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  • Ryan Reed works hard to promote JDRF and Ryan’s Mission

    Ryan Reed works hard to promote JDRF and Ryan’s Mission

    [media-credit name=”Venturini Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]In February 2011, Ryan Reed was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and was told that he would never be able to race again. However, after getting in contact with a doctor through IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball, he was told that it was possible.

    Now a year and three months later, Reed finds himself behind the wheel of the No. 15 JDRF car for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series. After two races this season, he sits sixth in points after finishing 12th at Daytona and Mobile.

    When he’s not behind the wheel of a racecar, Reed is spreading word about JDRF and Ryan’sMission. JDRF is the world’s largest funding provider for research towards curing, treating and preventing T1D and its complications. Ryan’s Mission is a non-profit organization that Reed formed to help build awareness, become a role model and positively touch the lives of others.

    Reed spoke of both JDRF and Ryan’sMission, talking about events that he has taken part of so far this year and some future events…..

     

    Ashley McCubbin: How has it been for you working with JDRF?

    Ryan Reed: JDRF has been unbelievable to work with. We’ve done so many incredible events so far this year and the relationship couldn’t anymore organic and we’ve just both have enjoyed all the great things we’ve done together. I mean, I really feel like we not only have been achieved great things so far, but the things we’ll be able to do in the future are even better.

     

    AM: Why did you want to get behind JDRF to begin with?

    RR: It kind of really happen organically. We were testing for the ARCA race in Daytona in December, Advanced Auto Parts contacted us and said we have a little girl named Makayla who wants to meet you and just figure out how you’ve compete with the disease. I said absolutely, and we were trying talking about JDRF. I had been talking about it for 10 minutes and I wanted to figure out how to get involved. I had my foundation and all, but we weren’t getting far. So when I got the chance to meet this little girl, I thought it was great.

    So when we talked about JDRF, I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to learn more about them. Their headquarters are inNew Yorkand my dad was inNew Yorkin December and he said he’d stop in there and drop off my portfolio and see if they want to do anything with me. They were like so excited and ever since, it’s just been an amazing relationship and everything has been good and had good intentions.

     

    AM: If you could, talk about why it is important for you to spread the word about JDRF.

    RR: Well, I mean being a T1D (Type 1 Diabetic), it obviously hits close to home. It’s important to me because they’ve done amazing things up to this point – obviously there’s no cure yet, but the medical advances they’ve participated in are just unreal.

     

    AM: How did Ryan’s Mission come about?

    RR: That was actually very near after I was diagnosed – well, I was first told I wasn’t going to be able to race, but then was told I’d be able to. Right after that, I knew I wanted to do this. I know other kids are being told that they won’t be able to do things and only some are lucky enough to find doctors that are as supportive as mine and able to still chase their dreams. So Ryan’s Mission was formed almost immediately and I just wanted to show kids and spread that message and not be held back.

     

    [media-credit name=”Ryan Reed Racing” align=”alignleft” width=”266″][/media-credit]AM: I know you’ve been to some Checkers Hockey Games and some games in Bakersfield, California over the past couple of months. How has that experience been for you spreading word about Ryan’s Mission and JDRF?

    RR: That’s been so much fun. I was a hockey fan growing up, played road hockey growing up, and followed the local hockey teams. I’ve always been a fan of the sport so to combine the two, fan of one sport, passion for the other, it’s just really a lot of fun just to be there. Then to be able to have all these kids come up to me and tell them how I inspire them and how much whenever they don’t want to take their shot and their parents tell them but, ‘Ryan takes his shots. If he can do it, then you can’ and they say okay. It’s unbelievable to hear and such a motivation on-and-off the track to keep doing my part in my career not just for myself, but for those kids to continue watch and get inspired.

     

    AM: I noticed lots of kids wanted to come by, meet you, get your autograph. How is it for you talking to the kids?

    RR: Any time a driver has fans, it means a lot to them. Any driver will tell you how much the fans mean to them and how fortunate they feel to have fans. Espically with my group of fans, they’re so loyal. They have unconditional ties to me, whether I win, lose or draw, with the T1D and they’re so supportive and all they want to do is help and they want to learn. Anytime a little kid comes up to me to get an autograph, I have a connection with them, so I think in my case, it’s a little bit different. Whether it’s a Type 1 Diabetic fan or not, it means a lot to me.

     

    AM:  Last month, I know you met with Congressman Kevin McCarthy. Talk about that experience, but also how important it is to have his support with the Special Diabetes Program.

    RR: That was really cool. That was the first time I had done anything with the Remember Me Campaign. So when I got the call to do that, I was really excited. When I showed up there, Kevin was a great guy, really down to earth. First thing we do when I walked in, we talked about racing. So we talked about racing for a bit and then I started telling him all the great things that JDRF has done. He was so supportive; he really a great guy. It was a lot of fun and a good experience.

    I think there was three or four of us, myself included, kids with Type 1 Diabetes from all ages. There was a little girl, a little eight years old boy – it was great to watch the whole Diabetic community come together and raise awareness and hopefully find a cure. The funding from that is crucial to JDRF so we all felt it was a obligation to go there and perform and show Kevin why it is important.

     

    AM: This weekend, I know that the showcar will be at the Long Beach Grand Prix. It may seem odd to some to have it at an IndyCar event, but maybe talk why you would want to have it there.

    RR: Long Beach isn’t a NASCAR event, but it’s a beautiful car that gets a lot of attention and it’s just another tool to raise awareness for JDRF. That’s kind of one of my goals is to just to raise awareness for JDRF. It’s a cool looking racecar, they look at it, do a little research on JDRF and learn more about diabetes, it’s for the better.

    A lot about what Ryan’s Mission is about is I really want diabetes to not be taboo. It does have a stigma about it and I don’t want that. I want people to be educated; I want people to understand it. A kid reaches to try and take a shot at the dinner table, people want to freak out. It’s just something that you have to deal with; it’s not a big deal. I think any kid that they don’t want to be treated weird or different because of it. A kid has asthma – people don’t freak out when he pulls out his inhaler. I want it to be accepted and like I said, I don’t want it to have a stigma.

     

    [media-credit name=”Ryan Reed Racing” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]AM: I know the LA. Car Connection Cool and Classic Car Show is coming up later this month. Talk about being involved with that and helping Alec Buckner with his quest to raise money.

    RR: That is going to be really fun. L.A. Car Connection is a really great group of people with some cool cars. I actually got to drive a Ferrari when I was hanging out with them in L.A. when I was hanging out with them in L.A. one day. So that’s going to be a lot of fun, as well as raising money for JDRF. Like I said, it’s going to be a fun and great all the way around. It’ll be great to have people come out, have fun and look at some cool cars.

     

    AM:  While you’re in Salem, I know the Walk JDRF Charlotte RIC Walk to Cure Diabetes will be going on. Talk about how important it is for you to have Ryan’sMissioninvolved with that.

    RR: The walks are great; they have all them all over the country. The walks are a great awareness tool, as well as a way to raise some funding to help find a cure. That’s always a fun experience. To have the Ryan’s Mission team involved with that, it’s going to be great. It’s really important to have Ryan’s Mission out there and show our support and how dedicated we are to JDRF.

     

    AM: Looking at the schedule with you racing and the appearances, it seems it never stops. How do you keep it all balanced?

    RR: That’s definitely tough – I’ve got my family, my girlfriend – I feel it’s such an opportunity and obligation to raise awareness and use the gift that God’s given me to do some good. I find time for it all, epically trying to work out and stay mentally right for the racecar. It’s just one of my challenges. I don’t have to wake up and go to an eight-to-five job. When I’m not traveling, I get to go to the gym in the morning and have a different lifestyle. I can deal with the bad – I’m not saying its bad at all, but it can be draining with all the travel, but it’s definitely so rewarding and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

     

    AM: Mid May, there’s the JDRF Celebrity Golf Tournament. Talk about the event and what fans can expect.

    RR: I got the call to do that and I was really excited. I had never picked up a golf club before so I was a little nervous. I actually found a new passion. I went down and got a lesson in golf and have been playing the past couple of weeks so hopefully I’ll be ready. It’s going to be a ton of fun playing on a beautiful golf course.

     

    AM: Thoughts going into Salem…..

    RR: I’m really excited. We had a couple weeks to prepare and I’ve been in the gym everyday getting myself ready. Everyone’s hungry – we’ve had a break these past five weeks. Everyone’s going to be hungry when we get out there to perform and no one wants to have this race and go there and struggle. I feel everybody at Venturini Motorsports, myself included, has worked hard over this break and we’re all going to go there with our guns loaded. If we can stay on all eight cylinders, we’re going to be tough to beat.

     

    Some of the future events:

    • The showcar will be on display at the Long Beach Grand Prix IndyCar event this weekend (April 14/15th)
    • April 22nd: L.A. Connection Cool and Classis Car Show
    • April 28th: JDRF Charlotte RIC Walk to Cure Diabetes
    • April 29th: JDRF Promotion at Salem Speedway Fan Zone
    • May 1st: JDRF Promotion at Birmingham Baron’s Baseball Game
    • May 16th: JDRF Celebrity Golf Tournament
    • June 14th: Ford-JDRF Promotion at Michgan Int’l Speedway
    • June 16th: JDRF 24 Hour Hockey Game – Skating for a Cure
    • July 21st: JDRF Music Concert Series Promotion – Chicago
    • July 26th: JDRF Indianapolis Promotion
    • August 4th: JDRF Promotion at Pocono Raceway Fan Zone

     

    To learn more about Venturini Motorsports, check out http://www.venturinimotorsports.com.

    To learn more about Ryan Reed, check out http://www.ryanreedracing.com.

    To learn more about JDRF, check out http://www.jdrf.org.

    To learn more about Ryan’s Mission, check out http://www.ryansmission.org.

  • Nelson Piquet Jr. Wins the Camping World Truck Series Pole at Rockingham Speedway

    Nelson Piquet Jr. Wins the Camping World Truck Series Pole at Rockingham Speedway

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photography” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]After four practice sessions, the trucks took to the track Saturday afternoon to qualify at ‘The Rock.’ Nelson Piquet Jr. captured the pole driving his No. 30 Chevrolet Silverado. It was his first pole in 33 career starts.

    He described the track as difficult and said the last couple of days have been tough. He doesn’t necessarily expect the pole position to translate into a win because of the unpredictability of tire wear at the track.

    Paulie Harraka qualified in the second position, calling it a “solid” run. Timothy Peters will start the race in third position after fighting “a tight condition.”

    Jason Leffler and Brad Sweet (qualifying for Kasey Kahne) round out the top five.  Kahne, who will compete in the Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, will start the truck race from the back of the field Sunday afternoon.

    The Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 begins at 1:00 pm Sunday and will be televised live on Speed. Speed coverage will begin at 12:30pm with ‘NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup.’  It will mark NASCAR’s first return to the track since 2004.

     

    Starting Lineup
    Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200, Rockingham Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=3
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 30 Nelson Piquet Jr. Chevrolet 144.387 24.933
    2 5 Paulie Harraka* Ford 144.381 24.934
    3 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 143.937 25.011
    4 18 Jason Leffler Toyota 143.73 25.047
    5 4 Brad Sweet Chevrolet 143.392 25.106
    6 29 Parker Kligerman Ram 143.147 25.149
    7 11 Todd Bodine Toyota 143.033 25.169
    8 88 Matt Crafton Toyota 142.976 25.179
    9 60 Grant Enfinger Chevrolet 142.885 25.195
    10 13 Johnny Sauter Toyota 142.693 25.229
    11 98 Dakoda Armstrong* Toyota 142.642 25.238
    12 3 Ty Dillon* Chevrolet 142.535 25.257
    13 33 Cale Gale* Chevrolet 142.349 25.29
    14 8 Ross Chastain* Toyota 142.298 25.299
    15 24 Max Gresham* Chevrolet 142.259 25.306
    16 31 James Buescher Chevrolet 142.158 25.324
    17 22 Joey Coulter Chevrolet 142.034 25.346
    18 92 Chad McCumbee Chevrolet 141.989 25.354
    19 6 Justin Lofton Chevrolet 141.766 25.394
    20 9 John Wes Townley* Toyota 141.682 25.409
    21 81 David Starr Toyota 141.06 25.521
    22 9 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 140.658 25.594
    23 32 Miguel Paludo Chevrolet 140.488 25.625
    24 275 Caleb Holman* Chevrolet 140.455 25.631
    25 7 John King* Toyota 140.384 25.644
    26 202 Tyler Young Chevrolet 140.362 25.648
    27 27 Jeb Burton* Chevrolet 140.203 25.677
    28 23 Jason White Ford 139.969 25.72
    29 2 Tim George Jr. Chevrolet 139.654 25.778
    30 214 Brennan Newberry Chevrolet 139.373 25.83
    31 99 Bryan Silas* Ford 138.648 25.965
    32 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 138.206 26.048
    33 93 Chris Cockrum+ Chevrolet 134.133 26.839
    34 7 Johnny Chapman+ Toyota 131.536 27.369
    35 57 Norm Benning+ Chevrolet 131.411 27.395
    36 170 Jeff Agnew Chevrolet 139.346 25.835
  • Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 8 Texas Motor Speedway – Samsung Mobile 500 – April 14, 2012

    Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 8 Texas Motor Speedway – Samsung Mobile 500 – April 14, 2012

    [media-credit name=”texasmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”199″][/media-credit]We head to the Lone Star State for tonight’s Samsung Mobile 500 for the first scheduled race under the lights during this 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Its wide, its fast, and there will be plenty of drama when the green flag flies later this evening. This is just the second mile-and-a-half track of the season, and is guaranteed to pull me away from the NHL playoffs tonight.

    Texas has been one of my favorite tracks for a while now, I’m not sure if its the speed, the flames and six-shooters in Victory Lane, the simple thought that ‘Everything’s Bigger in Texas’ – (a track that comfortably seats over 190,000). If you recall last fall’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway , the race was promoted as a old west showdown between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. This weekend will not be much different except that it will be a duel between two teams, Roush Fenway Racing (8 wins in 22 Cup races at Texas) and Michael Waltrip Racing.

    Last Week’s Recap

    I had a great time celebrating Easter back in Syracuse, Mom made some great ham, showed my brothers and SpeedwayMedia.com editor Ed Coombs how to catch fish…
    Back to racing.

    It was two-weeks ago that we visited Martinsville Speedway for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500, and it was a dandy of a race on April Fools Day. My Dark Horse pick two weeks ago was a long shot after NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying, but Kurt Busch was up for the challenge of winning the race from 40th. Well, Busch’s day ended after a slue of problems with the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet including a pair of blown right-front tires. Busch’s No. 51 was shown way down towards the bottom of the scoring pylon in 33rd, netting me yet another finish outside the top 30.

    It was a much better day for my Winner Pick two weeks ago, leading a race-high 328 laps and completely dominating the 500-lap battle at Martinsville Speedway. It was David Reutimann that squashed my hope of picking up my first win of the season two weeks ago at Martinsville. When his car came to rest on the backstretch with just three laps to go, he brought out the caution that would make the final restart of the race a five-car fiasco. My Winner Pick had the lead on the final restart, partly because him and his teammate Jimmie Johnson opted not to come to pit road under the final caution for fresh tires. Jeff Gordon had dominated all day, and when the field took the green flag on the race’s final restart, he was punted by Clint Bowyer, who was shoved by race-winner Ryan Newman. It was a result of fresh tires vs. old tires, and the old tires lost. Gordon finished 14th.

    Texas Picks

    Besides a couple Hendrick chassis, its a MWR versus Roush Fenway battle this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Roush Fenway drivers Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are sandwiched between pole-sitter Martin Truex and Mark Martin in the top-4 starting spots, setting the stage for the two-team battle under the lights tonight.

    Winner Pick

    I think its Matt Kenseth who will fire the six-shooters tonight in Fort Worth. He is the defending winner of the Samsung Mobile 500, his second Cup win at Texas coming this time last year. His average finish of 8.7 at Texas is the best out of all the drivers taking the green tonight, and he’s also got two NASCAR Nationwide Series victories under his belt at Texas.

    Kenseth will start on the outside of the front row tonight, and is excited for his chances of putting the cowboy hat on in Victory Lane, “I don’t really know why, but it has been a pretty good track for us in the past. We have had a lot of good runs and finishes here. Whenever you come back to a track you’ve had success at, then I think you probably always look forward to coming back to it maybe a little bit more. As far as mile-and-a-half tracks, we have only been to Vegas (this season) and I thought we performed really well there.“

    Dark Horse Pick

    Since Roush Fenway claimed my Winner Pick this week, Michael Waltrip Racing will take my Dark Horse this week, although this pick is a stretch of a Dark Horse.

    He’s starting 4th tonight in just his 5th start of the 2012 season, but he will be piloting a rocket ship in the form of a Toyota Camry. Mark Martin is running a limited schedule this season in the No. 55 Aaron’s Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, so when he does make it behind the wheel, he’s got to make the most out of it.

    He fired the six-shooters in Victory Lane at Texas back in 1998, but struggled severely in the two races in the Lone Star State last year with 36th and 19th place finishes. Texas has been fairly kind to him with 7 top-5’s and 12 top-10’s, and enjoys the ‘Hometown’ feel Texas has for him, “Texas Motor Speedway is about 450 miles from my hometown of Batesville, Arkansas. I’ve had a stronger fan following there than anywhere else. Sure I listen in driver introductions when the fans cheer or boo, but I really notice the fans in general throughout the weekend. They are pretty vocal. Since it isn’t that far from Batesville it’s one of the places where my fans go. Texas and Kansas are probably the two places where I see or hear from most of my fans. That’s always a great feeling.”

    Tonight will be fun and I look forward to what the Lone Start State’s first race of 2012 has to offer. Until Next Time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Stenhouse strikes again, captures second win in Texas

    Stenhouse strikes again, captures second win in Texas

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won for the second time in 2012 on Friday night in Texas but in doing so he had to overcome everything Friday the 13th could throw at him.

    From radio problems, to his tachometer acting up, even the lights going out on multiple occasions. Yet it wasn’t enough to slow him from leading 69 laps and capturing a cowboy hat to go with the cowboy personality, and boots, that he already has.

    “It was back and forth,” said Stenhouse of his night. “The race started we were very strong, our Pure Michigan Mustang was doing everything that I needed it to do. Then we lost a little track position there on that restart and seemed like we really struggled, wasn’t sure if it wanted to be loose, tight, we were battling with it.”

    Stenhouse credited crew chief Mike Kelley for making all the right changes, as well as keeping him calm. Knowing they had a fast car but unable to overtake Paul Menard during a stint of the race, Stenhouse was told to relax and they would continue working on it.

    “Mike decided to go with no changes on that last pit stop, which I wasn’t fond of. But he knows what he’s doing, that’s why he gets paid to do that. That last restart, it was crazy man. I think I spent the whole five laps we had under caution just praying for a good restart and everything worked out for us.

    “It was fun racing those guys. I had to drive in to turn three wide open Denny [Hamlin] was on the left rear of us and got us a little bit loose but we managed to hang on and pull it off.”

    It’s the first win for Stenhouse at Texas, his fourth career and the ninth win for Roush Fenway at Texas. He’s only won at three tracks: sweeping Iowa last season, Las Vegas earlier this season and now Texas. He only won twice all of 2011.

    Team owner Jack Roush said he felt it was harder to defend the championship than it was to win it for the first time. But the defending champions continue to improve and have become a force to be reckoned with at every track on any given weekend.

    Friday night Stenhouse showed everyone that all the talk about Elliott Sadler being in the drivers seat for the championship was premature. And he did so by also showing everyone that even his weakest link, restarts, wasn’t enough to keep him down.

    On nearly every restart Stenhouse started off slow, seemingly spinning the tires. But then after a lap or two he had his No. 6 wound up on the high side and he quickly reeled the leaders back in.

    On the race’s last restart with six laps to go, Stenhouse was able to keep Hamlin side-by-side with him before once again pulling away as his car came to life. He went on to win by 1.4 seconds over Paul Menard.

    “I feel like we have,” said Stenhouse about improving his restarts. “I think a big thing last year was confidence in restarts. If I had a bad one I would spend whole run and the whole next caution trying to think about what I needed to do different.

    “I just go into it with a little bit more confidence this year about it. They seem to be a lot better. There’s still some things I need to work on as a racecar driver and I think restarts, the initial takeoff can be improved on. Once we get going I don’t know if there’s anybody that drives it harder than we do. So getting up through the gears, we’re getting a lot better at it.”

    It wasn’t all hard work for Stenhouse and company on Friday. There were plenty of light moments on the radio as they battled with the likes of Menard and Hamlin. Spotter Mike Calinoff had Stenhouse look to the right during one caution period and wave because he was watching him on NASCAR’s FanVision.

    Throughout the course of the event he and Calinoff also traded barbs about Sadler constantly being on the track’s big screen TV.

    Stenhouse joking, “They must love Elliott Sadler, he’s always on that big screen over there. I hate looking at that.” Later on saying Sadler should have a desk set up in his car so he can be a TV analysis or a permanent in-race reporter.

    Then after taking the lead for the final time with less than 20 laps to go Calinoff told Stenhouse, “clear by six [car lengths] and the 2 [Sadler], is not on TV.”

    It was all in good fun though. Sadler and Stenhouse have set themselves up for a great championship battle over the course of the season. Each have won twice in the seasons first six races and sit first and second in points heading to Richmond in two weeks.

    “I think we look at it,” said Stenhouse of the points. “Obviously ours was a very close race up until Phoenix there last year. We sat down this offseason and looked at how many points we gave up at the beginning of the year not finishing off the races as strong as we should. Or some pit calls that didn’t go our way and things like that.

    “So we definitely have started looking at it and you just need to try to stay consistent. When you have those bad days at this point you got to keep the 2 [Sadler] in sight as much as you can and try to give up minimal points to him.

    “We definitely look at it. That’s our main goal this year, to go back and defend that championship and I think you got to start looking at it as early as the first race.”

    Unofficial Race Results
    O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, Texas Motor Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=6
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 3 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 47
    2 1 33 Paul Menard Chevrolet 0
    3 8 38 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 0
    4 2 18 Denny Hamlin Toyota 0
    5 4 3 Austin Dillon * Chevrolet 40
    6 30 27 David Ragan Ford 0
    7 16 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 37
    8 17 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 36
    9 18 43 Michael Annett Ford 35
    10 9 30 Steve Arpin Chevrolet 34
    11 14 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 33
    12 5 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 33
    13 7 88 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 31
    14 20 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 0
    15 12 20 Joey Logano Toyota 0
    16 10 44 Mike Bliss Toyota 28
    17 33 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 27
    18 23 81 Jason Bowles * Toyota 26
    19 24 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 25
    20 15 70 Johanna Long * Chevrolet 24
    21 21 108 Kyle Fowler Ford 23
    22 31 39 Kelly Bires Ford 22
    23 27 40 Erik Darnell Chevrolet 21
    24 42 14 Eric McClure Toyota 20
    25 28 19 Tayler Malsam Toyota 19
    26 40 50 T.J. Bell Ford 18
    27 38 52 Tim Schendel Chevrolet 17
    28 26 41 Timmy Hill Ford 16
    29 37 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 15
    30 6 54 Kurt Busch Toyota 0
    31 25 4 Danny Efland Chevrolet 13
    32 19 9 Ryan Truex Toyota 12
    33 41 124 Benny Gordon * Chevrolet 11
    34 39 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 10
    35 13 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 0
    36 29 15 Blake Koch Chevrolet 8
    37 11 11 Brian Scott Toyota 7
    38 34 175 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 0
    39 36 46 Chase Miller Chevrolet 5
    40 32 42 Josh Wise Chevrolet 0
    41 35 47 Scott Speed Chevrolet 0
    42 43 174 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 2
    43 22 10 Jeff Green Toyota 1
  • Truex Jr. on the Samsung Mobile 500 pole

    Truex Jr. on the Samsung Mobile 500 pole

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]Martin Truex Jr. captured the pole for Saturday nights Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap of 190.369 MPH (28.366 SECS).

    This was Truex’s first pole of the season, his second at Texas Motor Speedway and the seventh in his career.

    Matt Kenseth qualified second, points leader Greg Biffle third, Mark Martin fourth and Kasey Kahne qualified fifth.

    “The car was under me and I was being a little protective. We have a great car for tomorrow night so I am pretty excited about that.” Biffle said.

    “That was good. I just would feel better if I got beat by more I guess. I felt like I got it all out of there and we just missed it a little bit. Our car has a lot of speed we just don’t have it driving exactly right yet.” Kenseth said of his qualifying lap.

    Tony Stewart qualified 29th in a backup car after hitting the outside wall during practice.

    “I just got loose and didn’t have enough race track to get it gathered up. We haven’t got a lot of laps on this one, but I think we feel better with this one so far.” Stewart said.

    Starting Lineup
    Samsung Mobile 500, Texas Motor Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=7
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 190.369 28.366
    2 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 190.148 28.399
    3 16 Greg Biffle Ford 190.121 28.403
    4 55 Mark Martin Toyota 190.02 28.418
    5 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 189.633 28.476
    6 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 189.494 28.497
    7 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 189.467 28.501
    8 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 189.381 28.514
    9 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 189.294 28.527
    10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 189.281 28.529
    11 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 189.082 28.559
    12 22 AJ Allmendinger Dodge 189.023 28.568
    13 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 188.884 28.589
    14 20 Joey Logano Toyota 188.805 28.601
    15 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 188.653 28.624
    16 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 188.442 28.656
    17 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 188.298 28.678
    18 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 188.291 28.679
    19 21 Trevor Bayne Ford 188.186 28.695
    20 99 Carl Edwards Ford 187.957 28.73
    21 34 David Ragan Ford 187.872 28.743
    22 13 Casey Mears Ford 187.813 28.752
    23 43 Aric Almirola Ford 187.748 28.762
    24 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 187.676 28.773
    25 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 187.539 28.794
    26 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 187.292 28.832
    27 51 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 187.182 28.849
    28 83 Landon Cassill Toyota 187.11 28.86
    29 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 186.994 28.878
    30 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 186.981 28.88
    31 10 David Reutimann Chevrolet 186.664 28.929
    32 26 Josh Wise* Ford 186.361 28.976
    33 98 Michael McDowell Ford 185.925 29.044
    34 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 185.605 29.094
    35 38 David Gilliland Ford 185.605 29.094
    36 249 J.J. Yeley Toyota 185.542 29.104
    37 93 Travis Kvapil Toyota 185.191 29.159
    38 195 Scott Speed Ford 185.122 29.17
    39 32 Reed Sorenson Ford 184.824 29.217
    40 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 184.748 29.229
    41 36 Dave Blaney+ Chevrolet 183.275 29.464
    42 33 Tony Raines+ Chevrolet 181.824 29.699
    43 119 Mike Bliss Toyota 184.729 29.232
  • Expect two owners, three drivers in NASCAR’s class of 2013

    Expect two owners, three drivers in NASCAR’s class of 2013

    25 worthy nominees, only five of whom will be inducted as the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013. Of them, I would think three would be rather easy decisions if I had the vote.

    Rick Hendrick’s teams have claimed nearly 200 Cup victories, has 10 Cup championships as an owner, and this does not include the four titles he has claimed in the other two series nor the 48 races won in Nationwide and Camping World events.

    Rusty Wallace ran second in his first ever Cup race, in Atlanta, back in 1980. He claimed the 1989 title, won 55 races, and was in the season’s Top Ten seventeen times. He is the winningest retired driver not yet in the Hall of Fame.

    If I were to select the team owner to gain admission in 2013 it would be Leonard Wood. Around since 1950, the Wood Brothers made the #21 as notorious as the #43 and the #3 in NASCAR lore. While brother Glen entered the Hall last year, Leonard was the innovator who introduced the modern pit stop. Today it would be unthinkable for a pit stop to take minutes, where drivers would even shut off a car before getting out for a smoke, but it used to happen. Wood was even in the pits for Jim Clark’s 1966 Indianapolis 500 victory.

    The other two spots in the Class of 2013 are not so easy to pick. All have contributed so much to the sport, and anyone who has studied much about the history of NASCAR knows most, if not all, of the names nominated. From the early days, back 50 years, legends such as Buck Baker, Red Byron, Tim Flock, Fred Lorenzen, Herb Thomas, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly are contenders. You couldn’t go wrong with any of them. These are names that will forever be linked to NASCAR, both for what they did on the track and the stories they left from their exploits off it. I would expect at least one of the inductees will come from that list.

    Come to think of it, I would guess if Bill Elliott had retired and stayed retired, his name would be among them. Among his peers, those who raced in the 1970s and 80’s, there is Bobby Isaac and Benny Parsons. Two inductees into the International Motorsports Hall were recognized. Jerry Cook is a six-time NASCAR Modified champion with 342 wins to his credit. Jack Ingram ran only nine Cup races, though claimed a Top Ten in four of them, is a two-time champion of what is now the Nationwide series and a three-time late model king.

    Richard Childress began as a driver/owner, and in the forty years since he combined with his friend and driver Dale Earnhardt for six Cup championships. Along the way his teams have won 100 Cup races, and added 83 in the other top touring series. Cotton Owens won nine times as a driver and had 32 more as a car owner including the 1966 crown with David Pearson. Raymond Parks was the owner of Byron’s 1949 championship car.

    The association with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and the Winston Cup brought NASCAR into the modern era. Two executives, T. Wayne Robertson and Ralph Seagraves, are nominated. A pair of track owners made the cut. H. Clay Earles founded Martinsville Speedway in 1947, while Les Richter was president of Riverside International Raceway. He was also a former player with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, who picked up his rights by trading eleven players for him. Ray Fox was a legendary engine builder and owner, Anne Bledsoe France was the first NASCAR secretary working alongside her husband, Big Bill France. Wendell Scott was the first African-American to win a Cup race.

    My prediction is that Hendrick, Wallace, and Wood will be inducted, at least one of the old-time Cup drivers, and the fifth choice is anybody’s guess. Let the debate begin.

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: CRUNCHING THE TEXAS SIZED NUMBERS

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: CRUNCHING THE TEXAS SIZED NUMBERS

    [media-credit name=”Steven Iles” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be racing under the lights this Saturday night at the Texas Motor Speedway during the running of the Samsung Mobile 500. At the end of the evening the winning driver gets to stand in the speedway’s victory lane wearing a genuine cowboy hat while firing the traditional six shooters in the air.

    During any given racing season, a race at the Texas Motor Speedway often involves Texas sized numbers. Of all of the possibilities connected to this race, there seems to be two numbers that really stands out. The first one is the number nine. Roush Fenway Racing has a series high eight wins at the Texas Motor Speedway and will be unleashing their three car stable to collect win number nine. That’s very possible, all three of the Roush Fenway drivers are former Texas winners.

    The other significant number, connected to Saturday night’s race, is 200. Hendrick Motorsports scored their 199th win last fall at the Kansas Speedway. To commemorate his company’s latest racing milestone, team owner Rick Hendrick ordered some special “200th win” racing hats. He’s been carrying that bag of hats to one race track after the other, since last fall, waiting for the opportunity to pass them out. Hendrick will be unleashing his four car stable to collect win 200. That’s also very possible, all four of the Hendrick drivers are also former Texas winners.

    TEXAS SIZED NUMBERS FROM LAS VEGAS

    In order to determine who might be the lucky drivers to fire those six shooters in the Texas victory lane, we turn to the professional numbers crunchers, Texas sized and otherwise, from the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE).

    Topping the WSE’s Texas ranking is two heavy hitters: Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart are rated at 7 to 1 odds. Johnson, ranked tenth in the points standings, has some impressive numbers at Texas that includes a previous win, seven top five finishes, 12 top ten finishes and a healthy 10.2 average finish ratio, (AFR). At 7 to 1, “Mr. Golden Horseshoe” is a very strong bet to hand Rick Hendrick his 200th win.

    Where there’s “Smoke” there’s fire. Ranked third in the standings, and only 12 points from the top, the red hot Tony Stewart also has some impressive Texas sized numbers. He’s a two time winner including the previous race held there this past November. He’s also has five top fives, 11 top tens and a 12.6 AFR. Like Johnson, he’s also a rock solid wager at 7 to 1.

    In the WSE’s 8 to 1 category, you will find Roush Fenway drivers Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth along with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch. All three of these drivers are considered solid wager considerations.

    When it comes to Texas numbers, Edwards leads the Roush brigade with three wins. By the way, two of Edwards’ wins at this track came when he swept both events in 2008. He’s also managed to accumulate five top fives, six top tens and a 15.5 AFR. Edwards seems to be off to somewhat of a uncharacteristic sluggish start this season. He’s 11th in the standings and 47 points away from first. However, with the Roush performance numbers at this race track, Edwards could very well be shooting those guns in the Texas victory lane.

    Roush Fenway’s Matt Kenseth is the defending race champion and has outstanding Texas sized numbers. That includes two wins, 10 top fives, 13 top tens and an excellent AFR of 8.7. He’s off to a great season start and is ranked fourth in the standings only 12 points out of first. Of all of wager considerations presented by the WSE for the Texas race, Kenseth is by far the best.

    Kyle Busch is still seeking his first Texas win and has a 16.2 AFR. He’s off to a sluggish start and is ranked 16th in the points and 75 away from first. The line of thinking here, that places this driver at 8 to 1, is the fact that he is the hard charging Kyle Busch and he often turns in good performances on 1.5 mile intermediate tracks.

    At 10 to 1 is the tandem of Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon. Biffle continues to lead the points and has some decent numbers at Texas. He’s a former winner there with six top fives, nine top tens and a 17.2 AFR. He’s also part of that Texas strong Roush Fenway Racing brigade and that alone makes him a solid wager for this race.

    Four time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon is another Hendrick Motorsports driver who wants to present his boss with that coveted 200th win. He’s a former winner at Texas with seven top fives, and ten top tens along with a 16.8 AFR.  But it’s more prudent that he concentrate on adding some strength to his points status right now. This team has endured some disappointing races in 2012 that has placed them 21st in the standings and 90 points away.

    Turning now to the WSE’s middle tier, you will find the quartet of Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. Denny Hamlin really stands out in this group because his Texas numbers are very strong. He has two wins at Texas after he swept both races there during the 2010 season. He’s the only Toyota driver to give his manufacturer a win at this track. Hamlin also has five top five finishes, eight top tens and a strong 10.2 AFR. His 2012 season is off to a good start as well. He’s currently seventh in the standings and only 16 points away. Hamlin is an excellent long shot wager to win this race.

    Just mention the name Kasey Kahne right now and everyone shakes their heads in disbelief. The fourth driver from Hendrick Motorsports has been hampered with frequent bouts of bad racing luck all season long and is now 31st in the standings and a whopping 133 points out of first. He has a previous win at Texas, back in 2006, and has the distinction of being the only driver to win at Texas from the pole position. He also has four top five and top ten finishes, but the AFR is a high 19.6. Despite everything he’s been through so far this season, Kahne is still a long shot worth considering. The law of averages says this run of bad luck has got to end sooner or later.

    In a still early season, Kevin Harvick is a contender in the Chase for the Championship. He’s fifth in the standings only 12 points away. He’s still seeking his first Texas win but has compiled three top fives, eight top tens and has a 12.9 AFR.

    When you look at Brad Keselowski’s Texas numbers, you might wonder why he’s on this listing at all. When it comes to Texas wins, top fives and top tens, he has goose eggs in all three categories and a very high 23.7 AFR. So, why is this driver rated at 12 to 1 for the Texas race? If that Penske Dodge is on the mark, he could just surprise us all at the end of the race. He’s done it before.

    For many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series observers, it’s a little surprising that Dale Earnhardt Jr is leading the Hendrick Motorsports campaign. The pride of the “Junior Nation” is second in the points and only six markers from the top. He has some good numbers at Texas including his first ever Sprint Cup win back in 2000. He also has compiled three top fives, ten top tens and a healthy 14.1 AFR. We all know what the down side is here: he hasn’t won a Sprint Cup race since the summer of 2008. But the continued improvement in his relationship with crew chief Steve Letarte, this team is definitely headed in the right direction. There are many who believe that Saturday night in Texas may turn out to be the race when he finally snaps that win less streak. Even track President Eddie Gossage thinks so. At 15 to 1, Junior might actually be a very strong long shot consideration.

    Looking now at the WSE’s lower tier, Clint Bowyer is ranked at 25 to 1 while Martinsville winner Ryan Newman is ranked at 30 to 1. At 40 to 1 you will find Michael Waltrip Racing team mates Martin Truex Jr and Mark Martin who led Thursday’s practice session with a hot lap of 189.427 MPH. Martin is also a previous Texas winner with a healthy 13.7 AFR. All three of the MWR teams: Bowyer-Truex-Martin, have been showing some strength so far this year.

    Closing out the WSE Texas rankings are drivers A J Allmendinger, Jeff Burton, Joey Logano and Juan Pablo Montoya at 50 to 1 odds. From this group, the stand out is Burton who is a two time Texas winner. He won his first ever career Cup race back in 1997 and won again in 2007 after only leading one lap.

    If you don’t see your favorite driver’s name on the listing, it means they are ranked by the WSE under “all others” and listed at 10 to 1 odds.

    Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers should be viewed for informational and entertainment purposes only. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their races.

    Now that I’ve shared that important message with you, I’m going to tell you that I’m picking Matt Kenseth to win the Samsung Mobile 500. With his rock solid Texas numbers, combined with the performance levels of Roush Fenway Racing at this track as well as the power of those Roush Yates Ford engines, Matt Kenseth at 8 to 1 is worth the financial risk. Tempting, isn’t it?

    SOME MORE TEXAS SIZED NUMBERS

    Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 is 334 laps/501 miles around the Texas Motor Speedway’s 1.5 mile quad oval.

    The race has 46 entries vying for 43 starting positions. Eleven of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the top 35 in NASCAR’s owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to earn a berth in the race.

    The Texas Motor Speedway is 58 feet wide with a 750 foot radius in the turns. The turns are banked at 24 degrees. The straightaways, and the dog leg, are banked at five degrees. The front stretch measures 2,250 feet while the back stretch measures 1,330 feet. The pit road speed is 45 MPH.

    The speedway has 138,122 permanent seats in its grandstands but the total fan capacity, including the infield, is 191,122.

    The speedway opened in 1997 and held its first race in April of that year. Since that time the Texas Motor Speedway has hosted 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races that has sent 16 different winners to victory lane.

    Weather will bear some scrutiny this weekend because there is a 20 percent chance of severe thunderstorms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Saturday. Otherwise conditions are expected to be cloudy with daytime highs of 84 degrees. Hopefully Saturday rain will not force the race to be held on Sunday. The forecast for Sunday calls for a 60 percent chance of rain.

    The Samsung Mobile 500 will be broadcast live by Fox Sports beginning at 7 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, April 18th, at 12 pm et on SPEED.

  • NASCAR Announces Hall of Fame Nominees For 2013 HOF Class

    NASCAR Announces Hall of Fame Nominees For 2013 HOF Class

    [media-credit name=”http://www.nascarhall.com” align=”alignright” width=”141″][/media-credit]On April 11th, NASCAR announced the 25 nominees for the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class. The 25 nominees will be broken down to five via the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel and they will become the fourth group to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Along with the voting panel, fans will have the chance to go to NASCAR.com and place their vote, which will be counted in in the final vote. The date for voting is set for May 23rd and the class of 2013 will announced live on NASCAR.com that day.

    As for the list, 20 people return from last year’s group as they were not inducted into the Hall of Fame. Added to those 20 were five new people who held their own level of high quality in NASCAR.

    NASCAR’s First Treasurer and Secretary Anne Bledsoe France, who was married to Bill France, in which Big Bill formed NASCAR back in 1949. Anne took care of the financial aspects of building the sport, beginning her service to the sport in 1959. She kept working up until her death in 1992. France becomes the first female nominated for the Hall of Fame.

    Engine Builder and owner Ray Fox built engines for a variety of race winners including Fireball Roberts and Junior Johnson. He built his first engine in 1955, which was for Roberts, but was disqualified after mechanic Red Vogt modified the push rods. 1956 was the year that Fox began hitting stardom as he built the engines for Carl Kiehafer, winning 22 of the first 26 races with three drivers. They would go on to win the championship that year with Buddy Baker. Fox would become a car owner himself in 1962, winning races with Johnson and Baker. He would retire in the early 1970s, yet became a NASCAR engine inspector in 1990. He held that role for six years before retiring at the age of 86.

    NASCAR Competitor Wendell Scott, who became the first full-time African-American competitor. Scott made his first NASCAR start in 1961 at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, but failed to finish due to oil pressure issues. He would become the first African-American to win a NASCAR race in 1964 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida. Over the course of a career that saw 495 starts, he had 20 top five finishes and 147 top 10s. NASCAR currently awards scholarships in tribute to Scott, handing out twelve each year to students from historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions. Scott becomes the first African-American nominated for the Hall of Fame.

    Promotor and Sponsor Executive Ralph Seagraves, who brought R.J. Reynolds Tabacco Company to NASCAR. Junior Johnson went to Seagraves originally looking for sponsorship for his car, yet instead it turned into a sponsorship for NASCAR. NASCAR’s premiere series became the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1971. Winston would sponsor the Cup Series till the end of 2003, when Nextel took over. Seagraves led as the president of RJR’s Special Events Operations for 13 years, heading the sponsorship effort and leading many track upgrades. Seagraves would retire from R.J. Reynolds in 1986.

    NASCAR Champion Rusty Wallace, who won the 1989 NASCA Sprint Cup Series Championship. Wallace followed his father Russ into racing, winning the American Speed Association title in 1983. He made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start in 1980, driving for Roger Penske. He would not enter NASCAR full-time till 1984,winning Rookie of the Year while driving for Cliff Stewart. In 1986, Wallace would capture his first Cup win at Bristol Motor Speedway while racing for Raymond Beadle. The championship would come in 1989 while driving for Beadle, 12 points over Dale Earnhardt. In total, he would score 55 victories over his career, ranking him eighth all-time. The majority of his wins (25) came on short tracks like Bristol, Martinsville, North Wilkesboro and Richmond. He currently is an ESPN NASCAR analyst.

    The rest of the 20 nominees are as follows (in alphabetical order)……

    • Buck Baker, first driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series titles (1956-57)
    • Red Byron, first NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949
    • Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
    • Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR Modified champion
    • H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway
    • Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
    • Rick Hendrick, 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
    • Jack Ingram, two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion and three-time Late Model Sportsman champion
    • Bobby Isaac, 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
    • Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
    • Cotton Owens, driver-owner, won 1966 owner championship with David Pearson
    • Raymond Parks, NASCAR’s first champion car owner
    • Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
    • Les Richter, former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway
    • Fireball Roberts, 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series wins, including the 1962 Daytona 500
    • T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company senior VP
    • Herb Thomas, first two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, 1951, ’53
    • Curtis Turner, early personality, called the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing”
    • Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
    • Leonard Wood, part-owner and former crew chief for Wood Brothers, revolutionized pit stops

    The nominees were selected by a 21-person committee, containing representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame and track owners.

    Those individuals are…..

    NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Historian Buz McKim.

    NASCAR Officials: Chairman/CEO Brian France; Vice Chairman Jim France; Senior Vice President Paul Brooks; President Mike Helton; Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton; Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell; Competition Administrator Jerry Cook; former Vice President Ken Clapp.

    Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa Kennedy; Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell; Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage; Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; former Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George; Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn; Pocono Raceway board of director member Looie McNally; Bowman Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis; Riverhead Raceway operators Jim and Barbara Cromarty (1 vote); former Toyota Speedway at Irwindale operator Jim Williams; Rockford Speedway owner Jody Deery.

  • Sadler: ‘It’s good for everybody’ to have Nationwide drivers running well, winning

    Sadler: ‘It’s good for everybody’ to have Nationwide drivers running well, winning

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]Perhaps the Nationwide Series regulars had grown tired of hearing about the Sprint Cup Series drivers dominating. Or maybe they’d had enough of finishing second on their own turf.

    Whatever it may be, the field of 2012 NNS regulars have come out of the gate strong. Following Cup drivers winning 28 of 34 races last season, NNS drivers have upped the ante and have won three of the seasons first five races. James Buescher, who competes for points in the Camping World Truck Series, won the season opening race, while Joey Logano earned Cup drivers a win in California.

    Elliott Sadler, the NNS point leader, says it’s great see a wide open field and that NNS drivers have worked hard to better understand their cars. Sadler has won twice thus far, at Phoenix and Bristol.

    “I think everybody is learning more about these cars,” said Sadler earlier this week. “I think the Cup guys had a lot of experience in this style of race car for the last five or six years. A lot of Nationwide guys it was their first year in this style of car with the splitter and now the valance and stuff on the front end.

    “The cars definitely drive a lot different, react a lot different in the race, react a lot different in traffic and aero wise. I just think everybody has learned more about these cars this winter and we’re all kind of closer on the same playing field and I think that’s why we’re seeing some different winners than what we saw in the past.”

    Sadler believes that all the NNS drivers are building faster cars this year. While NNS drivers said they enjoyed racing against Cup drivers, many grew tired of seeing the same drivers win. Calling it beating the little guys in a series they didn’t belong in.

    Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards were often the most criticized. They won a combined 16 races and never heard the end of it along the way. This season however, Edwards isn’t competing as he focuses solely on the NSCS.

    Busch though is running in his own equipment, Kyle Busch Motorsports and hasn’t yet won a race. Busch turns over the wheel of the No. 54 to older brother Kurt beginning this weekend in Texas.

    As the attention from the Cup stars starts to dim, it’s put back on the NNS drivers. Storylines turn from how many races Cup drivers have won to how many NNS drivers have won. No longer about the domination of Busch and Edwards, instead its the turnaround for Sadler and the championship hunt for Stenhouse Jr.

    “It feels good,” said Sadler. “I’m not going to lie to you. It feels good personally when you can go out there and compete on Saturday’s against a lot of guys that win and run well on Sunday’s. The race we won in Phoenix, I had to outrun Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, guys that really run good at Phoenix.

    “When I went to Bristol and won the race, I had to compete against guys like Kasey Kahne and Dale Jr. and Keselowski again and Harvick, and these are all people that win and run very well on Sundays and are high in the points.

    “So of course it feels good when you can go out there and compete with these guys in the same equipment on Saturday. It gives you a lot of confidence, feels like it gives you some momentum, gives you kind of the attitude that if you’re in a good situation on Sunday that you could also run with those guys then.

    “I think it’s neat that the Nationwide guys are running as good as we are this year. I think it’s good for everybody.”

    Including Sadler. After making his full-time return to the NNS last season he went winless in a much anticipated campaign. He did however, finish second in points. Then during the offseason his Kevin Harvick Incorporated team was moved over to Richard Childress Racing.

    Promised by Harvick that it would be a good move, Sadler entered the season with a renewed confidence. His win at Phoenix in the second race of the year snapped a winless streak dating back to 1998.

    Two weeks later he won again, visiting victory lane at Bristol for the first time since 2001 when he won his first NSCS race for the Wood Brothers. Now after being the underdog in 2011, Sadler’s hot start has him the favorite for the 2012 championship.

    “You know, last year we did have a great season,” he said. “But it was the first year with this Nationwide car, and we all kind of had to learn it together, not only myself but also my crew chief Ernie Cope and also everybody at KHI.

    “We went through some growing pains towards the beginning of the season, I felt like we got okay there at the end of the season and just missed our goal a little bit. We really wanted to win the championship and that didn’t happen, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. But we felt like we steadily improved as the year went on.

    “Fast forward to this year, I just think being on the same campus as a Cup-affiliated team and being on the same campus with Cup teams that have so much engineering help and so much technical support, and a lot of that trickles down to our shop. Just helps our program a lot.”

    Sadler points to many different areas that his No. 2 OneMain Financial team has improved. From competing at a higher level to communicating better, building faster cars and having members of his team made of experience. Some he says, have come from Harvick’s Cup team.

    Says Sadler of his season, “We’ve got better, faster stuff coming down the pipeline but we’ve just got to compete at a high level week in and week out because that’s what we’re going to have to do to stay where we’re at in the points.”

  • Ron Hornaday: Smooth Transition to Joe Dennette Motorsports, so far

    Ron Hornaday: Smooth Transition to Joe Dennette Motorsports, so far

    [media-credit id=5 align=”alignright” width=”278″][/media-credit]This year marked a year of change for Ron Hornaday as he switched over to Joe Denette Motorsports (JDM) from Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI).

    “Joe is a really pumped about his race team, and it’s quite an honor to drive for Joe and his whole family,” Hornaday says. “They are really dedicated to racing. They put two trucks in the Camping World Truck Series, and it’s an honor.”

    Hornaday made the move from KHI to JDM as Kevin Harvick announced that he and wife Delana were closing the team. The change hasn’t been as drastic as anticipated as the trucks are still built in the KHI building.

    “We lease the shop from Kevin and DeLana and got the fabricators and got Mark Smith doing the motors and all the support from Chevrolet,” Hornaday continues. “So it’s been a real honor to drive for him just because with Jeff Hensley and all the guys really getting the trucks prepared right.”

    Hornaday says that Denette has an active part in the team as he is at shop as much as he can be.

    “He’s got the No. 9 on the side for Bill Elliott,” Hornaday adds. “He’s really a big Bill Elliott fan, and he stays not only at the truck races, he stays for the Cup races where he shows up. So his involvement in racing, he wants to be a champion owner someday.”

    So far this season, it hasn’t started out as Hornaday would have planned as he finished 14th at Daytona and 16th at Martinsville to now sit ninth in points.

    “The first two showings haven’t shown how good the truck is,” Hornaday says. “We spun out at Martinsville and came back through the pack a couple times and got a penalty and went to the back about three times and came back through there. If that shows anything what we have this year for the competition.”

    This weekend marks NASCAR’s return to Rockingham Speedway, which last held a NASCAR sanctioned race in 2004. A lot of people are anticipating it to be a great weekend for NASCAR due to the history of the race track. Hornaday backs it up, stating the track has some of the same characteristics despite the repave.

    “It’s still got the little whoop-di-dos on the bottom and the middle groove is pretty smooth and the top groove is really smooth,” he says. “But they still use the asphalt from down there where it still wears the tires out, so you’ve got to really be patient and control your truck for the whole run and figure out how many sets of tires to get in and see what you’ve got for the race and plan that out.

    “It’s still old Rockingham, but it’s got a little narrower now where you can’t run real close to the wall because of the soft wall moving in. So there will be a different groove up there.”

    It will mark the first time Hornaday has a raced a truck on the oval and he says the racing should be exciting.

    “It’s going to put some exciting racing on because with the new tires you’re going to go out there wide open and then in a matter of five or six laps you’re going to start to really feather the throttle and try to save the tires,” he explains.

    Hornaday hopes to have an advantage this weekend having Ted Musgrave as his spotter.

    “He was so good down there,” Hornaday says. “He’ll be down there for the open test day where maybe he can teach me some patience and try to save these tires.”