As the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship reaches its mid-point, round 10, championship leader Sebastian Vettel arrives at the Nürburgring circuit seeking a home victory to add to his tally of six wins from nine.
Author: SM Staff
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NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT NASHVILLE
Just because the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is taking a weekend off doesn’t mean there won’t be any quality racing. The racing focal point will shine on Nashville-Tennessee: Music City USA. That’s where you will find the hard charging NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. This Friday night’s, high intensity, tail gate party will be presented, for your viewing pleasure, by Lucas Oil.
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[/media-credit]Over the years there has been countless occasions when the truck series was the class act of any NASCAR weekend. Friday night’s Lucas Oil Deep Clean 200 is expected to be no exception. The 1.3 mile oval will be large enough for high speed truck racing yet tight enough to the point where drivers will have to set up a passing move very carefully. Waiting for the winner at the end of the race is a true Nashville tradition. The official race trophy is a beautiful Gibson Guitar hand pained by renown artist Sam Bass.THE STORY BREAKDOWN
One of the big story lines here is the fact that the Lucas Oil Deep Clean 200 will be ran Busch free. Kyle Busch apparently will be taking the weekend off, from elevating his NASCAR national numbers, in both the truck and Nationwide Series events at Nashville this weekend. Kyle Busch Motorsports development driver Josh Richards will be making his second series start, in the famed #18 Toyota Tundra, with Joy Mining Machinery as the primary sponsor.
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Kyle Busch Motorsports’ #18 truck is currently leading the series’ owner’s points standings holding a 43 point advantage over DeLana Harvick, representing Kevin Harvick Inc, and their #2 Chevrolet Truck. Perhaps wanting to take advantage of a Busch free event, the Harvick’s have recruited Elliott Sadler, their full time driver in the Nationwide Series, to run their #2 truck Friday night. Bully Hill Vineyards will sponsor Sadler and KHI in both races at Nashville this weekend.
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The Lucas Deep Clean 200 will not be “Onion” free. Todd, “The Onion”, Bodine will be returning in the #5 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota with sponsorship provided by International Trucks and Monaco RV’s. We are accustomed to seeing the series’ two time champion driving the #30 Toyota Tundra for Germain Brothers Racing. But, following the July 7th Kentucky race, the team announced that it would be parking the truck for the Iowa and Nashville events due to a lack of race sponsorship. Both the owners and the driver agreed at the time that it was in the best interest of the team not to take on the expense of un-sponsored events and instead focus on the races that were supported.
Meanwhile Randy Moss Motorsports was trying to run a full season, also with partial sponsorship, with driver Travis Kvapil who was dividing his schedule with a full time Sprint Cup ride with Front Row Motorsports. The Moss-Kvapil arrangement was deemed less than spectacular and is mired down in the points at 18th with only two top ten finishes to their credit. When the Moss organization learned of the availability of Bodine for the Iowa race they jumped on the opportunity. Moss provided the truck and the sponsor while the Germains provided the driver, crew chief and the crew members. The result was an encouraging top five finish and another pairing up for this weekend’s Lucas Deep Clean 200.
In recent days Bob Germain met with Moss owner David Dollar. After comparing notes they discovered that, between the two of them, they had enough individual race sponsorships to run one truck for the full remaining season. A bargain was struck that will have Dollar provide the race truck with the Germains doing the prep work and pit service. While this arrangement has all the appearances of becoming an official merger, that we’ve seen so many times in NASCAR recently, the two team owners are insisting that it’s actually just a collaboration. Following their Iowa accomplishment it appears to be a strong collaboration that could yield even better results in Friday night’s Lucas Deep Clean 200. In last year’s series appearance at Nashville Todd Bodine won both the Keystone Light Pole award as well as the race.
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When it comes to special award presentations at the end of a NASCAR race there are two special trophies that drivers covet. One of them is certainly the custom grandfather clock that comes with winning a race at the Martinsville Speedway. The other special trophy is the beautiful Gibson Guitar custom painted by Sam Bass, the official artists of NASCAR.
Since 2002 Sam Bass has been transforming his love of music and racing into these beautiful custom guitars such as the one that will be presented to the winner of the Lucas Deep Clean 200 Friday night. It takes approximately 150 hours to create this beautiful and unique trophy. By the way, the cover of the souvenir programs for the NASCAR weekend at Nashville is another result of Sam Bass’ vision and something that he’s also been doing for many years now.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Lucas Deep Clean 200 is 150 laps/200 miles around the Nashville Super Speedway’s 1.333 mile oval. Located in Lebanon-Tennessee, The Nashville Super Speedway is always challenging to the drivers because of its concrete covered, D shaped, oval. The turns are banked at 14 degrees and then converts down to 6 to 9 degrees on the straightaways.
The race has 31 entries for a possible 36 starting berths. That means that knock out qualifying polices will not apply on Friday and all teams will get to start the race.
The Lucas Deep Clean 200 will be broadcast live by the SPEED Channel with the pre-race show beginning at 730 pm eastern standard time.
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Kyle Busch’s Wife Samantha Brings Her Own Unique Style
This past weekend, Kyle Busch achieved a milestone, securing 100 wins in all three major series of NASCAR. And beside him every step of the way has been his wife Samantha, who brings her own unique style to their relationship and to the sport.
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[/media-credit]The couple tied the knot on New Year’s Eve in a unique, fairy-tale wedding that she designed. Busch definitely brought her own style to that event, from her designer dress to a feather-studded reception.“It was an awesome day,” Busch said. “All the team guys and my family, which is gigantic, were all there.”
“The two best moments were when I was getting ready and I finally got my dress on and my dad came in,” Busch continued. “My dad burst into tears, I started crying and the girls started crying. The makeup lady was yelling at us all to stop crying.”
“Then when we got to Holy Name and they opened these two big doors and the aisle was forever long and I just saw Kyle at the very end of it and then I’m crying all over again,” Busch said. “Before the wedding he told me that he doesn’t cry about anything but I see him tearing up so me and my dad started crying again.”
“Everybody was crying but it was great.”
In addition to the nuptials, Busch also brings her own unique style to her career. After many semesters of hard work, she will finish her degree in industrial organizational psychology, which she has also managed to blend with racing.
“The school year starts in August,” Busch said. “I have two classes and I’m done after that finally.”
“What’s nice about it is with KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), I get to apply it all,” Busch continued. “And Joe Gibbs Racing is letting me do my thesis on them.”
While Busch’s career in psychology is unique enough, she has also recently taken on a new endeavor. She is uniquely marrying fashion with her world of racing.
“Our retail store has been very successful this year,” Busch said. “Chase Authentics called and I have three pieces for an exclusive for a Kyle women’s line.”
“One’s a very cute hoodie, one is a three-quarter length hem length, and the other is a double-layer tank top,” Busch continued. “The tank top is white and black and then I did this silver foil that says ‘Kyle Busch’ and ‘18’.”
“My hope is that one day they let me do a whole women’s line.”
“It’s so funny,” Busch said. “I sometimes get more fashion questions than racing questions.”
“I know that some of the guys that follow me on Twitter don’t love it but I try to keep a good balance during the race,” Busch continued. “But even some of the guys now will ask questions for their wives.”
“But I love it,” Busch said. “I’ve helped girls get ready for prom via Twitter, or concerts, first days or weddings.”
“There are a lot of women who are into racing but they are also into fashion so it kind of works,” Busch said. “It’s taken off into its own thing.”
One of the other most unique aspects about both Samantha and Kyle Busch is their dedication to the Kyle Busch Foundation. In addition to the five children’s homes that the Foundation supports, Busch has high hopes for expansion and outreach to individual children and families.
“Right now we have five children’s homes and we donate books, clothes and at Christmas we give more of a monetary gift,” Busch said. “We get hundreds of thousands of requests and we want to help.”
“So, we’re trying to raise enough money so we can pick several families to help,” Busch continued. “The homes are our first priority but even if we can help a couple of families, that’s how we’re trying to become broader.”
“The fans have been great this year,” Busch said. “There’s this thing called ‘Lexie’s Challenge’ where this young girl buys a gift card every time Kyle wins.”
“So, the fans have joined in and every time we win, we get all these gift cards and we divide them up for our homes.”
In addition to the Foundation work, both Samantha and Kyle Busch have a unique appreciation for their fans. And they both try every chance they can to connect with them, including meet and greets at local home tracks throughout the country.
Kyle Busch, in fact, went from Victory Lane at the inaugural race at Kentucky Speedway to the Slinger Nationals, where again he captured the checkered flag, much to the delight of the many fans who wanted to celebrate with them both.
“He won Slinger and there were 300 people outside his hauler,” Samantha Busch said. “So, I stood outside the hauler and got everybody into line.”
“There were so many kids in the back and I didn’t want to see them get left out,” Busch continued. “So Kyle stayed and we got through 300 plus people in an hour. It was really good.”
“There were so many kids running around saying “I met Kyle Busch.”
Given the wins, the milestones achieved, as well as the challenges that season has brought, from Kyle’s speeding ticket to the dust up with competitor Kevin Harvick and team owner Richard Childress, it is small wonder that one of the other unique aspects of Samantha Busch is the perspective she brings to those ups and the downs.
“It’s definitely been a challenging year,” Busch admits. “There have been things that have happened.”
“But I’m always here for him and he’s here for me and we always say no matter what’s going on, we always have each others’ backs,” Busch said. “And we don’t let it affect him on the race track.”
“When he puts his helmet on, he’s so focused so that’s been great,” Busch continued. “We’re just going about being us and keeping our family and friends close. It only makes you stronger, right?”
While many other drivers and their families struggle with being in the spotlight, especially during challenging times, both Samantha and Kyle Busch take the unique approach of being out there in the public eye.
“For us, our wedding was televised so we’re pretty open,” Busch said. “We have enough going on that we don’t worry about how others handle their business. We focus on ourselves.”
“It’s so funny because every weekend, we’re at the track but when we’re not, we’re at KBM,” Busch said. “When you have the Truck team and the Foundation and the retail and the late model races, there really isn’t any time to focus on anyone else’s issues.”
One thing that makes Kyle and Samantha Busch unique, at least at present in the NASCAR garage, is that they have two adorable dogs but no children yet. And as far as Busch is concerned, that is “down the road”, although she does admit it would be especially nice to have a daughter with whom to bake and shop.
“That’s down the line,” Busch said. “My parents are moving to North Carolina in two years so that will be a good timing. It’s in the plans, but in the distant plans.”
Samantha Busch is not, however, unique in a very important way. She, like so many other drivers and their wives, are superstitious, not even daring to think about championship possibilities.
“It makes me so nervous,” Busch said. “It’s a forbidden topic.”
“When I was home, there were all these dress stores and my mom asked me if I wanted to even look for a dress, but I told her, ‘Don’t say that, we’re not in the Chase. I can’t even look for dresses.’
“You never know,” Busch continued. “I won’t even look at dresses. I won’t look until it’s all over.”
So, what makes Samantha Busch most unique?
“I am an individual,” Busch said. “And there are not many people that bring shoes to racing!”
“Some people who didn’t know me before ask if this is the way I am,” Busch continued. “But my friends who’ve know me forever say that’s just how I am.”
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Some Comments Just Bear Repeating
During the NASCAR weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway there were a lot of comments, reflecting a wide variety of issues, that were more than worthy of pondering and repeating. Here are just a few of them:
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[/media-credit]Let’s start with the one comment that pegged the speculation meter at New Hampshire. That would, of course, be the radio transmission by Kevin Harvick regarding a previously unknown conversation with NASCAR officials warning him not to hit rival Kyle Busch on the race track.We all know the story behind NASCAR’s most popular rivalry from the 2011 season. Both drivers were placed on a four race probation period following that famous pit road altercation at the Darlington. Richard Childress, Harvick’s team owner, was fined $150,000 and placed on probation for punching out Busch after the Kansas race. Harvick raised some NASCAR concerns at Pocono when he forced Busch to the bottom of the track, during the final race of their probation period. It was referred to as a reminder that Harvick hadn’t forgot that Busch still had one coming.
During the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire, Harvick and Busch were racing each other hard for position. The network television cameras were aimed on them, the fans were watching carefully and so were NASCAR officials. The anticipation level that said we were going to see the latest round of this feud simply could not be measured.
All of a sudden Harvick eased up, came over his radio and said: “he would have never made it if, (NASCAR President), Mike Helton hadn’t told me hit him and he’d park me. It’s not about have at it boys, it’s more like have at it except for that one.” There was also a comment by Harvick that said he felt like he “was driving with handcuffs on.”
After the race the media was all over those comments. Addressing the issue in a more formal atmosphere, Harvick said “I was told a few weeks ago, (presumed to be during the NASCAR weekend at Michigan), that if we touched the #18 car we’d be parked. I’ve just got to be really careful. I would have liked to have gotten the track position and slid up and do what I needed to do. But I’ve got to be really careful, that’s the way NASCAR put it to me.” After the race Kyle Busch said he had received no such warning from anyone.
However, a very interesting prepared statement from NASCAR spokesperson Kristi King read: “IF there was a conversation between Kevin Harvick and Mike Helton it would remain private”
WAIT A MINUTE ! “IF THERE WAS A CONVERSATION” ? One has to assume that this conversation did indeed take place between Harvick and Helton. Harvick’s comments during and after the New Hampshire race strongly supports that theory.
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President of Competition, later indicated that these private conversations between officials, drivers, team members and owners are rather common place and was another method of maintaining law and order at the race track.
Regarding Harvick’s comments on his radio, while racing with Busch, Pemberton said “you listen to these guys all day long and they’re going to say something that somebody can make a big deal out of. A lot of times, in the heat of battle, you’ve got to take them with a grain of salt. You can’t get too worked up about what people say under pressure. It’s just the way things are.”
But one has to wonder if all of this creates another layer of confusion regarding exactly what is covered by NASCAR’s “have at it boys” policy and what is a violation worthy of a penalty.
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Also from the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire was some controversy regarding Steve Wallace, the driver of the #66 Five Hour Energy Toyota owned by his father Rusty Wallace. On lap 107 Wallace got into the back of Jason Leffler and sent him hard into the retaining wall. Prior to that, Wallace alleged that Leffler has been beating and banging on his car for several laps. Whether or not this was simply a racing deal, or a “have at it boys” act of retaliation I suppose depends on your individual perception of the video replays. Wallace, despite being involved in two major incidents during the last half of this race still managed to finish ninth in the race while Leffler finished 30th while taking a hit in the points.
Leffler was surprisingly diplomatic during his post wreck live television interview. But what these drivers say on live television and what they say while using the social network phenomenon known as “Twitter” are often two different things. In one of his “Tweets” Leffler wrote: “Steve Wallace-the official TOOL of the NNS”, (NASCAR Nationwide Series). In a separate “Tweet” Leffler wrote: “I just read some of Steve Wallace’s quotes ! The guy is out of his mind. That’s if he even has one !”
But the “Twitter” comments didn’t stop there. A comment from “31n2 Spotter” read: “I would like to thank Steve Wallace 4 driving like a complete moron for 200 consecutive laps 2 day. I would never spot for that idiot.”
That comment caught the attention of Kevin Harvick who responded with “wish 5 Hour Energy could invent a “for 2 hours U aren’t a moron formula.”
Apparently some “Twitter” fans had a little trouble reaching Steve Wallace’s “Twitter” account so they sent their comments to his uncle, Kenny Wallace. Upon realizing what was going on, Kenny Wallace wrote: “my name is Kenny Wallace, not Steve Wallace. You can go to Steve’s Twitter account and vent if you would like to.”
A quick check of Steve Wallace’s “Twitter” account did not turn up any comments, relative to the New Hampshire race, as of late Tuesday night. His only comment worth repeating said “Twitter is funny because it gives people a chance to hide behind computers and talk s**t.”
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All season long we have been observing a rather interesting concept regarding the pit crew belonging to Jimmie Johnson’s #48 Hendrick Motorsports team. Crew chief Chad Knaus has been using a platoon system this year. In other words, there’s no guarantee that the same crew members will be vaulting off of the pit wall from one weekend to the next. Each and every week the crew members participate in a training and audition session that determines who keeps their job and who stays home the following weekend. It’s a very similar concept used by coaching staffs from the other major American sports.
In an age where track position means everything, there’s a lot of pressure on these pit crews to perform flawlessly. There has been a noticeable, not to mention consistent, problem with the Johnson crew as of late and it all seems to involve lug nuts. It happened again at New Hampshire. A routine pit stop turned into a case of a missing lug nut and Johnson had to come back to pit road to have it replaced. He entered pit road the first time as a major player in the race. He left pit road the second time looking at a 33d restart position.
This latest pit road miscue has apparently pushed Johnson’s patience to the breaking point. After the New Hampshire race he said “when it’s key times for stops we have mistakes. I’ve been real patient all year but I’m running out of patience. I care for these guys deeply for going over the wall and I know they’re very talented guys, but we’re getting into my livelihood. In a little bit we will get into the Chase and we’ve got to get it right. We’ve been working and we’ve been patient as a group trying to mature some guys and get some stuff ready, but we can’t have these mistakes anymore.”
Yet another source of frustration for Johnson, during the New Hampshire Sprint Cup race, was a spin out he felt was helped along by driver Juan Pablo Montoya. Commenting on that situation, he said “the #42, I don’t think the three times he wrecked me it’s been intentional, but he’s all out of mulligans. I’ve had enough of oh, I’m sorry and you’re spun out. It’s happened way too often for the #48 team.”
I bet some of you are thinking the same thing I am right now. You’re wondering if Johnson’s comments regarding Montoya are going to lead to another one of those “private” conversations with a NASCAR official aren’t you?
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During the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire we all watched another frustrating afternoon for Dale Earnhardt Jr and his #88 Hendrick Motorsports team. This team has been on a down hill slide as of late that has seen them free fall from third to ninth in the championship standings. The team is so close to falling out of the top ten there is now concern regarding whether or not they will make the Chase line up.
During the live radio broadcast of the New Hampshire race there was an interesting comment made by PRN, Performance Racing Network, that actually used civil war terms to exemplify Earnhardt’s current state of frustration. That PRN comment said “this race is Gettysburg for the #88. He can be on the winning side or the losing side. Right now he looks like General Robert E. Lee out there.”
I suppose it would have been far better for the #88 team to resemble the aggressive, whiskey sipping, General Ulysses S. Grant.
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The final comment this week belongs to the always fun Kenny Wallace who seems to be willing to share just about anything with his “Twitter” followers. In a recent “Tweet” Wallace wrote: “my wife is having hot flashes. Does anyone know what that means? The equally delightful DeLana Harvick saw the comment and responded with: “that means you need to be super duper nice to her.”
This is why we all love Kenny, Herman The German, Wallace. It’s also why some comments just bear repeating.
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IndyCar – Q&A with A.J. Foyt, Larry Foyt and Erik Berkman
A.J. Foyt Racing announced today via teleconference their partnership with Honda Performance Development (HPD) for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar season.
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IndyCar – A.J. Foyt Racing powered by Honda in 2012
A.J. Foyt Racing announced Tuesday it will field cars powered by Honda in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.
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Surprising and Not Surprising: New Hampshire Lenox Industrial Tools 301
After a week of debate on whether or not NASCAR drivers were athletes, thanks to Golden Tate at the EPSYs, as well as which driver was in desperation mode to make the Chase, 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup cars took to the Magic Mile in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Lenox Industrial Tools 301.
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[/media-credit]Surprising: Prior to the race, most of the drivers were praising the new tire that Goodyear had brought to the track. Yet, by the end of the race, several drivers had experienced surprisingly significant tire issues. One of those most affected was the point leader coming into the race, Kyle Busch.Busch, behind the wheel of the unusually white No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, blew a tire and slammed into the wall at turn 3. Even worse than his 36th place finish was his fall from the top of the Chase standings leader board, from first to fifth.
“We blew a tire,” Busch said. “There was too much brake heat.”
“I had a pretty fast car and we were getting there,” Busch continued. “But the tire wouldn’t take it.”
Not Surprising: With one driver dominating the race weekend, from winning his third straight Whelen Modified Series race to the Coors Light pole, it was not surprising to find Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 US Army Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, in Victory Lane.
And following right behind him, sporting a big smile, was his team owner and teammate Tony Stewart, who brought his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, to the checkered flag in second place.
This was the first time that Stewart-Haas Racing had finished 1-2. They had also started the race in the same order in which they finished.
“I’m just really proud of this US Army team and all the people that help out,” Newman said. “It’s a big deal for us.”
“We had a great weekend at Stewart-Haas Racing and I’m really proud of everybody’s effort.”
“It was a perfect day for the organization for sure,” Stewart said. “This is big for everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing.”
Surprising: In contrast to their Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch’s problems, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano both had surprisingly good days, even with the beating and banging going on at the Magic Mile.
Hamlin, driving the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota, and Logano, behind the wheel of the No. 20 Home Depot, came in third and fourth respectively.
“It was a pretty physical race in the sense that guys were really banging into each other,” Hamlin said. “I was banging into guys.”
“It was one of those days where you just had to do the best you can to keep four fenders on it by the end of the day,” Hamlin continued. “We had three, but it was good enough to get us through and have a good comeback day finishing third.”
Not Surprising: Four-time champion Jeff Gordon, driving the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, proved he had the mettle to face adversity and still salvage a decent day at the track. Gordon battled electrical issues for much of the race, describing his warning lights as “lighting up like a Christmas tree” at one point.
Because Gordon had to turn his brake blowers off due to the electrical issues, he had a tire failure at the end of the race, rolling slowing across the line to finish 11th.
“Oh my goodness,” Gordon said. “What didn’t happen today? It was a pretty crazy day for us.”
“We had a lot of obstacles thrown at us, but certainly we had a lot to smile about with how great our car was.”
Surprising: With all the radio communications possible between driver, crew chief and team nowadays, it was surprising to see one team writing out instructions to their driver on a piece of cardboard during the race.
Jamie McMurray, driving the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 1 Chevrolet, could not hear his crew so they resorted to old school style of communication. Even that did not help, however, and McMurray and company finished a tough 31st.
Not Surprising: Similar to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jimmie Johnson, in the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, had a bad day but took it and made it better. Johnson and company had a lug nut issue and then spun, but still recovered to finish fifth.
“We’ve been working and we’ve been patient as a group trying to mature guys and get stuff ready,” the five-time champion said. “But we can’t have these mistakes anymore.”
“We are way too close to the Chase and we need to be right.”
Surprising: While the Red Bull team has had it troubles, especially with the news that the team would be gone after the season, it was surprising to see teammates Kasey Kahne, in the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, and Brian Vickers, in the No. 38 Red Bull Toyota, wreck into each other.
Kahne was able to finish the race in sixth but Vickers, who was most affected by the collision, could only recover to place 34th.
Not Surprising: It was not surprising to see the driver of the No. 99 Ortho Home Defense Ford, Carl Edwards, play the fuel mileage game to regain the points lead with his 13th place finish.
“We had fun,” Edwards said. “It is fitting we have Aflac for a sponsor because I feel like I was buying insurance at the end.”
“I was letting those guys go by one point at a time thinking that if we had a green-white-checkered, we could win this thing,” Edwards continued. “It is hard to back up like that but it worked.”
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HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: THE ‘ROCKET MAN’ AND THE ‘SMOKE’ STREAM
During the NASCAR weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway we witnessed a phenomenal performance from a team that was overdue for something phenomenal. We witnessed another landmark set of numbers from NASCAR’s “Rowdy” one. We also learned that NASCAR’s “other Rowdy one” was driving with a pair of handcuffs on. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin this week with:
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[/media-credit]HOORAH to Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and the gang from Stewart Haas Racing for their one-two punch at New Hampshire. That process began on qualifying day. Known as “The Rocket Man” for his qualifying prowess, Newman claimed the Coors Pole Position while “Smoke”, his team mate and team owner, posted the second fastest time. The Stewart Haas Racing tandem took that effort one giant step further by finishing one-two in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. The significance of this performance is huge because it’s very difficult to accomplish and not often seen. In fact the last time team mates scored a one-two finish from the front row occurred back in 1989 when drivers Darrell Waltrip and Ken Schrader accomplished the feat for Hendrick Motorsports.HOORAH for Newman’s crew chief, Tony Gibson, for an outstanding performance despite having to deal with the typical drama that comes with late race fuel issues. Well aware that his car was two or three laps short on fuel, he put his driver into the conservation mode. “I’m sure he got tired of hearing it, but he really showcased his talents out there,” Gibson said after the race. Obviously the plan worked. Newman had enough fuel to secure the win but not enough to complete his post race burn outs.
HOORAH for Tony Stewart’s crew chief, Darrien Grubb, who also did an outstanding job on the pit box despite suffering horribly from symptoms of pneumonia.
HOORAH to Newman for also winning the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on Saturday morning in an open wheel car owned by veteran NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion. No one in NASCAR history has won, from the pole position, two races in one day. Another HOORAH goes to the video shot of Newman and his beautiful baby daughter doing a victory lane high five after winning this race.
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For the first time ever we have a double HOORAH for making chicken salad out of chicken do do and both of them are awarded to Hendrick Motorsports drivers. The first one goes to Jimmie Johnson who recovered from another costly pit road miscue and a spin out to somehow score a fifth place finish. The second award goes to Jeff Gordon who lost his electrical system and had to sit through a lengthy pit stop while the crew installed a new battery. Then, on the final lap, he ran out of gas and limped across the finish line with a flat tire. Somehow, he managed to salvage an 11th place finish from all of this frustration.
WAZZUP with another lengthy, not to mention costly, pit stop for Johnson and Lowe’s #48 team? A missed, or even loose, lugnut following a pit stop is going to happen from time to time. However, it seems it’s been happening to this team a lot as of late. After returning to pit road to install the lugnut, Johnson found himself having to restart in 33d. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has next weekend off and Johnson made it perfectly clear that he wants some of that time off to be spent on resolving this problem once and for all.
WAZZUP with the possibility of yet another rivalry between two Sprint Cup drivers? Johnson suffered a late race spin out on lap 241 and made it clear that he felt Juan Pablo Montoya was the cause for the effect. He also made it clear that it isn’t the first time he’s had problems with this driver and announced that Montoya “is all of out mulligans and I’ve had enough.”
WAZZUP with the electrical problems with two of the the Hendrick Chevrolets? In addition to the aforementioned battery change for Gordon’s car, his team mate Mark Martin also found himself on pit road waiting for a new battery to be installed. Both of these teams operate out of the same shop building at Hendrick Motorsports and you can bet electrical systems was a high priority on their check list Monday morning. By the way, Martin’s woes came after an on track spin out, and a near spin out on pit road, which was followed by the battery change and a disappointing 22nd place finish.
Then there’s the matter of the Junior Nation. WAZZUP with another sliding backwards performance from the #88 Hendrick Motorsports team? Is the hot summer weather getting to them? In the four races, prior to last Sunday’s New Hampshire event, Dale Earnhardt Jr has been on a tailspin and has fallen from third to ninth in the championship standings. The team is now perilously close to falling out of the coveted top ten that needed to make the Chase line up. His New Hampshire 15th place finish didn’t help matters any. The effort was hampered when a tire was left on pit road following a pit stop resulting in a penalty. But there was a lot more than just a tire penalty going on here. The car was simply not performing properly and the driver returned to his old habit of graphically expressing himself on the radio with verbage that could not be replayed on live television or radio. Here’s another team that needs to spend their time off this week figuring out “WAZZUP”?
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WAZZUP with melted tire beads, caused by extremely hot brakes, that hampered the Chase hopes of two drivers. The first was Kyle Busch whose melted tire caused him to slam into the wall. The result was a 36th place finish and a major hit in the points that saw him drop from first to fifth in the standings.
The exact same thing happened to Brad Keselowski whose wall banging moment left him with a 35th place finish. Prior to this race Keselowski was lined up to become a major player in the wild card selection of the Chase line up. Those new rules awards a play off berth to the two drivers, in points positions 11 to 20, with the most wins. Going into New Hampshire Keselowski had dug himself out of a huge points hole and was 21st in the points only three markers away from the top 20. He was in line as a wild card candidate based on his win at the Kansas Speedway. But the New Hampshire wall banging moment now has the team back into a hold. They are now 23d in the standings and 25 points from the top 20.
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HOORAH to Kyle Busch for winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and racking up even more impressive numbers in the process. Following his win in the New England 200, Busch now has six series wins on the season. Of greater importance is the fact that he’s now tied with the legendary Mark Martin for most series wins of all time at 49. The New Hampshire win also marked his 100th win in a NASCAR national touring series. That breaks down to 22 wins in the Sprint Cup Series, 49 in the Nationwide Series and 20 in the Camping World Truck Series. All of these numbers have been accumulated at the age of 26. Again, whether you love or hate him, there’s no ignoring the talent of this driver and his numbers.
There was a lot of celebrating in Tulare-California last Saturday. HOORAH to Matt Crafton, a favorite son of that community, for his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at the Iowa Speedway. Crafton, and his Thorsport Racing team, has been often maligned by tough racing luck, often not of their making, and it was good to see them back in victory lane.
On the topic of talented California drivers, HOORAH to David Mayhew who finished third in the Iowa truck series racing driving for Kevin Harvick Inc. I can recall interviewing this talented young man, when he was still in high school, after winning NASCAR late model features and track championships at the former Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield. NASCAR team owners need to seriously keep an eye on this talented young driver who currently doing a good job in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. HOORAH to DeLana and Kevin Harvick for giving this young driver this opportunity.
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MotoGP – Pedrosa holds off Lorenzo and Stoner to win in Germany
(MotoGP) – Dani Pedrosa emerged victorious from a three-man race-long battle for first place at the Grand Prix Germany, with Jorge Lorenzo wrestling second from Casey Stoner on the final corner of a thrilling Round 9 race.
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Ryan Newman Makes Magic with New Hampshire Win
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[/media-credit]Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, went from ‘Rocket Man’, qualifying on the pole for the start of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 to ‘Magic Man’, scoring his first win of the season at the Magic Mile.This was Newman’s 15th victory in 351 NASCAR Cup races and with the win, the 33 year old driver became the 13th different race winner this season. This is, however, Newman’s second win of the weekend, as he also scored the victory in the Whelen Modified Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Ryan Newman also made magic for his team, Stewart-Haas Racing, as his teammate and owner, Tony Stewart finished right behind him in second. This was the first time ever that Stewart-Haas Racing, which started first and second in the race, took the checkered flag in the first and second position as well.
Newman dedicated the race not only to the soldiers but also to his grandfather. In fact, he became very emotional in victory lane as he acknowledged both in celebration of his win.
“This one is for the soldiers and the U.S. Army,” Newman said. “Thank you guys.”
“I want to dedicate this to a good friend of mine who we lost 14 years ago this weekend,” Newman said. “That was my grandfather. It’s sentimental for many reasons.”
“It was a great day for Stewart-Haas Racing.”
It was all about family in Victory Lane for the Newman family, with his dad, wife Krissie and daughter Brooklyn joining him in Victory Lane. Newman’s daughter was definitely celebrating with both of her parents on the impressive win.
“We’re really lucky and blessed with a good baby,” Krissie Newman said. “And to have the ARMY on the car and for SHR as a whole to finish one, two was a great day for the entire organization.”
Tony Stewart, behind the wheel of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, scored his 15th top-10 finish in 25 races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It is his seventh top-10 finish in 2011.
“One hell of a day boys — one hell of a day,” Stewart said to his team after the race. He finished just .773 seconds behind teammate Newman.
“I just needed a weekend where we didn’t do anything stupid,” Stewart said succinctly.
Denny Hamlin, piloting the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota, took the checkered flag in the third position. Hamlin had to battle his way back through the field to recover from a lap 171 spin after A.J. Allmendinger got into his bumper, turning him.
“We got caught mid pack and we weren’t good on short runs,” Mike Ford, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief said after the race. “We ended up getting spun and were in the back.”
“We made adjustments and the car came to life,” Ford continued. “Denny did a good job staying calm in the car and it just worked out.”
“You always have to give back some track position during the day to be in the sequence to have track position at the end of the day.”
This was Hamlin’s eighth top-10 finish in 11 races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, finished fourth and five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, behind the wheel of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, made an amazing recovery from a spin on lap 240, where he hit the wall on turn two, as well as a lug nut issue on pit road to finish fifth.
Several drivers, including Kyle Busch, who went into the Loudon race as the points leader, had tire issues. Because of the tire issue, the driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, finished a miserable 36th and fell to fourth in the point standings.
“Blew a tire,” Busch said. “There was too much brake heat.”
“I had a pretty fast car and we were getting there,” Busch continued. “But the tire wouldn’t take it.”
