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  • Ron Hornaday Makes Strong Case For Veterans and Experience

    Ron Hornaday Makes Strong Case For Veterans and Experience

    At the age of 53, Ron Hornaday won his 50th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night.  While a lot of people focus on bringing forth that brand new young talent, an argument could be made that veteran experience is where it’s at.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]The win marked his third of the season and puts him fifth in points, only 42 points behind Austin Dillon with five races left in the season. The focus on the series standings has been the young guns, Dillon, James Buescher and Timothy Peters, though here Hornaday is ready to capitalize as he’s done other years.

    A veteran is also someone that a team can look at to lead them to victories and championships, without having to worry about going through the rookie, young-gun lessons of gaining that experience. However, team owners look beyond that as they want that youth for the future.

    Following last season, Hornaday was a driver that many questioned wondered if he should hang it up after he finished seventh in points with only two wins. A season of bad luck and misfortune happens every once and awhile in a driver’s career as you can look at any driver who has been racing for a number of years and see this string.  Just the year before in 2009, Hornaday won the championship with six wins.

    The comments made were like most in racing, who say that you’re latest results are the only ones who matter. While making those types of comments and articles, Hornaday’s four championships were forgotten along with the wins. On top of that, the strength of Hornaday’s team Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) was misplaced amongst the talk.

    Speaking of KHI, they announced last month that they would be shutting down operations at the end of the season as Kevin Harvick considered it a distraction. Truthfully, you could also argue that the issue of being able to find sponsorship in this economy probably played just as big as a factor.

    Regardless, the announcement leaves Hornaday without a ride for 2012 with only a month and a half left in the 2011 season. Considering the success that Hornaday has had as of late, a ride is something that he should easily be able to find. However, it’s not a guarantee as Johnny Benson wasn’t able to find a ride and now finds himself back running at the short track level.

    One scenario plays that Hornaday could find himself at Kyle Busch Motorsports, running a second truck for the team while Brian Ickler and Kyle Busch split the No. 18. It’s a scenario that has potential as Hornaday and Busch could work together to attract sponsors as Busch has proven that he has a strong team. Hornaday would also be an important asset to the KBM organization as he could possibly bring Busch his first driver’s championship.

    Silly Season always brings out the best and worst scenarios like these and in the end, you will probably see Ron Hornaday find a ride or else there will be a lot of fans confused.

  • HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: DOVER DRAMA

    HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: DOVER DRAMA

    During the previous NASCAR weekend we watched Miles The Monster, the official concrete mascot of the Dover International Raceway, smile on some Sprint Cup Chase contenders and we watched him growl at some other Chase hopes. We watched “Concrete Carl” dominate the Nationwide Series and then come perilously close to a crash landing after the race. We also watched a hard earned milestone from one of NASCAR’s best truck drivers. With all of this in mind, let’s begin this week with:

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]HOORAH to Kurt Busch and his Penske Dodge Team for winning the AAA 400 at Dover. It marked Busch’s second win of the season and 24th Sprint Cup career win. The #22 Shell Penzoil Dodge led a total of 90 laps in the race including using a pair of great restarts to lead the final 42. More importantly, the win rekindles the driver’s status as a Chase contender. He’s now fourth in the standings only nine points from the leader.

    HOORAH to Jimmie Johnson who also rekindled his plans to win a sixth, consecutive, title during the Dover race. Johnson drove to a second place finish, led a race high 157 laps and moved from tenth to fifth, 13 points out, in the Chase standings. Last week, after a very bad day in New Hampshire, there was a lot of speculation that said this driver’s championship string was broken and the dynasty was over. After watching his performance at Dover, it appears that quest for “Jimmie 5 Time” to become “Jimmie 6 Pack” is very much alive and well.

    The HOORAH for making chicken salad out of chicken do do goes to Carl Edwards. On lap 246 Edwards was caught speeding on pit road and fell a lap down after serving a drive through penalty. He had to endure the frustration of the penalty all the way to the eighth yellow flag of the race, lap 301, before he could get the Lucky Dog pass and return to the lead lap. Edwards had a very fast Ford at Dover and he used it to charge his way back to the front of the field. He was driving his car so hard the feathers from the AFLAC duck, on the hood of his car, literally flew through the air. Edwards finished third in the final rundown and, more importantly, left Dover tied for the lead in the points standing with Kevin Harvick.

    A second chicken salad from chicken do do HOORAH goes to driver A J Allmendinger. On lap six he spun his Ford and did an outstanding job of getting it back under control and avoiding what resembled a sure fire wreck. He restarted the race in 43d and drove the car to a 7th place finish.

    WAZZUP with bad luck for Chase contender Dale Earnhardt Jr which he later referred to as being ‘snake bit?” Having to come down pit road due to a loose wheel is bad enough. But the big blow came under some bizarre circumstances; a broken sway bar. That led to a 24th place finish two laps down. He’s now tenth in the Chase standings and 34 points out. The math potential says he has not been eliminated from winning the championship. The reality of the situation indicates otherwise. Sorry about that Junior Nation.

    WAZZUP with Dale Earnhardt Jr calling in over his radio to request football scores? You would think he would have been a little too busy out on the race track for something like that. Earnhardt was interested in his favorite team: the Washington Redskins. He was delighted to hear that they won their game. It was probably the best part of his long afternoon in Dover.

    WAZZUP with the bizarre circumstances surrounding Brad Keselowski’s Dodge. He somehow managed to break a power steering belt, something that you rarely see, which led to a 20th place finish. He’s still in Chase contention despite this unusual problem. He left Dover sixth in the standings 14 points away.

    WAZZUP with Jeff Gordon’s crew making a bad situation worse by accidentally turning the adjustment wrench the wrong way during a pit stop? Gordon was experiencing some handling problems prior to this pit stop and this was the last thing he needed. He finished 12th in the race and has now dropped from fifth to ninth in the standings 19 points away.

    WAZZUP with Tony Stewart being completely ineffective in any category you could name during the Dover weekend? After winning the first two Chase events, Stewart just couldn’t catch a break. During the pre race practice sessions he was ranked 41st and 25th on the speed charts. He qualified 28th and then spent the race plowing around the track while screaming at his crew over the radio. He finished 25th two laps down in a car that was just terrible all day long. The truth be known, I’m sure there were farm tractors plowing fields that had better handling than Stewart’s Chevrolet.

    After his win at New Hampshire the week prior, Stewart made that elusive comment about “shedding some dead weight” which helped towards the race win. After watching his car at Dover, I’m beginning to wonder if some devious person placed that “dead weight” in the car’s trunk prior to the race.

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

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Dover also contained several interesting moments. HOORAH to “Concrete” Carl Edwards for his dominant performance during this race. Edwards, and his Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang, led 179 laps of the One Main Financial 200. The event marked his seventh series win of the season, his 36th series career win and his ninth win on a concrete oval, a racing format he seems to excel on.

    WAZZUP with that moment of uncertainty while the winning driver launched his signature back flip in front of the grandstands? The right side tires of his car were resting on the frontstrech banking which added to the degree of difficulty of the victory jump. For a brief moment there, we all thought that “Concrete” Carl was going to land horizontally on the concrete. I still believe that the back flip tradition is a source of major stress for team owner Jack Roush because no one wants to watch their superstar driver get injured after the race.

    WAZZUP with that bizarre pit road wreck involving driver Brian Scott? On lap 160 Scott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr nearly collided while attempting to enter pit road. This was despite the fact that Scott’s crew chief came over the radio to remind his driver to take it easy on the entry because they were located at the very first pit stall on pit road. Somehow that didn’t happen. Scott drove across the pit road commitment line and then slammed into some sand filled plastic safety barrels located at the edge of the pit wall. Despite all of that flying sand from the ruptured containers, the damage to Scott’s car was surprisingly light and he was able to continue. He turned an embarrassing negative into a positive 11th place finish. It could have been worse. It wasn’t that many years ago when those plastic barrels were filled with water and that would have inflicted some serious damage to Scott’s car.

    WAZZUP with the lack of communication involving driver Reed Sorenson’s final pit stop? During a caution flag Sorenson’s car was extremely low on fuel to the point that the engine was sputtering. He came down pit road for gas despite the fact that pit road was still closed. That’s normally an automatic penalty. Sorenson returned to the track but there were no instructions from NASCAR Race Control advising him of a penalty. He was told by his spotter to line up fourth for the upcoming restart until NASCAR told him to do otherwise. The race resumed and Sorenson eventually finished seventh despite the fact that everyone was wondering when, or even if, NASCAR was going to impose a penalty.

    That leads to a HOORAH to NASCAR Race Control for admitting their failure to advise Sorenson’s team of their status in a timely manner. No penalty was imposed and the driver was allowed to keep his top ten finish.

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

    HOORAH to inconic veteran Ron Hornaday Jr for winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Kentucky Speedway. The four time series champion’s latest win was his 50th in a career that dates back to the beginning of the series back in 1995.

    Despite this amazing accomplishment, Hornaday is looking for a ride for the 2012 season following the announcement that his team owner, Kevin Harvick Inc, will not be competing in the series next year. At age 53, Hornaday still has a lot of fire and racing inside him. There’s already rumors that says team owners are calling him about securing his services.

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

    In some final thoughts, HOORAH to the teams and their sponsors who placed the color pink on their cars and uniforms in honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is especially true of Team Chevy who had their teams use pink numbers on the doors and roofs of their cars. The Chevy bow tie logo and the word Impala were also adorned in pink.

    It was part of the auto maker’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” campaign that resulted in a $29,800 donation to this very important cause. During the Sprint Cup’s events at Atlanta and Richmond the field was led by a pink 2011Chevrolet Camaro SS pace car. Chevrolet donated $200 for every lap that was led by the pace car during the yellow caution flags of these two races. The Atlanta and Richmond events had a lucrative total of 149 caution laps.

    Finally we have a GOD BLESS for Pattie Petty. The wife of Sprint Cup driver, turned television analyst, Kyle Petty was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. The diagnosis came from a hospital in Kansas. Pattie Petty was there handling the massive details of opening a camp for kids with chronic illnesses. The camp, known as Victory Junction Midwest, is a sister facility to the famed Victory Junction Camp created by the Petty family in Randleman-North Carolina. Pattie Petty has made it clear that she will not allow her illness to deter her efforts to build the new camp in Kansas. Send her some good thoughts and prayers. This is a very classy lady who is an inspirational to us all.

  • Travis Pastrana Renews NASCAR Commitment During Recovery

    Travis Pastrana, who was so seriously injured during an attempted freestyle X-game trick on his motorcycle, renewed his commitment to NASCAR racing during an appearance in the media center at Dover International Speedway.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]And although the action sports super star was still hobbling on crutches, he was thrilled to be back at the track, especially at the Monster Mile.

    “I was real excited to come out here to Dover because this is like my hometown track,” Pastrana said. “This is the first time I’ve been able to see it really up close. I definitely am disappointed to not be out there driving for sure.”

    In spite of his disappointment to not be out on the track, Pastrana has every intention of getting back behind the wheel of his No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota for Pastrana Waltrip Racing in the Nationwide Series as soon as possible.

    “Right now recovery has been slow but going well I guess,” Pastrana said. “I get the pins out on Monday, which is always nice.”

    “Hopefully, I get all the pins out and start getting in the pool and be able to get down to the shop a little more,” Pastrana continued. “I want to drive the I-racing simulator a little bit more. I’ll do whatever I can to get back driving cars as soon as possible.”

    Pastrana will not be able to race at Daytona, however, his plan is to make his Nationwide debut at Phoenix. Although Boost will continue as his sponsor next year, providing twenty races at present, Pastrana hopes to race as many different types of cars and as many different series as possible.

    “Not being able to start out at Daytona and not being able to run the entire Nationwide Series is definitely a disappointment,” Pastrana said. “But we’re basically looking to do as many as we can do.”

    “I’m trying to do as many Nationwide and K&N and any kind of car races I can to get as much experience as I can,” Pastrana continued. “I haven’t really finalized all the deals for next year but I’m really hoping to get more than less I guess.”

    “The goal is definitely the same, to race as much as possible,” Pastrana said. “We just have to work out the sponsorship. My goal is to get in as many cars as possible.”

    Pastrana has experienced many lessons learned by being injured an unable to race. Although disappointed, he has also gained invaluable experience that he would not have had otherwise.

    “Definitely sitting on the sidelines and not racing, every time I watch a race, the disappointment is there,” Pastrana said. “It’s a small positive, but I’ve been able to watch all the races.”

    “I’ve been able to watch all the drivers,” Pastrana continued. “I actually know a lot more about who runs up front and who runs aggressive and who doesn’t, which drivers tend to stay up there at the end, and which drivers tend to qualify well.”

    “It’s been a great learning experience but I would much rather have been learning on the track of course.”

    Although he will not be officially racing until into the 2012 season, Pastrana does plan on doing some testing in his race car as soon as possible.

    “Doctors say that I’ll be walking in a month,” Pastrana said. “And I figure as soon as I can walk, I can drive. Put me in coach.”

    With all this talk of NASCAR racing, is the XGames superstar done with that chapter of his life?

    “To be perfectly honest, I was supposed to do my exit from the X-games,” Pastrana said. “That was not exactly the exit that I was looking for.”

    “I will not be on a bike this next year and do not plan to be on it for X games ever,” Pastrana continued. “But at the same time, motorcycling is something I’ll always do for training.”

    “Whether I’ll be riding at a competitive level, I sincerely doubt it,” Pastrana said. “But with Red Bull and a lot of the stuff they have in years to come, I’ll never say I will never do motorcycle stuff again.”

    “It’s who I am,” Pastrana continued. “But at the same time, this is my number one priority for the next two years. And then we can assess what life is going to bring.”

    Pastrana has also been busy with another project, filming the Nitro Circus 3-D movie. This too, however, has seemed to solidify for the action sports phenomenon that those days are over, with only racing ahead as his new goal.

    “We just finished filming Nitro Circus 3D movie, which Waltrip Racing had helped us with many products along the way,” Pastrana said. “For me, as soon as that movie is done filming and I have to do a little press for that, my action sports career is done.”

    “But as far as anything taking risks, I’m definitely going to be in this car and do the best I can to put my best foot forward,” Pastrana continued. “It was the most disappointing thing in my life to not only have myself but an entire team waiting for me and banking on me being in the car.”

    “I see the guys around the track and they’re all on different teams,” Pastrana said. “It’s tough because not only did we lose some of the top guys but a lot of friends had to find other work. Definitely something that I took to heart and I don’t want to happen ever again.”

    As soon as Pastrana has his pins removed, his intense rehabilitation will being. This will include time in the pool, as well as bicycling, based on whatever his ankle will tolerate.

    “I’m sure it will start out for an hour or two a day and work up from there,” Pastrana said. “My only job right now is to get that ankle healthy and to learn a little bit about the car.”

    “We’ll be doing physical therapy as much as that ankle will tolerate it without making it swell.”

    But even with his injury, one that he characterized as “the biggest failures” that he has ever experienced, Pastrana acknowledged that it has just made him even more focused on his upcoming racing career.

    “It’s been really frustrating but fortunately or unfortunately, I’ve been in a lot of pain the first month,” Pastrana said. “ It hurt to have the foot down.”

    “So, I’ve been watching a lot of NASCAR,” Pastrana said. “For better or for worse, it was a good learning experience.”

  • Chrissy Wallace Comes Into Her Own With Two Championships

    Chrissy Wallace Comes Into Her Own With Two Championships

    Although Chrissy Wallace may be from a famous racing family, including Uncle Rusty, Uncle Kenny, cousin Steven and dad Mike, she is definitely  coming into her own, especially with two championships now under her belt.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Julian LeBallister” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The 23 year old racer scored the I-44 Speedway Track Champion title, as well as the championship of the ASA West Regional Series. In the latter, Wallace made history as the first female champion ever.

    “It’s a huge honor,” Wallace said. “It means so much to me. I still have butterflies in my stomach from being so excited.”

    Although her own racer, Wallace is still following in her family’s footsteps, especially her father Mike, with these two championships.

    “Years ago, my dad did the same thing,” Wallace said. “He won the track championship at I-44 Speedway and then he won the West Regional Championship.”

    “It means a lot because of the whole family but at the same time it means a lot to me,” Wallace said. “I’ve never achieved a championship before.”

    Wallace’s championships are even more impressive due to her team’s limited budget, as well as the staffing.

    “There is so much support and effort that we’ve put into that car all year,” Wallace said. “We have one guy that works on our car full-time. My uncle and his son help me at the race track.”

    “So, to achieve what we have is beyond my goals,” Wallace continued. “My goals at the beginning of the year were to finish in the top five in points and be able to win one race.”

    “We wound up winning two championships and six races.”

    Wallace has also been able to leverage her success, scoring a ride in the final ARCA race, the Toledo ARCA 200, presented by Federated Car Care, in Toledo, Ohio on October 16th for Cunningham Motorsports. The deal came about quickly, thanks to some sponsorship from her famous father and family.

    “After I won the championship, Cunningham Motorsports and Paul Andrews did not have anybody running their car,” Wallace said. “They had Dakoda Armstrong that had been running their car on and off this year.”

    “They didn’t have a sponsor so they came to my dad and said, ‘Look we know your daughter needs an opportunity and she would be a very good person to be in our car,” Wallace continued. “But we need sponsorship.”

    “Pretty much we pieced together a deal to where my dad helped fund the deal along with a few more sponsors and some that we’re waiting back for a response.”

    “This means so much to me,” Wallace said. “It’s finally something that I’ve been able to achieve to help my career go even further.”

    Although Wallace has never been to Toledo, she has raced in the ARCA ReMax Series before. In her previous two efforts, she finished ninth at Talladega and was in second at Pocono before crashing out of the race.

    “It will be my first time ever at Toledo,” Wallace said. “I’ve never seen the race track, never practiced, nothing.”

    “We’re going to go to test next week at a track similar to Toledo,” Wallace continued. “We’ll spend the day testing.”

    While Wallace has her hands full as champion of two series, as well as some upcoming racing, her future remains uncertain. And, like all young racers, the future is contingent on sponsorship.

    “Right now we don’t have anything set in stone due to sponsorship,” Wallace said. “We have talked to certain truck teams that feel that they can help me out through the year to where I could possibly run seven Truck races for next year.”

    “If we don’t have a sponsor, we will run the Late Model Series full-time,” Wallace continued. “If we find the sponsorship, I would run at least seven Truck races, and some ARCA races and perhaps even some Nationwide races.”

    Who might Wallace consider as the most ideal sponsor for her and her career?  She has some interesting and creative thoughts for sure.

    “Honestly my ideal sponsor is a company like Maybelline or Victoria’s Secret, a female based sponsor that will be behind me and know that I can market them,” Wallace said. “I can help them as much as they can help me.”

    “Even something like Tampax would be a great sponsor,” Wallace continued. “It’s never been on a race car and all the guys would never have it on their cars.”

    “But I want a female-based or female-driven company as a sponsor,” Wallace said. “Of course, I’d be happy to have any other sponsor, but a female driver with a female-based  company directed to females would help me out more.”

    “I want to be able to market somebody and give them the value back they are giving me,” Wallace continued. “I really think that it would work out well.”

    Although now one of many up and coming female racers, from most recognizable Danica Patrick to Johanna Long and Jennifer Jo Cobb to name a few, Wallace feels she is definitely unique.

    “Honestly I’ve had the chance to race against some of the other female drivers,” Wallace said. “What’s different for me is that I have the talent, I have the passion and I have the wins and the championships to prove it.”

    “I have more seat time too,” Wallace continued. “I think I have more of a driven goal than some of the others do.”

    Wallace is indeed driven in all that she does and refuses to give up, in spite of sponsor struggles.

    “I’ve been working hard trying to stay in the NASCAR Series since I was 19 years old,” Wallace said. “I’ve got to set my goals really high and try to over-achieve them.”

    “I never want to under-achieve, I only want to over-achieve.”

    “My main goal is that I want to start off in the Truck Series, win the Rookie of the Year and move my way up to be the first successful female as a NASCAR driver,” Wallace said. “I have to thank my family, all my fans and the sponsors that have helped me throughout my career.”

    The young driver definitely credits her family as one of her primary supports. Yet having that famous last name can also add even more pressure to the mix.

    “A lot of people expect things about of me because of having the last name of Wallace,” Wallace said. “I want to be the first successful female NASCAR driver.”

    “ I want to be in the Cup Series and I want to win the championship,” Wallace continued. “So, I do put pressure on myself.”

    “To make it to the level of achievement that my family has means a lot to me,” Wallace said. “There are not enough words to say what all this means to me because I haven’t figured out the right words yet to make it sound right.”

     

  • Kurt Busch King of the Concrete with Win at Monster Mile

    Kurt Busch King of the Concrete with Win at Monster Mile

    Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge, conquered the concrete track at Dover for the first time ever to score his second win of the season.  This was his 24th victory in 393 Cup Series races.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]“It was just a perfect execution today with making the car better during the race,”  Busch said. “I can’t be happier right now.”

    “To win a Sprint Cup race in the Chase, that’s what it’s all about,” Busch said. “We had everything go wrong last week and everything go right this week.”

    Busch’s race win puts him firmly in fourth place in the point standings.

    “This is the playoffs,” Busch said. “I feel like we’re right in the mix. You just have to cover up those bad days.”

    Busch’s crew chief echoed his driver’s sentiments, making the right calls at the right time. And Penske Racing’s team leadership, including the Director of Competition, could not have been more pleased.

    “We had to put a good bit of wedge in it and finally found a direction with the tire pressure,” Steve Addington, Busch’s crew chief said. “Then it came to life. We finally got us another win with this No. 22 car.”

    “This is definitely awesome,” Travis Geisler, Director of Competition for Penske Racing, said. “We knew that the No. 22 was a good car. To win in the Chase is awesome.”

    Busch was trailed by two other Chase contenders, Jimmie Johnson, in the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, who finished as runner up and Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford, who overcame a pit road speeding penalty to finish third.

    Johnson scored his 14th top-10 finish in 20 races at the Monster Mile. It was his 19th top-10 finish of the season.

    “Obviously it was a great day for us to lead that many laps and having great stops on pit road,” Johnson said of his runner up finish. “I wish that we could be one stop better.”

    “But all in all, it was exactly what we needed,” Johnson continued. “Mission accomplished.”

    With his second place finish, Johnson is now fifth in the point standings, just 13 points out of the lead. With that, Johnson couldn’t help but poke a little fun in the media center, especially since many had pronounced him out of contention for the championship.

    “Are we out of this?” Johnson asked coyly. “Last week we were considered done.”

    Edwards posted his 11th top-10 finish in 15 races at Dover International Speedway. For Edwards, however, who won the Nationwide race at Dover the day before the Cup race, this was a hard fought battle back to the front after his mistake on pit road.

    “It was a great day other than that feeling I had when I ruined it on pit road,” Edwards said. “That’s about as small as you can feel in a race car.”

    “We talked about it before the race on pit road but I just blasted right through it,” Edwards continued. “As frustrated as I am with myself, I’m grateful for the gift I was given, especially with my guys sticking beside me.”

    “That was fun.”

    After Busch, Johnson and Edwards, Matt Kenseth was the next highest Chase finisher. The driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford, finished fifth.

    “We got lucky,” Kenseth said. “The last restart was good but the one before that was no good.”

    “As good as everybody is these days and as equal as everybody is, it’s important to get a good finish every week,” Kenseth continued. “You need to be in the top five to be able to stay in the hunt.”

    Kevin Harvick, this week sporting a pink No. 29 Rheem Chasing the Cure Chevrolet, assumed the points lead with his top-10 finish. He is, however, tied with Carl Edwards, but has a higher number of wins so is the highest seed.

    “Obviously, we circled this one as a place to come to overcome some things,” Harvick said. “We had to put two tires on there at the end to protect the track position side of it.”

    Harvick admitted that the competition is so equal. In fact, only 15 points currently separate the top eight in the point standings.

    “The competition level is so even,” Harvick said. “You’re going to have to be consistent and solid and keeping yourself in contention until the last couple of races.”

    There were four non-Chasers who finished in the top ten at the Monster Mile. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, finished fourth; A.J. Allmendinger, behind the wheel of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford, finished seventh; Clint Bowyer, in the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet, finished eighth; and Marcos Ambrose, in the No. 9 Stanley Ford, finished ninth.

    “We weren’t quite good enough to win,” Allmendinger said. “It was a solid day. Obviously, we want to try to win, but at least we were there all day.”

    “We’ve been bashed up pretty good the last month so it’s just good to come back with a solid day,” Ambrose said. “I’m proud of my team. They’ve stood by me after a tough month and I’m looking forward to getting to Kansas.”

     

    Unofficial Race Results
    AAA 400, Dover International Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=29
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 2 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 47
    2 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 44
    3 4 99 Carl Edwards Ford 42
    4 9 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 40
    5 18 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 40
    6 5 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 39
    7 7 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 38
    8 27 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 36
    9 12 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 35
    10 22 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 35
    11 13 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 34
    12 34 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 32
    13 14 0 David Reutimann Toyota 31
    14 30 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 30
    15 23 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 29
    16 3 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 28
    17 16 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 27
    18 11 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 26
    19 17 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 25
    20 15 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 25
    21 19 6 David Ragan Ford 23
    22 24 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 22
    23 20 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 21
    24 21 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 20
    25 28 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 19
    26 8 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 18
    27 10 16 Greg Biffle Ford 17
    28 36 34 David Gilliland Ford 16
    29 33 20 Joey Logano Toyota 15
    30 1 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 15
    31 25 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 0
    32 41 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 12
    33 37 71 Andy Lally * Ford 11
    34 43 38 J.J. Yeley Ford 10
    35 39 13 Casey Mears Toyota 9
    36 40 32 Mike Bliss Ford 0
    37 26 37 Josh Wise Ford 0
    38 38 7 Reed Sorenson Dodge 0
    39 42 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    40 35 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 5
    41 31 30 David Stremme Chevrolet 3
    42 29 46 Scott Speed Ford 0
    43 32 55 Travis Kvapil Ford 0
  • Hornaday Scores 50th Career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victory

    Hornaday Scores 50th Career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victory

    Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet started from the pole in the Kentucky 225 at a cold Kentucky Speedway. Dillon won the pole with a track record speed of 179.868 mph. Ron Hornaday started second in the No. 2 Hollywood Casino Chevrolet driving for Kevin Harvick, Inc.

    During the first half of the race cautions were frequent, with the race seeing 7 caution flags early on. Josh Richards, driving the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota brought out the first caution when he spun and hit the wall hard on lap 2 of the 150 lap race. On lap 51 the No. 7 of Miguel Paludo spun collecting the No. 29 of of Parker Kligerman and the No. 9 of Max Papis.

    After the half way mark the race settled into a long green flag run and drivers were forced to make  pit stops under green with about 20 laps to go.  Dillon had built up a large lead and it looked as if he would run away with yet another victory. Hornaday and his team had other plans, however, and came out of the green flag pit stop cycle with the lead. Dillon caught Hornaday once in traffic late in the race, but Hornaday was able to hold him off and score the win in his Kevin Harvick, Inc. Chevrolet.

    The win was the Hornaday’s 50th career victory and is the most wins, overall, in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Hornaday’s victory was his third win of the season. Dillon finished in 2nd , James Buescher finished 3rd in the No. 31, with Nelson Piquet Jr. 4th and Brian Ickler 5th in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota.

    Dillon’s second place finish helped him retain his lead in the series point standings by three points over James Buescher with five races left to run in the season. Hornaday is now fifth, 42 points out of the lead in the championship standings.

    Drivers trading the lead throughout the night included Hornaday, A. Dillon, Nelson Piquet Jr. in the No. 8, and Timothy Peters in the No. 17. Todd Bodine finished 7th, with Austin Dillon’s brother Ty finishing 18th after running out of fuel late in the race. The race was Ty’s debut in the series also driving a Richard Childress Racing truck.

    Unofficial Race Results
    Kentucky 225, Kentucky Speedway
    ==============================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    ==============================================
    1 2 2 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 48
    2 1 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 43
    3 8 31 James Buescher Chevrolet 42
    4 3 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. * Chevrolet 41
    5 4 18 Brian Ickler Toyota 40
    6 16 4 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 38
    7 12 5 Todd Bodine Toyota 38
    8 10 60 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 37
    9 20 98 Dakoda Armstrong Chevrolet 35
    10 14 81 David Starr Toyota 34
    11 5 6 Justin Lofton Chevrolet 33
    12 35 32 Blake Feese Chevrolet 32
    13 9 22 Joey Coulter * Chevrolet 31
    14 17 13 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 31
    15 24 33 Cale Gale Chevrolet 29
    16 25 92 Clay Rogers Chevrolet 28
    17 13 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 28
    18 15 121 Ty Dillon Chevrolet 26
    19 18 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 25
    20 36 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Dodge 0
    21 32 57 Norm Benning Chevrolet 23
    22 23 66 Ross Chastain Chevrolet 22
    23 6 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet 21
    24 19 23 Jason White Chevrolet 20
    25 21 7 Miguel Paludo * Toyota 19
    26 29 93 B.J. McLeod Chevrolet 18
    27 30 7 John King Toyota 18
    28 22 9 Max Papis Toyota 16
    29 7 29 Parker Kligerman * Dodge 15
    30 34 168 Clay Greenfield Dodge 0
    31 28 87 Chris Jones Chevrolet 13
    32 26 138 Mike Garvey Chevrolet 0
    33 27 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 11
    34 11 151 Josh Richards Toyota 10
    35 31 174 Mike Harmon Ford 0
    36 33 127 Brent Raymer Chevrolet 0
  • J J Yeley Does Double Designated Driver Duty at Dover

    J J Yeley Does Double Designated Driver Duty at Dover

    J. J. Yeley is pulling double designated driver duty in Dover, Delaware this weekend.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]On the track, Yeley is the designated driver to get the No. 38 Ford team of Front Row Motorsports not only into the race, but also into the top 35 in the point standings by the season end.

    And off the track, Yeley is participating in a special promotion entitled, “J.J. is My D.D.”, encouraging all to “Drive Sober, Arrive Alive” by using a designated driver.

    For Yeley, his primary focus this race weekend as the team’s designated driver is getting the car into the show. This will be especially daunting due to the fact that Yeley wrecked his primary car in practice, with a too close encounter with the Monster’s wall.

    “There are a lot of things that make Dover unique and there is a reason they call Dover the ‘Monster Mile,” Yeley said. “The straight-aways at this race track have more banking than other tracks where we go.”

    “It is by far the fastest race track we go to,” Yeley continued. “What makes this place the toughest is the transitions from the corners to the straight-aways.”

    “That’s what bit me in practice,” Yeley said. “As I exited Turn Two, the car jumped sideways and there was no time for recovery.”

    “They call it a self-cleaning race track but it’s more a gobble them up and spit them out track.”

    Is Yeley worried about having to be the designated driver of his back-up car? While he might be confident, he also admitted that it makes for an even more unnerving situation.

    “The back-up car is actually going to be better,” Yeley said. “That’s the beauty of having a multi-car team.”

    “Me and David (Gilliland) have a compatible driving style,” Yeley continued. “So, I’m not worried about jumping into a back-up car. Most likely it will just be a lot of fine-tuning.”

    “We will have to make it in on time,” Yeley said. “But we should easily make the race based on my practice averages.”

    “It’s still very difficult because you cannot afford to make any mistakes,” Yeley continued. “The difference between who makes the race and who goes home is the matter of a thousandth of a second.”

    “It always makes you nervous, no matter if you’re a veteran driver or one with a short amount of experience,” Yeley said. “I talked with Bill Elliott last year and he even got nervous when he had to qualify in and perform under those circumstances.”

    “The team has to prepare the car as good as possible and I as a driver cannot make any mistakes.”

    Yeley has a singular focus as the team 38 designated driver.

    “The goal for this weekend is to gain points on the No. 71 team,” Yeley said. “We’ve been making up an average of 5-7 points per race.”

    “So, by the end of the year, we should get the car back into the top-35 in points,” Yeley continued. “Ultimately for 2011, that’s the goal for the No. 38 team.”

    “It makes 2012 so much easier,” Yeley said. “Those first five races, you don’t have to worry and it makes getting sponsors so much easier.”

    “All we can do is go out there and do our best,” Yeley continued. “This is a particularly tough race track but I think we can capitalize.”

    Yeley’s other Designated Driver duty is even more critical, as this one is designed to save lives. Yeley is partnering with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety to call attention to the dangers of drinking and driving.

    “When I was here in the spring race, I worked with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety on their seatbelt promotion,” Yeley said. “I had some friends who were killed in accidents where they were not wearing their seat belts so we just built that relationship.”

    “Anytime you can have a sponsor, it’s a fantastic thing but when you can promote such a great cause, it is perfect.”

    The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is also thrilled to be working with Yeley yet again.

    “The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is very excited to partner with J.J. and Front Row Motorsports to promote the Drive Sober message,” Jana Simpler, Director of the OHS, said. “NASCAR is a very popular sport with lots of loyal fans.”

    “We think that promoting Designated Driving and a Drive Sober message with a NASCAR racing team will create more buzz among 18- to 34-year old males about driving sober and arriving alive.”

    Both Yeley and the DOHS agree that the partnership between their office and Yeley is the best way to reach a maximum number of people, especially in that targeted age group.

    “When you have over 100,000 people at a race, most of them having a good time, it’s very important to pass along the “Drive Sober, Arrive Alive” message,” Yeley said. “You have so many people show up at these races that sometimes people forget the fact that they have been drinking all day, which just magnifies the alcohol.”

    “Having a designated driver because usually there is so much traffic leaving the races, getting caught with a DUI is not only costly but very dangerous.”

    For Yeley, being the designated driver is not only a passion, but it is personal.

    “The previous team that I was with, one of the sponsor’s had a niece that was almost killed by a drunk driver six months ago in Dallas,” Yeley said. “She almost lost her life but she was one of the lucky ones.”

    “Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who don’t give it a second thought,” Yeley continued. “That is what this promotion is all about.”

    Yeley will actually be participating as a designated driver for a fan this race weekend. He will be traveling with a contest winner, Andy Anderson, to several local pubs as his DD.

    “We will start signing autographs at a local pub and then travel to another bar at Dover Downs,” Yeley said. “Andy Anderson was the lucky recipient. He will have more than a good time than I will as I won’t be drinking obviously.”

    For more information about the ‘Drive Sober, Arrive Alive’ campaign, visit www.duirealtime.com or www.jjismydd.com.

  • Carl Edwards Conquers Concrete Monster for Nationwide Win

    Carl Edwards could now be dubbed ‘King of the Concrete’ after a conquering win at the Monster Mile in the 26th Annual OneMain Financial 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]The driver of the No. 60 Fastenal Ford even did his trademark victory back flip, although not quite sticking the landing due to the high banking at Dover International Speedway.

    “My back flip was terrible,” Edwards said. “I was nervous doing it on the banking. I’m not going to do it tomorrow if I win because there is too much banking.”

    Edwards also made his traditional foray into the crowds to celebrate his victory. On the way, he signed one fan’s Subway car and received plenty of congratulations.

    “There was one guy up there that had all my gear on and he was just pumped,” Edwards said. “It’s just neat up there and all the drivers should try it.”

    This was Edwards’ seventh win of the season. But more important, this was Edwards’ ninth win on the concrete, scoring him a perfect driver rating.

    “That was a great race,” Edwards said. “It all starts at the shop because these Ford Mustangs are spectacular.”

    “That was a very fast car,” Edwards continued. “Pit stops were great. Strategy was great. And we hung on for the win.”

    Mike Beam, Edwards’ crew chief, echoed his driver’s sentiments.

    “We really worked hard on the car,” Beam said. “Carl’s feedback was perfect. It worked out well.”

    Team owner Jack Roush praised the chemistry of the team, as well as all of the members of the group that works on the car.

    “It’s been a great team,” Roush said on the one year anniversary of the team coming together. “We put our Nationwide shop in the same location as the Cup shop. So, the help that Ford was giving would help all of the teams.”

    “Thankfully, Carl didn’t crack his noggin on his back flip.”

    Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 22 Ruby Tuesday Dodge, finished second.

    “I almost felt like we were first in class until the restarts,” Keselowski said. “We did a great job with our Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger.”

    “Carl was just way faster than anyone else,” Keselowski continued. “We weren’t as good as Carl was.”

    “I thought we were going to steal one with strategy but it wasn’t meant to be,” Keselowski said. “We just didn’t have enough for him today.”

    Clint Bowyer, behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Heating Cooling and Water Heating Chevrolet, scored the third spot in the finishing order.

    “I was pretty sure we weren’t first in class,” Bowyer said with a chuckle. “The caution came out and took two tires and then we had to take four and lost a lot of track position.”

    “We just got beat up on pretty bad,” Bowyer continued. “Carl was fast and he was the class of the field.”

    Ryan Truex, driving the No. 20 Heinz 57 Sauce Toyota, was the race’s top finishing rookie, bringing his race car home in eighth position. Not to be confused with his brother, Cup driver Martin Truex, Jr., Ryan still showed the same affinity for his local, home track.

    “I don’t appreciate being called Martin,” Truex said in the media center when he was incorrectly introduced. “But we had a great day.”

    “The caution got us off sequence,” Truex continued. “We deserved to be top five.”

    “It’s great when you can have good cars and run like that but it’s disappointing when you don’t get the finish you thought you should.”

    Probably the luckiest driver on the track for this Nationwide race was Reed Sorenson, driver of the No. Dollar General Chevrolet, who finished seventh.

    Sorenson benefitted from a NASCAR error where he should have gone to the rear of the field due to pitting too early, however, NASCAR failed to get the information to him in a timely manner.

    “I didn’t know what was going on,” Sorenson said. “I knew a lot of cars had to do the wave around. I don’t think it would have affected where we finished.”

    “I don’t know what the problem was but all in all it was a top-10 day for the Dollar General car.”

    Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., driving the No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford, scored a top five finish. But more important, he came out of the Monster Mile with the points lead, 22 points over Elliott Sadler.

    “I wish I would have been a little bit better,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “We just never had the car the way we needed it.”

    “We stayed tight the whole day,” Stenhouse continued. “We didn’t make any mistakes and that’s what we need to do each and every week.”

    “A top five is definitely a good result for us.”

    Stenhouse Jr. now sees himself and his team as in control of the championship competition.

    “I think we’re in control for sure but we have to control what we do,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I’ve got to keep it out of the fence and keep the fenders on it.”

    “We’ve got a real good shot at this thing,” Stenhouse said. “We have a race team that’s pretty determined to win this thing.”

    No doubt, Elliott Sadler, who had started from the pole position in his No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, was the most disappointed driver coming out of the Monster Mile. Sadler finished fourteenth, trailing Stenhouse Jr. in the point standings.

    “We were a little bit too loose with the cloud cover,” Sadler said. “My car would get too free. As soon as we pitted, the caution came out and it put us in a bigger hole.”

    Sadler, however, is still hopeful about his championship hopes.

    “We got five races left and anything can happen,” Sadler said. “I got to do a better job in practice for how I like it in practice to be able to get into Victory Lane.”

    “We just have to find that next level and we will have to win a race or two to get back into this.”

    ——–

    Unofficial Race Results
    OneMain Financial 200, Dover International Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=29
    =========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 2 60 Carl Edwards Ford 0
    2 8 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 0
    3 4 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 0
    4 7 38 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 0
    5 6 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 39
    6 9 16 Trevor Bayne Ford 38
    7 19 32 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet 37
    8 5 20 Ryan Truex * Toyota 36
    9 13 19 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 35
    10 14 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 34
    11 11 11 Brian Scott Toyota 33
    12 18 62 Michael Annett Toyota 32
    13 3 18 Joey Logano Toyota 0
    14 1 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 31
    15 16 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 29
    16 10 9 Kenny Wallace Toyota 28
    17 15 7 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 0
    18 23 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 26
    19 17 30 Jason Leffler Chevrolet 25
    20 12 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 24
    21 22 81 Blake Koch * Dodge 23
    22 42 15 Timmy Hill * Ford 22
    23 31 39 Fain Skinner Ford 21
    24 27 14 Eric McClure Chevrolet 20
    25 39 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 19
    26 41 28 Derrike Cope Dodge 18
    27 37 52 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 17
    28 36 70 Casey Roderick Chevrolet 16
    29 21 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 16
    30 24 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 14
    31 25 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 13
    32 33 171 Matthew Carter Ford 12
    33 40 40 Josh Wise Chevrolet 11
    34 34 175 Carl Long Ford 10
    35 35 141 Johnny Chapman Chevrolet 9
    36 38 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 8
    37 26 104 Kelly Bires Ford 7
    38 20 147 Charles Lewandoski * Chevrolet 6
    39 43 146 Chase Miller Chevrolet 5
    40 30 142 Tim Andrews Chevrolet 0
    41 28 182 Scott Wimmer Dodge 3
    42 32 150 T.J. Bell Chevrolet 0
    43 29 44 Jeff Green Chevrolet 1

  • Martin Truex Jr. Scores Monstrous Pole at Track He Owes

    At a track that he considers home, as well as the one to whom he owes the launching of his Cup career, Martin Truex, Jr., driver of the No. 56 Napa Auto Parts Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, scored his first pole of the season.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]This was Truex’s sixth pole in his Cup career but his second in 12 races at Dover International Speedway. Truex conquered the concrete mile for the fastest lap at a time of 22.641 seconds and a speed of 159.004 mph.

    “It was a good lap,” Truex Jr. said. “I knew it was good coming off of (Turn) Four but you never know exactly what kind of time you have to run, especially today with the track being so much faster than in practice yesterday.”

    Truex Jr. also affirmed his affection and affinity for the Monster Mile, which is just two hours away from Mayetta, New Jersey where he grew up.

    “It’s always nice to come here to Dover,” Truex Jr. said. “I love this place.”

    “I feel like I understand what it takes to get around the place,” Truex said. “It’s a really challenging and difficult race track and if you don’t like it, it’s one of those places that you’re never going to figure out.”

    “I really enjoy the place and I’ve had good race cars too.”

    Truex Jr. also hopes that being on the pole can catapult his team back to Victory Lane, a place where he has not been in awhile.

    “I feel good we can get back there this weekend,” Truex said. “Certainly our team has done a phenomenal job the second half of the year.

    “We’ve had some really strong runs lately,” Truex continued. “This is a great thing for us. It would be nice to get back to Victory Lane before the season is out.”

    Truex Jr. was also proud that he was able to outrun the Chase competitors for the pole position. Having said that, however, he still lamented that he was not chasing the Cup championship this year.

    “It doesn’t feel good to not be in it,” Truex Jr. said. “But this is what we come to the race track to do every weekend.”

    “Today we were the best out of the cars out of the race track,” Truex continued. “If we do this next year, we will be in the Chase.”

    Truex, Jr. was just 0.003 seconds ahead of second place qualifier Kurt Busch, driving the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge. This was Busch’s 17th top-10 start of 2011 and his 15th in 23 races at the Monster Mile.

    “This has always been a fun track to qualify on and one you have to get really amped up for,” Busch said. “It was a nice lap for us but I left a little bit on the table.”

    “Sure enough Martin Truex Jr. got us by three thousandth of a second.”

    Busch acknowledged that qualifying was a challenge after a night of rain led to a ‘green’ race track.

    “It’s difficult,” Busch said. “I remember in years past when the track would be fresh from rain and it would be on the looser side. But when you are on the tight side at the Monster Mile, you don’t have the speed.”

    Busch also said that he was not worried in the least about being the only car in the Chase to qualify in the front of the pack.

    “It won’t be scary,” Busch said. “We’re qualified on the front row so you have to trust the guys around you.”

    “That’s only lap one of the race,” Busch continued. “You race your own race and let it all pan out.”

    “When you get to the final two pit stops, that’s when you look for the other Chase guys.”

    Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet, qualified in the third spot. This was Menard’s third top-10 start at Dover and his 14th in 29 races in the 2011 season to date.

    “It was a good run for us,” Menard said. “Obviously, I wanted that pole.”

    “I’m still shaking a little bit from the run,” Menard continued. “It takes a lot to get up on the wheel after not practicing. Starting P3 is pretty good for us.”

    Carl Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Aflac Ford, and Kyle Busch, this week in the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota rounded out the top five in qualifying for the AAA 400.

     

     

  • Darrell Wallace Jr. and Max Gresham Duo Winners at Dover

    Darrell Wallace Jr. and Max Gresham Duo Winners at Dover

    There were dueling victory lane celebrations after the final NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, the Dover 150, at the Monster Mile.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]Darrell Wallace, Jr., driving the No. 6 US Army Toyota for Revolution Racing, scored his third win of the season in the final race, while Max Gresham, fielding the No. 18 Live Oak Plantation Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished off the season as champion.

    Although one a race winner and the other a champion, both drivers were equally emotional about their victories. The win was especially powerful for Wallace due to a loss he suffered in his personal life last weekend.

    “It was an emotional win for me, especially losing my uncle this past Saturday,” Wallace Jr. said, “It was tough.”

    “I put his name over my name on the door,” Wallace continued. “He was riding shot gun with us and he’s the one who put us in Victory Lane.”

    Wallace not only enjoyed the racing at the Monster Mile, but the trophy too.

    “This race was fun,” Wallace said. “I love this track.”

    “Dover is my favorite track, not just because I won but because it teaches you a lot, how to pass cars, go fast and turn laps,” Wallace continued. “But I’m more tired from carrying this thing (Miles the Monster trophy) around than racing out on the track.”

    Wallace is just seventeen years old, with his ‘big 18th’ birthday coming up next Saturday. Under the tutelage of Andy Santerre, former Busch North champ, and with the support of the US Army as sponsor, the young driver has also been responsible for half of the wins for Revolution Racing this past season.

    “Revolution Racing and the US Army not only got us to Victory Lane today, but also got us three wins and three poles and getting us to the race track each weekend we had a race,” Wallace Jr. said. “It just goes to show how ‘Army Strong’ we are.”

    As strong as Wallace was, there was one stronger car and driver in the field, at least as far as the championship. Max Gresham, who ran every lap of the season, was officially crowned the K&N Pro Series East champ.

    “This has been the best season I’ve ever had,” Gresham said. “It will be a good one for the records book for a long time for ourselves.”

    “You can’t ask for anything better than that,” Gresham continued. “It’s been a great year for us.”

    “To be a NASCAR champion is the biggest thing and pretty much the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do when I started racing,” Gresham said emotionally. “And now I am.”

    Crew chief Bryant Frazier seconded his driver’s assessment of the winning season. In addition to this championship, Frazier is also best known for being Tony Stewart’s first crew chief.

    “Wow, this is an awesome day,” Frazier said. “It’s been something coming all year.”

    “Max has done an excellent job,” Frazier continued. “It’s a testament to the Gibbs and everyone who works throughout this sport.”

    Steve Desouza, Vice President of Nationwide and Driver Development for Joe Gibbs Racing, also spoke of his pride for the driver, as well as the pride he had for the team in Gresham’s K&N Pro Series East championship.

    “Speaking on behalf of the Gibbs, what an honor to be part of this Series,” Desouza said. “It’s been a great development series for us.”

    “We’re really proud of Bryant and Max and the job our entire group has done,” Desouza continued. “Max is an incredible talent and our guys have worked very hard for the championship this year.”

    Gresham’s major competition for the championship, Brett Moffitt, looked like he might have a chance to pull off the upset, leading the race in the waning laps. Moffitt, in his No. 00 AAA/Michael Waltrip Racing machine, however, blew a tire and hit the wall to finish 21st.

    “It was unfortunate for him that he blew that right front tire but good for us,” Gresham said of Moffitt. “As soon as it happened, there was a big sigh of relief and we just slowed down and finished third.”

    “I’ve never been happier finishing third.”

    Both Gresham and Wallace Jr. acknowledged that not only are they winners, but they have also both learned many lessons throughout this race season. And one of those lessons is that patience is a virtue.

    “I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned this year is patience,” Gresham said. “It’s definitely played a lot into finishing every lap and finishing top five and top ten as much as we did.”

    “Not letting my nerves get the better of me and staying calm, being patient and not pushing the issue was the key.”

    “The lesson that I’ve learned is to not get in over my head like in situations like today,” Wallace Jr. said. “Just a lot of patience, car control and everything there is to racing.”

    “I’ve still got a lot to learn.”

    With the race win and championship now in their rear view mirrors, both Wallace Jr. and Gresham took a moment to think about their futures. But for both winning drivers, that future is uncertain at present.

    “I don’t know yet what I will do next year,” Wallace Jr. said. “When I do, I’ll let you know.”

    “Hopefully by winning this race, we’ve opened some eyes and opened some ears.”

    “Watching Max since he has been with us, he has learned to race well,” Desouza said of Gresham’s future. “I would venture to say that you’ll be seeing him in Nationwide and more than likely in Cup in the future.”

    “He’s done a great job and he’s done a nice job of bringing this group together and applying it on the race track.”

    Following Darrell Wallace Jr., race winner, were Dale Quarterly, Max Gresham, Eddie MacDonald, and Andrew Smith as the top-five finishers. Benny Gordon, Ryan Gifford, Brandon McReynolds, Dylan Presnell and Jeff Anton rounded out the top ten.