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  • A J Allmendinger: ‘We’ve Just Got To Be Better’

    A J Allmendinger: ‘We’ve Just Got To Be Better’

    A J Allmendinger, driver of the No. 43 Best Buy Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports, sits in 17th in the point standings without a win. Yet what really bothers him is his inconsistency and the need to ‘just bet better.”

    “I think we’re not as good as we want to be for sure,” Allmendinger said. “The biggest thing is that we are just a little bit too inconsistent.”

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]“There are certain races when we’re on and we’re fast and then it seems like something happens, like a late race yellow catching us out,” Allmendinger continued. “But when we’re bad, we’ve been really bad.”

    “It seems like last year when we were bad, we were 18th or 19th and now this year, we’re 29th,” Allmendinger continued. “Those are the things we’ve got to get better.”

    “We’re just too inconsistent and that’s something we need to work on and build from,” Allmendinger continued. “I think we haven’t done a lot of things to shoot ourselves in the foot and taken ourselves out of races, but we just need to be better overall as a race team.”

    Allmendinger is most certainly putting a great deal of faith in his new crew chief, Greg Erwin, who joined RPM shortly after being released by Roush Fenway Racing as Greg Biffle’s crew chief. In fact, Allmendinger was most pleased with their performance at the Brickyard, even though the team finished in the 22nd spot.

    “Hopefully with the addition of Greg, we will improve,” Allmendinger said. “I thought Indy last week was actually a fantastic weekend.”

    “The finish wasn’t what we wanted,” Allmendinger continued. “It came down to fuel and then that wreck that happened and we got some grass in the grille.”

    “Assessing the weekend, I thought it was a really good weekend, especially the first weekend working together,” Allmendinger said. “Hopefully, that’s something to build off of and these last whatever races.”

    “It’s a new start,” Allmendinger continued. “Greg’s got a lot of experience and it’s stuff that I can pull from and learn from.”

    “There’s a lot of these race tracks that are our weaker tracks that Greg’s been really good at so I say, that’s stuff that I can learn from,” Allmendinger said. “Hopefully we can go to these races and have better luck and be better as a race team.”

    With his new crew chief, Allmendinger certainly hopes that the stretch of first time winners may just extend to him. But he also jokes that the only way that will happen is by attrition.

    “People point to me because there’s not a whole lot of first time winners left,” Allmendinger said. “So, it’s about attrition.”

    “Honestly in the end, winning is the ultimate goal when you show up,” Allmendinger continued. “But we’ve got a long way to go to worry about that.”

    “Maybe this weekend, we are good enough to win,” Allmendinger said. “Who knows? But that’s the way I look at it.”

    Allmendinger also has his own unique way of looking at Pocono Raceway. And he definitely thinks the track lives up to its ‘Tricky Triangle’ reputation.

    “It is definitely tricky,” Allmendinger said. “The shifting definitely added a different element back into it. And Turn One was way rougher than it had been in the previous years.”

    “You’ve got to be able to get through those bumps and be solid through that corner,” Allmendinger continued. “But you can’t focus on it so much that it hurts Turns Two and Three.”

    “I think that’s what happened last race,” Allmendinger said. “We were so bad in One and we kept trying to fix it that we made Two and Three even worse.”

    “I think that watching some videos and talking to Greg about some things, we’re going to go in with a different game plan and keep working on it,” Allmendinger continued. “We weren’t terrible last race but we weren’t great. Greg’s brought some stuff over that he learned when he was with Biffle, so we’ll see.”

    In addition to worrying about Pocono weekend, Allmendinger also has contention for the Chase on his mind.

    “The door is definitely not closed,” Allmendinger said of his Chase chances. “We have six races left and we’re not that far from being that highest guy in points that if you do get the win, you move into the Chase spot.”

    “But ultimately if you win a race on luck and you’re not good enough to be in the Chase, then there’s no point to being in the Chase anyways.”

    Whether or not he is in the Chase or outside looking in, Allmendinger just wants to be better in the latter half of the season than when they took the green flag at Daytona.

    “Chase or not, my ultimate goal is to say we’re a lot better than we were in the last races of the season than we were in the first part,” Allmendinger said. “Then, that’s a good year to me. The ultimate goal is to be better at the end of the season than when you started.”

    “We’ve just got to be better,” Allmendinger continued. “That’s all that matters. And whether that puts us in the Chase or not, then whatever.”

    “But in the end, we’ve just got to be better.”

  • Dave Blaney’s Son Ryan Plans on Being NASCAR’s Next Generation Ambassador

    Dave Blaney’s Son Ryan Plans on Being NASCAR’s Next Generation Ambassador

    Ryan Blaney is not just NASCAR Cup driver Dave Blaney’s son. The seventeen year old up and coming driver hopes to be NASCAR’s ambassador to the next generation of stock car racing fans.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Ryan Blaney Racing” align=”alignright” width=”216″][/media-credit]The young Blaney has gotten his career off to a pretty good start, scoring a second place finish in just his second ARCA start at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis this past weekend.

    Blaney, behind the wheel of the No. 15 Seal Wrap Chevrolet for Venturini Motorsports, was good as soon as he arrived at the track. He was also able to hold his own with some of the ARCA Series regulars, including Richard Childress talent and grandson Ty Dillon, who he battled for the win.

    “We were decent off the trailer,” Blaney said. “We qualified second into the race and in the early part of the race, I thought we had the best car.”

    “We would have had some rubbing going on for me to get by Ty,” Blaney said of his battle with eventual race winner, Ty Dillon. “So, I was happy to finish second and see that I can really run with those guys in the series.”

    “Overall it was a pretty good weekend for us.”

    Although still quite young, in fact so young that he cannot yet run many of the tracks on the ARCA Series schedule, Blaney has progressed steadily up the racing ranks. He started racing quarter midgets at the age of eight and then moved up to Bandeleros, Legends and Late Models.

    But this year, with his father’s advice and counsel, young Ryan decided to do something different and move to a heavier car in preparation for the next step in his career.

    “Me and my dad were talking and saying that we think it’s time to move up and try to get into heavier cars,” Blaney said. “He really wanted to prepare me.”

    “The worst thing that can happen is to jump in a car when you’re not ready and look bad,” Blaney continued. “We made sure that I had enough experience to really go out there and look good. I think we timed it just right.”

    “Next year I’m hoping to run a Truck and being full-time in a Truck would be awesome,” Blaney said. “If not, we will try some Truck and ARCA races to get as much experience as I can.

    “This is really what I want to do and what I have a passion for,” Blaney continued. “My dad has put so much time and money into me that I’d be disappointed in myself if I didn’t make it worth it.”

    “And I’m trying my very hardest to make it and pay him off some day.”

    Does the young driver feel pressure, especially in light of his father’s Cup career? Not on your life according to Ryan Blaney.

    “I don’t really feel pressure at all,” Blaney said. “If anything, it motivates me even more to be like him and actually try to be better than him.”

    “He’s never pushed me and he’s always making sure that I’m sure about it,” Blaney said. “I accept the challenge of trying to be like him and get where’s he’s at and what he’s accomplished.”

    Not only does Ryan Blaney strive to follow in his father’s footsteps, but he readily admits that his dad is indeed his racing hero.

    “He is my main racing hero,” Blaney said of his dad. “He grew up on dirt and that’s what he lived for over 30 years and made a career out of that.”

    “Then he jumped into NASCAR and had a career in that,” Blaney continued. “That’s what’s really special to me and impressive to me.”

    As proud as Ryan is of his dad, the feeling is more than reciprocated by his proud papa. But dad Dave said, with a chuckle, that his son probably said those things “because he’s scared of me.”

    “He’s been doing really well,” Dave Blaney said of son. “This year we’ve gotten him in a couple of K&N Series races and he ran well. And he’s run real well in his two ARCA starts.”

    “Ryan’s coming along real well,” Blaney continued. “He’s only seventeen years old so he’s got lots of time.”

    “He might actually be better than me now.”

    As much as he wants to follow in his dad’s tire tracks, Ryan Blaney has another real ambition of his own. He wants to also attract the next generation to the sport of NASCAR that he loves so much.

    “A lot of kids at school follow me and it’s cool how they’ve turned into race fans,” Blaney, who is going into his senior year in high school, said. “Last year, they didn’t know anything about racing and now they’re asking me how I did at the track.”

    “They even know more about my stats than I do,” Blaney continued. “It’s cool how I have friends that can relate to me and not talk just about football.”

    “I’m a seventeen year old that is trying to come up through the ranks,” Blaney said. “And I hope I am an ambassador for the next generation of NASCAR fans.”

  • For Nick Igdalsky, Mattioli Grandson and New Track COO, Pocono is Personal

    Nick Igdalsky wears many hats at Pocono Raceway, from Mattioli grandson to ARCA driver to philanthropist and finally to his appointment as the newly named COO and Executive Vice President of the race track. Regardless of the title or the hat, however, for Igdalsky, Pocono is indeed personal.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”193″][/media-credit]“It’s always exciting,” Igdalsky said of his various roles. “You live in the moment and get as much as you can out of it.”

    “Where it gets tough is jumping from appointment to appointment and wearing different hats,” Igdalsky continued. “After the race, I have meetings with both sponsors for my car and sponsors for the track, as well as meeting dignitaries and VIPs.”

    “You can never stay in one place too long.”

    Igdalsky manages all of his personal and professional Pocono responsibilities through technology, literally setting alarms on his Iphone.

    “An alarm went off and told me that I to do go to the driver’s meeting and then an alarm went off that told me I had to come to the media center,” Igdalsky said. “You try to remember as much as you can but if you get caught up in the moment, things pass you by.”

    “My little electronic friend helps me out.”

    One of Igdalsky’s greatest personal joys is being behind the wheel of a race car, whether an ARCA ride or his Grand Am race car.

    “I’ll do five to six ARCA races,” Igdalsky said. “We’ll probably do Toledo at the end of the year.”

    “It’s been tough,” Igdalsky continued. “We haven’t really done as good as we thought we would. I’m with a team that’s sort of under-funded.”

    “Everybody wants to run well, but we just don’t have the resources to do that yet,” Igdalsky said. “We’re just trying to keep the car clean and keep it up in owner’s points and we may have a shot at it next year if we get a full season.”

    Racing is so personal in fact to Igdalsky that he hopes the day never comes when he has to make any kind of a choice between racing and managing his track responsibilities.

    “I’m going to live in both worlds until somebody tells me I absolutely cannot,” Igdalsky said with a smile. “I’ll wait until I get the ultimatum from either the wife or the office.”

    While not ultimatum has come yet, Nick Igdalsky had a most personal day at the track this weekend as his grandfather, affectionately known as ‘Doc’ Mattioli, retired and formally turned over the responsibilities of operations of the track to Nick, his brother Brandon, who was named President and CEO, and his sister Ashley, who is the new Secretary/Treasurer.

    “We’re fortunate we have great grandchildren,” Doc Mattioli said. “Fifty years went by damn fast and now it’s about time to take it a little easy and get the hell out of here.”

    “I’m quite sure that Brandon, Nick and Ashley are well trained to do what they have to do,” Mattioli continued. “They’re really good kids and smart kids.”

    From Igdalsky’s perspective, he’s had the best teacher ever in his grandparents, Doc and Doc Rose Mattioli. Because of that, Igdalsky has already pronounced that his new slogan will be, “When in doubt, ask what Doc would do.”

    Now that he has even more of a personal stake in Pocono, Igdalsky is continuing another very personal connection, connecting with a charity called Michael’s Way. And this personal connection hits very close to home.

    “Pocono Raceway has been working with Michael’s Way for the past couple years now,” Igdalsky said. “My nephew was diagnosed two years ago at the age of fifteen months with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a very rare type of cancer.”

    “He’s doing good now and he just had some scans done, with all of them coming back clear,” Igdalsky continued. “Through our relationship with Michael’s Way, they support the families of children, like my nephew, with cancer.”

    “They don’t pay for the treatments but they do pay for all the other costs,” Igdalsky said. “For instance, there are lots of families that one of the families might have to stop working because of all the treatments they have to get to, which is a problem.”

    “So, Michael’s Way helps with bills and travel, especially for those children whose immune systems are compromised,” Igdalsky continued. “It’s pretty unique because 100% of all the proceeds go directly to the cause and the families.”

    Michael’s Way is even more personal as Igdalsky’s nephew was selected last year as the ‘poster boy’, making many personal appearances on behalf of the charity. For this weekend’s ARCA race, Michael’s Way will also be featured prominently on Igdalsky’s race car.

    “Since we don’t have a sponsor for this race, we’re keeping them on our car,” Igdalsky said. “You can donate on their site which is michaelsway.org and they’re also doing a raffle at the track where you have a chance to win either a 2011 Harley Davidson or $10,000 cash.”

    “Nick’s involvement with Michael’s Way has been invaluable,” Trish Fulvio, development consultant with the charity, said. “He and Brandy, his wife, do everything straight from the heart.”

    “Nick has allowed us to bring Michael’s Way to the attention of a whole new group of people,” Fulvio continued. “His partnership translates into more funds to give to the families of children with cancer.”

    While family has always been most personal to Igdalsky, from his family track to his philanthropic family, Igdalsky now has a whole new perspective on family as a proud papa of a five month old daughter.

    “When you have a bad day and you come home and you see her little face smiling at you, it definitely makes the bad days better,” Igdalsky said. “And it gives you something to look forward to at the end of the day.”

    “It’s overwhelming,” Igdalsky continued. “I’m living two dreams.”

    “I’m helping out in the family business that I was involved in ever since I was a little boy,” Igdalsky said. “And with the racing, it’s been my dream since a young boy to race cars too.”

    “I not only get to do both but I get to do it at my home track.”

  • Pocono Raceway Friday Update

    Pocono Raceway Friday Update

    Friday at Pocono Raceway saw the announcement from Doc Mattioli that he was resigning from all positions he holds at the Pocono Raceway effective immediately. His grandson Brandon Igdalsky and the rest of Mattioli’s family will take over in various positions of senior management.

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”213″][/media-credit]Mattioli was very emotional when he was speaking saying, “They cant do a damn thing until Rose and I die and my 3 children die.” That was in reference to the family selling the track to the folks looking to take some races away from the track.  There was a lot of reminiscing done by both Mattioli and the media. It was a special moment in the media center. It was also a bit sad.

    Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. came in the media center and did a joint press conference as did Jack Roush and Carl Edwards.  Edwards and Roush’s conference was self explanatory as they came to terms on a contract extension.  There was plenty of good feelings from those two as they actually looked at each other and said, “thank you.” Edwards said, “there was a lot of respect during the process. I’m glad its behind us and I’m glad to be going for the championship.

    It was a drawn out process. “I wish I would have never confirmed my term was up. We could have gotten it done a lot quieter. ”  Edwards went on to say that it was never about money which led to more questions.

    For Earnhardt Jr. and Johnson the press conference started discussing Johnson running in Watkins Glen one of JR Motorsports entries. Earnhardt said, “We really didn’t have anything; a driver and a sponsor for the car, and Tony (Eury) Jr. texted me and said that Chad (Knaus) or Jimmie had mentioned to him at one time if there was ever an opportunity or maybe if they were interested in racing at The Glen or driving at The Glen.”

    Johnson, whose sense of humor was quite evident discussed the difficult interviewing process for the job. “I’m excited about the opportunity,” Johnson said. “The interview to drive for him was rather tough. He wanted to see my resume. I think Mike wanted to see my resume in great detail and make sure I was qualified with good references. Once we cleared that hurdle, it was on.”

    Earnhardt discussed his “chase strategy” and how different choices are made for points. “Yeah, I think the main difference would be you see people making different choices and different strategies at Indy,” he said. “We feel like we weren’t in a position to really take a gamble of trying to make it on fuel. So we played a safer strategy. If we were more in Jimmie’s position, we might have taken the gamble and tried to do what some of those guys did to stretch it. That’s mainly the difference, really. Otherwise you’re all out there running as hard as you can run.”

    Earnhardt was asked on Danica Patrick’s status he simply retorted, “I have nothing new to report on that. I guess I’m really not in the middle of it, but I guess they’re still moving forward. I don’t know nothing that I didn’t know last week.”

    Of course the rumors are that Patrick will be dabbling in cup with Tony Stewart’s team. To that he said with an audible laugh, “I know, I’ve heard all kinds of stuff.” When asked is he could say anything he simply said, Nope, nope, Can’t say anything.”

    David Regan feels pretty strongly that you need to be in the top 12 in points to make the chase, regardless of the wins that drivers have. Regan also said that he was glad that the Edwards ordeal was over they “could put it to rest and move on” and find sponsors for all the teams. Regan also said that Menard winning hurt them even though they’re good friends. He was looking for a top 5 in points to win at Indy. He also discussed his visit to see wounded veterans and that most of the service were familiar with NASCAR and most were Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans.

    Regan also mentioned that his visit to Walter Reed hospital and how most members

    Kurt Busch mentioned that his and Gordon’s birthdays being shared was funny because Gordon was 7 years older than he was and he was 7 years older than younger brother Kyle.

  • Matty’s Picks Vol. 12 – Pocono – August 7, 2011

    Matty’s Picks Vol. 12 – Pocono – August 7, 2011

    Back to Long Pond, PA we go for the second time this year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    [media-credit name=”poconoraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”271″][/media-credit]I’m going to learn from my mistakes this week, and pick two drivers that I have not picked in my column before. Back in just my 6th edition of Matty’s Picks, I chose two drivers, both with storied histories at the Tricky Triangle. Denny Hamlin, my winner pick had finished in the Top 10 in 8 out of his 10 races at Pocono (after the race in June it was 9 out of 11 races – 19th place finish).

    My Dark Horse pick faired a bit better in the 5-Hour Energy 500 this season, netting me one of my 4 Top 10 finishes. Juan Montoya has been my Dark Horse pick twice this year, once coming last week at the Brickyard, and the other at Pocono in June. In the race in June, Montoya gambled on two-tire stops a total of three times throughout the afternoon, a strategy that would net him a 7th place finish and me a Top 10 Dark Horse pick.

    Brickyard Recap

    As stated earlier Juan Montoya was my Dark Horse last week for the Brickyard 400. He was never really in contention to win the race last week, but lingered around the Top 5 for a good portion of the 200 laps last Sunday. It was tough for anyone to predict how the fuel-mileage frenzy would unfold last Sunday, and when the checkered flag flew over the #27 of Paul Menard, Montoya was nowhere to be found.

    Montoya said after the race “It was good. We had the fastest car but when we could see the front it seemed like I could get a little more out of the car and I was pushing really hard.” The #42 team would lose out on the almost road-course-like pit strategy and would come home 28th.

    As for my winner pick last week, after starting 3rd on the grid Jimmie Johnson also hovered around the Top 5 for the majority of the laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    About his qualifying lap last Friday at IMS, “It was a good lap for us and I certainly hope that it hopes up and keeps us in the top five. If we can have a good spot on pit road, it makes for such a different race. And there are some very generous areas to work on pit road here, so I’m hoping to get one of those spots.”

    And it was one of those “generous” spots he would end up with for the race, but just like everyone else, Johnson was not able to stay out of trouble. The 48’s contact with Brian Vickers squashed all my hopes for a win out of the Lowe’s Chevrolet last weekend bringing home a 19th place finish.

    Yes, last week at the Brickyard was the first time I did not have a driver finish in the Top 10 or better since Michigan back in Mid-June.

    Pocono Picks

    Winner Pick

    I’ve decided to spread the wealth this week and pick a driver that has not been mentioned this year in Matty’s Picks. He is very deserving of a Winner Pick this week for his efforts at PIR in June. He started on the pole for the 5-Hour Energy 500, and currently sits second on the speed charts after the first practice session of the day.

    Kurt Busch is no stranger to Victory Lane at the Tricky Triangle, earning his first win at the track in July 2005 and then winning again in August 2007. Kurt Busch also has and astounding 5 – second place finishes at Pocono as well, his most recent coming in June. Kurt Busch has been running well this season, with one win, 4 Top 5’s, and 11 Top 10’s. He will look to rebound after dropping 3 spots in the points following the Brickyard 400 with a strong finish on Sunday in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500.

    Dark Horse Pick

    My Dark Horse this week currently sits in 13 place in points. He is extremely hungry to make a statement with a win and solidify his spot in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He also, is no stranger to Victory Lane at Pocono, a track where he has less than impressive finishing statistics.

    Greg Biffle averages a finish of 16.4 at Pocono International Raceway, but will use the momentum he has from his 7th place finish last week at Indy to lay down a qualifying lap good enough to start towards the front and remain there throughout the race. He has managed to finish in the Top 5 at Pocono only 6 times in 17 starts, and will look to gain upon his 27th place finish in June.

    Stay tuned next week as I preview my 19th trip to Watkins Glen International. I am extremely excited to head to my home track next week, tremendously eager to get camp set up with friends and family and enjoy another fantastic weekend of road racing at WGI!

    Until Next Week…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A TAILGATE PARTY IN THE POCONOS

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A TAILGATE PARTY IN THE POCONOS

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take on the track often referred to as the “tricky triangle”, but better known as the Pocono Raceway, for Saturday’s running of Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125. This NASCAR style tailgate party is bound to please any fan who loves trucks on a race track. That’s something we’ve all come to expect from this series since its inception back in 1995 and, year after year, it’s never let us down.

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    [media-credit name=”Kyle Ocker” align=”alignright” width=”253″][/media-credit]At the half way point of their season, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be bringing a very tight, but highly entertaining, championship points battle to Pocono this weekend. Despite a recent bout of bad racing luck, Johnny Sauter continues to remain on top of the standings but only holds a four point advantage over Austin Dillon. James Buescher, Timothy Peters who won last weekend’s race at the Lucas Oil Raceway and Cole Whitt complete the top five in the points standings this week. Going into Saturday night’s Pocono race, there are only 29 points separating these five drivers.

    ***********

    A totally separate series’ points battle features the likes of Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick both, of whom, will be in the starting line for the Pocono race. These two owner/drivers are busy competing for the coveted truck series owner’s championship. Kevin Harvick Inc won the title at the conclusion of the 2009 season while Kyle Busch Motorsports won the championship last year. Going into the Pocono race Busch currently holds a 33 point advantage over Harvick who has trimmed 56 points off of that lead over the course of the last three races.

    Busch will be driving his #18 CocoVia.Com Toyota Tundra this Saturday. It’s the Kyle Busch Motorsports chassis #4 which has won seven races in its last ten starts. Harvick will also be bringing a winning truck to Pocono as well. It’s the #2 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Chevrolet that won last year’s race with driver Elliot Sadler behind the wheel.

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

    NASCAR veteran Mark Martin will also be in Saturday’s race making his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start since 2007. He will be driving the #32 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet with sponsorship from Exide Batteries. Martin certainly knows how to get the job done in NASCAR’s truck series. Since 1996 he’s made 23 series’ starts and has collected seven wins, 16 top five finishes, 19 top ten finishes and set fast time in qualifying three times. He’s also led 830 laps while compiling an average start ratio of 7.2 along with an average finish ratio of 7.1.

    ***********

    However Mark Martin is not the oldest driver that’s going to be in the field for Saturday’s race. That honor belongs to NASCAR racing veteran James Hylton who will be turning 77 years young on August 26th. This ageless wonder will be making his official NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Pocono driving the #75 Chevrolet owned by Norm Benning.

    Believe it or not, Hylton will be doing double duty at Pocono on Saturday. He’s a regular with the ARCA Racing Series, presented by Menards, where he’s currently 12th in the series’ points standings. He will be driving his Hylton Motorsports Ford in the Pennsylvania 125 ARCA event and then will climb into the Chevrolet truck for his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut. Whoever coined the phrase “you’re as young as you feel” certainly must have been thinking about James Hylton.

    ***********

    Series crew chief Chad Kendrick will be allowed to perform his normal duties as usual at Pocono this Saturday pending an appeal of his suspension announced by NASCAR officials last Wednesday. The #23 Gun Broker.Com/Joe DeNette Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Jason White failed an opening day inspection, prior to last weekend’s truck race at the Lucas Oil Raceway, when NASCAR Tech officials discovered a problem with the installation of the truck’s fuel cell. Specifically the problem centered around the location of the fuel cell’s top rack.

    Kendrick was fined $2,500 and placed on suspension from all NASCAR events until September 7th. The length of that suspension covers the next four series races. The crew chief was also placed on probation until December 31st. In a prepared statement, Kendrick said “I respect NASCAR for keeping a level playing field for all competitors. However, I don’t feel like the fuel cell in question was an illegal part. My history in this sport should indicate that there was no intent to deceive NASCAR;s rule book. I feel like the penalty handed down by NASCAR was extensive for this particular violation and hope that the Appeal Board will consider our case due to the evidence we hope to present.”

    **********

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125 is 50 laps/125 miles around the the Pocono Raceway’s mammoth three turn triangle shaped track that is virtually flat all the way around.

    The race has 29 entries for an event that can accommodate up to 36 race trucks. That means all entries will be able to start the race and the traditional go or go home qualifying procedure, based on owner’s points standings, will not apply for this event.

    Weather could be a major concern for Saturday’s race. The Long Pond-Pennsylvania area forecast is calling for a 40 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms.

    The Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125 will be broadcast live by the SPEED Channel beginning with the “Set Up” show at 1230 pm eastern time.

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THERE ARE NO TRUTH TO THE RUMORS THAT THE AFLAC DUCK DROPPED ‘PELLETS’ ON THE FRONT PORCH OF JGR

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THERE ARE NO TRUTH TO THE RUMORS THAT THE AFLAC DUCK DROPPED ‘PELLETS’ ON THE FRONT PORCH OF JGR

    So, it’s now finally official. The winner of the Carl Edwards sweepstakes is Jack “The Cat In The Hat” Roush.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”287″][/media-credit]The big announcement from Roush Fenway Racing came on Thursday morning that said they had signed a new contract with Edwards. This new agreement was simply described as “a new multi year agreement that begins in 2012.” No official terms of the contract were released and that’s the way it should be. However there was speculation that the agreement was for a period of three to four years which was described as being typical of a Roush Fenway agreement with their drivers.

    If this entire process had to be described with just one word, speculation would be a great choice. There was plenty of it especially when we realized that Edwards’ next step in his career had become a bidding war between Roush Fenway Racing, (RFR) and Joe Gibbs Racing, (JGR).

    The NASCAR silly season, the annual period of time when speculation runs wild regarding potential driver changes, started early this year because of Edwards. He absolutely topped the list of silly season candidates. That’s only natural. On the track Edwards is one of the best in the business. He currently has a better than great chance of winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship and halt that five year title streak held by Jimmie Johnson. Off the track he has a huge fan base and that translates into some impressive revenue from the sale of souvenir merchandise. When it comes to promoting his sponsors he considered to be a public relations gold mine. He makes the multi detailed process of participating in sponsor advertising campaigns look incredibly easy. There’s not a team in the entire NASCAR garage that wouldn’t want this driver’s services.

    The fires of speculation got super hot in the late spring when it was revealed that JGR was “courting” Edwards in an attempt to sign him. That speculation said he would be taking over the JGR #20 Home Depot Toyota beginning next year. There was also speculation that said JGR had offered Edwards an $8 million salary base plus a $10 million signing bonus. Do the math. That’s $18 million in the driver’s pocket for the 2012 racing season.

    Seemingly alarmed that there may an element of truth to the JGR offer, the Ford Motor Company stepped into the Edwards contract negotiation. On July 31st there was some confirmation from Kevin Kennedy, Director of Ford Racing Communication, that said Ford had taken “unprecedented measures to keep Carl Edwards at Roush Fenway Racing adding “we’ve helped out with an offer we have never done before for another driver. We’ve been in racing for 110 years and I don’t think we’ve ever done this before.” Kennedy, as expected, offered no details regarding what the offer exactly was but did say that they considered Carl Edwards to be “the face of Ford Racing” and wanted him to remain at RFR.

    Meanwhile, back at the JGR headquarters, there was speculation that said Home Depot was more than one hundred percent behind any and all efforts to get Edwards in the seat of their race car. That speculation also said that Home Depot was more than tired of taking a NASCAR back seat to their largest competitor Lowes Home Improvement Centers the sponsor of Jimmie Johnson’s five consecutive Sprint Cup championships. It seems that Home Depot was especially tired of being referred to as: “that OTHER home improvement center of NASCAR”. One even has to think that Home Depot officials winced a little as they watched Paul Menard win his first ever Cup race in a car sponsored by Menard’s Home Improvement Stores, one of their larger regional competitors.

    Eventually the bony finger of speculation pointed at Joey Logano, the current driver of the JGR-Home Depot #20 Toyota. From the very beginning of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, the media dubbed him “the best thing since sliced bread.” But in recent weeks there was some mean spirited speculation that claimed “the bread” may have developed some mold and Logano’s days with JGR might be numbered. All during this time Logano, and crew chief Greg Zipadelli, continually stated that no one had said a word to them regarding a change in their status for next year. That was quickly reinforced by J D Gibbs, JGR President, who said Logano would remain an integral part of their new four team operation if indeed they did sign Edwards.

    But the speculation theorists reminded us that a fourth JGR team would require signing a major sponsor. At the end of July came a rumor that stated Napa Auto Parts was going to terminate their long term association with Michael Waltrip Racing and were going to spend their “Napa Know How” money with JGR as the sponsor of their fourth team driven by Logano. That speculation was quickly quashed by a spokesman from Waltrip Racing who reminded us that their contract with the auto parts chain was through the 2012 season and Napa was fully committed to honoring the deal.

    In the final days of July, heading into early August, the speculation really became amped up. There was a rumor that said Edwards had actually been seen in a bright orange racing shirt participating in a publicity photo shoot inside of an undisclosed Home Depot store.

    There was also speculation that said Edwards planned to announce his future plans in September during the NASCAR weekend at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. That’s when the speculation theorists went into overdrive. They quickly pointed out that the Edwards announcement would be made at this time because the official corporate headquarters of Home Depot is located in -you guessed it-Atlanta-Georgia.

    All through this maze of speculation, Carl Edwards remained tight lipped about his contract negotiations and made it crystal clear that his focus was placed on winning more races this season and capturing the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Good for him. Contract negotiations should conducted in the private offices of a racing team and not in some public arena such as a track media center. Edwards also made it clear that the only contract he has signed was with Jack Roush three years ago.

    Also very quiet through this process were officials from AFLAC Insurance, Edwards’ long time primary sponsor. Their contract with RFR also ends this year and is the next major focal point of the negotiating process. It’s widely believed that AFLAC wants to remain with Edwards and were patiently waiting for his decision. It’s also widely believed that they were prepared to move to JGR with him if that’s what he decided. Even the seemingly unflappable AFLAC Duck had nothing to say concerning Edwards’ next career move.

    Now it’s all over. The decision has been made and Carl Edwards can move on to the most important piece of business of all: winning the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. But wasn’t it fun to examine all of these clues while trying to determine how this story was going to end? I know I enjoyed it. It was almost like watching an episode of “Law And Order.”

    There’s one remaining piece of speculation that needs to be cleared up. That would be the rumor that said the AFLAC Duck, this past Thursday, flew over the Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters and dropped some “pellets” on their front porch. That untrue speculation was the handy work of my long time racing buddy, “Six Pack Eddie” who likes to spend the wee hours of the morning sending “Twitter” messages when he should be getting some sleep.

  • WGI’s President Michael Printup Says There’s Lots Going on in 2011

    WGI’s President Michael Printup Says There’s Lots Going on in 2011

    Earlier this spring Watkins Glen International Speedway President Michael Printup fed the rumor mill about things that might happen at the track in 2011. Two of those things were very unique events, a car swap between a Formula One and a NASCAR driver and a concert / festival by a “jam” band with a fanatical following. Printup, a user of social media took to Twitter to announce on March 18th, “I think I am going Phishing this weekend!”, then said shortly afterwards, again via Twitter, “hopefully we will have some big racing news soon coming from The Glen!!! and there is one more surprise out there as well!!! Stayed tuned!!!”

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”197″][/media-credit]Although many don’t remember the track had hosted Summer Jam in 1973 headlined by the Grateful Dead and it drew more people than Woodstock a few years earlier. Subsequent laws were passed restricting this type of event there but those were reversed in the fall of 2010. So the rumors about Phish going there started in the fall and continued into the spring of 2011. The rumors about the car swap also circulated for some time and Printup just fed fans and media little morsels of information about both events. He played it perfectly as both events came to fruition and were successful.

    The track and area has a storied past but there was a time back in the early 1980’s that saw the track fall into disrepair after Formula One stopped racing there. Eventually it was saved by a partnership between Corning Enterprises (a division of Corning Inc.) and International Speedway Corporation (ISC), the company that owns Daytona International Speedway and many other race tracks. A lot has changed at Watkins Glen International Speedway since then and it’s near demise, one change was the addition of the Glen Club, a facility that hosts V.I.P.’s. On March 6, 2007 the club burned down. Since then the track had used temporary facilities to replace the structure that hosted V.I.P. for track events and private parties. For this season that facility has been replaced with a permanent building. It’s just one of the many projects that the track’s president, Printup, has initiated and completed under his short tenure.

    Printup, a native of Hamburg N.Y., was named president of the track in June of 2009. According to his profile available from ISC, Printup has a long history of working in professional sports. From 2005 through mid 2007 Printup was vice president of 380 Development LLC where he was the project manager for the development and implementation of a racetrack in Staten Island, N.Y. The company later abandoned the project after reported difficulties with local government representatives being just one of the problems.

    From there Printup went to the Michigan International Speedway where he was the senior director of facility management. In that position he headed up all business and facility development. He also headed up new business initiatives at the track and managed almost $30 million in projects.

    Speedway Media caught up with Printup on one of the hottest days of 2011 and he spoke about both of those rumored events mentioned earlier. “It’s been a fantastic year,” Printup said. “I know it’s been the busiest our track management has ever been. Between the ‘car swap’, planning for the Phish show, something really outside of the box that we just did, it’s been busy. We have the track rented almost every single day from the middle of April until November 1 so there’s not much peace that can be had up at Watkins Glen. We all love it and we’re having a very busy and now hot summer.” Printup then explained that although it was very hot the elevation of the track still allowed for nice breezes.

    When asked about new things for 2011 at the track he said, “It’s been another busy year on our capital improvement program. I got here in 2009 and we took a totally different review of what we were doing from a capital improvement project list. We’re fortunate because the company has really been supportive of the changes that we made and of our strategic plan and our master plan.” For this year he said, “We have put in camping amenities, about $500,000 worth. We added a bunch of stuff over at Gate 1 (camping area), new lights, additional water, and better parking. We added showers. The Crown Royal Club is now a permanent structure. We put up 4 new grandstands in areas that we used to rent grandstands. So it’s providing a much, much, better experience. In the last 7 or 8 years we’ve put almost $28 million into the place. This year alone we’ve put in about $3.3 million. And I’m very proud to say all with New York State construction companies and vendors as well.”

    Printup’s position is that the fans need to be catered to and notice how hard the track works to get things right for them, “The whole goal is to take care of the fans. I wish I could fix everything in a year. I lobby and we end up with a strong strategic plan. The goal for me and my team is for the fans to recognize a change every single time they come back to the track.” One thing he mentioned was making it better all around the track. “We bought $100,000 worth of picnic tables alone just to spread throughout the grandstands instead of people camping on the grass and laying there,” he said. He also wants to finish adding more permanent grandstand seats a project that fans will see is half-way completed when they get there.

    Obviously the premier NASCAR series stop at the track is a highlight of the year but 2011 saw a really special event when NASCAR’s Tony Stewart and F-1’s Lewis Hamilton swapped their rides at the track. “My short term dream event was that car swap,” Printup said of the event in early June. “That was literally one of the first phone calls I made when I became track president. The vice president of Mobil is a very good friend of mine and I’ve known him for over a decade. I said, ‘you know where I’m at?’ He said, ‘Yes’ and I said ‘first I need Mobil 1 as the official oil’, he told me to ‘go to hell’. He said, ‘not a chance; I’m not spending money at race tracks.’ Number two I said, ‘let’s copy what Indianapolis did with Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya and let’s do a car swap.’ He said, ‘That we might be able to do.’ I did that in July of 2009. It took two years to get done. In the last year we worked really, really hard on it.”

    One thing that did come from that swap was the idea of racing the “boot” section of the track during the NASCAR race. Tony Stewart and according to Printup, Juan Pablo Montoya are on board with NASCAR racing on that section of the track.

    “I would like to see it and I will lobby, heck I already have lobbied, with NASCAR but we’re going to take it one step at a time,” he said about seeking permission to use the infamous boot section. “I met with a few of the NASCAR executives the week after the car swap. I sat down with them and said, ‘I know it’s premature to be barking up a storm about racing the boot but let me take a look at a few capital things first.’ Then he explained why he couldn’t do it right away. “You don’t want to just open up the boot and not have a plan. I would have to pave the sand trap in turn 8. I wouldn’t want to do it before then. I would want to consider, do we want to add any seats? Even if it’s limited bleachers. Camping. There are just so many things to go through. So I told NASCAR, ‘give me at least a year to think about this and maybe in 2012 I’ll come back and lobby you and maybe we run Nationwide on the boot.’ We could start there and just how it goes.”

    Printup has great plans for the infamous track in the finger lakes of central N.Y. and wants to makes fans want to come back. But one thing he did say was that the possibility of a Formula One race at Watkins Glen was remote. “You’re picking my dream event,” he said when asked about F-1 racing there. “To have a NASCAR and Formula One facility would be unbelievable. But Bernie Ecclestone (Formula One Management CEO and President) is a tough cracker. I’ve been involved in this for a long time. I am a Formula One and NASCAR freak and fan. I just know of anyone that is paying Bernie, $25 million a year in a sanctioning fee here. We couldn’t sustain that business. We would be selling tickets at 1,000 bucks apiece. Then you’d just out price all the fans that truly, truly love the Glen for its road course, technical abilities, it’s a drivers course. It just wouldn’t make sense.” He said, “They want to be in New York City, Chicago, L.A., now they’re going to be in Austin Tx. Which is fantastic. That would be my dream event. That’s a long way away.”

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE TRICKY TRIANGLE TO THE SECOND POWER

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE TRICKY TRIANGLE TO THE SECOND POWER

    The tricky triangle to the second power simply means that NASCAR’s Sprint Cup teams will be making their second visit of the year to one of the most challenging tracks on their schedule: the Pocono Raceway and Sunday’s running of the Good Sam RV Insurance 500.

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Located in Long Pond-Pennsylvania, this 2.5 mile three turn, triangular shaped, speedway can easily tax the patience of both the drivers and the crew chiefs. For the drivers, 500 miles around this track is physically demanding. Over the years there has been well versed opinions among the Sprint Cup drivers that said the distance of the two annual Pocono events should be shortened to 400 miles. The other element the drivers will have to deal with on Sunday is the unique shape of the track. It has one extremely long straightaway with two shorter straights in between the nearly flat three turns.

    The Pocono Raceway is equally tough on crew chiefs because the track’s massive size and unique shape will be extremely demanding on their car’s engines and transmissions. A proper gear selection is a must for these crew chiefs because they’re only going to have one shot getting it right. The crew chiefs will also have to deal with handling issues all day long because it’s virtually impossible to get a car’s set up perfect for the entire track. They will have to decide which part of the track where their drivers will need superior handling and where handling sacrifices may have to be made.

    Track position is always going to be important at any NASCAR Sprint Cup venue. On a massive 2.5 mile track this element is going to be crucial. Drivers will have to push their cars to the edge during qualifying to gain the best starting position and best pit stall selection possible. During the race there will be additional pressure on the pit crews to get their driver out as quickly as possible in order to gain track position.

    Any one of the drivers and teams who can master all of these elements, and get them as close to perfect as the track will allow, will develop “Pocono Power” and will have a genuine shot at parking in victory lane. For the teams who struggle with these elements it could turn out to be a long day in Long Pond.

    THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN

    This week we turn to the professionals from “The Las Vegas Insider”, (LVI), to take a look at their numbers so we can determine who may have “Pocono Power” and who may have that unfortunate long day in Long Pond.

    To no real surprise Jimmie Johnson, and the #48 Hendrick Motorsports team, tops the LVI list this week at 4 to 1 odds. Johnson is second in the current championship standings only 11 points away from first and is also a previous race winner. With only six races remaining, before the cut off date that determines the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship, his starting berth in the Chase seems to be assured and his determination to win a sixth, consecutive, championship also appears to be on track. This is also a racing organization that will arriving in Pennsylvania this week with “Pocono Power.” Johnson’s numbers there are very strong and includes two wins, seven top five finishes, 13 top ten finishes and a very healthy average finish ratio, (AFR), of 9.3.

    Second on the LVI list this week is another Hendrick Motorsports driver. Jeff Gordon, at 5 to 1 odds, is literally loaded with “Pocono Power.” He’s a five time winner at the tricky triangle and, over the years, has collected 17 top fives, 26 top tens along with an AFR of 10.3. His Chase status also appears to be locked in. He’s a two time race winner this year and is currently seventh in the championship standings. Like his team mate, Johnson, he’s a rock solid wager consideration.

    Denny Hamlin is ranked third by the LVI this week and backed with 6 to 1 odds. Despite a surprisingly rough start to the 2011 season, Hamlin worked his way to tenth in the points standings only to fall back to 11th following a disappointing outing at Indianapolis last Sunday. He’s a previous race winner this year and if he can find a second win it could possibly lock him into the top ten and a Chase berth or at least guarantee him one of the two wild card berths. That could happen this Sunday because Hamlin also has “Pocono Power.” He’s a four time winner there with seven top fives, eight top tens and a healthy AFR 9.2.

    At 7 to 1 odds you will find Tony Stewart. A top ten last Sunday moved him to ninth in the points standings but he needs that elusive first win of the season to make a Chase berth a little more secure. That could happen at Pocono because he’s a two time winner there and has nine top fives, 18 top tens and his AFR is 11.9. Stewart is a very solid wager consideration this Sunday.

    At 8 to 1 odds is current points leader Carl Edwards who is another previous race winner this year who also has “Pocono Power.” His driver stats there includes two wins, five top fives, six top tens and a 14.3 AFR. One might think that Edwards may be somewhat distracted by the drama of his contract status and what team he’s going to drive for in 2012. But it appears that whenever he puts his racing helmet on the distraction goes away. At 8 to 1 he’s a solid wager consideration.

    In the LVI’s 10 to 1 group you will find the tandem of Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick both, of whom, are three time race winners this year and certainly are bound for the Chase line up. Kyle Busch’s numbers at Pocono are not that strong. He’s still looking for his first win there, only has three top five finishes and a marginal AFR of 18.6. The difference maker here is this driver’s talent and that’s why he’s ranked at 10 to 1. Harvick is also seeking his first Pocono win. In the past he’s logged five top five finishes and has an AFR of 14.0. Both of these drivers are very good long shot wager considerations.

    The LVI has Kurt Busch ranked at 12 to 1 odds for the Pocono race and he could also become a good long shot wager. At sixth in the points standings, with a win, his Chase standings appear to be solid and he’s free to concentrate on collecting more wins. His “Pocono Power” includes two wins, eight top fives, 11 top tens and a 16.1 AFR.

    The LVI’s middle tier is led by Matt Kenseth at 15 to 1. He’s fifth in the points with two wins meaning he’s also virtually free to pursue victory lane without worrying about his Chase status. Kenseth is still seeking his first Pocono win but he does have three top fives there and a 14.1 AFR.

    Listed at 18 to 1 odds are drivers Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer who are 13th and 12th respectively in the points. Biffle is the defending race champion. However, he’s still win less this year and if he’s going to make the Chase he needs a win right now. In fact two wins over the next six races would be a big help. The same scenario applies to Bowyer.

    At 25 to 1 you will find the trio of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. Earnhardt’s free fall from third to tenth in the points has been well documented. He badly needs a win, or at least a very strong finish, to insure he doesn’t fall out of the top ten and hamper his Chase position. Unfortunately Pocono may not be the track for him. He’s win less there but does have five top finishes. His Pocono AFR is 17.4. Newman is in much better shape in terms of the Chase. He’s eighth in the standings with a previous win. He also has good Pocono numbers that includes a win, six top fives, eight top tens and a 13.1 AFR

    In the next LVI group is Joey Logano at 30 to 1. At 35 to 1 are a quarter of drivers featuring Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Burton and Kasey Kahne who is a former Pocono winner. From this group Mark Martin stands out as being the most interesting. He’s never won at Pocono but he has finished second there six times. He also holds the series records for most top five finishes at 19 and most top tens at 33. This is backed with a healthy 11.2 AFR. If you have a tendency to stretch your wager budget to include a legitimate long shot then Martin is your driver.

    In the bottom tier of this week’s LVI rankings you will find drivers David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Martin Truex Jr, David Ragan and A J Allmendinger at 40 to 1. All by himself, at 50 to 1, is Brad Keselowski who will be playing hurt on Sunday. Keselowski was at Road Atlanta on Wednesday for a test session when he slammed nose first into a retaining wall, without a SAFER barrier, at approximately 100 MPH. Penske Racing engineers said an apparent brake failure was responsible for the incident. He was airlifted to an area hospital with abrasions and a badly swollen right foot. The X-rays on the foot foot were negative. Keselowski said he will be in the car at Pocono on Sunday.

    Closing out the list this week is Paul Menard, last Sunday’s first time winner, at 60 to 1 followed by Marcos Ambrose at 80 to 1, Bobby Labonte at 100 to 1 and Regan Smith at 150 to 1. If you don’t see the name of your favorite driver on this listing that means the LVI has placed them in their all others category at 50 to 1 odds.

    Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants to remind you that these posted numbers are for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their events. But if you’re going to do it anyway, and many of you are, then you at least have the opinions of the professionals from the “Las Vegas Insider” to help you make an informed opinion.

    If you do change your mind about placing a wager, then you might want to consider sending a contribution to NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran Morgan Shepherd and his Faith Motorsports team. The word from the garage says that, unless something turns around within the next two races, Shepherd may have to put his team up for sale. This 69 year old inspirational man should leave NASCAR racing because he decided to retire and not because he was forced to quit.

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Good Sam RV Insurance 500 is 200 laps/500 miles around the Pocono Raceway’s mammoth 2.5 mile triangle shaped track.

    The race has 47 entries. 12 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a start in the race because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to earn a berth in the starting line up.

    Believe it or not, the Pocono Raceway opened in 1968 as a three quarter mile oval. The mammoth facility we now today ran its first race in 1971.

    The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held there in 1974 and was won by Richard Petty. Since that time there has been 66 Cup races at Pocono that has sent 29 different winners to victory lane. Bill Elliot holds the track record for most wins at five. Hendrick Motorsports holds the track record for most team wins at 11.

    Track position is extremely important while racing on a facility of this size. The track qualifying record, 172.533 MPH, was set by Kasey Kahne back in June of 2004. Of the 66 Sprint Cup races held at Pocono, 13 of them have been won from the pole position while 47 of 66 has been won from staring positions within the top ten. Only four races has been won from starting positions outside of the top 20.

    The Pocono Raceway is known as the tricky triangle but, if you look at an aerial photo of the track, it actually resembles a giant coat hanger. It’s basically a three turn flat track. There’s 14 degrees of banking in turn one, eight degrees in turn 2 also known as the tunnel turn and six degrees in turn three. The track’s primary straightaway measures 3,740 feet. The Long Pond straight, between turns one and two, is 3,055 feet long while the North straight, between turns two and three, only measures 1,780.

    The pit road speed is 55 MPH. The estimated pit window is 32 to 34 laps. The speedway presently has seating for 100,000 fans.

    The weather could become an obstacle during the NASCAR weekend at Pocono. The Long Pond-Pennsylvania forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms on Saturday evening and a 40 percent chance of precipitation on race day Sunday. The Pocono Raceway has a fleet of ten jet dryers that can completely dry the track in about two hours.

    The Good Sam RV Insurance 500 will be broadcast live by ESPN beginning at 1 pm eastern time. The re air will be Wednesday, August 10th, at 12 pm eastern on the SPEED Channel.

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A NATIONWIDE SERIES SHOWDOWN IN IOWA

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A NATIONWIDE SERIES SHOWDOWN IN IOWA

    The teams from the NASCAR Nationwide Series are now on the way to Newton-Iowa for Saturday night’s running of the U.S. Cellular 250 at the Iowa Speedway. This beautiful seven-eighths of a mile oval, designed by Rusty Wallace and Associates, has been the scene of some outstanding racing in front of sell out crowds and the same is expected for the Nationwide Series race Saturday night. In fact, don’t be too surprised if the Iowa race turns out to be one of the better events during the upcoming motorsports weekend.

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN

    [media-credit name=”Adam Lovelace” align=”alignright” width=”217″][/media-credit]The Iowa Speedway event is the second race in the Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash, a bonus program designed to reward NASCAR Nationwide Series championship contenders. Drivers Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson and Michael Annett are eligible for a $100,000 bonus to be paid to the highest finisher of the four in the race. Sorenson, who won the first Dash 4 Cash bonus at Daytona, has the possibility of winning $1 million over the course of the four select races.

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

    Speaking of the four drivers in the Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash program, they will be busy on Friday participating in a very special competition for charity. Allgaier, Leffler, Sorenson and Annett will be visiting the Living History Farms, located in Urbandale-Iowa, to take part in a series of Iowa style contests that includes a horse drawn carriage showdown, cow milking and corn shelling. The winner will receive a $4,000 gift to be donated to the charity of his choice.

    **********

    The Nationwide Series will be bringing a very tight championship points race to Iowa this weekend. Following a strong run at the Lucas Oil Raceway last weekend, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr reclaimed the series’ points lead. However, it’s only a three point advantage over Turner Motorsport’s Reed Sorenson. Stenhouse became the third different points leader in the last three races.

    ***********

    With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing in Pocono-Pennsylvania on Sunday there will not be a huge influx of double duty Cup drivers on the entry list of the Iowa race. In fact, there’s only two of them: Carl Edwards and Joe Nemechek. The schedule of racing on both sides of the country during the same weekend is going to be very tight for these drivers. However the concept of rented helicopters, private jets and the difference in time zones should get them through that process.

    Edwards will be a major part of the weekend story lines for a completely different reason. After literally weeks of rumors, regarding which Sprint Cup team he will be driving for in 2012, the official announcement came on Thursday morning that he has signed a new multi-year contract to remain with Roush Fenway Racing and the Ford Motor Company.

    Brad Keselowski, like Edwards, has also been racing the full time Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series schedules this year. However he will not be in Iowa on Saturday due to injuries sustained in a crash during a Wednesday test session at Road Atlanta. The Roger Penske Racing driver hit the one retaining wall at the track that does not have a SAFER barrier attached to it at approximately 100 MPH following an apparent brake failure. He was airlifted to a nearby Atlanta hospital where he was treated for abrasions and extreme swelling in his right foot. Thankfully, the X-rays on the foot injury turned out to be negative.

    While he fully plans to drive in Sunday’s Cup race at Pocono, Penske Racing decided that double duty in Iowa was out of the question. Driver Parker Kligerman, who drives for Penske in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, will be sent to Iowa to practice the Nationwide Series car on Friday. Sam Hornish Jr will be taking care of the qualifying and racing duties on Saturday.

    ***********

    The entry list for Saturday’s race includes three up and coming drivers. Joe Gibbs Racing will again have development driver Drew Herring in their #20 Sport Clips Toyota and, for the second race in a row, Michael McDowell will be behind the wheel of Gibbs’ #18 Pizza Ranch Toyota.

    Kevin Harvick Inc is sending west coast driver David Mayhew to Iowa to drive their #33 Chevrolet with sponsorship from Rheem and Menards. For those of you who are not familiar with that name, Mayhew is a very talented driver who has been doing very well this year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Racing fans who dwell out here on the “left coast” has watched the progress of this young driver since he began driving late models while still in high school. We are all very proud of him.

    ***********

    You will also hear a lot about “Danica Mania” this weekend. It now appears that Danica Patrick is very close to signing a contract that will bring her to NASCAR’s Nationwide Series full time in 2012 driving a Dale Earnhardt Jr owned Chevrolet campaigned by J R Motorsports. Patrick will also be making her Sprint Cup debut next year and will drive in some selected races in a car owned by Stewart Haas Racing. Part of the final negotiations reportedly involves a ways and mean to compete in the Indianapolis 500, an event near and dear to this driver’s heart. It’s also been reported that an official announcement is pending the securing of an official release from Andretti Autosport, her current Indy Racing League team.

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

    It’s sad to note that severe financial restraints may curtail, and possibly conclude, the illustrious NASCAR Nationwide Series career of Morgan Shepherd and his Victory In Jesus team. The 69 year old ageless wonder, truly one of the most inspirational people in NASCAR racing, will be at the Iowa race and plans to race the following two events after that. Sadly, the August 20th road course race in Montreal could be his last ever run. The problem is the high cost and tires and especially the even higher cost of racing engines. Shepherd said this week if they could find a sponsor to help with the engine expenses then they would be handle the rest. Unless someone steps up with some financial help soon the team will likely shut down operations and be sold. Here’s hoping something turns up for this very popular driver. Morgan Shepherd should leave NASCAR racing because he decided to retire and not because he was forced out by finances.

    **********

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The U.S. Cellular 250 is 250 laps/218.75 miles around the Iowa Speedway’s seven-eighths of a mile oval.

    The race has 43 entries vying for 43 starting spots. That means all entries will get to race and the go or go home qualifying procedure will not apply for Saturday night’s race.

    This will be the fourth NASCAR sanctioned event at the Iowa Speedway this year. The previous events were complete sell outs and Saturday night’s race is expected to do the same.

    The U.S. Cellular 250 will be broadcast live by the ESPN2 Network, beginning with the “Countdown” show, at 7 pm eastern time.