6 US Army Toyota for Revolution Racing, scored his third win of the season in the final race, while Max Gresham, fielding the No. 18 Live Oak Plantation Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished off the season as champion.

    Although one a race winner and the other a champion, both drivers were equally emotional about their victories. The win was especially powerful for Wallace due to a loss he suffered in his personal life last weekend.

    “It was an emotional win for me, especially losing my uncle this past Saturday,” Wallace Jr. said, “It was tough.”

    “I put his name over my name on the door,” Wallace continued. “He was riding shot gun with us and he’s the one who put us in Victory Lane.”

    Wallace not only enjoyed the racing at the Monster Mile, but the trophy too.

    “This race was fun,” Wallace said. “I love this track.”

    “Dover is my favorite track, not just because I won but because it teaches you a lot, how to pass cars, go fast and turn laps,” Wallace continued. “But I’m more tired from carrying this thing (Miles the Monster trophy) around than racing out on the track.”

    Wallace is just seventeen years old, with his ‘big 18th’ birthday coming up next Saturday. Under the tutelage of Andy Santerre, former Busch North champ, and with the support of the US Army as sponsor, the young driver has also been responsible for half of the wins for Revolution Racing this past season.

    “Revolution Racing and the US Army not only got us to Victory Lane today, but also got us three wins and three poles and getting us to the race track each weekend we had a race,” Wallace Jr. said. “It just goes to show how ‘Army Strong’ we are.”

    As strong as Wallace was, there was one stronger car and driver in the field, at least as far as the championship. Max Gresham, who ran every lap of the season, was officially crowned the K&N Pro Series East champ.

    “This has been the best season I’ve ever had,” Gresham said. “It will be a good one for the records book for a long time for ourselves.”

    “You can’t ask for anything better than that,” Gresham continued. “It’s been a great year for us.”

    “To be a NASCAR champion is the biggest thing and pretty much the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do when I started racing,” Gresham said emotionally. “And now I am.”

    Crew chief Bryant Frazier seconded his driver’s assessment of the winning season. In addition to this championship, Frazier is also best known for being Tony Stewart’s first crew chief.

    “Wow, this is an awesome day,” Frazier said. “It’s been something coming all year.”

    “Max has done an excellent job,” Frazier continued. “It’s a testament to the Gibbs and everyone who works throughout this sport.”

    Steve Desouza, Vice President of Nationwide and Driver Development for Joe Gibbs Racing, also spoke of his pride for the driver, as well as the pride he had for the team in Gresham’s K&N Pro Series East championship.

    “Speaking on behalf of the Gibbs, what an honor to be part of this Series,” Desouza said. “It’s been a great development series for us.”

    “We’re really proud of Bryant and Max and the job our entire group has done,” Desouza continued. “Max is an incredible talent and our guys have worked very hard for the championship this year.”

    Gresham’s major competition for the championship, Brett Moffitt, looked like he might have a chance to pull off the upset, leading the race in the waning laps. Moffitt, in his No. 00 AAA/Michael Waltrip Racing machine, however, blew a tire and hit the wall to finish 21st.

    “It was unfortunate for him that he blew that right front tire but good for us,” Gresham said of Moffitt. “As soon as it happened, there was a big sigh of relief and we just slowed down and finished third.”

    “I’ve never been happier finishing third.”

    Both Gresham and Wallace Jr. acknowledged that not only are they winners, but they have also both learned many lessons throughout this race season. And one of those lessons is that patience is a virtue.

    “I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned this year is patience,” Gresham said. “It’s definitely played a lot into finishing every lap and finishing top five and top ten as much as we did.”

    “Not letting my nerves get the better of me and staying calm, being patient and not pushing the issue was the key.”

    “The lesson that I’ve learned is to not get in over my head like in situations like today,” Wallace Jr. said. “Just a lot of patience, car control and everything there is to racing.”

    “I’ve still got a lot to learn.”

    With the race win and championship now in their rear view mirrors, both Wallace Jr. and Gresham took a moment to think about their futures. But for both winning drivers, that future is uncertain at present.

    “I don’t know yet what I will do next year,” Wallace Jr. said. “When I do, I’ll let you know.”

    “Hopefully by winning this race, we’ve opened some eyes and opened some ears.”

    “Watching Max since he has been with us, he has learned to race well,” Desouza said of Gresham’s future. “I would venture to say that you’ll be seeing him in Nationwide and more than likely in Cup in the future.”

    “He’s done a great job and he’s done a nice job of bringing this group together and applying it on the race track.”

    Following Darrell Wallace Jr., race winner, were Dale Quarterly, Max Gresham, Eddie MacDonald, and Andrew Smith as the top-five finishers. Benny Gordon, Ryan Gifford, Brandon McReynolds, Dylan Presnell and Jeff Anton rounded out the top ten.

  • Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Timmy Hill Both Pursue Nationwide Dreams

    Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., driver of the No. 6 Blackwell Angus/Cargill Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing, and Timmy Hill, behind the wheel of No. 15 Poynt.com Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, have more than just driving for the same manufacturer in common.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”237″][/media-credit]Both young, up and coming drivers are pursuing their NASCAR dreams, one for a Nationwide championship and the other for the youngest ever Nationwide Rookie of the Year title.

    Stenhouse Jr., who won the Nationwide ROTY honors last year, is 23 years old while Hill is just 18 years of age, with his highest achievement being the Allison Legacy Series Championship.

    For Stenhouse, the achievement of the NASCAR Nationwide championship would be a dream come true.

    “It would mean a lot,” Stenhouse said. “It would definitely be my biggest accomplishment ever in my racing career.”

    “After the way last year went, struggling so bad the first part of the year and turning it around at the end of the year, it really makes you appreciate where we are right now as a race team,” Stenhouse continued.

    “We came into the year thinking that we were gonna be able to run for it and now that we’ve got six races left and have a shot at it, it’s exactly where we need to be.”

    Similarly for Hill, the Nationwide Rookie of the Year title would be just as good as the championship would be to Stenhouse, Jr. And if he won those coveted rookie honors, Hill would make history as the youngest ROTY at the tender age of 18 years.

    “It would be awesome for me to be the youngest one to do it,” Hill said. “We just hoped at this time in the year to have a shot at the Rookie of the Year and everything has worked out.”

    “We’re leading now by just two points.”

    For both drivers, achieving their respective dreams will be tough, especially with the level of competition. Stenhouse, Jr. is battling veteran Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, for the Nationwide title, while Hill is battling Blake Koch, driver of the No. 81 DayStar.com Dodge, for the ROTY honors.

    “I think you have to be on your game,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “You have to go out and try to win because Elliott Sadler is not gonna finish outside of the top 10.”

    “So, you’ve got to do something better to beat him in this championship.”

    “It’s close,” Hill echoed. “Blake has been right there and we’ve been right beside each other almost every race.”

    “It’s a real tight battle, but hopefully we can hang on to it,” Hill continued. “We hope to finish that deal out.”

    Both dream chasing drivers share a very similar background, having started in go-kart racing, as well as continuing through the ARCA ReMax Racing Series. Hill, in particular, has racing in his blood from watching his father, Jerry Hill, race in the Truck Series for many years.

    “My dad ran Truck Series and the Busch Series back then, Nationwide Series now,” Hill said. “He ran a full season of Trucks in 2003 and that was his last season.”

    “I kept bugging him when I was a kid that I wanted to race,” Hill continued. “Finally he said OK and he put me in a go kart and let me try it out.”

    “The first race, I loved it and I was instantly hooked.”

    One interesting thing that the two drivers on their dream quests share, however, is actually a person. Both have ties to Cup Chase contender Carl Edwards.

    For Stenhouse, Jr. his tie to Carl is that of teammates both seeking a championship. As Stenhouse chases the Nationwide championship, he is also cognizant of getting Edwards, in the No. 60 Fastenal Ford, the owner championship for Jack Roush.

    “Jamie Allison from Ford came in this week and we’ve got a lot of things going,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “We’re obviously going for the driver’s championship.”

    “We’ve got to get Carl the owner’s championship and then we’ve got to get Ford the manufacturer’s championship,” Stenhouse continued. “Ford is putting a lot of effort into it and we’ve got a lot of things to accomplish this year and I think we can do it as a race team.”

    For Hill, Carl Edwards is not teammate but hero.

    “A guy I like to pattern myself after is Carl Edwards,” Hill said. “He handles himself real well and I like the way he treats his fans.”

    “Almost everything he does I like to pattern myself after.”

    The two young up and comers also share one unfortunate aspect to their careers. They both are uncertain of what their future holds.

    “Right now, my biggest focus is this Nationwide championship,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I think I’ve always said after running a couple of years in Nationwide I would like to run maybe a partial schedule or something just to kind of get my feet wet.”

    “But I don’t want to jump into things too quick.”

    “I may go to college next year,” Hill said, who just graduated high school. “I just want to focus on racing. I just want to keep my focus right now on the Rookie of the Year battle.”

    So, for now, both Stenhouse, Jr. and Hill realize that the road to achieving their dreams runs straight through the Monster Mile at Dover this weekend. Not unexpectedly, both drivers are confident that they will conquer the concrete track.

    “For us, every time I’ve come to Dover, we’ve had a better finish,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “We finished fourth the last race here and had a really fast Mustang.”

    “I think, obviously, we’ll have a good race here.”

    “This is my second time here since the spring race,” Hill said. “So, we’ve got the experience and we’ve got the feel.”

    “The banking and the way it drops off makes it a monster,” Hill continued. “It’s a wild ride.”

     

  • Mark Martin Ever Humble, Always Blessed

    Mark Martin, currently behind the wheel of the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, has had one of the most storied careers in NASCAR, including 40 wins, 266 top-fives, 437 top-tens, and 50 poles to date.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”241″][/media-credit]And yet, the driver whose career has spanned almost thirty years racing a stock car at the Cup level, remains ever humble, as well as considering himself very blessed.

    Martin, as one would expect, humbly credits one person, team owner Jack Roush, as being the most influential person throughout his racing career.

    “I spent nineteen years with him,” Martin said of his mentor and team owner Roush. “He was someone that was wiser and more experienced in many ways than I was.”

    “He was more experienced in life,” Martin continued. “So, that one is easy to answer.”

    In fact, Martin’s most memorable car, one that he hopes may one day accompany him to the Hall of Fame, is that No. 6 car that he drove for his mentor Jack Roush.

    “The No. 6 car is most representative of my career,” Martin said. “That and my time with Jack Roush.”

    “That’s the core and foundation of my career.”

    In addition to Jack Roush, Martin credits having chemistry with his various teams over the years as another key to his success. And according to Martin, it all starts with the relationship between driver and crew chief.

    “I believe in team chemistry,” Martin said emphatically. “It’s sort of intangible. But it does help spawn better results.”

    “It’s the whole team but it really starts with the crew chief,” Martin said. “It’s like a number of other things in life, like a relationship or a marriage or anything else.”

    “There are good ones and there are bad ones and there’s all in between,” Martin continued. “You have to work hard on it but the very best ones require no effort.”

    As effortless as it might seem, Martin said that team chemistry cannot be forced, an experience that he has had several times throughout his career.

    “It’s not something that you can force to happen,” Martin said. “It just does.”

    “It happens or it doesn’t or it falls somewhere in between,” Martin continued. “I’ve had a lot of that.”

    “I’ve been very fortunate to have been in very few poor situations, “Martin said. “I’ve been in a lot of great situations and I’ve been really, really blessed.”

    Although Martin has been credited as a mentor to many throughout his racing tenure, he humbly declines to discuss even one of those that he has helped in their career development.

    “I haven’t had the kind of influence on young people that people give me credit for,” Martin said humbly. “I certainly don’t take credit for that.”

    While Martin has seen competitors come and go throughout his years on the track, he acknowledged only one change in competition as the most significant in the sport.

    “The number of competitive cars and the discrepancy between the slow and the fast cars is the most competitive change I have seen,” Martin said. “This has changed the face of NASCAR racing forever.”

    Is the veteran driver bothered by all the talk of late of fuel mileage and its place in the competition of the sport? For Martin, the fuel mileage discussion is all about ‘been there, done that.’

    “It’s not new by any means,” Martin said. “I feel like I’ve lost probably forty races to fuel mileage in my career. So, certainly, it’s not new.”

    “We might have went through a spell where we had less of it then we used to and now we’re having more than we used to,” Martin continued. “Some of that is just coincidence.”

    “I don’t think it’s bad for the sport because you don’t know who is going to win until the leader comes off Turn Four,” Martin said. “Isn’t that the whole appeal of racing?”

    “I wouldn’t want to see it ever leave because I think it brings drama to our sport.”

    Martin himself is no stranger to the drama that stock car racing often entails. While he has experienced his share of the low points, he also has had many memorable moments.

    “Winning Phoenix in the No. 5 car was my most memorable moment,” Martin said. “It was pretty incredible.”

    Martin, 50 years old at the time, started the 2009 Phoenix Subway Fresh Fit 500 from the pole and never looked back. With that win, Martin became the fourth driver to win a Cup race after turning 50, joining the ranks of Bobby Allison, Morgan Shepherd and Harry Gant.

    That victory snapped a 97-race winless streak that went all the way back to 2005. After the win, Martin paid tribute to one of his dear friends Alan Kulwicki by doing the ‘Polish Victory Lap’.

    “I don’t have words to describe it because I never thought I’d win again,” Martin said humbly. “And I think most of the competitors thought so too. They all seemed to receive it really well.”

    “It was a big win,” Martin continued. “I didn’t know if I’d ever get to experience that feeling again.”

    One of the feelings that Martin experiences over and over again is the adoration of his large fan base. And without a doubt, his most memorable moments with his fan posse are the interactions he has with them during his annual fan appreciation event in Batesville, Arkansas.

    “I’ve been incredibly blessed with support and a lot of fans with a lot of love,” Martin said.

    “My favorite part of my fan event is the Q&A,” Martin continued. “That’s the part when you get the one and one and the personalities come out. The people get to ask what they really want to know.”

    “And they get answers from somebody in a peaceful setting so there is no pressure, time pressures or limitations.”

    That peaceful setting is another one of the goals that Martin has been continually seeking, both on and off the track. He also has been practicing the art of trying more diligently to balance his career with his home and family life.

    “I’ve got some experience at it,” Martin said of his work/life balancing act. “Through the middle stages of my NASCAR career, I didn’t manage it as well as I needed to.”

    “I worked really, really hard and gave everything that I had and the problem I had was that I brought home my frustrations, disappointments and pressures,” Martin continued. “That affected the vibe around me.”

    “And I hated that,” Martin said. “I thought it was just because I was extremely intense.”

    “But I’m still extremely intense and I do a better job of isolating my personal life.”

    Of all of the many experiences throughout his career, the ever humble Martin struggles to single out one that he would like to do over.

    “I don’t do those things,” Martin said. “I’m not into it. It’s not me.”

    “There are too many great experiences in life to say one tops it all.”

     

  • Matty’s Picks Vol. 20 – Dover – AAA 400 – October 2, 2011

    Matty’s Picks Vol. 20 – Dover – AAA 400 – October 2, 2011

    The Monster-Mile! Dover International Speedway is one of my favorite tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, so yes I will watch the race this Sunday for the first time in three weeks.

    [media-credit name=”doverspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”254″][/media-credit]A short 6-hour trek from where I grew up, Dover has been a popular destination for vacations of my family and friends. Dover’s high concrete banking offers endless passing potential, high speeds, and even a spot to pay for your trip in the casino located along the backstretch of the 1-mile concrete oval.

    I was lucky enough, two years ago, to have the opportunity to ride shotgun in a two-seater, NASCAR Stock Car around the high-banks of Dover International Speedway. Monster Driving School offered members of the media complementary rides in the two-seater stock cars at the Monster Mile, and in turn gave me the utmost respect for stock car drivers. The experience is one that I will never forget and made my interest level in NASCAR go from insane to outright ridiculous.

    Now for anyone out there that thinks the 43 guys that strap into the 750-horsepower stock cars each week are not actual athletes, THINK AGAIN. I had the opportunity to take 8-laps around the Monster Mile, and I will tell you I had all I could do to walk straight when I climbed out of the car. The exuberant amount of adrenaline I had flowing through my veins that day was the only thing aiding my head to stay straight and remotely close to my body. I have the utmost respect for those guys now after just 8-laps, I can’t fathom the physical strain 3.5 hours of petal to the metal action puts on a driver’s body.

    So if you’re one of those people who think NASCAR isn’t a sport, I challenge you to climb into one of those 750-horsepower stock cars and THEN see what you think.

    Loudon Recap

    If I had fifty-cents for every time one of my picks ran out of gas in the past two weeks, I would have enough for one double cheeseburger at McDonalds. (My roommates’ favorite snack in college)

    It was another terrible week for me in New England last week (even though I got my revenge by my Bills taking it to Tom Brady and the Patriots last week), marking my worst combined total finish in the 19 editions of Matty’s Picks.

    Ryan Newman was my winner pick last week, and yes I did make the pick before the dramatic qualifying session that ensued last week, resulting with Newman starting on the pole for last Sunday’s Sylvania 300.

    Newman led the following 62 laps, when a miscue on pit-road sent him back in the field, never to reach the lead again. The bad news continued to roll in for Newman when he cut a tire down late in the race while running in the top-10 with just five laps remaining. The catastrophe cost Newman an imminent top-10 finish, and a boost in the points standings as well. Instead, the misfortune caused Newman to drop from 8th to 12th in points.

    Newman spoke earlier this week about his misfortune in the first two races of The Chase “The results have not equaled the performances for our team at the past two races,” said Newman. “We’ve put ourselves in a hole, but the good news is that we still have eight races to go to make up the difference. We’ve been known for our comebacks and the way we fight through adversity. One thing you always hear from our Soldiers is that you never quit and you complete the mission. That’s what this Army race team has done and will always continue to do.”

    As for my Dark Horse pick, Clint Bowyer was poised to win the race Sunday but his gas tank did not agree with him winning the race.

    After starting 11th, Bowyer wasted no time in breaking into the top 10 and was shown in 8th-place around the midway point in the race. It was at that time when crew chief Shane Wilson came over the radio and told Bowyer to save as much fuel as he could for the end of the race.

    Bowyer flexed his muscles after a round of pit-stops near lap 250 when he took the lead, conserving fuel all the way. He was ahead of race-winner Tony Stewart by half a second when his engine was finally starved of fuel with just three laps remaining. Bowyer’s day ended on pit-road with a 26th-place result and he was short when speaking with the media following the race “It’s just not our year. I’m proud of this team. What a great car. It just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to.”

    Even Stewart had sympathy for fellow Chevy driver Clint Bowyer following his win last Sunday “I know exactly what that feels like. I know exactly how he feels (Clint Bowyer) right now. I saw him slow down the back and I thought ‘Oh, no, you’re kiddin’ me’. That is not the way you want to win it for sure.”

    Dover Picks

    The spring race at Dover back in May marked the debut of Matty’s Picks, and laid the groundwork for a successful regular season of picks this year. I am looking to rebound off the past two weeks of miserable picks and get back into championship contention down the stretch here in the final 8 editions of Matty’s Picks.

    Considering five drivers (Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth) have combined to win 15 of the last 19 races at the Monster Mile, it leaves little for question this week.

    Winner Pick

    Jimmie Johnson sits 10th in points going into Sunday’s race, a position he is fairly unfamiliar with this far into the Sprint Cup Schedule.

    He leads all active drivers with 6 wins at the Monster Mile, including three of the last five after sweeping both races in 2009 and taking the fall race last year in Dover. The concrete mile has been kind to Johnson throughout the years (something that doesn’t always happen when your tires break loose due to the severe banking all around the track), making one of the most incredible saves in NASCAR history back in his 2006 qualifying efforts.

    Johnson has an average finish of 9.6 at Dover, and sitting 10th in points is nowhere he wants to be for any period of time. “New Hampshire obviously wasn’t the finish we were looking for especially with how good we were throughout the weekend. I’m really looking forward to this weekend though. Dover has always been a good place for the 48 team and I really enjoy racing there. I’m not really sure why, but it has always just kind of suited my driving style” said the five-time champ earlier this week about his chances this weekend.

    Jimmie Johnson’s quest for 6 in a row is underway, and now the time to make his statement, a win will do it.

    Dark Horse Pick

    Since the other four drivers are in The Chase that are a part of the statistic above pertaining to the past 19-races at Dover, I have to go with the only driver without a shot at claiming the Sprint Cup this year.

    Greg Biffle’s trends at Dover have been rather interesting to look at this afternoon. It seems like he is more back and forth than a ping-pong match. In the past 5 races at the Monster Mile, Biffle’s finishes have been: 19th, 6th, 19th, 3rd, and 16th. In the 5 races prior to the start of the 2009 season, Biffle’s finishes were: 1st, 3rd, 6th, 2nd, and 8th.

    Now, Biffle is not in the Chase, but is a serious contender to take the checkered this Sunday. His average career finish across 18 races is 11.4 and he currently sits 13th on the speed charts in Sprint Cup Final practice.

    The Biff is also coming of an impressive third-place finish last week at Loudon, and sits just three points out of the top Non-Chaser points in 14th. Biff spoke about his success at Dover this week “I’ve had some success at Dover and it would be great to get the 3M Ford Fusion in victory lane there this weekend. It’s been a pretty up and down season for us so far but I feel like we’re moving in the right direction. A win would definitely keep the momentum going though. As a driver, you have to be on your toes in Dover. You want your car to be a little loose but at the same time, it can’t be too loose. I have high expectations for this weekend.”

    That’s all for this week as I look forward to watching my first Chase race this season on Sunday afternoon because my Buffalo Bills are on the road this week in Cincinnati.

    Until next time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO WILL MILES THE MONSTER SMILE AT?

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship rolls onto the Dover International Raceway for Sunday’s running of the A A A 400 on a one mile, concrete laden, speedway known as the Monster Mile. The official mascot for this speedway is a large, angry looking, concrete monster named Miles. Over the years Miles, with his threatening red eyes, has been known to create havoc with the Sprint Cup competitors who dare to enter his domain.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]That may, or may not, be good news for the 12 drivers in the Chase line up. The teams located in the top half of the Chase standings will be jockeying for position to strengthen their chances of taking the coveted Sprint Cup home in November. The teams in the bottom half of the standings will also be jockeying for positions in order to rekindle their Chase hopes.

    Who will Miles the Monster smile on? Who will feel his wrath? We’ll have to wait until Sunday evening to find out. It should be interesting.

    THE VEGAS BREAKDOWN

    To get a clear picture of which driver is capable of taming the Monster Mile, we again turn to the professionals from the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE), who has generated a very interesting set of numbers.

    Jimmie Johnson is sitting on top of the WSE’s list this week at 7 to 1 odds. We all watched what happened to the Lowes #48 team last weekend in New Hampshire. The team simply couldn’t overcome the car’s handling problems. There was even a moment of in car radio discord between the dynamic duo of Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus. The team left New Hampshire tenth in the standings and 29 points out of first.

    So how does this free fall translate into the number one seed on the WSE’s list? That simple. Johnson has amazing numbers at Dover that includes a series high six wins, eight top five finishes, 13 top tens along with an average finish ratio, (AFR), of 9.6. That’s the type of strong numbers that places you on top of any one’s list.

    Also ranked 7 to 1 is Kyle Busch who is currently sixth in the Chase rankings and 26 points from the top. Busch is a two time winner at Dover with seven top fives and a 13.8 AFR. Many NASCAR observers will tell you that this team seems to be in some sort of free fall. The truth of the matter is: in the first two Chase events Busch has fallen from first to sixth. However, if the car is right Busch could turn out to be a major player in the Dover race. This driver is always a rock solid wager consideration.

    At 8 to 1 odds you will find “Concrete” Carl Edwards. When it comes to race tracks with a concrete surface, Edwards just seems to excel at them. He’s currently a rock steady fourth in the Chase standings and only 14 points away from the top. He’s a previous race winner at Dover with six top five finishes and has an excellent 7.6 AFR.

    At 9 to 1 you will find the tandem of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. Despite a rough start to the Chase at Chicago, Gordon rebounded at New Hampshire and is now fifth in the standings and 23 points away. He’s a four time Dover winner, with a 12.2 AFR, so he understands how to get the job done at this race track. His drive for a fifth Sprint Cup title is definitely on track and he’s also a solid wager consideration for next Sunday.

    The same goes for the red hot Tony Stewart. Two consecutive Chase wins has him on top of the standings. Stewart is a two time Dover winner with a healthy 12.5 AFR. Whether or not it’s realistic that he will win three Chase events in a row remains to be seen. However he will be the one man the competition will be gunning for at Dover.

    At 10 to 1 is Matt Kenseth who has two wins, including the spring race last May, along with 11 top fives and a 12.4 AFR at Dover. This track is special to Kenseth because it was the scene of his first ever Sprint Cup start. If the car’s handling package is right, he could do that quiet Kenseth thing for much of the race and then turn into a major player at the end.

    The once Chase contender everyone is keeping a sharp eye on is Kevin Harvick who’s currently second in the standing and only seven points behind Tony Stewart. However his driver stats at Dover are not very strong. Harvick is still looking for that first Dover win in 21 starts. He only has two top five finishes there and a hefty 17.0 AFR. However if all of the needed racing elements are in place for Harvick, he could turn into a long shot winner and surprise everyone.

    The WSE has Roger Penske Racing listed at 15 to 1 this week. A rather unhappy Kurt Busch finds himself ninth in the standings and 28 points away from first. He’s has a fond memory connected to Dover, it was the scene of his first ever Sprint Cup start. However, he still seeking his first win there and has an 18.7 AFR. It might be another long afternoon for Kurt Busch at Dover.

    Meanwhile Penske team mate Brad Keselowski is also winless at Dover, has no top fives, no top tens and a 17.7 AFR. Despite those numbers, he’s still an outstanding long shot bet to win on Sunday. Keselowski is like a really great poker player, you just can’t read him. He wasn’t expected to make the Chase line up but drove his way into championship contention anyway. Next, no one expected him to make a solid run for the title but there he is: third in the standings only 11 points from the top.

    At 18 to 1 you will find Greg Biffle who is a two time Dover winner with a healthy 11.4 AFR. It’s hardly a secret that Biffle has had a very disappointing season and probably can’t wait for 2012. But he looked strong last weekend at New Hampshire and he could be playing the role of spoiler at Dover. This is a rather interesting long shot wager.

    At 20 to 1 is another disappointed driver: Denny Hamlin. A pre season Chase favorite, Hamlin finds himself languishing in 12th in the Chase rankings and a whopping 66 points out of first. Well aware that his championship hopes are virtually gone, Hamlin recently said his focus was now all about winning races. Don’t look for him to start that trend at Dover. He’s winless there with a 20.9 AFR and he’s never actually led a lap on the Monster Mile. Hamlin may indeed light a fire under his post season effort in the near future but don’t expect it to start this Sunday.

    The WSE has drivers Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin ranked at 25 to 1 for the Dover race. Bowyer is still seeking a win, as well as a top five finish, at Dover and has a 14.8 AFR. Despite that he still has the potential of being a spoiler next Sunday.

    Mark Martin has excellent driver stats at Dover that includes four wins, a series high 23 top fives and 31 top tens along with a healthy 12.3 AFR. That’s the good news. The bad news is: those outstanding numbers were compiled quite some time ago.

    At 30 to 1 you will find the trio of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman. Earnhardt is currently eighth in the Chase rankings, 26 points away. He’s a former Dover winner with a 17.8 AFR there. However he has not scored a top ten finish at Dover in his last seven starts. It might turn out to be another long Sunday for the Junior Nation.

    Kasey Kahne would love to get Red Bull Racing a win this season before he moves on to Hendrick Motorsports next year. Sadly, it may not happen at Dover where Kahne has no wins or top fives and a hefty AFR of 23.8.

    Ryan Newman is 11th in the Chase standings and 34 points away. If all of the racing components falls into place this Sunday he could turn out to be a long shot surprise. He’s a three time Dover winner with six top fives and a very healthy AFR of 10.9.

    Concluding the WSE list this week, at 35 to 1, are drivers Jeff Burton, A J Allmendinger and Martin Truex Jr who scored his first Cup win at Dover. Joey Logano concludes the list at 40 to 1. Any driver not on the WSE list are automatically rated at 10 to 1 odds.

    Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers should be viewed for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their events. But if you’re going to spread a few Benjamins around anyway then take a good look at the top five names on the WSE list. They’re all rock solid wagers.

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The A A A 400 is 400 laps/400 miles around the Dover International Speedway’s one mile concrete oval.

    The race has 44 entries vying for the 43 starting positions. Nine of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to make the race.

    The Dover International Speedway was opened in 1969. The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held in July of 1969 and was won by Richard Petty. Since that time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has ran 83 races at Dover that has sent 32 different drivers to victory lane.

    Bobby Allison and Richard Petty leads the all time Dover win list with seven trips each to victory lane. Jimmie Johnson leads the modern era drivers with six wins. Hendrick Motorsports leads the team win category with 12. Chevrolet leads the manufacturer’s category with 31 wins.

    The track qualifying record, 161.522 MPH, was set by Jeremy Mayfield back in June of 2004. There has been 35 different pole winners at Dover led by Hall of Fame member David Pearson who has six. Over the years 13 Dover events have been won from the pole position. 50 races have been won from the top five starting berths but only 18 races have been won from outside of the top ten.

    The Dover International Speedway’s one mile surface was converted from asphalt to concrete in 1995. The turns have 24 degrees of banking while the straightaways, each measuring 1,076 feet, are banked nine degrees. The speedway currently has seating for 135,000 fans. The speedway’s pit road has 43 stalls measuring 15 feet wide by 32 feet long. The pit road speed is 35 MPH. The pit window is 72 to 76 laps based on the team’s individual fuel mileage stats.

    Weather could possibly hamper Friday practice sessions. The Dover forecast calls for cloudy skies and a 20 percent chance of showers and a daytime high of 75 degrees. Saturday’s forecast calls for light clouds and 61 degrees while Sunday race day weather will be partly sunny conditions and 60 degrees. In the event of rain, the speedway has four jet dryers that can dry the track is about 90 minutes.

    Sunday’s A A A 400 will be broadcast live by ESPN at 2 pm eastern time. The race re airs will be on Monday morning, 1230 am et, on ESPN 2 and on Wednesday, October 5th, on SPEED at 12 pm et.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Loudon Sylvania 300

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Loudon Sylvania 300

    While rain played a factor earlier in the race weekend, New Hampshire Motor Speedway was not only bathed in sunshine, but was hot enough to boil a lobster for the running of the 15th annual Sylvania 300. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the track dubbed the ‘Magic Mile’.

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Gregg Ellman-Pool/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]Surprising:  While one five-time champion usually peaks in performance during the Chase competition, it was most surprising to see another driver, one who deemed himself unworthy of even being in the Chase, win his second race in a row.

    Tony Stewart, behind the wheel of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, took the checkered flag, giving him a perfect Chase record to date. This was Smoke’s 41st Cup Series win and put him in the lead dog position in the point standings.

    “I’ll be honest, we were about a 10th place car the majority of the day,” Stewart said. “The closer to the front we got, the better it drove.”

    “Man, what a day to win it,” Stewart continued. “Such an irony from last year where we ran out of gas coming to the white.”

    Not Surprising:  Speaking of fuel mileage racing, which happened all weekend long, it was not surprising to see this come into play yet again at the ‘Magic Mile.’ In fact, fuel mileage cost one driver the race and another Chase driver a possible win as well.

    Most affected by the fuel mileage gremlin was Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet. Bowyer ran out of fuel with just three laps to go, allowing Smoke to blow by him for the win.

    “It’s just not our year,” Bowyer said. “What a great car. It just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to.”

    The other driver who struggled with fuel mileage was Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet. As Gordon was moving forward at race end, his crew chief Alan Gustafson advised him that there had been a problem while fueling that may have resulted in his tank not being completely packed full.

    Gordon immediately went into conservation mode, letting many of his competitors blow by him. Gordon finished fourth in the race and move dup in the point standings to the fifth spot.

    “It is tough conditions to race in,” Gordon said. “I don’t think that we wanted to see back-to-back fuel mileage races like this, but it is kind of the name of the game these days.”

    “We were just setting the pace so it is unfortunate that that happened,” Gordon continued. “It is something we need to be better at.”

    Surprising:  Although battling tire camber troubles all race long, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his ever positive crew chief Steve Letarte seemed surprisingly pleased with their 17th place finish with the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet. Earnhardt, Jr. fell three spots in the points, from fifth to eighth.

    “We had a flat tire there at the end,” Junior said. “We had a fast car all day.”

    “I was real happy with the car,” Earnhardt, Jr. continued. “We were real competitive. And I got to race up front.”

    “I had an awesome car all day long and I’m happy about what my guys did.”

    Not Surprising:  After starting the race fuming because he his car was stuck in NASCAR technical inspection during the pre-race festivities, Kurt Busch continued his ‘Drive for Anger’ campaign in his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge.

    Busch was so annoyed when he finally did get in the car to race that team ‘Captain’ Roger Penske had to come on the radio, telling his driver to “Keep your head in this.”

    “It was a frustrating day,” Busch said. “We were late going through inspection and that set the tone for the day.”

    “NASCAR wasn’t 100% happy with what they saw on one of their gauges,” Travis Geisler, Director of Competition for Penske Racing, said of the inspection delay. “So, we had to do a little work on it.”

    Busch finished 22nd, making him also the official ‘Biggest Loser’ in the points, falling from fourth to ninth.

    Surprising:  As a result of the Sylvania 300, three surprising basement dwellers emerged. Five-time champ Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, was the first, finishing 18th and falling to tenth in points.

    In addition to his struggles on the track, Johnson also had some harsh exchanges with his crew chief, Chad Knaus, who goaded his drive to ‘prove’ that he could drive the car.

    “Yeah, it wasn’t what we thought it was going to be,” Johnson said. “We just didn’t have the breaks go right and really get the track position as we needed it throughout the day.”

    “I’m going 100 percent regardless of what’s being said on the radio,” Johnson continued. “I think he (Knaus) was just being optimistic there about what was left in my back pocket; but my suit doesn’t have any back pockets.”

    Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet, also became an official basement dweller. Newman, who started the race from the pole, finished 25th and fell four spots to 11th in the points.

    “We just had a tough day,” Newman said. “We had a couple of slow pit stops and then we had a tire go down at the end.”

    “It was just a disappointing day for us.”

    Finally, it has been surprisingly painful to watch the ongoing implosion of Denny Hamlin and company. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, finished 29th, remaining in the 12th Chase spot.

    “It was another tough day for us,” Hamlin said. “We’re just figuring out what we need to do to be a little bit more competitive.”

    Not Surprising:  To no one’s surprise, the ascent of the Keselowski continued at the ‘Magic Mile’. The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger finished second to Stewart and catapulted himself to third in points.

    “I feel really good about this one,” Keselowski said. “We struggled a little bit this weekend, but we executed and that’s what these races are about.”

    “It’s been a good roll.”

    Surprising:  Mark Martin, behind the wheel of the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, looked surprisingly like the driver of old. Martin led a total of 46 laps, almost two times more than he had led all season.

    Not Surprising:  David Ragan’s ‘Drive for a Sponsor’ continued behind the wheel of the No. 6 UPS Ford. The young driver overcame being a lap down with the ‘lucky dog’ to finish seventh.

    “We didn’t have the best of cars today but we showed that with some hard work and good strategy, we could overcome that,” Ragan said. “It feels good for the UPS team to get a top 10.”

    “So it was a good job by everybody and now it’s on to Dover.”

  • SOME COMMENTS DESERVE TO BE REPEATED: NEW HAMPSHIRE NUGGETS

    SOME COMMENTS DESERVE TO BE REPEATED: NEW HAMPSHIRE NUGGETS

    NASCAR’s weekend in New Hampshire left us several nuggets worthy of Monday morning fan conservations in the employee break room. From deadly serious crew chiefs attempting to be cheerleaders, drivers shedding dead weight and even revelations regarding the installation of hair plugs there were plenty of comments that deserved to be repeated.

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”216″][/media-credit]I’ve always had a great deal respect for crew chief Chad Knaus. His accomplishments, on behalf of driver Jimmie Johnson and team owner Rick Hendrick, over the past five years alone says he deserves our respect. But his knowledge and talent while sitting on top of the pit box doesn’t automatically make him a cheerleader. Knaus is very stoic. You can practically hear the wheels turning in his head over the roar of the race cars on the track.

    New Hampshire was not a great race for this team. The car’s handling was off all day and not even Knaus could seem to find something in his bag of tricks to make it right. So when Knaus felt the need to attempt the cheerleader role he received a rather surprising rebuttal from Johnson who said ” dude your cheer leading is terrible. I’ve been driving my ass off. Don’t sweat it. It’s actually annoying more than helping so just let me go do my thing.”

    The long day in New Hampshire resulted in an 18th place finish and a drop to tenth in the points. There is already talk regarding “the championship string is broken” or “the dynasty has crumbled.” Blah, Blah, Blah. It way too early in the Chase to be making those announcements. No one on the track runs a Chase scenario better than these guys and their season is far from over. Johnson probably put it best in a Monday “Twitter” message that read “that really sucked-on to Dover.”

    Regarding the cheer leading gig, perhaps Chad Knaus could borrow some notes from his Hendrick Motorsports colleague Steve Letarte. Now there’s a natural born cheerleader/crew chief.

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

    On the subject of New Hampshire nuggets, here’s one from a racing veteran who knows how to dispense nuggets: Larry McReynolds. During an appearance on the Monday edition of the SPEED Channel’s “Race Hub” program, McReynolds was engaged in a conversation regarding the Chase hopes of driver Kyle Busch.

    In the first two races of the Chase Busch, and his Joe Gibbs Racing team, has fallen from first to sixth in the standings. That in turn has led to speculation as to whether this factor will be another disappointing Chase run for this team. McReynolds raised an interesting question when he asked: “do you know how you can tell the fall season is here? The leaves fall off of the Busch.”

    Related to this topic was a survey presented by ESPN during their New Hampshire pre race show. The divers in the Chase were asked to rate their competitors. When Kevin Harvick was asked about the merits of Kyle Busch he quickly replied “I never think about Kyle Busch because, (pausing), I just don’t.”

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

    When it comes to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship no one is hotter right now than Tony “Smoke” Stewart. It was just a short matter of weeks ago when we were wondering if this team was going to make the Chase line up at all. Now he’s won both Chase events so far and sits on top of the points standings.

    Apparently he accomplished this feat by shedding some dead weight. During the New Hampshire victory lane interview Stewart said “we got rid of some dead weight earlier this week. So, it made it a lot easier. It’s been a big weight pulled off of our shoulders. Just, sometimes you have to make adjustments in your life and we did that. It definitely helped this weekend for sure.”

    Needless to say the NASCAR media was completely baffled by this unusual statement. It’s not the first time Stewart has said or done something that left us all baffled. It’s not even the first time this month for that matter. When asked exactly what he meant, Stewart made it clear that he would not elaborate. In a transcript of the post race press conference, provided by “Team Chevy” Stewart said “we’re going to leave it at that. You can’t ask anything. It is what it is. That’s all it was is what you said. That’s where we’ll leave it.”

    (WHAT???). Since the New Hampshire press conference there has now been speculation that says these comments made be centered around the driver’s personal life. If that’s true then we should respect Stewart’s wishes and “leave it.” Also, if the speculation is again true, then Stewart also needs to “leave it” and let it remain in his private life.

    This appears to be something usually covered by those trashy tabloid magazines and the NASCAR media doesn’t need to go there. There’s only one way I would actually read a story like this one from a tabloid: it would give me something to do while I’m spending way too much time standing in a long check out line at my local supermarket.

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

    Send some good thoughts to Katie Kenseth, the wife of NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth, who was injured last Monday while practicing for a charity race scheduled for October 15th on the quarter mile oval located within the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event, titled “The Better Half Dash”, will feature the wives and girlfriends of Sprint Cup drivers racing small Bandolero cars.

    During the practice session Kenseth crashed her car and suffered a broken scapula, shoulder blade, along with scrapes and bruises. However the incident didn’t impact the Kenseth’s sense of humor. In a “Twitter” message, Katie Kenseth wrote: “that didn’t turn out so well, that was the shortest racing career in history.” Matt Kenseth sent a “Twitter” message thanking everyone for their concern and support and added: “Katie is feeling much better and I learned something new: how to put a bra on.”

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

    Apparently some NASCAR fans noticed that Nationwide Series driver, and SPEED Channel host, Kenny Wallace’s hair line seemed different and asked him about it. In a series of short “Twitter” messages, the always candid Wallace wrote: “I have had three hair transplants done by Bosley. I want you all to know. I show all my friends my scars on the back of my head from the transplants. I guess I’m scarred for life, ha ha ha. I spent 18 thousand dollars on three transplants, split it up three ways. Kind of like girls getting boob jobs, ha ha ha.”

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

    Item last is a daily affirmation, sent via “Twitter”, from Delana Harvick who wrote: “nothing says welcome back, we missed you like a big dog poop on the floor.”

    That’s so true, the love of a fine dog is unconditional. It’s also a comment that deserved to be repeated.