Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Featured Stories

Featured stories from SpeedwayMedia.com

  • Daytona 500 Champion Kenseth Crashes In Practice.

    Daytona 500 Champion Kenseth Crashes In Practice.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photography, Inc.” align=”alignright” width=”248″][/media-credit]Daytona 500 Champion Matt Kenseth got his first dose of reality this weekend here at the Phoenix International Raceway. The party of winning his 2nd Daytona 500 trophy is over. Kenseth hit the wall during final practice for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 and will be forced to go to a backup car for Sunday.

    Kenseth has been racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full-time since 2000 and has one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship that he won in 2003.

    He comes into this weekend as the points leader and has one victory here in Phoenix which he won back in 2002.

    Last season, he didn’t find much success here.  He triggered a 14-car accident in the spring that involved Brian Vickers, Jamie McMurray, Travis Kvapil, David Ragan, and numerous others. He finished that race in 12th, but during the Chase in the fall he was wrecked by Brian Vickers stemming from their altercation a week prior at Martinsville. He led early in the race, but finished 34th, effectively ending his hopes at a second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.

    Happy Hour is currently taking place and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is currently on top of the charts followed by Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, David Reutimann, and Juan Montoya.

  • Kasey Kahne Fastest In Nationwide Practice; Patrick Laughs About TV Anchor

    Kasey Kahne Fastest In Nationwide Practice; Patrick Laughs About TV Anchor

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”208″][/media-credit]Kasey Kahne led NASCAR Nationwide Series practice at the end of their afternoon session. Kahne has never won in the Nationwide Series in Phoenix. He has not ran a race in a Nationwide Series car here since 2007 while driving for Ray Evernham and he finished 6th.

    Joey Logano was second quickest as the young twenty-one year old is coming up a top ten finish in the Daytona 500. Sam Hornish Jr. was third quickest and last season celebrated his first win in NASCAR here in Phoenix in November. Hornish has a great car. Can he repeat?

    Rounding out the rest of the top ten were: Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Justin Allgaier, Cole Whitt, and Trevor Bayne. Kyle Busch was 16th quickest in his #54 Monster Energy Drink Toyota followed by Danica Patrick who was 18th quickest.

    Earlier during the day, Danica Patrick was asked a question about the San Diego Sports TV Anchor that was suspended for implying that Danica was the B-word. Patrick said that she had just found out about it and thought it was “really funny how someone could feel that strong over me, but I don’t think you’re supposed to imply swear words especially while on air.”

  • Newman and McDowell Going To Backup Cars

    Newman and McDowell Going To Backup Cars

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photography, Inc.” align=”alignright” width=”234″][/media-credit]Ryan Newman had the fourth quickest car during the first practice session of the day here at the Phoenix International Raceway, but he won’t be using that same car for Sunday. Newman got loose near the end of the session going into turn 3 and slapped the wall pretty hard.

    “I opened my entry up a little too far. I got a little aggressive and just got loose getting in, and that was it. Our WIX Filters Chevrolet is really good.  I see that (Tony) Stewart is on top of the board now. We’ll just plug-in the same game (to the back-up car), and we’ll be alright.” Newman said.

    Shortly before Newman’s accident, Michael McDowell also had trouble going into Turn 3, but he had cut a right-front tire. McDowell will also be going to a backup car.

  • Stewart Fastest In First Practice Session In Phoenix; Johnson Focused On Phoenix

    Stewart Fastest In First Practice Session In Phoenix; Johnson Focused On Phoenix

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart was the fastest man during the first practice session here at the Phoenix International Raceway earlier today. Stewart, who comes into this race after a disappointing 16th place finish at the Daytona 500, has one victory at this track which he claimed during his rookie season back in 1999. Stewart also has three runner-up finishes at Phoenix where he finished behind Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin respectively.

    Speaking of Mark Martin he was our surprise of the day. Martin was second quickest in his #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota. It looked like Martin would leave on top of the sheets, but Tony Stewart unloaded his fastest lap just before the red flag flew to end Session 1. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are both coming off disappointing finishes during the season-opening Daytona 500. They led 1-2 at the beginning of the session for about ten laps, but the two Hendrick Motorsports teammates ended up 17th and 24th fastest.

    Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth was tenth quickest just behind his Roush-Fenway teammate Greg Biffle who had the fastest car for the majority of the practice but ended up in third position.

    Other notables include: Newman (4th), Kahne (5th), Montoya (6th), Kyle Busch (7th), Logano (8th), McMurray (9th), Edwards (16th), Jr. (31st).

    Greg Biffle will be a man to watch on Sunday. Teammate Carl Edwards was just in the media center and noted that Biffle looks like he has a really great car for Sunday. “It looks like Biffle is extremely fast in practice, so we’ll lean on him a little bit.”

    Jimmie Johnson knew this was coming, but he got a question from me regarding the penalties. “How much did Knaus’ previous infractions have on the current penalty? His answer: That’d require me to speculate. Take that question to NASCAR.

  • Daytona 500 Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Jet Dryer

    Daytona 500 Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Jet Dryer

    The 2012 Daytona 500 is one that will go down in history as being the longest and most bizarre races of all time. The race was post-poned on two occasions due to a downpour of rain. The race was originally scheduled to start at 1pm est. on Sunday, but was rescheduled for noon on Monday. When the rain continued to flood Daytona the following day, NASCAR was forced to post-pone the race again until 7pm est. Monday night. An estimated 140,000 fans showed up for the event and got their monies worth.

    The Good

    Matt Kenseth Excels in Daytona: Matt Kenseth started out the season with a bang, winning the second Gatorade Duel race and qualifying in fourth position for the Daytona 500. He led the race two times throughout the night for 50 laps total, but most importantly led the last lap to take his second win in the Great American Race. The 2012 season marks the 25th anniversary for Roush Fenway Racing and Kenseth’s win gave RFR their 300th career win.

    Denny Hamlin is back: After a rough and rocky ending to the 2011 season, Denny Hamlin was ready to close the book and start the 2012 season with a fresh outlook. He began that outlook with a new championship winning crew chief, Darian Grubb. They started speedweeks off well, finishing in 5th position in the Bud Shootout. The FedEx Toyota qualified in the 37th position for the Daytona 500, but quickly made that up, going on to lead the race. Hamlin led for 57 laps, earning the 3M Lap Leader award of the race. He also won the USG Improving The Finish award for gaining 27 positions, the most gained during the race. Overall, the No. 11 team finished the race in fourth position.

    Greg Biffle exceeds expectations: After a win-less 2011 season and a disappointing 16th place finish in the championship standings, Greg Biffle was at the top of the leader board at Daytona. He started out speedweeks finishing in sixth position in the Bud Shootout and qualifying on the outside pole for the Daytona 500, along-side his teammate Carl Edwards. He led the race on eight different occasions for a total of 44 laps. On the last lap, while running second, he was passed by Dale Earnhardt Jr to bring home a third place finish in the Great American Race.

    The Bad

    Danica Patrick has rocky NASCAR start:IndyCar turned NASCAR star Danica Patrick did not have her entrance to the Cup series go as planned. I think the media was more saddened over this than Patrick herself. Patrick started the race in the 29th position after taking a hard crash in the Gatorade Duels. The Daytona 500 wasn’t much better for the rookie after being a victim of someone else’s wreck on the second lap of the race. The No. 7 Go Daddy team was able to repair the car and get her back out on the track to finish in 38th position.[media-credit name=”Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”274″][/media-credit]

    Jimmie Johnson starts the season on a sour note: Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona experience was an overall unsuccessful week. On February 17th, the No. 48 car failed initial inspection, resulting in NASCAR confiscating the C-pillars on the car. In the Bud Shootout he was caught up in a late race multi-car incident, leaving him to finish in 14th position. After being involved in a crash on Lap 2 of the Daytona 500, Johnson came home with a 42nd place finish. Unfortunately, the disappointment continued after leaving Daytona.

    NASCAR announced Wednesday that the No. 48 team was in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the rule book or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-2.1E (if in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance will not be permitted — unapproved car body modifications).

    Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec are suspended for the next six Sprint Cup Series championship events and have been placed on NASCAR probation until May 9th. Knaus was also fined $100,000. Johnson and car owner Jeff Gordon have been penalized with the loss of 25 driver and owner points, respectively. As a result of the penalty, Johnson is now 23 points in the negative after earning just two points with his 42nd place finish in the Daytona 500. The team will appeal the penalty, allowing Knaus and Malec to attend the race at Phoenix this weekend.

    And, The Jet Dryer

    With 40 laps remaining in the Daytona 500, the race took a very unexpected turn. While under caution, a suspension piece on Juan Pablo Montoya’s No. 42 car broke, causing the car’s brakes to lock up. This sent Montoya spinning and crashing violently into a jet dryer truck that was on the race track. Jet dryer trucks carry an estimated 200 gallons of jet fuel, which caused a fiery explosion immediately upon impact.

    Thankfully both Montoya and the driver of the truck walked away from the incident without any major injuries. The fire from the incident took several long, frightening minutes to contain. NASCAR used Tide laundry detergent to clean the spilled fuel off of the track surface. Fans were then again forced to sit through a two hour red flag period waiting for the track to be cleaned. During the red flag, drivers were parked on the backstretch, providing the fans with a bird’s eye view of their favorite driver.

    In finishing the Daytona 500 around one o’clock in the morning, NASCAR teams had their week cut short in preparation for the next race. Teams will head to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend and leave the madness of Daytona in their rear-view mirror.

  • Matt Kenseth — The Rodney Dangerfield of the Circuit

    Matt Kenseth — The Rodney Dangerfield of the Circuit

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The Daytona 500 was quite a show. Not only was the race postponed because of rain, but it caused Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR to hold the first ever prime time night 500 in history. That’s big stuff. There was rain and there was fire (had to change that so James Taylor wouldn’t sue), but the same old thing I’ve harped on for ages was present.

    Restrictor plate racing will always stick in my craw, no matter how much the general public loves it. It’s simply not racing. It better resembles a demolition derby within a race. Sorry, but that’s the way I feel.

    I know many find this racing exciting and probably because of the close racing and, unfortunately, the wrecks, but I just don’t see it. I’ve lost that argument long ago, so no more about that, but the result and the finish was wonderful. In the end, we had a classic battle between two teammates and the most popular driver. In the end, the “unnoticed one,” better known as Matt Kenseth, won going away in a car that doesn’t even have enough sponsorship to finish the season. Jack Roush says the car will be in every race, but the sponsorship isn’t there. What is it about Matt Kenseth that sponsors do not like?

    Kenseth came on the scene and beat Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a battle for the Nationwide Series Championship way back when. He busted on the scene and won a Sprint Cup race his first year. He’s won over 20 times since. Unlike more popular drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon (not to mention Junior), Matt doesn’t talk much. Reading PR from Chevrolet, Johnson and Gordon can speak paragraphs about any subject. Long sentences and lots of comments are the rule and Matt answers questions and moves on. He prefers his driving to do the talking. And yet, Kenseth is always competitive. If not for that little problem with Brian Vickers at the end of last year, the Chase might have been a three-way race instead of the two man race we had.

    Then, to take away from Kenseth’s great win, we had the fire. If it wasn’t enough that we had rain on the first race of the season, a freak accident became the main focus of the race. Juan Montoya had a suspension part break that caused him to crash into a jet dryer which produced a terrifying fireball. It took nearly two hours to put out the fire and clean the track. Will anyone remember Matt Kenseth win his second Daytona 500? No. But the fire? Absolutely. Talk about bad luck, but that’s been the case with Kenseth his whole career.

    He won the Sprint Cup Championship in 2003 with his consistency, but the fact that he only won one race, might have caused NASCAR to move to its own playoff system known as the Chase. His first Daytona 500 victory was rain shortened. Maybe he’s the Rodney Dangerfield of racing. He gets no respect, despite his exemplary record.

    One last thing. NASCAR ruled on the rules infraction for the No. 48 team today. The result was suspension of crew chief Chad Knaus and the car chief for six races and probation and a huge fine for Knaus beyond that. The team and driver Jimmie Johnson were penalized 25 points making them -25 for the season. Many think the punishment is too harsh since the car failed inspection before practice. Rick Hendrick thinks that since the same car (or so he says) passed inspection four times without problems, that the penalty is bogus. He is appealing the penalty, but we all know how this has gone on in the past. The suspension will stand when NASCAR gets around to hearing the appeal. It may make Knaus available for Phoenix, but you can bet he’ll be gone for some races sooner or later. I don’t know why they bother. Maybe it’s to lessen the blow, but I think the penalty was less than expected given the history of this team.

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: FUN IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: FUN IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN

    [media-credit name=”Phoenixinternationalraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”281″][/media-credit]After a long, and even bizarre, weekend at Daytona, the elite of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be criss crossing the country to the valley of the sun for three hundred plus laps on the Phoenix International Raceway. The Subway Fresh Fit 500 (k), on PIR’s one mile oval, will be a drastic change from last weekend’s Daytona elements such as restrictor plates and bump drafting. It’s already being regarded by many of the teams as the return to “real racing.”

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    We, of course, already know what the number one NASCAR racing story will be during the Phoenix weekend. You will hear a lot about the recent penalties levied against the Hendrick Motorsports #48 team after they failed to pass a technical inspection at Daytona. Throughout the weekend this story will be scrutinized, editorialized and everything except vaporized.

    Crew chief Chad Knaus, along with car chief Ron Malec, were suspended for six races. Knaus was additionally fined $100,000 and the team was docked 25 driver and owner’s points. You will hear a lot of back and forth debate about the fairness and the harshness of these penalties.

    Knaus and Malec will be in the Phoenix garage this weekend conducting business as usual. That’s because of the appeal filed by team owner Rick Hendrick. Their suspension will not become effective until the NASCAR Board of Appeals has rendered a final decision.

    You will also hear speculation regarding how these penalties, especially the loss of the championship points, could become a major distraction for driver Jimmie Johnson. Don’t even give that a second thought. Once this five time champion places that racing helmet on his head, he will be activating his outstanding ability to focus on the job at hand. His Phoenix numbers are strong. In fact some prominent Las Vegas sports book agencies has him favored to win Sunday’s race. They also have him favored to win his sixth Sprint Cup championship this year. Also remember that the last time this driver had to go without the services of Knaus, due to a suspension, he won two races. Jimmie Five Time is going to be just fine.

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

    The other huge story you will hear a lot about, from Phoenix this weekend, involves last Thursday’s announcement that said Roger Penske will be switching to Fords beginning in 2013. This is not Penske’s first association with the Blue Oval” group. He had a successful run with Ford from 1995 to 2002 before switching to Dodge during the last eight years. It appears that Ford has made a long term commitment with Penske Racing that also may include business ventures outside of NASCAR racing such as Penske’s new car dealerships.

    However the one aspect of this announcement that will create a lot of speculation this weekend is centered around  Dodge’s future plans in NASCAR. The Penske organization was literally their banner team in the sport. Signing another high profile team owner will be extremely difficult, if not even impossible, at this point in time because many of the teams are already locked into long term manufacturer’s contracts.

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

    Also bearing some attention at Phoenix this weekend will be the performance of the new electronic fuel injection engines under “real racing” conditions. The season opener at Daytona, with drafting being such a huge factor, was not regarded by crew chiefs as being a true representation of what to expect from these engines. The computer data they will accumulate this weekend will be far more valuable and will apply to many of the tracks coming up on the racing schedule. This is especially true in the area of fuel mileage.

    Crew chiefs will also be busy this weekend adding to their Phoenix notebooks. This will be only the second race ran on the raceway’s new configuration which was completed late last year. Last November’s race at PIR is currently the sole source of crew chief notes at the moment.

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

    THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN

    To get a more accurate idea regarding who’s going to be having fun in the valley of the sun, we once again turn to the number crunching professionals from the “Las Vegas Insider”, (LVI), who has a long track record of racing accuracy.

    Topping the “LVI” rankings for Phoenix is Jimmie Johnson at 5 to 1 odds. Johnson will be a man on a mission this weekend. A lap two crash at Daytona, combined with the recent loss of 25 driver’s points from the aforementioned penalties, has Johnson at the bottom of the standings at negative 23 points. The good news here is this driver’s outstanding Phoenix numbers which could help his road to recovery. In 17 starts, Johnson has a series high, among active drivers, four wins along with 11 top five finishes and 14 top tens. He also has an outstanding average finish ratio, (AFR), of 5.4. That makes Johnson an outstanding wager consideration.

    Next in line, at 6 to 1, is Kyle Busch, a previous Phoenix winner with two top fives, eight top tens and a 14.6 AFR. While his PIR numbers aren’t the strongest in the world, we have to remember it’s Kyle Busch behind the wheel. If anyone can charge to front and win Sunday’s race this is the guy.

    Leading the Ford group is Carl Edwards, at 7 to 1, who has some impressive numbers at Phoenix that includes a previous win, six top fives, ten top tens and a healthy 12.3 AFR.

    At 8 to 1 you will find Jeff Gordon who is the defending race champion. Like his team mate, Jimmie Johnson, Gordon also finds himself in a first race of the season points hole due to a blown engine at Daytona. However, PIR is an excellent place for Gordon to rectify that situation. He’s a two Phoenix winner with ten top five finishes, 18 top tens and a very healthy AFR of 10.9.

    At 9 to 1 you will find the duo of Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne. Stewart is a previous winner at PIR and has eight top fives, 11 top tens and a healthy 11.3 AFR. That makes the reigning Sprint Cup champion a solid wager consideration.

    Kahne won the Phoenix race last November after spending a season with Red Bull Racing while waiting to begin his new ride with Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne also has two top fives, five top tens and a 19.1 AFR. There has been a lot of, and highly justified, pre season chatter that says expect a lot from Kahne and his new team. That makes him a worth long shot wager consideration. Interestingly enough, Kahne will be using a chassis that has already made two trips to the PIR victory lane. Kyle Busch drove that chassis to a win back in 2005 and Mark Martin scored with it back in 2009.

    At ten to 1 is the tandem of Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. Harvick, at these odds, is also a worthy long shot consideration. He a two time Phoenix winner with four top fives, eight top teams with a 14.1 AFR.

    Can Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth make it two wins in a row? He’s a previous PIR winner with five top fives, eight top tens with an 18.1 AFR. Also remember he has one of those high powered Roush Yates engines under his hood.

    Turning to the “LVI’s” middle tier, you will find Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski at 16 to 1 odds. At 18 to 1 are Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman both, of whom, are previous Phoenix winners. But it’s Dale Earnhardt Jr, at 20 to 1, that could be an interesting long shot consideration. Phoenix could be a good track to rid himself of that 130 race win less streak. He’s a two time winner there.

    At 28 to 1 you will find the trio of Clint Bowyer, A J Allmendinger and two time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton. Martin Truex Jr is ranked at 30 to 1 this week followed by the duo of Joey Logano and Juan Pablo Montoya at 35 to 1.

    At the lower end of the “LVI” Phoenix numbers are Paul Menard and two time race winner Mark Martin.  Jamie McMurray is ranked at 50 to 1 this week. Regan Smith is rated at 60 to 1 followed by Marcus Ambrose at 75 to 1. The quartet of David Ragan, Bobby Labonte, Robby Gordon and David Reutimann closes out the rankings at 100 to 1. All other drivers, not mentioned here, are automatically on the 50 to 1 “others” list.

    Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers are for information and entertainment purposes only. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their races. But if you’re going to do it anyway, then you may as well have the latest, and best, information from the professionals at the “Las Vegas Insider.”

    You can also consider using your gambling budget to make a contribution to the Chad Knaus legal defense fund, (settle down everyone, I’m only kidding).

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

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Subway Fresh Fit 500 (k) is 312 laps/312 miles/500 kilometers around the Phoenix International Raceway’s one mile oval.

    The race has 44 entries vying for the 43 starting positions. Nine of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they do not have a guaranteed start in the race because they are currently outside of the top 35 in NASCAR owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to earn a starting berth.

    The defending race champion, from February 2011, is Jeff Gordon. Kasey Kahne won the fall race in Phoenix held last November. The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix was held in 1988 and was won by Alan Kulwicki. Since that time PIR has hosted 31 Cup events that has sent 22 different winners to victory lane.

    Jimmie Johnson leads the active driver’s win list with four trips to the Phoenix victory lane. Chevrolet seems to be the weapon of choice at Phoenix. The bow tie brigade has 15 wins there. The Chevrolet teams from Hendrick Motorsports has won seven of the last ten Phoenix events.

    Carl Edwards hold the PIR qualifying record, 137.279 MPH, set in February of last year. This race has been won from the pole position four times. 16, of the 31 PIR Cup races, has been won from the top ten starting positions.

    The Phoenix International Raceway was officially opened in 1964 featuring a one mile oval with a connecting 2.5 mile road course. PIR is basically a flat track. There are only 11 degrees of banking in turns one and two and nine degrees in turns three and four. The front stretch measures 1,179 feet and is banked at three degrees. The back stretch measures 1,551 feet with nine degrees of banking. Pit road measures 1,140 feet. The pit road speed is 45 MPH.  The raceway presently has seating for 55,000 fans.

    Weather should not present a problem for the drivers this weekend. The Phoenix forecast calls for sunny skies and 73 degrees on Saturday. The Sunday weather will also be sunny with a high of 82 degrees.

    The Subway Fresh Fit 55 (k) will be broadcast live by the Fox Network with the pre race show beginning at 230 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, March 7th, at 12 pm et on the SPEED Channel.

  • NASCAR Suspends Chad Knaus and Ron Malec, But Rick Hendrick to Appeal

    NASCAR Suspends Chad Knaus and Ron Malec, But Rick Hendrick to Appeal

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]On Wednesday, NASCAR issued a list of steep penalties to Jimmie Johnson and team No. 48 as a result of rule infractions found on Febraury 17th during opening day of inspection for the Daytona 500. The penalties include a six week suspension for both crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, plus probation till May 9th. They also fined Knaus $100,000 while taking away 25 driver points from Johnson and 25 owner points from his owner, Jeff Gordon.

    According to NASCAR, they did not agree with the shape of the c-posts and requested that they be changed. The C-post is a piece of paneling towards the back of the car that connects the roof to the rear quarterpanel. The team modified the piece to gain an aerodynamic advantage.

    As per their press release, the posts were “in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the rule book or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-2.1E (if in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance will not be permitted – unapproved car body modifications).”

    Hendrick Motorsports has already announced that they will be appealing the penalties, which will see Knaus and Malec remain at the track during the process.

    “Our organization respects NASCAR and the way the sanctioning body governs our sport,” Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, said. “In this case, though, the system broke down, and we will voice our concerns through the appeal process.”

    After NASCAR made the call during Speedweeks to have the 48 team remove the parts, there was a lot of discussion from those involved about exactly what was going on. According to Ken Howes, Hendrick’s Vice President of Competition, he told SBNation.com that crew chiefs are always working around the templates to try and gain an advantage.

    However, NASCAR has made it clear to teams that they do not like them modifying parts “between the templates” and have told Knaus that before, suspending him six weeks in 2007 for modifying the front fenders.

    “We’re pretty serious about the body configurations of the cars for all of the right reasons,” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said. “This one was a modification that had been made to the car that put it outside that box.”

    On that topic, Howes told SBNation.com that the template doesn’t quite cover every square inch of the car and there is nothing written in the rule book to stop them. The rule book just states that the car must fit the templates that NASCAR specifies.

    Hendrick added to that, telling ESPN.com, “You know, I don’t like it if we find some flagrant problem. I don’t like it when someone says I just don’t like the looks of it and never put the plate down on it.” Hendrick says that in speaking with Knaus, NASCAR never used the claw in determining whether the c-posts fit within the rules to begin with.

    By section 20-2.1E of the rule book, it says that NASCAR is allowed to call teams out on parts that they modify. By having that one line in the rulebook, it allows NASCAR to influence judgment calls on certain situations.

    Looking at everything, if the change to the car wasn’t made technically against the templates but isn’t something NASCAR didn’t approve of, couldn’t they had just requested the 48 team change it without further penalty? Beyond that, if they did want to penalize, does it warrant a penalty of this size?

    As Eddie Gossage, who is the track promotor for Texas Motor Speedway, wrote at ESPNDallas.com, “It’s the first race of the year. It was the first time the team presented the car for inspection this season. Only one area of the car failed. NASCAR, rightfully, made the team make changes to the car so it will qualify and sit on the grid only after it completely passed inspection. The car will be 100 percent legal.

    “Isn’t that the point of NASCAR’s pre-race inspection? The integrity of the race and the sport are not tainted. NASCAR found an infraction and caused it to be fixed.”

    Though in a story that involves many sides, there is even more to be said here. Hendrick told ESPN.com before the Bud Shootout that this is the same car that Johnson ran in all four restrictor plate races last season. He added that the roof had not been altered.

    He then continued to say that the car has been at NASCAR’s Research and Development (R&D) Center three times – after both Talladega races and before the Daytona 500 – and was returned without being said to be outside the lines. Looking back to last year if you look back at the October Talladega race, Knaus was caught on film telling Johnson to damage the rear end of the car if he won. Hendrick said that NASCAR took the car back to the R&D center and kept it there till the end of the season.

    The only change that Hendrick says has been done to the car is it has been re-painted.

    David Newton, who wrote the story for ESPN.com, asked Hendrick if maybe this is a response to the incident last year.

    “Maybe you can put it together,” Hendrick said. “I don’t understand. The know the serial numbers on the cars. Our guys swear they have not touched the roof of the car.”

    Some have already said that they believe that NASCAR is only implementing a penalty of this size due to Knaus’ track record, but isn’t that an example of a crew chief trying to find an advantage for their team? That is actually something that Hendrick Motorsports applauds their crew chiefs on as it shows that they are always trying to get better. So is it fair to access a penalty under those parameters?

    Beyond this particular situation looking down the road, what about future situations that arise like this one? What if NASCAR sees something and lets it go? That will stir the fans as they will begin to question if NASCAR is playing favorites or not – is that a road that NASCAR wants to go down? The rule perfectly allows for this to happen with the interpretation that is there.

    With everything that is involved and everything that has been said, it will be interesting to see what happens at the appeal and moving forward.

    In this writer’s opinion, it looks like Hendrick Motorsports has put a solid case together to take to the appeal and have a good chance at winning. But after viewing all of the evidence known to the public, I’ll let you also say what you feel.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”273″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth won at Daytona, outlasting Sunday’s postponement and Monday’s inferno to win on Tuesday.

    “Brad Keselowski may have 200,000 followers,” Kenseth said, “but I’m happy with just 42. And speaking of ’42,’ the race took a turn for the worse when Juan Montoya crashed into a jet-fueled track dryer. It was almost ‘Juan and done.’ That’s what’s called a ‘Colombian-fuego.”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished second after his bid to overtake Matt Kenseth failed, arguably due to a block from Kenseth’s Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle, who finished third. Earnhardt winless streak now stands at 130.

    “How is a jet dryer like a Junior fan in the infield?” Earnhardt said. “They both got ‘lit’ at Daytona.

    “Although I didn’t win, I saved racing from a Kenseth-Biffle 1-2 finish, which, if it were a Farrely brothers movie, would be called Humdrum And Humdrummer. That’s victory in itself. At this point, I’ll take any I can get.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota led a race-high 57 laps and was a factor for the duration of the Daytona 500. But in the end, his charge to the front fell short and he finished fourth.

    “My car was fast,” Hamlin said, “but not as fast as the fastest car on the track. That would be Danica Patrick’s No. 10 GoDaddy.com machine, which was moving at hyper speed. Just to clarify, that’s the speed of hype.”

    4. Greg Biffle: Biffle led 44 laps at Daytona and finished third behind Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt. Biffle was running second into the final corner, but never found the momentum to get past Kenseth.

    “Even with Earnhardt pushing me,” Biffle said, “I still couldn’t get past Kenseth. I couldn’t get by the car labeled Best Buy, which eventually said good bye. I guess I didn’t bide my time correctly.”

    5. Jeff Burton:Burtonled 24 laps at Daytona and finished fifth as the Richard Childress trio ofBurton, Paul Menard, and Kevin Harvick finished 5-6-7 in the 500.

    “This RCR team was impressive at Daytona,”Burtonsaid. “As opposed to ‘burning with jet fuel,’ we were ‘cooking with gas.’ We’ve all heard of ‘gas and go.’ Juan Montoya’s crash has coined a new term: ‘go and gas.’”

    6. Paul Menard: Menard was fast in the Daytona 500, scoring a sixth in an eventful race marked by rain delays and Juan Montoya’s fiery crash with a jet dryer during a lap 159 caution.

    “It started at 7:00 P.M. and lasted until the next morning,” Menard said. “No, I’m not talking about a Jeremy Mayfield bender; I’m talking about the Daytona 500. Or should I say the ‘Daytona 500 Degrees?’”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick, one of the early favorites to win the 2012 Sprint Cup championship, posted a solid start to the season with a seventh in the Daytona 500.

    “We’re confident we can win it all this year,” Harvick said. “In other words, we’re ‘expecting.’ I urged everyone on this team to visualize a Cup title. So, the seed has been planted. And by golly, there will be a berth later this year.”

    8. Carl Edwards: Edwards started on the pole at Daytona and finished eighth, successfully overcoming a late penalty and damage incurred in a lap 187 wreck.

    “This race had it all,” Edwards said. “including the four elements. There was water in the form of rain, and there was fire in the form of the blaze ignited when Juan Montoya crashed into a jet dryer. There was earth in the form of the sand used to absorb the jet fuel, and there was air, in the form of two Waltrip’s in the broadcast booths.”

    9. Tony Stewart: Stewart’s No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet was fast at Daytona, as the defending Sprint Cup champion won his Gatorade Duel and was up front for much of Monday’s 500.

    “Considering the circumstances,” Stewart said, “I’m pleased with the result. I can easily round into championship form, especially since my championship form is round.”

    10. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex led at the midway point, collecting the $200,000 bonus, and finished 12th in the Daytona 500.

    “Michael Waltrip is happy,” Truex said. “Happy with my finish, and happy that Juan Montoya has displaced him as the driver most negatively associated with jet fuel.”

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: ONE RACE IN AND IT’S ALREADY BEEN A TOUGH SEASON FOR THE #48 TEAM

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: ONE RACE IN AND IT’S ALREADY BEEN A TOUGH SEASON FOR THE #48 TEAM

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”216″][/media-credit]If five time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is going to reclaim his title and score the “six pack” this year, then he and his Hendrick Motorsports #48 team are going to have to overcome some very early season adversity. The 2012 NASCAR racing season has only completed one race and it’s already been a tough season for this championship caliber team.

    NASCAR issued an official statement, on February 29th, announcing penalties levied against this team due to the car’s failure to pass technical inspection prior to the official start of Speedweeks at Daytona. The penalties handed down by NASCAR contain four key areas:

    Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec have been suspended from participating from the next six Sprint Cup Series championship events, suspended from NASCAR until April 18th and placed on probation until May 9th.

    Knaus was additionally fined $100,000

    Jimmie Johnson was penalized with the loss of 25 championship driver’s points.

    Jeff Gordon, the legal owner of record of the #48 team, was penalized with the loss of 25 championship owner’s points.

    The driving force behind this punishment was the area of the NASCAR rule book pertaining to unapproved car body modifications. Specifically the problem centered around the car’s C posts; the sheet metal that attaches the roof of the car to the rear quarter panels. During the inspection process at Daytona, NASCAR officials ruled that the shape of these C posts did not conform with their rule book and, in fact, provided the team with an aerodynamic advantage. NASCAR confiscated the C posts and ordered the team to replace them with new ones that did conform to the rules.

    The team was informed that they would be allowed to participate in Speedweeks, including the Daytona 500. but they should expect official sanctions to be levied against them in the days that followed the 500.

    Hendrick Motorsports has already announced their intent to file an appeal. In a prepared statement, Rick Hendrick said: “our organization respects NASCAR and the way the sanctioning body governs our sport. In this case, though, the system broke down, and we will voice our concerns through the appeals process.”

    One of Hendrick’s concerns, prompting him to appeal the ruling, was the fact that this is the same #48 Chevrolet the team used in 2011 during all four of the Sprint Cup restrictor plate races on the schedule: two races at Daytona and two at Talladega. He further pointed out that in each case this particular car passed all levels of technical inspection. He’s also insisting that no changes were made to the car’s body for the 2012 Daytona race.

    Johnson participated in the annual Budweiser Shootout invitational event but got caught up in an accident that led to a 14th place finish and a damaged race car. He finished sixth in his Gatorade Duel which earned him eighth starting position for the Daytona 500. But all forms of luck unraveled in a big way when, on lap two of the Daytona 500, Johnson found himself caught up in a major wreck. The result was a 42nd place finish. He left Daytona ranked 37th in the points standings and 45 points out of first place.

    With this newly announced penalty from NASCAR, Johnson and company will arrive at next Sunday’s race, at the Phoenix International Raceway, 44th in the championship standings with a negative 23 points.

    One race in and it’s already been a tough season for the #48 team.