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Robert Yates To Be Part of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Display at CME

[media-credit name=”NASCAR Canadian Tire Series” align=”alignleft” width=”282″][/media-credit]NASCAR Canadian Tire Series staff announced that Robert Yates will be part of their display this year at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.

“We’re very pleased that the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is back at the Canadian Motorsports Expo,” series director Brad Moran said. “While many fans see our races at the track and on TSN, this show, however, offers a unique opportunity to see what goes on in the pits and in ‘tech lane’ on race weekends. This level of fan access isn’t possible when we’re in the heat of an actual race event, so we enjoy offering some hauler tours and an up close look at all that goes on.”

Yates will be part of the display that will be running for its second year. The display is meant to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the series. This is the first year that Yates will be part of the display, though. Yates will be there on Saturday February 11^th at the display to talk with fans and sign autograph’s from 10:30am till 4pm.

Robert Yates Racing is the exclusive provider of the NASCAR-approved Spec Engine, which is an optional program available for use in all NASCAR touring series in US and Canada. Both Yates and Davy will be on hand to answer questions that drivers and team owners may have about the engines.

“Making official suppliers and industry experts available to racers is something that NASCAR regularly does as a service to its competitors,” Moran said. “Chris Davy was at last year’s CME with us and many of the teams took advantage of the opportunity to discuss the ‘Spec’ Engine program. Having Robert Yates join him this year is an added bonus. As a team owner and engine builder, Yates has won championships and the biggest stock-car races in the world. His drivers were successful and his engines were legendary for their power and reliability. NASCAR is proud to have him at our booth Saturday, February 11 at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.”

Lastly, Yates will take to the Mazda Stage from 6:15pm to 7pm to discuss his career in motorsports.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series display will go beyond just having Yates and Davy. The center of the display will be the race hauler that officials use at each race for all of their activities. Moran and officials will be on hand to offer tours. They will also have ‘tech lane’ set-up so fans can see what it looks like, while also having some race cars on display.

Also, Yates will take to the Mazda Stage from 6:15pm to 7pm to discuss his career in motorsports.

The Canadian Motorsports Expo will be held from February 10^th till 12^th at the International Centre in Toronto. For more information, check out http://www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com.

February 5, 2012
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: OBSERVATIONS WHILE WAITING FOR SPEED WEEKS

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel ” align=”alignright” width=”270″][/media-credit]As I wait for the green flag to signify the official start of Speed Weeks 2012 at Daytona, I seem to be spending the off season time collecting NASCAR news items while pondering my opinions on their content. It occurred to me that I should share some of them with my racing buddies.

THE DEAL IS JUST FINE, IT’S THE POLICY WE HATE

For approximately seven years now NASCAR has observed the policy of the top 35 in their owner’s points. This policy states that any team within the top 35 is automatically guaranteed a start in the next race on the schedule. At present the points in the top 35 from the 2011 season will be in effect for the first five races of 2012. Beginning with race number six, the accumulated points from the first five events of this year will take effect.

There’s also a policy that states these owner points can be bought, sold or traded as if they were commodities on the New York Stock Exchange. The criteria includes some sort of business or technical alliance between two teams involved in the deal along with the approval of the exchange by NASCAR officials.

This policy made NASCAR headlines last Tuesday following an announcement of a technical alliance between between Stewart-Haas Racing, (SHR), and Tommy Baldwin Racing, (TBR). The owners points from TBR’s #36, accumulated by driver Dave Blaney last year, will be transferred to SHR’s #10 driven by Danica Patrick. Essentially this means Patrick is automatically locked into the field for this year’s Daytona 500.

Patrick will be entered in ten Sprint Cup races this year in preparation for a full time stint in the series in 2013. TBR’s #36 will be changed to #10 for this season. When Patrick is not racing the #10 SHR Chevrolet, driver David Reutimann will be in the #10 TBR Chevrolet for the remaining 26 races on the schedule. If both drivers compile a series of decent finishes, it could mean that Patrick will have a guaranteed start in all ten of her scheduled events. The value of that Sprint Cup seat time is vital to her cause.

In exchange, TBR will receive technical support from SHR at a level that normally would not have been available to them. SHR will also provide pit crew service for the races when Reutimann is driving.

Let’s be completely fair here. Neither of these teams did anything wrong. The terms of their alliance is well within the guidelines of the owner’s points policy. These terms were subsequently thoroughly reviewed and given a stamp of approval by NASCAR. This technical alliance is clearly a win-win situation for both racing organizations.

Despite that, there has been an immense criticism of this policy for several years now. the nay sayers state that starting positions in a 43 car Sprint Cup field should be solely based on posted speeds during qualifying. There should not be any owner’s points guarantees and those points should absolutely not be allowed to be traded like a stock commodity.

These points swaps have been going on for quite a long time now and often seem to manifest themselves around this time of the year prior to the Daytona 500. That’s actually understandable. After all, this year’s Daytona 500 has a record setting total purse of $19,142,601. The guaranteed minimum for the race winner is $1,431,325. In the 2011 final results of the great American race the team that finished 43d earned $268,550 after only running ten laps. In short: you do what you have to do to make this race.

The critic’s view is also understandable: a team is either fast enough to make the field on qualifying day or you go home early. That’s racing. It seems logical that everyone, from NASCAR executives to the fans, would hate the thought of a major Sprint Cup super star not making the starting field. But the fact is: with or without that super star, the fans will gather in the stands on race day, the green flag will wave over the 43 cars and we’ll all enjoy the race.

The time to terminate this guarantee is now past due.

IT WAS A CLOSED TEST SO DON’T TELL ANYONE

Last Wednesday NASCAR conducted a closed test of all four of their 2013 race car models at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Because it was a closed session, no results, such as speed charts, were disclosed. Next in this process will be an aero match in the wind tunnel at the NASCAR Research and Development Center.

Drivers participating in this test included Kasey Kahne-Chevrolet, Kyle Busch-Toyota, Matt Kenseth-Ford and Sam Hornish Jr-Dodge. How did we find out which drivers participated in this closed test? Needless to say, it was through that social phenomenon known as “Twitter.”

IN AN OUT-IN AND OUT, THAT’S WHAT A DRIVER’S SEAT ALL ABOUT.

First off, apologies for fracturing the In And Out Hamburger Restaurant’s advertising jingle and, no, this item has absolutely nothing to do with either one of the Busch brothers.

Last Thursday morning it was announced that NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Landon Cassill had been named to drive a third entry for Front Row Motorsports in the Daytona 500. The young, up and coming, driver was scheduled to drive the #26 Ford with race sponsorship from Morristown Driver’s Service, a Tennessee based trucking firm.

By Thursday afternoon Front Row Motorsports General Manager Jerry Freeze received a telephone call from Cassill who said “he couldn’t do it.” It seems it was a very informal agreement to begin with. Explaining further, Freeze said: “we gave him an out if he got a full time racing deal, and it sounds like he got one.”

There’s been no word regarding who Cassill’s driving for or who’s going to replace him in the Front Row Motorsports #26.

SADLY WE CONCLUDE WITH A GOD BLESS

It was very sad to learn of the recent passing of NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Matt Kenseth’s mother. Nicola Sue Kenseth passed away January 31st following a brave and lengthy battle with Early Onset Alzheimers Disease. Our sincere condolences goes out to the entire Kenseth family during this truly sad time.

February 3, 2012
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: SURELY HE MUST HAVE NOTICED THAT FISHY SMELL?

The gospel according to “Twitter” has often fascinated me. In addition to the fact that it’s a quick and simple way of mass communication, it can also become a major source of entertainment. From “hey, that’s funny” to “wow, you should have kept your finger off of the send button,” there’s seems to be no limits to this popular social network.

That same principle applies to the world of NASCAR racing. Tweets are a great way for a driver to interact with the fans. It’s also a buffet filled with one liners that often feeds the needs of the racing media. A case in point involves Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace. On any given day of the week, their tweets are loaded with humor and sarcasm well worth your reading time.

One of the better tweets that I’ve seen lately surfaced last Thursday from NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Joey Logano. The message read: “look what I found in my bedroom closet.” Underneath the message was a photo of a giant lobster. This was the traditional giant lobster that is presented to winners of NASCAR races at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Wait a minute. Logano received one of those giant lobsters because he won a race at New Hampshire. But that win was back in 2009.

I’m just going to assume that he was playing a very funny, and well staged, “Twitter” prank on us. However, if it turns out it wasn’t a prank then it means that Joey Logano has a dead lobster that has been lying in his closet for over two years now.

If that lobster is real then you would have thought he would have noticed that fishy smell. (EEWWW !!!!)

[media-credit name=”Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”156″][/media-credit]

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February 3, 2012
That Didn’t Take Long: AJ Allmendinger Already off to a Winning Start in 2012

[media-credit name=”Al Bello/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]Every driver prepares differently for the upcoming NASCAR season. Some might pick up their workout routine, change their eating habits, seek psychological help or just spend as much time as possible relaxing at home.

But there are a few that spend their off-season racing and even with Speedweeks at Daytona just around the corner AJ Allmendinger was among a few Cup stars who decided to do just that. He could have been at home, thinking about the year ahead of him with his new team at Penske Racing, trying to prepare to turn his career around.

Instead he climbed behind the wheel of a Daytona Prototype in the 50^th anniversary of the Rolex 24 hour race for Michael Shank Racing. Then he went out and won the race for Shank and co-drivers Justin Wilson, John Pew an Oswaldo Negri.

“It’s always cool to be me,” joked Allmendinger about how great the last month has been for him. “No I’m just kidding, the last five years it’s sucked to be me. It’s pretty amazing to go through the last month and a half. Obviously the Penske side of it is completely different from this side of it. Mike Shank – we’ve done this for seven years and I told him we’ve been waiting for the 50^th anniversary.”

Allmendinger acknowledged that the last five years have been tumultuous for him in the NSCS, even for as hard as he worked. When it came to trying to win at Daytona with the No. 60 team for Shank it was much of the same, always coming up short. The team stayed committed though to building faster and faster cars and finished runner up in 2007 with the same group of drivers.

Now they’re all champions, beating the best in the business and in the Rolex 24 by dominating the superstar lineup of the Chip Ganassi teams. The Shank drivers completed 761 laps through the 24-hour race and were leading for 249 of those laps.

When it came down to the final few though, Shank full-filled his promise to Allmendinger of putting him in the car for the final stint to the finish. Even agreeing that should Allmendinger be the driver of the car when they win the race, he would shave his initials on his head, which he plans to do this week.

“The last seven years this whole team, Mike Shank Racing, went through a lot to get to this point, to not only win the race but have two cars on the podium,” Allmendinger said as Shank’s second car the No. 6 finished third.

“It’s a small group of guys that Mike’s put together and they work their butts off and it’s really cool this year to have them get a well deserved victory and a second car on the podium,” continued Allmendinger.

“I feel very fortunate; this is one of the reasons why I love this race, because it really kicks off Speedweeks. It’s such a prestigious race. It’s one of those races you want on your resume and you want to say that you were part of a victory. It’s amazing. I’m going to cherish this.”

Allmendinger will for as long as he can since the swagger he has now will most likely be knocked back down by Speedweeks, he’ll be reminded he hasn’t won in Cup yet. Or maybe not because when he comes back to Daytona to start the NASCAR season it’ll be with a confidence he’s may never had before. This year he’s with a team that he knows can win races and championships, a team that wanted him to be their driver.

Driving for Penske, the California native has high expectations ahead for him. He knows they’re there; he’s ready for them and even says himself that this might be the best chance he has to show what he’s capable of. On Sunday he talked about the 2012 NSCS season briefly but focused mainly on what he and his Michael Shank Racing team had accomplished.

“Yeah, none at all,” Allmendinger said on the pressure from those expecting him to win this year.

“For the last five years for what I went though and I think Michael McDowell said it best, Sprint Cup racing is the toughest in the world right now, it’s so hard to win. And yeah, I look at this year as my best opportunity to go win a Cup race but that’s easier said than done. So for right now I’m just going to take this for what it’s worth, not think about anything for a couple days and just enjoy it. Right now it’s the biggest win I’ve ever had because we’ve worked for seven years to get to this point with Mike Shank and we’ve been so close so many times.”

When he took the car over with three hours to go in the race Allmendinger thought about all the previous times the team had been in that position. Only to have something happen and the win snatched away.

But not on Sunday as Allmendinger held a pretty wheel for almost all three hours. Of course there were a few heart-stopping moments when he was navigating traffic and fighting for the lead with Starworks Motorsports drivers.

It wasn’t enough to make him crack under the pressure though, as his competitors expected. The 24-hour, 35 minute and 57 second race featured 10 different leaders and 14 cautions. There could have been more near the end, something Allmendinger didn’t want to see as he continued to extend his lead. Fortunately for the team there wasn’t any and as long as nothing broke they were headed for victory lane and brand new Rolex watches

“Honestly you get in the car with three hours to go and having a chance to win the race and I joke about it, but I haven’t had that position for a long time,” Allmendinger said.

“For me it’s about having confidence but you sit there and go, ‘OK, can I be in this position and hit three hours of perfect laps and not make any mistakes.’ It creeps into your mind as I’m sitting strapping my helmet on and about to get in the car. [Negri] did such a great stint at that point to hold onto the lead and a ton of pressure and he never put a wheel wrong before I got in the car and at that point I felt like I had worked so hard to get that lead and I had done everything that I sat there and thought to myself everything I needed to do to get the lead. Yeah, I didn’t want to see a yellow but at that point if it came out that was just another test for myself as a racecar driver.”

Allmendinger spoke about how proud he was of everyone on the team for all his or her hard work. Everyone who worked on the car, those involved on raceday and were now loading the car up to go home. But he also didn’t hold back in saying that he was proud of himself and his personal performance.

It takes a lot for a driver to compete in an endurance race like the 24 hours at Daytona. Especially one as prestigious as the Rolex 24 and Allmendinger said it was a great test for him he was proud that he had a chance to go win the race. Something he hasn’t had many of in Cup since he came NASCAR in 2007.

“2007 was hell honestly, it was the worst year of my life when it came to my career,” said Allmendinger before opening up a big.

“There was plenty of times in my bus on Friday, missing a [Cup] race that it was either should I go back to IndyCar or slit my wrist, honestly. We’re race car drivers right? It sounds over the top but I knew I wanted to be in the Sprint Cup Series, that’s where the best of the best was.”

Sure, Allmendinger says he would have loved to gone about entering NASCAR differently. When CART and IndyCar had things going on that didn’t appeal to him he jumped at the chance to go to NASCAR, wishing he could have done come Truck or Nationwide races first. Instead he went right to Cup and it was anything but pretty.

“It was just a tough couple of years, the last few years have been tough and I feel like the last two years I at least got on a good rhythm and it makes me feel good to know that a guy like Roger Penske can look at my talent and say, ‘You know what, he might not have a Cup win’ and Shell Pennzoil that’s used to winners and champions in their car but if we give him the right stuff he might be able to do that,” said Allmendinger.

“It’s been a tough time but the fun thing was a guy like Mike Shank, no matter how I felt about myself after a tough year or tough season he never waivered on whether he wanted me in the car. Every year we said we were doing this, that’s why I love this guy so much. He’s always been there for me, I would do anything for him and I’m just happy I can be a small part of this victory for him.”

January 29, 2012
Bill Elliott Plans to Put the Awesome in His Upcoming Race Season

[media-credit name=”” align=”alignright” width=”266″]Photo Credit: Greg Engle, NASCAR Examiner[/media-credit]At this stage in his career, Bill Elliott could definitely sit back, rest on his laurels, and enjoy watching his young son Chase progress in his racing career. Yet for the veteran driver known as ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville,’ the upcoming racing season promises to live up to his moniker.

This past week, Elliott made an historic announcement, partnering with Walmart for the July Daytona race, the Coke Zero 400, in celebration of the superstore’s 50^th anniversary. The joint venture, “Legends in Racing” is the first time ever that Walmart as sponsored a Cup car.

“It came about real quick,” Elliott said of his historic deal with the superstore giant. “I don’t really understand the total dynamics but it came about super-fast.”

“I’m very excited about it,” Elliott continued. “There’s a lot of opportunities there for the race fans, Walmart and NASCAR all together.”

“The opportunity for me at this stage of my career, having something like this come along, is very gratifying to me.”

Elliott, the 1988 Cup Champion who competed last year in five Cup races, will be piloting the Walmart No. 50 Car. And according to a Walmart spokesperson, the superstore could not be more pleased with their choice as well.

“The No. 50 car is a big deal for us,” Rand Waddoups, Senior Director Entertainment Marketing for Walmart, said. “It’s one of the major things we’re excited about as we turn 50 and we couldn’t have picked a better driver to represent us.”

In addition to being the primary sponsor on Elliott’s car, Walmart also is sponsoring a special ticket package for the fans. This package will be available at 17 races throughout the NASCAR Cup season.

“They have a great program for the fans,” Elliott said. “Last year they started working with NASCAR and this will just expand what they are doing in the future.”

“They have a ticket package where you can get four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $99 at various different tracks,” Elliott continued. “It’s a huge deal.”

“It’s as big as when NASCAR went to Indy and expanded,” Elliott said. “It’s big for everybody involved.”

Although he has been out of the seat of a race car for a bit of time, Elliott does not see that as a disadvantage going to Daytona over the summer.

“I’ve run well at Daytona and that’s a race track where you can be out of the seat of a race car and still perform,” Elliott said. “With Turner Motorsports and Hendrick engines, I’m very confident from the competition side that everything will be there.”

“Their key point for Walmart and for me is doing all we can promotion-wise, not necessarily worrying about the race but building up to it instead.”

While other drivers may feel some pressure carrying the Walmart banner for their first official ‘on-the-car’ sponsorship, Elliott is not nervous about it at all, instead feeling tremendously honored and excited.

“It’s a big step for Walmart because they’ve never been a primary on a Cup car before,” Elliott said. “It’s very important to me to make it work.”

“It’s a great opportunity and I’m so pleased that I’m able to do this kind of deal.”

“I feel like I can offer more from the standpoint of the promotional side than a driver that drives full-time,” Elliott continued. “I’ve been around the sport a long time so we’ll work with Walmart the best we can to achieve their goal and trying to put race fans in the stands at those key markets.”

“I’ll do the best job that I can for them so it will work out for their marketing strategy.”

While the Walmart deal was uppermost in ‘Awesome’ Bill’s mind due to the announcement this week, the veteran driver has other plans for the upcoming race season. First and foremost, 2012 includes his continued mentoring of drivers hoping to develop and hone their NASCAR talents.

“Right now, I’m trying to put a couple more late-model programs together for some different people,” Elliott said. “As soon as I get that signed, sealed and delivered, then I can expand on that.”

“I’m trying to expand my short-track program to help a few guys along,” Elliott continued. “We’re doing a little deal with a kid named T.J. Reaid this weekend at Cordele and we’ll continue to work with another couple guys.”

“I’m also trying to work out a program with Dan Kennedy to help him do some late model stuff this year,” Elliott said. “So, I’ve got a lot of things going this year.”

Finally, of course, Elliott plans to be the proud and watchful papa, overseeing his sixteen year old son Chase’s progression in the sport. Chase Elliott will not only be racing this weekend at Cordele in the 2012 SpeedFest but will also continue his driver development program with Hendrick Motorsports in the K&N East Series.

“My other goal is to stay close to Chase and where he is on the K&N and ARCA side as the season continues,” Elliott said. “Other than that, I would like to run a few more Cup races, but if it don’t happen, so be it.”

“My key goal is being available to Walmart this year to do what they need me to do,” Elliott continued. “I can’t say enough about how honored I am to do their program.”

“It’s a great opportunity and the fans can really benefit,” Elliott said. “Hopefully, we’ll make it a win-win situation.”

January 28, 2012
Doc Mattioli Lived a Pocono Love Story

[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”221″][/media-credit]One of NASCAR’s true legends, Pocono Raceway track founder ‘Doc’ Mattioli, has passed away at the age of 86. While known as one of the most successful track owners and one of the true characters in the sport, ‘Doc’ will be most remembered for the love story that he lived.

Dr. Joseph Mattioli had many loves in his life, from stock car racing to serving his country and helping others in need. But the most important loves in his life were his wife of 63 years, Dr. Rose, as well as his children and grandchildren.

‘Doc’ and Dr. Rose began their love story after meeting at Temple University, where Dr. Rose was working for the Registrar’s office at the time. Dr. Rose said that ‘Doc’ was “the freshest guy” she had ever met, always trying to get to the head of the line.

“He kept telling me he had a car, like that was a big deal,” Dr. Rose said of her future husband-to-be. “Little did I know that he would be the one that I would marry.”

Dr. Rose and ‘Doc’ actually ran away to Baltimore in 1948 to get married. They kept their marriage a secret until they came back home and had an actual wedding ceremony, which all “seems like just yesterday,” according to Dr. Rose.

The couple was destined to find each other, both living in the Philadelphia area. They also shared another common bond, that of being only children.

After their marriage, Dr. Rose set up her practice as a podiatrist while ‘Doc’ set up shop as a dentist. They then started a family, blessed with two daughters and a son.

Seeming to have it all, both Dr. Rose and ‘Doc’ worked hard at their thriving practices. But at the age of 35, ‘Doc’ experienced major burnout and confided to his wife that he needed to make a lifestyle change.

So, the couple set of to pursue the newest love in their lives, that of owning a race track.

“We were always curious about racing,” Dr. Rose said of herself and her husband. “We went to the races at Nazareth right after Sunday mass.”

“We were in our Sunday best, all dressed up,” Dr. Rose continued. “We had no idea that the dirt would be flying everywhere and all over us.”

“The children were crying,” Dr. Rose continued. “And I had to keep stuffing Kleenex in their ears to block out all of the noise of the engines racing around the track.”

In spite of that inauspicious introduction to racing, ‘Doc’ and Dr. Rose continued their investigation of track ownership, learning that there was one under construction in Long Pond, PA.

They flew over the track, fell in love, and the rest, as they say, was history. The couple started off with USAC races and then moved into NASCAR, which was just expanding into the region from its southern roots.

The first NASCAR race at the Mattioli’s track was won by Hall of Famer Richard Petty. The Mattiolis then met the father of NASCAR, Bill France Sr., who took them both under his wing and taught them the business.

“More and more people started to come to the track,” Dr. Rose said. “Children and their families would come to see the races.”

‘Doc’ not only passionately loved his wife and his successful Pocono Raceway, but he also adored his extended family. Mattioli leaves behind his daughters Louie and Michele, son Joseph Mattioli III, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of whom have been present with him in running the family business in one way or another.

“His loss has left with each of us an unbearable sadness, which we’ll bear with us for the rest of our lives,” his family shared in a statement released on his death. “He died loved, respected, and admired.”

In addition to his family, Doc’s other loves included serving his country, helping others and aiding the planet. Mattioli served his country during World War II as a Navy medic stationed in the Pacific.

‘Doc’ also loved helping others, participating in a variety of charities, from the Red Cross to local hospitals, schools and nonprofits. In 2009, Mattioli received the Philanthropic Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

‘Doc’ was also a visionary when it came to the environment, spearheading a solar energy project that has paid dividends not only for the race track but also for the local community.

Mattioli’s family summed up the essence of the love story lived by ‘Doc’ Mattioli best.

“He leaves not only his family, but also everyone he’s ever met with an insatiable desire to take life by the horns,” said Mattioli’s family. “He always lived life on his own terms.”

“He did it his way.”

January 27, 2012
Jersey Boy Paulie Harraka Set to Make Debut in Camping World Truck Series

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Scott Hunter” align=”alignright” width=”104″][/media-credit]With Jersey Boys continuing its strong run on Broadway, another born and bred Jersey boy is set to make his debut on another stage, this one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Paulie Harraka, from Wayne, New Jersey will be taking his show on the road with Wauters Motorsports, a new team spearheaded by veteran NASCAR crew chief Richie Wauters. And for Harraka, this is a role that he has been preparing for since he was in elementary school.

“Having the opportunity to jump into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is an opportunity I’ve worked for since I was seven years old,” Harraka said. “I am fortunate to see it coming to fruition.”

Harraka, who has participated in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West as well as the Drive for Diversity program, is more than ready to make his Truck debut, especially with championship crew chief Richie Wauters as his team owner.

“To race with a championship crew chief like Richie Wauters and with the team he’s assembled is exciting,” Harraka said. “I’m the kind of driver that will put in whatever time, effort or work that is needed to win races and I know that Richie is the same kind of crew chief.”

“Together, we’ll hold nothing back and that makes me confident that we’ll find the winner’s circle in short order.”

Wauters, who as a crew chief in the Truck Series has secured 18 victories with drivers such as Shane Hmiel, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola, shares his new driver’s enthusiasm for the team and for the competition.

“It is something I’ve thought about for awhile,” Wauters said. “I had the opportunity to buy some trucks and have a great driver headlining the team.”

“We’re really excited about the season,” Wauters continued. “I’m certain Paulie and the guys on this team will be in the thick of that competition.”

Harraka, who ran just a handful of races last year, is ready to step back onto the competition stage. Although full of confidence, the young driver acknowledges that he does indeed have a few things yet to learn.

“It’s a big step and the next logical step for me,” Harraka said of his advancement to the Truck Series. “It will come with a lot of challenges for me.”

“I’ll be learning a new race vehicle and going to a lot of tracks that I’ve never seen before,” Harraka continued. “So, there’s certainly a number of challenges but I believe strongly in my own abilities and the group that I’ve surrounded myself with. We will most certainly contend for wins.”

Harraka is especially excited to kick off his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Daytona in just a few short weeks. While he has tested at that historic superspeedway, he has never actually raced there in competition conditions.

“I’m really excited,” Harraka said. “I get to race in one of NASCAR’s top level series and the opportunity to do something that’s extremely exciting to me. I want to make the most of it.”

Jersey boy Harraka is also excited to be able to take the Truck Series stage at tracks that are closer to home, enabling his family and friends to finally be able see him race.

“Mom is really excited that I get to race close to home,” Harraka said. “Obviously home for me is still North Jersey but I haven’t gotten to race in the northeast for years.”

“The opportunity to race an hour or so from home is certainly exciting for me, especially at storied tracks like Dover and Pocono,” Harraka continued. “It will be fun to see a lot of home-town fans that have rooted for me since my karting days who can finally come to see me in a stock car.”

While Harraka is making his Truck Series debut, he is also completing his final act at Duke University, where he is a senior and will graduate in a few short months. Harraka will exit stage left from Duke with a degree in markets and management.

“This is my last semester at Duke,” Harraka said. “I’ve got one class and one other paper and then I’m done.”

“When I got into Duke, lots of people thought of it as a great back up,” Harraka continued. “But I’ve never looked at it that way.”

“I’ve always looked at Duke as a way to differentiate me from other drivers as far as marketing and branding,” Harraka said. “It’s also an opportunity to connect with alumni and others associated with the University.”

“So, my Duke experience is already paying dividends.”

Whether walking across the stage to collect his diploma at Duke or taking the stage in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Harraka has just one emotion.

“I’m really happy,” Harraka said. “This is the opportunity that I’ve been waiting and working for my whole life.”

January 26, 2012
Poor Season Causes Personnel Shake Up At Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”195″][/media-credit]Immediately after he was introduced, Chip Ganassi, owner and president of Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, took the podium and politely welcomed attending members of the media.

EGR was the first of several race teams to be visited by the media on day two of the Sprint Cup Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Once Ganassi issued his welcome, he went straight to business.

“Hopefully this is the last time I have to say we finished 21st and 27th in the points, and talk about such a performance.”

Going into 2011, neither Jamie McMurray nor Juan Pablo Montoya could continue the momentum and success they had in 2010.

“Last season was frustrating,” said McMurray. “It made us appreciate what we had in 2010.”

McMurray continued that it was difficult pinpointing exactly what was hindering their performance.

“Nothing changed from 2010 to 2011. We just didn’t have the success. If we knew what the problems were, we would have fixed them.”

Ganassi must have felt the elusive problems were insurmountable and couldn’t be corrected with the current personnel at EGR. During the off season a decision was made to change the majority of those personnel.

“People around the car were a problem,” said Sabates. “We made personnel changes over the off season to help this. We have made mistakes in the past by keeping people too long.”

Ganassi said the organization needed a shake up because recent performance was pathetic for a team of their abilities and resources.

“We live in an information age”, said Ganassi. “I don’t need just information, I need CORRECT information.”

Given the years of economic woes and the continued attrition of competing race teams and employees, the quality of available talent should have been abundant for EGR’s personnel transitions.

January 24, 2012
NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart Kicks Off 2012 Sprint Cup Media Tour

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”119″][/media-credit]

It was just 65 days ago when Tony Stewart secured his third Sprint Cup Championship with a walk off victory at Miami Homestead Speedway.

Starting with the season opening Daytona 500, defense of that championship begins in just three short weeks.

Sandwiched in between those two events is the Sprint Cup Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Strolling to the stage with “How You Like Me Now” playing over the public address system, Tony Stewart kicked off the 2012 Media Tour. He was joined by Ryan Newman, Matt Borland, Tony Gibson, and new comers Danica Patrick, Steve Addington, and Greg Zipadelli.

The biggest news coming from SHR is the 10 race deal with Patrick and Go Daddy as the primary sponsor.

During the media break out sessions, Stewart talked about the growth of his young company.

“I am really proud of the success we have had. It’s amazing how far we have come in such a short amount of time.”

Missing from the SHR superstar lineup was former crew chief Darian Grubb. Stewart stated he was happy Grubb quickly landed somewhere successful. He also made it clear his decision to part ways with Grubb, and hire Steve Addington, was made long before the season ending championship.

It was revealed that during the chase, Stewart kept in touch with Addington via text messaging, including sending an encouraging text to Addington after the final race of the season.

When asked about his new driver, Danica Patrick, Stewart continued his praise and offered a bold prediction.

“Danica is talented and very confident. It is quite possible she could win the Daytona 500. A rookie won it last year, why can’t it happen again?”
Fielding questions from media members on the other side of the room, Patrick echoed some of Stewart’s thoughts.

“My inexperience at Daytona should not be a factor,” said Patrick. “The only thing I really had to work on is the bump drafting. There wasn’t bump drafting in Indy racing, so it took me some time to get used to it in Sprint Cup.”

Stewart and Patrick worked on bump drafting during a recent testing session at Daytona International Speedway. During the three days of testing, both drivers ran multiple laps in single car formations and nose-to-tail formation; taking turns pushing each other around the speedway.

Along with her 10 race deal at Stewart-Haas Racing, Patrick is also running a full Nationwide schedule in 2012 for JR Motorsports.

She reflected on her exit from Indy car racing, and hinted at a possible return in the future.
“I am relieved I can now focus on just NASCAR,” said Patrick. “I will miss Indy, but I am not going to rule out a return in the future.”

Patrick said she doesn’t expect instant success in NASCAR’s top level and would be happy with mediocre results as long as she’s learning something along the way.
“If I finish five laps down, it’s ok. As long as I learn something, improve, or get something from the race, its ok.”

Danica Patrick’s first race of the season will be the Nationwide race at Daytona in February. Tony Stewart, last year’s winner, is also entered in the same race.

January 24, 2012
Hottest 30 over the past 10 as we begin a new season

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]With the roar of the engines having returned to Daytona, a new season is about to dawn upon us. We have a new, albeit recycled, champion, more Danica to watch for, a return of the kid to defend his Daytona title in a few weeks, and the results of a musical chair silly season. While 40 teams hope to run full-time, a few of them won’t matter much as we get into the season.

We get to look forward to discovering what Mark Martin has left in the tank as he returns to part-time status. We will get to watch for growth in the few races Danica Patrick, Trevor Bayne, and Austin Dillon will run this year. We should soon find out if Aric Amirola is actually ready for prime time as he takes over in the famed #43. However, the 2012 champ will probably come from the list of the hottest 30 drivers coming out of the final ten events of 2011.

Pos – Driver – Points/Past 10 – (Top Tens)

1. Tony Stewart – 403 pts – (5 wins -6 Top Fives -9 Top Tens)
Considering what happened to the last crew chief, maybe it’s best they win early and often.

2. Carl Edwards – 400 pts – (0-7-9)
Consistency apparently trumps wins 4 out of ten times…but not 5.

3. Kasey Kahne – 368 pts – (1-5-7)
And just like that, Kasey becomes the hottest Hendrick driver entering the new season.

4. Kevin Harvick – 333 pts – (0-2-6)
Even after selling truck team, can DeLana keep her fire suit? Please.

5. Clint Bowyer – 328 pts – (1-1-7)
And just like that, Clint becomes the hottest Waltrip driver entering the new season.

6. Matt Kenseth – 324 pts – (1-5-6)
2003 champ has finished in the Top 15 in each of the past dozen years.

7, Brad Keselowski – 319 pts – (0-4-4)
Soon to be 27 year old seems to have arrived, and Roger Penske couldn’t be happier.

8. Jeff Burton – 317 pts – (0-2-4)
The finish was alright, but the season was his worst since 1995.

9. Jimmie Johnson – 301 pts – (1-3-4)
Compared to the previous five years, thought the Las Vegas table service sucked in 2011.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 290 pts – (0-1-3)
I wonder what he needs in 2012? Oh, yah, wins, starting in February.

11. Greg Biffle – 284 pts – (0-2-3)
Can always be found among the Top 20, but now has to reach for the top dozen to attain goals.

12. Denny Hamlin – 284 pts – (0-1-4)
Could have been a contender, but after Chicago and New Hampshire was left a pretender.

13. A.J. Allmendinger – 282 pts – (0-0-4)
It is a dog gone pity Petty lost him to Penske, as they will soon discover.

14. Ryan Newman – 281 pts – (0-1-4)
Does Aspen Dental sponsorship give him another reason to smile?

15. Paul Menard – 280 pts – (0-0-1)
Daddy’s money is still important, but easily coming off his best season.

16. Jeff Gordon – 278 pts – (0-3-4)
He and Kasey will have competition this year from Danica as NASCAR’s prettiest driver.

17. Brian Vickers – 275 pts – (0-2-2)
At 28, even this non-Vickers fan thinks it’s a bit too early to put this fellow out to pasture.

18. Marcos Ambrose – 263 pts – (0-1-4)
Won at the Glen, and now needs to be the Petty standard bearer in 2012.

19. Kurt Busch – 259 pts – (1-1-2)
That champion’s provisional could turn out to be rather handy this season.

20. Juan Pablo Montoya – 253 pts – (0-0-1)
The time is now, needs to step up his game as he enters his sixth full Cup season.

21. Martin Truex Jr – 247 pts – (0-1-4)
If he can regain his old form, this could be a good year to be Michael Waltrip.

22. Mark Martin – 247 pts – (0-0-2)
Sharing the #55 with his new boss, but will he also share his rocking chair with Mikey?

23. Kyle Busch – 234 pts – (0-1-2)
Apparently feels about trucks driven by Ron Hornaday the same way I feel about Smart cars.

24. Regan Smith – 231 pts – (0-0-1)
Furniture Row and Smith claimed their first win, the 2011 Southern 500, and first 5 Top Tens.

25. Joey Logano – 231 pts – (0-0-0)
He can do it, but now it is up to new Crew Chief Jason Ratcliff to help.

26. David Ragan – 229 pts – (0-0-1)
And just like that, David becomes the hottest Front Row driver entering the new season.

27. David Reutimann – 201 pts – (0-0-1)
And just like that, this David becomes the hottest Tommy Baldwin driver…and that is sad.

28. Jamie McMurray – 185 pts – (0-0-0)
Proof positive that the end of 2011 was a bloody disaster.

29. Dave Blaney – 159 pts – (0-0-1)
Anyone expect a breakout year by either Baldwin team? Anyone?

30. Casey Mears – 154 pts – (0-0-0)
I’m not superstitious, but that #13 just seems to be tempting fate.

January 23, 2012