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Steve Letarte: Encouragement Key to Crew Chiefing Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

When listening to the in-race audio channel for the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, many credit crew chief Steve Letarte with being the consummate cheerleader and encourager for his driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

[media-credit name=”Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”220″][/media-credit]While Letarte admits that he is a positive kind of guy, he also credits NASCAR’s most popular driver as being equally encouraging.

“Being positive is not something that I consciously do,” Letarte said. “I think it’s just my personality.”

“Mr. Hendrick is big into personality tests and I’m a green,” Letarte continued. “I normally look at the brighter side of things.”

“They all think it’s a plan or a theory on how we’re going to run the best,” Letarte said. “It’s just who I am and how I work.”

“I’ve always worked this way,” Letarte continued. “I worked the same way with Jeff (Gordon) and Mr. Hendrick decided that I’d work very well with Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) and so far it’s worked out.”

“It’s different for each race car driver but for Dale, I think being upbeat on the radio helps him,” Letarte said. “But there’s a line too. You can’t be a cheerleader with no facts, because that gets old and you kind of see right through it.”

“I think Dale understands that I’m realistic about what I’m talking about and I’m not going to sit there and try to motivate him to do things I don’t think we are capable of doing,” Letarte said. “I think we’ve found a very good line of what’s a realistic goal and then we try to motivate and encourage each other to get to those goals.”

“And it’s worked,” Letarte continued. “Dale’s done a tremendous job in the race car and he’s encouraged us and given us a lot of confidence in ourselves setting up race cars.”

“His driving style suits our cars very well,” Letarte said. “So, overall it’s been a success. It’s still early but so far, so good.”

While Letarte admits that his team owner no doubt purposely paired him with Earnhardt, Jr., he feels that a positive and encouraging crew chief is good for any driver, particularly at NASCAR’s highest level, the Sprint Cup Series.

“It’s good for anybody,” Letarte said. “I always put myself in their shoes.”

“The difference between a crew chief and a race car driver is that I can take a break,” Letarte continued. “I can get down off the pit box and go get a water and relax and take a 30 second break from the race, and they can’t.”

Letarte has indeed learned his encouraging crew chief style from some of the best in the business, from Ray Evernham to Robbie Loomis, both former crew chiefs for four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

“The biggest thing I’ve done is been able to work with so many good motivators and encouragers that I’ve been able to take a piece of all of them,” Letarte said. “Ray (Evernham) was the ultimate motivator.”

“Ray motivated by the fear of not being good enough,” Letarte continued. “Robbie (Loomis) was the opposite. He motivated with the excitement of being good enough.”

“And I try to be somewhere in the middle,” Letarte said. “I want everybody to have enough desire to try and succeed but at the same time be balanced.”

While Letarte works hard to be that consummate encourager and motivator, Letarte admits that he sometimes succumbs to the dark side.

“I’m the guy that everyone has to be careful of because I’m a little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Letarte admits. “I’m really, really easy going but when practice or the race starts, I’m really, really not.”

“The guys that have been around me a long time have learned that and they almost go two separate ways because they know,” Letarte continued. “It gets some of the newer employees in trouble because they will come across light-hearted and I’m not light-hearted at that moment.”

Letarte also admits that he has little tolerance for driver to crew chief chatter that in any way is not encouraging or worse yet, berates the team. He acknowledges that his driver may get animated or excited but he would in no way allow his driver to throw the team under the bus.

“I don’t think I would have the tolerance that some of the other crew chiefs have,” Letarte said. “I’m fine with the driver being frustrated and I’m fine with him being animated or disappointed.”

“But I’m not OK with any personal attacks on the race team or anyone on the team,” Letarte continued. “If you put me with a driver like that, we wouldn’t last very long.”

“I handle all my issues behind closed doors,” Letarte said. “That’s how Dale and I handle all our stuff.”

“We close the door and he can say anything he wants to me and I can say anything I want to him,” Letarte continued. “That’s the only way you can move forward.”

With that open communication style, Letarte is most encouraged that his driver, and most important, his team will soon be in Victory Lane.

“I am absolutely hungry for a win,” Letarte said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Victory Lane.”

“Of course, I would like to get to Victory Lane but more than anything else, my driver and these guys deserve to get to Victory Lane,” Letarte said. “I have a group of guys who have stuck with me through the ups and downs. They work tireless hours. They’re the guys that deserve to have that feeling.”

Given that he has not been to the winner’s circle yet this season, to whom does Steve Letarte turn to when he needs a little encouragement? For that, he moves from his driver and race team to his family for encouragement, particularly his children.

“I think having kids has also helped me,” Letarte said. “I have a 5 and 7 year old so maybe I take things a little slower and enjoy it a little more.”

“Family, I think, it puts it all in perspective,” Letarte said. “I remember in 2005 when I took over as crew chief, we went to Martinsville and we won.”

“And I came home and I was so excited and my little boy at the time was not quite two and he could have cared less,” Letarte continued. “He didn’t even realize there was a race that day.”

“I realized at that point that the whole world didn’t revolve around the garage and the whole world didn’t revolve around my performance at the race track,” Letarte said. “And while that’s hard to understand because you’re caught up in it so much, that’s true.”

“Life is way more important than your job,” Letarte continued. “While our jobs here feel like life, and they are, at some point you have to pull away.”

“I think that’s my ticket as I have an outlet outside this garage where I spend time with my kids and my family,” Letarte said. “I realize at that point that the world’s not coming to an end if we run bad.”

“I enjoy my job and I love what I do,” Letarte continued. “I don’t take that for granted. I love to race but I race for a living.”

“At the same time it’s important to be successful and to be successful in this sport, it’s all about having to run well on Sunday afternoon,” Letarte said. “And that’s what Dale Junior and I encourage each other to do.”

May 17, 2011
Looking at the FedEx 400 through the Rear View Mirror…

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]I’m not sure what to take from this past weekend’s Dover race. We saw pure excitement, and thrill during Saturday’s Nationwide race, but got the complete opposite during Sunday’s running of the FedEx 400. Sunday was dominated predominately by 2 drivers, Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards.

Post Race Stats:

Winner: Matt Kenseth (Led 33 laps; 2 tire pit stop at the end put him in a position to win)
Led Most Laps: Jimmie Johnson (Led 207 laps)
Most Improved Driver: Brian Vickers (Marked the 1yr anniversary of his absence from NASCAR, finished P5)
Most Disappointing Driver: Denny Hamlin (Finished P16, can’t seem to get over that “hump”)

For over 75% of the race, I was almost convinced the winner would be either Jimmie Johnson, or Carl Edwards. I kept up with Matt Kenseth’s lap times, and current position on Twitter, and knew he had a really fast car, but didn’t know if he could beat those two. There was a period of time in the beginning when Matt Kenseth drove from his starting position of P24 to P3, before the competition yellow.

With just under 40 laps left in the FedEx 400, drivers were forced to make one last pit stop, and their crews knew they had to remain flawless! Leaders, Johnson and Edwards, took 4 tires thinking it would keep them up front, but Matt Kenseth, and Jimmy Fennig had a different idea. The plan for Kenseth was to take 4 tires, but just before Kenseth entered his pit, he keyed his mic “You sure you don’t want to try 2?” at that very moment, Kenseth said “2 tires, 2 tires”. Fennig gave word to his crew in just enough time for everyone to be on the same page. Kenseth’s final stop was smooth and quick, something the “Killer Bees” take a lot of pride in.

Matt was first off pit road, but lined up just behind Mark Martin, who decided not to pit. Within 2 laps Kenseth worked the inside of Martin to take the lead, and did not look back! About 20 laps left, Joey got really loose right in front of Kenseth, shooting Joey up into the wall. Kenseth said later “I was praying he would get down to the apron, before they flew the yellow, lining up was the last thing I wanted to do at that point!”

Matt has now won twice this year, he is now tied with Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch for 2 wins this season. With 2 wins in this new point system, it almost guarantees the driver a spot in the chase. This race was won not by the “dominant” car, but a “dominant” call made all the difference.

Next up: The Sprint All-Star Race from Charlotte, NC

Until next time- “Let’s go racin’ boys!” – DW

May 17, 2011
Brad Keselowski – He Protests Too Much?

Brad Keselowski is one of the bright young talents in NASCAR racing. He’s won a Nationwide Series championship and even had a surprise win at Talladega in the Sprint Cup series, but this weekend’s strange behavior makes one wonder about what his agenda really is. Keselowski had a good car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Fed Ex 200 race at Dover International Speedway, but the circumstances of the final laps left him with a crashed race car and a less than stellar finish. What happened next was certainly strange.

[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”233″][/media-credit]As the race came down to its conclusion, it was between Carl Edwards and Joey Logano for the win. As is usually the case, late cautions caused the race to go to the two lap green-white-checker finish to settle things. This policy was established a couple of years ago so that fans could always, or nearly always, see a race finish under green flag conditions. Edwards and Logano fought hard to win the race. That is a requirement of their jobs. Edwards got inside of Logano and the driver of the Joe Gibbs Toyota entry seemed to get loose and slide up toward the wall. Edwards got by, but Logano slammed the wall, came back across the track and slammed into Clint Bowyer whose car got on its side and nearly jumped the wall separating the track from the pits. Both cars were junk. Edwards won the race.

Edwards was shaken, deciding to not do his customary back flip. Visibly upset, Edwards stopped to check on Logano and Bowyer and headed to victory lane. Finally, when Edwards was given a taped recording of the final lap, did he settled down. He did not hit Logano. It was hard racing, That wasn’t enough for Keselowski.

In an interview on the telecast, Keselowski, asked to explain what happened in those final laps, said it seemed that Edwards had hit Logano to get past him and win the race. When presented with the evidence that Edwards had indeed not touched Logano, Keselowski went into a long explanation of how aerodynamics can cause a car to get loose and probably that was what Edwards had done to get past Logano. Never mind that this has been done forever. When going for the win, you do what you have to do.

To add insult to injury, those listening to Sirius Radio’s post-race coverage with Claire B. Lang, a caller said Keselowski had tweeted the same thing and that the driver was trying to call it. He finally got through to Lang to go into his long explanation of how fans do not know what happens on the track and how a driver can pass another and not hit them. His caveat that he considered it hard racing and not “dirty” was a veiled attempt to hide his real agenda.

If we go back to the April 26, 2009. Keselowski was in a car owned by James Finch, and as usually is the case, found he in line for the win. He was behind Edwards on the final lap. Edwards blocked Keselowski on the low side and Keselowski, knowing that going lower and across the “yellow line,” drove into Edwards at the end and won the race. Edwards’ car was propelled into the catchfence along the tri-oval and came to earth as a piece of scrap metal. Keslowski was his only Sprint Cup race on that day.

Memories are long and Edwards retaliated against Keselowski in a couple of races, resulting in horrible crashes . At one point, Keselowski’s father, NASCAR veteran, Bob Keselowski, had harsh words for Edwards. Apparently, Keselowski still hasn’t gotten beyond that.

To add insult to injury, Keselowski found Kyle Busch’s actions in the final laps objectional. Busch, in the midst of the storm on that final run, ran into Keselowski. Keselowski found objection with that, saying that he “owed Busch one.” Keselowski not only headed to his Twitter account to state his point of view, which is refreshing and wonderful, he took the media to task, saying that they had no right to say Edwards was not at fault in his skirmish with Logano and that there weren’t really good people in the television booths (he said that wasn’t the case with radio, meaning NASCAR’s MRN). In others words, they didn’t agree with him.

Me thinks Brad protests too much. It’s time for him to realize that some things just happen in racing, especially on the last lap with the win on the line. He should know. He must have forgotten that day in April two years ago, but my father always told me that those things are always lost from the memory bank. Keselowski is young and he is learning. I hope.,

May 17, 2011
DeLana Harvick’s Advice for Women in Business: Be Who You Are

DeLana Harvick, co-owner of Kevin Harvick, Inc., was recently recognized as an extraordinary businesswoman and for her outstanding contributions to her profession by The Business Journal at their 12^th annual Women in Business Awards ceremony.

While Harvick was flattered, as well as surprised to be counted in such great company, she shared just one piece of advice to all women in business, “Be who you are.”

“Honestly, it caught me off guard,” Harvick said of her award. “I was really honored to be included in such an impressive group of women.”

“When I got there, I really enjoyed learning about all the other accomplishments that these fourteen women had made in their lives,” Harvick continued. “Accolades and awards, it’s not that they don’t mean much to me, they do. But in order to be included in such an impressive group actually means more to me.”

“The awards are really flattering, but I would say to anyone, just be you,” Harvick said. “Be who you are.”

Harvick was nominated for the award by UNC Greensboro, where she graduated from college. She was specifically honored for turning a negative, the wearing of the fire suit issue, into a positive, using the controversy to develop a T-shirt which raised money for charity.

Harvick’s role in the sport of NASCAR was also honored, particularly as a female team owner in a primarily male-dominated sport.

“To me, I grew up in the sport so I never really viewed this as a male-dominated sport,” Harvick said. “Clearly it has been in the past, but in the last ten years or so you can see the impact that women have had in the sport from the business side and even women engineers and drivers.”

“This was where I was going to be whether it was male-dominated or not.”

Harvick has indeed been involved in the sport, growing up in fact as the only daughter of a racer. Her father, John Paul Linville, was a contractor by profession but a racer by passion, sinking all of his earnings into his race car and shop.

“When I grew up and my dad raced in the Nationwide/Late Model Sportsman/Busch Grand National Series, we didn’t have a lot of money,” Harvick said. “My dad was a contractor and what he was able to put into the racing is what he made. There were no sponsors so I really learned a whole different side of the business based on how I grew up in the sport.”

“I spotted for my dad and I did the travel,” Harvick continued. “I learned by just having to do.”

“I’m a doer and I think that has played a big part into why Kevin and I and KHI are successful because we both grew up that way,” Harvick said. “We both had to do things and were not handed things.”

Before KHI was even a glimmer in anyone’s eyes, however, DeLana Harvick as she was growing up wanted to be a racer herself.

“Growing up I always envisioned myself racing,” Harvick said. “But my dad was a very old-school, Southern kind of guy. Women didn’t do that at the time.”

“My dad was quite surprised with my level of determination about racing,” Harvick continued. “I definitely didn’t grow up the Southern belle that I think he may have wanted. So, I pushed and pushed and pushed but it just wasn’t something that he was willing let me do.”

“Our deal was that if I graduated college, he would get me a car,” Harvick said. “Well, he got me a chassis so I had to build me a car and that took, between trying to work and everything else, a couple of years after I graduated.”

“And at that point, I had met Kevin and really my life was in a different place,” Harvick continued. “So, it just never worked out for me.”

“I did run a late model and my dad and Kevin were both there at the time,” Harvick said. “But I don’t think either one of them could have taken it with their nerves. They just couldn’t bear it.”

“It never worked out and that’s okay,” Harvick said. “I think it was probably meant to be.”

Rather than being behind the wheel, Harvick graduated college and went to work interning at Performance PR Plus. She shadowed the staff who handled Jeff Gordon’s public relations at the height of the Gordon frenzy which she acknowledges was a great learning experience.

“I think that has served me well and I think I’ve probably gained the respect of people in this sport,” Harvick said. “I started out in PR so I certainly knew a lot of the media at that time. But I also knew a lot of the crew members, owners, and drivers because I had grown up in the sport.”

In addition to her mother and father, Harvick also credits role model, mentor and friend Richard Childress as one of the most important influences in her life.

“Richard (Childress) has been a very, very integral part of what Kevin and I have done,” Harvick said. “He’s always had the door open.”

“He could have easily have seen this as a distraction for Kevin but he hasn’t,” Harvick continued. “Richard has embraced everything that we’ve done and for that we have truly been fortunate.”

Harvick says that her other role models have been her parents, both of whom she admires for their passion and determination, especially after her father’s diagnosis of cancer when she was a young girl.

“When I was twelve, my dad was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer and they told him he only had six months to live,” Harvick said. “Well, he lived for over twenty years.”

“So, I think that spirit of pushing forward no matter what the challenges are, whether an illness or not having as much money as the guy parked next to you in the pits, is just to continue to press forward,” Harvick continued. “I learned so much from my dad in that aspect that really helped me in everything that I do.”

Although Harvick’s father passed away in November 2005, she is still quite close with her mother, who lives nearby her home and the race shop.

“While my dad went through his treatment, my mother had to work in order to support the family,” Harvick said. “I actually had gone to NC State for school and then came home because I had to take my dad to treatments while my mom worked.”

“I really admire my mom’s strength,” Harvick continued. “She is way more outgoing and fun-loving than I am. I’m more straightforward and focused like my dad. I admire that about her.”

Harvick has also learned from her parents, as well as through her own experience, that dealing with challenges is one of life’s most important lessons. She also credits having supports around her as a key element to her success.

“I have good days and bad days and some turn out better than others,” Harvick said. “You have to surround yourself with good people and come to the realization that you cannot do it all.”

What’s next for this accomplished woman, who has not only built her own career but also a thriving race team business?

“A lot of people assume that Cup has to be the next step,” Harvick said. “That’s interesting to me and I certainly believe that KHI has built a foundation that could support that.”

“Whether that happens or not, I don’t know,” Harvick continued. “I believe it has to be the right situation and the right time and place. And certainly sponsorship plays a huge part in that.”

“More than anything I think KHI solidifies our place in the sport,” Harvick said. “At some point when Kevin stops driving, and he will, we still have an avenue to be involved in a sport that we’re both passionate about.”

“So, I think that’s what I’m most proud of,” Harvick said. “You have to live out your dreams and do what makes you happy and what you’re passionate about, because you only get a chance to do this once.”

May 16, 2011
Dover is over, with the stars set to shine this Saturday night

Dover was all about two drivers, at least for much of it. Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. They took turns taking the lead, at least they did until Clint Bowyer joined the party. Round and round they went, three cars, Bowyer, Edwards, and Johnson, one destined to be the victor at Dover. Then came a caution with 35 laps to go, and what was was no longer. This script underwent a complete rewrite quicker than an upcoming episode of Two and a Half Men. Charlie was gone, along with Clint, Carl, and Jimmie, and a new cast of characters led the parade.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”235″][/media-credit]After the caution, and thanks to a two tire stop, Matt Kenseth was the one in a rocket. He charged to the front and went on to take his 20th career Cup victory with nary a challenger. It would appear what happened in Vegas did not need to stay there, but could migrate to the Monster Mile. For Kenseth, it marked his second win of the season, and placed him 6th in the standings. Things are looking good for the 39-year old former champ.

52-year old Mark Martin has yet to win a title and never did visit the pits for new rubber when most of the rest did. He saved a few bucks and gained a bunch of positions, moving from 14th to first by staying out, and only allowing Kenseth to make the pass. That pit strategy now has him sitting 11th on the leaderboard, just four points, four positions, on the outside looking in. It would seem the only way to keep Martin out of the season’s Top Twenty is to leave him sitting for ten races a season. He may already have the rocking chair, but it doesn’t appear to be using it quite yet.

As for the trio who had their run of the place until near the end, Bowyer, Edwards, and Johnson finished 6th, 7th, and 9th. Their cars looked pretty fancy with their near new four Goodyears, but the decision to slip on those four skins, to the surprise of many, slipped them out of a shot to win. Johnson actually led more than half the 400 circuits. Oh, well, they all looked pretty sporty, just not over the final 35 miles.

This is a week for a good ole Canadian boy to celebrate. My Mom turned 75, while Saturday sees my brother Grant turning 52, the in-laws celebrating their 53rd anniversary, my boys playing in a Midget baseball tournament, and the stars of NASCAR in Charlotte for the all-star race. All this on a long weekend we Canucks refer to as Victoria Day. Hey, when a lady is Queen for 63 years (1837 – 1901) she should get her own special day.

Her grandmother, the wife of King George III, is the namesake for the city that will be hosting NASCAR’s feature race on Saturday. For 27 years they have ran this classic event at Charlotte, with Darrell Waltrip the first winner back in 1985. Three time winners include Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, with Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson set to join them should good fortune smile their way on Saturday. Kurt Busch is the defending champion, with four other active drivers looking for their second trip to Victory Lane, including Matt Kenseth.

Whomever claims the million bucks this weekend, I expect we will be royally entertained.

May 16, 2011
Matt Kenseth – The Gambler

Just to look at Matt Kenseth, he’d be the last guy you’d think would be a gambler. Kenseth’s reputation is of the professional. Kenseth makes no waves. He goes out and does his job and usually finishes well. He wins races, but he’s never been accused of being a dirty driver. He’s been compared to David Pearson in how he saves his equipment and is there at the end to steal a victory. Such was the case on Sunday.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”235″][/media-credit]The Fed Ex 400 looked to be a race between points leader Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Clint Bowyer. They had dominated the race, leading 353 of the 361 laps run until Juan Pablo Montoya spun and brought out a caution with the 39 laps left. Kenseth made a little suggestion to car owner Jack Roush that maybe they should take on two tires instead of the customary four. Apparently Roush and crew chief Jimmy Fenning agreed and two tries it was. The result was Mark Martin, who had also gambled, was the only car ahead of Kenseth. It only took two laps for Kenseth to pass Martin and from then on he drove to a two-second lead and the win.

In the meantime, the terrific trio of Edwards, Bowyer and Johnson were mired back in the pack and they didn’t make enough moves to get anywhere near the front. Most blamed it on the slick track, but it was good strategy. Kenseth said that those things haven’t worked lately for the team, but he won the jackpot in that gamble.

It had to be satisfying for the No. 17 team for several reasons. Kenseth is widely considered the reason for the Chase system. A former Sprint Cup champion, Kenseth won only one race in his championship year. After that, the playoff system was born and Kenseth, though he has only missed one Chase, was considered a non-factor, making many say that he wasn’t a true champion. Despite his many wins over the years, he goes pretty much unnoticed in races, even though he always finishes at or near the top of the final standings. I once sat in front of a group of Kenseth fans who constantly complained that the only place they could find any souvenirs was at a race track. The lack of Kenseth supporters is common most places on the Sprint Cup tour. That may change this year.

Kenseth already has won two races this year. That puts him in good shape to be in contention for a wild card slot in the Chase if he should falter and have bad luck in the 16 races remaining before the final playoff. Also factor in the fact that Ford is back. After several seasons of watching Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Chevrolets and Joe Gibbs Toyotas dominate the series, the blue oval has been very competitive. In fact, teammate Edwards has been very good and on this day, Richard Petty Motorsports’ Marcos Ambrose was competitive all day, finishing third.

So Matt Kenseth might not be flashy or a media darling like Dale Junior or Jeff Gordon, but he proved to be a gambler Sunday at Dover. And like any good gambler, he won the bet. The old saying goes that nice guys finish last. That might not be the case in 2011.

May 16, 2011
An Up-And-Down Weekend For Matt Crafton

They always say that you’ll have ups and downs in racing, but most times they don’t come in the same weekend. However, for Matt Crafton who competed in both the Lucas Oil 200 and the Menards 200 this weekend, that was the case.

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]On Friday afternoon, Crafton drove his No. 88 Menards/Chevrolet to a third place finish in the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series.

“At the beginning of the race, I couldn’t fire off and I was really, really loose,” Crafton said. “But at the end of the run, we’d be one of the best trucks on the race track.”

Crafton qualified 10th, worked his way through the field fighting loose conditions to his sixth top-10 in 11 races at Dover to take over the points lead.

“It’s great to be the points leader,” Crafton continued. “We just need to keeping doing what we’re doing and running top five every week and having these top three finishes and throw a couple of wins off and see where we are at Homestead.”

Then on Sunday, Crafton competed in the ARCA Series Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway, where he finished 17th after having a left front tire blow.

“I joked with Bud at the end of the race that maybe we’ve gotten all of our bad luck out of the way for the year with this race,” Crafton said with a smile. “This was a pretty good car, it was tight in the middle, but nothing to worry me about the tires. The irony is, that car was running fantastic after the tire blew and I came in. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough cautions to give us the Lucky Dog twice to put us back on the lead lap.”

Crafton started the day 24th after the field was lined up based on owner points, though worked his way to the top five by lap 63. At that time, he chose to pit for tires, which set him back to the 20th position. Crafton, however, worked his way back to the lead in 14 laps before the left front blew at lap 135.

“It’s fun to get a chance to come back and race in the ARCA Racing Series as part of my partnership with Menards,” he continued. “I would have loved to pull out a win for my sponsor today. We had the strategy and team to do it. The Menards 200 is a great celebration of what Menards does with their stores in this area. It was great to see Frank Kimmel running well in his Menards car as well for a while there. We’re looking forward to racing again in Indianapolis at the ARCA Racing Series. Thanks also to Frank and his team for fielding this car for us.”

The next Camping World Truck Series race for Crafton is next Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Crafton’s had success at Charlotte as he won the race in 2008.

The next ARCA Racing Series race for Crafton is the Ansell Protective Gloves 200 at Lucas Oil Speedway on July 28th.

May 16, 2011
Surprising and Not Surprising: Dover FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks

Under threatening skies at the beginning of the race and with one caution for precipitation, the sun emerged and then beat down upon the Monster Mile at Dover, Delaware for the remainder of the race.

Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks.

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]

Surprising: It was surprising to see the comers and goers at Dover and in the end, to see who gambled and who did not. And in a town where the casino resides right next to the track, the gambling paid off, especially for those that either stayed out without tires or who took two instead of four.

Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, was probably the biggest gambler, staying out on the last pit stop with no new tires to finish in the runner up position. This was his first top five of the season.

“Lance McGrew and the GoDaddy.com team deserve this,” Martin said. “We just about pulled one off there. We finally had a good finish.

Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Wiley X Sunglasses Ford, also gambled with a two tire stop, and finished his day in Victory Lane.

“Obviously it was a great day for us and pretty exciting for us to win that way here at Dover,” Kenseth said. “I was happy we were able to pull it off.”

The gambling also paid off in the point standings, with Kenseth jumping four spots to the sixth position and Martin moving up three spots to the 11^th position.

Not Surprising: With so many drivers taking either no or just two tires, it was not surprising that the dominant cars throughout most of the race, including the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson and the No. 99 Aflac Ford of Carl Edwards, finished a bit further back in the pack in ninth and seventh respectively, after deciding on a four-tire strategy.

This was the second week in a row that Edwards and company took four tires and did not win. Both Edwards and Johnson, however, maintained their top standing in the points, first and second respectively.

Surprising: It was surprising just how different the Monster Mile treated teammates throughout the race. One of the best examples was the split between Richard Petty Motorsports teammates A.J. Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose.

After starting from the outside pole, the ‘Dinger not only had high hopes for a great finish but he even fulfilled his wish of leading a lap. But instead of potentially contending for a race win, the engine on his Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Best Buy Ford gave up the ghost.

“I don’t know, it was weird because it all happened at once and there was no sign of it,” Allmendinger said. “We were going to run them (the leaders) down and all of a sudden off (turn) two, it went.”

“Honestly, it sucks,” Allmendinger continued. “I really wanted this for us and Ford and Best Buy and everybody, the King especially. I hate this.”

On the flip side, his RPM teammate Marcos Ambrose, in the No. 9 Dewalt Ford, had a stellar day, finishing in the third spot.

“I get a good feel on these concrete tracks,” Ambrose said. “On concrete, I think it’s the steep banking that helps me feel the tires.”

“It was a great day and a really good call for two tires there at the end.”

Not Surprising: The tale of two teammates continued with the results chasm between Brian Vickers, piloting the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, and his teammate Kasey Kahne in the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota.

Vickers, who at the time of last year’s Dover race was in the hospital “with two IVs stuck in both arms”, finished fifth, while Kahne blew an engine and was out of the race.

“This was a great team effort,” Vickers said. “I feel great. It was a special race.”

Kahne, on the other hand, started fourth and was running in the top ten for much of the race, only to experience engine issues.

“We had a great Red Bull Toyota,” Kahne said.”The car was really fast early on. I think I over-revved it so it may be my fault that it let go.”

Surprising: Both cars in the Stewart-Haas Racing stable, including the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet of Ryan Newman and the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet piloted by Tony Stewart, were surprisingly bad at the Monster Mile. In fact, Stewart deemed his car evil, finishing 29th, multiple laps down. Newman battled all day as well, taking the checkered flag in the 21st position.

Stewart summed up the SHR day overall on one of his radio communications during the race, saying “I’ve got no (expletive) confidence in our team right now.”

Not Surprising: Kyle Busch in the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota surprised no one in driving from the rear of the field due to an engine change to a fourth place finish.

“Considering how far behind we started with the engine failure and how I ran it into the fence, it was a really good result,” Busch said.

Surprising: After a hard crash in the Nationwide run that ruined a potentially winning day, Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, had high hopes for redemption, starting in the fifth spot. Logano, however, brought out the first caution, spinning and hitting the wall. Logano’s car was not right for the rest of the race, again hitting the wall in the waning laps of the race to finish 27^th.

Not Surprising: Living up to the track’s nickname, there were some monstrous moments on pit road during the race in Dover. David Ragan, driver of the No. 6 UPS Ford, had an adventure getting to his pit, spinning, hitting the guard rail and then almost blocking the entrance trying to get his car pointed in the right direction.

“I just locked up the rear brakes a little coming into the pits during the green flag stop,” Ragan said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever wrecked like that getting to pit road.”

“I guess I pushed it a little too hard today.”

Rookie Andy Lally, in the No. 71 Interstate Moving Services Ford, also had a pit misadventure, with a major slide down pit road late in the race. Lally finished in the 33rd position.

May 15, 2011
Marcos Ambrose Says ‘We’re Coming’ After Third Place Finish at Dover

Marcos Ambrose is not thought of as an oval racer. Or at least he wasn’t until this season where he’s inching ever closer to winning at tracks that don’t include right hand turns. The Australian driver who joined Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2011 season finished third Sunday at Dover where entering the day he had never finished higher than 14th.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]“I get good feel on these concrete tracks,” said Ambrose who also finished third at Bristol in March. “Some of the issues for me when I’m having a bad day, I have trouble feeling each tire. I feel like the whole car is slipping around but I can’t feel which one it is. On concrete, steeper banking, vertical load, I think it helps me feel the tires better.”

Keeping the tires under the car would be an important issue on Sunday. Ambrose started 18th after qualifying was rained out and the grid was set by practice speed. But it didn’t take long for many to notice that the No. 9 DeWalt Ford was one to contend with. Upon driving to the top 10 and then the top five, Ambrose gave the dominant cars of Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards a run for their money. He would get as high as second but never made it to the lead or led a lap.

“Today was a tough day,” he said. “The track was changing every run throughout the run. The rubber was picking up. My car was getting really slick on that rubber. There wasn’t much you could do. You couldn’t ask for many changes on the car because you knew it was going to be that way all day. You have to keep changing and keep searching.”

The changing track played havoc with many teams. Rain throughout the weekend led to a mostly green conditions. But when rubber did lay down cars began to slide around, something Ambrose fought along with many others. Searching for a line, which wouldn’t make the car loose, became priority. In the end it came down to pit road strategy, much like it did last weekend in Darlington.

Some, including eventually winner Matt Kenseth and second place Mark Martin, took two tires with Ambrose coming off pit road fifth, also with two tires. It proved to be the right call as those who took four were stuck in traffic but those up front had clear sailing. When the race restarted with 34 laps to go, Ambrose quickly climbed back to third where he would eventually finish, marking his best of the year.

He has also moved up two positions in points to 20th with three top 10 and two top five finishes. He’s optimistic about the coming weeks as he continues to impress on tracks he doesn’t have much experience at and has now tied his best career NASCAR finish at an oval.

“Today I’m really excited about because we had a really good day at Darlington that didn’t work our way at the end and finished 13th,” Ambrose said afterwards.

More importantly, “I’m really excited that our team is learning, they’re learning me, I’m learning them. I’m learning how these cars work. This result today I’m really excited about because I think it’s going to lead to a great Charlotte, Pocono, Indy, all these great big tracks coming. I feel like our team is suited to those tracks. We’ve just had some rough luck so far this year. We’ve had accidents and incidents outside our control that has hurt our points.”

May 15, 2011
Kenseth Completes Roush Fenway’s ‘Monster’ Sweep at Dover

Roush Fenway Dominates Monster Mile; Edwards Increases Sprint Cup points lead

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]DOVER, Del. (May 15, 2011) – Matt Kenseth took two tires under the race’s final caution, restarted second, quickly took the lead and drove right into victory lane to give Roush Fenway Racing the weekend sweep in NASCAR’s top two series at Dover International Speedway (Carl Edwards won the Nationwide Race on Saturday). The weekend continued Roush Fenway’s dominance of the track deemed “The Monster Mile.”

“I’m just blessed to be standing here,” said Kenseth, who scored his 20th career Sprint Cup win and his second of 2011. “We were going to do four tires (under the last caution) and we got in the stall and decided to do two and that was the key. I have to thank Wiley X for jumping on the car this weekend and Crown Royal. If Doug Yates were here, I’d probably give him a kiss; we had so much horsepower and it made our job so much easier.”

Carl Edwards, who had one of the field’s most dominate cars and led 117 laps, finished seventh. Greg Biffle had an issue with the throttle early and battled back to a 19th-place finish, and David Ragan – who had an early incident on pit road – finished 28th in the race.

Edwards looked to make a strong bid for the win, but opted for four tires after the race’s final caution on lap 361 of 400. Kenseth opted for two tires and restarted second. He needed only two laps to take the lead from Mark Martin on lap 368 and he never looked back, leading the final 33 laps and taking his second-career checkered flag at Dover and his first there since 2006.

“I didn’t think that many guys would take two,” said Edwards, who won yesterday’s Nationwide race and has recorded three NASCAR wins at Dover. “I thought Bob’s (Osborne) call was a good one, but it just didn’t work out – those guys (who took two) were just screaming fast. Congrats to Matt Kenseth and Wiley X. We had a good weekend over all. It was going really good there for a while and I thought we were going to win the race.”

The win is Roush Fenway’s third in the Sprint Cup Series this season. It is the team’s ninth at Dover in the Cup Series and its 15th overall NASCAR victory at Dover. It marked just the second time (June, 2004) that the team has swept the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races in a single weekend at “The Monster Mile.”

With the finish, Edwards increased his Sprint Cup points lead to 24. Kenseth moved up to sixth place in the standing; the victory gives him two for the season and all but assures the No. 17 team a place in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Biffle leaves Dover 12th in the points and David Ragan is 21st.

The teams take a break from points racing next weekend for the Sprint Cup All-Star race at Charlotte Speedway. Roush has won the event three times.

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and three in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com (http://www.roushfenway.com/ ). Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

May 15, 2011