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  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: NASCAR STOOD TALL DURING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: NASCAR STOOD TALL DURING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

    [media-credit id=38 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The previous Memorial Day weekend was a time for Americans to reflect on those who have served in our country’s Armed Forces in the past as well as those men and women who are defending our quality of life in the present.

    The weekend was also about quality motorsports. Sunday morning began with Formula One Racing’s classic Grand Prix of Monaco. It was followed by the Indy Racing League’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The high powered weekend concluded with NASCAR’s annual running of the Coca Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    For the past several years NASCAR has made it a point to recognize, honor and thank our Armed Forces during their events. However last weekend NASCAR, its drivers, teams, sponsors and the Charlotte Motor Speedway really stood tall during Memorial Day weekend.

    That fact was evident just moments before the start of the Coca Cola 600 when the field was given the command to start their engines, with a great deal of gusto, from Master Sergeant William “Spanky” Gibson. A double tour veteran of Iraq, for the United States Marine Corp, Gibson has been recognized as being the first service member to return to the front lines despite the fact that he lost his leg above the knee.

    In May of 2006 Gibson was on patrol, with his unit in Ramadi-Iraq, when they came under sniper fire. He took a bullet in his left knee but still continued to return fire despite the pain of his serious injury. Upon his return to his home country the news was not good: the injury simply could not be repaired and his left leg had to be replaced with a prosthetic device.

    However Gibson was not ready to say “I quit” yet. He vowed that someday he would rejoin a Marine unit and return to battle. The first thing he had to do was learn to walk again during the course of some intense physical therapy. Once he mastered walking, he taught himself how to run, ski and swim. When Gibson successfully competed in the rugged Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon, that when the Marines realized he was serious and they granted him a return stint to serve in Iraq. He later returned stateside and now works at the Pentagon.

    This amazing story led to Gibson being invited by the Charlotte Motor Speedway to participate in Sunday’s pre race ceremony. Flanked by his parents, along with John Falkenbury, President of the North Carolina Chapter of the USO, Gibson led a highly charged “gentlemen start your engines.”

    His dad, William Gibson Senior, really enjoyed the moment. This gentleman, a Vietnam veteran, was also celebrating his 71st birthday.

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    The Charlotte Motor Speedway also arranged to have the American Veterans Travelling Tribute’s Cost Of Freedom display in their fan zone during the Coca Cola 600 weekend. The center piece of this display was The Travelling Wall, an 80 percent scale version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall located in Washington DC. The wall lists the names of every American casualty from the war just like the original. The speedway also hosted a special ceremony at the wall that honored Congressional Medal Of Honor Recipients.

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    A very special U.S. flag flew over the Charlotte Motor Speedway during their May race weeks. This flag came from Camp Dwyer in Afghanistan, a military base and airfield manned by the Marine Corp. This flag flew at the base in honor of “The CMS Pit Crew”, a group of Charlotte Motor Speedway employees who engage in community outreach projects to “help people get back on track.” The CMS Pit Crew supports 55 members of the Marine Corps’ Air Control Squadron Two, Bravo Detachment, in Afghanistan by sending them needed personal items from home. One of the recipients of these special packages is Marine Cpl Terry McKee Jr, the son of Susan McKee the Human Resources Manager at the Speedway.

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    The Charlotte weekend also saw the presence of the “Troops To The Tracks” initiative, a collaboration between NASCAR and the Armed Forces Foundation. This special organization recognizes and hosts Armed Forces members at NASCAR races through out the year. “Troops To The Tracks” provides over 100 wounded service members, or service members in jobs that are particularly emotional and physically demanding, an opportunity to get away from he challenges they face each day with an exclusive, VIP-style, NASCAR race day experience. Last weekend the program, and the speedway, played host to members from the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command headquartered at Fort Bragg-North Carolina.

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    In support of of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr Jill Biden’s “Joining Forces” initiative, launched last April, NASCAR and Walmart joined forces and recently produced a public service announcement, (PSA), to be featured on the in store networks of 500 plus Walmart stores. Produced by the NASCAR Media Group, the PSA features drivers Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Parker Kligerman along with the First Lady. The PSA calls on race fans and store customers to recognized the needs of our military families. Viewers are directed to www.joiningforces.gov for information. The PSA made its official debut during Memorial Day weekend and will continue to run throughout the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

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    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ drivers, teams and sponsors also stood tall in support of our troops over the previous Memorial Day weekend. Tommy Baldwin Racing, who fields the #36 Chevrolet for driver Dave Blaney, joined their primary sponsor, Golden Corral Restaurants, in support of the Disabled American Veterans, (DAV).

    Golden Corral has a long standing relationship with the DAV. Every November they host Military Appreciation Monday, held on the Monday following Veterans Day. The program features a free “thank you meal” to anyone who has served in the U.S. military. Golden Corral also collects donations for the DAV through November. Last year the restaurant chain served 375,000 free meals and collected approximately $1 million in donations. In the ten year history of the program they have treated 2.9 million veterans to dinner and collected over $5 million for the DAV.

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    During last Sunday’s Coca Cola 600, Jimmie Johnson’s #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet had a special paint scheme promoting Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores, the team’s primary sponsor, and their “Summer Salute Program.” The program encourages race fans to salute our troops by visiting www.LowesRacing.com/Summer Salute.

    Throughout the summer the Hendrick Motorsports cars driven by Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr will run special promotions thanking soldiers who put their lives on line for America.

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    Michael Waltrip Racing, and their #00 Toyota driven by David Reutimann, threw their support behind the Armed Forces Foundation. Their message encouraged race fans to text AFF to 50555 from any cell phone to make a $5 donation to the Armed Forces Foundation. This group is dedicated to the needs of active duty,retired personnel, National Guard, reserve components and their loved ones.

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    Richard Childress Racing’s #29 Chevrolet, driven by Coca Cola 600 winner Kevin Harvick, supported their sponsor last Sunday by promoting the Budweiser “Here’s To The Heroes” campaign which benefits the Folds Of Honor Foundation. This organization provides post-secondary scholarships for families of U.S. military personnel killed or disabled while serving their country.

    Budweiser is also using their professional ties with baseball to support this worthy cause. They will be donating $100 for every home run hit during the 2011 Major League Baseball season to the Folds Of Honor Foundation. There’s also plans to donate a portion of their retail sales, during the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July, in an effort to raise $2 million for the foundation.

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    While NASCAR spent last weekend honoring our troops, the Armed Forces spent this past Friday night honoring NASCAR. That happened on board the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York where NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France was in attendance to accept the 2011 Intrepid Salute Award in recognition of NASCAR’s support of the military, business achievements and important philanthropic activities. France joined George Bodenheimer, President of ESPN Inc and ABC Sports, in being the first two sports personalities to be bestowed with the honor since the award program was founded in 1992.

    In accepting the award France said “it’s an honor to accept this award on behalf of NASCAR , our drivers, teams and tracks who have all been ardent supporters of active and retired members of our nation’s Armed Forces since our sport’s inception. Accepting this award will be especially humbling knowing that U.S. service men and women from around the world tune into NASCAR races each week as a respite from their ongoing service to our country. NASCAR has a long history of supporting active troops and veterans and we remain particularly proud to be a lead partner in recruiting young people into the Armed Forces.”

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    While having special days set aside, such as Memorial and Veterans Day, to honor our nation’s service men and women are very appropriate, we really don’t have to wait for a special date on the calendar to say thank you to them. NASCAR and their race teams performs this valuable service every weekend.

    The next time you encounter a member of our Armed Forces in uniform, on any given day of the year, just walk up to them and thank them for their service. You might be surprised how special that simple gesture will make you feel.

  • NASCAR Indeed Tried To Benefit Jr; Still Lost

    NASCAR Indeed Tried To Benefit Jr; Still Lost

    I’m just at a loss for words over what happened at the end of the Coca Cola 600 on Sunday night. It was a great race throughout, but yet another controversy has sprung up that takes all the excitement out of the finish. Does NASCAR really think we’re that stupid?

    Well given the fact that NASCAR will never win because the fans will complain of anything regardless…but that doesn’t answer the question of whether NASCAR purposefully let the race continue so that Jr. could break his winless drought. As sad as it is to announce as it is to type, NASCAR got busted on this one and badly. Earlier in the race we had a caution for a flipping beer can on the track, but debris spewing from Brad Keselowski wasn’t dangerous? Now, I’m one of those fans that just wants to see the drivers race and to be perfectly honest, I’m sick of these stupid cautions stacking up the field, but that usually never happens.

    I got into a heated discussion with a fellow NASCAR reporter and her answer was the typical, “There is no proof. It is all assumption.” Well, I hate to break the news to you, but was there any proof that Fidel Castro had his opposition killed during his re-election campaigns? No, but the fact that every time a news report had something positive about his opponent mysteriously the next morning they would be reported missing and never heard from again. Also, I must add that in 2005, NASCAR assumed that Kurt Busch wrecked Michael Waltrip on purpose at Martinsville. He did not. He simply overdrove the corner. NASCAR has done its fair share of “assumptions.”

    Speaking of Michael Waltrip, NASCAR assumed he flipped off Robby Gordon at New Hampshire. Aghhhh. Nope. It turns out Mikey was just hot and waving his hand to get some fresh air and after an appeal of the huge fine he had received, NASCAR gave in.

    NASCAR was going to look bad either way coming out of that race. I would have thrown the caution due to the debris that was being thrown out and for the safety of the drivers. We all think back to 2004 at Dover when the leader Kasey Kahne ran over oil and smacked the wall while striving for his first victory. Speaking of which…he caused all of this. Ahem…back to the topic.

    NASCAR looked bad by not throwing the caution out and if they threw the caution after the white flag, it would have become obvious. Not throwing the yellow would have appeared less obvious, but still obvious. And little did they know, Jr. was going to run out of fuel either way. Just think about it, caution for beer can, no caution for debris + 2 car incident + Kahne out of fuel. Once again I call for NASCAR to be more consistent on its rulings and not just for the benefit of the most popular driver.

    There is a rule saying also that you have to maintain pace car speed in order to win the race under yellow, but in 2008 Jr. didn’t do that. He was actually out of fuel, so NASCAR spoon fed to him his last victory. So really what we have is a driver who has not won in over 184 races if you don’t count his Budweiser Shootout victory in 2008.

    Look guys, we can’t blame Jr. for him being treated like Prince William. NASCAR isn’t treating every driver the same and it is wrong. I demand a change; otherwise expect more empty seats. Fans want to see a fair race, not a fixed one; Jr. fan or not.

    NASCAR was served justice when Jr. ran out of fuel.

    The comments and opinions expressed in this article are not representative of this web site, its publishers or sponsors.

    Send your comments to my email: therhino.ryan@gmail.com, Facebook or twitter, http://www.twitter.com/Ryan__OHara

    Happy Memorial Day to everyone!

  • The Coca Cola 600; ‘The most valuable resource is the human resource’

    The Coca Cola 600; ‘The most valuable resource is the human resource’

    The Coca Cola 600 is the longest race of the year. It was also the hottest race of the year so far. It is always a test of patience and endurance, not only for equipment but for the drivers as well. As a rule the 600 boasts an exciting beginning and exciting end with a nap in between. But this year was different. They raced from the green flag to the checkers. They raced from 1st to 31st.

    The race has had people scratching their heads why was this one different? Why was this race so good and the others this year were merely luke warm. Was it the tradition? Was it the track? Was it being at home in front of family and friends? No doubt all of those things played a part but perhaps the real difference came not in the 600 but a week before in the All Star Race.

    When we look at the competition level we find that teams that made no bones about the fact that they were testing in the All Star Race, excelled. Drivers that up to this point in the season seemed snake bit had cars that they could count on. Cars that were stable and predictable, maybe not through the whole race but they could be adjusted on pit stops and the driver put back in the hunt. These cars were fast, really fast. They had speed that didn’t disappear after a 150 laps, but was there in the end as well.

    The Sprint Cup boys had their best driving shoes on and their very best fire suits. They made the Indy 500 look drawn out and over hyped. They did what they do best. They RACED from green flag to checkers. The winner wouldn’t be decided until the tri-oval out of 4. Sadly, the race ended with fuel mileage deciding the winner. But it wasn’t a typical fuel mileage race either. It was a barn burner that wouldn’t be extinguished until long after the checker flag waved.

    What was the difference? They tested the week before. They took 100 laps of no points racing and turned it in to a test session. Crew chiefs took notes engineers made changes the week before the 600 was perhaps the busiest week of the season because they had functional information that was acquired in real time by their driver and their team at a real track. It was not computer simulated. It was not a projected forecast. It was real information. In team meetings engine people could talk to drivers about feel and need. Chassis designers and engineers could actually quiz a driver on feel reaction what did they have? What did they need? What did they want? What do we need to change to make this a winning car? The drivers could answer the questions. They had raced the cars. They had gone up against Carl Edwards and the Roush/Yates FR9. They had experience with 4 sticker tires on the green flag. They had real time real life information.

    They say knowledge is the greatest weapon that man kind can possess. In this case it was proven true. This scenario and its outcome proved that as Tony Stewart said, “Technology can do wonderful things for us off the track but it can really hurt us on the track.” This race proved him right. This race wasn’t about computer programs or simulation engineers. This was old school driver input combined with engineers and technology and the result was a winner.

    NASCAR will say it was the feel of being at home, of sleeping in their own beds. But that doesn’t explain the cars consistency and speed. It doesn’t explain why a team that has struggled to stay out of their own way suddenly is a top 10 team. It doesn’t explain why suddenly in the longest race of the year drivers were willing to drive it in deep and floor it up off and continually go three and four abreast. That is called confidence. That didn’t come from a crew a chief who is a dynamic salesman. That came from experience and being a part of the big picture. That confidence came from having tested the cars. From having the information and being a part of the overall set up. They knew what the car would do. They had been here before. Rusty Wallace, the week before had stated that, “The elimination of testing has been the biggest blow to our sport in my opinion, than anything else.” The 600 proved him right.

    It’s time for NASCAR to take a long look at the overall status of competition and listen to the fans. Surrey racing is not entertaining. Follow the leader racing is not competitive. 2 hours of run away train is boring. But if you give them time to put it out there and work on it. If you put the human element back in the equation what you have is what is missing from the series….Racing.

    The Coca Cola 600 was without a doubt the surprise of the year. It was one of the very best races we have had in 2011. It wasn’t just a great finish. It was a great race. From Green Flag to Checkers the boys of summer took us back to a better day, when men drove machines to the very edge of the envelope lap after lap and even though we sat on the other side of the TV or the fence they took us with them. It was what made racing a household word. It evidenced that “The most valuable resource is the human resource.” There is no substitution for the fan in the stands or the driver in the seats. The driver in the seat knows what it takes to make the car go fast and race it to the end. The fans know what constitutes a great race. Hopefully the Coca Cola 600 will show NASCAR that real world can be better than virtual reality.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Congratulations to Matt Kenseth on his NNS victory in replacement of Trevor Bayne in the 16 Jack Roush Fastenal Ford Mustang. Bayne will return to competition this week at Chicagoland Speedway.

    Congratulations to Kevin Harvick on his Sprint Cup Win in the Coca Cola 600. It was a great show of perseverance from Kevin and his RCR Budweiser Chevy team.

    Congratulations to Dan Wheldon on his Indy 500 victory.

    I feel it necessary here to congratulate J.R. Hildebrand on his Indy 500 effort. It was a gallant effort and an incredible performance. You proved you can win the Indy 500. Your presence of mind to stand on the gas in what was left of the car was proof positive that you have what it takes. Yours will come.

    Also congratulations to Dale Earnhardt Jr and his National Guard/Amp Energy, HMS team lead by Steve Letarte. Earlier in the season you said you wanted to be viewed as relevant again. You have achieved that. You said you wanted to be a contender for race wins again. You have achieved that. You came up a turn and a half short of achieving the next of the goals you cited, winning a race. You have come a long way. Congratulations on a heroic performance and effort.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings Analytics – After Race 12

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings Analytics – After Race 12

    The announcement of a change to the distribution of points across NASCAR national series sparked debate among even the most conservative NASCAR fans.  One of the explanations behind the change was to develop a more dramatic points battle to increase fan interest.

    A debate arose over the fact that a quick calculation would show that very little, if anything, would change in the final championship standings. In fact, even among the more common point distributions across all major racing series, by the end of the season there did not appear to be much of a difference in the order of the final standings.

    Here, I shall contend that debate with weekly comparisons across the three most commonly mentioned distributions, plus my own personal points schedule designed to reward both race winners and consistent high finishes.

    On the left side of the standings is the difference between where they stand in actual Sprint Cup Standings and their position in the respective system.

    Classic Points System – Standings After Race 12

    For the most part, the top ten remains relatively unchanged. Carl Edwards continues to have a sizable lead, while the changes in points position after the Coca-Cola 600 mirror their real life counterparts. Perhaps the biggest losers under the old system would be A.J. Allmendinger as he would drop three spots to sixteenth in the standings.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: None really… as we move forward in the season it is becoming apparent that there is little, if any difference, between the two point distributions.

    Changes to Chase Field: NONE

    F1 System – Standings After Race 12

    Edwards retains the the championship lead with a sizable advantage, this time over second place runner Kyle Busch. As the F1 points system rewards higher finishes, specifically those within the Top 3, it becomes apparent that those with the most Top 5s appear near the top of the standings.

    Notable Driver without points: Jeff Burton

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Regan Smith (+15), Jeff Gordon (+9), Marcos Ambrose (+8), Tony Stewart (-8), Kurt Busch (-9), A.J. Allmendinger (-9)

    Changes to Chase Field: Marcos Ambrose (IN), Regan Smith (IN), Trevor Bayne (IN), Kurt Busch (OUT), Tony Stewart (OUT), Greg Biffle (OUT)

    IndyCar System – Standings After Race 12

    Carl Edwards again leads the standings over Kyle Busch with yet another sizable margin. The drivers who account for half of the race wins this season easily hold the top three spots in points over fourth place Jimmie Johnson. The Top Five as a whole account for nine of the total twelve race wins from the 2011 season.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Regan Smith (+9), Jeff Gordon (+8), Kasey Kahne (+6), Greg Biffle (-6), A.J. Allmendinger (-6), Jeff Burton (-8)

    Changes to Chase Field: Denny Hamlin (IN), Regan Smith (IN), Tony Stewart (OUT), Greg Biffle (OUT)

    Phat’s System – Standings After Race 12

    For an explanation of the points distribution, please see consult table below standings. This distribution is designed to reward race winners, while also rewarding those who run well every week.

    This time Edward’s lead over Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick is not as insurmountable as in the other systems. There is still a considerable gap from fifth on back as the order of the standings experiences a high amount of shuffling.

    Notable changes in position compared to current system: Regan Smith (+9), Jeff Gordon (+7), Kasey Kahne (+7), A.J. Allmendinger (-6), David Reuitmann (-6), Jeff Burton (-9)

    Changes to Chase Field: Denny Hamlin (IN), Regan Smith (IN), Ryan Newman (OUT), Greg Biffle (OUT)

  • Pastrana-Waltrip Racing to go on limited schedule after Chicago

    Pastrana-Waltrip Racing to go on limited schedule after Chicago

    Pastrana-Waltrip Racing announced Tuesday afternoon that they will be going on a limited schedule after the upcoming race at Chicagoland Speedway.  They will race at least eight more events this season, but will need sponsorship to add additional events. Rookie Ryan Truex Jr. will be in the car at Chicago.

    [media-credit id=2 align=”alignleft” width=”229″][/media-credit]Team co-owner and executive vice president of PWR Blake Bechtel said that the team will entertain more sponsorship opportunities and would rather race a full-time schedule.

    “This isn’t a performance decision, it is an economic decision,” Bechtel said.  “We started the year with a 10-race commitment to Ryan Truex, a seven race commitment to Travis and the race in Montreal with Patrick.  We believed we could fill in the open races but it is now time to make the very difficult decision to limit the liabilities.

    “We have a great partner with Michael Waltrip Racing and our employees will be redeployed in other areas of the company while PWR is not racing.  The other silver lining is that we know we are going to race in 2012 with Travis, so this is a transitional period.

    “Ryan is really starting to mature in the seat and the team is starting to jell with great runs at Richmond and Dover.  He deserves to run every week so that he can keep getting that valuable experience.  We will entertain and pursue other opportunities so that we may race more than the existing commitments.”

    Travis Pastrana will still race in seven races for the team this season in the Nationwide Series, the first race being July 30 at Lucas Oil Speedway Indianapolis.  He will also race in September at Richmond, in Dover and Kansas in October, and in Texas, Phoenix and Homestead in November. Boost Mobile, Samsung Mobile and KMC Wheels will sponsor Pastrana in those races.

    Patrick Carpentier will race for the team in Montreal with sponsorship from NAPA Auto Parts.

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Coca Cola 600

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Coca Cola 600

    After exceptionally exciting finishes in the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day, all signs pointed to a stellar finish in one of NASCAR’s biggest races of the season. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]Surprising: With several of the sport’s biggest races won by first-timers this season, including Trevor Bayne’s story book win at the Daytona 500 and Regan Smith’s unpredicted win at Darlington, it was a bit surprising that no first time winner stood in Victory Lane after the Coke 600.

    One driver, however, came mighty close. David Ragan, who had snagged the Showdown win to make it into the All-Star Race the weekend before, almost pulled off his own Cinderella-like story, falling short of the win by just one position.

    Ragan, in his No. 6 UPS “We Love Logistics” Ford, finished second, scoring his highest career finish in the Coca Cola 600.

    “We had a strong car all day,” Ragan said. “That’s a finish that we deserved, but we just went about doing it the hard way.”

    Not Surprising:  After all those laps and all those miles, it was not surprising to see the Coca Cola 600 come down to a green, white checkered finish. And it was equally unsurprising to see one driver that is becoming well-known for his stealth finishes to come from nowhere and snag another victory.

    Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Armed Forces Tribute Chevrolet, did just that to lead the last 400 feet of the race and take the checkered flag for his fifth top 10 and second top five in 21 starts at Charlotte.

    “We were lucky,” Harvick said. “It’s nothing against the race track, I just don’t like racing here. But to be in Victory Lane, it says a lot about this Budweiser team.”

    “This is a huge accomplishment for us,” Harvick continued, admitting that he had struggled with his car and team throughout the race. “This is a hell of a race to win. We’re going to celebrate it like it’s our last one.”

    Surprising:  After leading the race on the final lap, seeing the checkered flag, and then running out of gas, it was surprising how positive Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was after the race. Junior limped to the finish line on fumes to finish seventh in his No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet.

    Echoing his ever upbeat crew chief Steve Letarte, Earnhardt, Jr. said, “I’m disappointed we didn’t win, but if we would’ve won, it would have been a gift.”

    “We ran good tonight,” Junior continued. “I’m proud.”

    Not Surprising: In contrast to the positive, proud vibes in the Dale Jr. camp, it was not surprising that there was a whole lot of swearing going on in his teammate Jimmie Johnson’s camp. In fact, crew chief Chad Knaus dropped the F-bomb on national television when Johnson’s engine expired with just five laps to go in the race.

    This was the first engine failure for Hendrick Motorsports this season and it forced Johnson to a 28th place finish in his No. 48 Lowes Summer Salutes Chevrolet. Johnson also fell one spot, from second to third, in the point standings.

    Surprising:  Although the Coca Cola 600 is the longest race of the season, it was surprising to see the number of engine failures that occurred. In addition to Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart all experienced engine issues.

    For Jamie McMurray, behind the wheel of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shop/Convoy of Hope for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, this engine failure signified the sixth of the season for the ECR engine builders.

    “It started shaking and one second later, it was ‘boom,’” McMurray said.

    Hamlin, on the other hand, was able to recover after his engine issues, with his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota team doing a yeoman’s job of changing out the carburetor. Hamlin managed a top ten finish, which boosted him into the top twelve Chase contenders.

    Stewart also suffered engine woes in the waning laps of the race, radioing crew chief Darian Grubb that something was amiss with less than 20 laps to go. Stewart, in his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, finished 17th, scoring his 10th top-20 finish to date.

    Not Surprising:  In addition to engine woes, it was not surprising that many other teams were plagued with other types of mechanical problems, from overheating to radio problems.

    Greg Biffle, behind the wheel of the No. 16 3M Ford, seemed ready to implode from overheating issues in his car early in the race. Biffle was, however, able to overcome, rallying back to lead laps at the end. Unfortunately, he too succumbed to not having enough gas, having to make a splash and go stop at the end, which relegated him to a 13th place finish.

    Jeff Gordon, piloting the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, also struggled and battled radio issues early in the race. Gordon too looked strong at the end of the show, only to have to pit for gas as well. Gordon finished 20th, falling two positions to 16th in the point standings.

    Surprising:  Serving as a substitute driver for Trevor Bayne and making his Cup debut, it was surprising how well Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. did in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford. Stenhouse, Jr. managed to bring his car home in the 11th position even after having several close encounters with the wall.

    “That was interesting,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I hit the wall a couple of times, the caution came back out and it worked great for us.”

    “I’m just glad I got this opportunity.”

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising that after Stenhouse, Jr. and Bayne prayed together before the race, Bayne playfully pushed his friend out of the way and tried to get behind the wheel of his race car. After five weeks of being out of his car due to a mystery illness, Bayne was most certainly chomping at the bit to get back to racing.

    Bayne reinforced that desire by tweeting after the race, “This was by far the hardest weekend to sit back and watch! Can’t wait to be back in action!!”

    Surprising:  In the battle of the Busch brothers, it was surprising that this weekend Kurt Busch prevailed, finishing fourth in his Shell/Pennzoil No. 22 Dodge, while baby brother Kyle took a wild ride through the grass and then another spin, finishing 32nd in his No. 18 M&Ms Toyota.

    “The race was 600 miles and it felt like 800,” Dave Rogers, Busch’s crew chief, said. “Kyle was trying to make something out of nothing and it got away from him. We ended our day a little early.”

    Not Surprising:  Not surprisingly, one driver who never expected to even make the show captured the true spirit of the Memorial Day race weekend. David Starr, behind the wheel of the No. 95 Jordan Truck Sales.com Ford Fusion crashed early in the race, finishing 36th. Yet this is what he had to say.

    “This was a great weekend,” Starr said. “I’m just honored and blessed to be driving this Ford Fusion.”

    “It was awesome out there,” Starr continued. “It was a big honor to race in the Coca Cola 600 even though it ended up like this. I’m really blessed.”

  • David Ragan’s Turnaround Continues with Runner-up Effort in Charlotte

    David Ragan’s Turnaround Continues with Runner-up Effort in Charlotte

    Last year Jack Roush stated he believed in Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and that was going to stick with him. It paid off as the results have started to show and have continued early into the 2011 Nationwide Series. Now another Roush driver, David Ragan, is experiencing that same fortune in the Sprint Cup Series.

    [media-credit name=”Greg Arthur” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The Georgia driver, who has struggled to be a contender since his rookie season where he finished 13th in points, won’t be cut loose anytime soon. Roush likes what he sees and believes Ragan can and will become a winner. After 12 races in 2011, it appears Ragan’s heading in the right direction with his No. 6 UPS team after another solid performance on Sunday night in Charlotte.

    After 600 long miles, which would end up coming down to fuel strategy, Ragan came home with a runner-up finish, which he knows he was lucky to have received. Believing he had a top-four car and escaping the melee on the backstretch with two laps to go, Ragan was one of the few drivers who didn’t want to see the caution flag come out.

    “When you’ve got four fresh tires and you’re full of fuel, you can be aggressive on those restarts and just very lucky to get through Turn 1 without getting wrecked,” said Ragan. “I don’t know which one of the Red Bull cars was on the outside, but he ran out [of fuel] getting into [turn] 1, it was just barely enough room.”

    The right front fender on the No. 6 ended up bent in after final restart when as Ragan said cars started running out of fuel and blocked the track. According to Ragan the fender wouldn’t have made it very far if the race continued any further than it did. Instead, being in the right place at the right time resulted in not only his best finish of the season but the best of his career.

    “We had a strong car all day,” Ragan said. “Got the finish that we deserved, but we just went about doing it the hard way.”

    Ragan did indeed have a strong car. Along with his Roush-Fenway Racing teammates he spent much of the night up in the front and led seven laps. His Ford Fusion stayed out of trouble and was around near the end of the race and nearly won at Charlotte in a race that would have counted. Last Saturday night, Ragan blistered the track in Sprint Showdown qualifying to win the pole then backed it up by winning the race.

    The win put the team into the Sprint All-Star race where he finished eighth. While the events didn’t count for points it counted in the performance column. There’s no denying that Ragan has come a long way and his turnaround has caught earned attention, so much so that many in the sport believe he could be NASCAR’s next new winner.

    “I feel great about the rest of the season,” Ragan said Sunday night. “We’ve just been inconsistent. We’ve had some fast cars. We’ve run well.  Certainly this race is a great race.  It’s a great momentum builder, but if we go to Kansas and blow up and finish last and then we go to the next race and wreck and finish 30th, we’re going to be back where we’re at.”

    Ragan’s inconsistencies landed him 21st entering the Coca-Cola 600. Yet, he could have started the year in victory lane in another big race, the Daytona 500. Had it not been for a changing lanes violation on the final restart, there’s only speculation of what could have been.

    Since then he’s done his best to show his strong practice sessions and qualifying efforts are no fluke. He now has four top finishes and has moved to 18th in points, just 40 markers out of the top-10. He has one pole under his belt and respectable finishes at some of the toughest tracks on the circuit. He knows that it’s just a start.

    “We’ve got to put some finishes together,” said Ragan. “We’ve got to string some top 5s and top 10s week after week after week, and that’s what’s going to turn our season around.  This was a great race, very proud of our team, and hopefully we moved up a few spots in points and gained some momentum.

    But we’ve got to let it do its thing from here on out.  We just can’t look back at this one and hope this is going to carry us.  We’ve got to go get it done next week and the following.”

  • NASCAR’s David Ragan and IZOD IndyCar series JR Hildebrand Have One Thing In Common

    NASCAR’s David Ragan and IZOD IndyCar series JR Hildebrand Have One Thing In Common

    When ABC television’s Wide World of Sports first coined the phrase, “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” some 40 years ago.  You could almost hear the voice of the late Jim McKay, bellowing out that saying when two of motorsports biggest races of the year were lost because of driver error.

    Think back to the last time in the history of motorsports when two young winless drivers in the same year have come so close to victory in the season’s biggest spectacles, but yet were unable to close the deal while millions of fans watched in amazement.

    On one side of the spectrum you have a driver who is in his seventh season racing in NASCAR’s premiere series who has never won a Sprint Cup race, and on the other side a rookie driver who was making only his eighth start in the IZOD IndyCar Series, his fifth this season.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Roush-Fenway driver David Ragan, could feel the electricity running through his body as he waited patiently for the green flag to drop on the first of what would be two green-white-checkered finishes.

    Ragan who led the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 twice for seven laps, would not be around for the last and final green-white-checkered restart. Instead fate would deal him a different hand, and ultimately take away any chances of him winning his first ever Sprint cup race in 147 career starts.

    In the blink of an eye Ragan threw away his best opportunity at winning not only NASCAR’s biggest race of the season, but also the chance to become Roush-Fenway Racing’s second driver to ever win the 500 behind Matt Kenseth who went to victory in 2009.

    Ragan, who was leading the race at the time took the green flag after a late race caution outside of eventual winner Trevor Bayne, and changed lanes before he reached the start/finish line. Unfortunately for Ragan, he violated section 10-2 of the Sprint Cup Series rule book with the move and was black-flagged.

    Ragan would restart the race in the 15th position after serving his pass through penalty, and would eventually finish a disappointing 14th. “It was tough to swallow,” Ragan said after the race.

    Ragan also added that, “Who knows what would have happened in that next lap? We had a top-five car and we didn’t finish in the top five, so that’s a bummer. We had a car that could’ve won the Daytona 500. We were sitting in position and just didn’t do it.”

    Three months later and the racing gods would strike again, but this time it would involve a driver who was trying to make history as the second rookie to ever win the Indianapolis 500. In 2002 it was Helio Castroneves who became the first Indianapolis 500 rookie driver to win both rookie of the year honors, along with the race.

    On the day of the centennial running of the Great American Race, rookie driver JR Hildebrand was only one corner away from matching Castroneves historical feat, and putting his name in the record books next to one of the series greatest drivers ever.

    Hildebrand just like Ragan could almost feel the thrill of victory, and in a quick instant the agony of defeat slapped him with a dose of reality. Instead Hildebrand’s second place finish would go down as one of the sport’s most heartbreaking finishes, when he crashed on the last corner while leading the race.

    Hildebrand was coming out of turn three and headed into four, when he came behind a slower car and decided to go around it and lost control when hit the marbles and crashed hard into the wall.

    In that split second gone was the Borg-Warner trophy along with the customary drink of milk that every driver dreams of when the month of May comes around, and the only thing left were the remnants of what could have been the biggest motorsports story of the year.

    “I caught him [Charlie Kimball] at just the wrong time,” said Hildebrand when talking about the crash after the race. Hildebrand also added that, “I went to the high side because I didn’t want to slow down too much, I got up in the marbles and that was it.”

    Emotions play a huge role when a victory is on the line, but even more when it includes the biggest and most important race of the season. Along with the victory comes the respect from your fellow competitors, as well as the endorsements and the praise from the fans knowing that on that one special day you had what it took to be victorious.

    Unfortunately for Ragan and Hildebrand, that special day turned into a day of disaster and disappointment. Ragan knew it all too well when he said, “I feel like I know the rules and understand ’em as good as anyone, but I just kind of let my emotions take over and I just didn’t make the right moves when it counted.”

    40 years later and the phrase will be instilled in the minds of Ragan and Hildebrand, “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,”

  • Two final turn passes complete exciting Sunday for race fans

    Two final turn passes complete exciting Sunday for race fans

    The diehard racing fans were treated well on Sunday with two, dramatic final lap passes. And when I say final lap, I actually mean passes coming out of the final turn.

    In Indianapolis, it was an error that will surely have JR Hildebrand kicking himself for years to come. Hildebrand found himself a few inches out of the main grove in turn four while trying to pass a lapped car as he was leading. Hildebrand’s No. 4 National Guard car smashed into the outside wall, with Dan Wheldon charging from seconds back to pass Hildebrand’s crumbled car less than 600 feet from the start finish line.

    Hildebrand finished second. Disappointing is an understatement.

    In Charlotte, it was a case of coming up less than a half lap short of fuel.

    [media-credit name=”Greg Author” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the crowd going nuts when he restarted at the head of the field in a green-white-checkered finish.

    Kasey Kahne, who started on the outside of Earnhardt on the restart, ran out of gas, causing a major pileup as Earnhardt drove away to near certain victory.

    Earnhardt, who, like Hildebrand, drove for the National Guard on Sunday, looked as though he was two laps away from breaking a 104 race winless streak.

    Earnhardt led at the white flag, one lap away from the win. Earnhardt continued to lead on the backstretch.

    Earnhardt ran out of gas.

    As Earnhardt’s fuel tank finally emptied, Kevin Harvick, in his familiar “where the hell did he come from” fashion, sped by Earnhardt to take the checkers.

    Earnhardt finished seventh.

    And, for the second time that day, America and the world watched a driver lose two of the year’s biggest races on the final turn.

    While a win for Earnhardt and Hildebrand would have seemed to be a perfect fit on Memorial Day weekend as they carried their National Guard colors. But it just wasn’t meant to be.

    Still, more wins are sure to come for both drivers. And the nation’s heroes were able to see their drivers contend for a win on the world’s largest racing stages and they were treated to some of the best races either series has to offer.

  • A Memorial Day To Remember: The 52nd Coca-Cola 600

    A Memorial Day To Remember: The 52nd Coca-Cola 600

    The Coca-Cola 600 is a race where sometimes the strangest things can happen. You could be dominating the race at one point, and then you are fighting with everything you got just to stay on the lead lap. It could be that you’re cutting off the motor, trying desperately to conserve precious fuel, and you run out. That’s what the great races in any series will do to you. And it is no different in NASCAR’s longest race.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photos” align=”alignleft” width=”275″][/media-credit]
    Kevin Harvick passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming out of the final turn of the Coca-Cola 600 after Earnhardt ran out of gas.
    Kevin Harvick only led two laps in the 52nd Coca-Cola 600, but that didn’t matter. Harvick was able to get by the fan favorite, Dale Earnhardt Jr., after Earnhardt ran out of gas going down the backstretch on the final lap. Harvick, who coming into the race had only one top ten finish at Charlotte, said that this was his worst race track on the Sprint Cup Series schedule.

    David Ragan was able to stay up towards the front of the field all night long and finished a career high second. Many people, including myself, thought this would be a prime opportunity for Ragan to pick up his first Cup win, but it just wasn’t meant to be for the Georgia native.

    Carl Edwards appeared as though he was going to run away with another Charlotte race as he dominated the first one hundred miles of the race; however, when the night time struck the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Scott’s Ford fell through the field and ended the night 16th. When the track turned to dusk and dark, Matt Kenseth looked like the driver that was able to keep his car handling well through the day to night transition. Kenseth was the leader two-thirds through the300 mile race, until a late race “splash and dash” forced Matt to go a lap down. He would later get a lucky dog to return to the lead lap group of cars, but finished a disappointing 14th.

    Jimmie Johnson’s streak of leading at least one lap in eighteen straight races at Charlotte came to an end Sunday night when his Lowe’s Chevrolet blew an engine with just four laps remaining. Johnson joined Jamie McMurray and Michael McDowell as drivers to suffer engine woes in the marathon race. Other notable drivers to be caught up in trouble were Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Burton.

    After all the bad luck in the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day for Roger Penske, Sunday night more than made up for it.

    Brad Keselowski started on the pole and lead early. Brad stayed up near the front of the pack all night long and looked poised for a top five, or even a win. That was until Kasey Kahne ran out of fuel right in front of Keselowski on the final restart of the night.

    Kurt Busch must have ignored what he said earlier in the week about not talking on the radio as his car seemed to get better as the race went on. For the first time in a while, Busch’s car looked like it had speed to it which proved beneficial as he finished fourth.

    You never know what you will get when you get to Coke 600 time. Sometimes you get a wreck fest. Sometimes the race really does feel like you’re watching 600 miles. Sunday we saw a little bit of both. But in the end, we saw a finish for the ages.

    And that folks is why you never leave a NASCAR race until the checkered flag falls.

    Next up: STP 400 at Kansas