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  • NASCAR’s Wish For Race Track in New York Area Finally A Reality…Sort Of

    NASCAR’s Wish For Race Track in New York Area Finally A Reality…Sort Of

    Gary BuchananFor years, NASCAR has been trying to site a track in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut metro area without success.
    But there finally is a race track in the area, although it might not be exactly what the NASCAR had in mind.

    Pole Position, an indoor karting track, recently opened in Jersey City, New Jersey, bringing racing of at least some sort to one of the country’s biggest markets. While a ‘road course’ for electric open wheel go karts, Pole Position is chock full of NASCAR references.

    For example, a giant picture of Trevor Bayne celebrating his Daytona 500 victory is displayed on the outside of the massive racing facility. Bayne was one of the first guests at the facility introducing it to the world by racing Robin Roberts on ‘Good Morning America.’

    Another NASCAR past champion Kurt Busch is also involved with the Pole Position brand nationally. In fact, Pole Position’s Co-Owner Eyal Farage advised that Busch was the witness during the signing of their franchise paperwork that paved the way for the Jersey City track location.

    “He was the witness,” Farage said proudly.” He signed my contract on February 25, 2010.”

    Another NASCAR tie-in comes when every Pole Position customer watches the safety video in preparation for their race. Jamie Little, NASCAR pit reporter for ESPN and racer herself, stars in the video and is also an investor in the national Pole Position brand.

    “She’s a good friend of the company,” Karen Davis-Farage, Co-Owner/General Manager of Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City, said.

    The 80,000 square foot facility, featuring two quarter-mile tracks, is also filled with racing gear from all over the world.

    “We’ve got hundreds of thousands of dollars of race memorabilia,” Davis-Farage said. The facility sports racing suits, helmets and other items from various types of racing personalities, including NASCAR’s Kurt Busch, Jeremy McCrath, seven-time AMA Supercross champ, and Mike Metzger, X-games free style gold medalist.

    While Pole Position may not be a NASCAR-sanctioned track, its owners take as much pride in their track as America’s fastest growing sport does when it comes to the grip of their racing surface and safety for all involved. They even have professional mechanics and trained pit crews on board to make sure that every race car runs to perfection.

    “We bit blast the cement on our race track,” Davis-Farage said. “The traction optimizes the driving experience itself so it’s as realistic as possible.  We do everything we can to create the best racing experience.”

    “We have multiple jobs in the pits and they work together just like a race pit crew,” Ayal Farage said. “We have a maintenance program that is very important to us. We stay on top of that.”

    “We want to give the racers the best experience in their vehicles,” Farage continued. “We are ‘built for racers by racers,’ which just happens to be the Pole Position motto.”

    While the co-owners of Pole Position want everyone to have fun at their facility, whether it is for an ‘arrive and drive’ event, a charity event, or a league competition, there are definitely rules to be enforced. In fact, the Farages have their own version of the NASCAR hauler.

    “They get one warning,” Davis-Farage said of anyone breaking the rules of engagement and safety. “And then they get taken out.”

    While NASCAR racing may not have been in their blood, for Karen and Eyal Farage, as well as their family, opening Pole Position Raceway has been the culmination of the most important race that they have been running, that of surviving this tough economy.

    “I was in the software industry for 30 years and I was the member of the executive team that lost my job,” Karen-Davis Farage said. “In the meantime with the recession in full swing Ayal, who was a contractor for thirty years, was also feeling it.”

    “Ayal has an old antique Porsche and always had a dream to drive cross country with his first born before sending him off to college,” Davis-Farage continued. “He did so with our son Andrew and when they got to Las Angeles the last thing they did before delivering my son to the dorm was to go indoor electric karting.”

    “And I was hooked,” Ayal said simply.

    “Andrew got out of his kart and said to Ayal, ‘Daddy this is what you should do for the rest of your life,’ Davis-Farage continued. “I said you’ve got to be kidding. But I saw the passion and excitement and I said to him ‘If you’re going to go down this road, we’re going to do this together, with a template for success.”

    So, indeed the couple as well as their children have sunk everything they have into making their new race track in Jersey City a success. They have already seen their customer base, from those who love racing to those who have never set foot in a race car, blossom and grow.

    “We have an opportunity to provide and sell racing fun,” Davis-Farage said. “Racing is the biggest sport in the country and because of the technology, providing it indoor, year-round in a safe environment really makes sense.”

    Perhaps the racers, however, sum up the Pole Position experience best. Gilbert Williams, an admitted racing junkie who has visited the race track at least five or six times to date, said that he comes to the track for the excitement, the competition, and to satisfy his ‘need for speed.’

    “I’ve been a NASCAR fan for a long time, since I was a young fellow, I’m talking Neil Bonnett and Cale Yarborough days,” Williams said. “My driver now sentimentally is Dale Junior because Earnhardt was my favorite.”

    “But this is totally exciting,” Williams continued. “It gives you a different feel in a car, two or three inches off the ground, doing 30 or 40 miles per hour.”

    “It’s great,” Williams said. “It gives me a deep appreciation for what the NASCAR drivers go through. I like road courses and I’m looking at it now in a totally different light.”

    Pole Position Raceway is located at 99 Caven Point Road in Jersey City. For more information, visit the website at www.polepositionraceway.com/new-york-jersey-city.

  • History can be made at Darlington Raceway

    History can be made at Darlington Raceway

    For years this 1.366 mile track has been a staple for the sport, and NASCAR looks to continue that tradition. This track that many have nicknamed “The Lady in Black”,  “Too Tough to Tame”, always lives up to those  names.  In the fall of 1949, Harold Brasington had a vision just outside of Darlington, South Carolina that most men had only dreamed of.

    [media-credit name=”Joe Dunn” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Many have questioned the unique design of the “egg shaped” track, it came to be when (Turns 3&4) were narrowed so they wouldn’t disturb the minnow pond just outside.

    The first race was set to be scheduled on Labor Day of 1950, Harold wasn’t expecting many, he estimated at that time maybe 10,000 would show up for attendance. To his amazement, as well as the others in Darlington, S.C., over 25,000 showed up in attendance causing fans to literally stand on top of one another. 75 drivers set the field that day, and the driver that started P75, Johnny Mantz drove on to victory lane.

    Home to one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history, Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven, took that honor in 2003 when Craven edged out Kurt Busch by only .002 sec, earning his 2nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory.

    In 2004, the Darlington Raceway started a new tradition, having the race on Mother’s Day weekend. Along with this tradition, all of the driver’s mothers line up in the front of the track to participate in the pre-race ceremonies, “Gentleman Start Your Engines!”

    The track “Too Tough to Tame” has definitely lived up to it’s name, and remains a NASCAR fan’s favorite. The question remains, who will learn to tame this track, and go dancing with the lady in black?

  • HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: REWARDS, RANTS AND RAVES IN RICHMOND

    HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: REWARDS, RANTS AND RAVES IN RICHMOND

    Anyone connected to the executive branch of Joe Gibbs Racing, (JGR), will be happy to tell you about the rewards from participating in the NASCAR weekend at the Richmond International Raceway. If you want some good examples of the rant portion of the weekend then ask Ryan Newman or Juan Pablo Montoya. Regarding the raves from Richmond, contact Denny Hamlin. I’ve never seen anyone so thrilled over a second place finish. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin with:

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”276″][/media-credit]HOORAH to JGR for the one-two finish, from drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, following last Saturday night’s Crown Royal Presents The Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400. The stats compiled by this organization at Richmond are simply amazing. Kyle Busch has won the last three, consecutive, spring races at the Virginia short track. Denny Hamlin has won the last two, consecutive, fall races at Richmond. The last time a non JGR driver won at this track was Jimmie Johnson back in 2008.

    HOORAH to Kyle Busch’s second win of 2011. Not only did he dominate Saturday night’s race, leading 235 of 400 laps, but it was also a nice birthday present. Busch turned 26 years old on Monday.

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

    Also from the Richmond rewards department, HOORAH to Hamlin for winning Thursday night’s Short Track Showdown late model race presented by the Denny Hamlin Foundation. 90 percent of the proceeds, from this fourth annual event, will benefit the foundation’s long standing list of charities including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, St Jude Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital in Richmond. The remaining 10 percent will be donated to providing aid to the victims of the recent tornadoes that ravaged the southeastern portion of the country.

    HOORAH to Denny Hamlin for winning Friday night’s Bubba Burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond. HOORAH to his crew chief, Adam Stevens, for scoring his first ever NASCAR win in one of their national series.

    HOORAH to Hamlin for his second place finish in Saturday’s Sprint Cup race. This team, considered to be a pre season favorite to content for the championship, has endured a up and down, roller coaster, of a season so far and they desperately needed this top five finish. But WAZZUP with the bizarre numbers situation that left Hamlin still stuck at 17th in the championship points standings?

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

    From the Richmond rants department, WAZZUP with all of the fuel mileage issues from last weekend? This is NASCAR short track racing and issues related to fuel conservation were completely unexpected.

    This Sunoco trend started Thursday night, during the Denny Hamlin Foundation late model event, when Hamlin won this event on the final lap after race leader Kyle Busch ran out of gas. Commenting on his Sprint Cup team mate’s fuel issues from victory lane, Hamlin said “I’m glad he ran out of fuel because that might have gotten ugly. If Kyle wouldn’t have run out of gas, I would have done everything possible to get around him.”

    During Friday night’s Nationwide Series event, Hamlin’s crew chief told him to back down on his race speed. Crew Chief Adam Stevens called for 24 second laps, very slow at Richmond, to help ease a potential fuel problem. But Hamlin got a huge break when Ricky Stenhouse Jr slowed on the race track due to lack of fuel. Making the situation worse was the fact that Stenhouse couldn’t make it to the pit road entrance and the car came to a rest out on the track which brought out the second caution flag of the event. It also allowed Hamlin to duck into the pits for gas prior to the restart. Stenhouse later said “it was the most helpless feeling I’ve ever had.” The fuel miscue led to a 21st place finish and a slide from first to fifth in the points.

    A WAZZUP also goes to Aric Almirola’s gas tank which went dry about the same time Stenhouse ran out of gas. The big problem here was a speeding penalty that was levied on Almirola as he was leaving pit road. He fell from third to 14th in the race’s final rundown.

    Fuel issues really hit driver Carl Edwards hard during the Nationwide Series race. With 33 laps remaining, Edwards coasted down pit road with a dry tank. Following a rather slow pit stop, the car stalled and wouldn’t re fire. The crew pushed his car out of the pit box, while spraying the carburetor with ether. Next they were informed that they were going to be summoned back to pit road to serve a penalty for pit service outside of their designated pit box. A highly frustrated Edwards had to settle for a 25th place finish, five laps down.

    The pit road penalty created a little confusion that was cleared up by NASCAR officials after the race. A public statement read: “we made a mistake with the #60 car. You can roll your car out of the pit box for three stalls without a penalty. You cannot pass the end of pit road in doing so.” Edwards, who is not competing for the Nationwide Series championship, was informed of the mistake afterwards but was more concerned over why the car ran out of gas to begin with.

    It was also likely that he was more concerned with getting home to Columbia-Missouri where his wife was expected to deliver the couple’s second child at literally any moment. A GOD BLESS goes to the Edwards family for this very special time in their lives.

    Even Kyle Busch was not immune to fuel issues during the Sprint Cup race. During the waning laps of the event, both crew chief Dave Rogers and team President J D Gibbs were on the radio telling their driver to back down on the lap times so he could make it to the end. It was later reported that their car was completely out of gas when it arrived at victory lane.

    ***********

    A major WAZZUP, and the biggest Richmond rant of all, goes to the Ryan Newman versus Juan Pablo Montoya feud that we probably haven’t seen the end of yet. On lap 104 Newman got into the back of Montoya’s car which caused him to scrape the wall, damage his spoiler and spend a lot of time on pit road for repairs. By all appearances, this was a racing deal that certainly didn’t appear to be intentional. Newman asked his spotter if things had been squared with Montoya. He was told that Montoya’s spotter was “non responsive.”

    It’s likely that Montoya was on the radio making one of his famous “it sucks” comments. Approximately 40 laps later, Montoya found himself racing behind Newman and used the opportunity to spin his race rival with a move that clearly was intentional. Newman was running in eighth at the time and a top ten finish was now gone. He finished 20th while Montoya came home in 29th. After the race, Newman made a short comment regarding Montoya’s “lack of class” and entered the NASCAR hauler to discuss the matter. Montoya exited his car and was transported out of the garage in a golf cart and never made a post race comment.

    WAZZUP with that on track retaliation? Okay, I understand that it comes under the guidelines of NASCAR’s “have at it boys” policy. I also get that this feud provided a great deal of excitement in a race that was beginning to get somewhat tedious. I also get that incidents of this nature is often a big part of short track racing. But I’ve said it many times in the past: I do not like on track retaliation because it often creates safety issues and collects innocent victims. In this case the victim was Kurt Busch who had no place to go other than into the side of Newman’s car.

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

    WAZZUP with that accident involving Jeff Gordon who found himself hitting the only piece of Richmond retaining wall not covered by an energy absorbing SAFER barrier? Caught in the midst of a multi car accident on lap 300 Saturday night, Gordon was sent spinning into a crook of the inside of a solid concrete wall. The hit was vicious and literally knocked the wind out of the driver. He later said “that hurt, I pick the worst fricking places to hit the walls.”

    I’ve always regarded the SAFER barriers as one of the most important inventions for race track safety. I don’t understand why any portion of a retaining wall at a race track, on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule, isn’t covered by these barriers.

    ***********

    In still more WAZZUPS, regarding Richmond rants, there was the matter of Kurt Busch who just had a miserable weekend in Richmond. That process began with a 36th starting position and moved on to scraping the wall and then having to deal with major handling issues all night long. Then there was the matter of being caught up in the aforementioned Newman-Montoya feud. He wound up with a 22nd place finish and fell to sixth in the points standings.

    Having said that, Busch does get a HOORAH for the best in car radio transmission during the Richmond race if not even the best radio comment of the entire season. Well known for his candid comments during moments of on track frustration, Busch came over the radio and said: “we’re like a monkey f****** a football out here.”

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

    WAZZUP with Martin Truex Jr threatening to fire his entire crew during the Richmond Sprint Cup race? After running strong, and leading some laps, Truex had to return to pit road following a pit stop to replace a missing lug nut. Then, with 33 laps to go, a slow stop had him leaving pit road too fast and he had to return to settle a speeding on pit road infraction. Truex came over his radio and said: “you’re all fired, every one of you.”

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

    WAZZUP with Tony Stewart and his post race comments regarding his race team? After spending a frustrating night night clawing his way to a ninth place finish, the co owner of Stewart-Haas Racing said: “we have a lot of work to do. We suck right now. I am embarrassed about how bad our stuff is. We can’t make our cars turn for anything. I mean, we have a lot of work to do right now. There are three organizations that are kicking our rear ends now something awful. It’s going to be a long year if we race like this.”

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

    Regarding some Richmond raves, a HOORAH goes to Jimmie Johnson for making chicken salad out of chicken do-do. Johnson spent most of the Richmond race dealing with severe handling problems that had him a lap down at one point. He also managed to lose control of his car just long enough to hit Joey Logano and bring out a caution flag. He even growled at crew chief Chad Knaus which is something we haven’t seen in years. But the team remained calm and Knaus eventually came up with the adjustments needed to turn a sure fire terrible race into an eighth place finish.

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

    HOORAH to driver Dave Blaney, and Tommy Baldwin Racing, for their rock solid 13th place finish at Richmond. The effort moves the team inside of the top 35 in NASCAR owner’s points which will guarantee them a starting berth in next weekend’s race at Darlington. That effort comes on the heels of team announcements that said they had secured solid sponsorship programs from Golden Corral Restaurants and Big Red Soda.

    ***********

    The final comment of the week is a GOD Bless to driver Elliot Sadler who announced that his wife is expecting their second child. He also gets a HOORAH for a great line, during a SPEED Channel interview last Friday, when he said “I’m not sure if I had permission to announce that yet.”

  • Richmond – A Camoflage Affair

    Richmond – A Camoflage Affair

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]It was a short track. It was a night race. So this race should have been an incredible journey back to the old school racing that made NASCAR a household word. But from the beginning of the week end it was obvious that something was missing. The first races of the weekend might have been the problem. Did they set the pace.

    The K&N East series race lacked luster and excitement. It was to be blunt, dull.  It was a close race at the front between Darrell Wallace Jr and Max Gresham. Wallace, from Mobile, Ala., gained his third victory in just his 13th career start in the K&N Pro Series East. He took the lead from Gresham for the first time on Lap 55, and the two later swapped it following a restart on Lap 78, and for the decisive time on Lap 79.

    “We just had to be patient, and be there at about halfway,” Wallace said. “[Max] Gresham was pretty strong, and I think we just a little bit better car and a better line, and we just took it away from him.”

    Next on the schedule was the Denny Hamlin Late Model charity race. A thunder storm that moved through the area kept the crowd to a minimum but Denny Hamlin finally won his own charity race.

    Although he was scheduled to start on the pole for the race, he choose to start from the back. Hamlin moved his way through the pack avoiding accidents along the way to join team mate Kyle Busch at the front of the field. The final restart came when Max Gresham and Darryl Wallace Jr tangled causing the final caution.

    Busch took the lead at the green but ran out of gas on the back stretch allowing Hamlin and Michael Waltrip to take over the point. “I’m glad he ran out of fuel because it might have got ugly,” Hamlin said. “Trust me; if Kyle wouldn’t have run out of gas, I would have done everything possible to get around him.”

    Hamlin, who said last week that the race raised over $100,000 last year, said he will wait to see how much money was raised this year, then give 10 percent to help tornado victims. Where that money will go specifically will be determined by where there is the most need, he said.

    His usual charities — the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital in Richmond — will receive the other 90 percent of money raised.

    Friday would bring the Nationwide Series to the spotlight with Carl Edwards starting the Fastenal Ford Fusion from the pole of the Bubba Burger 250. The race would have strange turns of events throughout its course.

    The most prominent of those oddities was the lack of cautions. Only 2 yellow flags waved for the entire race. The long green flag runs made for a decisively boring race that saw Denny Hamlin lead for 199 of the 251 laps.

    The second was a penalty assessed by NASCAR to pole sitter Carl Edwards. Edwards who ran out of gas and had to push started was penalized for working on the car outside the pit box even though the rule clearly gives him 3 boxes to be pushed by crew to restart the car. The penalty put the pole sitter 5 laps down and for the most part eliminated him from competition.

    NASCAR would announce on Saturday that they had made an error with the penalty and in fact Edwards and his Jack Roush crew were in the right. No change was made to the finishing order.

    The third oddity came when Aric Almirola’s Hellmann’s Chevrolet ran out of fuel on the back stretch. Almirola who asked for team mate Josh Wish to give him a push, instead found help from former Jr. Motorsports driver, Brad Keselowski. Keselowski pushed the car to the opening of the pit road and then took a run with a hard push to propel the 88 down the pit road before resuming his position on the track.

    Almirola who was not under power at that time was deemed to be speeding on pit road. His crew who worked quickly to refuel and change tires got the car to refire almost immediately.

    As Almirola left the pit road it was deemed that he was speeding off pit road as well. To further add confusion to the issue, television commentators stated the speeding was to avoid going a lap down and a penalty would be assessed. With in seconds Almirola began to back up in the line up to the last position on the lead lap as is customary for speeding under caution. The final position was 7th. Almirola came across the line in 5th position on the checkered flag which waved with the caution flag.

    The 88 was originally credited by NASCAR timing and scoring as finishing in the 5th spot. Shortly after the conclusion of the race Almirola was relegated first to the 6th position and then finally to the 14th spot one lap down. NASCAR put him one lap down due to the speeding penalty and said he should have started at the end of the one lap down cars.

    Almirola who was obviously upset, stated, “They are going to have to explain this one to me. I went from 5th to 14th after the race.” Almirola and Crew Chief Tony Eury Sr spent time in the NNS hauler discussing the issue.

    In defense of Almirola, he was scored first 5th then 6th then 14th. He was not alone in his finishing position being changed after the race several drivers’ positions changed and the final finishing order was not available until after 1 AM CST. At that point Nascar.com still listed Aric Almirola and the 88 in 5th position. The next morning the line up had been changed yet again.

    The final oddity occurred when Danica Patrick was shown as the driver for the 7 car out of the JR Motorsports stable. The NASCAR 2011 game sponsored car was driven by Josh Wise and finished 6th. Speeds “unofficial results” show Patrick as finishing 3rd in the 7 car. The 7 car however, was never in the 3rd position on the race track.

    The Sprint Cup race would be frustrating to say the least. Long green runs were followed by yellows every 10 laps and then a long green flag run to the checkers. The viewers at home and the fans in the stands seemed to be the only people wondering about the outcome, the announcers for Fox seemed to know who the winner would be from the beginning of the race. Constant proclamations of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin would indeed prove to be the case as the Gibbs team finished 1st and 2nd.

    The race was full of action typically seen on a short track. Tempers flared between Juan Montoya and Ryan Newman with Newman going to the hauler to see “what they intended to do with the 42.” Montoya exited the track on a golf cart immediately following the race with no comments given to the press.

    Jeff Gordon who undoubtedly had one of the strongest cars in the field was wrecked in a multiple car pile up on the front stretch and hit hard with the driver’s side door on the only accessible wall that did not have a safer barrier. Gordon was slow to exit the car, but said later on Twitter that he was fine, but would be sore for a couple of days.

    The usually strong Budweiser Chevy faded late in the race to finish a lap down, a performance very uncharacteristic of Kevin Harvick. He was not the only car to struggle uncharacteristically. Jimmie Johnson rallied late to finish 9th but struggled the entire race. As did Dale Earnhardt Jr who had to stop late in the race for fuel and was thus relegated to a 19th place finish 2 laps down.

    The fact that a short track race became a fuel mileage situation was frustrating. Fuel mileage races are for the most part a boring affair. This was no different. Although it had all the short track action, it was just an ok race. It left this writer scratching her head.

    What happened? Why did this race go from being a promise of exciting old school racing to a snoozer? All the pieces were there. Yet the most excitement came from the radio communication of drivers like Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr, and Ryan Newman. If you were not able to partake in the scanner communications the race was well drab.

    This race truly was a camouflage affair. It had all the promise of the hunt and yet at the end it fell short of its promise. It was not the track itself. It was not the cars or even the drivers’ performances. It was that one missing link. It was the missing something that kept the race from being good that made it just ok.

    Richmond was full of the high strung antics of the thoroughbreds that make up the Sprint Cup roster. The angry words, the angry antics, the promise of long memories, drivers who were angry at cars, engineers, teams, pit stops and well just themselves; for all of the hype Richmond fell short of being a good show. That perhaps was the biggest surprise of all.

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

    Congratulations to Darrell Wallace Jr on his K&N East series win. He showed the grace and class in victory lane that one must possess to be a champion of the sport. I look forward to watching him grow within the sport. Congratulations to Denny Hamlin on his Nationwide Series win. He put on a dominating performance. Congratulations to Kyle Busch on his Sprint Cup win. Happy Birthday Kyle and may you have many returns on the day. Kudos to the Lowes Race team on never giving up, the perseverance of champions was never more evident than it was in Richmond on Saturday night. You proved how you became 5 time champions and why you are challengers for the 6 pack.

    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.

  • Competitors Don’t Condone Juan Pablo Montoya’s Retaliation in Richmond

    Competitors Don’t Condone Juan Pablo Montoya’s Retaliation in Richmond

    Rubbing is racing but Juan Pablo Montoya had none of it Saturday night in Richmond. Never known to back down, Montoya was out for revenge after contact with Ryan Newman sent his pole-winning car to pit road for repairs and an eventual 29th place finish.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The two got together on the backstretch on lap 106 after Newman got into Montoya’s right rear. It bounced the No. 42 off the wall and damaged the right quarter panel and spoiler. Upon returning to the track, Montoya went in search of Newman to return the favor and the Stewart-Haas Racing driver knew it was coming telling his team “it’s not cool.”

    On lap 236 Montoya succeeded and Newman suffered damage to the left side and rear of his No. 39 Chevrolet. NASCAR did not black flag Montoya nor called him to the hauler for the obvious payback, instead telling him to steer clear of Newman the remainder of the race. When the checkered flag flew Montoya hightailed it out of the track, avoiding reporters and Newman who went to NASCAR for an explanation.

    Fireworks were expected, media were in place as well the cameras after Newman stated during the race things would be taken care of outside the car. Instead everyone was left with nothing more than seeing what was once a hot ballon slowly deflate instead of explode. Short track racing at its best as tempers flared but there was no expected confrontation. It would be easy to pass off Montoya’s actions as just the repercussions of racing on a short track, but there’s a little more too it.

    First, it’s not the first time Newman and Montoya have had a disagreement over track space. But it was seeing Montoya leave without confronting Newman that was much different than the Montoya seen in the past. In 2007 at Watkins Glen he got out of the car during the race and engaged in a discussion with Kevin Harvick, which turned to shoving and helmet pulling, after the two spun in turn one. Harvick said at the time it seems Montoya is running over someone every week.

    At Homestead in 2009, he repaid Tony Stewart from early in the race when the two went door-to-door. The hit was again blatant and obvious, much like what occurred Saturday night. He’s not afraid to insult others, even his own teammate as he did last year at Las Vegas, or go at it with his pit crew and crew chief. Montoya can get as red hot as the color of his Target Chevrolet.

    His competition is well aware of it too. They know what they’re getting into when they go head-to-head with Colombian. But whether Montoya was justified in feeling angry about the contact from Newman it doesn’t mean he has much sympathy.

    Third place finisher Kasey Kahne normally isn’t aware of other on track action unless it’s around him. Kahne though, said Saturday night in regards to the incident that things are going to happen in this sport and a driver just needs to be strong and focus on getting what points he can.

    Montoya has only made the Chase once in his NASCAR career, 2009. During that season his crew chief had to continually remind him about the big picture. He’s more of a here-and-now type driver and wants to get what he can, when he can and forget about the rest. If that means he has to ruffle a few feathers then so be it, he’s here to win not make friends.

    Montoya is in a position to make the Chase early in the 2011 season. He sits ninth in points following his finish in Richmond with four top 10s in the first nine races. Actions though like on Saturday could end up costing him later in the season not only in terms of the Chase but he still searches for his first win on an oval.

    There’s no room for repaying every driver who rubs him the wrong way. Whether it’s Newman or champions like Stewart, Jeff Gordon or telling Mark Martin he needs driving lessons, Montoya isn’t going to back down and neither will his competitor’s opinion’s of his racing style.

    “I watch the screen,” said second place finisher Denny Hamlin when asked if he had seen the incident.

    “I don’t like it. Every time Montoya has damage and you see who did it, they usually end up getting wrecked,” he continued. “You usually know that’s coming. You have to realize, Montoya, I like him, I think he’s a helluva driver but you can’t wreck everyone every time you get in an accident. Accidents happen. Guys make mistakes. Why hold grudges?”

    More importantly said Hamlin “Makes it tough to get in the Chase, too.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond’s Crown Royal 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond’s Crown Royal 400

    After the sounds of the US Marine Drum and Bugle Corps playing the National Anthem and the command to start engines by surviving war hero and race namesake Staff Sergeant Matthew Hansen faded, Saturday night racing was officially underway at Richmond International Raceway.

    Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400.

    Surprising:  It was surprising to see just how quickly the pole sitter Juan Pablo Montoya, in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, fell from his prime starting position into a world of trouble with Ryan Newman, piloting the No. 39 US Army Medicine Chevrolet.

    After some tussling back and forth for position, Newman had had enough with the ever assertive Montoya, sending JPM into the wall on Lap 106. Montoya returned to the track and on Lap 236 took his revenge. [media-credit id=5 align=”alignright” width=”258″][/media-credit]

    After being spun out by Montoya, Newman was definitely hot under the collar. “I can’t believe they’re not going to black flag that 42 car,” Newman said. “I’m going to take care of this after the race.”

    Newman did indeed head straight for the NASCAR hauler after the race to share his concerns and see what the sanctioning body had to say about the incident. Montoya, on the other hand, waved off the media, jumped on his golf cart and headed back to the motor coach lot without comment.

    Newman declared he just wanted the situation to be handled fairly by the sanctioning body.

    “I know that he (Montoya) ran up on me of (Turn) 2 there and I clipped him. I mean I’m not going to try to dump myself into the wall,” Newman said. “But to retaliate the way he did just didn’t show much class.”

    Not Surprising:  Since the track was Richmond, it was not surprising to see the Joe Gibbs Racing team at the front of the pack when the checkered flag flew. While Denny Hamlin had dominated the weekend, winning his own charity race as well as the Nationwide event, it was JGR teammate Kyle Busch, in his award winning M&Ms Pretzel Toyota, that led 235 laps including the final 84, to claim the victory.

    “This race tonight was a good one,” Busch said. “We knew if we could go through traffic, we could win.”

    “We just really got beat by our teammate,” Hamlin said. “He drove a great race. Our cars were dead equal. We just got beat.”

    Surprising: There were definitely some surprising names in the top ten finishers when the checkered flag flew at RIR. Both Red Bull drivers, Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, and his teammate Brian Vickers, behind the wheel of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, had good nights.

    Kahne, still smarting from his recent knee surgery, finished third and Vickers posted a tenth place finish.

    Another driver David Ragan, piloting his No. 6 UPS “We Love Logistics” Ford for Roush- Fenway Racing, had a strong car especially at the end of the race, finishing fourth.

    “It was a fun night,” Ragan said. “This is my favorite track to come to. Back in 2007, we finished third here and I have really liked the place since.”

    The final driver not usually in the top ten but with a great run at Richmond was AJ Allmendinger. With new sponsor Nautica on his No. 43 Ford Fusion, the ‘Dinger brought his car home in the seventh spot.

    “Sometimes in these races, you have to get a little lucky,” Allmendinger said. “We have been on the bad end before with good cars so I will take luck over skill any day.”

    Not Surprising:  Although mightily struggling for much of the race, five-time champion Jimmie Johnson found his inner rally and finished eighth.

    “We had a good finish out of it but it was a long, long night,” Johnson said. “We got the car semi-competitive and then finally got some strategy, got back on the lead lap and we went from there. So, frustrating night but a good points night.”

    Surprising: Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon had a surprisingly bad night. Gordon yet again found a non-safer barrier wall and wrecked into it driver’s side first.

    The crash on Lap 301 also collected Paul Menard, Mark Martin, David Reutimann, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth.

    “It knocked the wind out of me,” Gordon said after his visit to the infield care center. “I seem to find the worst angles of walls.”

    “What a shame,” Gordon continued. “The Dupont Chevrolet was so strong. With 100 laps to go everyone was losing their patience including me. I just wish they had a safer barrier there.”

    Not Surprising: Unfortunately, it was not surprising that Team Penske continued their struggles. Kurt Busch, in the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, had all kinds of trouble, from the initial wreck involving Montoya, continuing throughout the race. Teammate Brad Keselowski, in the Blue Deuce, was also involved in several crashes. Busch finished 22nd and Keselowski finished 36th.

    Surprising:  After returning to the lead lap via the ‘lucky dog’ process, Dave Blaney, with his newly committed sponsor Golden Corral on his No. 36 race car, managed to move forward at the end of the race to finish 13th, his season’s best. Blaney, racing not start and parking for Tommy Baldwin Racing, has now locked himself into the top 35, firmly ensconced in 32nd in the point standings.

    Not Surprising: Carl Edwards had another strong run, posting a fifth place finish in his No. 99 Scotts EZ Seed Ford. He also maintained the top spot in the point standings, nine points over second place Jimmie Johnson and thirty points ahead of race winner Kyle Busch in third.

    “That was a lot of work,” Edwards said. “I think that feeling of fifth here tonight will be replaced with the points lead feeling in a little bit and that will feel better.”

  • In Knee-d of a Good Result: Hamlin and Kahne Battle Back in Richmond

    In Knee-d of a Good Result: Hamlin and Kahne Battle Back in Richmond

    [media-credit id=5 align=”alignright” width=”251″][/media-credit]After the Crown Royal presents the Matthew & Daniel Hensen 400 concluded on Saturday night in Richmond I put in a call to my doctor. A checkup wasn’t needed and I wasn’t hurt but I had a request – sign me up for knee surgery.

    The hope is that I might hit the lottery or have some stroke of good luck. After all, both Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne had knee surgery in the last year and have had great fortune since then. Hamlin won seven races last season and nearly won the championship. He finished second Saturday night in Richmond, his best finish of the 2011 season.

    “It was a good night,” said Hamlin. “We knew pretty early on, the 18 was going to be tough. It’s tough when you share notebooks. You know those guys got exactly what you got. Every trick in the book on short tracks, those guys have it. Kyle has the talent. We knew they were going to be tough to beat.”

    Continued Hamlin, “It’s all we had. My plan was to really conserve the first part of the last run and let him go out there and run. I was going to just kind of sit back and wait and save my tires. Just when I tried to make a run, I didn’t have the grip I needed to close in enough.”

    Following his impressive performance in 2010, Hamlin’s No. 11 team started on a sour note early in the 2011 season. From blown motors to bad luck, they were buried in the points and were already written off by many. It was a losing the championship hangover.

    Except, there’s always Richmond, his home track. If there were something seriously wrong with Hamlin and his team it would show with a poor performance. Just days after denying that his crew chief was going to be replaced, Hamlin went out and won his charity event Thursday night.

    Friday he did his best Kyle Busch impression by leading 199 of 251 laps to win the Nationwide Series race. Now two-for-two on the weekend the attention turned toward sweeping the weekend and turning his season around.

    Mission accomplished. Hamlin easily drove from his 11th starting position to take the lead on lap 73 from none other than Kahne. He would lead 37 of 400 laps but was no match for his teammate and brought home a much-needed top five.

    “It’s my best finish of the year,” said Hamlin about whether he was upset he didn’t win. “I’m ecstatic, to be honest with you. You can’t be mad at second place. Yeah, I want to win, trust me. It burns that you didn’t win. But how we didn’t win I can live with.”

    Meanwhile, Kahne finished third, also his best finish of the season. Last week he had surgery to repair his right meniscus after like Hamlin, he hurt himself playing basketball. Many have joked that team owners should begin putting a clause in driver’s contracts about avoiding any other sport.

    “My knee feels fine,” said Kahne. “It’s actually a little bit tight, you know, a bit swelled up maybe. But other than that, it feels fine. I never thought about it once throughout the race. So it was more about the car. So if you’re not thinking about it, it’s obviously not hurting.”

    Early Saturday night it appeared Kahne was having trouble when overheard on his radio that his foot was slipping off the pedal. Whatever the problem was it quickly worked itself out, Kahne became one of the quickest cars on the track and soon was running in the top five.

    As the race neared its conclusion and fuel mileage entered the picture the No. 4 Red Bull team suddenly became a little more animated. A great opportunity had presented itself and they were ready to take advantage of it as they brought home their first top five of the year.

    “Well, I’d say at Phoenix we ran top 10 the whole race,” said Kahne. “Here we were more probably closer to fifth, sixth, right in there, third to sixth or seventh. We were a little bit better tonight for sure … it’s kind of been a while since we had a car that could win. At points tonight I felt like we had a shot. Early on, I thought I was driving away. I saw Denny in my mirror. Made me mad for a second. It was a solid night for us.”

    Hamlin and Kahne remain winless on the season. After nine races they sit 17th and 18th respectively in points. In order to run however, one must walk or in this case you must limp before you can walk then run and Saturday night was a step in the right direction for both drivers running to victory lane and making the Chase.

    Next week the Sprint Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway where both Hamlin and Kahne have won in the past.

  • Deja Vu: Kyle Busch Dominates at Richmond International Raceway…Again.

    Deja Vu: Kyle Busch Dominates at Richmond International Raceway…Again.

    It felt like deja vu as Kyle Busch celebrated his birthday in style again by winning the Sprint Cup race at the Richmond International Raceway for the third year in a row, reminding his fans that if ever he should leave them, how could it be in springtime? Busch dominated the track by leading 235 of the 400 laps that made up the “Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400.”

    [media-credit id=5 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]Hometown hero Denny Hamlin, who won the Nationwide race Friday night finished second, 1.805 seconds behind Busch. Kasey Kahne, David Ragan and Carl Edwards rounded out the top five.

    Busch’s dominating win and Hamlin’s potential sweep were hardly the stars of the show as the Friday night lights of the Nationwide Series race made way for the Saturday night fights of the Sprint Cup! The caution flag flew eight times and tempers boiled after debris, spins and accidents littered the race track during the night.

    The race started with a bang as pole-sitter, Juan Pablo Montoya led the field to the green flag. Hoping to be a strong contender and looking for a much needed short track win, Montoya held his position until lap 26 when Clint Bowyer slid under the Target Chevrolet and snatched the lead in turn two. The night was ending before it even began for Montoya, as on lap 27, Kasey Kahne shot by him to claim the 2nd spot in the field. Montoya’s hopes were not dashed as much as Robby Gordon’s, who on the same circuit when down a lap, the first of many more to come.

    Kyle Busch, who started in the 20th position, cracked the top 10 on lap 31 as countless others continued to lose ground and laps. Tony Raines became the next driver to be lapped by the leaders, followed by Mike Skinner on lap 33. Lap 35 took no prisoners either as Joe Nemechek, J.J. Yeley and Ken Schrader all went a lap down. Shortly there after, all three drivers would take their cars to the garage for individual mechanical problems.

    Lap 45 saw the third lead change, as Kahne got around Bowyer for position and lapped the cars of Michael McDowell, Andy Lally, David Stremme and Landon Cassill in the following ten laps. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin, who started 11th, strategically made his way through the pack as did Martin Truex Jr., who after starting 21st on the grid, claimed the 12th position on lap 64.

    Laps 66-71 weren’t kind to Dave Blaney, Kurt Busch, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcos Ambrose, who each got an eyeful of the No. 4 Toyota’s rear bumper as each went a lap down. Red Bull gave Kahne wings, but only until lap 73 when Hamlin took over the lead as both drivers crossed the start-finish line.

    With no caution in sight, drivers continued to falter on the lead lap and are picked off one by one by the lead pack. Travis Kvapil, David Gilliland are victimized by the race leader on lap 75, followed by Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte on lap 79 and Jimmie Johnson on lap 83.

    After a cycle of green-flag pit stops, only 21 cars were on the lead lap. The top five in the field are, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne. The first yellow flag waved on lap 106 as Ryan Newman got into Montoya, sending the No. 42 into the wall, scattering debris on the track. The leaders hit pit road as Earnhardt, Labonte and Kvapil opt for the wave around to regain position on the lead lap.

    Kyle Busch brings the field to green on lap 115 and claimed the lead as they went four-wide on the restart. Bowyer, Hamlin, Martin and Kahne make up the top five, but not for long. Jeff Gordon suddenly came on strong just three laps later taking the third position away from Bowyer on lap 118 while Busch and Hamlin fought for the lead with a 1.6 second lead over Gordon.

    Montoya’s injured machine is shown in the 22nd position on lap 132, but can’t hang with the leaders for long. His car along with Labonte’s Toyota Camry go a lap down on 144. As the race progressed, lap 169 would see both Paul Menard and Brad Keselowski lapped by the leader of the pack, Kyle Busch.

    Caution comes out for the second time on lap 185 for debris from Kurt Busch’s Shell/Pennzoil Dodge after hitting the wall in turn two on lap 184. Earnhardt Jr. receives the “lucky dog” pass and is back on the lead lap. The leaders hit pit road for fuel, tires and minor adjustments.

    Busch brought the field to green once again on lap 193, followed by Hamlin, Martin, Gordon and Bowyer. The No. 18 Toyota Camry jumped out in front to maintain the lead while Hamlin lost the second spot to Gordon. Setting his sights on number one, Gordon dove to the inside of Busch on lap 200 and took the lead like he stole it, but like another thief in the night, Busch stole it back three laps later.

    Predictions were made on lap 208 as Newman began expressing worry that Montoya might try to retaliate on the track for contact made between the drivers, bringing out the night’s first caution. It was a premonition that would prove true, on lap 236 Montoya served his revenge by sending Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet around and into the wall. Kurt Busch, unable to slow down, hit Newman damaging both cars and bringing out the caution for the third time.

     

    Hamlin brings the field to green on lap 244, followed by Kyle Busch, Gordon, Truex Jr., and Bowyer. Busch jumps the restart and is forced to slow down, while Montoya is warned by NASCAR to run clean for the remainder of the race or he will be parked. An irate Newman could be heard on the radio wondering why Montoya hadn’t been penalized for what he thought was an “intentional retaliation,” but vowed to settle their differences after the race and not on the track.

     

    Truex Jr. made a bold move that took him from the fourth position to the lead on lap 246 just before the caution flag flew for the fourth time on lap 255. Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano were recognized for the first time during the race, but sadly not because of their flawless driving abilities. Johnson got into Logano in turn two, spinning the Home Depot Toyota and sending him into the wall. It was however a much needed break for Tony Stewart who received the free pass and was back on the lead lap.

     

    The green flag waved again on lap 264 with a slight change in lineup. Matt Kenseth brought the field to the green, followed by David Reutimann, Kahne, Carl Edwards and Hamlin. Barely making it across the start-finish line, the yellow flag came out for the fifth time as Casey Mears spun in turn one during the restart. Jeff Burton receives the free pass and is back on the lead lap. Brian Vickers, in the 19th spot, is the highest-running car to pit.

     

    Whoever said that cautions breed cautions wasn’t lying! The green flag waved again on lap 270 and it almost isn’t worth it to mention who the top five were because nine laps later the yellow flag waved for the sixth time as Brad Keselowski and Landon Cassill got into each other in turn two, spinning Keselowski’s blue deuce, but avoided any contact with the wall.

     

    By now you know the drill, some cars pitted, while others opted to stay out. Let’s continue, we still have over 100 laps to go!

     

    Hamlin brought the field to the green on lap 284, followed by Truex Jr., Kenseth, Busch and Kahne. Busch wasted no time jumping from fourth to second before wrestling with teammate Hamlin for the lead.

    Keselowski spun again on lap 292, bringing out the caution for the seventh time. Johnson gets the free pass and is back on the lead lap. The field restarts on lap 299 as the drivers manage to bunch up four wide causing many of the leaders to get in to one another. The caution is back out on lap 301 after Gordon’s car spun out after contact from Kenseth and slamming hard into the corner of the inside wall , knocking the wind out of the driver of the DuPont Chevrolet. Along with Gordon, Menard, Martin, Reutimann, Labonte, McMurray and Kenseth all suffer damage while that sneaky Dave Blaney gets the free pass and got back on the lead lap.

    Menard and Reutimann hit pit road on lap 307 for repairs, while Gordon’s car is towed off the track, his night is over, finishing a dismal 39th.

    The green flag waved again with fresh faced lineup on lap 313. Jeff Burton lead the field, followed by Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Busch and Hamlin. Earnhardt Jr. spun the tires of the National Guard Chevrolet during the restart unveiling an opportunity for Busch to move into the 2nd position. Three laps later Busch passed Burton for the lead and never looked back!

    With less than 40 laps to go, the discussion turned to fuel strategy. Who could make it and who couldn’t? Busch’s camp said it was “iffy” that he could make it to the end. Truex Jr. could make it to lap 399. Hamlin could make it to 400. Kahne could make it. Burton and Earnhardt Jr. could not make it and would have to pit.

    We will never know if perhaps Truex Jr. could have squeezed out an extra lap of fuel, on lap 371 he pitted for a tire going down. He was black-flagged for missing a lug nut taking him out of contention for what was undoubtedly a great run for he and his crew. Add insult to injury, after his pit stop, he was penalized with a “pass-through penalty” after exiting pit road too fast.

    On lap 382, Busch put Biffle and Blaney a lap down leaving 13 cars on the lead lap. Burton then went a lap down because he had to pit for fuel on lap 384. Harvick would be the next to be lapped on 388. Earnhardt Jr. pitted on lap 390 for fuel, leaving only 10 cars on the lead lap.

    The last ten laps of the race went off without a hitch. Despite Hamlin showing to be a “little faster” on the track, Busch maintained his lead and took the checkered flag for the third consecutive year. Hamlin finished second, followed by Kahne, Ragan and Edwards.

  • Looking Back at the Crown Royal Presents The Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400…

    Looking Back at the Crown Royal Presents The Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400…

    As most would have expected, this race was dominated by the Joe Gibbs Racing show, with some extra drama thrown in there. This is what I love about Richmond, you have the short track drama, the intermediate track feel, and the feeling of excitement as we head into the next NASCAR race! Some of the best drama that took place tonight was the Ryan Newman- Juan Pablo Montoya feud. I don’t think Newman meant any harm getting into the back of Montoya, but evidently he would disagree with me.  Montoya would then retaliate, causing Newman to spin, obviously something that would not set well with him. Reports indicated that both drivers were told to report to the NASCAR hauler at the end of the race. It appeared that Montoya left the track before that could happen.

    What I did not expect to take place at the Richmond International Raceway was so much action with 100 laps to go. Drivers were going 3 to 4 wide around a 3/4 of a mile race track. Why would they be so anxious with over 100 to go? It was pretty difficult to tell who was at fault, in the largest accident of the night, but I believe they all played a part in the crash that took out some of the best cars left in the field. Jeff Gordon had been running in the top 5 all night, dropped back some, and was involved in the fiasco, along with Matt Kenseth. Kenseth had one of the fastest cars of the night, seemingly to go unnoticed.  But this still raises the question why? We saw more action with a 1/4th of a race left, than we did with 10 laps to go.

    We have a lot to look forward to, heading into the month of May. Great racing at Darlington, Dover, and Charlotte; with the 600 miler and let’s not forget about the Sprint Cup All-Star race!

    As we leave Richmond, we are left with ques

    [media-credit id=5 align=”alignright” width=”287″][/media-credit]tions both answered, and unanswered, but what we all know, JGR has got Richmond figured out!

     

    Until we meet again, in preparation to make a visit with “The Lady in Black”, I hope you have enjoyed everything that Richmond had to offer!

  • Brothers in Arms: Marines Honored in Richmond for the “Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400”

    Brothers in Arms: Marines Honored in Richmond for the “Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400”

    What’s in a name and how does it influence a person’s character?

    In the case of Matthew and his twin brother Daniel Hansen, character can be defined as nothing short of heroic. [media-credit name=”Barry Albert ” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]

    As the grand prize winners of the Crown Royal “Your Name Here” contest, NASCAR, Crown Royal and the Richmond International Raceway recognizes these brothers by naming Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race the “Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400.” Nominated by their godmother, she described in detail Matthew’s unfaltering service to his country during his three tours of duty in Iraq in the United States Marine Corps.

    This year marks the second year that Crown Royal has chosen to focus solely on military service members to honor their courageous acts when deciding to name their race.

    “This weekend we are proud to honor two American heroes in Matthew and Daniel Hansen,” said Yvonne Briese, Crown Royal Brand Director.  “The kind of bravery and selflessness these men have displayed are the exact traits Crown Royal sought to highlight through the ‘Your Name Here’ program and we could not ask for two better service members to represent this program.”

    Matthew and Daniel joined the Marines in 2002, Matthew served in Operation Iraqi Freedom while Daniel was selected to protect President George W. Bush at Camp David in 2004 and later Lieutenant Richard C. Zilmer, USMC while in Iraq. Daniel was killed during a roadside bombing on Feb. 14, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan. Despite the loss of his brother, Matthew continues to serve. He is currently serving on a military base in San Marcos due to injury, but hopes to return to duty overseas in the future.

    Lieutenant Zilmer, along with Major General Ray Fox, USMC Commanding General of Training and Education Command in Quantico, Va., will be in attendance for Saturday’s nights race to honor not only Daniel and Matthew, but troops worldwide.

    “I have a feeling this weekend is going to be full of incredible moments,” said Hansen.  “From experiencing the rush of the race to hanging out with stars like Matt Kenseth and Rodney Atkins, I’m really looking forward to getting to Richmond.  I wish Daniel could share this with me, but he will definitely be in my heart the entire time.”

    Thanks in part to Crown Royal and Richmond International Raceway, Matthew Hansen has been given the “royal treatment” all weekend. His name has been incorporated into race merchandise and memorabilia, as well as being included in the actual race broadcast. He will serve as the Grand Marshal, watch the race from Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 pit box and deliver a trophy bearing his name to the winner of the race in Victory Lane.

    “It is a privilege to host Matthew as he honors his brother at Richmond International Raceway on April 30,” said Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz. “We are thrilled to again team up with Crown Royal for the ‘Your Name Here’ program, recognizing members of our Armed Forces. The Crown Royal Presents the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be a momentous event at America’s Premier Short Track.”

    Country star and Crown Royal partner,  Rodney Atkins will preform an hour long pre-race concert on the front-stretch for ticket holders who are 21 and older to help celebrate the lives of Matthew and his brother Daniel and honor those who proudly serve.

    “This weekend’s show in Richmond is going to be a blast,” said Atkins. “Not only do I get to perform for thousands of race fans, but I get to do so for a cause I really believe in – honoring American heroes like Matthew and Daniel Hansen.”

    So whether you are here at the track or at home in front of the TV, raise a glass to Matthew and Daniel Hansen, two true American heroes and as always, Please Drink Responsibly.