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Featured interviews from SpeedwayMedia.com

Simon Pagenaud Excited for Upcoming IndyCar Season with Team Penske

Following a successful season that led him to a fifth place finish in the season ending Verizon IndyCar Series points standings, Simon Pagenaud made the decision to leave Schmidt Peterson Hamilton.

“It was a very tough decision to leave Schmidt Peterson Hamilton,” Pagenaud told SpeedwayMedia.com earlier this month. “I couldn’t have asked for more success than we had over the last couple of years. That is a good race team and they will have success this year with James Hinchcliffe.

“When Roger Penske calls you and asks you to race for him it seems impossible to say no.”

The Poitiers, France driver will now move to Team Penske for 2015, driving the No. 22 Chevrolet.

“Well, first of all I’m very excited to get my Team Penske career started,” he commented. “Every driver wants to race for Roger Penske at some point in their career. I look forward to many successful seasons with Team Penske. The Verizon IndyCar Series is going through a lot of change this year with the new aero kits, but I expect our No. 22 Chevrolet team to start fast. The competition will be fierce but with our driver lineup we will be in a strong position every week end for Team Penske. That is very exciting.”

The pieces of the puzzles for Pagenaud and Penske began to come together while Pagenaud was racing in the American Le Mans Series for Gil de Ferran in 2008 and 2009.

“It was at that time that I met (Team Penske president) Tim Cindric,” Pagenaud recalled. “I didn’t know it at the time, but Gil told Tim that they should look at hiring me when they had the chance. It took a few years for that to eventually happen, but I’m here now and couldn’t be happier.”

Pagenaud now becomes the fourth driver at Team Penske, joining 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion Will Power, Runner-up Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya.

”Honestly, I don’t think there have been many lineups like this in INDYCAR history,” Pagenaud said. “Just being the highest-finishing Team Penske driver is going to be quite an accomplishment each weekend, but I’m very excited to work with all three of these guys. Not only are they different personalities, they have different driving styles that will be beneficial to all four of us.”

The 30-year-old went on to say that he is looking forward to working his teammates at the oval tracks this year as they’re all great oval racers. With that said, he expects their team to have a lot of success in the biggest race of the year, the Indianapolis 500.

“Driving for Team Penske you know you are going to have a great car for that race because of the importance Roger puts on running well there,” he said. “The new aero package will provide a bit of an unknown for Indy, but I’m am definitely looking forward to that race.”

Going into the year, the expectations are simple – win races and compete for the championship.

“Every driver at Team Penske has those same expectations,” Pagenaud added. “We have everything we need to be successful.”

The success doesn’t seem out of the question for Pagenaud, though, as he comes off a year that saw him score two victories and three podiums.

“I’m happy with the season we had at SPH,” he commented. “Any time you can win multiple races in a season and be a title contender right down to the final race, you’ve had a good season. I feel well prepared for me to have another good run in my first year with Team Penske.”

January 29, 2015
Jack Hawksworth ready to get to business with A.J. Foyt Racing

Following a solid rookie campaign with BHA/BBM with Curb-Agajanian, Jack Hawksworth made the decision to move to A.J. Foyt Racing as AFR expands to a two-car operation in 2015.

“Very excited. Ready to get down to business,” Hawksworth told SpeedwayMedia.com. “Just very excited to start working with the whole crew. We have put a ton of work in over the off-season so I know the car is well prepared. Really looking forward to getting to the track and beginning to test, and start the process of trying to be very competitive this year. Hopefully we can get to the first race, we’ll be in a good shape.”

Hawksworth is coming off a season that he calls “an interesting year” that saw him finish 17th in points with a season-high third place finish at Houston.

“We had some good moments,” he commented. “We were particularly competitive at the beginning of the year at St. Pete. We weren’t very competitive at the end of the year, but we were able to pull a few results together. I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed Bryan and his crew and everything. He gave me a good grounding for this year. He gave me the opportunity to start, and the opportunity to move to A.J.’s team.

“Now it is the time to take it to another level and be really competitive, not just competitive once and a blue moon. It was a good year in terms of what it’s given me going into this year.”

Hawksworth said discussions surrounding this upcoming season began in the late stages of the 2014 season when it was apparent that Bryan Herta wouldn’t be able to offer anything “due to lack of sponsorship” as it didn’t seem as though BHA/BBM with Curb-Agajanian had “all their bases covered”. The search for a ride landed the English driver into conversation with AFR Team Director Larry Foyt.

“That’s when he told about his plans for the team, and where the team was heading,” Hawksworth explained. “It was really something that excited me a lot. It was really no brainer to join this team when I was given the opportunity, and I was just very impressed with where Larry was going with the team. It had a good sponsor with ABC Supply, and a really good set of guys that are good at what they do. It was good timing, and a real exciting opportunity. I think the best part is we really want to grow together and have a good season.”

The move for Hawksworth allows him to move from a single-car operation to a now two-car operation as he becomes a teammate to Takuma Sato. Sato has proven that AFR can win, having visited victory lane in 2013, and showed speed during the beginning of 2014.

“I talked to Takuma at the ABC presentation when we presented the team, and we spent a couple of days with the engineers discussing stuff for next year,” Hawksworth commented. “He seemed like a really switched on, very technical, really wants to do well and I think together we will well together. That was quite evident for me, so hopefully we can push the team forward.”

With coming into a new program, Hawksworth admits that it’s difficult to have expectations, but he believes that they can be competitive.

“I think we can be very quick and I want to be fighting for pole positions and fighting for race wins,” he said. “That’s the aim certainly from my side and the team’s side so we’re going to go out and get after it.”

Beyond the new team, though, the 23-year-old is faced with the new aero kits that IndyCar is introducing this year. That adds another unknown, as Hawksworth notes that neither manufacture knows what the other has.

“The cars are going to look very different; they’re going to be quicker – that’s for sure,” he added. “It’s going throw some of the set-ups out of the window from last year and make teams have to start kind of fresh because not only have you changed the aerodynamics of the car, but also the mechanical balance as well. It’s going to be a lot of development and learning, but as far as what will happen and who will benefit, it’s way too early to say. I guess we will find out when we get to the test in March.”

Once the year gets started, Hawksworth is excited for all of the races as “there’s not one on the schedule” that he’s not looking forward to. Some of the highlighted tracks on his mind, though, would be Brazil, St. Petersburg, Toronto, Indianapolis and New Orleans. The big key, for Hawksworth, entering this year is he has experience under him and knows some of thee tracks now. He added that last year allowed to understand the length of the races, and the strategies that occur during them.

“That was something that I didn’t have no experience with till I was in IndyCar,” he explained. “I think understanding the strategy a little more – that’s important. I know what I want in this car than I did at the beginning of last year. With every car, the driver is a little different and the particular way you want the car to handle. The more you drive that car, the more you understand what you want it to do, so now I need to aim to get the car in this window. Just having that one year of experience with this car and understanding what I want from it should be beneficial.”

January 29, 2015
Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky Spends Off-Season Time in Cuba

Pocono President and CEO Brandon Igdalsky admittedly leads an interesting life. But this off-season, he had the unusual opportunity to go to Cuba, joining the select few who were the first to visit the island after President Obama normalized relations.

“I’m a member of YPO, Young Presidents’ Organization, and the Chair of the Education Committee of the Pennsylvania Chapter and decided we should go to Cuba and check it out,” Igdalsky said. “So, we did so as a chapter and there were 22 couples who went on a Friend to Friend mission. We got a chance to meet some great people, talk to some interesting political folks there from the Cuban government, and talk to the people about the way they see things. We tried to get a real feel for what Cuba was back before all this happened, to see how it is now and to see the potential of what that country can be.”

While Igdalsky and his fellow travelers were briefed about what to expect on their foray into Havana, he also experienced more surprises than he had expected.

“The briefing we got the night before we left at our dinner, they said we’re going to land, we’re going to see this big beautiful terminal that the Canadians built and then we will drive right past that and go to the barn at the back of the airport,” Igdalsky said. “And that was pretty much what they did. They sent the Americans to the back of the airport. We didn’t get to go to the new, fancy terminal they had there. I guess it was the original terminal there at the airport.”

“I was surprised when I got there,” Igdalsky continued. “I was surprised by the people, how much they love Americans and how friendly they are in general.”

“Tourism has become a big, big piece for them. They are getting three million tourists a year right now. And that’s without the American market. That’s the one thing they are kind of scared about because if the American opens up and everyone wants to go there, they can’t handle it. They are at their capacity right now for what they can sustain tourism-wise. You’ve got eleven million people and you have three million people coming each year. That’s a drain on them. And their economy, the way it is structured, isn’t really geared toward that yet.”

“You can see change afoot,” Igdalsky said. “You can hear the way they talk about the past, the present and the future. They’re excited about the possibilities of negotiations opening up with the US government and they are really excited about what the future holds for them as a people.”

“And it’s a very proud country. They are proud to be Cubans. Regardless of all of the political crap that we see, they don’t really see it. They won’t talk about any of that stuff. They just want to talk about life and living and enjoying life as best they can.”

One of the things that impressed Igdalsky the most was the sheer beauty of the landscape of the island itself.

“That was one of the things that really blew me away,” Igdalsky said. “I thought it was just going to be all these old buildings that were dilapidated and falling down. And you saw some of that. But you also saw these big, beautiful hotels and resorts and country clubs that they have managed to keep up. So, the structure is already there.”

Another aspect of Cuba, for which it is well-known, is its older cars. And with Igdalsky being a car guy, that was also of interest to him as well.

“I knew the older cars were going to be there but I thought that few would be in good shape given the age and the fact that they are on an island with salt water,” Igdalsky said. “I was absolutely blown away by the quality of some of those cars, what they have done to keep them looking fantastic. The interiors looked like they just rolled off the show room floor.”

“They’ve redone them to almost original spec,” Igdalsky continued. “They have plastic on the leather and cloth so that it doesn’t wear. A lot of them no longer have the original V-8 engines and now are running diesel engines. I was in a ’56 Bel Air and it had a Mercedes diesel five cylinder engine in it. These guys have so much pride in their cars, the same kind of pride we have in our cars. You see that passion for their cars as you talk to them and ride around with them.”

“As we talked to our driver, he said “Yeah, I have two wives, my wife and my car.”

While Igdalsky did not do any business particularly as it relates to Pocono Raceway, he did meet some business leaders passionate about their country’s development. And of course, he brought back the obligatory Cuban cigars and rum.

“There are entrepreneurs there that are starting to change the perception of the country,” Igdalsky said. “There are two hundred some odd jobs where people can be self-employed and don’t have to work for the government. You are seeing some development coming out of the ground floor.”

“And you see the excitement. We talked to people that had restaurants and other businesses and you could see the excitement as they talked about their love for their country and what the future holds for them, crossing that boundary of the unknown and to be part of the country they love.”

“I didn’t do any business at all,” Igdalsky continued. “This was all about bringing medical and art supplies to the island. We also did some education stuff as well.”

“It was a very unique experience. I was there more as a human than as a race track owner or promoter.”

“As I said, I like to travel and to see that world. I was really surprised by the people and I have a new-found love for the Cuban people and their country.”

January 24, 2015
Carlos Munoz Looking for Strong Sophomore Season with Andretti Autosport

Following a solid rookie season in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Carlos Munoz is back with Andretti Autosport in 2015 and looking for success.

“I think it’s going to be a really hard season in the beginning because of the new aero kits for 2015,” he told SpeedwayMedia.com. “I think between Chevy & Honda, we don’t know where we really are, where the other teams are; it’s going to be a big question mark. I am feeling comfortable, it’s my second year in this series and I have some experience. I think we can do great things. I have bigger expectations, higher goals, so I’m looking forward to the first race in Brazil.”

With a year behind him, Munoz is entering this year looking to snatch up podium finishes and wins, but notes that the expectations for the year will be based “race by race”, depending on things start out with the addition of the aero kits. Munoz has seen the new kits and says that the car looks unbelievable as they’re “crazy nice”.

“I think Honda’s done a great job and we’ll see what happens in the end,” the driver of the No. 34 Cinsay Honda added. “I think it’s going to be good for the competition and it’s going to be really nice for the fans to watch the cars, and as a driver, I think it will be an even better show for them.”

Beyond having the experience under his belt, the 23-year-old feels that this upcoming season will be stronger having learned from the mistakes that he made last season.

“I know now what not to do or what to do to prevent the same mistakes because of my own experiences,” he explained. “I’ve been to the tracks now; I have the data, what things work for me, what didn’t work for me. As a team, they know a little bit more about what I like or don’t like with my driving style. It’s really important to have all of that.”

Despite some mistakes along the way, Munoz had a solid rookie season, scoring three podium finishes en route to finishing eighth in the season ending standings. Certainly one of the biggest highlights was the fourth place finish in the Indianapolis 500, marking Munoz’s second top-five in the biggest spectacle of racing following a runner-up finish in 2013. When asked what it would mean to him to win the race, Munoz commented, “I think first I have to win it then I will see. It’s been two years in a row fighting for the win and I think we have a great chance this year to fight so I will fight to win, and after I do I’ll let you know how I feel.”

Though rather than dwell on the success, the Columbian is already set and focused on 2015.

“I thought over the good stuff and the bad stuff so it’s in the past,” he said. “I think the goals I had were accomplished so there’s nothing more to dwell on and just look ahead to 2015.”

He does note in looking back, though, that the second half of the year was stronger than the beginning, and attributes that to jelling back with the team in developing a good relationship with his engineers and race strategist.

“I think we missed all of that in the beginning of the year, and I think, too, my experience level,” he added. “I think Penske, Ganassi and really Chevy was really strong at the end of last year, too, so it was harder for us to fight with them. With my experience and the experience of the team, I think all my team is more or less the same for this year, so hopefully it’s going to be better for me.”

With the season kicking off in just over a month and a half, Munoz says that he’s looking forward to getting to Brazil.

“It will be my first time there and it’s the first race so it’s going to be really important to start really strong,” he commented.

Though beyond Brazil, the sophomore driver is ready for whatever course may come his way, knowing the need to do well on each to be part of the championship discussion.

“I think once you’re racing here in America, as an IndyCar driver, you have to be competitive on all of them,” he commented. “On ovals, short ovals, road courses and street courses – you have to be strong on all of them to win a championship. Personally I think I’m strong on all of them but I have to improve on the short ovals like Iowa and Milwaukee; I have to work a lot because they are really tough.”

January 22, 2015
Graham Rahal excited for season, looking for success in 2015

Following a season filled with speed, potential and bad luck, Graham Rahal is excited to get back after it this year in search of success.

“I think we, as a team, have been working hard the past couple of years to get ourselves in a good position,” he commented. “Now, we’re going to continue to work hard to make sure that we put ourselves in a great position to have some success this year. I’m ready to get going and see what the potential of the group is and try to have success and win some races.”

The new season also brings a new twist for the Verizon IndyCar Series with the new aero kits that are set to be introduced. Like the fans, the drivers have yet to see what the manufacturers have come up with, but no doubt are excited.

“I think it’s pretty cool that the aero kits will be coming out,” Rahal commented. “I’m thrilled to get behind the wheel and drive one of these cars. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think it’s going to be a lot different than what we’ve had before, but should be pretty exciting. So I’m looking forward to getting out there and giving them a shot.”

Known what he’s capable of as a driver and what the team is capable of based on the speed shown, the expectation heading into the year is simple – be up front in contention each week and win races.

“Last year, we had a lot of moments of brilliance, but things tended to go wrong. This year, I think we need to fulfill those and follow through and make sure they happen,” he expressed. “The expectation is certainly high, but there is no other reason for us to do this if the expectation isn’t that way.”

Last year, the season didn’t meet those expectations, but rather was met with “frustration and disappointment” as Rahal finished 19th in points with only one podium finish – second at Belle Isle.

“We had a lot of potential, we had a great sponsor in the National Guard. I felt that we should’ve done a better job, and obviously there’s a lot of people that have been critical of us – fairly so – but I think that we let ourselves down,” Rahal commented. “And anytime things were going right, we somehow – whether it was different mechanical errors or my mistake in Houston hitting Kanaan with not too much time left in the race and running third at the time and having a good shot at that one. I let that one slip through. Disappointment. I think we should’ve, and could’ve done a much better job.

“As I look at it, we finished 19th in points, however we left a good 100 and 120 points on the table that could’ve moved us right up in the top 10. I think that’s where we should’ve been. So, you got to learn from the mistakes that you made before and make sure you don’t do it again.”

One of the focuses for improvement heading into the season is improving the camaraderie within the team so they’re all on the same page, as Rahal feels the team could work better together to make the success happen.

“I think this year everybody has to hunker down and work together and the success will come,” he said. “I think we have a group of people that are committed to the team, to winning, and to committed to giving 110 percent all the time, and I’m not sure that we’ve had that before and been in this position.”

The goal is simple – win a race. If Rahal is able to make his return to victory lane in 2015, it’d mark his first win since 2008, and certainly a memorable moment for him.

“Frankly, I couldn’t describe what it would mean,” Rahal answered when asked what a win would mean to him. “It’s been a long time, and there’s been a lot of hard work put into this program by myself and very little I’ve gotten out of it. We’re gonna work hard, and we’re gonna make sure that everything we do that we’re committed to getting ourselves back in that position. The relief that it would bring to me as an individual, could not put into words.

“Like I said, I’ve taken a lot of heat over the years – some fairly so, some unfairly so – I received it, and it’s one of those things that’d it’d mean more to me to silence all the doubters than you could possibly imagine.”

January 20, 2015
A.J. Allmendinger would consider Memorial Day Double under right circumstances

Following Kurt Busch’s success last year in running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600, there’s been talk as to whether other drivers would consider making an attempt at running both races on Memorial Day.

A.J. Allmendinger, who has open-wheel experience, told SpeedwayMedia.com that he would consider running the double, but “it’d have to be the right situation”. Having an Indianapolis start under his belt, the 33-year-old doesn’t want to mess up the memories from 2013.

“It sounds strange, but I don’t want to mess that up by jumping in a car just to say that I’ve done the double,” he commented.

Allmendinger ran the Indianapolis 500 in 2013 for Roger Penske and says that it was “really special”.

“Special is a big understatement, honestly,” he notes. “It was just a dream come true to be at the Indianapolis 500, especially with Roger Penske. All the memories that I got over the course of those few weeks and having a shot to win the race, leading laps, if it wasn’t for the seatbelt issue. Really having a shot to win the race is something that will always stay with me and mean something to me.”

Though if the right opportunity came along with a team that was capable of winning the event, he says that he would probably do the double.

“The fact that I would have to be on a great team that I knew when I got in the car that I had a shot to win the race, and accomplish something special,” he commented. “I’m not a guy that wants to be there to say that I was there and did it; I want to have a true shot at winning the race. Obviously, with Roger Penske, I had that opportunity. So right situation, and (JTG Daughtry team co-owner) Tad (Geshickter) – I have already talked to him about it and if the opportunity came up, he’s onboard with it. He’d love to be a part of it and share that, so I have the blessing from the race team. So it’d have to be a good situation, but I’d definitely do it if it was there.”

After finishing 13th in points last year, the California native is looking forward to his second season with JTG Daughtry in hopes of finding more success after scoring his first career victory at Watkin’s Glen.

“Anytime you start a new year, you’re excited about it,” he said. “I feel like after last year with our success late in the year, I felt like the team jelled and we really started running well at a lot of race tracks. So I’m looking forward to this year.”

Allmendinger added that the new package adds a bit of an unknown, which he will get a chance to try out in a test next Monday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Overall, just to have a second year together with this race team – for the most part, we’re staying intact and I feel like we’ve added a couple key components to make us better,” he continued. “Just really looking forward to kicking the season off.”

January 16, 2015
Goodyear Has a Good Year; Already Preparing for New Year

While Goodyear is celebrating the end of the season in Homestead, pronouncing it a ‘good year’, they are already manufacturing tires for the New Year and preparing for new season testing.

“I’m pleased that we’re completing another good year from a tire standpoint,” Stu Grant, Goodyear’s General Manager of Global Race Tires, said. “We’ve had a great engineering operation that designs these tires that stays on top of the changing rules that we have to deal with. Our engineers stay on top of all the things that these crew chiefs throw at us and at the car and tires. They do a good job of staying out front of all of that.”

“Of course, I’ll say that I also have to make a comment about our manufacturing facility. Our tires are handmade in Akron, Ohio. We make about 140,000 tires a year and they do a fantastic job making a top-quality tire.”

“We’re finishing a year that I’m really proud of,” Grant continued. “It’s been challenging, particularly because of the speeds. All you have to do is look at the record books and look at the track records set almost every single week. And even in the second half, they are faster than the first half.”

“Even though the NASCAR rules haven’t changed per se, they are getting better and better at it from a team standpoint,” Grant said. “They are just throwing a lot of speed and a lot of load at these tires. Like I said, our engineers continue to stay on top of that and out front of it. These guys are in the garage area to make sure they don’t abuse these tires. That’s why our engineers are at track. We have a half dozen guys at every race to take temperatures and talk to the people in the garage to make sure that if there is something at risk, we try to point it out to them on a tire temperature sheet or a pad.”

While Goodyear does not have a year-end wrap up per se, they do a major debrief after every race in addition to an annual meeting with their NASCAR partners.

“We have a lot of communication internally every week,” Grant said. “We try to analyze every race post-race. We actually have a weekly call on Tuesday with the NASCAR competition guys where we talk about what happened the last week and look ahead to the next week. We compare what we saw to what they saw. We also do a similar call with some of the race teams where the drivers are present.”

“So, you’re away from the Sunday emotion and you can get some good feedback on tires and handling. We’ll do that every week to try to stay with it rather than wait until the end of the year.”

“We do, however, have an annual meeting where all our guys go to the R&D Center in Charlotte with all the competition and R&D folks,” Grant continued. “We do that at the end of September. We’ll do a race-by-race analysis and share what we plan to change and what we don’t plan to change and ask NASCAR if they are OK with that.”

“It’s a discussion about what the perception is about tire set-up and if we need to change it or not. We need to make sure we’re together on that because about the end of October, we will start manufacturing tires for the next year. We’re making Daytona tires right now.”

“So, the timing of that meeting is important. To get all the materials together to the tire machine takes a couple of weeks to do all that. So, we need some lead time to do all that. We have to be all together on how we are going forward in 2015.”

Goodyear is also looking forward to testing next year, although there will be some changes based on NASCAR’s new testing ban.

“There has been a lot of discussion with NASCAR on that whole subject,” Grant said. “Where we are, and NASCAR was in total agreement, we don’t want to be distracted by fourteen other cars out there testing.”

“What’s really important is the data we gather. Think about the whole dynamic of that situation. If we’re testing at Homestead because we feel some reason to change this tire – we’re not going to test if we don’t feel there is a need to change it – we will have enough control tires to run our four test cars. What I don’t want is fourteen other cars running on a tire that I think 99.9% is not going to be the race tire as that has the possibility of giving me bad data. We don’t want that distraction.”

“NASCAR has taken the position that they totally don’t want that,” Grant continued. “What is important to NASCAR is that Goodyear provide the best tire that we can for our sport. They totally get that.”

“So, we will do our testing and when we’re done, then the fourteen or fifteen cars will come in and do their thing. That’s where I think it is right now. It’s not all ironed out but that’s where we are right now to totally divide those two efforts. We’ll do our testing and the teams will do their own testing on their own but maybe at the same location.”

The Goodyear execs have all gathered in Homestead for the final race of the season and to witness a champion crowned. But there really is no rest for the weary when it comes to racing tires.

“We’re excited to wind down the season. It goes fast,” Grant said. “It’s hard to believe that here we are sitting here at the last race. Then it is the banquet and the Las Vega s banquet. Then testing and back to work.”

“We’re looking forward to next year, with a little horsepower taken away and a little downforce off. That will give us a little room to maybe add some grip here and there,” Grant continued. “So, that’s kind of our strategy in 2015. We’re planning a lot of testing in 2015 and that will change things. We’ll just keep gathering data and we’ll open up the handling of the grip level of the set-up we provide.”

“I have a sign in my office that ‘There is no off season’ and there really is none.”

November 16, 2014
Alex Bowman: A Season of Firsts and Lasts

For Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 23 DipYourCar.com Toyota for BK Racing, this season has been one of firsts and lasts.

One of those firsts, in the last race of the season, is that he is competing at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the very first time in his career.

“Definitely the first time I’ve been here,” Bowman said. “The track is really slick, so you slide around a lot. You are definitely chasing the race car at all times and not settled into the track. You’re always working at it.”

“It’s really fun,” Bowman continued. “In race trim, you’re always running right there up against the wall. I like it. It’s been fun for me so far.”

“I’ve just kind of went out, got accustomed to it and adapted myself to the race track before we threw a lot of stuff at the race car,” Bowman said. “We’re not very fast but I think we’ll be alright tomorrow in the race.”

“I feel like at this level, you kind of have to be ready for those first times at new tracks. It’s not the first place that I’ve never been to so I’m definitely used to that. I just have to get up to speed pretty quick and go for it.”

While this is his first time at Homestead, it is the last race of the season and for four other drivers on the track, there is an opportunity for a championship. Bowman acknowledged that this last race where a champ will be crowned will be a first for him as far as how he races as well.

“You just have to stay out of their way,” Bowman said. “They’ll be much faster than us. So, you just have to make sure that you don’t ruin their day because then you’re all over TV and everybody laughs at you and calls you an idiot. I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ that ruins somebody’s championship. Hopefully, we can stay out of the way, not make any of them mad, run our own race and when they’re around, be a little careful.”

Bowman is also experiencing another first, that of having a new crew chief Patrick Donahue named this week for the very last race of the season.

“Well he’s been with us all year, just as a car chief,” Bowman said. “So, nothing’s really new; kind of just the same deal. BK Racing felt like they needed to make a change so I guess Monday I got a text saying Patrick was going to be the new crew chief and we went from there.”

“We’re working on it,” Bowman continued. “We’re not any better than we usually are but we’re not any worse either. All three of our cars are struggling this weekend. Three different set-ups, three different race cars, three different drivers, all not very fast. So, we definitely as a company have our work cut out for us. Hopefully we’ll figure something out before tomorrow.”

Bowman’s other major first is that the finale of his rookie season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is coming to a close. And in the midst of his rookie Cup season, Bowman has also experienced another first, driving for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

“Getting to drive the 5 for JR Motorsports a couple of times was a lot of fun,” Bowman said. “Last week we were really strong running third but ran out of fuel. Doing this deal helped me get that from Junior and helped show what I can do in lesser equipment to get a shot in good equipment. Hopefully there are more things to come from that and we’ll go from there.”

Bowman has also accomplished a feat for which he is quite proud. He and his No. 23 race team have made all the races for the year, the first time that the team has been able to consistently achieve that.

“Not missing any races was pretty cool,” Bowman said. “Our race team definitely struggled with that and the 23 car didn’t fight that at all.”

The young rookie Cup driver has also had a series of challenges for the first time in his career that he has had to battle, many of which have caused him to even doubt his own abilities somewhat.

“I think my biggest challenge is that when we’re off, we’re really off,” Bowman said. “When we’re bad, we’re really bad. We just need to work on being able to get the race car to not be so bad when we are having an off day.”

“By my standards, every single race has been an off-day,” Bowman continued. “Managing my expectations and learning how to do that has been hard because I’m not used to doing what we’re doing. It’s been a learning experience for me as far as how to approach the weekend. You get down on yourself and it’s really easy to start thinking that it’s the driver and not the race car. You think you’re not doing a good job and then things like last weekend help me reaffirm that I can run with those types of cars. So, it’s been a huge learning experience just to manage my expectations every week.”

Bowman has also learned for one of the first times in his career that he needs to be able to reach out and lean on others as he goes through the ups, downs, and vagaries of the sport.

“Lately, I’ve been talking to Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) a lot,” Bowman said. “Driving the 5 car, we’ve developed a pretty good relationship. Talking to him and just learning different race tracks and different lines has helped me.”

“But as far as getting through the weekend, there are a lot of good people on the race team and are fun to hang out with. They make a situation that is hard to deal with enjoyable.”

While Bowman is looking forward to the off-season, with a particular eye to getting some rest, he also may be marking the last time he will race for BK Racing. In fact, the rookie is uncertain what his future holds at present.

“I got a really comfortable couch that I’m going to spend a lot of time on,” Bowman said. “I’m going to work on my street cars a little big. I’m turning a 911 into somewhat of a drift car next week. I’m going to work on that a little bit.”

“As far as next year goes, I’d like to be back but I don’t have anything done as of now,” Bowman continued. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I can’t really make up my mind what I want to do so I have to figure it out for myself and go from there.”

For tomorrow, however, Alex Bowman will complete the last race of the season with his first-ever Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The rookie will roll off for the first and last time in the 41st position for the Ford EcoBoost 400.

November 15, 2014
Corey LaJoie is ‘Taking One Leap of Faith at a Time’

Corey LaJoie is a third generation driver with one win in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour series, three wins in the ARCA Racing Series and five wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. In 2012 he was named as one of the NASCAR Next, “tomorrow’s stars, today.”

In June 2013, LaJoie took the next step in his career, signing a development deal with Richard Petty Motorsports. Since signing with RPM, however, he hasn’t seen as much on-track action as one might imagine.

His previous starts this year were a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kentucky in June where he placed 16th and two races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a 17th at Kentucky (June) and a 10th at Bristol in August.

However, LaJoie is now poised to finish out the season on a high note, competing in four of the remaining five Nationwide Series races, as a result of a partnership agreement between RPM and Biagi-DenBenste Racing.

In his first race of the four race series, LaJoie finished 26th at Kansas Speedway in his No. 98 Medallion Financial Ford. The following week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he completed the race in 24th, after getting caught up in a multi-car accident on the first lap of the race. He also made his second Sprint Cup Series start at Charlotte in the No. 77 Ford of Randy Humphrey Racing, finishing 35th.

After this weekend’s races, he tweeted, “It was great to race on my home track in front of family and friends. I learned a ton. Just taking one leap of faith at a time.”

I spoke to LaJoie in Charlotte and he expressed a similar sentiment of appreciation for the opportunities he’s been given at RPM.

“They’ve been working hard,” he said. “It’s tough to find the money right now but they felt the need to get me in some races before the year was over. They’re a great bunch of guys over there and I’ve learned a lot.”

Although this partnership is a one-time deal, he is hopeful that the alliance might extend into next year but for now, LaJoie is focused on this season.

“Hopefully we get some money rolling in and I’ll get a couple of good races in this year and we’ll see what the future holds but all that is for a later date,” he told me.

LaJoie is intent on using the crucial seat time to hone his skills behind the wheel.

“I need to learn how to slow down. In everything else I drove, I’ve had to make up for the lack of equipment,” he explained. “You can’t do that in the Nationwide Series. The drivers are too good and the cars you’re racing against are really good.

“The days of driving 110 percent and making up those extra couple of tenths are over,” LaJoie continued. “I’ve got to learn how to drive 95-100 percent within the boundaries of what the cars are giving me and try to work on that and get better.”

He’s looking forward to the two remaining races with Biagi-DenBenste Racing, “They’ve got some good cars and some really good people over there,” LaJoie emphasized, “so I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Next up for the 23-year-old LaJoie is the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on November 1 and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 15.

October 16, 2014
Landon Cassill Snaps Into Fitness with New Sponsor

Landon Cassill, driver of the No. 40 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is snapping into fitness in a whole new way. He has teamed up with Snap Fitness, the first fitness company to be a primary sponsor in the sport, to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

Cassill acknowledged that NASCAR has indeed gone through some of the same changes as in other sports like golf when it comes to physical fitness of the competitors, thereby attracting interest from fitness companies as potential sponsors.

“I feel like NASCAR has gone through what golf went through a few years ago with the Tiger Woods era,” Cassill said. “Golf was always a sport where there was a certain skill that made a good golfer but they weren’t necessarily athletes. And then Tiger Woods came along and he had that skill but added in this layer of athleticism. He started learning how to use his body to his advantage in addition to his skill. He changed the sport of golf that way.”

“I feel like he changed the game and I think NASCAR has gone through a similar situation,” Cassill continued. “Race car driving is certainly a skill. To do what we do, you have to have a certain skill, but for the longest time you didn’t have to be an athlete to drive a race car. Then you have someone like Jimmie Johnson that came along and he turned it into an athletic thing, focusing on his endurance. He tried to elevate everything that his body can do from what it goes through in the car. And he’s won six championships. So, it’s kind of hard to argue with that.”

“On my side of it, it’s more of how I look at myself, what I’m doing and how I make sure that I’m doing everything I can to get the best race possible every week. I sleep better at night knowing that I’ve built up the endurance to make it through a 500 mile race without being exhausted.”

Cassill’s sponsor has also inspired him personally to raise his own fitness level to new heights.

“For me, I have to find something that motivates me other than just working out so I got hooked on doing triathlons, very similar to Jimmie Johnson,” Cassill said. “And I actually train with him time to time, as well as working out with Josh Wise, who also competes.”

“When I schedule a triathlon six months in advance, I know that I have to prepare for that race,” Cassill continued. “So, I put myself on a pretty specific training schedule for that time. I do a lot of training Monday through Thursday when I’m at home. And then when I’m on the road, I have some early mornings. I choose to find a Snap Fitness to work out in when I’m on the road or a pool to swim in to get some training in. So, on a Friday evening instead of going out to dinner for two hours, having a beer and going back to the hotel, I go and train for two hours and then grab something to eat.”

“It’s just a matter of how you discipline your time.”

Cassill has also married his fitness with healthier eating, a discipline which he has even been able to practice on the road at tracks all over the country.

“I’m a little different eater than most especially in my industry,” Cassill said. “I don’t eat any meat and I don’t eat any dairy products or animal products at all. It’s just something I’ve done over the past couple of years and have migrated to being full-on plant-based with my nutrition. It’s just a performance thing for my body and it seems to be what works for me.”

“I have a nice little routine where every time I land at whatever city, I find the closest health food store,” Cassill continued. “There are a lot more than you think. Some of the places where you think it might be hard to eat healthy, like Pocono where we are out in the middle of nowhere, has one of the best health food stores in Wilkes-Barre. It has everything that I need.”

“One of the toughest places I had this year was in Riverside, California,” Cassill said. “It was far enough out of LA where there wasn’t any of that quirky, healthy stuff. But pretty much everywhere we go, there is a health food store where I stock up. I rarely eat out. But in a pinch eating out, I like Thai food.”

Cassill also acknowledged that his fitness is essential to not only endure the extreme conditions on the race track but to also stay mentally tough throughout one of the longest seasons in sports.

“This is a really tough season and we have a lot to endure,” Cassill said. “The biggest thing that has kept me mentally focused this year is the partnership with Snap Fitness.”

“They came on midway through the year and they planned these races for the later part of the season, Chicago and Kansas in the Chase here,” Cassill continued. “They’ve kept me really busy and driven for sure. They are looking at doing more sponsorship in the sport. They want to be involved and they want to make this work. And they are making me work for it.”

“I appreciate that because it’s kept me focused. It would be tough if we didn’t have any sponsorship and were set where we are in the points but I’ve got plenty to focus on right now.”

Cassill’s new partnership has also kept him fit now that the Chase competition is in the second Contender round.

“I’m just going to focus on my deal during the Chase and focus on my race,” Cassill said. “If the leaders come around and they are going to lap me, I’ll give them room just like I would any other time. It’s more important just to do that. I think the new format is great and we will have the best Chase.”

While competing in his own way in the Chase, most of all Cassill is driven by his newest sponsor and partner, which is one that fits so well with him and one that he hopes will resonate with the NASCAR fan base.

“It’s really exciting when they came on board just because it was such an organic fit,” Cassill said. “We get along so well and we have so much in common because fitness and training are so important to me.”

“They’ve been able to complement my training through this partnership,” Cassill continued. “I do my strength training at Snap Fitness, in addition to time running, on the bike and in the pool. But strength training is the foundation to all that, having the muscle strength to withstand injury and things like that.”

“It’s been a really good fit and I really appreciate their energy towards this partnership and sponsorship,” Cassill said. “What they are trying to accomplish, I think they have set themselves up to have success no matter what.”

“Failure is not an option and they are going to make a connection to NASCAR fans, who are the most loyal fans in the sport. They are going to make a valuable connection and they will enjoy their time with us.”

October 2, 2014