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  • Martinsville Speedway Toy Drive Hopes To Aid Families Missed By Other Agencies

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. (November 23, 2010) – Martinsville Speedway and the Grace Network will try to fill a void with this year’s Martinsville Speedway Toy Drive, scheduled for Saturday, December 11 at the Speedway.

    The goal, according to Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell and Grace Network Executive Director Jenniffer Jamison, is to make sure those families that may have been missed by other agencies are helped.

    “We all know how bad things have been in our area for so long,” said Campbell, noting the unemployment rate in the City of Martinsville remains above 18 percent and is at 13 percent in Henry County. “We know there are some families who are missed by the normal agencies that help families in crisis. The Grace Network, with almost 100 churches involved, has the ability to find these people so we can lend a hand and help them have an enjoyable Christmas.”

    Jamison concurred.

    “The goal of the partnership between the Speedway and the Grace Network is to reach the families who would not qualify for assistance with other agencies,” said Jamison. “These are the folks that fall through the cracks of other assistance. Either they missed the deadline to be helped or they have children between the ages of 11-15 that cannot be helped by other agencies.”

    Jamison also said the Grace Network is working with those other agencies to make sure there are no duplication of efforts.

    The Martinsville Speedway Toy Drive will be December 11 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Martinsville Speedway infield.

    Anyone donating a new, unwrapped toy or making a $10 donation will get to drive their personal car around the historic half-mile oval. For a $25 donation, Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell will give five hot laps around the track in one of Martinsville Speedway’s pace cars. Participants will receive a certificate of completion from Campbell.

    As has become a tradition, the Martinsville Speedway staff will be manning the infield concession stand on Saturday, making and serving the Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog™. Hot dogs and Pepsi products are $1 each, with proceeds going toward purchasing toys.

    Santa Claus will be making his annual appearance at the track at noon and will listen to the wishes of boys and girls.

    A day earlier, December 10, Campbell will climb atop the Martinsville Speedway entrance sign at 8 a.m. and remain there until $20,000 in donations for the Toy Drive are received.

    The Grace Network is in charge of indentifying those in need, purchasing toys with funds raised and then distributing them.

    “This partnership allows the churches in the community to refer families and then add a personal touch to the distribution of toys to families,” explained Jamison. “They might add food or fellowship, they might wrap the gifts before presenting. This is a way we can reach out personally to these families.”

    Anyone who would like to donate a toy, but cannot make it to the Toy Drive, can drop them off at the Martinsville Speedway ticket office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • MIS making more fan improvements for 2011 season

    Irish Hills track continues to invest in facility for its race fans

    BROOKLYN, Mich. (Nov. 23, 2010) – In its continuing commitment to improve the guest experience at the racetrack, a number of construction projects will take place at Michigan International Speedway this winter in anticipation of the 43rd season of racing at the venerable two-mile oval.

    Besides the redesign of the track’s scoreboard which was announced two weeks ago, the biggest wintertime project will see three of the silver, general admission grandstands taken down, near the Turn 3 area. This will decrease the track’s capacity by 12,000 seats and have a positive impact on guests. Provisions to re-seat guests who were in those grandstands in 2010 are being made.

    The track is exploring options for the area, including the potential for trackside camping and hospitality.

    Replacing the older silver seats with more comfortable, fan-friendly seats has been a priority for MIS. The track has been replacing stands and widening seats over the past four years, a move Curtis hopes to complete in the near future with steel and seats that were acquired from the former Pikes Peak International Raceway several years ago.

    “These aren’t sexy, splashy projects, but they are completely necessary in making our guests’ time here more comfortable and better,” track President Roger Curtis said. “We are getting our facility back to where it should be capacity-wise. In 2011, we’ll be at nearly 108,000 grandstand seats, so this reduced capacity will have a domino-effect that will help us with our traffic efforts, with wait times at the gates, concession stands and restrooms, and the overall experience here.”

    Other new projects include additional parking for handicapped guests, as well as paving a new tram route from the speedway’s Lot 10 to the frontstretch area of the New Holland Fan Plaza. A tram drop-off point to service the Fan Plaza will be next to the Chalet Village hospitality area near the tunnel entrance to the track.

    “The cleanliness, promptness and friendliness of all the tram staff made the tram ride part of the fun,” race fan Marji McIntosh of Perrysburg, N.Y. said following the June 2010 race weekend. “Every person we encountered had nice things to say. We absolutely loved the trams and hospitality and enjoyed visiting MIS for the first time this year.”

    “About 60 percent of our fans use the trams, so while paving a lot or creating a new tram route on the surface doesn’t seem very cool, it is necessary and most importantly, our guests have asked for it,” Curtis added. “It’s funny how an improvement like a tram route can make a major impact on a lot of people.”

    Finally, the track will receive a second network TV broadcast booth to accommodate its national television broadcast partners. In June, there will be three networks on site to broadcast the speedway’s events — SPEED, ESPN and TNT.

    In all, about $3 million will be spent on upgrades and changes at the track this off-season.

    MIS has spent about $55 million over the past four years improving the facility, allowing fans, media and corporate partners to get the most out of a race weekend at MIS. With a new suite/media center building, wider seats, larger gates, bigger grandstands, signage and camping, guests who haven’t been to MIS in a while may not recognize the track.

    The track has also lowered its ticket prices and offered flexible payment plans to accommodate race fans’ budgets by introducing a tiered ticket pricing strategy with NASCAR Sprint Cup tickets that start as low as $20 and kids 12 and under free.

    Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike. Fan Appreciation is a year-round initiative at Michigan International Speedway.

    The best, guaranteed lowest prices in 2011 will go to renewal customers and new customers who make a $30 goodwill deposit. New customers can log onto www.MISpeedway.com or call 800-354-1010 to leave a deposit through Jan. 31. That deposit ensures race fans get the best pricing, including $20 Sprint Cup tickets, for 2011.

    Michigan International Speedway’s 2011 Schedule

    Saturday, May 21                   Great Lakes Wine Fest

    Friday, June 17                       ARCA Racing Series RainEater Wiper Blades 200

    Saturday, June 18                  NASCAR Nationwide Series

    Sunday, June 19                     NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

    Friday, Aug. 19                       Gatorade Pole Day

    Saturday, Aug. 20                   NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200

    Sunday, Aug. 21                     NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

  • PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY OFFERS GIFT IDEAS FOR RACE FANS

    Ticket Promotion Takes the Stress Out of Holiday Shopping

     

    (PHOENIX, Ariz.) – Just in time for the holiday season, Phoenix International Raceway is offering the “12 Days of Christmas” ticket sale promotion – giving shoppers an easy and stress-free way to purchase that perfect NASCAR-themed gift idea. The promotion offers 12 different but equally fun ticket packages for every type of race fan, starting at $7.

    The holiday ticket sale runs through Dec. 7 and features packages for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ race event weekend. Each package includes a PIR collectible ornament. Ticket options are designed for families to individuals in mind and provide a cost-savings ranging from $10 to $520.  A full listing of details for the “12 Days of Christmas” promotion is included:

    1. The “Family Package” for only $100! ($110 savings) includes two adult tickets and two junior tickets in Middle Foyt, an El Mirage parking pass and $20 food voucher.

     

    1. A FREE limited edition seat cushion with the purchase of a 2011 Season Ticket starting at just $99.

     

    1. Tickets to the Lucas Oil 150 starting at $7.

     

    1. Buy one get one free offer on any Richard Petty Grandstand tickets.

     

    1. The “Four Friends and an RV = Fun” Package for only $375 ($220 savings) includes one outside reserved space, four Lower Allison Grandstand Tickets for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ and four Pre-Race pit passes.

     

    1. The “Convenience Matters” Package for only $170 ($150 savings) includes two Upper Foyt Grandstand Tickets for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™, an El Mirage parking pass, and two Pre-Race pit passes.

     

    1. The “Harvick Holiday” Package for only $229 includes one Upper Allison Grandstand Ticket for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™, one Budweiser ROLL-BAR pass with parking and one Pre-Race pit pass.
    2. The “Richard Petty Driving Experience” Package for only $119 ($50 savings) includes one Upper Petty Grandstand ticket for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™, one Richard Petty Driving Experience Ride-Along on Dec. 11, 2010 at Phoenix International Raceway, and a ride in a two-seat NASCAR-style stock car.

     

    1. The “Nutcracker” Package for only $80 ($10 savings) includes an Upper Foyt Grandstand Ticket for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™.

     

    10.  The “Green Flag and Food” Package for only $299 ($75 savings) includes two Upper Bryan two-Race ticket packages and $80 in food vouchers.

    11.  The “Salute to Military Families” Package for only $90 ($40 savings) includes two Lower Bryan tickets for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ and a PIR patriotic logo hat that benefits the Salute to Military Families Program.

    12.  The “VIP NASCAR fan” Package for only $499 ($520 savings): includes two Upper Allison Grandstand tickets for the entire SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ Race Weekend, two Pre-Race pit passes, one outside reserved RV space and Pre-Race ceremony access for two.

    Tickets for the February NASCAR event weekend at Phoenix International Raceway start at $25 and are available now by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223) or visiting www.phoenixraceway.com. Be a part of it all at PIR! Or visit the PIR Ticket Office at 125 S. Avondale Boulevard, just south of I-10 at Exit 131.

    About Phoenix International Raceway
    Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s famed one-mile oval – including five-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and many more – on February 27, 2011 in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. Tickets for the entire Subway Fresh Fit 500 weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more, visit PhoenixRaceway.com, Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

  • Victory Junction Hosts the 5th Annual Run to Victory

    Randleman, NC-November 23, 2010—The 5th Annual Run to Victory will be held on December 12, 2010.  1,000 athletes are expected to run, walk and wheel through Randleman, N.C. with spectators lining streets to watch and cheer.  Both the half marathon and 5k events begin and end at Victory Junction this year and start at 10 a.m. The run provides great photo opportunities and a great finish line festival. The post-race festivities will include a corn bread and chili meal at the camp’s Fuel Stop dining hall.

    “It’s amazing to think of the support we have received for this event each year,” said Kyle Petty, Founder and Vice Chairman of Victory Junction Camp. “Our community, camper families and volunteers are like no other and that’s the reason this event is so successful after five years.”

    The race day schedule will feature special events that include the Victory Circle breakfast and worship service.  The Victory Circle breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. in the Fuel Stop for those participants who have raised $1450 or more.  The breakfast gives donors a chance to celebrate their fundraising goal and receive special recognition from Kyle and Pattie Petty as well as Runners World columnist John “The Penguin” Bingham.  The worship service will be held at 9 a.m. in Silver Theatre and led by Kenny Crosswhite, the chaplain of NASCAR communities.

    For more information or to register for the Run to Victory please visit www.runtovictory.org.  For additional information, please contact race director Beth Salinger at (312) 925-6067 or beth@endurance-marketing.com.

    About Victory Junction:

    Victory Junction is a year-round camping environment for children, ages six to 16, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, NC with a second location opening soon in Kansas City, KS. Victory Junction offers programs for 24 disease groups and maintains strong relationships with over 30 partner hospitals. Victory Junction’s mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous donors to provide this experience at no charge to children and their families. For more information, visit www.victoryjunction.org.

    About The Run to Victory:

    Run to Victory began when a NASCAR fan and a running fan sat down and spoke about their mutual admiration.  That meeting between John “The Penguin” Bingham and Kyle Petty turned into the Run to Victory, now in its fifth year.  All proceeds from the event benefit Victory Junction, a camp for children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses.  The Run to Victory has donated more than $500,000 to camp in the past four years.  Now in its fifth year, the Run to Victory includes a half marathon and 5k, both of which starts and finish at Victory Junction.

  • Jimmie Johnson’s Drive for Five Secures Legacy

    Jimmie Johnson’s Drive for Five Secures Legacy

    On Sunday at Homestead, Jimmie Johnson became Captain Kirk again, boldly going where no man has gone before.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]He’s passed Cale Yarborough for consecutive titles, passed Hall of Famers Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson on the win list and is one win away from catching another in Lee Petty.

    He’s passed his teammate Jeff Gordon for titles, and now he’s the only driver at the top of the heap looking up at Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

    To the delight of some, and the dismay of more, Jimmie Johnson has one for the thumb, a fifth straight Sprint Cup championship.

    Observers of the sport say Johnson fatigue may be setting in, and fans may be tuning out because of the dominance of the No. 48 team. Sure it disgusts some, that’ll happen if you win too much.

    “People tell me they hate me but they respect me,” Johnson revealed Sunday night.

    “In the moment I think it’s tough for fans to maybe look at what we’ve accomplished because they want their guy to win.”

    No matter what your position is on Double J, he’s history alive and racing in NASCAR.

    The 48 team is the Yankees, the Celtics, and the Canadiens in firesuits.

    They’re the guys your grandfather bores you to tears with as he brags about their dominance with a story that begins with “Back in the Day.”

    Today, this year and this time, is the day.

    Johnson is the dynasty you’ll bore the kids to death with.

    Jimmie Johnson will never be confused with the most charismatic guy. He’ll never be accused of being the most controversial guy, but when the rubber hits the road, he’s unmatched.

    Even Johnson will acknowledge that the dynasty of the 48 team will be seen through history’s larger prism.

    “I know what we’ve done today is respected sports-wide. Not just our little bubble that we live in, but sports-wide.”

    Five titles in five years, and they keep figuring out how to do it. They cruise to them, they come from behind and take them, and they squirm and find a way to escape when the boot is on their collective neck.

    Just like everyone you heard about from “back in the day,” they just keep winning.

    Someday, they’ll stop winning titles. Johnson and the 48 team can’t keep this up forever. Father time and emerging talent or the efforts of another team will undo them.

    Astronaut Gordon Cooper used to ask people “who was the best pilot you ever saw?”

    He would then smile and say “You’re looking at him.”

    Today, before this time becomes back in the day, Jimmie Johnson is the best driver anybody ever saw.

    Why?

    Because you’re looking at him.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Homestead-Miami Ford 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Homestead-Miami Ford 400

    The final showdown, Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, lived up to the hype and finally determined the 2010 Sprint Cup Champion.   Here are the surprising and not surprising moments from this year’s last race of the season:

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Surprising:  The most surprising aspect of this final showdown, with three viable championship contenders, was the up and down nature of the race for all of them.  Even with the best qualifying lap of the three contenders, there were times when Jimmie Johnson struggled, especially during a few fateful pit stops.  Denny Hamlin had trouble early in the race, with a spin that damaged the splitter and hurt the handling of his race car.  After a particularly stellar pit stop, Kevin Harvick was ready to lead and collect his five bonus points, until being pulled back in by the NASCAR officials for a pit road speeding penalty.  The 2010 Sprint Cup championship truly was up for grabs until the final laps of the race concluded.

    Not Surprising:  In spite of the drama, the pit crew swap with Jeff Gordon’s crew, and the fact that he arrived in Homestead-Miami behind in the points, Jimmie Johnson made history yet again with his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship.  With his wife Chandra and four month old daughter Genevieve, sporting her own pink “48 Kid” headset to protect her tender ears, Johnson celebrated yet again, emotionally but proudly hoisting the coveted Cup above his head, surrounded by his extended Hendrick Motorsports team.  Johnson finished the Ford 400 in the second position, securing the championship by just 39 points over Hamlin and 41 points ahead of Kevin Harvick.

    Surprising:  While Johnson secured the Cup for Hendrick Motorsports, it was surprising how poorly the rest of his teammates fared in the last race of the season.  Mark Martin finished 16th after starting in the eighth position.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr., battling his car and seemingly his crew chief as well, finished in the 27th spot.  Worst of all, Jeff Gordon lost a cylinder and then eventually blew his engine, finishing 37th and falling from sixth to ninth in the point standings.

    Not Surprising:  A Ford prevailed for Ford Championship weekend and Roush Fenway Ford driver Carl Edwards was able to back flip his way into Victory Lane for the second time in as many races.  Edwards thrilled the crowd, with whom he celebrated as is his newest tradition, as well as his wife Kate and baby daughter Annie who were also on hand for the festivities.  Edwards described his race win, the 18th of his career, as “pretty damn awesome.”

    Surprising:   It was surprising that the battle between Joey Logano and Juan Pablo Montoya, both of whom crashed into each other on the track right in front of then point leader Denny Hamlin, spilled over vociferously into the garage area, at least if Twitter chatter is to be believed.  Logano definitely said that he was “sick of it” and apparently of Montoya, who he accused of crashing him “twice now this season.”  Logano finished 39th and Montoya finished 35th as a result of their on and off track disagreements.

    Not Surprising:  Kyle Busch, fresh off his prediction that he would be assisting his JGR teammate as best he could, got into it with Kevin Harvick late in the race.  Busch got the worst of the deal, however, when Harvick refused to lift, hooked Busch and sent him crashing.   Busch’s car burst into flames, with the driver thankfully making a quick exit with an assist from the emergency personnel.  After the race, Harvick had some unkind words to share about Busch, saying that Busch raced him “like a clown” all day.  As for Busch, he finished 32nd to Harvick’s third place finish, as well as losing one spot in the point standings, falling to the eighth position.

    Surprising:   In the midst of the most tumultuous times at Richard Petty Motorsports, with the drivers and teams set to learn their fate and future in the upcoming week, two drivers shone in the 2010 finale.  A.J. Allmendinger, who qualified fifth, spent much of the race at the front of the pack, finishing in the fifth position.  Better yet, Aric Almirola, behind the wheel of the No. 9 car recently vacated by Kasey Kahne, rallied from his 24th starting spot to finish fourth, one of the best finishes to date for the young driver.

    Not Surprising:   Kasey Kahne, now driving the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, started from the pole position and finished well, securing a sixth place finish.  Kahne and crew both, however, will have to face medical procedures after this race finale.  Kahne is scheduled to have both knees operated on in the off season and one of Kahne’s crew members, the rear tire carrier, was hit by Harvick during one of the pit stops, sending him to the hospital for a leg injury as well.

    Surprising:  Stewart Haas Racing overcame adversity in a surprising way in this season’s finale, with both Newman and Stewart both finishing in the top ten at Homestead-Miami Speedway, seventh and eighth respectively.  This was especially significant for Stewart, who was a lap down and had to claim the ‘lucky dog’ at one point in the race.  The last time that both SHR cars finished in the top ten together was in October at Auto Club Speedway when Smoke won and Newman finished fifth.  Stewart also gained two positions in the point standings, climbing to seventh, while Newman finished 15th in the point standings.

    Not Surprising:  Matt Kenseth, behind the wheel of his No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, had a top ten finish to show for his 400th career start.  Kenseth finished his 2010 season locking up the fifth spot in the point standings.

    While Johnson hoisted his championship flag yet again with the Florida sunset in the background, the rest of the drivers, crews, and teams were packing up their cars and haulers for the last time this season.  Racers and fans alike will now look forward to the 2011 season and the next race, the Daytona 500, on February 20th, 2011.  Until then, have a blessed Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season!

  • 5 Most Disapointing Drivers in 2010

    5 Most Disapointing Drivers in 2010

    Every year it seems there are a few drivers who fans think will have a better year than they do. Drivers who seem to have a championship contending year right in the grasp and then fall flat on their face. Those drivers are called disappointing, and here are the top 5 disappointing drivers from 2010.

    First your Honorable Mentions:

    Martin Truex Jr’s 22nd place points finish is something he would like to forget. He came over to Michael Waltrip Racing with high expectations and a new crew chief in Pat Tryson. However, Truex really struggled all season. A rare bright spot with a victory in the Sprint Showdown may have kept the New Jersey native off this list.

    Marcos Ambrose– His 18th place point’s finish and 3rd place run at Bristol in 2009 seem like ages ago. Ambrose really really struggled in his sophomore season on the circuit, in a season that saw a lot of DNF’s (8) and a devastating lack in judgment at Sonoma, had seen the once promising young star go from that to a guy who finished a dismal 26th in the standings. It seemed like every other race Ambrose was either crashing or having some sort of trouble. Now for the list.

    #5- Juan Pablo Montoya– Montoya may be a surprise to some people that he is on this list. However, heading into the 2010 season Montoya was one of the favorites to win the championship. With an extremely impressive 2009 chase run and a nice beginning of the chase, fans of the Columbian thought a championship was in reach. However, it did not turn out that way. Montoya had eight DNF’s in 2010 making him one of the highest in that category. It seemed that every other week he would find some sort of trouble. He did have a nice month of August but by that time the chase was long gone for Montoya and left he and his team wondering what might have been. He went from finishing 8th in the standings to a disappointing 17th.

    #4- Mark Martin– The 51 year old Batesville, Arkansas native had a really up and down year. A season ago Mark Martin had looked like the Mark Martin of old. He won five races, and finished runner-up in the point standings. He and crew chief Alan Gustafson had seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. He made that seem a reality even more when he sat on the pole for the Daytona 500. Then his season started. He would have a rocky season, including a stretch of eight races where Mr. Consistency didn’t have a top ten finish. Mark Martin would miss the chase for the first time in his career when running a full season.  He would go winless in 2010, although a strong finish to the season points toward a promising 2011 for Martin. However, whenever you go from winning five races and finishing second in the standings, to missing the chase and not winning a race, it is an extremely disappointing season.

    #3- Brad Keselowski– The 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion had plenty to cheer about on that side of things. However, on the Cup side Brad Keselowski’s first full season in Sprint Cup was disappointing. Roger Penske let go of crew chief Roy McCauley and brought in Jay Guy to work with Keselowski. Everyone thought that this team, with the financial power of Roger Penske, the talent of Brad Keselowski and a new crew chief, would contend for the chase. Keselowski didn’t come close. He wouldn’t register a top ten run until Martinsville in October and would not get a top five finish at all. Some people say well it’s his first season, but still when you finish behind drivers like Paul Menard and David Ragan, that is something no one expected. His 25th in the standings has to be a disappointment.

    #2- Dale Earnhardt, Jr– Much like Ragan, Earnhardt has found himself on this list before. What else can you say about the Kannapolis, North Carolina native, but “Wow!” His 2010 season looked to be great. He had a new crew chief, with Lance McGrew and new life in his step. When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series headed to Chicagoland in July, Dale Earnhardt Jr found himself a respectful 11th place in the standings. Yet, just four weeks later Dale Earnhardt’s chase hopes were cloudy. After four consecutive finishes of 23rd or worse, Junebug was now 16th and looking to rebound. However, four more weeks without a top ten finish gave JR Nation that disgusting feeling in their stomach that Earnhardt was yet again going to miss the chase for the 4th time in 6 years. From Richmond it did not get any better. He had two top tens in the last ten races, but also had 6 finishes of 22nd or worse. He ended up 21st in the standings and the one time up and coming star, has seemed to fade really quickly.  

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]#1- Kasey Kahne– You can say all you want about Richard Petty Motorsports, but much of Kahne’s struggles were brought on by himself. Six weeks into the season, Kahne and Rich Hendrick announced that he would drive Hendrick’s No. 5 Chevrolet in 2012. That gave a distraction to his team and organization. He also had a rocky season. He had a streak of four of five races in the top 6. Also fluttered into his season was a streak of five of six races with finishes of 20th or worse. I can’t kill the guy for leaving Richard Petty Motorsports but I can kill the guy for making his season worse than it should have been. Kahne did not win a race in 2010, coming off a season where he won two races and in the chase. Kahne’s rocky season came to a standstill after an altercation with his team at Charlotte in October, left him headed for Red Bull Racing six races early. His winless season and his early season distraction made 2010 a disappointing year for the Enumclaw, Washington native. Those are your top 5 most disappointing drivers for 2010. Let the debating begin!

  • Edwards Ends 2010 with a Win

    Mooresville, NC (November 22, 2010) Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway was filled with drama and uncertainty, but Roush Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards made winning look easy by dominating the Ford 400 and earning his second consecutive win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    Edwards led 190 of the 267 laps and crossed the finish line a full 1.6 seconds ahead of now 5-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson. With his victory last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, Edwards has now won back to back a total of five times in his career. Edwards and engine builder Roush Yates Engines are especially excited to win at Homestead because it gives them great momentum as they prepare for the 2011 season.

    “For our team, to finish like this and be on the upswing that we are, this is as good as it gets,” said Edwards, driver of the #99 Aflac Ford Fusion. “We have a new engine that we are working on that just keeps getting better and better.”

    Edwards is speaking of Ford’s new FR9 engine, built by Roush Yates Engines, that has been ran by Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports drivers throughout the second half of the 2010 season. Carl’s second win with the FR9, coupled with two wins from Greg Biffle earlier this year, make Ford fans confident and eager to see what 2011 will bring when all Ford drivers will run Roush Yates’ FR9 for the entire season.

    “I want to congratulate Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and Matt Kenseth for finishing 4th, 5th, and 6th in the Chase for the Championship this year,” said Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “I also want to commend Richard Petty Motorsports’ drivers A.J. Allmendinger and Aric Almirola for finishing out the season strong with 4th and 5th place runs. I can’t wait to get to Daytona next year with all of our drivers running the FR9.”

    Carl Edwards wasn’t the only Roush Yates driver in Victory Lane this weekend. Charles Davis Jr. wrapped up his second consecutive Wingless ASCS Canyon Region Championship on Friday in the #50 Massey Motorsports car; earning Roush Yates Engines their sixth championship win of the season.

    To learn more about the FR9 or any of the engines built at Roush Yates Engines, please contact Jeff Clark at 1-877-361-1545 or visit www.roushyatesparts.com. Roush Yates has won 88 races and 6 championships so far in 2010.

    About Roush Yates

    Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you’d expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow.

    Roush Yates CEO, Doug Yates, leads a staff of 180 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test, and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, Dirt Late Model, Dirt and Asphalt Modifieds, Sprint cars, and NHRA Pro Stock. At Roush Yates Engines, the mission is Power Performance, which is achieved through innovation design, precision engineering, and skilful craftsmanship. Building the best engines in racing today, providing service that’s second to none, and honoring a commitment to research and development are the heart of Roush Yates Engines.

  • Five Things To Take From NASCAR’s Season Finale

    Heading into Homestead Sunday, the six-year Chase carried with it one dubious statistic: no point leader heading into the season finale had lost the championship.

  • Smith Finishes 17th in Sprint Cup Finale

    HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2010) — Regan Smith and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team had another strong performance, finishing 17th in Sunday’s NASCAR season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    It was the fourth top-20 result in the last seven races for Smith as it capped the best season in the short history of the Denver, Colo.-based team.

    Smith, who started the 267-lap event from the 10th position, was running solidly in 12th place late in the race, but an untimely caution shortly after the last pit stop was costly as he lost five spots in track position.

    “It would have been a lot better to end the season with a 12th-place finish, but there’s not much we could have done there at the end — we caught a bad break pitting just before a caution,” stated Smith. “But looking at the big picture, I truly feel that we’ve come on strong and definitely hit a new level of performance at the end of the season. We are all pumped about 2011.”

    Crew chief Pete Rondeau said, “It was a good end to a rough week.”

    Rondeau was referring to Monday’s highway accident in Colorado which resulted in heavy damage to the team’s transporter as it was returning from last Sunday’s race in Phoenix. With little time before the next race, the team managed to make contingency plans in a short period of time. Along with Richard Childress Racing graciously providing a fully-loaded transporter at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Furniture Row team also received an outpouring of support from the NASCAR community.

    “We are very thankful for the outside support,” added Rondeau. “I am also proud of everyone on this team for the extra effort given during a time of adversity. It definitely says plenty about the character of our Furniture Row Racing operation.”

    The Ford 400 race winner at Homestead was Carl Edwards — his second straight victory. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and AJ Allmendinger.

    Johnson captured the season Sprint Cup title — his fifth straight championship. Denny Hamlin was second — 39 points behind and Harvick was third — 41 points behind.