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  • 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Review in Quotes

    2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Review in Quotes

    When Robin Pemberton uttered those now infamous words, “Boys, have at it” it was anyone’s guess what type of a season the sport was in for. Looking back at the 2010 Nationwide Series season, it became quite clear that the drivers lived by those words each weekend.

    From Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch, to those like Jason Leffler, the season was nothing short of a success. There was the debut of Danica Patrick and the reemergence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rise of the sports next stars.
    In the end it was Keselowski that took home the NNS championship, the first for both him and team owner Roger Penske. Here’s a recap of a season that was nothing short of history making.

    Daytona: “You don’t want to flip one upside down and it not be spectacular. You don’t want to waste your opportunity, right?” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Running his self-owned No. 88 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a rare but welcomed appearance in the season opening race at Daytona. Like he does at most restrictor plate tracks he was running in the top three when Carl Edwards started another big wreck at a big track. Contact from Edwards sent Brad Keselowski into Earnhardt Jr.’s right rear quarter panel sending him flipping down the backstretch.

    California: “I don’t know what his deal with me is, but for some reason, in California, he feels like putting me in the fence or hitting me toward the end.” — Joey Logano

    Logano called it another necessary wreck. Greg Biffle called it a mistake on Logano’s part. The past history the two shares at California, coming last year when Biffle tagged Logano and sent him sliding along the wall, carried over into 2010 when the two made contact on a restart.

    Las Vegas: “I get mad, and they [the crew] know how I am and what I expect of them. … But you can only gripe about it so long, and then you have to go back and drive the car.” — Kevin Harvick

    There is one constant that can always get Harvick fired up on the radio and that’s his pit crew. Never one to mince words, Harvick will let them know how he feels about them when they don’t perform how he expects.

    Bristol: “We had a great car and I screwed up qualifying and didn’t get the run we really needed and had to start 30th.” — Justin Allgaier

    In order to win his first career race Allgaier not only had to start from the 30th position at the toughest track on the schedule, but he had to pass his teammate with 17 laps to go to get the lead. Mission accomplished on both ends and for Allgaier the win almost mirrored that of Keselowski’s at Bristol when he started 37th and won back in 2008.

    Nashville: “I’m sure his girlfriend’s dad will write another check and he’ll be back next week.” — Jason Leffler

    It may have been the first example of “boys, have at it” when Leffler and James Buescher got together in Nashville. Leffler returned to the race and paid back Buescher before being penalized by NASCAR for his actions. Afterwards he took at shot at Buescher, who drives for Turner Motorsports and is currently engaged to Kris Turner.

    Phoenix: “All I know is I paid NASCAR back by winning.” — Kyle Busch

    It might have been the first run in with NASCAR this year for Busch, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Busch had to serve a pass through penalty after NASCAR deemed that he didn’t restart in the designated areas on the track, which caused Brad Keselowski to beat him to the line and a 10-car crash to start behind him. Busch came roaring back through the field over the final 10 laps for his second win of the season.

    Texas: “I don’t know, guess he’s got a lot to prove in this series.” — Clint Bowyer

    When teammates get together on the racetrack it results in some of the best writing material of the year and Bowyer did not disappoint after having a run in with Kevin Harvick. The two made contact when Harvick made it three-wide and as a result Bowyer’s right front tire eventually blew and he ended up in the wall.

    Talladega: “To go from that moment where I thought, ‘I just lost the championship; I’m not going to get to run,’ to getting in the car and winning the race – an exciting race – it’s just amazing.” — Brad Keselowski

    Upon joining Penske Racing for the 2010 season, Keselowski was set to run the full NNS schedule and compete for the championship. When the Talladega race was pushed to Sunday afternoon, following the Sprint Cup race, Keselowski almost didn’t get in his car. His carbon monoxide levels were too high from a wreck in the Cup race but came down just in time for the Keselowski to get to pit road and his No. 22 Dodge.

    Richmond: “Man, this is awesome to watch you, Brad.” — Roger Penske

    Signing Brad Keselowski and luring him away from JR Motorsports proved to be the right move for team owner Roger Penske. The Captain saw both his drivers, Keselowski and Allgaier, win races in 2010 and Keselowski delivered his first championship in NASCAR. At Richmond, Penske complimented his driver after another victory.

    Darlington: “My parents sacrificed a lot when I was growing up … now they get to live the life that they should.” — Denny Hamlin

    When Hamlin won on Mother’s Day weekend, it was special not just for his mother Mary Lou, but also for his entire family. As Hamlin tells the story, his parents didn’t get to spend their hard earned money on fancy things because they were putting it all toward building him racecars. Now when that he’s racing in NASCAR they get to travel the circuit with him and enjoy all the victories.

    Dover: “We’ve been really lucky in this car though, everything has just gone our way and I’ve been involved in racing a long time and have had things all go the opposite way.” — Jamie McMurray

    It might be hard to make a case against the 2010 season being the year of McMurray. After have less than stellar seasons in the Sprint Cup Series and leaving Roush-Fenway, McMurray landed back at Ganassi where he won the season opening Daytona 500. Then Dale Earnhardt Jr. came calling for McMurray’s services in a few NNS races. McMurray became a weekly contender and would win a race later in the season after noting that he’s suffered through a lot in his career.

    Charlotte: “I’m going to miss him not running next week. We bring out the best in each other – and sometimes the worst.” — Brad Keselowski

    The best battles in the NNS in 2010 either came between Keselowski and Carl Edwards or Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Charlotte was another great example where Busch got the best of Keselowski who afterward talked about how much he enjoys the competition.

    Nashville: “The people around here of middle Tennessee, they don’t give up when adversity strikes so we got two laps down and we fought all night long … top 15, tickled to death.” — Willie Allen.

    A career best finish had Allen over the moon in his native Tennessee track and when talking about his efforts made sure to give praise to the citizens of the state that were fighting hard to recover from flooding in April.

    Kentucky: “I would never have thought 2-for-2 or 3-for-3, poles and wins, it’s impressive. I’m pretty stoked right now.” — Joey Logano

    If Martinsville in the Cup Series is Denny Hamlin or Jimmie Johnson and if Daytona was Dale Earnhardt, then Kentucky is quickly becoming Joey Logano. Since debuting in the series in 2008, Logano is undefeated at the track and all of his wins have come from the pole.

    Road America: “I’m trying not to cry right now because I’m really heartbroken, but it’s tough.” — Brad Coleman

    Road course racing has never been Brad Keselowski’s strong suit and it was painfully obvious at Road America where he tangled with Coleman late in the race. Keselowski said he didn’t do it intentionally, he just doesn’t know what to do on road courses. Coleman said Keselowski cost him a victory.

    Loudon: “It was a bummer to get lapped so many times.” — Danica Patrick

    Kyle Busch may have won the most races in 2010 but he was still overshadowed in the media by Patrick who was making her first starts in the NASCAR world. It was a tough learning curve for the open-wheel driver who felt more frustration this season than she had her entire racing career.

    Daytona: “Man, you know we lost everything here and to come back with that number and do this, it means everything.” — Tony Eury Jr.

    The Earnhardt family will always be synonymous with the Daytona International Speedway so when Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins at the track it’s emotional. But when he wins at the track in his father’s number and paint scheme, there’s no keeping back the tears as crew chief Tony Eury Jr. didn’t hide when he talked about the victory.

    Chicago: “Apparently those Dodges make good horsepower but they suck a lot of fuel.” — Kyle Busch

    He still needed to beat teammate Joey Logano on a green-white-checkered finish but Busch benefited from Brad Keselowski, who was leading, running out of fuel on the caution lap. Busch said had that not happened he probably would have finished second.

    Gateway: “He ain’t gonna kill my boy.” — Bob Keselowski

    It was another page of the Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards history book and this time it didn’t have a pretty ending. When racing for the win on the last lap, Keselowski rubbed Edwards in turns one and two. Coming off turn four Edwards turned right and put Keselowski in the fence, who was hit by a few more cars coming to the finish line. Interviewed afterwards, father Bob Keselowski said he was going to get his old driving gloves out and take care of Edwards himself.

    Indianapolis: “It was a fun night and I can’t wait to do it again.” — Aric Almirola

    In his first race with JR Motorsports, Camping World Truck Series driver Aric Almirola led laps and finished third. Impressed with his performance, crew chief Tony Eury Sr. and owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to give Almirola a few more shots behind the wheel. It then turned into a full-time ride for 2011.

    Iowa: “We’ve got the trophy in the plane but the wrong’s guys got it … We beat Kyle’s [Busch] truck today but he got us this afternoon.” — Kevin Harvick

    Harvick and Kyle Busch not only race against each other, they pit their own teams against each other. Before the race in Iowa it was Elliott Sadler winning the truck race driving for Harvick’s team over Kasey Kahne who was the Busch owned truck. Later that day in the Nationwide race it was Busch going to victory lane and Harvick finishing second.

    Watkins Glen: “We’ve got another job to do [Sunday], so I won’t have too many beers tonight.” — Marcos Ambrose

    For the third consecutive year it was Ambrose celebrating in victory lane at Watkins Glen. The big prize though, the Sprint Cup race, has always seemed to get away and even though Ambrose didn’t drink it away this season, he still finished second to Juan Pablo Montoya the following day.

    Michigan: “I don’t need no stinking clutch,” and “The cake didn’t bake.” — Brad Keselowski

    In winning his second consecutive race at his home track, Keselowski did so without a clutch. In fact, it didn’t affect him at all on the racetrack, just pit road, as he dominated the event. Afterwards he was asked about racing his rival Carl Edwards so closely but without incident and Keselowski noted that they both were well behaved.

    Bristol: “I just told him he’s going to be around here a long time not to make a tool out of himself.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Before Brad Keselowski became the Nationwide Series champion with Penske Racing he was a no-name driver that was given a shot by Dale Earnhardt Jr. It ended up putting Keselowski on the map and in 2008-2009 he finished third in points. At Bristol, Keselowski was racing Kyle Busch for the lead when Busch spun him out. Earnhardt Jr. went over to offer Keselowski a little advice on dealing with the situation.

    Montreal: “This is what I can do in a good car and I’m really proud.” — Max Papis

    NASCAR fans were given a special treat when two of the best in road racing had the win come down to a duel between them. Boris Said and Max Papis came to the checkered flag in a photo finish, with Said getting the win. For Papis, getting to drive a Kevin Harvick Inc. car was a victory in itself.

    Atlanta: “I think Jamie is showing everybody how good he is this year.” — Carl Edwards

    Besides making the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, it’s hard to imagine what else Jamie McMurray could have wanted this season. He wins two of the biggest races of the season in Cup and then gets to drive for the most popular driver in the sport, Dale Earnhardt Jr. In his eighth start with the team, he drove to victory lane in Atlanta.

    Richmond: “I was making fun of Kyle (Busch) and he said he was going to fix me up and make sure I was going to get one. I told him I was not getting a pink fire suit, but unfortunately I’m getting a pink fire suit.” — Jason Ratcliff

    Kevin Harvick may have won the race in Richmond, but NASCAR fans may not remember it. That’s because all eyes were on Kyle Busch and his No. 18 Toyota as he drove the Kittens, Bunnies, and Little Baby Seals car from a Toyota commercial. Along with the pink car came the pink firesuit that he dawned as well as his crew chief.  

    Dover: “Six second place finishes this year, I want to win one of these things eventually.” — Joey Logano

    Once upon a time it was Kyle Busch asking what it would have been like if all his second place finishes were wins. At Dover, after finishing second to Busch, it was teammate Logano who was asking the same question. On this day it was poor restarts that kept him out of victory lane.

    Kansas: “Really happy, went to the back and went to the front … Just really happy, I think I proved myself today.” — Ricky Carmichael

    Coming to NASCAR and four wheels compared to the two that were on his motocross bike, has been a transition for Carmichael. However, he’s adjusted well as he competes in both the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. At Kansas, Carmichael’s big task was learning what getting his lap back meant and how he had to pass all the same drivers he had previously done so in the race.

    California: “If they can’t stand the pressure they’re going to have to go find something else to do.” — Kevin Harvick

    Another race, another dominate car and another win given away on pit road by the pit crew. Frustrated, Harvick made it clear that the following week there would be a new team jumping over the wall.

    Charlotte: “I want to win again and I’m going to win again, just came up short tonight.” — Martin Truex Jr.

    Second is the first loser and Martin Truex Jr. was the man in that position to Brad Keselowski at Charlotte. What made it hard was how good Truex Jr. said his car was and how badly he wants to get back to victory lane, whether it’s in the Nationwide or Sprint Cup Series.

    Gateway: “It was nice, they’ve got really nice equipment.” — Mike Bliss

    He was another driver that had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a KHI car and take advantage of it. For Bliss it resulted in a second place finish to Brad Keselowski at Gateway.

    Texas: “Does it f**king matter?” — Kyle Busch

    To say that Kyle Busch was unhappy in Texas during both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup events would be an understatement. In the Nationwide race he was livid that Carl Edwards jumped the restart and won the race and wasn’t penalized by NASCAR. In his radio interviews he dropped a few “F” bombs before saying that it didn’t matter if NASCAR reviewed the tape now because the race was already over and Edwards was in victory lane.

    Phoenix: “After three of four laps, I could do whatever I wanted with it.” — Carl Edwards

    Having fast racecars makes a driver’s job a lot easier. Edwards’ car was so fast that he sat out the final practice session for the Wypall 200 at Phoenix. The following day he was in victory lane and couldn’t believe how fast his car actually was.

    Homestead: “To end up with a top five here with Roush-Fenway is exciting and it’s kind of a milestone because now we know we can do it again and we go into the offseason knowing that. We’re just going to work toward next year and be really excited to get there.” — Trevor Bayne

    When Bayne signed with Roush Fenway Racing, many didn’t think it would benefit the young driver that had impressed so many with Michael Waltrip Racing. However, the team finished no worse than 17th in seven of the eight races they ran with Bayne behind the wheel. The best finish came at Homestead, a fifth, and Bayne spoke about looking ahead to the 2011 season.

    Next week will be final installment of the quotes review, a look back on the 2010 Sprint Cup Series.

  • Petty Is Among The Greats That Can’t Manage

    Petty Is Among The Greats That Can’t Manage

    We have seen this problem throughout the world of sports. You have a fantastic athlete that makes a name for himself and then retires to become an owner. How many times in sports have we seen this happen and end in failure? Sadly, Richard Petty has fallen under the curse as well. The seven-time NASCAR champion is struggling to keep his Richard Petty Motorsports racing team afloat after going from a four car operation down to two and the stunning news of Petty putting together an investment team to take control. Petty will became the chairman of the new ownership group and will oversee RPM’s day to day operations.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Richard Petty won 200 races as a professional NASCAR driver, but after taking over as an owner he has only won four races and three if you count the days from Petty Enterprises. Bobby Hamilton won at Rockingham in 1996 and 1997, but waited another two years until John Andretti found victory lane at Martinsville in 1999. Also, remember that before Hamilton’s victory in 1996 that Petty Enterprises hadn’t won a race since 1983 at Phoenix. The team was bought out in 2008 and became Gillett-Evernham Motorsports before Evernham left the team and Richard Petty Motorsports came to be. They have won 1 race and it was in 2009 with Kasey Kahne at Sonoma and Petty’s first win as an owner in 10 years.

    What am I trying to get to here? Look at Wayne Gretzky. He scored 894 times in his NHL career and holds probably every single record in the NHL and tried being an owner/coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Heck, he did so bad the team never made the playoffs and went bankrupt, which led to Gretzky resigning as Head Coach and now just a spectator. His wife Janet has been accused of betting on games and that has led many to believe that the money won could have been used to help the Coyotes, but that accusation never went to court.

    Also, a lot of the greatest owners of all time were actually playing in their sport at one time and weren’t that good. Joe Torre wasn’t the greatest player on the field, but he led the Yankees to 4 World Series rings in 5 years. Freddie Roach was a boxer in his time, never won a world title, and even lost 13 times. Look at what he has done with Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is an eight-division world champion. That is a true athlete. Now, I may be dead wrong on this whole thing with Richard Petty, but I just don’t see them having any success this year. The team is struggling in the money column and that is terrible for any team.

  • Is Mark Martin the Place Card For Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports?

    Is Mark Martin the Place Card For Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports?

    Okay, now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been awarded Jeff Gordon’s equipment, team and crew chief, just what does Mark Martin have to look forward to?

    Martin will now drive the equipment that Junior has struggled with especially the last two seasons at Hendrick Motorsports.  He will also have Lance McGrew as his new crew chief.

    McGrew is a technical guy who had a failure to communicate with Earnhardt Jr.  Martin is more of a technical driver who is able to give great feedback on how to set up a car.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]With that being said, it sounds like McGrew and Martin are quite the good pairing.

    Martin is in his final year at Hendrick Motorsports which makes him a lame duck driver, as the saying goes.  Typically a driver in the last year of their contract fails to perform optimally.

    McGrew Knows he will move on to other duties at HMS or elsewhere after the 2011 season when Kenny Francis comes on board as Kasey Kahne’s crew chief.

    Place cards are placed at the seat a guest is to occupy at the table.  You have to wonder if Kasey Kahne’s place card is on Mark Martin at the HMS table.

    It would be easy to surmise the new No. 5 car will just continue to make a mediocre showing if Martin and McGrew end up butting heads.  If it was a driver other than Mark Martin, it could be easy to assign low expectations to the team.

    Martin wants to go out as a winner at HMS.  He was second to Jimmie Johnson, the perennial NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion in 2009.

    For whatever reason he and his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, just failed to get up to speed this season and lost the momentum from the prior year.  Martin ended up just outside the Chase contenders, 13th in the point standings.

    Martin fought hard for months to dissuade the media and disbelievers that he would be the one leaving Hendrick Motorsports to make room for Kasey Kahne in 2011.  He said he would stay and drive the No. 5 GoDaddy.com car and that is what he is going to do.

    His intent was to finish the last year of his contract as planned, regroup with Gustafson and go for wins in the coming season.  The one thing he didn’t count on was the loss of Gustafson, a crew chief he worked so well with.

    Now as we wait for the kickoff of the new season at Daytona International Speedway in February, it will be like the toss of a coin before a football game.

    Will Mark Martin get the winning side of the coin or will he get the side that makes him the designated place card at Hendrick Motorsports?

  • NASCAR Nationwide Series 2010 Year in Quotes Review

    NASCAR Nationwide Series 2010 Year in Quotes Review

    When Robin Pemberton uttered those now infamous words, “Boys, have at it” it was anyone’s guess what type of a season the sport was in for. Looking back at the 2010 Nationwide Series season, it became quite clear that the drivers lived by those words each weekend.

    From Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch, to those like Jason Leffler, the season was nothing short of a success. There was the debut of Danica Patrick and the reemergence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rise of the sports next stars.

    In the end it was Keselowski that took home the NNS championship, the first for both him and team owner Roger Penske. Here’s a recap of a season that was nothing short of history making.

    Daytona: “You don’t want to flip one upside down and it not be spectacular. You don’t want to waste your opportunity, right?” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Running his self-owned No. 88 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a rare but welcomed appearance in the season opening race at Daytona. Like he does at most restrictor plate tracks he was running in the top three when Carl Edwards started another big wreck at a big track. Contact from Edwards sent Brad Keselowski into Earnhardt Jr.’s right rear quarter panel sending him flipping down the backstretch.

    California: “I don’t know what his deal with me is, but for some reason, in California, he feels like putting me in the fence or hitting me toward the end.” — Joey Logano

    Logano called it another necessary wreck. Greg Biffle called it a mistake on Logano’s part. The past history the two shares at California, coming last year when Biffle tagged Logano and sent him sliding along the wall, carried over into 2010 when the two made contact on a restart.

    Las Vegas: “I get mad, and they [the crew] know how I am and what I expect of them. … But you can only gripe about it so long, and then you have to go back and drive the car.” — Kevin Harvick

    There is one constant that can always get Harvick fired up on the radio and that’s his pit crew. Never one to mince words, Harvick will let them know how he feels about them when they don’t perform how he expects.

    Bristol: “We had a great car and I screwed up qualifying and didn’t get the run we really needed and had to start 30th.” — Justin Allgaier

    In order to win his first career race Allgaier not only had to start from the 30th position at the toughest track on the schedule, but he had to pass his teammate with 17 laps to go to get the lead. Mission accomplished on both ends and for Allgaier the win almost mirrored that of Keselowski’s at Bristol when he started 37th and won back in 2008.

    Nashville: “I’m sure his girlfriend’s dad will write another check and he’ll be back next week.” — Jason Leffler

    It may have been the first example of “boys, have at it” when Leffler and James Buescher got together in Nashville. Leffler returned to the race and paid back Buescher before being penalized by NASCAR for his actions. Afterwards he took at shot at Buescher, who drives for Turner Motorsports and is currently engaged to Kris Turner.

    Phoenix: “All I know is I paid NASCAR back by winning.” — Kyle Busch

    It might have been the first run in with NASCAR this year for Busch, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Busch had to serve a pass through penalty after NASCAR deemed that he didn’t restart in the designated areas on the track, which caused Brad Keselowski to beat him to the line and a 10-car crash to start behind him. Busch came roaring back through the field over the final 10 laps for his second win of the season.

    Texas: “I don’t know, guess he’s got a lot to prove in this series.” — Clint Bowyer

    When teammates get together on the racetrack it results in some of the best writing material of the year and Bowyer did not disappoint after having a run in with Kevin Harvick. The two made contact when Harvick made it three-wide and as a result Bowyer’s right front tire eventually blew and he ended up in the wall.

    Talladega: “To go from that moment where I thought, ‘I just lost the championship; I’m not going to get to run,’ to getting in the car and winning the race – an exciting race – it’s just amazing.” — Brad Keselowski

    Upon joining Penske Racing for the 2010 season, Keselowski was set to run the full NNS schedule and compete for the championship. When the Talladega race was pushed to Sunday afternoon, following the Sprint Cup race, Keselowski almost didn’t get in his car. His carbon monoxide levels were too high from a wreck in the Cup race but came down just in time for the Keselowski to get to pit road and his No. 22 Dodge.

    Richmond: “Man, this is awesome to watch you, Brad.” — Roger Penske

    Signing Brad Keselowski and luring him away from JR Motorsports proved to be the right move for team owner Roger Penske. The Captain saw both his drivers, Keselowski and Allgaier, win races in 2010 and Keselowski delivered his first championship in NASCAR. At Richmond, Penske complimented his driver after another victory.

    Darlington: “My parents sacrificed a lot when I was growing up … now they get to live the life that they should.” — Denny Hamlin

    When Hamlin won on Mother’s Day weekend, it was special not just for his mother Mary Lou, but also for his entire family. As Hamlin tells the story, his parents didn’t get to spend their hard earned money on fancy things because they were putting it all toward building him racecars. Now when that he’s racing in NASCAR they get to travel the circuit with him and enjoy all the victories.

    Dover: “We’ve been really lucky in this car though, everything has just gone our way and I’ve been involved in racing a long time and have had things all go the opposite way.” — Jamie McMurray

    It might be hard to make a case against the 2010 season being the year of McMurray. After have less than stellar seasons in the Sprint Cup Series and leaving Roush-Fenway, McMurray landed back at Ganassi where he won the season opening Daytona 500. Then Dale Earnhardt Jr. came calling for McMurray’s services in a few NNS races. McMurray became a weekly contender and would win a race later in the season after noting that he’s suffered through a lot in his career.

    Charlotte: “I’m going to miss him not running next week. We bring out the best in each other – and sometimes the worst.” — Brad Keselowski

    The best battles in the NNS in 2010 either came between Keselowski and Carl Edwards or Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Charlotte was another great example where Busch got the best of Keselowski who afterward talked about how much he enjoys the competition.

    Nashville: “The people around here of middle Tennessee, they don’t give up when adversity strikes so we got two laps down and we fought all night long … top 15, tickled to death.” — Willie Allen.

    A career best finish had Allen over the moon in his native Tennessee track and when talking about his efforts made sure to give praise to the citizens of the state that were fighting hard to recover from flooding in April.

    Kentucky: “I would never have thought 2-for-2 or 3-for-3, poles and wins, it’s impressive. I’m pretty stoked right now.” — Joey Logano

    If Martinsville in the Cup Series is Denny Hamlin or Jimmie Johnson and if Daytona was Dale Earnhardt, then Kentucky is quickly becoming Joey Logano. Since debuting in the series in 2008, Logano is undefeated at the track and all of his wins have come from the pole.

    Road America: “I’m trying not to cry right now because I’m really heartbroken, but it’s tough.” — Brad Coleman

    Road course racing has never been Brad Keselowski’s strong suit and it was painfully obvious at Road America where he tangled with Coleman late in the race. Keselowski said he didn’t do it intentionally, he just doesn’t know what to do on road courses. Coleman said Keselowski cost him a victory.

    Loudon: “It was a bummer to get lapped so many times.” — Danica Patrick

    Kyle Busch may have won the most races in 2010 but he was still overshadowed in the media by Patrick who was making her first starts in the NASCAR world. It was a tough learning curve for the open-wheel driver who felt more frustration this season than she had her entire racing career.

    Daytona: “Man, you know we lost everything here and to come back with that number and do this, it means everything.” — Tony Eury Jr.

    The Earnhardt family will always be synonymous with the Daytona International Speedway so when Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins at the track it’s emotional. But when he wins at the track in his father’s number and paint scheme, there’s no keeping back the tears as crew chief Tony Eury Jr. didn’t hide when he talked about the victory.

    Chicago: “Apparently those Dodges make good horsepower but they suck a lot of fuel.” — Kyle Busch

    He still needed to beat teammate Joey Logano on a green-white-checkered finish but Busch benefited from Brad Keselowski, who was leading, running out of fuel on the caution lap. Busch said had that not happened he probably would have finished second.

    Gateway: “He ain’t gonna kill my boy.” — Bob Keselowski

    It was another page of the Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards history book and this time it didn’t have a pretty ending. When racing for the win on the last lap, Keselowski rubbed Edwards in turns one and two. Coming off turn four Edwards turned right and put Keselowski in the fence, who was hit by a few more cars coming to the finish line. Interviewed afterwards, father Bob Keselowski said he was going to get his old driving gloves out and take care of Edwards himself.

    Indianapolis: “It was a fun night and I can’t wait to do it again.” — Aric Almirola

    In his first race with JR Motorsports, Camping World Truck Series driver Aric Almirola led laps and finished third. Impressed with his performance, crew chief Tony Eury Sr. and owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to give Almirola a few more shots behind the wheel. It then turned into a full-time ride for 2011.

    Iowa: “We’ve got the trophy in the plane but the wrong’s guys got it … We beat Kyle’s [Busch] truck today but he got us this afternoon.” — Kevin Harvick

    Harvick and Kyle Busch not only race against each other, they pit their own teams against each other. Before the race in Iowa it was Elliott Sadler winning the truck race driving for Harvick’s team over Kasey Kahne who was the Busch owned truck. Later that day in the Nationwide race it was Busch going to victory lane and Harvick finishing second.

    Watkins Glen: “We’ve got another job to do [Sunday], so I won’t have too many beers tonight.” — Marcos Ambrose

    For the third consecutive year it was Ambrose celebrating in victory lane at Watkins Glen. The big prize though, the Sprint Cup race, has always seemed to get away and even though Ambrose didn’t drink it away this season, he still finished second to Juan Pablo Montoya the following day.

    Michigan: “I don’t need no stinking clutch,” and “The cake didn’t bake.” — Brad Keselowski

    In winning his second consecutive race at his home track, Keselowski did so without a clutch. In fact, it didn’t affect him at all on the racetrack, just pit road, as he dominated the event. Afterwards he was asked about racing his rival Carl Edwards so closely but without incident and Keselowski noted that they both were well behaved.

    Bristol: “I just told him he’s going to be around here a long time not to make a tool out of himself.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Before Brad Keselowski became the Nationwide Series champion with Penske Racing he was a no-name driver that was given a shot by Dale Earnhardt Jr. It ended up putting Keselowski on the map and in 2008-2009 he finished third in points. At Bristol, Keselowski was racing Kyle Busch for the lead when Busch spun him out. Earnhardt Jr. went over to offer Keselowski a little advice on dealing with the situation.

    Montreal: “This is what I can do in a good car and I’m really proud.” — Max Papis

    NASCAR fans were given a special treat when two of the best in road racing had the win come down to a duel between them. Boris Said and Max Papis came to the checkered flag in a photo finish, with Said getting the win. For Papis, getting to drive a Kevin Harvick Inc. car was a victory in itself.

    Atlanta: “I think Jamie is showing everybody how good he is this year.” — Carl Edwards

    Besides making the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, it’s hard to imagine what else Jamie McMurray could have wanted this season. He wins two of the biggest races of the season in Cup and then gets to drive for the most popular driver in the sport, Dale Earnhardt Jr. In his eighth start with the team, he drove to victory lane in Atlanta.

    Richmond: “I was making fun of Kyle (Busch) and he said he was going to fix me up and make sure I was going to get one. I told him I was not getting a pink fire suit, but unfortunately I’m getting a pink fire suit.” — Jason Ratcliff

    Kevin Harvick may have won the race in Richmond, but NASCAR fans may not remember it. That’s because all eyes were on Kyle Busch and his No. 18 Toyota as he drove the Kittens, Bunnies, and Little Baby Seals car from a Toyota commercial. Along with the pink car came the pink firesuit that he dawned as well as his crew chief.

    Dover: “Six second place finishes this year, I want to win one of these things eventually.” — Joey Logano

    Once upon a time it was Kyle Busch asking what it would have been like if all his second place finishes were wins. At Dover, after finishing second to Busch, it was teammate Logano who was asking the same question. On this day it was poor restarts that kept him out of victory lane.

    Kansas: “Really happy, went to the back and went to the front … Just really happy, I think I proved myself today.” — Ricky Carmichael

    Coming to NASCAR and four wheels compared to the two that were on his motocross bike, has been a transition for Carmichael. However, he’s adjusted well as he competes in both the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. At Kansas, Carmichael’s big task was learning what getting his lap back meant and how he had to pass all the same drivers he had previously done so in the race.

    California: “If they can’t stand the pressure they’re going to have to go find something else to do.” — Kevin Harvick

    Another race, another dominate car and another win given away on pit road by the pit crew. Frustrated, Harvick made it clear that the following week there would be a new team jumping over the wall.

    Charlotte: “I want to win again and I’m going to win again, just came up short tonight.” — Martin Truex Jr.

    Second is the first loser and Martin Truex Jr. was the man in that position to Brad Keselowski at Charlotte. What made it hard was how good Truex Jr. said his car was and how badly he wants to get back to victory lane, whether it’s in the Nationwide or Sprint Cup Series.

    Gateway: “It was nice, they’ve got really nice equipment.” — Mike Bliss

    He was another driver that had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a KHI car and take advantage of it. For Bliss it resulted in a second place finish to Brad Keselowski at Gateway.

    Texas: “Does it f**king matter?” — Kyle Busch

    To say that Kyle Busch was unhappy in Texas during both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup events would be an understatement. In the Nationwide race he was livid that Carl Edwards jumped the restart and won the race and wasn’t penalized by NASCAR. In his radio interviews he dropped a few “F” bombs before saying that it didn’t matter if NASCAR reviewed the tape now because the race was already over and Edwards was in victory lane.

    Phoenix: “After three of four laps, I could do whatever I wanted with it.” — Carl Edwards

    Having fast racecars makes a driver’s job a lot easier. Edwards’ car was so fast that he sat out the final practice session for the Wypall 200 at Phoenix. The following day he was in victory lane and couldn’t believe how fast his car actually was.

    Homestead: “To end up with a top five here with Roush-Fenway is exciting and it’s kind of a milestone because now we know we can do it again and we go into the offseason knowing that. We’re just going to work toward next year and be really excited to get there.” — Trevor Bayne

    When Bayne signed with Roush Fenway Racing, many didn’t think it would benefit the young driver that had impressed so many with Michael Waltrip Racing. However, the team finished no worse than 17th in seven of the eight races they ran with Bayne behind the wheel. The best finish came at Homestead, a fifth, and Bayne spoke about looking ahead to the 2011 season.

    Next week will be final installment of the quotes review, a look back on the 2010 Sprint Cup Series.

  • Determined and Motivated: Five-Time Championship Crew Chief Chad Knaus

    Determined and Motivated: Five-Time Championship Crew Chief Chad Knaus

    Through the history of NASCAR, there are only few driver-crew chief relationships that are capable of creating dynasties. One of those would be the combination of Johnson and Knaus.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]The strength of their relationship, plus Knaus’ desire, are two of the keys to that make them as good as they are. Knaus’ desire was seen even before he became the crew chief was Johnson; it was shown to Phillippe Lopez when Knaus worked for Stanley Smith as a shop-foreman.

    “Chad wasn’t there for the check,” Lopez said. “He wasn’t there for the glory. He was a racer. He did everything the right way. Nothing was half-assed. But you knew right away he had big dreams. He told me he wanted my job. He wasn’t kidding.

    “But he would do whatever it took to make himself better. He was great with working on bodies and Bondo (putty used in fabrication), but he wanted to learn about shocks. He was consumed with learning about it, mastering it and then doing it better.

    “It wasn’t unusual for me to have to tell Chad at two or three in the morning that it was time to go home.”

    It was Knaus’ attitude, however, that almost broke them up.

    Johnson’s description of the breakdown at the end of the 2005 season was they both wanted it so bad that they were “butting heads in the process.” So Hendrick pulled them into his office, ready to discuss things between them and if needed, separate them.

    “It was getting to the point where Chad and Jimmie were having more bad days than good days,” Hendrick said. “I called them into my office … and said ‘If we’re going to act like kids, we’re going to have cookies and milk and we’ll have some down time where we can talk about what you don’t like about each.”

    With a play on what was seen as “childish behaviour”, he set the room up as if it was a kid’s room and served them Mickey Mouse cookies and milk. This meeting allowed both Knaus and Johnson to get all their feelings about each other.

    “The meeting was supposed to be how we split the guys up,” Hendrick said. “But in this meeting, these guys really put their heart on the table and they talked specifically about what they didn’t like. Instead of holding it in, they were able to become closer friends and still respect each other’s professional position in the team.

    “I’m real proud of them because I would have bet money that we couldn’t fix it. I think both of those guys would be successful in their own right, but I think they’re stronger together.”

    “It took a lot of effort on each other’s parts,” Knaus later on said in a different article. “At that point, we were both tired and very frustrated. We were on the cusp on winning a championship for the first three years and we weren’t able to pull it off. Expectations were high. We weren’t able to deliver. There’s a lot to wanting to deliver for Rick and Jimmie and I felt that I laid down a little. I didn’t make the right decisions.

    “It takes maturity, wisdom and you have to learn. We learned over a period of time. You have to go over life experiences and race car experiences to get what you really need. There was a point there that we had to make a decision whether we wanted to do this or not.

    “We just had to learn to rededicate ourselves to the cause—and that’s what we did.” This conversation with Rick helped their relationship a lot, allowing them to now be the driver-crew chief pair to beat.

    “Jimmie and Chad have something very, very special together,” Gordon said in the article “One More with Feeling.” “I know everything that goes into their cars and everything about their set-ups, and they’re still beating us. It’s frustrating but you’ve got to give them credit. They’re the best right now.”

    “My relationship with Chad has been unlike any relationship I’ve had before with a crew chief,” Johnson stated in November of 2008. “We’re close in age, which is a first for me, and we share a lot of things in common. We have two completely different personalities, and his strengths fit my weaknesses and my strengths fit his weaknesses. So I think the pairing of us both has been really good.”

    Knaus still has that desire, though now it is pointed in a direction that benefits them all and has equaled record material. Since that discussion, they have gone on a roll, winning the last five championships (2006-2010).

    His motivation and hard working style at times has got him in trouble in the process as he has been caught in a sense cheating and has been suspended.

    In 2006, Knaus was suspended for making an illegal adjustment to the rear window after Daytona 500 qualifying, which resulted in a four week suspension. Despite this, the No. 48 team still came out on top, winning the Daytona 500 with interim crew chief Darian Grubb.

    In 2007, Knaus was suspended for six races as a result of the shape of the fenders in between the template points being in question by officials.

    In 2009, Knaus was warned about getting close to breaking the rules of with regards to the height rule as he was only a 1/16 of an inch within the window allowed.

    A lot of people have labeled him with the label of a “cheater”, though he says that it’s him doing his job to push the limits and find an advantage for his team.

    “I don’t cheat,” Knaus told Jenna Fryer in 2009. “I think it’s easy for me to be labeled that way. We’ve done a lot of things to help the sport transition and develop new rules, but that doesn’t mean we are cheating. We are pushing the limits.

    “Look at Tiger Woods, because he trains more and practices more and pays more attention to club selection and studies the greens, is he cheating? That’s not true.

    “Look back at the things I’ve been in trouble for, and that was maybe two times that something was actually outside the rules. I think it’s a bad label, a bad label for the team. But it doesn’t bother me a lot because I know deep down it’s not the case.

    “The fenders on the cars on Sonoma? Those were not illegal. The casual fan doesn’t understand it. It’s easy for someone to label that a person is a cheater, when in reality it wasn’t cheating, it was just not done the way it should be.”

    Knaus is referring to the last piece of the art of “creative interpretation”, which is reading the rules and interpreting them in the way you feel, though also maybe a way that they were intended to be. It’s about finding that grey area.

    “I think that’s our job, to find those areas of interpretation, the gray areas, and do just that,” ex-crew chief Robbie Loomis said in an article. “Interpret. There is a lot less room in there to find an advantage than there used to be, but that’s part of the challenge.”

    Knaus is not the first of his type, too. There were others before him who pushed the rules and have been recognized as some of the best.

    Smokey Yunick was one of the most famous people for doing this as he always was looking to see what he could do within the rules. There’s a story where in tech inspection, NASCAR removed his fuel cell and Smokey turned around, asking, “Are you done yet?” and they told him. He then proceeded to drive away from the officials, but how’d he do that?

    He had a fuel line of 11 foot coils of two inch diameter (equaling five gallons) and had enough fuel still in the car. He did that to therefore gain more fuel millage but most importantly, because the officials forgot to write that rule. Now if you read the rulebook, you notice there’s a length specified.

    Then there was Ray Evernham, who came out with the car T-Rex at the 1997 Winston, dominating the show. After the show, Evernham was pulled aside and NASCAR specifically told him that he was not to bring that car back.

    “We went through the rule book and wherever there was a real gray area or no specifics regarding certain components, we worked hard in that area with new things,” Eddie Dickerson, manager of Chassis Engineering at Hendrick Motorsports, said in an article on NASCAR.com. “There are no major changes you can make to components on these cars. So we worked hard in different little areas. It was a combination of things. … [But] we did not do anything illegal with the car.”

    Richard Petty was quoted in a NASCAR.com article saying, “I always told my guys, ‘Cheat neat and you’ll get by with a bunch of stuff.’ I don’t particularly tell my guys to cheat. I just tell them not to get caught.”

    It’s all about the art of the teams trying to find that advantage.

    “Every team out there is trying to do something to be faster than the next,” Knaus told Ed Hinton in 2009. “If they’re not, they’re not running competitively. I can promise you that.

    “And if the crew chief is not trying to push something to make his car faster, then he’s not doing his job and he’s not living up to his responsibility.”

    Johnson feels that Knaus has this motivation due to his own fear of losing.

    “I think it’s a fear of losing that motivates him more than anything,” Johnson said. “He is more motivated by dominating, in a sense. We’ll have what we consider the best car in practice and look at lap tracker and we might have a tenth on the field and he’s like, ‘We need more.’ That’s just his mindset. It’s more, more, more. We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to be better.

    “I feel that he’s afraid of losing. When he loses, something goes on in his head and I don’t know if it comes from being a kid and racing and working his way up through the ranks or watching his dad race or whatever, but there’s something there that he is afraid of losing. And that’s why when he wins, he’s kind of chilled and relaxed because it satisfies what that fire is inside of him.”

    “I don’t want to lose,” Knaus said. “I don’t. There’s some validity to that. Everybody wants to be good at something and this is what I want to be good at. I don’t want to let anybody down. I’ve not had a lot of other stable things in my life and the race car has always been there.”

  • HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: Left over Turkey

    HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: Left over Turkey

    During the gap between the conclusion of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and the beginning of champion’s week in Las Vegas we thought there might be a shortage of interesting story lines. Surely time off for Thanksgiving dinner with families would have curtailed any and all NASCAR activity. That didn’t turn out to be the case.

    [media-credit name=”FMCM” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Over the past several days we watched a king reclaim his kingdom. We welcomed a new member to the NASCAR nation from a racing team that seemed to have a lot of babies this year and we even got to see Danica Patrick fuel the fantasy of Homer Simpson. With those thoughts in mind let’s begin with:

    HOORAH to King Richard Petty for pulling off a major coup that many of us thought was not possible. Petty, along with new partners Medallion Financial Corporation and DGB Investments put up the funding to completely purchase the assets of Richard Petty Motorsports from former majority owner George Gillett. Under the troubled Gillett regime, Richard Petty Motorsports, (RPM), was named after the king of stock car racing primarily for marketing purposes. Petty was, in fact, a minority owner reported to have only four percent of the team. Under the new program he is now the Chairman of RPM and will oversee day to day operations.

    Since Monday’s announcement we are starting to learn more details. It seems that the new partnership has relieved RPM of an estimated $100 million in troublesome debt which completely clears the slate for the team to focus on the 2011 season. Considering the state of the overall national economy, it’s also quite remarkable how fast Petty was able to put this investment team together.

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

    A HOORAH and GOD BLESS goes to Christy and Jamie McMurray who welcomed the arrival of their first child on Thanksgiving day. Carter Scott McMurray became the newest member of the NASCAR nation weighing in at seven pounds, 12 ounces and measuring a full 20 inches. Mom and son are reported to be doing terrific.

    As we all know McMurray is the driver of the #1 Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. The arrival of young Carter McMurray marks the eighth child that has blessed a member of this racing team in 2010. It suggests that it may be time for team owners Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi to check the water that’s being distributed to their buildings.

    Another HOORAH and GOD BLESS goes to Regan Smith, the driver of the #78 Chevrolet fielded by Furniture Row Racing. Smith and his long time girl friend, Megan, officially announced their engagement last weekend and we wish them the very best.

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

    HOORAH for a very animated Danica Patrick who made a guest appearance on the Fox Network’s popular program “The Simpsons” last Sunday night. During the episode Homer Simpson wandered off to one of his frequent fantasies. That’s when Danica Patrick appeared saying “I have a sponsor obligation to appear in men’s fantasies whenever they tell me to.” It was a very cute and funny moment.

    However, WAZZUP with Homer’s wife, Marge Simpson, appearing in the middle of the scene and calling Danica Patrick “a garage bimbo?”

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

    From our 2011 forecast department, WAZZUP with all of the speculation we’ve been seeing and hearing regarding Hendrick Motorsports’ #48 team winning a sixth, consecutive, Sprint Cup championship in 2011? It’s even been designated as “Jimmie Johnson’s six pack.”

    It’s way too early for that speculation. We should wait until he’s officially presented with the fifth championship this Friday night before we starting engraving his name on next year’s trophy. The only “six pack” we should be discussing at this point in time should be about beer.

    As many fans are aware, NASCAR officials are considering making some adjustments to their Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship format. One of those changes could involve elevating the Chase line up from the top 12 drivers in the points standings to the top 15.

    That leads to a WAZZUP for some of the names the NASCAR bloggers have devised for this possible change. They seem to be calling it “the Dale Earnhardt Jr. rule” and, in some cases “the Dale Earnhardt Jr. pension plan.” I must admit that second one is pretty funny.

    HOORAH for some pre 2011 season bravado, along with the power of positive thinking, displayed by driver Carl Edwards. When recently asked if he felt that Jimmie Johnson was en route to becoming the greatest driver in NASCAR, Edwards, without so much as a blink of the eye, quickly responded “no, I feel like I’m better than him.”

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

    HOORAH to Tony Stewart for spending a portion of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend winning the first round of the Las Vegas Sprint Car Nationals. Already scheduled to be in town for the upcoming NASCAR champion’s week, Stewart arrived early and climbed into one of his self owned sprint cars to sling some mud at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s dirt track. The result was his first ever win in the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series.

    It also confirms something that I’ve said for many years now. “Smoke” can drive, and win, in literally any form of racing he chooses to participate in.

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

    The final HOORAHS of the week goes to some humorous NASCAR notable quotables observed on “Twitter”. 

    The first HOORAH goes to Darrell Waltrip and his “Twitter” report on Thanksgiving dinner where he wrote “we’ve done it again, this time (it was) honey baked ham, carrot cake and more pumpkin pie. My stretch pants won’t stretch anymore. I need a restrictor plate.”

    When it comes to creative “Twitter” messages, NASCAR wife and team owner Delana Harvick is really good at it. On Thanksgiving day she wrote “dog decided to eat every piece of s**t out of the litter box. Cat litter everywhere. My fun meter is pegged.”

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: The king is now the boss

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: The king is now the boss

    Monday morning’s announcement that said “King” Richard Petty has successfully put together an investment team to take control of the NASCAR Sprint Cup team that bears his name left us all stunned. It was only this time last week that we were wondering if Richard Petty Motorsports, (RPM), was going to make it to the race track when the green flag fell on the start of the 2011 season next February.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]On Monday RPM officially signed paperwork to close the sale on the racing assets to an investment group led by Richard Petty himself along with the Medallion Financial Corporation and DGB Investments. Richard Petty will become the Chairman of the new ownership group and will oversee RPM’s day to day operations.

    The team will field two Fords next year. The #43 driven by A J Allmendinger and the #9 driven by Marcos Ambrose. Best Buy Stores, and their Insignia electronics brand, was Allmendinger’s primary sponsor this year. Their current agreement was up for renewal and, as of last week, they have not signed the new contract. The speculation here says they may have been waiting to see where the future of RPM was heading. Monday’s announcement of new team ownership and apparent financial solvency will likely be a great help to that cause. Meanwhile, the Ambrose Ford is set for 2011 with primary sponsorship from Stanley Tools.

    From a prepared statement, issued by RPM on Monday, Richard Petty said “today is a great day for me, my family, our fans and our wonderful sponsors. Ford, Stanley, Best Buy, Valvoline, Reynolds, the U.S. Air Force, Super 8, the Paralyzed Victims of America, Wix Filters and Menards have supported me through thick and thin and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

    Petty was also gracious to the Gillett family, who are now the former majority owners of the team. “George and Foster Gillett deserve a great deal of credit for running a successful race team. They made a significant investment into the business and helped get (the team) back to victory lane. Going forward, we have put together an all star ownership team consisting of myself, Medallion and (DGB) VeriFone, Our partnership with Andy Murstein, (Medallion Corp.), and Doug Bergeron, (DGB Investments), will help take us to a whole new level and I could not be more excited about our future.” Petty said.

    As far as the new RPM corporate line up is concerned, Petty will be keeping some very impressive company. Andrew Murstein is the President of the Medallion Financial Corporation. At twenty percent ownership, his family is the company’s largest shareholder. Medallion Financial, a publicly traded investment company, has successfully invested over $3 billion in a variety of companies since 1996.

    Equally impressive are some of the names who comprise Medallion’s Board of Directors. It now seems that Richard Petty will be doing business with another hall of famer from the world of sports. Major League Baseball icon “Hammerin’” Hank Aaron is a member of the Medallion Board of Directors. Other Board notables include former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and former Connecticut Governor and Senator Lowell Weicker.

    From Monday’s RPM official statement, Murstein said “we could not be happier to be able to acquire these assets together. Richard is one of the greatest names, not only in NASCAR, but in all sports. His name and image are a world recognized brand with unlimited potential to grow and expand in racing. Ample working capital has been invested in the company to insure this great team and legend will not only continue to perform, but will thrive and be back in the winner’s circle.”

    DGB Investments is owned by Canadian born business investor Douglas G. Bergeron who is also the CEO of the San Jose-California based VeriFone Systems Inc. In 2001, Bergeron and DGB made financial headlines with the participation in acquiring the assets of VeriFone Systems from Hewlett-Packard for a reported $50 million.

    Commenting on his latest investment, in the world of NASCAR racing, Bergeron said “with Richard Petty’s unmatched name and reputation in the motorsports industry, I know this investment is well timed to succeed. We are going to help put RPM back in victory lane.”

    As early as November 21st Richard Petty was optimistic that his mission to assume control of RPM’s assets from majority owner George Gillett was on track and his team would be active during the 2011 season. “We’re going to make it,” an enthusiastic Petty said at the time. However there were observers who were highly skeptical about RPM’s future. Many of those critics felt that it simply wasn’t possible for Petty to save his team in time for the start of the new racing season. It’s now obvious that Petty knew something last week that the rest of us didn’t.

    For over five decades I have been adamantly telling anyone who will listen that I am Richard Petty’s greatest fan. That driver-fan relationship began back in 1958 when a six year old bashful boy from South Carolina obtained the autograph of a future king for the very first time.

    It’s sad to have to admit that I was one of those skeptics who openly wondered if RPM’s days were numbered. I also wondered if Petty, at age 73, really needed the stress of trying to put together an investment team to assume control of this racing operation. The stress from trying to keep RPM’s doors open, due to the growing financial collapse of George Gillett, over the past three months alone was enough to bring a much younger man to his knees.

    I am thrilled to tell you that I was wrong. Job well done King Richard.

  • The Most Competitive Season In NASCAR History??

    The Most Competitive Season In NASCAR History??

    After a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and more food that I should have even attempted to consume, it was finally time to reflect on the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Although the result at the end was the same as it has been for the last five years, I keep hearing the new rallying cry for those who tend to cheerlead for the sanctioning body. That statement is that the 2010 season was the most competitive in the history of NASCAR. Please. It’s not even close and for a number of reasons.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]The 2010 championship race was close, but just like a closer 2004 championship in which Kurt Busch beat out Jimmie Johnson by eight points, it was artificially contrived. Listening to those cheerleaders, you’d think that racing in the past were always runaways with the winner being ahead by a lap and the rest of the field just driving around. Today we have the “Lucky Dog” which allows a driver to make up a lap without racing for it. Done in the name of safety, it allows the more affluent teams to make up laps when they make an unfortunate mistake. I can remember the race at Richmond International Raceway in 1970 when Richard Petty made up multiple laps by racing for them. James Hylton won the race, but Petty wasn’t given any consideration, like today.

    Then there’s the wave around. Fans love this system whereby if the cars are on the end of the lead lap they are waved around to the end of the lead lap and don’t have to race to keep their position on the lead lap. The double-file restart artificially makes racing closer allowing a car in the tenth position to only be only four cars from the lead. There are advantages today.

    In 1970, when you really had to earn your position on the track by racing, there were 10 winners, among three manufacturers. In 47 races, 21 Plymouths, 14 Dodges, and 12 Fords won that year. In 1980, Dale Earnhardt won the championship by 18 points. In 2010, Jimmie Johnson won the championship by 39 points. During the season, 12 drivers won, but most were in Chevrolets (18). Toyota won 12 races, Ford won four races, and Dodge won two. The four dominant teams of Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Roush-Fenway Racing won 28 of the 36 races (and I’m counting the Stewart-Haas wins in this total). And they won those with a contrived system.

    So I contend that 2010 wasn’t the most competitive season in NASCAR history. Far from it. NASCAR, in their quest to make folks more interested, have created the Chase, the Lucky Dog, the wave around, and the double file restart and then have proclaimed how much better they are. Sorry, but it just doesn’t play well with those of us who have lived long enough to remember the past.

    It’s a good marketing slogan, and lord knows the series needs it, but it’s nowhere accurate. The year 2010 was good, but claiming it the best in history is a little much. Any sport that claims the most competitive season must explain why the same guy wins every year. Of course, that the fallacy of placing so much emphasis on the championship, but as we have seen, it has a lot more to do with competition in the races than the championship anyway. Let’s hope 2011 sees the parity among teams that we should see and have seen in the distant past.

  • The King Takes Charge at Richard Petty Motorsports

    The King Takes Charge at Richard Petty Motorsports

    Seven-time NASCAR champion, Richard Petty, has regained control of day to day operations and will serve as Chairman at the new Richard Petty Motorsports.

    The racing organization that found itself in financial distress has signed and closed a sale of it’s racing assets.  Richard Petty Motorsports will now be owned by an investment group comprised of Richard Petty, Medallion Financial Corp. and DGB Investments.

    The team will continue to operate out of the Concord shop with the famous No. 43 being driven by AJ Allmendinger and the No. 9 car being driven by Marcos Ambrose.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Petty said, “Today is a great day for me, my family, our fans, and our wonderful sponsors, Ford, Stanley Tools, Best Buy, Valvoline, Reynolds, Air Force, Super 8, PVA, Wix Filters and Menards have supported me through thick and thin and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

    Petty gave credit to George Gillett and his son, Foster Gillett, for running a successful team and their significant investment that helped get them to Victory Lane.

    Andrew Murstein, President of Medallion Financial, stated, “We could not be happier to be able to acquire these assets together.  Richard Petty is one of the greatest names, not only in NASCAR, but in all sports.  His name and image are a world recognized brand with unlimited potential to grow and expand in racing.  Ample working capital has been invested in the company to insure this great team and legend will not only continue to perform, but will thrive and be back in the winner’s circle.”

    Douglas Bergeron of DGB Investments commented, “With Richard Petty’s unmatched name and reputation in the motorsports industry, I know this investment is well-timed to succeed.  We are going to help put Richard Petty Motorsports back in Victory Lane.”

    Petty concluded, “Our partnership with Andy Murstein and Doug Bergeron will help take us to a whole new level and I could not be more excited about our future.”

  • Remember His Name: The 2010 Season Goes Down as Year Denny Hamlin Skyrocketed to the Top of NASCAR

    Remember His Name: The 2010 Season Goes Down as Year Denny Hamlin Skyrocketed to the Top of NASCAR

    Homestead-Miami, November 2009.

    Denny Hamlin climbs out of his No. 11 FedEx Toyota in victory lane and proudly proclaims, “I promise you within the next two years this team is going to win a championship.”

    The impending offseason brought predictions of Hamlin being the favorite in 2010. NASCAR nation marked he and his Joe Gibbs Racing team as the ones to dethrone Jimmie Johnson. Everything looked good on paper but preseason favorites had hardly risen to the occasion in the past, I.E. Carl Edwards.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Why would Hamlin be any different?

    In January came the much-publicized torn ACL and how it was going to affect his season. Then came the waiting of when he would have surgery: during the season or after the season?

    No matter what it was, there is no denying that NASCAR and its fans saw a growth in Hamlin over the 2010 season. From Homestead of 2009 to Homestead of 2010, a different driver graced the racetrack.

    No more were the days of thinking of what could have or what should have been on the results sheet. The potential was finally met.

    It was there all along, however Hamlin was spoiled when he entered the Sprint Cup Series in 2006. Success came early and often. Things appeared easy and he expected them to be and it wasn’t until the 11 team started to fall on hard times that the attitude began to change.

    At Dover in 2007 he and veteran Kyle Petty got into a war of words in the garage after the two wrecked on the track. Hamlin hadn’t even been in the NSCS a full year yet, certainly not enough time for a kid to start throwing his weight around. Standing up for what he believes though, has always been one of his better qualities even when it rubbed others the wrong way.

    Ironically it would be at Dover in 2010 where Hamlin again wasn’t holding back. This time it would be with Richard Childress Racing, who he was battling for in the championship.

    But, there were times when Hamlin pushed too hard on the racetrack and ended up costing his team the finishes they deserved. Instead, he faulted them and said they weren’t good enough to get the job done or make the Chase.

    When Tony Stewart left JGR at the end of the 2008 season, the company went through an identity crisis. They needed a leader and Hamlin, being the senior member of the company was in prime position to step up.

    Joey Logano was about to embark on his rookie season and had too much learning to do; he wasn’t in a position to do anything but listen. But Hamlin, along with Kyle Busch, was more concerned with winning races than much else.

    Looking back, he admits he didn’t handle things the way he should have.

    Communication with Mike Ford improved, so did his trust in his crew chief. Ford has the experience and the knowledge, Hamlin the talent and once the two came together, the team hit their stride. The confidence in what was around him led Hamlin to the racetrack with the confidence that he could win every week.

    That’s the Hamlin who showed up each weekend this past season and became Johnson’s worst nightmare. And as Hamlin changed, some of the fans perceptions did as well.

    According to the Virginia native it was because he finally figured it out.

    He finally knew what it took to contend on a consistent basis and be a championship driver. It was more than just getting in the car and driving, it was about putting together a whole race, a whole season.

    All he had to do was show he knew what that was and make sure that it didn’t turn into another driver falsely predicting his own destiny.

    The first test of Hamlin’s championship ability came not when he won at Martinsville in April as his knee continued to get worse, but 10 days later when he climbed aboard his car at Phoenix. Before hand Hamlin said he wasn’t “going to be stupid,” and would most likely get out of the car at the first caution to give his knee more time to heal from surgery.

    Call him stupid, but he didn’t get out of the car. The fans responded with admiration, as did his fellow competitors.

    Gutting it out and stepping up for his team was more important to Hamlin than any pain. Through thick and thin the team was going to stick together and their bond was growing stronger.

    Knowing that many were ready to write him off for the season, Hamlin wanted to send a message – not so fast. His No. 11 team saw Hamlin wasn’t going to quit on them and in turn they became one of the top teams on pit road.

    The following week they were in victory lane at Texas, winning where Hamlin’s never won before, making him a threat on many different types of tracks. The wins were huge because it brought legitimacy to the team, showing they could win on tracks that weren’t named Martinsville or Pocono.

    Said Hamlin on the knee surgery in the beginning stages of the year, “I did it for the long run. I did it for the Chase. I did it for the championship.”

    Three weeks later Hamlin was being praised by his competition. Not only did he conquer the toughest track on the circuit, Darlington, he swept the weekend. On Friday he beat teammate Busch in the Nationwide Series and on Saturday he beat the two Jeff’s, Burton and Gordon.

    It had Gordon in awe, “That’s impressive, especially with his left knee.”

    Suddenly Hamlin wasn’t being written off, he was being written as the next NSCS champion. As for his team, they also shined. In May they won the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge, firmly establishing themselves as a team to contend with – Johnson and his team found that out a few times later in the year during the Chase.

    The 11 team not only continued winning, Hamlin would end the year with a series and career high eight wins, but he put himself in better situations on the racetrack. When trouble found the No. 11, Hamlin didn’t get over excited on the radio. He could have and in years past he said he probably would of. At New Hampshire in the first race of the Chase he rallied back from being spun by Carl Edwards. And in Talladega he again rallied back from going a lap down.

    Maturity and patience.

    The most important change: equipment wasn’t being torn up. Driver errors, such as wrecking himself at California in 2009, became a thing of the past. Patience became the name of the game, knowing when he should push the car or when he needed to take what he could get.

    Hamlin even grew into his place in the sport, becoming more outspoken. A driver of the people, some called him.

    Mid-year he was fine by NASCAR for comments he was making about the sport, both publicly and on his Twitter page. Twitter in fact, was another major part of his year, as he shared his journey through the season with fans. He posted pictures of traveling home with winner’s trophies or attending basketball games.

    He was open and honest, just want the fans wanted: an anti-Johnson.

    After longing for a driver who wasn’t vanilla or robotic, someone who could be entertaining and engaging, Hamlin stood up. What you saw was what you got. Hamlin was himself and he didn’t apologize for it, the complete package.

    Not all fans were sold; there were those that called him arrogant and cocky. Far from it said Hamlin. It was just when he came to the racetrack he knew both his cars and team were going to be great and he expected to win.

    It’s the same attitude that drivers such as Johnson have had the last five years. Or even Tony Stewart, who won his second title in 2005.

    It’s a champion-like attitude.

    In the end, Hamlin didn’t leave Homestead in 2010 with the championship. Second place in the final point standings is nothing to be ashamed of. Not after a year that was far from smooth.

    He grew as a driver and an individual. He won and then he lost. He got hurt and then came back better than ever and ready to write the next chapter in his career. The lessons of 2010 should guide Hamlin into the future as he attempts to again unseat Johnson.

    In a way, Johnson winning the title when he couldn’t sits well with Hamlin. Next year is another chance for him to be the guy that stops the No. 48 juggernaut. The promise he made a year ago is still alive and well and there’s no reason to believe his team won’t pick up in 2011 where they left off in 2010.

    Johnson may have taken home the title, again, but it was the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing who grabbed all the headlines.

    This was the year of Denny Hamlin.