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  • Patrick Sheltra Looks for Nationwide Opportunity

    Patrick Sheltra Looks for Nationwide Opportunity

    This past weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Patrick Sheltra was spotted sitting on the No. 21 pit box for Clint Bowyer during the Nationwide race.

    Sheltra Motorsports earlier this year expressed that they were negoitating to get Sheltra into a full-time Nationwide Series ride after winning the 2010 ARCA Re/Max Series Championship. In 20 races this past season, Sheltra had two wins, 12 top fives and 17 top 10s on his way to his first championship.

    The combination of Sheltra and Richard Childress Racing would seem unlikely, however, as RCR has announced they will not be doing a Nationwide Series program in 2011. Though speculation has it that this could lead to Sheltra running some races in the No. 21 car to close out the season as no full-time driver is in place.

    The ARCA Series has been known for producing great NASCAR drivers as both Justin Lofton, Parker Kligerman, Michael McDowell, T.J. Bell and Justin Allgaier have recently moved up from the ARCA ranks. Each driver has had their own degree of success, however the 2008 and 2009 champions have experienced the most lately.

    Justin Lofton, the 2009 champion, is driving the No. 7 truck in the Craftsmen Truck Series this year for Tuner Motorsports. So far this year, Lofton has four top fives and six top 10s in 20 starts.

    Justin Allgaier, the 2008 champion, is driving the No. 12 car in the Nationwide Series this year for Penske Racing. So far this year, Allgaier has one win (Bristol), seven top fives, 18 top 10s and one pole in 31 starts. Allgaier hopes to catch the eye of a sponsor or a new team owner as he could left on the sidelines next year.

    Parker Kligerman, the 2009 series rookie of the year, looks to follow in the footsteps of Allgaier as he is currently under a developmental contract with Penkse Racing.

    Could Sheltra be the next success story? It is very well possible as Sheltra showed this year that he can be consistant, determined and ready for the next level.

  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Bud Moore

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Bud Moore

    Bud Moore was recently announced as an inductee into the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

    His reaction was poignant.

    “I’m really thrilled,” Moore said. “You just don’t know how thrilled I really am to be chosen. It is one of the greatest moments of my life.”

    However, on a day intended to honor and celebrate his life’s work, controversy reared its ugly head. There are those who question his inclusion over more well-known names such as drivers Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough.

    There is no standardized template for the perfect Hall of Fame candidate. It’s not as simple as comparing statistics to determine who comes out on top. Each individual’s contributions, both on and off the track, must be considered. For often indefinable reasons, there are always those special few who shape the sport for future generations.

    Bud Moore is one such man.

    Walter M. “Bud” Moore was born on May 25, 1925, in Spartanburg, South Carolina and once described himself as “an old country mechanic who loved to make ‘em run fast.”

    As a young man, he was drafted into the Army and went off to serve his country as an infantryman. Moore returned from World War II as a highly decorated hero with two Bronze Stars and five Purple Hearts.

    He showed that same level of commitment and focus when he began his racing career and was a prominent figure in the early days of NASCAR. When you talk about the founding fathers of NASCAR, you’re talking about Bud Moore.

    He owned and operated a NASCAR team for 37 years and in 959 starts accumulated 63 victories, 43 poles, 298 top-five finishes and 463 top-10s.

    Moore was the crew chief for Buck Baker when Baker won the championship in 1957. He won back to back championships as a car owner with Joe Weatherly in 1962 and 1963. Moore also won a Grand American championship in 1968 with Tiny Lund and a Sports Car Club of America Trans-Am title in 1970 with Parnelli Jones.

    If you take a look at the biggest names in NASCAR history, it’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t driven a Bud Moore car.

    Those drivers include David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Alison, Buddy Baker, Billy Wade, Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, Morgan Shepherd, Dale Earnhardt and more.

    Bud Moore had a front row seat to NASCAR’s future stars.

    “The thing is, a lot of people ask me, who was the best? They all were good,” Moore once said. “Some were better on some racetracks and others were better on others.”

    “Buddy Baker was the best on mile-and-a-half, two-mile racetracks. Bobby Allison was good on all the racetracks, and Dale Earnhardt was just as good, or better.”

    “But those (last) two stand out to me, as far as being drivers on all the tracks. But I can’t pick a favorite. I liked them all.”

    Bud Moore cars have also won at some of NASCAR’s most prestigious tracks.

    Darel Dieringer won the Darlington Southern 500 in 1966. Buddy Baker won three straight races at Talladega in 1975 and 1976 in Moore owned cars. Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 and the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1978.

    Bud Moore’s retirement tells a familiar story of talent versus money. After problems finding sponsors, he finally closed his shop and retired from racing in 1999.

    “I spent a bunch of my own money keeping the team alive, keeping the shop and keeping key personnel on board,” Moore said. “Whenever we thought we had a sponsor deal, somebody would say to them, ‘Wait a minute. Why in the world would you spend millions on Bud Moore? We’ll put you on four or five cars for a million.’ If that was you, what would you do? You’d go on four or five cars. So that put us out of business. From 1994 to 1999, there were 23 single-car teams that went out of business.”

    Bud Moore may not have been the popular choice for the NASCAR Hall of Fame but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t the right choice.

    If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe Dale Earnhardt.

    In 1983 Bud Moore predicted that Dale Earnhardt would make NASCAR history.

    “He can do more things with a car than anyone I’ve ever seen. I’ll put it this way, he’s the best I’ve ever seen, and that includes Fireball Roberts and guys like that.”

    When Earnhardt heard what Moore had said, he responded by saying, “It takes more than a driver. You have to have a good team and they’re hard to come by.”

    He went on to say, “I’m glad Bud feels that way. I can also say, I think he’s the best. It’s an honor coming from him considering what he’s seen and the drivers he has seen go by.”

    Awards and Achievements:
    Two Cup championships with Joe Weatherly in 1962 and 1963
    One Grand American championship with Tiny Lund in 1968
    63 career victories
    43 career poles
    Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in August 2002
    Inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame in April 2009
    Announced as Inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010, Induction ceremony to be held in May 2011

    Quotes courtesy of darlingtonraceway.com, Todd Shanesy at goupstate.com and Tom Higgins – The Charlotte Observer

  • Trevor Bayne A Ford Mustang Virgin No More

    Trevor Bayne A Ford Mustang Virgin No More

    In just his third race with Roush Fenway Racing since getting the boot from Michael Waltrip Racing, driver Trevor Bayne made his Ford Mustang debut in the Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “I like them,” Bayne said simply about the new Mustang. “They look cool, that’s for sure.”

    Unfortunately, Bayne did not have quite the result that he would have wanted for his inaugural run in his new No. 17 Roush Fenway ride. The young driver finished in the 17th position after starting in the back of the field in 25th.

    “I don’t think the finish really shows how we ran,” Bayne said. “That’s the sad thing for this team because we just had a bad qualifying run for some reason.”

    “The car got really tight on us,” Bayne said of his qualifying run. “But we worked our way up toward the front and got up to 11th at one time and I think that’s about where we belonged.”

    In one of the stranger twists of the Nationwide Dollar General 300, the cycle of pit stops played a significant role in the race finishing order. Several late race cautions and a strange resetting of the field due to an error made by NASCAR during a lug nut pit call also shook up the field.

    “We had great pit stops that really helped us,” Bayne said. “But it cycled out funny when some of the guys stayed out on the green-flag stop. That put us back to about 17th and track position was just so big tonight that once we got in dirty air our car would lose all of its handling.”

    Bayne attributed his not so stellar finish to his inability to fight his way forward to that dirty air, especially on the last restart with just a few laps to go in the race.

    “We were just a victim of our car being in bad air,” Bayne said. “I think they did a great job with it. We’ll get this Ford Mustang there eventually.”

    Bayne also confessed that his Mustang went from tight to very loose, especially as the track cooled. That loose condition was something that Bayne said he expected as it is characteristic of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “We kind of expected that,” Bayne said. “It really freed up and that’s a characteristic of this race track. We just didn’t know how much it would free up and it was a lot. I think we were definitely fighting free most of the night.”

    Bayne also had a tussle on the track during the race with another young gun, Steven Wallace, who was behind the wheel of the No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota. Wallace’s car hit the wall, suffering severe damage and lead to a very disappointing 29th place finish.

    “He started coming up and I gave him all the room I could possibly give him,” Bayne said of Wallace. “You can’t check up in those situations very much and I was just hoping he knew I was there.”

    “We just barely touched, but it was enough to send him,” Bayne said. “I hate when stuff gets torn up but it was either his stuff torn up, or I could have hit the wall missing him, and I don’t want to tear up my stuff either.”

    With his third race and his virgin Mustang run under his belt, Bayne continues to settle in at Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne is officially the 45th driver to take the wheel for the team, along with several other young guns in the stable with him.

    “I knew there would be a learning curve as we got used to the team,” Bayne said. “But I’m excited about it.”

    “I’m already feeling at home in this organization and that’s important,” Bayne said. “To have a long-term commitment from someone is one thing, but to feel like you belong there is another. I have both of those right now and that’s awesome.”

    Bayne especially appreciates the history and winning ways of Roush Fenway. The youngster is especially enamored of his new team owner, Jack Roush.

    “It’s really cool to be a part of an organization that already has a history like Roush Fenway,” Bayne said. “I know that winning is part of their blood. Hopefully, we can add to those win totals very soon.”

    “Jack is awesome,” Bayne said. “I have never known an owner to be so involved; and involved is the key word here. It’s pretty incredible to see someone like that, who is as accomplished as Jack is. That is very impressive to me.”

    The nineteen year old Bayne will drive for his team owner and hero in the Nationwide Series for the rest of the 2010 season. He is currently eighth in the Series point standings heading into the next race at Gateway on October 23rd.

  • Returning to what I love best Nascar and Writing

    Returning to what I love best Nascar and Writing

    Returning to what I love best, Nascar and Writing

    We have seasons in our life and that includes our profession as well. Dale, Jr. is no exception. The opposition has already retired Dale, Jr. in their minds. Questioning his career move from DEI to Hendrick and stating that as a driver his best years are behind him now. Only true Dale, Jr. fans know this couldn’t be further from the truth. After a couple years of writing actively for www.speedwaymedia.com I had to leave it for the moment. A divorce, caring for my elderly Uncle and my own personal health issues including surgery to repair 2 small brain aneurysms in July of 2009 caused me to have to stop a hobby I loved writing for my favorite sport! I am back and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will be too. Remembering our roots and our passion is what keeps one growing and becoming even better than before. With that being said I wanted to post my very first article I wrote in October 2002 and posted as my first article for www.speedwaymedia.com in 2003.

     

    Not Just Another Fan Chasing a Hero

    In a world where everything that glitters is gold, fame fortune and more media attention than anyone can stand. People just want to get close to the drivers, to look at them, to touch them, to get an autograph and have that moment ingrained in their memory forever. What if the driver being the human being that he is, touches another unknown human being through words and wisdom? In the eyes of this unknown person the driver could be Mickey Mouse. All that matters to the fan is the two shares an experience of pain and sadness, and because this driver talked so openly and freely about his pain, he helped someone he didn’t even know who was.

    My story is probably a little different than most. I became a fan of Nascar after the Dayton 500 in 2001 where Dale, Sr. lost his life. Before that Sunday I knew very little about racing. I had never heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Over the years, other than the name Petty, I had of Gordon and Earnhardt. I didn’t know much about either one, but I did know if you loved one, you hated the other and visa versa.

    That February evening in 2001, I logged onto Nascar.com for the first time. There was a feature called multimedia and it had Dale, Jr. speaking for the family just hours after his Dad had been killed. Other than being Dale Earnhardt’s son I knew nothing about him until that night. For the days and weeks to come, I followed stories and my heart bled for him and his family. I lost my Mother in May 1999, my relationship with her seemed to be similar to Dale, Jr’s relationship with Dale, Sr.

    During the next several months multimedia featured Dale, Jr. talking mostly about this loss, his grief and how he will make it through the season. I related so to the things he said. How he was dealing with this grief, what got him up in the morning and what got him to the racetrack on weekends. He talked about the things that gave him comfort and would allow him to go on. The interviews he did with Darrell Waltrip were the most comforting for me. I am an only child; I did have the support of friends and even grief support groups.

    Finally, I found someone who felt just like I did. At that time, almost 2 years since my Mother’s death I was still in so much pain. Being able to listen to these interviews on multimedia enabled me to heal. Dale, Jr. couldn’t hear me but I could hear him. I became a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan not because of his ability to drive a race car but because I had to turned to these videos for support and inspiration. I became on hooked on the human side of Dale, Jr. and will remember him as someone who helped me heal a little more from the death of my Mother.

    Now, nearing the end of the 2002 season I an avid Nascar fan. I cheer for many drivers now. I am a faithful DEI fan but I cheer for other drivers as well. I love the sport, and I have been to several races. The one thing I would like my story to convey is, we never really know how we touch other people. The drivers get to what they love to do, the sponsors get to sell a lot of what the drivers advertise on the cars and the fans get to go to races and have a good time. Sometimes when famous people let their human side show for the world to see, to one unknown person, it may be the answer to prayer and hope that life does go on. (10/2002)

    As I resume and continue my love for writing and Nascar, I will always be proud of my first article and the story it tells. I am grateful to www.speedwaymedia.com, my fellow writers and the fans that support all of us. My hope is my passion for my hobby and the sport will only be the beginning of great things to come. Dale Jr. fans, Hang on because he may be down right now, but he is not out!

  • The Chasers Take Their Battle to Charlotte Motor Speedway

    The Chasers Take Their Battle to Charlotte Motor Speedway

    While Jamie McMurray stole the show with the win, the beast of the southeast took her turn at mixing up the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    Multiple Chase drivers took a turn in the blender experiencing issues, which has now changed the complexion of the Chase.

    12th: No. 33 Clint Bowyer, 300 points back of points leader Jimmie Johnson

    After a finish of 17th, Clint Bowyer keeps his seat as the last place man in the Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship standings. Bowyer struggled all night with an ill-handling car and even got into a pit road discussion with Johnson. Coming off of pit road, Johnson cut Bowyer off, in Bowyer’s mind, when he was leaving his stall. In return, Bowyer made contact with Johnson before they went back green.

    Bowyer has a long fight ahead of him, something he knew he would have after the 150 points penalty following New Hampshire.

    11th: No. 17 Matt Kenseth, 256 points back of Johnson

    Matt Kenseth had a consistant night as he finished sixth after running in the top 10 for most of the night. Though if Kenseth is going to have a shot at the championship, Kenseth will have to pull off some wins and hope the others run into some misfortunes.

    10th: No. 31 Jeff Burton, 239 points back of Johnson

    After a finish of 20th due to an ill-handling car and a spin, Burton drops back two spots to 10th in points. Burton is known for his consistancy, however like Kenseth, he will have to go above that and hope for some misfortune.

    9th:  No. 2 Kurt Busch, 237 points back of Johnson

    Busch had just a good of night as Burton did as he spun early in the race and was lucky nobody else made contact with him. From that point on, it was all downhill as the team could never get a handle on the car, which resulted in a finish of 30th. This, in return, caused him to drop three spots in the championship standings.

    8th: No. 16 Greg Biffle, 225 points back of Johnson

    With both Busch and Burton having issues, Biffle was able to gain two spots in the standings after finishing fifth. Biffle is known for being good on the mile and a halfs so it’d seem to be no surprise that he was in the top 10 most of the night.

    7th: No. 99 Carl Edwards, 200 points back of Johnson

    Carl Edwards is another Roush ford that had a decent night as he finished 12th to stay seventh in the standings. If Edwards wants to live up to his tough competitor edge and win the title, he’s going to have to pull off some top fives.

    6th: No. 14 Tony Stewart, 177 points back of Johnson

    After recieving damage in an early race incident after slowing down to avoid a wreck, Stewart’s night didn’t get better as he finished 21st and dropped one spot in the standings. Stewart had hopes that he’d be able to get back in the championship picture following his win at Auto Club Speedway. However, this sets him further back and makes the chances of that happening slimmer.

    5th: No. 18 Kyle Busch, 177 points back of Johnson

    After a finish of second, Busch gains four spots in the championship and looks to be entering back into the picture. Last week, Busch wrote himself off saying that he was done after they blew the motor. Following his second place finish, Busch was still disappointed as he felt that he should’ve won after dominating. Truthfully, Busch is going to have to pull off some wins if he wants to gain the points on his fellow competitors as right now, he looks to be just outside of the gate of being in the picture.

    4th: No. 24 Jeff Gordon, 156 points back of Johnson

    Gordon was running in the top 10 and looked to gain points after starting on pole, however alternator issues, which brought on a change of the batteries, caused him to finish 23rd. Gordon is barely in the picture as a swing of 161 points is possible in one race, if all the circumstances fall in place. Though this race also represents Gordon’s luck this year as whenever he seems to be in the spot to get a shot at winning, something happens that causes that chance to disappear.

    3rd: No. 29 Kevin Harvick, 77 points back of Johnson

    After looking to be the most consistant driver following the first 26 races, Harvick now sits third in points after finishing eighth. Harvick has the ability to pull off some wins so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Harvick made the charge.

    2nd: No. 11 Denny Hamlin, 41 points back of Johnson

    After finishing fourth, the disappointment was clear on Hamlin’s face as he knew he fell short of his goal – beating Johnson. Hamlin has officially declared that he is after Johnson and is ready to win the championship so look for these final five races to be exciting.

    1st: No. 48 Jimmie Johnson

    Following the Bank of America 200, Johnson deserves the “biggest comeback” award as a lot of people thought it was going to be a poor finish for the No. 48 team. At the beginning of the race, Johnson had a really loose car, which caused him to spin. Once he was stuck back in traffic, it was thought that he’d be done. However, like many times before, crew chief Chad Knaus pulled out the magic wand and got the car to where it was the quickest car on track. Johnson drove from the back to lead the race for awhile, and then eventually settled for second. Performances like these are what win championships and Johnson proved why he is a four-time champion. Look for the No. 48 team to put out these types of performances from here till Homestead.

    Each week brings a new challenge to the Chase for the Championship drivers and each week, you see drivers that lose hopes to being the 2010 Sprint Cup Champion.

    Next Sunday, the drivers will head to Martinsville Speedway, a tough half mile paperclip. Look for Johnson and Hamlin to battle for the win and the title as they’ve both been battling the track lately to determind whom is king. Although while they’re at it, don’t forget to watch the other 10 as they may sneak in and spoil their party.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Bank of America 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Bank of America 500

    Weird things sometimes happen under the lights and NASCAR’s elite Cup Series did not disappoint as they took to the track at night in Charlotte.  Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the halfway point in the Chase, with just five races remaining in the 2010 season.

    Surprising:  For the very first time at Charlotte Motor Speedway since the Chase for the Championship began, a non-Chase driver took the checkered flag and emotionally climbed out of his car to celebrate in Victory Lane.  Jamie McMurray, a driver that has risen to the top in all major races with wins at the Daytona 500, the Brickyard, and now the night race in Charlotte, dedicated his victory to fellow competitor Shane Hmiel, who suffered life-threatening injuries in a serious wreck in a Silver Crown Series qualifying run.  McMurray also thanked his dad, who was in Victory Lane with him for the first time this season, and talked emotionally about the power of prayer and its effect on him and his team this year.

    Not Surprising:  Following closely behind McMurray in the decidedly heated battle for the second place position were none other than four-time champion Jimmie Johnson and admittedly aggressive competitor Kyle Busch.  While Busch won that battle, Johnson perhaps was the true winner, having overcome an early race spin and playing catch up all race long with continual coaching from crew chief Chad Knaus.  Busch had his share of obstacles as well, at one point battling throttle issues.  With Busch’s second place finish, the driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota climbed four positions in the point standings and also broke the record for the number of laps led, in his case now over 4,000 laps led, in NASCAR’s top three series.  Jimmie Johnson, with his third place finish, maintained his standing as points leader, currently 41 points ahead of the second place contender.

    Surprising:  No one could have predicted how many of the Chase contenders would have problems at their home track under the lights.  Kurt Busch, who was going for a Charlotte sweep and history, not only wrecked during practice but also wrecked early in the race.  Tony Stewart also sustained damage to his incredibly unattractive race car after an incident involving his teammate.  After leading the field to the green from the pole position, the other four-time champion Jeff Gordon suffered battery issues, losing power in his principal battery and going a lap down in trying to make the switch to the back up.  Jeff Burton also had issues, causing caution number eight when he slid across teammate Clint Bowyer’s nose and spectacularly spun his car out of contention, finishing 20th.

    Not Surprising:  On the flip side, it was not surprising to yet again see many non-Chase competitors start to find their grooves as the season winds to a close.  In addition to Jamie McMurray in Victory Lane, other non-Chasers also had good runs, including Joey Logano who finished seventh, David Reutimann who came in ninth, and David Ragan who had an unusually good finish in the top ten in his Live United No. 9 Ford. 

    Surprising:   After such stellar runs in Fontana with Tony Stewart in Victory Lane and Ryan Newman finishing fifth, Stewart-Haas Racing had a terrible time back at the home track in Charlotte.  Newman got the worst of it, crashing on lap two of the race, when he got loose, spun and hit the wall.  The incident and the resulting damage relegated the driver to his worst finish in eight races, coming to the checkered flag in the 36th position.  Stewart finished slightly better in the 21st position, but fell a spot in the Chase standings to sixth, now 177 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

    Not Surprising:  Denny Hamlin, still in the hunt for this year’s championship, maintained the position of being poised to strike at Johnson for the coveted Sprint Cup.  Hamlin, in his No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota finished fourth in the Bank of America 500 and remains just 41 points behind Johnson in the Chase for the Championship standings. 

    Surprising:   Strange things happened on pit road during the race at Charlotte, from speeding penalties to burning rubber in the pit boxes.  Seasoned drivers and past champions Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon both had speeding penalties.  While Busch was coming in hot to get tires after this spin on the track, Gordon was penalized for the second week in a row for being too fast on pit road, relegating him to a miserable 23rd place race finish and undoubtedly jeopardizing any hope for a fifth championship run.

    Not Surprising:   Kevin Harvick had his usual share of problems in the pits, with his crew having failure to perform yet again.  Harvick did, however, overcome them to finish eighth in the race, keeping himself in the championship hunt, in the third position just 77 points shy of leader Johnson.

    Surprising:  In a surprising turn of events, Richard Petty Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne bailed from his No. 9 Budweiser Ford.  Kahne and Sam Hornish tangled on Lap 124, with both suffering severe damage to their race cars.  Kahne took the opportunity to leave the track, citing illness, and J.J. Yeley was enlisted to finish the race, bringing the car home in the 38th position.

    Not Surprising:  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had another miserable night at the office.  The Hendrick Motorsports driver brought up the rear for his team, finishing 29th and sharing that his car felt like it had “concrete in the front shocks” and that his run was “expletive embarrassing.”

    The Cup Series will head next to the short track at Martinsville, Virginia.  The sixth race of the 10-race Chase, the Tums Fast Relief 500, will run on Sunday, October 24th at 1:00 PM EDT on ESPN.

  • McMurray wins the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    McMurray wins the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Jamie McMurray held off Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson in the final 21 laps to win the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    After winning the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, McMurray added another big race win to his belt this season. McMurray started in 27th position and took home his third big win of the season at Charlotte.  

    “Yes, it has been an unbelievable year. I certainly can’t thank Chip (Ganassi) and everybody enough. We’ve had a really good season and we’ve been blessed to have some really good runs in some bigger races. Really, really excited about our success this season.” McMurray said.  

    Busch and Johnson battled for second place in the final 10-laps of the race. Both drivers raced hard, but clean. Busch held off Johnson for second place.   Busch led a race-high 218 laps and was not happy about finishing second.  

    “Nobody can put it perspective for me, it’s very, very disappointing.” Busch said.   Points leader Jimmie Johnson had an up and down day. On lap 33, Johnson got loose and spun out. He kept it out of the wall and was able to get to pit road without any damage. Johnson battles back from 37th to finish third.  

    “We had a really loose race car and I was trying to run the middle lane down in one and two and lost it. Then I had to drive backwards and out the side window and everything to keep it off the inside wall and luckily I did that. We stayed on the lead lap and just went to work from there. The track slowly started coming our direction and that is when we got fast and was able to drive up to the front.” Johnson said.  

    Pole sitter Jeff Gordon started having alternator trouble on lap 190. Gordon loses power and loses a lap while switching over to the backup battery. Gordon received the lucky dog after a spin by Marcos Ambrose. The crew changed both batteries during the stop but the alternator still was not working. Gordon later was too fast entering pit-road and went down a lap again. Gordon finished 23rd and now sits 156 points out in the series standings.  

    “We had about everything go wrong that could go wrong. Track position being crucial at this place. I’ve never seen it so sensitive. We lost a little bit of track position and then we had the battery issue which took me a little while to figure out.” Gordon said.   Pre-race winner pick, Kurt Busch battled a loose car early. Busch got loose and spun on lap 24. Busch finished in 30th place, 237 points out in the series standings.  

    “Just a really confusing night for this Miller Lite Dodge Charger.  It’s really tough to explain.” Busch said. “We fought loose on exit early in the race and it cost us when I just nicked the wall off of (turn) 4. After that, we were all over the place. Loose, tight, loose again.”  

    Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer got together on lap 246 coming out of turn two. Burton came down on Bowyer and Burton slide sideways down to the apron of the track. A lot of smoke, but no major contact was made and bother drivers were able to continue on.  

    Kasey Kahne got loose on lap 123 and hits the wall, also collecting Sam Hornish Jr. Both sustained heavy damage and went to the garage. JJ Yeley later returned to the speedway driving the No 9.   Johnson now holds a 41 point lead in the series standings over Hamlin with five races remaining.    

    Unofficial Race Results

    Bank of America 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway

    October 16, 2010 – Race 31 of 36

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 27 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 190 5 334 Running
    2 6 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 180 10 334 Running
    3 10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 170 5 334 Running
    4 23 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 165 5 334 Running
    5 22 16 Greg Biffle Ford 160 5 334 Running
    6 17 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 155 5 334 Running
    7 12 20 Joey Logano Toyota 151 5 334 Running
    8 24 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 147 5 334 Running
    9 16 0 David Reutimann Toyota 138 0 334 Running
    10 26 6 David Ragan Ford 134 0 334 Running
    11 34 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 135 5 334 Running
    12 2 99 Carl Edwards Ford 132 5 334 Running
    13 32 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 124 0 334 Running
    14 4 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 126 5 334 Running
    15 13 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 118 0 334 Running
    16 14 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota 115 0 334 Running
    17 20 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 117 5 334 Running
    18 7 83 Reed Sorenson Toyota 114 5 334 Running
    19 21 82 Scott Speed Toyota 106 0 334 Running
    20 18 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 108 5 334 Running
    21 29 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 100 0 334 Running
    22 30 110 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet 97 0 333 Running
    23 1 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 99 5 333 Running
    24 5 98 Paul Menard Ford 91 0 333 Running
    25 3 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 93 5 333 Running
    26 9 19 Elliott Sadler Ford 85 0 332 Running
    27 31 12 Brad Keselowski Dodge 82 0 332 Running
    28 36 38 David Gilliland Ford 84 5 332 Running
    29 8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 76 0 331 Running
    30 15 2 Kurt Busch Dodge 73 0 331 Running
    31 42 34 Travis Kvapil Ford 70 0 331 Running
    32 41 37 Dave Blaney Ford 67 0 331 Running
    33 39 7 Robby Gordon Toyota 64 0 327 Running
    34 38 71 Andy Lally Chevrolet 61 0 315 Running
    35 37 21 Bill Elliott Ford 58 0 305 Running
    36 11 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 55 0 272 Running
    37 35 26 Patrick Carpentier Ford 57 5 217 Accident
    38 25 9 Kasey Kahne Ford 49 0 214 Running
    39 33 46 Michael McDowell Chevrolet 51 5 127 R.Gear
    40 19 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 43 0 122 Accident
    41 43 164 Jeff Green Toyota 40 0 91 Trans.
    42 28 9 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 37 0 89 R. Gear
    43 40 36 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 34 0 73 Ignition
  • NASCAR: Danica Patrick Looks For Driving Coach

    NASCAR: Danica Patrick Looks For Driving Coach

    It is no secret that Danica Patrick’s into NASCAR has not gone as well as anticipated. There are those who have criticized her not only her approach, but even her mere participation.

    However, there may be hope at the end of the line for us all. Patrick may be getting a coach who can help change her fortunes.

    Patrick’s coach going forward could be NASCAR veteran Mark Martin.

    “It would be nice if somebody could help me, whoever it is — I would take any help,” Patrick said on ESPN.com. “Like he [Martin] said, you need somebody to get in the car and say this is the setup, go drive it after they’ve driven it. It’s one thing to say drive this line, do this or that, but when you don’t have maybe the car that can do that, it’s just words, so it would be nice for someone to throw me in a car after they’ve driven it so I get a real feel for it.”

    Patrick has spoken to Martin on two separate occasions. They spoke for about an hour when they first met at Phoenix Raceway in 2006 and then again following her wreck at Dover International Speedway, a couple weeks ago.

    She says she’d be welcome to Martin’s advice, if he can fit it in his schedule.

    “He’s incredibly busy, obviously, with a full season and I would take anything he’d be willing to give,” she said.

    For Patrick, having a veteran driver to help her find the feel of the race car would be a good start. It would allow her to observe what she needs to find in the car and be more competitive. It was said that during a test, Kelly Bires set up the car. Afterwards, she drove the car and ran lap times around his.

    However, this could be seen as a scapegoat for Patrick. Part of the learning process for a stock car driver, is being able to find the feel of the car via the seat of their pants. Then they must apply the right changes necessary to fit the driving style. One of the requirements for success is to have the best set-up. By allowing Patrick to skip this critical step, could this hurt her process in that part of the development?

    Despite the foregoing negativity, having Martin as a coach would be a good thing. She could use Martin’s experience to discuss potential problems in future races and receive advice.

    Considering she had no stock car experience before running the Nationwide Series, Patrick is doing well. A lot of drivers already have that feel prior to finding it at the short track ranks. Therefore, having to go through the process at a higher degree of competition will make the issues more apparent.

    She also showed improvement during her race at the Auto Club Speedway, running in the top 15, before being taken out.

    There’s also been talk that running both series has hindered her ability to find that feel, which could be true due to using differing driving styles. These next two months running the weekly Nationwide, could either prove or disprove that theory.

    However, it could also show her growth as a driver and the fact that she is finding the feel through hard work.

  • NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR chairman Brian France announced on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that NASCAR’s all three of its national series will move from unleaded fuel to an ethanol blend next season.

    The switch to Sunoco Green E15 is another step by NASCAR to “go green”.

    E15 blend is a mixture of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. The ethanol portion is produced from renewable resources at Sunoco’s facility in Marcus Hook, Pa.

    “This is the most visible thing that we can do to let our partners and our fans know that NASCAR is taking a slow, steady march as an industry.” France said.

    “When we said we had to accelerate our green efforts, this was a centerpiece.” France said. “It’s certainly the most visible thing we can do. It’s also one of the more difficult things that we do.”

    Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports, provided a statement from Ford Racing’s perspective on this new initiative.

    “Safe. Green. Smart. Quality. These are the four pillars of Ford Motor Company and it’s our mission that we are committed to on a daily basis. The journey toward more environmentally-friendly solutions in the automotive business and motorsports is never-ending and we applaud NASCAR for taking this important step toward an ethanol blend of fuel.”

  • Keselowski cruises NNS to victory at Charlotte

    Keselowski cruises NNS to victory at Charlotte

    Brad Keselowski cruised to his 11th career Nationwide Series win and fifth of the season on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “It was a great run. The start of the race was pretty frustrating. We started third, had a great qualifying effort.” Keselowski said. “I’m so mentally exhausted after this race. I might be bias, but this was the best race that I’ve seen in my life. That was awesome!”

    The final caution flag came out on lap 187. The race was restarted with an 8-lap shootout between Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Lagano and Justin Allgaier.   Keselowski cleared Truex Jr. with five laps remaining and cruised to victory by 1.138 seconds to win his first race at Charlotte.  

    “I have never been so disappointed to run second. It looked like if those last couple cautions hadn’t come out, we were going to be in good shape. Just a little too tight after that last run there. It’s a shame because on the green flag runs we were really fast and really just called off the adjustments and then we got too tight later.” Truex Jr. said.  

    Kyle Busch dominated the three quarters of the race and led a race high of 84 laps. Busch and Justin Allgaier made contact late in the race.  Busch faded back and finished in sixth place.  

    Allgaier finished third, Logano fourth and Clint Bowyer finished fifth.  

    “The Penske Dodge Challenger was awesome. These Verizon guys do a great job week in and week out. We don’t always get the results, but tonight they worked their tails off and we got a good finish.” Allgaier said.  

    Danica Patrick scraped the wall on lap 11. Patrick battled back to finish 21st.  

    “It seems like every time we have a chance to have a great finish we crash.” Patrick said. “And every time we have a pretty average night we finish and we finish in the 20s.”
       

    Lap Notables:   On lap 187, Steve Wallace gets into the wall on the backstretch.   On lap 182, Brian Scott spins on the frontstretch and drags his trunk-lid down the track.   On lap 72, Robert Richardson Jr. got loose in turn two and backed into the outside wall collecting Ryan Truex.   On lap 64, Brian Scott got loose and spun coming out of turn four.   On lap 10, Michael Annett got loose between turns one and two, collecting Joe Nemechek and Shelby Howard. Nemechek suffered heavy damage.   Parker Kligerman, No 26, making his first start at Charlotte brought out the first caution flag of the night on lap 2. Parker lost control in turn four and backed into the outside wall.    

    Unofficial Race Results

    Dollar General 300, Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Race 31 of 35 – October 15, 2010

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 3 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 190 5 200 Running
    2 5 100 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 175 5 200 Running
    3 9 12 Justin Allgaier Dodge 165 0 200 Running
    4 4 20 Joey Logano Toyota 165 5 200 Running
    5 1 21 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 160 5 200 Running
    6 10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 160 10 200 Running
    7 7 32 Reed Sorenson Toyota 146 0 200 Running
    8 15 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 147 5 200 Running
    9 2 1 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 138 0 200 Running
    10 14 33 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 139 5 200 Running
    11 21 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 130 0 200 Running
    12 19 11 David Reutimann Toyota 127 0 200 Running
    13 11 60 Carl Edwards Ford 124 0 200 Running
    14 13 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. * Ford 121 0 200 Running
    15 24 38 Jason Leffler Toyota 118 0 200 Running
    16 30 10 James Buescher * Toyota 120 5 200 Running
    17 25 17 Trevor Bayne Ford 112 0 200 Running
    18 39 43 Josh Wise Dodge 109 0 200 Running
    19 12 16 Colin Braun * Ford 106 0 200 Running
    20 34 34 Tony Raines Chevrolet 103 0 198 Running
    21 18 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 100 0 198 Running
    22 23 25 Kelly Bires Ford 97 0 198 Running
    23 43 24 Eric McClure Ford 94 0 198 Running
    24 27 5 David Starr Chevrolet 91 0 197 Running
    25 35 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 88 0 197 Running
    26 31 81 Michael McDowell Dodge 85 0 196 Running
    27 42 28 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 82 0 195 Running
    28 22 9 Brian Scott * Ford 79 0 192 Running
    29 16 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 76 0 188 In Pit
    30 38 27 Hermie Sadler Ford 73 0 188 Running
    31 40 40 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 70 0 176 Running
    32 37 35 Jason Keller Chevrolet 67 0 170 Running
    33 41 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 64 0 130 In Pit
    34 20 104 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 61 0 118 In Pit
    35 6 98 Paul Menard Ford 63 5 117 Out
    36 32 15 Michael Annett Toyota 55 0 73 In Pit
    37 17 99 Ryan Truex Toyota 52 0 72 In Pit
    38 28 156 Kevin Lepage Toyota 49 0 25 In Pit
    39 29 70 Shelby Howard Chevrolet 46 0 19 In Pit
    40 26 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 43 0 12 Out
    41 36 87 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 40 0 10 In Pit
    42 33 136 Jeff Green Chevrolet 37 0 4 In Pit
    43 8 26 Parker Kligerman Dodge 34 0 3 In Pit