Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Featured Stories

Featured stories from SpeedwayMedia.com

Dale Earnhardt Will Never Be Forgotten But It’s Time to Detach His Name From the No. 3

It would have been easy for Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Dillon to say the same thing Dale Earnhardt Jr. did: no more three for me.

Dillon had driven that number on the local levels but driving with that number on a NASCAR level in a different story. A story that he could have passed up on. Had he, no one would have thought any less of him. Instead when Dillon was promoted to drive for grandfather Richard Childress in the CWTS full-time in 2010, he eagerly jumped behind the wheel of a truck with the 3 on the side.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Not just any truck, a black truck with a white No. 3. It’s a scheme made famous by Dale Earnhardt Sr., which hasn’t seen the racetrack since that fateful day in 2001.

Going into his rookie season Dillon already had a crucial element on his side: no expectations. The only thing for Dillon was to learn, he wasn’t expected to go out and win races and compete for the championship.

What’s the saying about rookies? What they don’t know they don’t know. Simply log laps and learn, learn, learn.

Dillon logged plenty of laps and he certainly learned. He was a rookie in veterans clothing. When the pressure of driving the No. 3 could have gotten to the young kid and could have been intimidating Dillon instead used it as motivation.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Dillon said after winning his first race at Iowa. “Just try each and every week to get the best finish we can with that number. I know the fans want to see it up front. That’s where I want it to be.”

Rookie of the Year honors were never a doubt. In 25 races Dillon captured seven poles, two wins, seven top fives and 16 top 10s. The championship was over early with the domination of Todd Bodine and Dillon never became a serious factor but he still wrapped up a top five finish.

Competitors have given him high praise and fans have flocked to him. Both his on track success and the number he’s driving have helped. With a full-year of competition now in his back pocket, the hardest part of Dillon’s career will come over the next few seasons.

Getting through a rookie year was hard in itself but remember there were no expectations. Dillon’s success blew a few minds while marking himself a contender from this point forward.

Heading into his sophomore season, this is where the expectations really come into play.

First thing, as with any driver who gets behind the wheel of anything with a three on it, Dillon needs to continue to tune out those pushing for someone to be the next Earnhardt. In a piece written last week it was stated that Dillon’s New Years resolution should be to remain Austin Dillon.

It may not have apparent in 2010 but the longer Dillon drives the 3 the more the more those whispers will surface. The more the comparisons to Earnhardt will surface in every accomplishment Dillon makes.

It shouldn’t be that way however.

Luckily he’s shown he has his head on straight. When talking about his future he clarified that he’s in no rush to run up the NASCAR ladder. The CWTS is where he wants to be and he’ll return for another season in 2011.

Don’t count out a few Nationwide Series races as he begins to test the waters. Dillon’s rumored to be scheduled for both Nashville races, Iowa in May and O’Reilly Raceway Park in the No. 33 for Kevin Harvick Inc.

The great thing is that he’s young and his future is bright, there’s no reason to push too fast.

The logical conclusions for some fans being that as long as Dillon moves up the ladder the No. 3 will as well. There’s a longing for that number to be back in the Sprint Cup Series where it will go back to winning races and championships again.

Right now though, Dillon is in control of his career. It’s important for it to remain that way, let him develop into his own driving style and let his career take its own course. He’s in the perfect position to finally break the belief that the No. 3 should only be driven by an Earnhardt or associated with Earnhardt, etc.

For those that don’t want him to be the next Earnhardt, there are those who want him to succeed in big ways. When a driver gets behind the wheel of that number they’re supposed to become superhuman or at least that’s the belief.

Compare it to those who believe because Dale Earnhardt Jr. is his father’s son, Earnhardt Sr. must have just spit a piece of himself out. Therefore Earnhardt Jr. is supposed to be the second coming of the Intimidator.

The same now for Dillon as he drives the Intimidators number.

“You know, it’s so awesome to see that number running well again,” said Dillon. “When you see it on top of the board when you leave the track, that was a really cool sight. That was cool for me and my grandfather … It’s a powerful number. It makes the people in the stands stand up and cheer. I love driving it. It’s a lot of fun.”

Fun. A few drivers have said in the past that the day racing isn’t fun anymore is the day a driver knows they need to move on and find something else to do. Dillon’s rookie year was a blast filled with much success. It was also marked the beginning of Dillon making the number his own as he started to etch his imprint onto the sport.

Austin Dillon, that is his name. The No. 3 is his truck, his number and his future. Together they will write their own pages in the NASCAR history books. Together they can rise to the top and be feared and famous.

But, when doing so they can only get the due they deserve if the name Earnhardt doesn’t keep appearing next to them and if the expectations of a legend don’t get into his head.

January 6, 2011
Waiting For the Season to Start

NASCAR’s annual winter Media Tour usually harvests some news and that’s a good thing because things are pretty quiet right now. After an early flurry of news before Christmas, things have quieted down. That period right after the close of the season last year was dominated by the revitalization of Richard Petty Motorsports with Richard himself in control. Part of the reason for this is the Media Tour itself (why announce something early when you have most of the reporters all together at one time?). The Media Tour starts on Monday, January 24th.

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]The last two weeks, RPM announced they had renewed a sponsorship contract with Best Buy for A.J. Allmendinger’s No. 43 Ford Fusion. With Stanley Tools already shored up for Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 Ford, it looks like RPM will start the 2011 season on firm footing. RPM’s four-car team performed admirably last season amid speculation of its demise. With that monkey off their backs, we could see an increase in performance for that team.

We also saw Ray Evernham return home, but not to help Hendrick Motorsports on the track. Apparently, Evernham and his marketing arm will help HMS market a new line of performance parts and automobiles, somewhat like Jack Roush does with Ford. This means Evernham no longer will co-host the ESPN NASCAR broadcasts, citing the fact that it would be hard to be critical of HMS, and thus stifle objective reporting. He will be missed on the broadcasts.

So we wait. Lots of questions will have to be answered at the Concord, NC-based tour, and that is usually the case. The biggest question will be about the Chase. Will they actually introduce elimination into the recipe? Are there other changes we haven’t even addressed? Yes, we wait. And the Daytona 500 is less than 40 days away. Patience is sometimes a very hard concept.

January 6, 2011
Kyle Busch Becomes Poster Boy For ‘Have At It Boys’ With Display of Emotion

When Robin Pemberton uttered those four words last year in January, a lot of people were curious as to how the drivers would react. Most thought it would equal some emotions being shown, but at the end of the year, it went beyond just a little bit of emotion.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]It was easily seen that Kyle Busch would be the poster boy for it, via some of his antics in the past. These antics have some fans not liking Busch for who he is.

A simple poll of the fans easily shows that one of the drivers that seems to be on everybody’s list is Kyle Busch. In asking a group of fans as to why, you quickly get the sense it has to do with attitude and actions like the above.

“He just gives off this vibe that he is better then everybody else and it’s all about him,” Evan Towle said. “Sort of like a young Tony Stewart used to be. Tony used to get on my nerves when he first started in NASCAR, but now he has matured and I like him.”

“I tend to agree with a lot of the way Kyle Busch acts,” Kyle Sedan said. “Sometimes it’s rather annoying.”

“Arrogant attitude, expects respect on the track but doesn’t give it back, whines about others when he is doing the same thing, fake,” one fan commented.

“His attitude,” Cathy Gamble Costigan simply puts it.

If you take his attitude out of the equation, then a lot of people seem to have respect for him.

“I am, personally, a Tony Stewart fan, but for Kyle, love him or hate him, he is a damn good driver,” Mike Hearty said. “Race wins don’t lie.”

“I do really like his support/involvement and commitment to short-track racing.” Sedan added.

A lot of people have been debating that he needs to change, which has come with mixed reactions.

Towle says, “We don’t need him, as the sport is doing fine without his babyish acts.”

In some ways, there are certain things that Busch has to become better at, such as some of the things that we saw this past weekend.

However overall, the sport needs somebody like Busch. His actions do spruce things up and add something different to the sport, and are needed to invoke discussion and rivalry. If everybody was the same cut, wouldn’t it get boring after a while?

As Mike Hearty and Kyle Sedan both say, it adds to the sport.

“I personally love Kyle’s attitude myself,” Hearty said. “NASCAR is entertainment and Kyle entertains in any way he can. Each sport needs a standout person the fans can have a choice to love or hate and he is the one. I do believe, though, when he matures more, his attitude will die down. I think he is young, a star and living in the moment right now.”

“People either ‘love him’ or ‘love to hate him’,” Sedan says. “So he most definitely adds to the sport, and it is good for it.”

This year was no exception as he added his own version of “Have at it Boys” to each of the divisions.

Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race with Denny Hamlin

After teammate Denny Hamlin took the air off the back of Busch’s car during the Sprint All-Star Race, Busch wasn’t too pleased at all as he called Hamlin out on it.

“Somebody better keep me from Denny Hamlin after this race!” Busch yelled on the radio. “I had this race won. It was won.”

Busch then drove the car to the garage area, parking directly in front of Hamlin’s hauler. He went inside and waited till Hamlin got there, where they had a discussion with car owner Joe Gibbs in the middle.

“Kyle had a run to the outside and with me moving up and getting real tight, it then took some air away from the front of his car and he slid up into the wall. It’s tough for me,” Hamlin told Speed. “We talked about it and basically Kyle was just frustrated; he felt like he had a really good car. Me, I just came from the back with no practice and got back to the front where we needed to be and I felt like if I gave up the lead right there then I was going to give up the win.

“I don’t think Kyle would do anything different if he was in my situation. It’s just when you’re the leader, my feeling is that you’ve got the whole race track. If a guy is to the outside. then that’s when you need to hold your line.”

Nationwide Series Food City 250 Bristol Race with Brad Keselowski

As the Nationwide race was getting closer to ending, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski were battling hard for the lead. After contact from Keselowski caused Busch to hit the wall, Busch drove back up to Keselowski’s bumper, spinning him.

“I raced him, raced him, raced him, I don’t know, 12-15 laps? I thought I had him cleared up the back and I moved up in front of him and instead of him doing an [Dale] Earnhardt crossover, he decided to just run into the back of me and put me in the fence,” Busch said.

“That’s Brad Keselowski. So I went down into the next corner and I dumped him. He does it to everybody else, why can’t I do it to him?”

Busch won the race while Keselowski ended up 14th.

“He did a good job, almost cleared me and took it for granted that I would lift to let him in line and I didn’t,” Keselowski said. “That’s his right. We’re going to go to work on beating him next week, and the week after and every other week.”

In his victory celebration, he changed it up by mocking somebody crying like a baby instead of his bow to go along with the reaction of the fans.

Truck Series Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky and Championship Battle with Todd Bodine

Early in the race, it was set in stone that it would come down to a battle between Todd Bodine and Kyle Busch. On lap 82 while battling for the lead, Busch took the air off of Bodine’s truck causing him to spin. Though this ended up helping Bodine as with the unscheduled pit stop and resulting strategy, he came out as the winner while Busch finished seventh.

“Our misfortune turned out to be a fortune,” Bodine said in victory lane. “I’d like to thank Kyle Busch for driving dirty, sucking me down and getting me spun out. That (stop) gave me enough gas. He doesn’t cut anybody a break. He drives that way in every division in every race.”

Upon hearing the comments, Busch interrupted Bodine’s victory celebration to display his displeasure.

“He (Busch) doesn’t have to drive like that to win; but he does,” Bodine said. “NASCAR won’t do anything about it. He was mad because I called him out on it.”

This confrontation at Kentucky promoted a long, hard battle for the Owner’s Championship between Germain Racing (Todd Bodine’s team) and Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Martinsville was no exception to their battle as they fought hard side-by-side, and at one point, Bodine was accused of trying to fool Busch on a restart.

“If they think I was trying to do a slow restart to fool Kyle Busch, they are wrong,” Bodine said on the radio at that time. “I just didn’t get a good restart. Message delivered—I’ll work on it.”

In the end, it was KBM coming out on top.

The Complete Texas Weekend

On Friday, Kyle Busch won the Camping World Truck Series race to take over the owner’s points championship standings for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

On Saturday, Busch finished second to Carl Edwards in the Nationwide Series race, though was unhappy about it as he thought Edwards jumped the start.

“Does it f—- matter?” Busch said afterwards. “Race is over, guy’s in Victory Lane.”

On Sunday, Busch stirred up controversy again, following repairs that he had to make on pit road after a wreck.

Under caution, Busch sped off pit road to try to beat the pace car and stay on the lead lap. He caught up, but NASCAR penalized him one lap for speeding.

Busch then went on a rant on the radio against NASCAR and showed the officials the middle finger on pit road, which incurred a penalty of two laps for driver misconduct.

“I’m the only one who will stand up to ’em, and they’re gonna show me how far I can stand up,” Busch said on the radio after the penalty. He then added that it was freedom of speech, going against the constitutional rights of everybody.

NASCAR penalized Busch $25,000 and putting him on probation until December 31st for “actions dentimental to the sport of stock car racing”.

Busch released the following statement following the announcement…

“I accept NASCAR’s penalty and realize what I did during Sunday’s race at Texas was inappropriate.

“Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it’s made me cross the line. Sunday at Texas was one of those days.

“I lost my cool, plain and simple. It’s not acceptable, and I know that. I apologize to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a race car that’s capable of winning races every week. All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check.”

Busch had other key incidents this year, including an argument with Jeff Burton. Though with them all, he just kept being himself and holding his part in the “Have at it Boys” policy.

During the next couple of weeks, I will reflect upon these incidents as we look back at what all broke loose in 2010.

January 5, 2011
HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: THE ABSOLUTE FINAL CRUMBS FROM 2010

Over the past several days we learned that a true NASCAR legend, and Hall Of Famer, Junior Johnson is returning to the team ownership business. Meanwhile a financial investor literally stole a motorsports complex in Tennessee. Kyle Busch got married in a ceremony that was witnessed by the paparazzi and it appears we have the opportunity to smell like Carl Edwards. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin with:

HOORAH to the legendary Junior Johnson for opening a new race shop to support the racing effort of his 17 year son, Robert, whom he truly believes has the potential of becoming a NASCAR Sprint Cup star. The shops of the newly established Junior Johnson Racing is located on the Hall Of Famer’s 278 acre estate in Hamptonville-North Carolina.

The plan calls for the team to field a car for Robert Johnson in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this year with some possible appearances in the Pro Series West such as the end of the season race at Phoenix International Raceway. During their free weekends on the schedule, Johnson will also drive in some UARA and NASCAR Whelen All American Series events.

Junior Johnson recently purchased some Toyota Camrys from Red Bull Racing but has yet to make a final decision regarding the team’s manufacturer. Somehow Junior Johnson and Toyota just doesn’t feel right.

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

WAZZUP with the Memphis Motorsports Park beging sold for the paltry sum of $1.8 million? Dover Motorsports, the owner of the famed complex since 1997, closed the Millington-Tennessee facility over a year ago and, this past April, put it on the market for $6 million. That price alone was a major bargain. Simply put: the dirt under the parking lot was worth more than that.

But there were no takers and that led to the auction on the property held in mid December. The bidding began at $3 million and the auction audience sat there in stony silence. The result was no different when the opening bid was dropped to $2 million. When the opening price fell to $1.5 million that’s when Joe Lubeck, the managing partner of the Florida based Palm Beach International Raceway, stepped up and made his amazing deal. This entire process took approximately ten minutes.

So, what did Mr. Lubeck get for his $1.8 million investment? It was a .75 mile paved oval, that used to, and could again, host NASCAR’s Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series along with a 1.77 mile road course. Also included in the deal was a quarter mile drag strip that used to, and could again, host the NHRA.

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

From our God Bless department, congratulations to Kyle Busch and Samantha Sarcinella-Busch who were married on New Year’s Eve in Chicago. We wish the couple a life time of happiness.

But, at the same time, WAZZUP with the paparazzi crashing the ceremony and leaking the wedding photos? In a “Twitter” message Kyle Busch wrote: “the photos weren’t leaked. Since it was a public church, u can’t turn anyone away and thus there was paparazzi there. The pics out there weren’t authorized by Samantha and I. We look forward to sharing our wedding with our fans on the “Style” Network in early March.”

The “Style” Network? Are we talking about the making of another reality show here?

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

A God Bless also goes out to Crystal and Sam Hornish Jr who welcomed the arrival of their second daughter on December 28th. Eliza Jo Hornish weighed seven pounds and 15 ounces while measuring 20.5 inches long. Mom, Dad and big sister Addison are reported to be fine and thrilled.

Another God Bless goes to SPEED Channel reporter Wendy Venturini and husband Jarrad Egert, of Joe Gibbs Racing. They welcomed the arrival of a son, Caleb James, on December 22nd.

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

I suppose whether or not this next item is a HOORAH or a WAZZUP depends on what you smell like at the moment or how you would like to smell.

It seems that the often mentioned girl friend, still a card carrying T shirt wearing member of the Junior Nation, is also an avid supporter of the Avon Cosmetics industry. I know this because approximately once a month a heavily painted lady arrives at our front door carrying small product bags and catalogs.

Following the latest Avon visit the girlfriend couldn’t wait to show me the catalog page featuring a new men’s fragrance, endorsed by NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards, with the macho name: Turn 4 XT.

According to the catalog write up: “Turn 4 XT is an eau de toilette spray. The invigorating drive of spicy pepperwood accelerates into a smooth, sexy finish intensified by a jolt of java vefiver and masculine mahogany.”

For the nominal fee of $26 you can smell just like Carl Edwards. Look on the bright side: pepperwood and mahogany beats smelling like Sunoco race fuel any day of the week.

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

The final WAZZUP of the week goes to NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brian Scott. It’s seems this driver had problems with folding a fitted bed sheet and made the situation worse by telling the world about it on “Twitter.”

Scott’s “Twitter” messages read: “AHHH ! It’s impossible to fold a fitted sheet. This is so aggravating. I have tried every trick and every angle of attack on those fitted sheets. I admit defeat. They piss me off.”

By now you’re probably thinking the same thing I am. Considering the salary levels of modern day NASCAR drivers why not just hire a house keeper?

January 4, 2011
Who, What & Why to Watch NASCAR 2011

Championship Week is over, the trophies have all been collected and 2010 has taken its final curtain call. Instead of looking back to the year that was, I’m looking ahead to the limitless possibilities of next season.

2011 promises to be a pivotal year in NASCAR and these are just a few of the stories to watch.

Camping World Truck Series:

Austin Dillon wasted no time in his first full season in this series. He earned seven poles in 2010, breaking a rookie record previously held by Greg Biffle (four), ended the season with two wins and 16 top-10 finishes and finished fifth in the points standings.

With his first win at Iowa Speedway, he became the series’ second youngest winner, at age 20 years, 2 months, and 37 days. He also has the distinction of capturing the first series victory for Richard Childress Racing since 1995.

Dillon rounded out the season by winning the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and was named a top breakthrough performer of the year.

Look for Dillon to run another full season in the black No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing next year but don’t be surprised to see him competing in a few Nationwide Series races too.

Nationwide Series:

Rumors abound that the Nationwide Series may see some changes for 2011. The biggest news is that Sprint Cup drivers may no longer be allowed to race for the championship. If this is true, will the change spell the end of the series, or, will it revitalize it?

The Nationwide Series has been struggling to find its own separate identity as a proving ground for drivers aspiring to rise to the premier Sprint Cup Series level. The last Nationwide regular to win the championship was Martin Truex Jr in 2005.

This change could allow fans to form a more personal connection with these drivers and allow the fan base for the series to grow.

The flip side of this scenario is that sponsors may decide that their money might be better spent on the more popular and better established Sprint Cup Series.

This leaves us with two big questions.

Will the Sprint Cup drivers continue to race in the series without the benefit of racing for a possible championship?

If the Sprint Cup drivers abandon the Nationwide Series, will the sponsors follow?

Travis Pastrana:

Travis Pastrana will make his NASCAR debut in 2011.

Although he will only run a limited schedule of seven races in the Nationwide Series, his potential impact on the sport should not be overlooked.

He’s not interested in anything but first place and he’ll do whatever it takes to prepare for this new challenge.

Michael Waltrip told ESPN’s David Caraviello that the plan is for Pastrana to gain experience in the K&N Pro Series and possibly run some Truck Series events. This means that Pastrana probably won’t make his debut in the Nationwide Series until mid to late season.

“Hopefully, he can make all his mistakes and learn all the lessons that he has to learn, and get up to speed where we can be very comfortable when he runs his first Nationwide race or first Truck race, that he is in a position to be competitive,” Waltrip said. “That’s his goal. He wants to test and work really hard at getting up to speed.”

If he’s successful, Pastrana could breathe new life into a sport that needs some exciting new faces.

As an added bonus, his “X Games” and “Nitro Circus” following could bring in a new generation of younger fans which NASCAR desperately needs.

Trevor Bayne:

In his first full Nationwide Series schedule, Bayne finished the 2010 season in seventh place. His year included 3 poles along with six top-five and 11 top-ten finishes. Bayne also made his Cup debut at Texas finishing in 17^th place.

Bayne’s 2010 season was a rollercoaster ride that had him suddenly looking for a new ride just a few weeks before the season was over.

“It just goes to show that you don’t have any control over it. God has a path for me and He’s guiding me right along because there’s no way I could have done this on my own. It’s just crazy to see how it happens.”

“Everything seems like it’s the end of the world when Diamond Waltrip Racing has no sponsorship and can’t sign a contract, and then all of a sudden I hear that Jack Roush is making comments that he’s interested, so I checked into it and the next thing I know I’m signing a contract with him. Shortly after that, I hear I’m gonna be in the Wood Brothers Cup car, so it’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been really exciting.”

Bayne has earned the respect of the Cup veterans he has raced against this year showing a talent and maturity far beyond his 19 years. Bayne is a rising star in NASCAR and one to watch in 2011.

Sprint Cup Series:

The Sprint Cup drivers have already been making headlines with Hendrick Motorsports leading the way, but the other teams are chipping away at the Hendrick dominance.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin came within inches of breaking the HMS winning streak in 2010. Richard Childress Racing flexed their muscles with all three teams making The Chase and Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards won the last two races of the season.

Mark Martin:

Say it ain’t so. Mark Martin drives for his final season in NASCAR…or does he? We all know it’s his final year at Hendrick Motorsports but will Martin retire at the end of 2011?

Next season may be his final year at the Cup level but sources say that Martin will also run a limited schedule in both the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series in 2011 for Turner Motorsports.

Mark Martin may be the best driver who has never won a championship. With a new crew chief and one more year on his contract at HMS, this may be his last best chance to win that elusive Sprint Cup trophy.

The recent crew chief change has many asking the question, “Is Martin getting Earnhardt Jr.’s leftovers?”

Rick Hendrick was adamant that he is committed to giving Martin whatever he needs to make it happen and is confident that he’s put together the right team.

“We are going to do whatever it takes with people, with equipment, whatever it takes for Mark Martin to win races and have the opportunity to go for the championship again. I have total confidence in Lance (McGrew) and Chris (Heroy) and I feel like with Mark, his technical expertise as well as those other two guys, will be a match that I think will surprise a lot of people. Mark’s not getting the short end of the stick. He is going to get all the stick he wants, and that comes from me.”

Jeff Gordon:

Alan Gustafson is widely accepted as one of the best crew chiefs in NASCAR today. Pairing him with the four-time champ could easily propel Gordon towards that fifth championship.

Rick Hendrick explained his reason for pairing the two saying that Gordon “has a tremendous amount of respect for Alan (Gustafson) and wants to do whatever is necessary to give him the opportunity to win and win championships.”

Hendrick also emphasized that while Gordon was not unhappy with Letarte he felt that “the opportunity to try something different and new would again create a spark inside of the company.”

“With Alan as an engineer,” Hendrick continued, “he is a proven commodity; he’s been there and won races with a lot of people. He’s finished second in the points. He and Jeff have a relationship. He’s very technical, not a lot of conversation but very to the point and matter-of-fact and Jeff I think at this point in his career.”

Gordon looks at the change as another chance to succeed.

“I’m certainly looking forward to working with Alan,” Gordon said. “I’ve known Alan for a number of years, always respected him and I guess in the back of my mind, I always thought it would be kind of cool to work with him. It’s a great opportunity.”

Gordon could very easily emerge as the real winner in the Hendrick Motorsports shakeup.

Dale Earnhardt Jr:

Will this new combination of driver/crew chief provide the magic ingredient that’s been missing?

Is Steve Letarte the one that can restore his confidence and provide the spark to reignite Dale Jr’s career?

It will take months before we know the answers to these questions but Letarte has already begun the rebuilding process.

“I believe he’s a remarkable race-car driver, and I think some people in the world have forgotten that,” Letarte said. “I look forward to the opportunity to remind them that he is as good as I think he is.”

“I’ve had the ability to work around some very remarkable talents, and I think he is included in that bunch. That’s my motivation – to show everybody in the world how talented Dale Earnhardt Jr. is. We know he can do it. We just have to give him a consistent platform to operate on. I have all the faith in the world with him.”

The real solution will come from Earnhardt Jr. who acknowledged that the last couple of years have shaken his confidence. “The only person that can truly help me get where I need to go, obviously, starts with me.”

For the first time in a couple of years, Dale Jr’s fans are excited about the possibilities and this can only be a good thing for NASCAR.

Jimmie Johnson:

The season finale will undoubtedly be focused on Jimmie Johnson once again.

Will the five-time champ claim the six-pack in 2011?

Team owner Rick Hendrick says that the 48 team was a little off this season but in the end they were good enough.

Johnson is already looking ahead to the future and the possibility that he could tie Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty by winning seven championship titles.

“I want to believe, and I do feel in my heart, that we’ll have a shot next year, but I don’t know what those challenges are going to be, how competitive we’ll be, what the competition’s going to look like,” said Johnson.

“It’s really hard to look that far ahead. I feel like I have my best chances at Hendrick Motorsports, with Chad Knaus as my crew chief. If I can seam together seven in any shape or form to tie those two greats, I would be extremely honored. If I was ever able to surpass them, it would be out of this world.”

Look for the power team of Johnson/Knaus to level up in 2011 as they try to continue their unprecedented championship winning streak.

Denny Hamlin:

Although he was unable to bring home the championship trophy this year, Hamlin’s 2010 season was nothing short of phenomenal.

With a season high eight wins and a runner up finish, Hamlin has proven that he’s one of the fiercest competitors out there.

If anything, the loss to Johnson has made him even more determined to come back in 2011 and make another run for the championship.

“It’s going to be fuel for me,” Hamlin said. “I’m just going to try to get better. There are things that I can improve on as a driver.”

“I can assure you we’re going to hold our heads high because we came close this year. We had a great year. We were just a little short in the end.”

NASCAR:

While the fans are watching the racing, NASCAR will be the ones under the microscope.

Attendance and TV Ratings:

NASCAR has experienced a downward trend for the past four years in television viewership and empty seats at the race tracks have become the norm.

Changes such as more consistent start times, three attempts at a green-white-checkered restart and a new “have at it boys” policy have had little effect on either.

And while Johnson’s consecutive championship winning streak looks great in the record books, some will argue that it’s bad for the sport. Many fans will tell you that it’s simply not any fun watching the Chase when you already know what the outcome will be.

One of the biggest problems facing NASCAR is the decline in 18- to 34-year-old male viewing audience. NASCAR plans to increase its marketing and target this younger demographic.

Steve Phelps, NASCAR’s chief marketing officer, said their goal is to “use every resource available to us. We have to expose the sport to as many people as we can wherever they are, whether that is on a computer screen, mobile device or television.”

Another obstacle to overcome is how to compete with the NFL. While NASCAR ratings decline, the NFL ratings have seen a steady increase over the last few years. Despite this, NASCAR has no plans to change the 1:00 PM standard starting time in 2011 which puts them in direct competition with the NFL.

For most fans, the biggest complaint is the number of commercial advertisements broadcast during the race. NASCAR should explore options such as side by side viewing so that fans don’t miss a minute of the action at the track.

The 2011 season will be crucial for the continued success of NASCAR.

Maybe they should take a hint from Rick Hendrick who took a hard look at his company and said,

“It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.”

Thanks to Ford Racing for Trevor Bayne quotes.

January 3, 2011
VISION AIR RACING TAKES A FLIGHT TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL

Since November there has been whisperings regarding the Las Vegas based Vision Air Racing, (VAR), and their plans to fly east and upgrade their operation to NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series.

[media-credit name=”FMCM” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]In early December there was a report that indicated VAR had purchased a race shop facility in Mooresville-North Carolina and were planning to race Toyota Tundras supplied by Kyle Busch Motorsports. However, that report was completely upstaged by a December 22nd announcement that proclaimed the news that VAR was going to merge with Billy Ballew Motorsports, (BBM), one of the premiere truck teams in the series.

The master plan calls for the new team format to run Ballew’s #15 and #51 Toyota Tundras with full factory support from TRD, Toyota Racing Development. While the operation will be under the VAR banner, Ballew will retain an ownership stake in the two teams. The new merger plans on running at least one truck full time in the Camping World Truck Series with the second team running a part time schedule, or a full time schedule if funding is available. Las Vegas based VAR drivers Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis will be behind the wheel. BBM plans on moving into the newly acquired VAR shop which should not be an issue because they are located across the street from each other.

Despite an impressive effort during the 2010 Truck Series season, BBM endured the stress of the financial side of NASCAR racing and ran their operation on virtually a race to race sponsorship program. In a live interview on Sirius Satellite Radio’s NASCAR Channel last month, Ballew said “I needed help”.”From a financial standpoint, I couldn’t continue to do it on my own. A merger seemed to be the best way to insure that we could continue on in the Truck Series. The biggest part of the puzzle was finalized last night, (December 21st), and we’ll take care of the minor details after the holidays.”

During the course of that same interview a seemingly rejuvenated Ballew stated ” I’m going to be very involved in the operation for at least the next 12 months. I’m also exploring a couple of options in the Cup Series next year.”

Despite having to deal with the sponsorship roller coaster, BBM actually had a very good year during the 2010 season. Their primary team, driven by Aric Almirola, finished second in the Truck Series final standings based on two wins, 11 top five finishes and 21 top ten finishes including 13 consecutive top tens. Ballew also finished third in the final owner’s points standings.

On the other side of this new merger stands VAR General Manager Tom Davis who is equally exuberant regarding the future of his teams. From a company prepared statement, Davis said “this is an exciting time at Vision Air Racing and we’re thankful for Billy’s support with making this deal possible. We’ve built a winning operation with Justin and Dusty in late models, and moving to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Billy delivers the level of excellence on the track that we’re used to.”

Some very impressive team stats clearly indicates that VAR also had a very good 2010 racing season. The twin teams campaigned in the Pepsi Super Late Model Series at the California based Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, one of the most challenging half mile ovals in the country, where they finished one-two in the final points standings. En route to that impressive accomplishment, the VAR drivers compiled a start/win ratio of 74 percent.

Justin Johnson was formidable last year and easily won the series’ championship based on his ten feature wins, which calculates to roughly 53 percent of his starts, along with 18 top five finishes. Twice during the season he enjoyed two different streaks of four feature wins in a row. Dusty Davis’ contribution to the VAR season included four feature wins and 15 top five finishes. He also holds the Toyota Speedway record for being the youngest feature winner in the super late model division.

While the team is now busy preparing for a debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, a lot of the series’ avid followers are likely asking exactly who are these guys from Las Vegas? Those of us who dwell out here on the “left coast”, (the western states for those of you not into geographic slang), have known for quite a long time who and what Vision Air Racing is.

25 year old Justin Johnson began his career as a teen driver in the small, but very fast, Bandolero cars back in 1999. He’s living proof how well the Bandolero program works in terms of developing future driving talent. The Las Vegas native soon began working his way through the progression of the stock car divisions eventually leading to last year’s success in the super late models. Along the way he accumulated 100 career wins and eight division titles. When he’s not strapped in the driver’s seat of his VAR Ford Fusion on the weekends, Johnson spends his week days as a driving instructor for the Ron Fellows Driving School.

After completing his high school education last year, 18 year old Dusty Davis is now completely free and clear to pursue his racing dream which began at the age of seven in karts. By the age of 13 Davis won the championship for the World Karting Association Junior Division, for drivers age 13 to 16. From karts to super late models he has since amassed 75 career wins. Davis has two big picture goals for his racing career. The first is to represent America in the Formula One Series, the second is a winning and lucrative career in NASCAR racing.

No matter what speedway they’re racing at, it’s very easy to locate the Vision Air Racing team in the pit area. From the array of equipment needed to run the operation on race night to their mammoth double car hauler, this state of the art set up is eye popping and immediately noticeable. That’s largely due to the resources Vision Airlines provides this team.

The story behind the team’s primary sponsor is equally as impressive as the accomplishments of the team. According to their official website, the Las Vegas based Vision Airlines was formed by Steve Acor back in 1994. At the time the company was operating a lone, nine seat, Piper aircraft that provided personal charter services as well as aerial tours of the Grand Canyon. That was approximately 16 years ago. Now Vision Airlines owns a fleet of Boeing 767’s and 737’s as well as Dornier 328 and 228 planes and, in that short amount of time, they have become the premiere charter airline service in the country. Their clientele now includes presidential candidates, heads of state, “A” list celebrities and executives representing major Fortune 500 companies. After establishing an administrative base in Suwannee-Georgia, Vision Airlines began the process of providing airline commuters affordable public transportation without sacrificing quality and safety amenities. They are currently flying passengers out of airports located in North Las Vegas, Gulfport and Biloxi-Mississippi and Miami-Florida with plans underway to expand flights and facilities in other key cities.

Now the stage is set for VAR to join Ballew Motorsports and make their mark on NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series when the new season begins at Daytona in February. However before that can happen, drivers Johnson and Davis will have to get official approval from NASCAR to run the full series. This includes insuring that their respective experience levels will allow them to safely perform on the super speedways, such as Daytona, the Truck Series races at.

This process should not present any problems. Anyone who has ever seen Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis drive their VAR super late models already knows that obtaining NASCAR approval is simply going to be a matter of formality.

January 3, 2011
Less is More: The Road to a Sprint Cup Series Title for Kyle Busch Could Be Through Slowing Down

Applaud Kyle Busch for winning 24 races in NASCAR’s top three series in 2010.

Applaud Kyle Busch for winning three races in one weekend. Applaud Kyle Busch for setting the single season win record in the Nationwide Series. Applaud Kyle Busch for winning the Camping World Truck Series owners championship in the first year as a team owner.

Now give Kyle Busch a thumb down for running in so many races.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]There’s no denying or criticizing the fact that Busch loves and lives to race. He’s damn good at what he does and the fans are in for a treat whenever he climbs behind the wheel.

The big picture though, a Sprint Cup Series championship, is a different story. With all the talent that Busch possesses, it’s hard not to ask the question: when does the day come when it’s all put together and Busch takes home the biggest trophy of all?

He’s come close; in 2008 he dominated the regular season winning eight races before having a dismal Chase. It was his first season at Joe Gibbs Racing and looked to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Not so in the last two seasons. He missed the Chase in 2009 and went through a crew chief change.

In the meantime, he won a NNS championship (2009) and put his name in the history book in both there and the CWTS on a few different occasions.

Those accomplishments are great on the resume, but mean nothing down the long run. Busch’s job is in the Sprint Cup Series; his job is to win Cup races and championships.

For all the dominating Busch does in the minor leagues, the majors haven’t been as easy. In 2010 he won four races, the least of any series he competed in – he won eight in trucks and 13 in the Nationwide. It pulled his win total in Cup to 19 and he again qualified for the Chase, yet was never a factor.

“Good year,” he said. “You always want more. Want more Cup wins, maybe you’d trade out some Nationwide wins for some Cup wins but overall, to win two owners championships is pretty darn good.”

Good it was, but rewind to Busch’s previous statement, “… maybe you’d trade out some Nationwide wins for some Cup wins … “

That’s exactly what he needs to do and the way to do it is by not running so many races. Cut back even more on the part-time NNS schedule as well as the CWTS schedule.

Even at 25 years of age it’s possible to burn out and run yourself ragged. For Busch, running in three series is turning into too much and the road to a Sprint Cup title does not go through the NNS or CWTS series. Winning on Friday and Saturday’s are great, but when Sunday rolls around is Busch really at his best and refreshed?

Think about it a different way, running in so many races presents more opportunities to loss his cool. Avoiding those situations would make Busch a different driver.

Imagine a calm, cool, collected Busch every Sunday; that can only equal danger for the competition. What if Busch wasn’t already livid with NASCAR from the Nationwide race heading into the Cup race at Texas this past season?

Would he have lost his cool and taken a car capable of winning out of contention by being penalized two laps?

But it’s well known he wants to get to the 200 win mark and Busch fans can only hope it doesn’t take his focus away from the big picture. Winning all those races would be an incredible feat and will further add to Busch’s pages in the history book.

Except, will his name be there under a driver that knew how to win a lot of races or could win races and championships?

A lot goes into winning a championship with focus being a major part. One of the reasons Jimmie Johnson has been said to be so good and have won five straight titles is through intense tunnel vision. He and his No. 48 Lowe’s team see nothing but the Sprint Cup Series championship. Kyle Busch sees every trophy in front of him and wants them.

Nothing wrong with that but wouldn’t a Sprint Cup title on the mantel look good too?

How much better can Busch be if he didn’t have to go back and forth between garages? What if Busch’s tunnel vision only included the Cup Series?

This is not the first time that the question has been asked. What brings it forth again is that it’s becoming a little more apparent that those who try and pull double duty don’t end up for the better.

Contenders for the Sprint Cup title the last few seasons did not race as much as Busch does. Now five-time Cup champion Johnson doesn’t wonder outside his No. 48 to compete in anything but the Cup Series.

Busch’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, only ran in four NNS races this past season. He finished second to Johnson in the championship after winning eight races. In 2009 Mark Martin won five Cup races and finished second in points. Third place finisher Jeff Gordon won a race as well.

That year, Martin ran one NNS race. Gordon has run a Nationwide race since 2000 when he ran in five events. He like Johnson hasn’t strayed from the Cup Series.

Look back even further, to 2005, the last time a driver not named Johnson won the title. Tony Stewart took home his second Sprint Cup championship after only competing in 12 Nationwide races that year.

Competing in one series has paid off in big ways for these drivers. Of course this past season Kevin Harvick ran in almost as many NNS and CWTS races as Busch and was able to finish third in the Sprint Cup points. Carl Edwards pulled double duty in 2008 and finished second in points to Johnson.

Yet for Busch, his success hasn’t carried through all three series in the same year. So, why not take a year to try something different, try racing less.

He will be a Sprint Cup Series champion one day and a multiple champion at that. If he took one year to slow himself down however, that day might come sooner than it currently appears.

January 2, 2011
‘Have At It Boys’ Becomes a NASCAR Key Phrase in 2010 with Edwards and Keselowski

When Robin Pemberton uttered those four words last year in January, a lot of people were curious as to how the drivers would react. Most thought it would equal some emotions being shown, but at the end of the year, it went beyond just a little bit of emotion.

Notably the biggest “Have At It Boys” Story is Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski that started at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]On lap 39, Keselowski and Edwards made contact on the restart, sending Edwards and Joey Logano into the wall. On the initial replay, it looked as if Keselowski got into the back of Edwards. Though upon further review, Edwards actually came down in front of Keselowski, causing Keselowski to get into him. Either way, blame was placed on Keselowski for the incident.

“He cut down on me on the restart and I couldn’t lift faster,” Keselowski said of the accident. “I appologize to him.”

“Looking at that replay, it didn’t look as bad as I first thought,” Edwards said. “We were on the restart and I was going for the bottom. I knew Brad was peeking inside, but I thought he’d give me just a little bit of room and he didn’t and we ended up overlapping.”

“I know Brad (Keselowski) has made his career on being super-aggressive,” Edwards continued. “But it’s just a little too aggressive overall for that early in the race and caused us to wreck.”

Carl Edwards also added that, “Brad is somebody who doesn’t ever give me any room.”

After spending numerous laps behind the wall, Edwards returned to the track, looking to make the points loss due to the incident minimal. However, with six laps to go, Edwards did something that’d become the No. 1 hot topic: He retaliated.

Edwards got behind Keselowski with eight laps to go and took three swipes at him, finally wrecking him on the third try. The result was Keselowski flipping upside down on the front stretch at Atlanta Motor Speedway, not injured, and Edwards being parked for the remainder of the race.

After the wreck, Keselowski said Carl Edwards, “decided to just wreck me intentionally down the straightaway and about killed me and a couple thousand people in the grandstands. It’s one thing to race somebody hard and get in an accident when you’re going for position. It’s another to just intentionally wreck someone at 195 mph at a track like this. I know it’s ironic that it’s me saying that but I didn’t do it on purpose.”

After the race, Carl Edwards posted the following on his Facebook page:

Considering that Brad wrecks me with no regard for anyones safety or hard work, should I: A-Keep letting him wreck me? B-Confront him after the race? C-Wait til bristol and collect other cars? or D-Take care of it now? I want to be clear that I was surprised at his flight and very relieved when he walked away. Every person has to decide what code they want to live by and hopefully this explains mine.

NASCAR had suspended drivers in the past for incidents of rough driving. Kevin Harvick was suspended for cup race at Martinsville after retaliating in the truck race the previous day while Ted Musgrave was suspended in 2007 for getting into Kelly Bires under the caution. So there were those who were calling for Edwards to be suspended.

“Parking a guy for this race is not enough,” Keselowski said. “I think he deserves at least one race. He could have killed somebody in the grandstands wrecking somebody intentionally. Things happen. We wreck race cars. That’s going to happen and they happen out of the pursuit of competition and the aggression to go out and win.

“But they should not happen at tracks like this, at this speed, out of anger or emotions that are not in check at tracks like this at this speed. The bottom line is, Carl is an awesome guy – one of the best in the garage. But he made a move that was uncalled for and cannot be tolerated in this sport, or we’re going to kill somebody.”

“I just have no comment on it,” Edwards said when asked about Keselowski calling for him to be suspended.

Some others within NASCAR Nation, though, agree with Brad Keselowski.

“Well Brad K isn’t the first car to flip from Carl this year,” Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s spotter TJ Majors posted on twitter. “Lost all respect I had for Carl today. Get a grip. Obviously has no care for being safe. Park him. Teach a lesson.”

“This is a black eye on NASCAR. He (Edwards) shouldn’t show up at Bristol.” Kyle Petty said on SpeedTV’s show NASCAR Victory Lane.

However, NASCAR made the call not to suspend Edwards. Instead, Edwards was put on probation for three races, no suspension, no fines, and no point penalty. Helton added that Edwards “knows what that means.”

In pulling Edwards off the track and speaking with him in the trailer, Helton said that NASCAR “wanted to make it clear that this goes beyond what we said in February, and we think the driver of the No. 99 understands that.”

In his opinion, he thinks their “reaction of putting Carl in the garage for the rest of the event and our probation is enough.”

He went on to add that in talking with both Roger Penske (Brad Keselowski’s owner) and Jack Roush (Edwards’ owner), they came to this decision and plan to meet up with both drivers to “clean the slate so they can get back to hard racing” as the “drivers need to sort it out themselves.”

Of the drivers, Helton added, “If there’s a rivalry that goes beyond racing, they need to figure out how to manage that before we get involved in it. It’s not as much us mentoring at this point, as it is the two drivers talking it out with the owners listening.”

Though Helton went on to add, “There is a line you can cross, and we’ll step in to maintain law and order when we think that line is crossed.”

When Helton was asked what’s crossing the line, he said, “We’ll see it when we see it” and then went said, “We may react to first incident different then we’d react to third, forth or fifth incident.”

As the announcement broke, drivers and NASCAR members alike began tweeting their opinions, in which some turned out to be quite interesting:

“I wonder what would of happened to me in that situation?” Robby Gordon (@RobbyGordon) questioned. “Hmmm someone playing favorites?”

“Huh!” Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) tweeted soon after. “Surprised by the penalty or lack there of….. I’m thinking about asking for a refund for all of my penalties!!!!”

“Rules or comments of unintended consequences, all any league can do is act, then react,u make rules based on what you know at the time!” Darrell Waltrip (@allwaltrip) tweeted.

“Gotta say I think NASCAR handled the situation the right way, glad 2 c they ackowledged the car getting airborne is the biggest issue.” Regan Smith (@Regan_Smith_) tweeted.

“My heading is spinning,” Delana Harvick (@DeLanaHarvick) tweeted. “I can’t understand what a 3-race probation actually does. Maybe @kevinharvick should awe shucks more. Seems to work.”

“Yo go #nascar!!!” Scott Speed (@scottspeed) tweeted. “3 race probation for Edwards! Awsome I love it!!! I bet Keslowski is scared now lol”

Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) tweeted it best with, “Agree or not, precedence is set. If I’m Driver-X, and somebody’s holdin’ me up, I ain’t a damn bit scared to bomb into 1 and send ’em now.”

The story continued to blossom when at Gateway, Edwards turned Keselowski coming to the checkered flag for the win.

A lot of people believed Edwards would be suspended there, however he was not as NASCAR believed it was a racing incident.

NASCAR could have simply done something about the incident, however they didn’t and left it in the driver’s hands. In the end, it equaled some heated racing yet by the end of the year, the drivers sorted out their issues themselves.

Also, had NASCAR took an offensive approach, they probably would have stopped all the following events with “boys have at it” as people would have been scared.

In the end, Edwards and Keselowski are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to “Have at it Boys” as seen throughout the season with all the controversies.

January 2, 2011
NASCAR’s Richard Childress, Driven to Success

The inaugural Talladega 500 was short of drivers because the Professional Drivers Association, led by Richard Petty, organized a mass exit of NASCAR’s top drivers. They feared the tires were unsafe at the high speeds on the new track.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Bill France Sr. was determined to run the race, so he called upon drivers with less experience and recognition to fill the field.

Richard Childress was one of the replacement drivers who competed in the first big race at the Alabama superspeedway.

Childress became an independent driver in 1971 and fielded a car bearing the No. 3 in honor of Junior Johnson’s number. He never won a race in NASCAR’s top-tier of racing, but he did have 76 top-10 finishes. His best finish was third place in 1978.

The high school dropout had the wisdom to take the money he earned racing in the early days to buy land in North Carolina. Childress owns a lot of land now and a good portion of the North Carolina land is used for his Vineyard, mansion and of course Richard Childress Racing.

In 1981 Childress retired from racing to become an owner. Rod Osterlund sold his racing operations and his driver, Dale Earnhardt, was hired to drive the No. 3 Wrangler Jeans car for Childress.

The union only lasted one season and Earnhardt left with Ricky Rudd taking over the ride for two seasons.

In 1984, Earnhardt returned to Richard Childress Racing and the most potent owner/driver relationship in the history of the sport was formed.

Together the team forged out six NASCAR Winston Cup (Sprint Cup) Championships in 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994. Childress proved to be a savvy businessman in many ways, but securing the GM Goodwrench sponsorship for the feared, black No. 3 was a coup.

During the 1990’s, Childress expanded his operations to include Busch (Nationwide) and Craftsman (Camping World) Truck Series teams. In 1995, RCR won the championship with driver, Mike Skinner, during the first season for the Craftsman Truck Series.

In 2001, the world as Childress knew it collapsed with the death of his best friend and driver, Dale Earnhardt, on the last lap of the Daytona 500. He seriously thought of closing down his racing operations.

Childress managed to move ahead and continue racing with Kevin Harvick behind the wheel of the former No. 3 car renumbered with No. 29. Childress went on to win two Busch (Nationwide) championships with Harvick in 2001 and 2006.

Childress has found great success with his teams, though he has not won a championship since the last one with Earnhardt. In 2011 he will return to four teams with drivers Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard.

RCR supplies engines and chassis to other NASCAR teams as well.

The man who started with little but a dream has amassed great wealth and he knows how to enjoy it. His Childress Vineyards winery in Lexington, N.C. has garnered much attention and success.

Childress is and avid outdoorsman and conservationist. He was elected to the NRA Board of Directors in 2009. His big game hunts around the world have become a passion for him.

NASCAR has given a great deal to the respected team owner, but it has taken much from him as well.

Childress had the wisdom to invest wisely as a young man, a bit of magic with the union he had with Dale Earnhardt and the skills to build a racing empire along with the other profitable operations.

Childress was indeed driven to success.

December 29, 2010
New Year Resolutions for Some of NASCAR’s Top Stars

With Christmas now behind us and the New Year coming fast ahead, the tradition is not only to reflect one last time on another year that has quickly passed, but also look ahead.

Looking back upon the 2010 season fans and drivers have already given thanks for another great season. A few different drivers made history and the competition was at an all time high.

They gave and received new gifts and gadgets to help them survive the rest of the offseason and head into a new calendar year. Leaving just one thing to do before the curtain on the 2010 season and year officially drops.

Many around the globe are preparing their resolutions for 2011, something they vow to do in the New Year they haven’t done in the past. Most resolutions made before Friday night will be broken before the first week of the New Year is complete.

Resolutions though, are meant to be broken. The fun comes from even coming up with a resolution to eventually toss by the wayside. Will any of our favorite drivers come up with their own resolutions this year?

Here are a few that might not be bad ideas …

NASCAR: Force all drivers to ride in same safety ambulance and install cameras

With a full year of “boys, have at it” under their belts, the drivers will be ready for a fresh slate to do it even bigger in 2011. For NASCAR that’s great news because as was shown in 2010, it puts on great racing.

At Texas in November when Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton got into a tussle on the track they both had to go to the infield care center … in the same ambulance. Viewers were eager to be a fly on that wall in hopes the two drivers went at it again.

As long as boys have at it is going to be around, NASCAR needs to make sure there are cameras everywhere, ready to catch all the action.

Jimmie Johnson: To make a final decision

Hard to image that the now five-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion would have anything he needs to change but there’s one thing. The last year in a half Johnson has flirted with having a beard, shaving it and then bringing it back. It really wasn’t a big deal being that it’s his facial hair and he can do as he pleases.

That changed, however, when it became its own news story. It was brought up during championship weekend as “the beard won a championship,” and there’s repeated stories devoted to how Johnson likes to annoy crew chief Chad Knaus.

No need for so much publicity over a beard. Meaning that Johnson has to help out by choosing to keep it or shave it for good.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Find a new vocabulary

Working with a new team and crew chief will be among a few changes in 2011 for Dale Earnhardt Jr. The one he personally needs to make comes from within and how communication with Steve Letarte could take a turn.

Never one to back down and hide how he’s feeling or how he expresses himself, Earnhardt Jr.’s radio is more suited for Comedy Central then Nickelodeon. The problem is that Letarte lets his family at home listen to the team communication through a home stereo system.

While it’s been said time and time again that those who are offended by the radio communications shouldn’t listen, in this case it might not be good for team chemistry if the driver begins giving the crew chief’s children an English lesson.

Denny Hamlin: To never, ever think about the last two races of the 2010 season

It can be argued, but for 34 races of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series season Denny Hamlin was the guy to watch. After declaring in the season finale of 2009 that his team was going to be champions in the near future, Hamlin walked the walk this past season.

In fact, Hamlin may have been 15 laps away from clinching his first title at Phoenix after dominating the day. Until a little thing called strategy came into play. Then came the equally bad day in Homestead-Miami a week later.

As Hamlin enters the 2011 season he needs to wash his brain of those two races and instead burn into his memory how his team performed in the first 34 races. Put them on a tape that replays in every room of his house, listen to old radio broadcasts of his eight wins, just burn it in his mind what his team accomplished. Should he do that and his team come out in 2011 as they did in 2010, they’ll again be in the thick of the title hunt.

Juan Pablo Montoya: Become the team leader

Like most drivers in the garage, Montoya possesses an intense fire that drives him every weekend. But that fire has gotten him in trouble sometimes, especially when it comes to losing races that he’s dominated.

For the second year in row Montoya should have been the man in victory lane at the Brickyard 400, but instead was left heartbroken. His crew chief took the blame as Montoya exploded over the radio after their pit stop.

The reason that his resolution is to become the team leader is that Montoya needs to step up and not let everything fall on his crew chief’s shoulders. In 2009 it was Montoya, not his crew chief that was speeding on pit road. And in 2010 it was Montoya, not his crew chief that drove too hard trying to get back to the front and wrecked.

Yet it was Brian Pattie in tears talking about costing Montoya wins. This is a team that can win on the oval tracks, but if the team is going to be at odds, it’s not going to help. It also doesn’t help when you’re insulting you’re teammate either such as what happened in Las Vegas.

Carl Edwards: Go back to being Cousin Carl instead of Crazy Carl

The driver of the Aflac Ford is one of the easiest drivers for fans to cheer for. This past year however, he changed some of their minds when he engaged in a season-long rivalry with Brad Keselowski.

Having a little bit of competition and being the villain every once in a while can be a good thing. But when Edwards sent Keselowski airborne in Atlanta and then spinning in front of the field at Gateway, things got a little out of control.

That’s not the driver that Edwards wants to be, especially when he respects the sport and the fans as much as he does. He even celebrates with them in the stands. Edwards will always have fans, but avoiding dangerous incidents he had in 2010 might bring him more and it’ll also help the image of the sport to have one of their friendliest drivers back.

Mark Martin: Not to pull a Brett Favre

The 2011 season will be the last for Martin behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Martin says he expects to drive either part-time or full-time in 2012 for another team.

Whatever he chooses to do, Martin should make sure the ink is dry on the deal before announcing anything. Martin had already announced in 2005 that he was going to retire at the end of the season, and then came back for another full year in 2006, which was then expected to be his last.

In 2007 he moved to what was still Dale Earnhardt Inc., to share time with Aric Almirola. He did the same in 2008 as he said he was working toward retirement. But then he announced he was going to HMS for the 2009-2010 season, again expected to be his last. Then came a contract extension.

All the moving around and mixed signals about whether he wanted to race full-time, part-time or retire is beginning to become all too familiar.

Kasey Kahne: Don’t walk out on his team

Whether or not Kahne was actually sick can still be up for debate, but what’s not is the fact that he left his team in the middle of a race. It was much like Kyle Busch did back in 2007 when he wrecked at Texas, said his back hurt and left the track while his team repaired the car.

Following a wreck at Charlotte, Kahne refused to get back in his No. 9 Ford and said he was sick and left. The following week he was released from Richard Petty Motorsports.

His reasoning was that the team hadn’t been putting unsafe cars underneath him and he was sick of it. Many argued that Kahne was being reduced to a lame duck because he had announced he was leaving at the end of the season anyway.

In 2011 he’ll find himself in that same spot with Red Bull Racing as he prepares for 2012 with Hendrick Motorsports. Should Kahne again feel let down by a team he should revert to this resolution and be the bigger man.

Steve Wallace: Don’t be Steve Wallace

Sounds harsh but the reality is that Wallace needs to step up in the Nationwide Series. It’s unrealistic that he’ll lose his ride seeing that he drives for his father, but that doesn’t mean the criticism will go away.

The potential is there as he finished 10th in points this season. However, he only had one top five. Time to make a change for 2011 that will get the Wallace name back in NASCAR’s victory lane.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Don’t fall into a sense of déjà vu

Much like Denny Hamlin, Stenhouse Jr. is another driver that needs to forget some races. For him, it’s almost the first half of the 2010 season, which saw him nearly lose his ride.

After starting the season in the No. 6 for Roush-Fenway, Stenhouse was benched by owner Jack Roush. The time out of the car did the rookie some good as he came back stronger than ever.

He ended the season with five top 10s in the final 10 races and captured Rookie of the Year honors. He’ll be back in 2011 for a sophomore season and Stenhouse desperately needs to pick up where he left off.

Justin Allgaier: Embrace his “Little Gator” nickname

Nice guys do finish last and in 2010 that was Justin Allgaier. The former Penske driver did win his first race at Bristol in March, but a few slipped through his fingers and Allgaier wishes he had them back.

Near the end of the season Allgaier traded paint with Aric Almirola, whom he’ll be racing full-time with in 2011. But Allgaier said he didn’t mean to go up there and get into Almirola, he was just trying to slow down. That’s nice to say but Allgaier shouldn’t have to, it’s OK to show some aggression.

In 2011 lets see Allgaier go up and show drivers that while he can be the nice guy, he’s not going to be taken lightly. In 2010 he was the highest finishing NNS regular driver and he’ll be one to contend with in 2011, but he’s got to take a bite out of the competition to take home some checkered flags.

Austin Dillon: Remain Austin Dillon

His rookie season was a success, as was the fans taking to the young kid and his driving of the black No. 3. But now comes the hard part because as a rookie there aren’t that many expectations and as Dillon heads for another season after which he won two races, seven poles and the ROY, the expectations will rise.

As they do Dillon needs to not get caught up in them or who the fans may want him to become. With any driver that climbs aboard the No. 3 there comes the added pressure of doing the Earnhardt name justice and hopefully Dillon doesn’t crack under that pressure. He did a great job in 2010 but he’s not out of the woods yet.

There you have it, just a few of NASCAR’s top drivers from 2010 with resolutions for 2011. Happy New Year NASCAR fans.

December 28, 2010