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Author: SM Staff

  • Brian France Doesn’t See The Big Picture

    Brian France Doesn’t See The Big Picture

    Brian France took over as NASCAR Chairman in 2003 and boy has he done great things for the sport. There are some NASCAR fans that would actually fall for that type of comment, which is why I hope all of the readers will read the title of the article before actually reading it. France is now proposing new changes for the Chase, which include now 15 drivers instead of 12 and an elimination style/knockout format. Now, France just doesn’t seem to get the big picture. We don’t want the Chase at all! We want to see 43 drivers competing week in and week out and the person with the most points out of those thirty-six races as the champion. We are sick and tired of seeing ten race seasons and for nearly the past 2,000 days we haven’t had a new champion.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]France would be a good fit for the United States Senate. He just doesn’t listen to the will of the people. The people don’t want the Chase and instead of following up on their request, he just wants to “change” the Chase. France should expect more ratings and attendance drops if he does this again. We should go back to the old points system and just give 10 more bonus points for wins. I believe that if we do that we would be seeing a much more exciting points finish and the person that really deserves the championship will win.

    Now, how would my change have worked in the past? Well let’s take a look everybody. We all know that Matt Kenseth won the 2003 championship by 90 points over Jimmie Johnson. Now, with the new 10 extra bonus points on wins…who really won? Matt Kenseth still. Kenseth won 1 race in 2003 and Johnson had 3. So, ultimately it was a 70 point gap between Kenseth and Johnson that decided the championship. 2004 is going to be probably the nail biter! Jeff Gordon won under the old way by 47 points over Jimmie Johnson that year, but Gordon had 5 wins, Johnson had 8. This would have been a 17 point win for Jeff. Isn’t this the way to go? Mr. France, I have had enough with your points system. Do you care that NASCAR’s attendance is dropping, or are you just too incompetent to realize how wrong you really are?

    I got a couple emails the other day about my proposal and one person yelled, “Well! Jeff Gordon would have run away with the championships in the 90’s!! That’s no fun!” My response is simply this, “He won the races. That is the way my points system works. You have to be able to not only win races from time to time, but you have to show some sort of consistency.” There is no point reverting under my system. You either win it or you don’t, so there is no complaining when the season is done about being unfair. My fellow colleague, Matt Embury on the radio show Next Time By said, “The only reason you want your system is because you are a Jr. fan and you want to see him back in the championship hunt.” That was probably the most silly comment ever. First, What difference would it had made for Jr. if they had the old system? That’s right. Nothing. He wouldn’t even had been a factor and I’m not a Jr. fan, so that kinda backfired.

    Before I leave you guys, I want to hear what your version of the points system should be and I’ll respond to them. You can add me on Facebook or email me at therhino.ryan@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you guys.

  • Danica Patrick’s Success or Lack Thereof is a Tough Decision, There are No In-Betweens

    Danica Patrick’s Success or Lack Thereof is a Tough Decision, There are No In-Betweens

    When it was first announced that IZOD IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick would be officially making her debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the 2010 season, the internet exploded with blogs pertaining to what type of impact she would have on the sport.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]There were many unanswered questions because of her lack of experience behind the wheel of the heavier stock car and the fans began to take sides once they realized she was serious about her attempt to compete in a series, which is nowhere near the type of cars she grew up racing in.

    With most of the talk being centered on her IndyCar results which were less than stellar at best, many still believed she is what NASCAR needed during a time when attendance was at an all-time low.

    Before long, the first of many unsupportive jabs were thrown, when Kyle Petty kicked it off with this rant.

    “She’s not Dario Franchitti and she’s not Tony Stewart.  She’s not really shown over there [in the Indy Racing League] and won races and done stuff over there numbers-wise,” said Petty during the Sight and Sound which marked the unofficial start of the 2010 NASCAR racing season.

    Petty also added, “She’s just a marketing machine. Let’s look at the facts and be blunt about it. If she gets in that car and doesn’t win races, it’s not the car, it’s not the engines and it’s not the team.”

    Petty finished with, “The only impact she’ll have on the sport is she wasted two or three years on a car that a good driver could have been in and could have been developing.”

    Janet Guthrie, who was the first woman to reach the top level of open wheel racing and NASCAR in the 1970s, along with being a member of NASCAR’s appeal panel said, “She should stay where she is in the IndyCar Series.”

    Guthrie also added, “She is in the best possible situation, and in the catbird seat with one of the few teams [Andretti Autosport] that is capable of winning.”

    Earnhardt Ganassi driver Juan Montoya, who made his first start in 2006 coming from the open wheel ranks said, “Danica, I think she’s got the talent and everything but I don’t think she knows what she’s getting into.”

    Montoya finished with, “They’re so different to drive, and it’s not the same feeling. I wouldn’t be doing both cars, to be honest with you, that’s my advice.”

    The fact of the matter is, the only reason she has gotten this much publicity is because she is a high profile female trying to make it in one of the most popular motorsports today.

    Not only is she a female, but because in the sex-sells society that we live in, her success that she has had in the IRL falls more on the heels of selling herself as a sex symbol than a race car driver.

    You can’t blame her sponsor GoDaddy.com for coupling their marketing skills with the racy commercials to sell not only their product, but Patrick as well.

    “We’re thrilled to expand our long-standing relationship with Danica into NASCAR,” said GoDaddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons.

    Parsons also added that, “This is not only big news for NASCAR fans; it has all the ingredients for some major GoDaddy-esque marketing magic.”

    Parsons thrust Patrick into the limelight with his unique marketing strategy, while just about closing the door for any female to have a chance in the series unless they are willing to follow his technique with the focus pointed at teasing members of the opposite sex.

    Each fan who chose to shared their opinion pertaining to the success that she could have in the series, and she will continue to be scrutinized until she can prove that her career is not based off her marketing power, and more on her driving abilities in NASCAR.

    Skepticism ran rampant as the season progressed, and Patrick herself made it hard for the fans to gauge if indeed she had what it took to compete at this level, since her results reflected her lack of experience.

    With each passing race, we heard the watered down versions of why she might become an overnight success, with most of them based on her one victory that came in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

    Patrick ran a total of 13 races in 2010 without a top-five, or top-10 finish, and only finished one race on the lead lap.

    With all the hype and expectations that followed her into the Nationwide series, she only lead four, and completed 2040 of the 2355 laps she ran during the year, which to most was a big accomplishment given the fact she only competed on a part-time basis.

    Until Patrick makes a decision to drive full-time in the NNS, or continue her career in the IZOD IndyCar Series, she will continue to be put under a microscope of uncertainty concerning her driving abilities in NASCAR.

    The consensus around the internet has gone both ways, as far as how much success she could possibly have if indeed she chose the NNS over her open wheel career, with no in-betweens.

  • Fourth Turn: The Season Begins

    Fourth Turn: The Season Begins

    The echo of bull dozers and concrete rollers has died down at Daytona leaving in it’s wake the familiar echo of the more familar race engines. The jet black pavement stands in stark contrast to the snow white walls that stand guard over the crown jewel of NASCAR. Though the pavement is silent and the garages stand empty waiting their familiar lodgers, nothing stands still for long in NASCAR. Especially not Daytona.

    [media-credit name=”DIS” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Rolex 24 competitors have already begun their practice as have the super bikes. NASCAR’s finest have tested the avement and given it a big thumbs up. The tire compound has been tested. NASCAR has announced it’s yearly gift to fans in withdrawal with Preseason Thunder and Fanfest. The restrictor plate has been announced. The cars are built and the E15 is secured. It’s almost time to go racing.

    For those that are tech oriented and interested in such things for Preseason Thunder, the plate size for next week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup test will be 29/32 inch. This is reduction in the size of the holes in the restrictor plate by 1/32nd of an inch – from 30/32nds of an inch to 29/32nds of an inch – a NASCAR spokesman confirmed Wednesday night.

    The plate change will result in a speed reduction of 5-10 mph on Qualifying lap and 3 -5 mph on a race lap in traffic.

    The spoiler will be the same as previously used –Spoiler dimensions will be 4.5 inches tall by 63 inches wide. It will sit at 70 degrees.

    Another note of interest for next weeks test is that it will be the first public test of the new E15 engines and fuel, although the teams have been testing it for over a year. Most of the teams have stated that the new fuel and new engines will not be an issue.

    Things to keep in mind with the new fuel are that the engine temperatures will run slightly higher than before due to the alcohol content in the fuel. Fuel mileage decreases with the Ethanol laced fuel in most cases. Fueling procedures have changed due to the Ethanol fuel. The catch can man has been eliminated and the fuel cans are slower to pour, resulting in a 3 – 5 second increase in pit times.

    The new nose and body changes to the COT will also make their debut during this test. Although most teams used them in the tire test in December this is will be the first full field test with the new nose.

    The new nose was designed to create more front down force and eliminate the splitter and it’s braces which were easily broken during agricultural racing. Also by eliminating the old splitter it decreases the chances of cut tires from incidental contact with other cars.

    New crew chief and driver pairing, new driver/team pairings will also test their new relationships on the new pavement in Daytona. Pairings that are striking the most intrigue include the HMS pairings of Mark Martin/Lance McGrew, Jeff Gordon/Alan Gustafson, Dale Earnhardt Jr./Steve Latarte and Brad Keselowski/Paul Wolfe.

    Speed TV will broadcasting much of the practice sessions live. Below is the broadcast schedule. Darrell Waltrip, John Roberts Larry McReynolds and other broadcast favorites will rotate through the analysis position in the booth.

    Thursday, Jan. 20
    9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
    1 p.m. – 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
    5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (same-day delay) (SPEED)

    Friday, Jan. 21
    9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
    1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (SPEED)
    2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)

    Saturday, Jan. 22
    9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
    1 p.m. – 2 p.m.  (SPEED)
    2 p.m. – 5 p.m.  (SPEED.com)

    Fans seeking to rev up their new year can do so at the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona – the companion event to the January test. Along with watching NASCAR Preseason Thunder track activity from Daytona’s Sprint FANZONE, fans can enjoy two Fan Fest sessions – from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21 and from 5-7 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 22.

    Driver question-and-answer and autograph sessions are planned. Tickets for the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20. Fans also can watch each day’s testing at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands. Drivers currently scheduled to make appearances on Thursday, Jan. 20 beginning at 6 p.m. are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr. and Regan Smith.

    Scheduled to appear on Friday, Jan. 21, during the 5-7 p.m. session are Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann, Casey Mears, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kevin Conway, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman. In the 7-9 p.m. session, drivers scheduled to appear are AJ Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcos Ambrose and Matt Kenseth.

    While the snow and ice and artic temperatures blanket most of the country, the heat is just beginning to find it’s way home to Daytona. Like birds migrating back after the winter. The power, and the roar of racing engines combined with the heart and determination of champion thoroughbreds is returning to Daytona. And for those fans that have been in the clutches of withdrawal, it can’t happen too soon.

  • NASCAR finds itself in the Middle of a Lawsuit with Advanced Fluid Solutions

    NASCAR finds itself in the Middle of a Lawsuit with Advanced Fluid Solutions

    Following a year where NASCAR’s integrity came into question with multiple issues, they find themselves in a middle of yet another lawsuit.

    Advanced Fluids alleges in its complaint that NASCAR illegally terminated the agreement because NASCAR did not give proper written notice that Advanced Fluids was in default and continued to talk to the company during the time it was trying to get the funding finalized. The company is asking for its sponsorship with NASCAR to be reinstated, in which the sponsorship is worth $6.295 million over seven years.

    “AFS (Advanced Fluids Solutions) never performed … any terms of the contract,” NASCAR states in its response to the lawsuit as according to Sporting News.

    Advanced Fluid Solutions agreed to pay that amount to market its new XP4 fuel and oil performance additive through the “NASCAR Performance” program. Their parntership was set to start in 2010, yet did not as Advanced Fluids had not paid the original $500,000 payment. The contract was executed in October 2009 and NASCAR terminated the deal in December 2009.

    The lawsuit was filed by Advanced Fluid Solutions last month in Volusia County (Fla.) Circuit Court, and NASCAR had the case moved Friday to United States District Court in Orlando.

    Last year, NASCAR found themselves in front of a lot of controversy through a lawsuit that Jeremy Mayfield filed with result to being suspended due to drug usage. They also faced a lawsuit a couple years ago from NASCAR ex-official Mauricia Grant due to racial discrimination. 

    Lawsuits are finding their way into NASCAR as the dollar goes up as NASCAR drivers Robby Gordon and Scott Speed have also found themselves in the middle of lawsuits over contracts.

  • Grant Enfinger’s Team Takes Top Honors in ARCA Daytona Test Drafting Speeds

    While Venturini Motorsports took top honors in the single-car runs, Grant Enfinger’s team took top honors in drafting.

    Yesterday, Benny Gordon drove Grant Enfinger’s car to the lead position and has the quickest overall draft speed at a lap of 48.414 seconds.

    Today, Grant Enfinger drove his own car to the top of the charts and second overall at a lap of 48.418 seconds.

    Brian Rose and James Hylton were tied for second in the session at 48.664 seconds (184.942 mph). Joey Licata Jr., Jason Bowles, Milka Duno, Kevin Swindell, Randy Renfrow, Brent Brevak, and Bobby Gerhart comprised the remainder of the top 10.

    Today concluded the Daytona test for the ARCA Racing Series. The next time they will be at Daytona will be on February 8 to begin preparation for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 12.

    Overall Draft Speeds

    1. 09 Benny Gordon – 48.414 seconds -Wednesday Afternoon
    2. 36 Grant Enfinger- 48.418 – Thursday Afternoon
    3. 1 Chad McCumbee – 48.427 – Wednesday Afternoon
    4. 41b Ty Dillon – 48.431 – Wednesday Afternoon
    5. 82 Sean Corr – 48.432 – Wednesday Afternoon
    6. 77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 48.473 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    7. 58 Chad Hackenbracht – 48.522 – Wednesday Afternoon
    8. 55 Hal Martin – 48.609 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    9. 15 Kyle Fowler – 48.652 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    10. 25 Steve Arpin – 48.660 – Wednesday Afternoon
    11. 4 Brian Rose & 48 James Hylton – 48.664 – Thursday Afternoon
    12. 63a Milka Duno – 48.673 – Wednesday Afternoon
    13. 6 Jason Bowles – 48.724 – Thursday Afternoon
    14. 2 Kevin Swindell – 48.727 – Thursday Afternoon
    15. 66 Mark Thomson – 48.779 – Wednesday Afternoon
    16. 36b Brett Hudson – 48.834 – Wednesday Afternoon
    17. 16 Randy Renfrow & 22 Dakoda Armstrong – 48.844 – Wednesday Afternoon
    18. 3 Brent Brevak – 48.960 – Thursday Afternoon
    19. 11 Bryan Silas – 49.031 – Thursday Afternoon
    20. 31 Tim Geroge – 49.084 – Wednesday Afternoon
    21. 5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.175 – Thursday Afternoon
    22. 68 Steve Blackburn – 49.142 – Wednesday Afternoon
    23. 17b Chris Buescher & 5c Damon Lusk – 49.191 – Thursday Afternoon
    24. 14b John Ferrier – 49.199 – Wednesday Afternoon
    25. 12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.203 – Thursday Afternoon
    26. 18e Leilani Munter – 49.501 – Thursday Afternoon
    27. 62 Drew Charleson – 49.637 – Wednesday Afternoon
    28. 14a John Graham – 49.690 – Wednesday Afternoon
    29. 10b Rick Clifton – 49.724 – Wednesday Afternoon
    30. 18a Ryan Glenski – 49.760 – Thursday Afternoon
    31. 10a Ed Pompa – 49.762 – Wednesday Afternoon
    32. 12a Jarod Marks – 49.781 – Wednesday Afternoon
    33. 75b Benny Chastain – 49.788 – Wednesday Afternoon
    34. 95 Tommy Joe Martins – 49.927 – Wednesday Afternoon
    35. 18d Jill Georgs – 50.417 – Wednesday Afternoon
    36. 3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.452 – Thursday Afternoon
    37. 18d Sloan Henderson – 50.532 – Thursday Afternoon
    38. 80a Ricky Byers – 50.627 – Wednesday Afternoon
    39. 75a Hannah Baker – 50.661 – Wednesday Afternoon
    40. 80c Chris Davis – 50.870  – Thursday Afternoon
    41. 80 Russell Henderson – 59.108 – Wednesday Afternoon

  • Kyle Fowler Holds Best Time of ARCA Test Single Car Runs for Venturini Motorsports

    Teammate Hal Martin made of had the quickest time for Thursday morning’s session, however Kyle Fowler holds serve of being the quickest car on the property for single car runs.

    Martin drove the No. 55 Toyota to a best lap of 48.815 seconds (184.37 mph) to lead the Thursday morning session. That lap ranks fifth-best over the single-car runs only for the entire test session. Overall, the lap ranks 16th-best of the test week as Benny Gordon’s 48.414-second effort holds the top from the drafting session.  

    “It’s windier today, that’s for sure,” Martin told the ARCA Racing Network. “We had a little bit of a headwind going down the backstretch, which slowed us down a little bit. Other than that, our cars are quick. The Venturini guys put in a heck of a lot of work coming in and leading into this week and this test session, and the cars are all fast. The cars are performing like they should be.”

    Fowler ranked second on Thursday’s board with a lap of 48.943 seconds (183.887 mph), though holds first on the board for the entire test in single-car runs with a time of 48.668-seconds in the No. 15 Chevrolet.

    For Thursday’s board, teammates Steve Arpin and Mark Thomspon followed behind Martin and Fowler in third and forth.  Arpin drove the No. 25 Toyota to a lap of 48.978 seconds (183.756 mph), and Thompson drove his best lap in 49.208 seconds (182.897 mph). 

    Venturini Motorsports officials said that they have elected not to run the afternoon session as they’ve accomplished their goals. 

    “We had a game plan coming into this test session,” Martin said. “We were able to run through our list of things we wanted to try and see what benefited the car and what hampered our performance. We got our checklist done and completed, so we’re done.”

    Finishing out the top 10 for Day three was Brian Rose, Bobby Gerhart, Randy Renfrow, Patrick Sheltra, Grant Enfinger, and Jason Bowles. A number of teams, including Richard Childress Racing, Kimmel Racing, and Enfinger Motorsports, chose not to participate in the final day of testing.

    ARCA Racing Series testing at Daytona will conclude this afternoon with a drafting session, scheduled for 1-5 p.m.

    Gordon, who led yesterday’s drafting session, does not plan on running this afternoon.

    “I think we’re done,” Gordon said. “We were only planning on two days. (The team) has some stuff they want to do back at the shop, so I think we’re going to get out of here and pack it up, let them do their work, and see if they can’t make it better for when it comes back.”

    Meanwhile, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, son of Kerrry Earnhardt, is looking to use these three days as a learning experience.

    “It means a lot coming here,” the 23-year old said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for this track. With everything that’s happened here, it’s really awesome being here.

    “I’m just hoping to learn a lot. They say this track is pretty much in my DNA, but I guess we’ll find that out.” 

    Single-Car Run Speeds Combined From The Test

    1. #15 Kyle Fowler – 48.668 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    2. #55 Hal Martin – 48.697 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    3. #25 Steve Arpin – 48.796 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    4. #31 Tim George Jr. – 48.985 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    5. #66 Mark Thomson – 49.208 seconds – Thursday Morning
    6. #4 Brian Rose – 49.290 seconds – Thursday Morning
    7. #17a Chris Buescher – 49.315 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    8. #63a Milka Duno – 49.371 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    9. #41a Ty Dillon – 49.383 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    10. #22 Dakoda Armstrong – 49.438 – Wednesday Morning
    11. #42a Scott Stenzil – 49.457 – Wednesday Morning
    12. #36 Grant Enfinger – 49.486 – Tuesday Afternoon
    13. #16a Joey Coulter – 49.543 – Tuesday Afternoon
    14. #77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 49.549 – Wednesday Morning
    15. #14b John Ferrier – 49.562 – Tuesday Afternoon
    16. #18a Ryan Glenski – 49.578 – Wednesday Morning
    17. #5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.624 seconds – Thursday Morning
    18. #16 Randy Renfrow – 49.659 seconds – Thursday Morning
    19. #63 Patrick Sheltra – 49.660 seconds – Thursday Morning
    20. #75b Benny Chastain – 49.680 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    21. #10a Ed Pompa – 49.686 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    22. #6 Jason Bowles – 49.709 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    23. #18c Jeremy Frankoski – 49.714 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    24. #09 Benny Gordon – 49.743 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    25. #36b Brett Hudson – 49.804 seconds – Thursday Morning
    26. #12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.853 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    27. #12c Chase Austin – 49.925 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon 
    28. #5c Damon Lusk – 49.945 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    29. #97 Matt Lofton – 49.946 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    30. #2 Kevin Swindell – 49.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    31. #11 Bryan Silas – 49.977 seconds – Thursday Morning
    32. #1 Chad McCumbee – 49.978 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    33. #54 Will Vaught – 50.007 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    34. #42b Joey Gaze – 50.048 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    35. #95 Tommy Joe Martins – 50.049 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    36. #68 Steve Blackburn – 50.059 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    37. #75a Hannah Baker – 50.075 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    38. #42c Ryan Lynch – 50.080 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    39. #23a Jake Crum – 50.113 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    40. #14a John Graham – 50.145 seconds – Thursday Morning
    41. #10b Rick Clifton – 50.355 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    42. #3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.477 – Thursday Morning
    43. #3 Brent Brevak – 50.540 – Thursday Morning 
    44. #18e Lelani Munter – 50.544 – Thursday Morning
    45. #44 Frank Kimmel – 50.596 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    46. #82 Sean Corr – 50.607 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    47. #08 James Hylton – 50.694 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    48. #80b Richard Herriman - 50.773 seconds – Thursday Morning
    49. #18d Sloan Henderson – 50.790 seconds – Thursday Morning
    50. #62 Drew Charleson – 50.821 seconds – Thursday Morning
    51. #23 Levi Youster – 50.939 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    52. #18b Tyler Speer – 50.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    53. #58 Chad Hackenbracht – 51.244 seconds – Tuesday Morning 
  • Budweiser Shootout Eligibility Criteria Expands For What Purpose?

    Budweiser Shootout Eligibility Criteria Expands For What Purpose?

    NASCAR announced that the eligibility criteria for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout would be expanded.

    Last year it included the previous year’s 12 Chase for the Championship drivers and drivers who have competed in the past two seasons who are past Cup champions, past Budweiser Shootout winners and past Daytona Cup points race winners.

    This year it includes the criteria, along with including Rookie of the Year winners from the past 10 years.

    “When you take a look at the field for this year’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, it’s loaded with all-star caliber drivers,” said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition, in the press release. “From former series champions and Chase drivers, to the past 10 rookie of the year performers, to drivers who have had success at Daytona, we believe the fans are in store for a terrific and highly competitive event on a brand new racing surface.”

    The new format allows Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Kevin Conway, Juan Montoya and Regan Smith to be qualified in to the field.

    The old format of the Budweiser Shootout included only pole winners and past winners of the race. The idea was to give those who had worked hard to win a pole throughout the year a bonus – just like the Sprint All-Star Race gives race winners a bonus.

    Though when Coors Light took over the rights of the Pole Award, it was demanded that the format get changed from Budweiser.

    So what is the bonus now for pole winners? Besides starting first and getting first pit selection with some extra cash, pretty much nothing. With the way the races are, on most tracks it doesn’t matter where you start as you can always work your way to the front to win one way or another. The pole isn’t as big as it was before.

    Therefore qualifying day is off of people’s radars a lot as they don’t count that towards if their driver will run well. They just care how their driver is in practice. With that being said, the views on qualifying are down, making things look bad there.

    How can this be fixed? Either go back to the old format or give bonus points for qualifying. 15 for the pole, 10 for second and five for third sounds right – that is what the ARCA Racing Series does and in the end, that could seperate first and second.

    Now NASCAR just comes up with something that looks like an interesting format that has some “criteria” to get as many big faces as they can in. If they want to do that, they might as well just say, “Okay, look – everybody is allowed in. It’s just a non-points race with a big cash bonus.” That is the way it is going as the only drivers in the top 35 not locked in are David Reutimann, A.J. Allmendinger, Martin Truex Jr., Paul Menard, David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose, Elliott Sadler, Sam Hornish Jr., Scott Speed, David Gilliiland, Travis Kvapil and Robby Gordon.

  • Kyle Fowler Leads Venturini Motorsports 1-2 in ARCA Wednesday Morning Speed Chart

    Kyle Fowler Leads Venturini Motorsports 1-2 in ARCA Wednesday Morning Speed Chart

    Kyle Fowler led the speed charts following day one and after the morning session day two, Fowler was still on top of the standings.

    Fowler completed 12 laps in the morning session on Wednesday with a best lap of 48.668 seconds (184.926 mph). This lap stands as the best of the two days, also.

    “I’m really pleased with (Kyle) Fowler in the 15,” general manager Billy Venturini said. “That’s been a real pleasant surprise. That car has been awfully good, and was really good in the wind tunnel. It’s good to see a kid that’s never been here before run that well.”

    His teammate Hal Martin ran 15 laps to end up second on the charts with a lap of 48.697 seconds (184.816 mph).

    “Wow, we have fast cars! The PME engine we’re using, that’s a lot of horses under the hood,” Martin told the ARCA Racing Network. “The car is driving really well; we’re hugging the yellow line and slamming the nose to the ground into the corners. It’s driving really fast and flat into the turns. We’re going to continue with single-car lines this afternoon. I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a really solid day so far.”

    The 25-year old Louisiana native will race five races for Venturini Motorsports in 2011 – Daytona, Talladega, Chicagoland, Pocono and Michigan.

    “I’m really looking forward to hitting the track again at Daytona,” Martin said. “I had a bit of a head start on the field by being able to participate in the Hoosier Tire test here in December for Venturini Motorsports – so I feel I had a good chance to get somewhat acclimated to the track with some laps logged.”

    Martin has made six career ARCA Racing Series starts, including one with Venturini. He finished 10th at Talladega last season.

    “We’ve got strong talent among all of our drivers, and our reputation stands behind the equipment and support we’re able to provide each and every one of them,” Tom Venturini, a team representative said. “Hal has proven his talent for our organization in the past, as well as on the Gulf Coast Late Model tracks. We’re really excited to see how he’ll perform this season. He has tremendous talent. We’re hopeful he will not only add more top-10s to that resume, but also top-fives and maybe even a trip to Victory Lane.”

    Along with Martin, Venturini Motorsports will run rookies Alastair Jackson, Max Gresham, and Darren Hagen in the 2011 season.

    Richard Childress Racing development driver Tim George Jr. drove 11 laps to end up third on the charts with a lap of 48.985 seconds (183.73 mph).

    “That’s the car we ran at Talladega, and it was really fast at Talladega,” George said after yesterday’s test. “I was comfortable with the car right out of the box; it’s not like getting used to a new car. I’ve been running the banking for the past four days here in the Rolex Series, and we were third on the board there, so it feels good to be back on top of the board with a different tire and a different car.”

    Venturini Motorsports driver Steve Arpin finished the morning fourth with a lap of 49.222 seconds (182.845 mph) while Cunningham Motorsports’ driver Dakoda Armstrong ended up fifth with a lap of 49.438 seconds (182.046 mph).

    Armstrong, the 2010 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year, plans to run both the February 12th Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway and the April 15th Talladega ARCA 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, as according to Cunningham Motorsports. Armstrong won two races – Talladega Superspeedway and Salem Speedway – last year for them driving the No. 22.  

    Scott Stenzel, Ty Dillon, Joey Licata Jr., Grant Enfinger, and Ryan Glenski rounded out the top 10 for the morning.

    For Dillon, it marked his first laps ever on a Superspeedway as he looks to run his first full ARCA racing season.

    “It’s awesome,” Dillon said of the experience yesterday. “It’s really exciting. You go really fast. The track’s really smooth, so it’s fairly easy to get up to speed. We have a good car and there’s still some speed to gain. We’re just going to keep working on it. I just want to learn. I’ve got to learn to make our car better, and I’ve got to learn a lot, especially in the draft. We’ll just get as many laps as we can get and hopefully keep it up.”  

    Dillon’s teammate George Jr. said he looks forward to working with Dillon after having some years of ARCA experience under his belt.

    “He’s been racing cars way longer than I have,” George said. “You know, he’s much younger than I am. I’m going to lean on him for some stuff and he’ll probably lean on me for some stuff on the road courses and maybe the superspeedways. There’s a lot that he’s done in his racing career that I’m looking forward to doing, including winning in the ARCA Racing Series. It’ll be good to have support between him and I, and I’m looking forward to it.”

    IndyCar star Milka Duno was 16th on the speed charts today after being in the top 10 throughout the day yesterday.Other notables include six-time Daytona ARCA winner Bobby Gerhart ended the three-hour session tied for 21st, at 50.007 seconds (179.975 mph), and nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel finished 36th, at 50.733 seconds (177.399 mph).

    “Well, we wanted to go out and make sure the thing runs real fast,” Kimmel said. “Unfortunately, it’s not running real fast right now. We’ve got some work to do. This is the car we tore up here last year in the race. We qualified 13th, and we expect to be there or in the top 10 by the time we’re done. We have some work to do right now.” 

    Drafting testing will take place this afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. and lasting for four hours. A maximum of six cars per pack will be allowed to test.

    DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – 1/11-13/11  
    ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY MENARDS  
    JANUARY 12, 2011, MORNING SESSION    
               
      CAR # DRIVER MAKE TIME SPEED
    1 15 Kyle Fowler Chevy 48.668 184.926
    2 55 Hal Martin Toyota 48.697 184.816
    3 31 Tim George Chevy 48.985 183.730
    4 25 Steve Arpin Toyota 49.222 182.845
    5 22 Dakoda Armstrong Dodge 49.438 182.046
    6 42a Scott Stenzil Ford 49.457 181.976
    7 41a Ty Dillon Chevy 49.517 181.756
    8 77 Joey Licata, Jr. Dodge 49.549 181.638
    9 36 Grant Enfinger Dodge 49.559 181.602
    10 18a Ryan Glenski Ford 49.578 181.532
    11 14b John Ferrier Ford 49.621 181.375
    12 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 49.679 181.163
    13 10a Ed Pompa Chevy 49.686 181.138
    14 63a Milka Duno Dodge 49.708 181.057
    15 6 Jason Bowles Toyota 49.709 181.054
    16 18c Jeremy Frankoski Ford 49.714 181.036
    17 09 Benny Gordon Ford 49.743 180.930
    18 16 Randy Renfrow Chevy 49.763 180.857
    19 36b Brett Hudson Dodge 49.849 180.545
    20 1 Chad McCumbee Ford 49.978 180.079
    21 5 Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.007 179.975
    22 54 Will Vaught Chevy 50.007 179.975
    23 12b Maryeve Dufault Dodge 50.021 179.924
    24 5c Damon Lusk Chevy 50.054 179.806
    25 75b Benny Chastain Chevy 50.065 179.766
    26 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.070 179.748
    27 17a Chris Buescher Ford 50.106 179.619
    28 11 Bryan Silas Ford 50.139 179.501
    29 14a John Graham Ford 50.145 179.480
    30 68 Steve Blackburn Dodge 50.213 179.236
    31 2 Kevin Swindell Toyota 50.280 178.998
    32 95 Tommy Joe Martins Dodge 50.281 178.994
    33 75a Hannah Baker Chevy 50.339 178.788
    34 10b Rick Clifton Chevy 50.355 178.731
    35 82 Sean Corr Ford 50.729 177.413
    36 44 Frank Kimmel Ford 50.733 177.399
    37 3 Brent Brevak Dodge 50.811 177.127
    38 23 Levi Youster Chevy 50.939 176.682
    39 08 James Hylton Ford 51.070 176.229
    40 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 51.443 174.951
    41 17b Chris Buescher Ford 52.126 172.659
    42 62 Drew Charleson Chevy 54.853 164.075
    43 4 Brian Rose Dodge    
    44 16 Brian Smith Chevy    
    45 12 Jared Marks Dodge    
    46 18 Tyler Speer Ford    
    47 25 Hal Martin Toyota    
    48 48 James Hylton Ford    
    49 97 Matt Lofton Chevy    
    50 12c Chase Austin Dodge    
    51 16a Joey Coulter Chevy    
    52 23a Jake Crum Chevy    
    53 42b Joey Gase Ford    
    54 42c Ryan Lynch Ford    

     
  • Chris Buescher, Tim George Jr and Ty Dillion Top Morning ARCA Daytona Test

    Chris Buescher, Tim George Jr and Ty Dillion Top Morning ARCA Daytona Test

    Eighteen-year old rookie Chris Buescher drove the Roulo Brothers Racing Ford, marked with an orange No. 17, to a lap of 49.315 seconds (182.5 mph) in the opening session to top the charts.

    [media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignleft” width=”287″][/media-credit]”It was a little unexpected, for sure, being the first session out on a speedway for me,” said Buescher, who has two wins in 15 ARCA Racing Series starts over two seasons. “To be honest, I’m not at all comfortable yet. I was a little bit all over the place, but that means I’ve got a good piece under me. We did a good job preparing.”

    Buescher has experience in the ARCA Racing Series as he won both races at Toledo last year, however this marks his first full-season now that he has become of age.

    Buescher was followed by Richard Childress Racing Development driver teammates Tim George Jr. (49.368 seconds) and Ty Dillon (49.497 seconds). The 2011 season marks George’s third full season in ARCA while Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress and brother of Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Dillon, enters his first full year of ARCA Racing.

    Benny Chastain and Dakoda Armstrong rounded out the top five and Matt Lofton was sixth.

    IndyCar driver Milka Duno, who recently announced she had joined forces with Sheltra Motorsports, ended the morning seventh. Scott Stenzel, Mark Thompson, and 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra completed the top 10.

    DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – 1/11-13/11  
    ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY MENARDS  
    JANUARY 11, 2011, MORNING SESSION    
               
      CAR # DRIVER MAKE TIME SPEED
    1 17a Chris Buescher Ford 49.315 182.500
    2 31 Tim George Chevy 49.368 182.304
    3 41a Ty Dillon Chevy 49.497 181.829
    4 75b Benny Chastain Chevy 49.680 181.159
    5 22 Dakoda Armstrong Dodge 49.755 180.886
    6 97 Matt Lofton Chevy 50.059 179.788
    7 63a Milka Duno Dodge 50.066 179.763
    8 42a Scott Stenzil Ford 50.149 179.465
    9 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 50.151 179.458
    10 63 Patrick Sheltra Dodge 50.180 179.354
    11 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.204 179.269
    12 36b Brett Hudson   50.227 179.186
    13 5c Damon Lusk Chevy 50.244 179.126
    14 77 Joey Licata, Jr. Dodge 50.262 179.062
    15 16b Joey Coulter Chevy 50.290 178.962
    16 68 Steve Blackburn Dodge 50.317 178.866
    17 14b John Ferrier Ford 50.318 178.862
    18 5 Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.337 178.795
    19 54 Will Vaught Chevy 50.356 178.727
    20 1 Chad McCumbee Ford 50.383 178.632
    21 82 Sean Corr Ford 50.744 177.361
    22 44 Frank Kimmel Ford 50.877 176.897
    23 12c Chase Austin Dodge 50.897 176.828
    24 36 Grant Enfinger Dodge 51.089 176.163
    25 11 Bryan Silas   51.140 175.987
    26 10a Ed Pompa   51.233 175.668
    27 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 51.244 175.630
    28 14 John Graham Ford 51.685 174.132
    29 2 Kevin Swindell Toyota    
    30 3 Brent Brevak Dodge    
    31 4 Brian Rose Dodge    
    32 5 Brian Smith Chevy    
    33 6 Jason Bowles Toyota    
    34 10 Rick Clifton      
    35 12 Jared Marks Dodge    
    36 12 Maryeve Dufault Dodge    
    37 15 Kyle Fowler Chevy    
    38 16 Randy Renfrow Chevy    
    39 18 Ryan Glenski      
    40 18 Tyler Speer      
    41 18 Jeremy Frankoski      
    42 23 Rob Jones Chevy    
    43 25   Toyota    
    44 42 Joey Gase Ford    
    45 42 Ryan Lynch Ford    
    46 48 James Hylton Ford    
    47 49 Jimmie Nowell      
    48 55 Steve Arpin Toyota    
    49 62 Drew Charleson Chevy    
    50 73 John Sendo      
    51 75 Hannah Baler Chevy    
    52 95 Tommy Joe Martins      
    53 08 James Hylton Ford    
    54 09 Benny Gordon Ford    
    55   Russell Henderson      
    56   Ricky Byers      
    57   Hal Martin Toyota    
    58   Jake Crum Chevy    
    59   Bobby D Earnhardt      
    60   Chris Davis    
  • Drivers Must Choose To Run For One Championship in 2011

    Drivers Must Choose To Run For One Championship in 2011

    Last week, Brad Keselowski tweeted, “Needed a good laugh tonight after being ruled ineligible for both shootout and NW championship in one loooong week. Thanks for the support.” This began speculation that drivers would have to choose the series that they wanted to compete in for 2011.

    Since then, this has been confirmed to be true as reported on NASCAR.com.

    Kenny Wallace said that there is a box you have to check on the new entry form that he picked up while testing at Daytona for the upcoming 24 hours of Daytona race.

    “The brand-new license forms that are out, there’s a box and in it, it states that you have to mark — put an X — what championship you’re running for,” Wallace told NASCAR.com, quoting his application. “A driver will only be permitted to earn driver championship points in one (1) of the following three series: NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide or NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Please select the series in which you would like to accumulate driver championship points. Choose one.”

    NASCAR refused to comment on the issue as they said it would be addressed during the Competition Update held during Preseason Thunder later this month.

    “I’m sure we can answer all your questions at our competition update.” NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp said.

    From whether owner’s points will be addressed to how giving out the points will be done, that is all suppose to addressed come January 21st during Preseason Thunder.

    This is something that has been rumored to be happening for the 2011 season since last October. It was a move that was being discussed then to help with driver development, small teams attracting sponsors and bringing the series back to its roots as a developmental series. The last non-Sprint Cup driver to win a Nationwide Series championship was Martin Truex Jr. in 2005. Since then, it has been Sprint Cup regulars dominating the Nationwide Series, taking most of the wins and all the championships.

    NASCAR President Brian France also announced that in the next coming weeks, they will be meeting with drivers and owners from each organization to discuss other issues currently facing NASCAR. They will be doing the discussed by organization instead of as a big town hall meeting to hopefully open up the lines of communication more.

    “The old theory was that when you’re at the races with them all the time, we had the communication lines wide open,” France said about the team forums last January to Sporting News. “That’s true, but it’s too busy now to assume that we can have all the communications and get all the issues they want to get resolved with us at the track.

    “So we just changed it around where we’re having these meetings. … In the town hall meetings, a lot of people didn’t want to speak up when there were 12 other drivers or something like that and they didn’t feel comfortable.”