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Michael Annett Focusing on Fifth for Finale

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]With six top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes in his first season with Richard Petty Motorsports, driver Michael Annett has had one heck of a year. In fact, in 32 races, Annett has only had five where he finished outside the top-15.

But in the last race of the year, Annett has just one thing on his mind. He wants to finish fifth in the championship points and beat out Justin Allgaier, who is just seven points behind him in sixth.

“Our season didn’t start off the way we wanted to and, as tough as the competition is, you can be out of the championship race pretty early in the season,” Annett said. “At some point, you have to sit down and look at what your goals are going to be.”

“It actually wasn’t too long ago that we were 50 some odd points behind the fifth spot and then we put together some really good runs,” Annett continued. “We looked at where we are and what goal we could achieve and that’s now fifth in points, and to on get on stage, and hopefully get a race win before the season is out.”

“I think we’d be disappointed if we didn’t achieve that goal but still so happy with our season.”

Although Annett is focused on that fifth place in the point standings, make no mistake. The young driver is also focused on going for the win in the season finale.

“We’d like to get that win and this is the last chance of the season to bring home a trophy,” Annett said. “It would be really cool to win and a testament to how hard my guys have worked this season, starting about a month before Daytona in February.”

“To get where we are right now, a win would be a huge honor,” Annett continued. “To get the 43 car back in Victory Lane, knowing how much that means to the sport, would be great.”

“It has been a long time since I’ve won a stock car race so it would be a huge deal.”

While racing for the win, will Annett keep a look out the corner of his eye on the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, piloted by the driver know as ‘Lil Gator’? You bet he will, in no uncertain terms.

“We just want to do our best to stay on the same strategy as him,” Annett said. “We know we can beat them but if we stay on that same strategy we know we will beat them straight up.”

Annett is definitely looking forward to racing the finale at Homestead, a track that he enjoys and finds challenging. He has four Nationwide starts there, with a best finish of 19^th at the 1.5 mile track.

“The biggest challenges at Homestead are the changes in the track from one end to the other,” Annett said. “We’ve already seen in the first practice that the tire fall off is huge, about a second it seems like.”

“That’s the biggest thing we fight,” Annett continued. “The track is hot and slick and that’s a challenge, especially to get a car to work good in both ends of the track.

Annett will be piloting Chassis No. 621 for the 200-lap Ford EcoBoost 300. This particular Ford Mustang has previously run at Bristol and at Dover, where Annett finished eighth and third respectively.

“The chassis is one of our mile and a half cars that has run well in the past,” Annett said. “We’ll definitely use it up for the final race.”

While Annett prepares for the Nationwide finale, he will also have spent his Friday night watching the Truck race as well.

“Not only am I a driver but I’m a race fan too and the trucks put on a good show,” Annett said. “I want to pick up what the track is going to do and what’s going to change throughout the race.”

“Also, I’ll watch who tries two tires, no tires or four tires and how that either helps or hurts them,” Annett continued. “Those are the kind of things you watch and those races are always exciting and they have a tight points battle to boot.”

Annett is also excited about the end of the season because he, unlike many drivers, knows that he will be back in a race car again in 2013.

“RPM picked up the option so we will be back with our whole team intact,” Annett said. “We have some new partners coming on board and for sure, we are back again.”

Although excited about the season finale, Annett also has an eye to the off-season.

“I’m going to go to the Dominican Republic for Thanksgiving and then I go home for ten or fifteen days for Christmas,” Annett said. “Other than those two trips, then we will start getting focused and get ready to race again in February.”

But for now, Annett has winning and clinching fifth in points on his mind and in his sights.

“We put ourselves in position for top-five in points so we need to keep doing what we’re doing,” Annett said. “Hopefully, we can win the race and if not, then staying in the top five would be the best.”

“If we can keep improving on our results and finish fifth this year, we’ll definitely be a championship team next year.”

November 16, 2012
Chocolate Myers Reflects on his Favorite Rockingham Speedway Memories

During the Classic 3 Champion race weekend at Rockingham Speedway, I was able to spend a few minutes speaking with Danny “Chocolate” Myers, legendary gas man for Dale Earnhardt. Myers was there to wave the green flag and give the command to start engines for the inaugural running of the three championship races.

I asked him to share some of his favorite memories of “The Rock.”

Myers talked about winning championships under the old points system and why he thinks today’s Chase format is better.

“A lot of people want to talk about the Chase and how it used to be. I absolutely love it the way it used to be but what we got going today, I think, is better than it ever was.” He continued, saying, “I’ll give you a great example.”

“We came down to this racetrack. I think we had Rockingham, then Atlanta, and maybe somewhere else, I can’t remember exactly. But when they dropped the green flag here, the Winston people put the banner up and we were the champions.”

“So the next two races were just races, the championship had already been decided.”

Rockingham Speedway is home to a lifetime of cherished memories for Myers.

“This is a place where I’ve been coming all of my life,” he recalled fondly. “ It’s not that far from home. Before I worked for Richard Childress Racing, I came to Rockingham to watch qualifying and watch racing. It’s just a special place and it always has been.”

“It means a lot to be able to come down here, participate and be a part of it today.”

“To come here and win a championship at this place plus we won four pit crew championships in a row right here; that’s pretty daggum special. We’re the only ones that have been able to do that. This is a special place.”

Myers also praised owner Andy Hillenburg for his efforts in bringing NASCAR racing back to Rockingham Speedway.

“This place is a wonderful and a beautiful track. It hasn’t always been like this. When we used to race down here before the garage was built, we’ve been snowed out and rained out; it was absolutely unbelievable. What Andy has been able to do with it now, to keep it up, is a job itself.”

NASCAR Racing will return to Rockingham Speedway April 14, 2013, with the Camping World Truck Series event. Please visit the website http://rockinghamspeedway.com/ for more information.

November 4, 2012
Larry Barford Jr. Promotes Breast Cancer Awareness at Rockingham Speedway

[media-credit name=”Angela Campbell” align=”alignright” width=”199″][/media-credit]Larry Barford Jr., driver of the No. 86 Trauma Doc Chevrolet for Deware Racing Group, will compete in the K&N Pro Series East race Saturday at Rockingham Speedway in the Classic 3 Championship presented by RCR Racing Museum. His car will feature a pink and white paint scheme with a pink bow on the side to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.

The decision to run this special paint scheme was a personal one.

“Cancer has touched my life in a lot of different ways,” Larry told me.

His wife’s aunt and grandmother are breast cancer survivors and he wanted to pay tribute to them and others like them. Larry posted a request on his Facebook page asking his friends and fans for the names of loved ones who have been “diagnosed with breast cancer, are in remission or still fighting the fight.” The car will also carry the names of those who have lost their life to breast cancer.

The first 86 names that were submitted are displayed on the deck lid of his racecar. Larry was disappointed that all the names could not fit on the car but says that each one of them “is in his heart.”

Saturday’s race will be the last one of the season for the pink and white Breast Cancer Awareness car but Larry has vowed that all of his future cars will carry a pink ribbon somewhere on them.

Larry qualified his car on Friday and will begin the race in the 16th position. This is his best qualifying run in three NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts.

Next year he will run a full season in the series as well as several select races in the Camping World Truck Series to round out the year.

His goal is simple. Larry wants to be competitive, learn from each race and continue his development into the top levels of NASCAR.

“Everything that I’ve learned yesterday, I apply today.”

November 3, 2012
Corey LaJoie Makes his Bid for the Championship at Rockingham Speedway

Last Saturday night, Corey LaJoie left Greenville Pickens Speedway on top of the world. He had just celebrated his fifth win of the season and was leading the points standings in the K&N Pro East Series. The final race of the season was only one week away at Rockingham Speedway and the opportunity to win a championship was within his grasp.

On Tuesday everything changed.

During post race inspection, NASCAR determined that LaJoie’s team had committed rules violations. As a result, driver Corey LaJoie and car owner, Randy LaJoie, were each penalized with the loss of 25 championship points. In addition, Ron Otto, crew chief for the No. 07 team, was fined $5,000, suspended until the fine is paid and placed on probation for the final event of the season.

LaJoie now heads into Rockingham third in the standings, 19 points behind leader Kyle Larson.

He described his emotions this past week as “going from cloud nine to cloud zero.”

In many ways, LaJoie is an old school racer. He not only drives the cars, he also helps build them and assists with the set up. He’s all business on the track with a singular focus.

After his win at Greenville Pickens Speedway last weekend, he was criticized by some for making contact with Brett Moffitt while going for the win. The move caused a chain reaction that left a pile of wrecked cars in his wake.

In Corey’s mind, he simply did what he was supposed to do. He summed it up on his twitter account like this.

“My job is to win and that’s what I do.”

With 5 wins and 9 top-5 finishes this season, it’s difficult to argue with his logic.

LaJoie will start Saturday’s race in the fourth position. His biggest competitors for the championship, Brett Moffitt and Kyle Larson, qualified fifth and 11^th, respectively.

When the green flag drops, all the distractions of the week will fall away.

“When I get into the race car,” Corey says, “I have one job; to win the race.”

Regardless of the outcome on Saturday, LaJoie considers this season the best of his career.

Corey looks back at the season with pride as he tell me, “The competition level, how hard I’ve worked, all the people who have helped me and sacrificed to get me where I am plus the five wins; it’s been huge.”

The K&N Pro Series East championship will be determined Saturday at The Classic 3 Championship presented by RCR Racing Museum. The racing is scheduled to begin at approximately 2pm. Live streaming audio will be available at www.nascarhometracks.com.

November 3, 2012
Jamie Little Ready to Host Fourth NASCAR After the Lap Event

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]She is a new mom and an intrepid ESPN pit reporter but in just a few weeks Jamie Little will be host as she returns to one of her favorite events, NASCAR After the Lap, in her hometown Las Vegas during Champion’s Week.

For the fourth year and since its inception, Little will be trying her best to herd the NASCAR champion and the other top 12 cats during the special event, which serves as a prequel to the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet.

“I have been the host since it was created,” Little said. “NASCAR was trying something new when they brought the championship to Las Vegas and they asked me to host it.”

“And we hit on something and people just really liked it and the drivers really enjoyed themselves,” Little continued. “It was a hit and I can’t believe it’s already the fourth time.”

Little said that although the venue is new, this year at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, she is preparing for what always is a spontaneous, fly by the seat of your pants evening. And she does her best to loosen up the tongues of the driver with her questions, from the quiet drivers to those that need no encouragement.

“We try to set it up to elicit some comedy from the drivers but with some of them, it doesn’t take much to get them going,” Little said. “There is going to be some, shall we say, flash back photos from their high school days.”

“So, that will be fun.”

“The fun of the show is that it’s unscripted,” Little said. “And all I can say that with Clint Bowyer back in the Chase that will be a big hit because he just takes over and pokes fun at every other driver.”

“So, we’ll have some fun with Clint,” Little continued. “He is a loose cannon and has ADD as well.”

“I will use him to try to pull out things from Dale Junior, Matt Kenseth and the guys that are a little more quiet.”

Little acknowledged that she often does not have to look far for roasting inspirations, especially given her relationship with many of the drivers in the Chase. For example, she already has a bit of fodder to use on the current point’s leader in the Chase hunt.

“Obviously I’m covering the whole Chase so there are things during the final ten races that I’ll jot down and bring up so we can laugh about it,” Little said. “For instance, last week I ran back to interview Brad Keselowski right when he crawled out of his car.”

“So, he gets out of his race car and his phone falls out of his pocket,” Little continued. “And I’m like, ‘Did you just have your phone with you in the car? And he picked it up and said, ‘Of course I did,’

“And I looked at the screen and it was on Twitter.”

“So obviously he’s not tweeting from the car but he’s reading Twitter under all the caution laps that we had last week,” Little said. “So, things like that, we can bring up and have fun with.”

Little has had too many favorite moments in the NASCAR After the Lap event to count, but her highlight was a moment that happened just last year.

“One thing that really stands out was Jeff Gordon break dancing,” Little said. “That was a highlight.”

“It was peer pressure from the other drivers to get him to do it,” Little continued. “He did not want to do it but he came out and broke it down.”

While every moment of the event is interesting, Little said that what makes the event so special is that it is completely candid.

“These guys sit up there with a beer bottle in hand and it’s like having a fire side chat with the drivers,” Little said. “You might hear some swear words or some salty language but it’s just a casual, fun, ‘have at it’ time with the guys.”

“We’ve been through 36 races and all the fans have seen them interviewed, but this is so different,” Little continued. “They are up close and personal with the guys, watching them all interact.”

“These fans are so connected with their drivers and to see the drivers interact with each other is so much fun.”

Although the drivers are usually so scheduled, with multiple appearances at track, Little said that they absolutely enjoy the NASCAR After the Lap event because it is so relaxed, quick and fun.

“I think they really do get into it,” Little said. “The guys get to drive their race cars down the Vegas strip and they always have funny stories after that.”

“Then they come to us and there is a green room where they are all together,” Little continued. “There is beer flowing and they are already busting on each other at that point.”

“This event is just fun for them to kick back, make fun of each other and laugh at each other and themselves,” Little said. “They don’t have to be on guard and be so careful about mentioning all their sponsors.”

Little also enjoys being able to let her own hair down a bit during NASCAR After the Lap, giving herself a chance to leave the seriousness of the racing season behind.

“It’s fun for me to show another side of my personality, especially being loose and funny,” Little said. “I’m out of the fire suit and just get to be me.”

“I show our relationship and this is a good time for them to poke fun at me as well,” Little continued. “It’s just all in good fun.”

“That’s special for me as well.”

Little said another special aspect about NASCAR After the Lap is that it takes place right in her home town, giving her a bit of a chance to mix her family with friends and NASCAR racing. This year, however, she has plans right after the event involving one of NASCAR’s most recognizable names.

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“Since I’m here in my hometown, it is special,” Little said. “It’s fun to mix family and friends.”

“My brother-in-law is marrying Danica Patrick’s sister on December 1^st so I have to get on the plane right after the event and go to a wedding this year.”

An aspect of NASCAR After the Lap that has really taken off is the interaction on social media.

“We saw that last year how Facebook and Twitter were so involved in the event,” Little said. “And this year there will be an element where the funniest tweets of the year by the drivers will be showcased.”

“So, we will really be incorporating social media for sure.”

The event will also be streamed live on NASCAR.com and will be broadcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Finally, Little acknowledged that the event was special for two other reasons, one that it benefits charity and the other that she gets to give away some really cool prizes.

“The first year we did this, it was free to see what kind of feedback and turnout we would get,” Little said. “When it became such a great event, we started charging $20, with all the proceeds benefitting the NASCAR Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds for children’s charities all over the nation.”

“There is also a sweepstakes where one fan gets the chance to win a 2013 Ford F150 and an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas to the event,” Little continued. “Every year, it’s so much fun to meet that fan, bring them up on stage, they get to meet a driver and get their pictures taken.”

“Then, to see someone win a truck is awesome,” Little continued. “It’s always fun giving stuff away.”

“Everyone’s a fan of that.”

NASCAR After the Lap will be held on Thursday, November 29^th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at PH LIVE located in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. For more information about NASCAR After the Lap Sponsored by Ford and Coca-Cola or to purchase tickets, visit www.NASCARafterthelap.com.

October 29, 2012
Cole Whitt Ready For Some NASCAR Bashing

[media-credit name=”JR Motorsports/Spin Master” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]JR Motorsports young gun Cole Whitt is all set to do some NASCAR bashing at his upcoming Nationwide race at Texas Motor Speedway.

In fact, the up and coming young gun will be behind the wheel of the No. 88 NASCAR Bashers car, promoting a new race car toy made by Spin Master that wrecks, transforms and then is reassembled to do it all over again.

“It is an awesome opportunity for me and JR Motorsports to be teamed up with NASCAR Bashers for Texas,” Whitt said. “We already had the Atlanta race with them and ran really well.”

“That’s always fun when you run good with your sponsor.”

While Whitt may be pleased to run well with NASCAR Bashers on the hood, he is most excited about the toy itself. And being a ‘big kid’, he has already had the opportunity to play.

“It’s a really cool toy,” Whitt said of the NASCAR Basher, which is styled like an actual NASCAR race car that actually transforms after wrecking. “I went to an autograph signing at Walmart and they had them on the table, so I got to play with them.”

“They kept me entertained.”

Whitt acknowledged that the coolest part of the NASCAR Bashers is that there are not only countless ways to wreck them, but, just like his own NASCAR pit crew does for him, the cars can be rebuilt and readied to race once again.

“I think what’s cool about it is the kids can beat and bang on them,” Whitt said. “That’s part of our sport and that makes it exciting and why people watch.”

“Our cars are always on edge and when we crash, we may be out of the race,” Whitt continued. “But with NASCAR Bashers, the kids can play with them and crash them and they just break apart.”

“But then they can snap them all back together and keep playing with them,” Whitt said. “I wish our race cars were that easy to put back together.”

“That’s what makes it exciting for the kids.”

Whitt admitted that he wished that he had toys like NASCAR Bashers, instead of having to do his own crash improvisations.

“I didn’t get to have anything as cool as NASCAR Bashers when I was a kid,” Whitt said. “I had to take a hammer to my race cars and I’d just beat them up and make them look like they were all crashed up.”

“My cars were done after that though,” Whitt continued. “At least with NASCAR Bashers you can put them back together and keep playing.”

There was one other feature of NASCAR Bashers that really appealed to Whitt. And that was the important ability to attract a younger audience to the sport.

“What’s cool about NASCAR Bashers is that they are for younger fans and that’s who NASCAR wants to bring into the sport,” Whitt said. “This starts a family tradition and that’s part of JR Motosports being a family tradition.”

“It’s pretty exciting for us to get kids excited about the sport.”

“I’m just an average kid that came up through the sport and JR Motorsports gave me this awesome opportunity,” Whitt said. “NASCAR’s really always focused on trying to find that next generation of fans and we finally have some young kids coming up in the sport and kids can relate.”

“That’s what the Nationwide Series is all about with young kids trying to make a name for themselves and trying to win races with the bigger names.”

NASCAR Basher’s maker, Spin Master, could not agree more with their young driver.

“Spin Master wants to engage young fans with great products and unique means to reach them,” Craig Drobis, Marketing Director for Spin Master, said. “The NASCAR Bashers product and partnering with a young rising star like Cole does that.”

At the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge in Texas, Whitt will not only run the NASCAR Bashers car but will also show off the new toys on his hero card and at autograph signings throughout the race weekend. And Whitt will have a special honor, that of serving as ESPN’s in-race reporter.

As pleased as Whitt is about driving the NASCAR Bashers car, he is also thrilled to finish off the season on a high note from a performance perspective, especially after a bit of an up and down year.

“This year’s been a little bit of a roller coaster,” Whitt said. “You’ve got to race and learn by your mistakes.”

“So far, it’s been a good year and we’re starting to really hit our stride and run consistently lately,” Whitt continued. “There were a lot of changes throughout the season with JR Motorsports, all in the direction of making the team better.”

“And I think we really have been improving.”

Even with NASCAR Bashers on the hood at Texas and a strong run in the final races, Whitt is still unsure, however, of his future in the new year. He is hoping that he remains a part of JR Motorsports, especially with the recent signing of Regan Smith to the team.

“So far, I’m not exactly sure what 2013 holds for me but we’re looking at it as we’re going into 2013 with JR Motorsports and we’re hoping to find a little more funding,” Whitt said. “We want to go for that championship.”

“Hopefully our deal comes together and I find a little more sponsorship because I think we could really give it a run for the money,” Whitt said. “Plus Regan would be a great teammate I could learn from.”

“I just hope we get that opportunity.”

But until that time, Whitt will simply focus instead on doing some NASCAR bashing at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I just think NASCAR Bashers are plain awesome,” Whitt said. “I always crashed my cars when I was a kid.”

“So being able to put them back together is really, really awesome.”

NASCAR Bashers are available at Walmart, Target, ToysRus, NASCAR.com and at official NASCAR Trackside Merchandise trailers at track. They are designed for children ages 5 and up and are reasonably priced at $9.99 for the NASCAR Basher race car, with additional accessories available.

October 27, 2012
A Champion of Change – Greg Zipadelli

[media-credit name=”Jerry Markland Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”102″][/media-credit]They say that life is about changing and that nothing ever stays the same. The key to being successful is being able to change and adapt and continue to grow and be successful. In the last several years no one is more adept at change than Greg Zipadelli. He has gone from working with an established champion to bringing up another rookie to making a huge change in jobs, in teams, in responsibilities. To now he is in his final race of perfecting communication and providing comfort zones for NASCAR’s newest super star Danica Patrick.

Greg Zipadelli doesn’t bounce around much. He never has. His loyalty to teams and drivers doesn’t allow for that. It’s always been that way, from the time he won his first championship with Mike “Magic Shoes” McLaughlin in 1988 all the way today. Zippy as he is known has always been around for the long haul.

Many think that Zipadelli’s major success was with Joe Gibbs Racing and a guy who would play a role in his career all the way through today, Tony Stewart. But the truth is Greg Zipadelli has been winning championships and races since he was 21 years old, having been the crew chief for McLaughlin, Mike Stefanik and of course Tony Stewart, and Joey Logano.

When Zipadelli and Stewart were paired up by Joe Gibbs Racing in 1999 to challenge for Rookie of the Year honors, it was not Zippy’s first foray into what was then Winston Cup. In fact he came to Joe Gibbs Racing from a position of Chassis specialist for Jeff Burton with Jack Roush Racing.

Zipadelli would help build the No.20 Home Depot team literally from the ground up. With a rookie driver, a rookie crew chief and in a lot of ways a rookie team, Zippy and Stewart would pull off a historical feat. They won three times in their rookie year to claim the Rookie of the Year honors. Something no one else had ever done.

The relationship would last until 2008. When Stewart would make the move into ownership with his newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing team, it was a difficult thing for Stewart to leave his friend and crew chief behind after 9 years and 33 wins and two championships. But contractual restrictions would prevent him from taking Greg Zipadelli with him, at least for right then.

The seat would then be filled by another young man who came to Zippy a rookie. Joey Logano had a big reputation in late model stocks, but he had even bigger shoes to fill. Shoes that were so big that there were times you could see him struggle not to trip. Always there with a calm and reassuring manner was Zipadelli. It would be that calm demeanor that would lead Logano to his first career win in his first season with JGR. When Zipadelli left Logano, he did so with 17 top-5’s, 36 top-10’s and one win over the three year period.

In 2011, the call came from old friend Tony Stewart. Negotiations had been completed allowing Zippy to leave JGR and join SHR as the competition director, a position that had been left open after the termination of Bobby Hutchens. But the separation was not as easy as you might think. J.D. Gibbs called the progression difficult. “It’s hard, it’s hard for him in a lot of ways – this has been his home for a long time. And it’s hard for us.”

“Joe Gibbs always says that you win with people, and Tony Stewart is a winner,” Zipadelli said in the Stewart-Haas statement. “We won a lot together at Joe Gibbs Racing, and it was a sad day when (Stewart) left.

“But Tony had an unbelievable opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing, and he’s obviously made the most of it. To become a part of what he’s already built, but to do it in a new role with a new set of responsibilities, was a challenge I wanted.”

Tony Stewart and Greg Zipadelli were together longer than any other crew chief driver pairing in the garage having been together for 9 years and forming a relationship that those close to them referred to as more like brothers than co workers. Stewart said of the move, “Greg knows all that goes into the job, understands the importance of team work and communication across all levels of the organization and is ultimately someone I have a great deal of trust in.”

But how difficult was the transition from crew chief to competition director? “It’s not really difficult, it’s just different. The difficult part is that you’ve been a crew chief so long you just kind of do what you do. Now you have to look at things differently. I like to explain it as I use to be selfish, just worry about my car and my group. Now you’ve got to worry about everybody’s car you know. Luckily you don’t have the immediate highs and lows like you do calling the race. Now you’re affected by all of them. Instead of just the car you’re working on. In that aspect it’s different,” stated Zipadelli

The job of competition director is a big one. It’s a job that is crucial to the teams themselves. “I think for where the casual fan doesn’t understand is that not every car owner can be at the shop every day and can be down on the floor every day and handling financials all the way down to the people that sweep the floor at the end of the day. The competition director is very crucial in that connection between what is going on down on the floor and what is going on in the upper office. He is managing the crew chiefs, managing the teams, managing the different departments at the race shop. He is that connection between downstairs and upstairs. Especially on a race weekend, if we have any kind of a problem that is the guy, and in our case with Greg Zipadelli, he is the acting role as the car owner from my side. He is very crucial in that role and having the right person in that role if very important to each organization” stated Tony Stewart.

But the challenges of moving from crew chief to competition director according to Zipadelli were a little different for him, “The challenging part is just learning what you can do to help the others, and not be selfish. I think having this limited deal with the Sprint Cup car (short stint as Danica Patrick’s crew chief) kind of helped me put something’s off and allowed me to still do a little bit and then go back and forth from that part of it. It’s been a help to me personally because I enjoy this part of it. The other thing is that it changes so much. What you are working on and the people part of it. So much of our sport today is people. You’re always working on people moving them around and expansion what we need to be working on and those types of things.”

Greg Zipadelli has had both ends of the spectrum with drivers. He has had the ultra skilled highly successful Stewart whose wins and championships in multiple series on multiple surface types made him a given success. He has had a true rookie in the sport with Danica, whose limited stock car experience is a challenge for both her and her team. And he has had the youthful late model success story in Joey Logano. But Zipadelli is honest about what it took to bring them all up in the ranks. “Success wise, obviously Tony was (the easiest to guide into Cup racing), because he had so much racing experience in so many other series and had been so successful. He knew how to win and he knew how to win championships, we just had to figure out what he liked in a race car and give it to him and he could do the rest. I don’t know if it’s fair to compare the three of them. They are all so different in their experience level the success level they have had in different series. They are all drastically different.”

Every ship needs a captain to help ease the strain of change. Change requires a steady hand on the wheel. A leader must have the confidence to calm the jittery. He must have the strength to lead the hesitant. It takes a knowing ear to hear and ease the fear before it becomes a habit, to spot the anger and intervene. It takes a champion to lead a group to greatness through the storms of human nature and the intangible variables of racing. Greg Zipadelli has been down that road as a crew chief. Now he will blaze the path for three instead of one.

Now he will teach and guide an organization instead of a team. In the end, the job is the same the scope is just bigger. “We’re capable of taking bad days and making them into ok days or even great days,” said Zipadelli. With that kind of confidence and belief in his team, his drivers and himself, Greg Zipadelli has already proven he is the man to guide the ship at Stewart-Haas Racing.

October 24, 2012
Ragin Cajun Hal Martin Plans to Finish Strong in Nationwide Racing Debut

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: halmartinracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Hal Martin has lived his entire racing life following the motto of his beloved hometown football team, the New Orleans Saints. So for this driver, known as the ‘Ragin Cajun’, there will only be one acceptable outcome to his Nationwide Series debut in Kansas this weekend, to ‘Finish Strong.’

Martin will be taking the wheel of a TriStar Motorsports Toyota Camry for the first time this weekend at Kansas Speedway and then will complete in three races for the remainder of this year. Martin intends to run a full season next year and to compete for the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Rookie of the Years honors.

“I’m very excited to be here in Kansas,” Martin said. “It’s been a lot of work getting here.”

“But finally, this is the weekend for my debut so all the hard work has paid off,” Martin continued. “This is what I’ve been working for all my life since I was a kid playing with cars in my back yard.”

“And now I’m competing against these drivers in the Nationwide Series, which is a huge step for me,” Martin said. “And I’m really looking forward to it.”

Martin has had an interesting racing journey, bringing him to his first Nationwide run. And, at the age of 26 years, it has been an unusual road to the say least.

“I don’t come from a racing family,” Martin said. “My dad was a fan of the sport but he never drove a race car.”

“I’ve always been a competitive person from the time when I was a kid growing up,” Martin continued. “I was the one who wanted to finish first, even it was just a race on the play ground. I’ve always been that competitive.”

“And I’ve always been a hard core race fan since I was five years old,” Martin said. “I used to be able to name every driver in the Cup Series, their car number and their sponsor right down the line.”

“It’s something I really followed as a kid as a fan and I grew that into a career,” Martin continued. “That’s something I tell everyone – that I know what it’s like to be a fan on the other side of the fence and I appreciate every single fan we have because I was once one of them.”

Even Martin’s first race experience, at age 15 years, was far different than the norm. While it was a competitive race, it was a charity event for which Martin had to meet with local businesses to raise money for the charity in order to even enter the competition.

“We finished fourth and I’ll never forget the first time I suited up and put that helmet on,” Martin said. “The feeling I had was indescribable.”

“That’s something I’ve carried on and that I still remember.”

From that memorable moment of his first time behind the wheel, Martin was hooked and went on to compete in multiple series after that. And he even took on racing and college at the same time to further his goals.

“I won a lot of races and the championship,” Martin said. “I progressed from there and moved on to asphalt late models and won a track championship in Mobile.”

“While I was doing that, I was also attending college full-time at the University of New Orleans and obtained a degree in mechanical engineering,” Martin continued. “It was a tough road to do both simultaneously but we were able to do it with great support from family and friends helping me out through the whole deal.”

“In 2009, I stepped up and raced multiple series across the country, including ASA, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Series,” Martin said. “I finished third in my second race in the ARCA Series in Chicagoland and that’s what propelled my career forward tenfold.”

“And now we’re doing the Nationwide deal, three races this year and looks like we will anticipate a full season next year, with the goal of winning the Rookie of the Year.”

While Martin is excited about the new opportunities, he has also set realistic goals for himself, his crew chief John Quinn, with whom he worked in the ARCA Series, and his TriStar Motorsports team.

“We’re building for next year is basically what we are doing,” Martin said. “We are building that relationship with our team and my crew chief John Quinn.”

“I worked with him last year in the ARCA Series for a few races and we had really good chemistry right off the bat,” Martin continued. “We have been reunited at TriStar Motorsports and we’ve been moving forward ever since.”

“Us racers want to win every race but the competition is fierce in this Series and this is a new team and my first time in the car,” Martin said. “I’ve always been known as a calculated driver, which I credit to my engineering degree.”

“So, I’m realistic with our goals and starting out this year, our goal is to finish every lap we can,” Martin continued. “That would be a win in our books.”

“We’re not going to overstep and I want to earn the respect of the drivers who race in the Nationwide Series.”

Martin also expressed gratitude for his sponsors, American Custom Yachts and US Forensics, both of whom are helping make his step up to the Nationwide Series possible.

“I hail from South Louisiana and am a Cajun born and bred,” Martin said. “And I’m proud of my heritage and where I come from and we have a lot of support from there.”

“This year, we have as a sponsor American Custom Yachts, which is a full construction and repair company with ties to Louisiana,” Martin continued. “They’re our primary sponsor for the three races this year and also into next year for select races.”

“We also have US Forensics, a forensic engineering company, which is the company that gave me my first job out of college,” Martin said. “They’ve come on board as my sponsor for this year and next.”

Martin also acknowledged that in his Nationwide debut that he will be following the lead of one of his racing idols, one with a very similar last name.

“I’ve always really looked up to Mark Martin,” Martin said. “We had common last names and he was to me a driver that was well-respected, competitive and family-oriented.”

“Mark Martin was the guy I pulled for growing up and the one I want to be most like.”

But most of all, Hal Martin will be following the credo that he has lived by for all of his life as he settles in behind the wheel for the first time in a Nationwide car in the Kansas Lottery 300.

“One of the things that I’ve always followed, which I stole from my New Orleans Saints foot ball team is their motto when they won the Super Bowl, ‘Finish Strong’,” Martin said. “That’s the motto I follow too, especially in racing.”

“You can start out strong but you have to finish strong too,” Martin said passionately. “That’s what I intend to do.”

October 18, 2012
Rutledge Wood Gives Insight to his Incredible Job

www.therutledgewood.com

Everyone agrees that Rutledge Wood is one funny, interesting and cool talent for the SPEED Channel. Rutledge has had an incredible and interesting journey to working for SPEED and he now is able to enjoy his passion, racing. You can see Rutledge every weekend at the race track and as well as on TV for Top Gear, a show all about cars. Rutledge went from being a motorsports enthusiast to a full-time worker in NASCAR. Over the last eight years, Rutledge has enjoyed working in the NASCAR industry and we all enjoy seeing him on TV.

Recently I was able to conduct an interview with Rutledge, and below he gives me some insight to his job and some other interesting facts.

You got an interesting start in NASCAR; tell us how you came to work for SPEED?

“I started in the marketing department and worked my way up until I got a chance to be in front of the camera. This is my 8th year on the road for SPEED.”

What are some of the jobs you have gotten to do for the SPEED Channel?

“I have gotten to work as Speed Road Tour manager, emcee, and on-air talent.”

Since you began working for NASCAR, what has been your favorite memory you have had at the track?

“When I got to fly over Daytona Int’l Speedway flying in an F16 with the Thunderbirds, that’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”

Who are some of your favorite SPEED co-workers?

“I love them all, but Kyle Petty is my best friend, so he’s my favorite!”

You are a co-host on Top Gear, how did you end up on that show?

“They found me doing my job on SPEED…I’m really lucky to have two of the best jobs in the world.”

What has been your favorite adventure you have had on Top Gear?

“Our trip to Alaska was one of my favorites…so was Death Valley. They’ve all been really fun in their own way. The producers love coming up with insane twists to seem like a normal trip.”

Your fellow co-host’s on Top Gear are Adam Ferrara and Tanner Foust, what’s it like to work with them?

“It’s awesome. They’re two of the funniest, nicest, crazy driving guys in the world.”

What is a normal race day like for Rutledge Wood?

“Get there early, have a meeting about our show(s), then head in to the track to interview the drivers. It’s a pretty fast paced world even though it’s spread over three days.”

What’s the best part about working for SPEED?

“The best part is getting to be a part of such a fun sport that so many people love. All the fans that I’ve met over the years have been so supportive of me. It’s like one big family.”

How do you think the Sprint Cup Season will turn out?

“I think it’s going to come down to Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski. Those three guys all seem like the team to beat.”

You can follow Rutledge on Twitter @RutledgeWood or twitter.com/rutledgewood and watch for him on SPEED channel throughout the remainder of the NASCAR season.

October 8, 2012
Gustafson – Overcoming obstacles with one goal in mind

[media-credit id=100 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, Alan Gustafson, continues to showcase his talent when faced with adversity. The gusty chassis adjustment call at Richmond earlier this season that vaulted his No. 24 team into the Chase when the possibility of making the postseason looked grim, was just one example of many timely and “out of the box” calls Gustafson has made to overcome a problem.

Every team he has led performed well, but it seems the Sprint Cup Series’ inevitable variables seem to bite at inopportune times. Whether it be caught up in someone else’s crash, having a part failure or the rare occasions, like at Richmond, when the team just simply misses the setup, Gustafson always shows the ability to make a quick, crafty call that overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds.

When I asked Gustafson about other events this season where he had to climb out of a hole and think outside the box, he pointed out, “The most recent races stick out in your mind the most, but at Atlanta, we started up front at Atlanta and struggled at the start of that race. Even though we took the lead the car got really, really loose, really quick.” he continued, “The Richmond thing was really so pronounced because it was so visual, but I think at Atlanta we struggled as bad, but we were able to work on the car, work on the car and work on the car and then race Truex for the win at the end, and ultimately after the restart race Denny for the win.”

“Another time I think of is Daytona , it wasn’t really something that I did, but it shows the commitment of this team, Daytona in the summer, we were running third and got wrecked on pit road, which is crazy right, you never know, you’re coming down pit road and you get wrecked. And our car was hurt and the guys did a phenomenal job fixing the car and we ended up getting a 12th place finish and you sit back and you think to yourself, well 12th place is not that great, but if we hadn’t got that finish, we wouldn’t have been able to beat Kyle at Richmond.”

It’s obvious from talking to him that he is very proud of his team.

This ability to think outside the box is obviously something that team owner Rick Hendrick looks for in his crew chiefs. Historically, Hendrick Motorsports has always had the most talented crew chiefs. Chad Knauss, Steve Letarte and of course the amazing Ray Evernham are just a few examples. Gustafson is a perfect addition to this list. As Ray Evernham pointed out to me today, “I think Alan is one of the finest crew chiefs in the sport. I really believe he is going to lead Jeff to his fifth championship.”

[media-credit id=100 align=”alignright” width=”247″][/media-credit]Gustafson has proven he can win with a variety of different drivers. An all-star line-up of talent that is highlighted by names like Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and of course now four time champion Jeff Gordon. His record emphasizes his ability to adapt. Every driver is different, some temperamental, some laid back. Some drivers feel they can make better decisions than the crew chief can, some have to have feedback forced out of them. There is no single textbook recipe to perform this job. A fluid thought process is a required to be successful with numerous drivers. Some crew chiefs hit that magic combination with one driver, but can’t attain it with any other.

Now that the No.24 team has made the Chase, adversity once again struck in the Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway. A crash on lap 190 resulted in a 35th place finish for the DuPont Chevrolet. That finish dropped the team to 12th place in the standings, last among Chase contenders. This once again puts Gustafson in the position of having to be creative and clear the hurdles that life has placed in front of him. In typical fashion, the No.24 group came back strong with a third place finish at New Hampshire and great fuel mileage strategy en route to a second place finish at Dover. Even with these terrific finishes, Gordon still lost points to the leader though he did manage to move up in the standings.

I asked Gustafson if he felt that his team has now used their mulligan, and does he feel that the other teams in contention will ultimately stumble as well. Gustafson responded, “.. we can’t concern ourselves with them, .. we have to focus on doing the best we can.”

However this weekend there is a larger, more unpredictable hurdle to clear, Talladega. Long known as NASCAR’s wildcard race, at this track anything can happen. If Gordon can keep the car out of harm’s way and this could be the place to regain what they lost at Chicagoland. This track presents so many opportunities for teams to find trouble, that the top four drivers on the standings could easily lose their momentum and find themselves at the back of the finishing order and put Gordon and Gustafson right back in the hunt the championship.

Being that Gustafson is a top crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series, I expected him to pattern himself after a famous crew chief from the past, however, when I asked him what person he admires and looks up to, his response was, “If I pattern myself after anyone, it’s probably our owner Mr. Hendrick, he’s a great , incredible leader…. he knows how to manage people, how hire people and inspire people. No matter what field you are in. Whether it’s you are gonna do writing this story, or what I am gonna go Sunday, or what he does at his car dealerships.” This type of respect is what builds great relationships.

Statistically, eventually the stars have to line up for Gustafson. Given his track record, and his proven ability to find that proverbial needle in the haystack solution, Gustafson is definitely on the precipice of a championship in NASCAR premier series.

Asked if the teams goal for the season had changed from the championship to just solid finish, Gustafson says “Our goal is still the championship. We’re not going away, we’re not going away.”

October 6, 2012