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  • Kurt Busch Leads Opening Sprint Cup Series Practice at Sonoma Raceway

    In opening practice at Sonoma Raceway, one of the most underrated road course racers in the series led the way. Kurt Busch took the top spot in the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge with a speed of 93.014mph (77.021 seconds).

    [media-credit id=41 align=”alignright” width=”290″][/media-credit]“We’ve definitely had some chances of winning on the road courses in the Cup cars through the years,” Busch said.  “We started third and had a strong top-five run going at Sonoma (Infineon) last year before the late-race run-in.  We came back and really threatened for the win last August at Watkins Glen.  To race with (Juan Pablo) Montoya and (Marcos) Ambrose like we did there was definitely a confidence-builder.  Those two guys come from a different world when it comes to road course racing.  We got by Ambrose at the end and were closing in on Montoya.

    Once qualifying hits the track later today, Busch will go for his fourth consecutive Coors Light Pole Award at Sonoma, to go along with the four top-five finishes and seven top-10s he has scored on his 20 road course starts to date.

    Denny Hamlin drove his No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota to second on the charts at 92.559mph.

    After Red Bull Racing has been in the media all week, Kasey Kahne drove his No. 4 Red Bull Toyota to the third spot at 92.546mph. Kevin Harvick (92.361mph) and Martin Truex Jr. (92.359mph) rounded out the top five.

    A.J. Allmendinger was sixth, followed by Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, David Gilliland and Marcos Ambrose.

    Points leader Carl Edwards, meanwhile, was 37th, 2.052 seconds off the pace set by Busch.

  • Road Course Veterans Lead First Nationwide Series Practice at Road America

    Road Course Veterans Lead First Nationwide Series Practice at Road America

    At the end of the first Nationwide Series practice at Road America, it was a bunch of road course ringers leading the charts.

    [media-credit name=”roadamerica.com” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]Billy Johnson, driving the No. 60 for Roush-Fenway Racing, was at the top with a speed of 108.050 mph (134.871 seconds). RFR brought Johnson over from the Roush Racing Grand-Am Sport team, where he competes in the No. 61 Ford Boss 302R Mustang with Jack Roush Jr. The last race ran was at Walkins Glen, where they led 30 laps in route to victory.

    Jacques Villeneuve, driving the No. 22 for Penske Racing, was second with a speed of 107.996 mph (134.938). Villeneuve has driven road course in a variety of different cars, including F1, Le Mans Series, Speedcar and TRV6. He has also raced in NASCAR before, as he has made a total of five Nationwide Series starts, dating back to 2006.

    “Road America is one of my favorite tracks and I’m super excited to be returning there this weekend to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series,” Villeneuve said coming into the weekend. “I was fighting for the win in last year’s race so I have some unfinished business at this event, for sure. This will be my first event both in the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger, and with Penske Racing, so I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and seeing what we can achieve together. It’s a track I know and love, having won the Indy car races there in ’94 and ’95, so we should be very competitive.”

    During those past five starts, he has three top-five starts and three top-10 finishes.

    “Road America is the longest track on our schedule with long straights and big braking zones that give one of the best road racers, Jacque Villeneuve, lots of opportunities to get the Discount Tire Dodge out front,” crew chief Todd Gordon said. “We have tested with Jacques a couple of times and had good speeds as a result of the testing. We feel we have a good package to unload with and build from for this circuit. The challenges of having to turn both ways and stop well are something this whole No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team looks forward to.”

    Sprint Cup Series driver and past road course expert Michael McDowell (driving the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing) was third (107.972 mph, 134.968 seconds) with Max Papis fourth (107.641 mph, 135.384 seconds).

    Papis will driving the No. 33 for Kevin Harvick Incorporated. They teamed up last year for Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where Papis qualified ninth and second. Papis has previous experience at Road America through the Champ Car Series, where he collected several podium finishes.

    “I am really looking forward to racing this weekend at Road America,” Papis said in the team preview. “This will be my first NASCAR race there so I will be considered a rookie, but it will not be my first race at the track. I spent a lot of time at Road America and in the Milwaukee and Green Bay area when I raced in the Champ Car Series. It is a great track and the area is beautiful. They have awesome fans. I can’t wait to get there and race.”

    Elliott Sadler was the highest series regular in fifth (107.566 mph, 135.478 seconds), followed by Ron Fellows, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jason Leftler, Trevor Bayne and Justin Allgaier.

    The Nationwide Series has another practice at 4:30pm EST today with qualifying slated for Saturday at 3:05pm EST. The race will follow on Saturday at 5:30pm EST.

  • MEMBER OF CONGRESS STILL CONTINUES TO QUESTION THE U.S. MILITARY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH NASCAR

    MEMBER OF CONGRESS STILL CONTINUES TO QUESTION THE U.S. MILITARY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH NASCAR

    U.S. Representative Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, last week vowed to continue her fight to drastically slash, if not even eliminate, the portion of the Department of Defense’s budget that is being spent on advertising with professional sports organizations and their events. The Congress woman said she will not give up this cause despite the fact that there seems to be very little support from her Congressional colleagues many, of whom, agree with Pentagon officials in the belief that these sponsorships actually bolsters military recruitment stats.

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]While McCollum’s proposed Congressional amendments references military sponsorships of all major sporting events, her focus seems to be aimed at NASCAR racing. She points out that the Pentagon spent a staggering amount of money during the 2010 NASCAR racing season. Currently the U.S. Army, the National Guard and the U.S. Air Force are involved in sponsorship programs with NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing teams.

    This issue first made the Congressional news back in February when McCollum proposed an amendment that would ban military sponsorship in professional sports. The proposed amendment fell to defeat following a committee vote.

    However, prior to the vote, there was some lively debate representing both sides of the issue. According to an official transcript, provided by the U.S. Office of the Clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives, McCollum presented her argument for the amendment’s passage by saying “my amendment ends tens of million of taxpayer’s dollars from being wasted on the sponsorships of NASCAR race cars by the Department of Defense. With trillion dollar deficits, this amendment is where the rubber meets the road for my Republican Tea Party colleagues, who want to cut wasteful spending. We have the Army spending $7 million for a decal on a racing car. Talk about taxpayer sticker shock.”

    McCollum’s defense of her proposed amendment was immediately followed by a rebuttal from Representative Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, who claimed that his colleague from Minnesota was “simply misinformed” and her proposed amendment will not save one single dime. McHenry also pointed out that the media impressions, from the Army’s campaign alone, could be easily measured and the results were highly positive.

    “Let’s be clear, this (Army) sponsorship is about recruiting. The vast majority of NASCAR fans, one out of five NASCAR fans, have served or are currently serving in the U.S. military. It’s a target rich environment for the Army’s recruiting message and a target rich environment for military and the military message,” McHenry said.

    Yes, it’s certain that it was duly pointed out that Congressman McHenry represents a state that plays host to many NASCAR sanctioned events as well as being the home of the majority of the Sprint Cup race shops as well as NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.

    Sadly, in mid February, this issue hit a very serious note. According to reports, first published by “My Fox Twin Cities.Com”, McCollum’s office received a faxed letter alleging a death threat over her proposal to terminate military sponsorships in NASCAR.

    While no author’s name of the fax was mentioned, this letter reportedly contained some inappropriate language that suggested McCollum should “shut her (expletive) pie hole.” The fax also contained a cartoon drawing of “President Obama’s head being pulled behind a truck in a noose.” The Fox report also stated that this letter “called for the deaths of all Marxists and referred to the President, McCollum and Attorney General Eric Holder as Marxist thugs.”

    Undaunted, McCollum continued her cause and in recent days submitted another amendment to the Department of Defense appropriations bill. According to reports from “The Hill.Com”, McCollum’s newest effort would have “required the military to submit to a 30 day Congressional review period on any contract larger than $250,000 to sponsor a motor sports racing team, driver, event, a professional fishing team or tournament, a professional wrestling event or an ultimate fighting event.” This latest effort was also denied following a committee vote.

    According to Pentagon figures, obtained and released by McCollum’s staff members, the National Guard spent approximately $20 million with Hendrick Motorsports, during the 2010 season, for sponsorships on race cars driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon. In all fairness, it was pointed out that this figure was considerably down from the $32.7 million spent during the previous year. Meanwhile the Army spent $7.4 million last year which was trimmed down from $11.6 million in 2009.

    The question remains: is there an accurate way of measuring tangible results from these advertising campaigns? Actually there is. It’s a service provided by a civilian company named Joyce Julius and Associates. Headquartered in Ann Arbor-Michigan, Joyce Julius and Associates Inc is regarded as the sports and entertainment industry leader in accurate measurement and evaluation of sponsorships and promotional programs. They generate their figures based on broadcast television exposure monitoring, full media measurements and fan/consumer perception analyses. They also back that elaborate procedure up with 27 years of experience.

    Let’s just look at one example from a race team with military themed sponsorship: Dale Earnhardt Jr and his #88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet. The following stats, from Joyce Julius and Associates, was compiled during the first one third, or 12 races, from the current 2011 season:

    Sponsor exposure time: 5 hours, 36 minutes and 54 seconds. Verbal mentions, (during a NASCAR live and repeat broadcast): 18 Driver interviews: 8 Interview durations: 13 minutes, 7 seconds. Driver mentions: 1,140 Recognition Grade, (RG) exposure value: $21,835,475.

    That’s just for the first 12 NASCAR races of the current season. With Earnhardt seemingly on his way to a starting berth in the 2011 Chase, imagine what those numbers are going to be at the end of the season.

    This level of brand exposure calculation is also a ringing endorsement for the beliefs of military and Congressional figures who truly believe that the taxpayers are getting more bang for their buck with these sponsorship campaigns.

    However Congresswoman Betty McCollum apparently remains unconvinced and is reported to be laying the ground work for her next move towards reducing Pentagon spending in NASCAR.

    According to a June 20th report, from “The Hill.Com”, Bill Harper, McCollum’s chief of staff, said “the lawmaker will likely offer an amendment on the House floor to the 2012 Pentagon appropriations bill that would limit the funds the military could spend on sporting events.”

  • This week in NASCAR: Probation, NASCAR on ‘The Glades’, contingency awards, and more

    This week in NASCAR: Probation, NASCAR on ‘The Glades’, contingency awards, and more

    Watch Edwards, Logano, Stewart and Vickers on A&E’s “The Glades”:
    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers will be playing themselves in Sunday night’s episode of the popular A&E drama The Glades.

    Set to air on Sunday, June 26 at 10 p.m. ET on A&E, the episode “Moonlighting” will explore the murder investigation of Cole Hunter, the fictitious mechanic for NASCAR driver Trey Lancer. In his search for the truth, Jim Longworth (actor Matt Passmore) centers much of his attention inside the NASCAR garage, where he meets NASCAR stars Edwards, Logano, Stewart and Vickers.

    Mike Ford Named The WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Michigan:
    Mike Ford, crew chief for the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

    Kenseth, Fennig Capture Contingency Awards:
    Kenseth earned his third American Ethanol Green Flag Restart of the Race Award this year which goes to the eligible driver that records that fastest average speed on restarts and finishes the race on the lead lap. Kenseth’s crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, also captured his second DIRECTV Drew Chief of the Race Award given weekly to the crew chief of the driver who has demonstrated the best qualifying and race effort based on starting and finishing positions during the weekend.

    The awards are part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provides teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.

    Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament Raises $650,000:
    The Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament Auction has raised $650,000, an event record. The event has raised over $500,000 each year since its inception in 2007, which in five years has raised more than $2.5 million. It now focuses on the Champions Grants program, a partnership between the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Lowe’s Toolbox for Education.

    Applications for grants in are being accepted through Sept. 15, 2011. For more information, visit www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.

    “Is Ryan Newman Smarter than a Grade School Student?”:
    Newman, who graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in Vehicle Structural Engineering, answered 10 first-round questions on a variety of topics such as Science, Math, Social Studies, English and Geography as students from five different Volusia County elementary schools were in attendance for the trivia game show “Is Ryan Newman Smarter than a Grade School Student?” For every question Newman answered correctly, DIS donated $100 to Volusia County Schools.

    Newman also correctly answered the “bonus round” question and earned a special prize for every student in attendance, a ticket to the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday, July 2. The complete press release can be found here http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12735

    Joe Gibbs Racing crew chiefs penalized for unapproved parts:
    Mike Ford (No. 11 car), Dave Rogers (No. 18) and Greg Zipdelli (No. 20) were fined $50,000 and placed on probation for the remainder of the season after NASCAR discovered unapproved oil pans in each of the JGR cars at Michigan International Speedway. The oil pans were confiscated and never used in competition. Also the car chiefs for all three teams and Jimmy Makar, JGR’s senior vice president of operations, were also placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

    Red Bull leaving NASCAR:
    The Austrian-based energy drink company Red Bull entered NASCAR in 2007. Currently sponsors with two teams with current drivers Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers, but plans on leaving the sport at the end of 2011. Rumors say that “NASCAR does not attract the same demographic that Red Bull markets its product.”. The energy drink markets to the 18-to-34 age group.

    The general manager of Red Bull Racing said Tuesday that he is optimistic that the team can keep going with more investors.

    More on this story can be found at http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12742 by Sal Sigala Jr.

    Lofton returns to Germain Racing, Eddie Sharp Racing:
    Germain Racing and Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) have reached an agreement to put 2009 ARCA Racing Series champion Justin Lofton back behind the wheel of ESR equipment. The move has been facilitated by the departure of Craig Goess from ESR. Ryan “Rudy” Fugle, crew chief for Lofton’s No. 77 Tundra at Germain Racing, will remain with Germain Racing.

    MOBIL 1 car swap was UNBELIEVABLE:
    The overwhelming response has indicated that the Mobil 1 Car Swap at The Glen was an event that will last in the minds of the participants and spectators forever.

    More details can be found at http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12743

    Tissot Launch Alert! Keep Time Danica-Style:
    Tissot, a manufacturer of Swiss Watches since 1853, has launched a new Danica Patrick timepiece.

    From the driver seat of design comes a Limited Edition watch with the defining style Danica is renowned for, both on the racetrack and off. This is a first-time opportunity for fans to pre-order the Tissot PRC200 Danica Patrick 2011 Limited Edition, a sleek, streamlined design featuring Swiss-made quartz movement.

    Fans can check out TissotShop.com to pre-order and reserve this unique Limited Edition watch, numbered from 0001 to 4999

    Vote for your favorite design:
    There are only days left to vote in the fourth-annual “JDRF Race Car Design Contest,” hosted by the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

    Voters from around the country are casting their ballots in the form of donations for their favorite design, while the young artists wait in the hopes they’ll see their work on NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Trevor Bayne’s Ford Fusion as it races around Michigan International Speedway in August.

    Fans are invited to vote at www.jdrf.org/ford

    The NASCAR Foundation Launches Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award:
    The NASCAR Foundation will recognize the outstanding charitable and volunteer efforts of NASCAR fans by awarding the first annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which includes a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to the children’s charity of the recipient’s choice.

    More details can be found at http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12650

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON ROAD AMERICA

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON ROAD AMERICA

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be spending this Saturday afternoon taking on the always challenging road course at Road America at Elkhart Lake-Wisconsin. The series made its official debut at this mammoth road course last year. If the finish of the 2010 event is any indication, then Saturday’s Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, is going to be extremely competitive and very exciting.

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]The pre-race favorite has to be Carl Edwards who made a late race surge to win last year’s inaugural event. Edwards is one of the small group of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who has been campaigning full time in both series although a new NASCAR policy says he cannot win the Nationwide Series title.

    Edwards will be the only double duty Cup driver in Saturday’s race at Road America. He will be spending his off time flying back and forth between Wisconsin and Sonoma-California, the site of the Cup race at Infineon Raceway and the site of NASCAR’s other road course race this weekend. The seemingly frantic pace for the driver of the Roush Fenway Fords is actually not as bad as it seems. That’s largely due to the presence of Roush Air. Jack Roush’s flying armada can literally get any driver to any location in record time.

    But the question remains: why should Edwards put himself in the middle of this hectic schedule when he’s only eligible to win the Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship? The answer is the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Points Championship and that’s a trophy Jack Roush wants to add to his collection.

    Edwards, based on four wins including last Saturday’s race at Michigan, leads the owner’s standings in his #60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang. However, going into next Saturday’s race, he only holds a 13 point lead over Joe Gibbs Racing and their #18 Toyota normally driven by Kyle Busch.

    Saturday’s Nationwide Series race will be Busch-less. Driver Michael McDowell will be behind the wheel of Gibbs’ #18. Their second series team, the #20 often driven by Joey Logano, will be sitting idle this Saturday.

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

    There’s another points battle that Roush Fenway Racing will be defending this weekend as well. It’s of course the series’ championship. Roush protege Ricky Stenhouse Jr is leading those standings going into this weekend. However, he only holds a two point advantage over Elliot Sadler with Reed Sorenson only three points away in third. Also not to be overlooked here is the presence of Justin Allgaier who is ranked fourth in the standings only 17 markers from the top.

    Stenhouse and Allgaier found their debut at Road America last year to be somewhat of a struggle after finishing 26th and 35th respectively. Meanwhile, Sadler and Sorenson will be taking on this challenging road course for the very first time this Saturday.

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

    The points contenders may find themselves having to deal with an impressive list of road course ringers this Saturday. These are the drivers, who excel in this type of racing, that have been brought in by team owners just for the road course races.

    The Road America ringers list will be led by the presence of Jacques Villeneuve. The ex Formula 1 racing champion will be behind the wheel of the Roger Penske Racing #22 Dodge normally driven by Brad Keselowski. Villeneuve was a major player in last year’s race and appeared to be on the way to the win before a defective alternator wire sidelined him during the final laps.

    Also in this race is Max Papis who will be driving the #33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. Road race veteran Ron Fellows, who finished second last year, will be carrying the hopes of the Junior Nation by driving the #7 Chevrolet for J R Motorsports.

    Other road race ringer entries include Andrew Ranger, a star from the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, who will be driving the #53 Dodge for team owner Robert Torriere. J R Fitzpatrick will be behind the wheel of the #67 Go Canada Racing Ford for owner Steve Meehan. Tommy Drissi is the newest member of Rick Ware Racing’s Nationwide Series operation and will make his debut this Saturday in the #37 Ford. Drissi is the 2009 Trans Am Series champion and has been racing lately in the Rolex Grand American Series as well as the American Lemans Series. Also of interest here is the Nationwide Series debut of Ricky Carmichael which will take place at Road America this Saturday. The 15 time motocross champion has been building his NASCAR career in the Camping World Truck Series this year for Turner Motorsports. Saturday will be the first of four Nationwide events this year for Carmichael in a Turner Chevrolet.

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

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, will be 50 laps/200.4 miles around Road America’s massive 4.048 mile, 14 turn, road course. It’s the first of three road course events on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.

    The race has 41 entries meaning all entries will be guaranteed a start in a race that can accommodate 43 cars. The starting line up will be based on Saturday morning’s qualifying sessions.

    The race is also the official debut of the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ newly configured race car on a road course.

    If season statistics are an indicator then the race should be highly competitive. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series races so far has turned up eight different winners and seven different Coors Light Pole winners.

    The Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, will be broadcast live by ESPN on Saturday beginning at 5 pm eastern time.

  • Boris Said Says ‘I’m Back’

    Boris Said Says ‘I’m Back’

    Boris Said has just two words to share with his fans, dubbed ‘Said heads’ in honor of the curly wigs they wear to mimic their driver’s mane. “I’m back,” Said said to his fans. “And I hope you didn’t forget me.”

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”217″][/media-credit]After being absent since August of last year, Said will be taking over for young up-and-coming driver Landon Cassill in the No. 51 Security Benefit/Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet. Said will be proudly representing one of his favorite people, James Finch, and his team Phoenix Racing on the road course in Sonoma.

    Cassill who had his career best finish in the 12th position last weekend in the Irish hills of Michigan, will return to the helm of his race car the following weekend at Daytona.

    “I’m pretty excited about it,” Said said. “Landon is not a road course guy and they’re not running for points so they decided to put me in.”

    “I’m in a Hendrick car owned by James Finch,” Said continued. “I ran for him in Mexico City in the Nationwide Series and had a blast with him.”

    “I haven’t been in a car since last August so I’m chomping at the bit to get in and drive one.”

    Although off the NASCAR Cup circuit for some time, Said has been keeping busy in other areas of racing. He also has entered a whole new phase of his life, with a ‘real job’ as he terms it, as well as a new partner to boot.

    “The biggest thing I’ve been doing is the Grand Am Rolex Series,” Said said. “My other big thing is that I was awarded a BMW franchise, the first one in ten years that BMW has awarded.”

    “We’ve been open two weeks and one day,” Said continued. “And my partner is Rick Hendrick, so that’s really exciting working with him.”

    “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be a partner with Rick Hendrick,” Said advised. “So, I’ve been working a real job which has been pretty fun.”

    “I guess they’ll let me out of the dealership for the race,” Said said.

    What has Said missed most about being behind the wheel?  Simply the roar of the engines according to this road course racer, as well as the thrill of the competition.

    “It’s a blast feeling the horsepower,” Said shared. “It’s a blast racing with those guys.”

    “They are a bunch of animals and it’s so much fun,” Said continued. “I’ve always wished I could do it full-time but I’ve always cherished every race I get to do.”

    “I can’t wait to go out and start driving.”

    Said has been keeping up with the action on the track throughout the time that he has been away. And he realizes that at Sonoma, there will be plenty of action, especially with the double file restarts.

    “Especially at Infineon, I don’t think there’s a more exciting track to have those double file restarts,” Said advised. “The first couple of times that I did it, I had to be cautious and I just got run over. So, there’s no other way but to be aggressive.”

    “I always hear that ‘you only run one race and you shouldn’t mess with the regulars, blah, blah blah’,” Said continued. “But the fact is that James Finch is a regular and he pays me to do a job. I want to be as aggressive as I can no matter who I’m racing with.”

    While Said knows that the competition will be fierce, he is hoping that the final outcome will not be decided on fuel mileage, as so many races have recently.

    “I hope it doesn’t come down to fuel mileage,” Said said. “That’s not my style. But I would take it any way I could.”

    “I’ve been there and I’ve been the fastest car and then have had really bad luck,” Said continued. “It just takes so much to get a good finish in one of those races, whether it’s pit stops or knowing when to pit or not to pit, or getting involved with somebody. There’s so much that can go wrong.”

    Said is most grateful that he will not have to qualify in on time. Finch’s Phoenix Racing car is firmly locked into the show.

    “The last time we had that opportunity, I was in the Army car and I sat on the pole,” Said advised. “To not have that pressure feels so good.”

    Does Said see himself as that ‘road course ringer’?

    “You know I don’t like that term,” Said shared. “But I think it’s good because at least people are talking about us.”

    “The thing is that no part-time guy has ever won a Cup race,” Said continued. “But it’s still possible. Is it likely? No. It’s a long shot but it’s a long shot for lots of guys.”

    “I’m hoping that I can be competitive and I’m going to try my hardest to be competitive,” Said advised. “We’ve always run in the top-10 there and when that happens, you never know.”

    “You can always get lucky,” Said continued. “And I hope I can put on a good show.”

  • Chad Hackenbracht’s Biggest Hurdle Not the Racing But His Own Last Name

    Chad Hackenbracht’s Biggest Hurdle Not the Racing But His Own Last Name

    Chad Hackenbracht had his best ever career finish in this past weekend’s ARCA race, scoring a fourth place in his family-owned No. 58 Tastee Apple CGH Motorsports Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: CGH Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]But even greater than the challenge of the intense competition on the track is the 19 year old driver’s challenge in just getting folks to pronounce his last name correctly.

    In addition to being on a quest for name recognition, the driver is having a little fun with it all. His team has just developed T-shirts, which say “What’s a Chad Hacken-something?”

    The correct pronunciation of that all important last name is in parentheses (hock en bra) on the new T-shirts, which are on sale on Hackenbracht’s website  www.cghmotorsports.com for just $19.95.

    “That actually was started by my marketing guy who is looking for sponsorship for us,” Hackenbracht said of the T-shirt venture. “It has turned into a really big hit.”

    Hackenbracht, however, is focused solely on his racing and was thrilled with his good performance at Michigan.

    “We wound up getting a fourth place out of it which wasn’t too bad,” Hackenbracht said. “We were up there in contention.”

    “It’s a career best for us,” Hackenbracht said. “It was really good.”

    The young driver from New Philadelphia, Ohio has been on a tear even before the career best finish in Michigan.  He scored an 11th place finish at Toledo in May, a ninth-place finish at New Jersey and seventh place finish at Pocono Raceway.

    This is Hackenbracht’s first full year in the ARCA Series, after running a limited schedule in 2010, with just the televised races on the docket. Prior to that, the young driver ran the Legends series, scoring 18 wins and the national championship.

    Hackenbracht is a bit unusual as far as his driving pedigree. He is not from a traditional racing family, but instead caught the racing bug by seeing it on television.

    “I basically was watching the Daytona or Talladega Cup race and I saw it and said to my parents, ‘Hey, I want to race.’ Hackenbracht said. “I don’t think they took me seriously but they said to come up with different options.”

    “I came up with four-wheelers and go karts and my mom said no to both of them,” Hackenbracht continued. “So, then we saw quarter-midgets and started with that.”

    The young driver has been moving on up the ranks ever since, with his eye eventually on a Truck or Nationwide ride. Like so many others, Hackenbracht definitely sees himself in the Cup Series sometime in the near future, with just the economy standing in his way.

    “I’m in the perfect age range,” Hackenbracht said. “But just the wrong economic time.”

    “In a couple years, you’ll have a lot of rides opening up,” Hackenbracht continued. “But you’ve got to survive until then.”

    Hackenbracht survives with a little help from his friends, particularly those in the Cup garage, as well as good friend and mentor Ron Hornaday, Jr.

    “ARCA is kind of like a big family,” Hackenbracht said. “All the teams work with you.”

    “I’ve got a connection with Ron Hornaday in the Truck garage,” Hackenbracht continued. “He’ll stop in the shop after a race and we’ll talk a little bit.”

    Hackenbracht does follow one particular Cup driver, one in fact that he has inherited from his mother.

    “My mom’s driver is Jeff Gordon,” Hackenbracht said. “I follow him just because of my mom and dad.”

    “But I really like Mark Martin myself,” Hackenbracht continued. “He races hard but he races clean. That’s what I do and what I want to be.”

    In addition to the racers that Hackenbracht follows on the track, he also models himself after the premiere drivers in the sport as far as putting time in at the shop and at the gym. But he does have one other duty that has led to yet another name for the young driver.

    “The guys at the shop call me ‘Sticker Boy’ because I put all the details on the car,” Hackenbracht said. “That’s kind of my thing.”

    Whether you call him ‘Hacken-something’ or ‘Sticker Boy’, Hackenbracht will next be doing his thing in the ARCA Racing Series on Saturday, June 25th in the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts at Winchester Speedway in Indiana.

    “We came to Michigan and showed our performance was no fluke,” Hackenbracht said. “I’m anxious to get to Winchester as I feel we have a shot at our first career win.”

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO DRINK THE FANCY BOTTLE OF WINE AT SONOMA?

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO DRINK THE FANCY BOTTLE OF WINE AT SONOMA?

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be making their annual visit to Sonona-California’s wine country this Sunday for the running of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the Infineon Raceway. Race number 16 on the 2011 season schedule is the first of two road course events.

    [media-credit name=”SaveMart350″ align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]So, who’s going to drink the fancy bottle of wine presented to race winners at Infineon? It’s probably going to be a driver with experience in making sharp, high speed, left and right turns. It’s probably going to be a driver who will not allow those non traditional lefts and rights interfere with his ability to maintain focus.

    It will probably be a driver who has a crew chief comfortable with the process of counting race laps backwards. Because fuel mileage is so critical at this race track, the crew chief will employ the non traditional process of counting the laps beginning at 110 to insure accurate fuel mileage figures.

    It will probably be the driver whose pit crew will not lose a half a second during the stop because they were distracted by the sight of their car arriving in the pit box facing the wrong way. That’s yet another non traditional aspect to racing at this track. Because of the unique pit road entry, the crews will be changing the tires on the driver’s side first. Just the slightest distraction, even a mere one half second, could be catastrophic to track position which will be very difficult to make up on a road course this size.

    At the conclusion of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, the driver will be treated to a glass of some of the best vino from California’s wine country. That’s yet another non traditional aspect to this race.

    CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS FROM WINE COUNTRY

    To get an accurate view of who’s favored to drink the win at Infineon, we again call on the experts from “The Las Vegas Insider”, (LVI), who are well known for their ability to crunch numbers and produce very accurate predictions.

    JEFF GORDON AT 7 TO 2 ODDS.

    We begin with NASCAR’s “Mr. Road Course. When it comes to turning left and right on a race track Jeff Gordon is one of the best in the business and he has the stats to back it up. Gordon leads the Sprint Cup Series’ Infineon stats in wins-5 including three consecutive trips to victory lane from 1998 to 2000. He also leads the series in the categories of top five finishes-11, top tens-14 and most laps led by a race winner-94. Gordon is also very good at qualifying at Infineon. He has a series high five pole wins there and holds the track qualifying record, 94.325 MPH, set in June of 2005.

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on two road courses per year: Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen. Gordon’s combined stats, for road courses, are also chart topping and includes nine wins, 17 top fives and 23 top tens along with an average finish ratio of 11.8. He’s a top notch wager consideration worthy of being on top of the LVI’s list this week.

    JIMMIE JOHNSON AT 9 TO 2 ODDS.

    In June of last year Jimmie Johnson became the latest Infineon wine taster after race leader Marcos Ambrose stalled his engine while trying to save fuel. Many called it a silver platter win, and still do. But, remember, to take advantage of a silver platter opportunity, one must be in position to do so. Johnson and company has a way of often being around at the end of a race and that makes them a worthy wager consideration despite the fact that his career Infineon stats only shows the lone win, three top fives and a finish ratio of 15.6 .

    KYLE BUSCH AND TONY STEWART AT 6 TO 1 ODDS.

    Kyle Busch is a former Infineon winner but has a somewhat roller coaster performance level there with just the lone win, one top five and a finish ratio of 20.2. Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team has been the topic of NASCAR headlines for all of the wrong reasons for several weeks now. Some NASCAR observers may want to believe that these headlines may become a distraction to this driver. Don’t even go there. Whether he’s setting new speed records on a North Carolina country road or taking on the challenge of a road course, anytime Busch puts on his helmet he’s focused.

    Tony Stewart has also earned the right to be called “NASCAR’s Mr. Road Course and, at 6 to 1, he’s an excellent wager consideration. “Smoke” is a two time winner at Infineon with a very healthy average finish ratio of 9.2. His overall road course stats are also very impressive and includes seven wins and a finish ratio of 7.3. Seriously consider this driver as a potential winner this Sunday.

    JUAN PABLO MONTOYA AT 7 TO 1 ODDS.

    With his success in the Indy Racing League and Formula 1 racing it’s only natural that Montoya would be a road racing ringer. His two Sprint Cup wins came on the road courses. There should be no distractions regarding his current contract status with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. It’s anticipated that an announcement regarding a contract extension will be made within the next couple of weeks. This is another strong wager consideration.

    MARCOS AMBROSE AT 8 TO 1 ODDS.

    It’s very likely that this very popular Australian is one of the most prolific road racers among the Sprint Cup drivers. We all remember what happened at Infineon last year. Ambrose, during the final laps of the race, was conserving fuel during a final caution flag by turning his engine off and on. Unfortunately he turned his engine off, while coasting up hill, and the the car stalled. That’s why Jimmie Johnson is the defending race winner. That mistake was quickly dubbed “the blunder from down under” and you can bet Ambrose won’t let that happen again. He’ll be arriving at Infineon believing Infineon Raceway owes him one and he’ll be looking to collect on Sunday.

    KEVIN HARVICK AT 10 TO 1 ODDS.

    Harvick is still looking for his first Sprint Cup win at Infineon but he does have a road course win at Watkins Glen. Harvick has a way of showing up at the end of a race and becoming a major player in the outcome. That’s exactly how he has won three races this year and why everyone now calls him “The Closer.” At 10 to 1 he’s a very worthy long shot consideration.

    Taking a look at the middle tier, of the “Las Vegas Insider’s” ranking this week, you will find the Dodge power of Kurt Busch ranked at 14 to 1.

    The “LVI’s” 16 to 1 ranking is rather interesting because of a pair of possible long shot considerations here. It’s begins with previous race winner Robby Gordon. His road racing prowess is well known and respected but, let the buyer beware. This owner/driver has endured terrible racing luck that has been going on for quite a long time now.

    Also listed at 16 to 1 is Carl Edwards. His driver stats indicates that road racing is not one of this driver’s major strengths. But, let’s face it, it’s Carl Edwards. He’s the series points leader, his momentum is red hot, and he has the power of the FR9 engine under the hood of his Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

    The 18 to 1 category is also interesting featuring road racing ringer Boris Said, driving for owner James Finch, and previous race winner Kasey Kahne who’s determined to give Red Bull Racing another Sprint Cup win during what will possibly be the organization’s final NASCAR season.

    Denny Hamlin, at 20 to 1, will be bringing a lot of momentum to Infineon Raceway coming off of last Sunday’s win at Michigan but the stats indicate road racing isn’t exactly a source of strength. Ranked behind Hamlin is Jamie McMurray, 30 to 1, and Ryan Newman at 35 to 1.

    The “LVI’s” 40 to 1 group includes a group of hard chargers featuring Greg Biffle, Paul Menard, Dale Earnhardt Jr and and Clint Bowyer. At 50 to 1 you will find drivers A J Allmendinger and Andy Lally. Both are successful road racing veterans from other racing series but I don;t know if I would put any money on them in a NASCAR race.

    In the 60 to 1 ranking you will find previous race winner Mark Martin along with Matt Kenseth. Also at the bottom of this week’s list are Brad Keselowski and Jeff Burton, at 75 to 1 and David Ragan at 80 to 1, Martin Truex Jr and Joey Logano are ranked at 100 to 1 while Brian Vickers closes the list at 125 to 1.

    Time for this week’s disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers are for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their events. They would much prefer that you spend your money online at the NASCAR store where you can find those special items such as the Dale Earnhardt Jr bar b que grill covers.

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Toyota/Sav Mart 350 is 110 laps/218.9 miles around the Infineon Raceway’s mammoth 1.99 mile, ten turn, road course.

    The race has 44 entries vying for the 43 starting berths and the winner’s share of the $5.5 million plus purse. Nine of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race.

    The Infineon Raceway opened in 1968. The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held in 1989 and won by Ricky Rudd. Since that time there has been 22 Sprint Cup races there that has sent 14 different winners to victory lane. Chevrolet leads the manufacturers list with ten wins.

    Track position is extremely important at Infineon Raceway and so is qualifying. Five of the 22 races there has been won from the pole position, 14 have been won from the top five and 17 races has been won within the top ten starting berths.

    The Infineon Raceway currently has seating for 47,000 fans but there’s also plenty of room on the grassy hills that surrounds the track for spectators to see a good race. Those grassy areas are carefully maintained by the annual presence of 3,000 sheep.

    Some patchy fog, prior to 11 am, could make Friday’s practice session a little interesting but, other than that, it should be ideal weather conditions for racing. Look for sunny skies and daytime highs of 77 to 80 degrees throughout the weekend.

    The Toyota/Sav Mart 350 will be broadcast live by the TNT Network with the pre race showing beginning at 2 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, June 29th, at 12 pm eastern on SPEED.

  • ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards Returns To Winchester Speedway

    This weekend’s ninth race of the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season marks the return to Winchester after spending three years without going there.

    After success last year and an eighth place finish back in May at Toledo Speedway, Dakoda Armstrong will once again team up with Cunningham Motorsports for the Winchester 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts at Winchester Speedway in Indiana on Saturday.

    Crew Chief Paul Andrew is expecting good things following a test last week at the half-mile, 37-degree banked track.

    “We did have a good test,” said Andrews. “We started with our Salem setup and tuned on it from there. Winchester is very similar to Salem, just much smoother. Our times on the longer runs were very consistent and our mock qualifying lap was good. With the history of the track and all of the laps that Dakoda has on the track, we are hoping for good things.”

    The Newcastle, Indiana native has had success in ARCA before as he was crowned the 2010 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year with two wins – Talladega and Salem.

    This marks the first race for the ARCA Series at Winchester Speedway since 2007.

    “It’s important for the ARCA Racing Series to go back to Winchester Speedway,” ARCA president Ron Drager said. “It’s exactly the type of Midwestern facility where the ARCA brand is well-known and has the chance to be successful. Winchester is big enough and fast enough to play to the very nature of our cars.”

    When Armstrong got the news, he jumped at the opportunity to run it.

    “(I am) excited about racing again at Winchester,” Armstrong said. “I really like the track. After our test last week and the similarities Winchester has to Salem, where we run well, I am expecting a good run.”

    Meanwhile, series veteran Frank Kimmel has a lot of experience at Winchester and leads the series in victories at Winchester with five.

    “Winchester is exactly the kind of track we need to be racing at,” the Indiana,native said. “It’s perfect for these big heavy stock cars, and what a show. I think Winchester is one of the best half-miles in the country, bar none. When it was repaved, I thought it wasn’t going to be as good, but it actually got a lot better. It made a lane in the middle and made it a really racy race track.”

    Racing began at Winchester in 1914 as it was originally a flat half-mile dirt oval, with the banking added in 1922. It would then become an asphalt oval in 1952, followed by a re-paving in 1995.

    “Before they repaved it, it was a lot like Salem where you had really only one good lane to work with – through the middle in one and two and higher up in three and four,” Kimmel said. “But now, you can put the car about anywhere on the track. You can actually pass someone without running them over.”

    The return to Winchester marks the first race at the track on the short track radial tire, which Hoosier introduced in 2008.

    “The speeds will be up,” Kimmel, who sits second in points behind Ty Dillon, said. “The radial is just a better tire than the bias-ply so I’m curious to see how that could affect the outcome.”

    The Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts is a one-day event, with a 90-minute practice session beginning Saturday at 1:45 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will take place at 4:45, with a 45-minute autograph session at 6:45. The 200-lap, 100-mile event begins at 8. Live timing and scoring for all of the events will be featured at ARCARacing.com.

  • Race #4 for NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Vortex Brake Pads 200 at Mosport

    Opening in 1961, Mosport International Raceway is a track that many Canadian motorsports fan know of and have been too. The 10-turn, 2.459-mile road course also has been on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule since the first year in 2007.

    On that first race on June 17, 2007, it was then 20-year-old Andrew Ranger winning the event in just his third stock car start after switching from open-wheel racing. Ranger won the 2009 event, as well, though will not be racing in this year’s event.

    Winning the other two races was JR Fitzpatrick, who will attempt the Road America-Mosport double. On Saturday June 25th, he will run the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America for Go Canada Racing after scoring a top 10 there last year for JR Motorsports. He follow that by running the Vortex Brake Pads 200 on Sunday at Mosport. The Cambridge, Ontario native has led 72 laps on the Mosport road course and is known for how he runs on them as five of his six career wins have come on road courses. So far this year, he has had a successful start to the season, finishing in the top 10 all three races.

    The 10-turn course, though, will pose a chalelnge as according to Robin Buck, series competitor and instructor.

    “The pretty drastic elevation change along with a couple blind turns makes Mosport fairly unique,” Buck, who got his career win earlier this year at Circuit ICAR, said. “It’s a driver’s course, but long straightaway from Moss Corner to The Esses requires horsepower regardless of what kind of car you are in.”

    One of the parts of the track to watch is the Mario Andretti Straightaway.

    “If you have a car that can’t pull up that straightaway, then you’re going to have a long day at Mosport,” Fitzpatrick said.

    Another part of the race to watch will be the pit stops as with this being the longest of the five road courses, it requires at least one pit stop. Once a caution comes out, teams will have a tough decision to make as series rules mandate teams cannot change tires and fuel the car under the same stop.

    “There’s going to be a caution at some point,” veteran driver Kerry Micks said. “The odds of the race going green-white-checkered are pretty slim. So, when a caution does come, you have to decide what’s most important at the time – fuel or tires. Obviously, a fuel stop under green is easier than changing tires but everything depends on those yellows.”

    Last year, Micks scored his best finish ever at Mosport as he finished fifth, well the previous three starts resulted in a high finish of 16th. He has had success on the road courses despite that as he has two road course wins, both coming in 2007.

    Depending on how a driver works the strategy and drives the course will depend if they find success or not. For those who do, it will mean a lot.

    “Practically every racing fan in Canada has heard of Mosport and knows of its history,” defending champion DJ Kennington said. “For sponsors, it’s an easy drive from Toronto. The setting at the track is comfortable. It’s not cramped. All in all, it’s a good setting and if your sponsors are there, then you want to win.”