Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Featured Interview

Featured interviews from SpeedwayMedia.com

  • Cindy Elliott Balances Life As Wife to Bill and Mom to Chase

    Cindy Elliott Balances Life As Wife to Bill and Mom to Chase

    Cindy Elliott is doing what she does best, balancing talking about her life with NASCAR champion husband Bill and up and coming driver son Chase, while getting some exercise by taking a quick walk around the motor home lot.

    “I don’t know that my life is any different than anyone else who has to balance life in general with work and being a mom,” Elliott said. “It’s just a balancing act and something we all do.”

    Elliott does have two primary keys that have helped her be successful in her juggling act as wife, mom, and the Elliott family’s social media director.

    “My tip for balancing is to stay as organized as you possibly can,” Elliott said. “I think organization and time management are key factors.”

    The Elliotts have been married for 18 years and are going into their 19th year of wedded bliss. They met when Cindy Elliott, then a photo editor, had do do a shoot with NASCAR’s past most popular driver ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’.

    “I was a photographer and photo editor for Scene and Illustrated back in the day,” Elliott said. “I had clients, Coca Cola and Budweiser, and Bill went to drive for Budweiser and he had to come to my studio to take pictures and so we met.”

    Chase Elliott is their only child together, however Bill Elliott has two grown daughters. One daughter Brittany, 19 years old is serving the country in the Air Force in New Mexico, and the other daughter Starr lives in Dawsonville and has a young daughter, Kennedy.

    “The grand parenting role is a lot of fun,” Elliott said. “I’m C C. It’s the first thing she called me so I guess that’s what all my grandkids will call me. You know how that happens, the first one gets to name you.”

    Elliott admits that racing was not her passion growing up and she most certainly did not know anything about it until she got more involved through her photo work.

    “I never liked racing,” Elliott said candidly. “Actually Don Grassman, who owns CIA photography, he and I worked together at the Northwest Florida Daily News. He asked me would I come help him.”

    “I knew nothing about racing,” Elliott continued. “In fact, they put me on pit road.  Something happened to Dale Earnhardt that day, his car broke or something, and they’re all screaming ‘Go to Earnhardt’s pit’ and I said, ‘You know guys, I don’t know who Earnhardt is’. What number is he and I’ll get to his pit as soon as I can.”

    “I really did like it after I got into it,” Elliott said.”I thought it was a lot of fun. When I was growing up, I thought we’re just watching a bunch of people go around in circles. But there’s a lot more than just going around in circles.”

    Elliott has definitely had to become fond of the sport with not only her husband but now their son Chase in the racing spotlight. Chase was signed this weekend by Hendrick Motor Sports, a great coup for the young up and coming driver.

    “I really enjoy what Chase is doing,” Elliott said.”Being around the people there, it’s just so down to earth and so fun and so family-oriented.”

    “I absolutely love watching these little kids racing around, watching them grow and develop,” Elliott continued. “Some of them are just really good little racers. Some of the races that we see are really good races too. I enjoy that a lot.”

    Like every mom, however, Cindy Elliott does indeed worry about her young son, knowing the dangers and vagaries of being behind the wheel of a race car.

    “I get worried because you just do,” Elliot said. “It’s just one of those motherly instincts.”

    “I’ve learned to trust in his ability more. He’s not crazy on the race track,” Elliott continued. “He’s very calculated in his moves. I’ve learned to trust his driving style, which really is a lot like Bill’s.”

    According to Cindy Elliott, Chase takes after his father in more ways than just on the track, which is fine with her.

    “His personality takes a lot after Bill’s personality, which I thank God for every day,” Elliott said.  “I’m a little more high strung than both of them. Chase is a good winner but he is also a gracious loser. He takes a lot of that after Bill.”

    One of the most interesting challenges is balancing where husband Bill is in his career and where her son is now in his.

    “Bill has accomplished much but he still has things to accomplish,” Elliott said. “He’s taken a lot of time with Chase and enjoys being there at the race tracks as much as I do.”

    “Bill will focus on what he has to do for whatever period that is. He will give his best effort and 100% to everything he can do for his career and to help Chase.”

    Cindy Elliott’s next balancing act will be managing the attention on her son Chase, with the signing to HMS, and on her husband Bill, who is racing this year for Phoenix Racing, in NASCAR’S premiere series.

    What is keeping her grounded now more than ever is how fortunate she is feeling to be in this special position.

    “We are very blessed,” Elliott said simply.

  • Miss Coors Light Is Living Her NASCAR Dream

    Miss Coors Light Is Living Her NASCAR Dream

    Kicking off her first official year as ambassador not only for Coors Light, the official beer of NASCAR, but for the sport itself, Rachel Rupert could not be more excited to be in Daytona for the first race of the season.

    “I started out last year and had the ten races of the Chase,” Rupert said.  “So, that was really exciting and kind of got my foot in the door to see what my job was going to be about.”

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”113″][/media-credit]One of the primary functions of her role is to celebrate with the top qualifier for the Cup race, as Coors Light is the official sponsor of the pole award.

    “Each week, the driver of the pole position receives the award,” Rupert said.  “And every Thursday evening, we have appearances at different bars around the track in celebration of the pole award.”

    Miss Coors Light is not just busy on pole night, but is also on the move morning, noon and night throughout the race weekend, including appearances at the track and in the local area.

    “I love doing the appearances,” Rupert said.  “It’s so  much fun.”  The only down side that she has currently identified is that often she is mistaken for a driver in her fire suit uniform.

    At the track, Miss Coors Light’s major duty is mixing it up with the fans.  She poses for countless pictures with the fans, as well as encouraging fans to follow her on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/misscoorslight.

    Rupert got her gig as the spokesperson for Miss Coors Light after an intense audition, that not only tested her interaction with people but also her knowledge of the sport.  Lest anyone think Rupert is just a pretty face, she is in fact an absolute, die hard race fan.  In fact,  her father started taking her to races at the ripe old age of seven years and she has loved the sport ever since.

    “My dad loves this sport,” Rupert said.  “When I was a little girl, we would watch the race every Sunday and he made me pay attention.”

    “I knew I wanted to be involved in this sport,” Miss Coors Light said.  “So I started doing promotional work with an agency and that’s when they asked me to try out for this position.”

    Rupert now invites her father to go to the track with her, which is he does, particularly at the tracks close to home.  Her role has also given her father access to special NASCAR experiences, which he would not have had otherwise.

    “Being Miss Coors Light and having my job, it has opened a lot of doors,” Rupert said.  “So, I’m getting him experiences that he would have never dreamed of.  He is loving it.”

    This weekend is especially important to Rupert and her family as her father was a huge Dale Earnhardt, Sr. fan.  While she would often devil him by claiming Jeff Gordon as her driver, Rupert said that both Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and Jr. have special places in her heart.

    “That kind of breaks my heart,” Rupert said of the tenth anniversary this weekend of the loss of Earnhardt.  “It’s very touchy.  Ten years, that’s tough.”

    “But Dale Jr. won the Coors Light Pole award so that was very emotional.”

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignleft” width=”148″][/media-credit]While Rupert considers herself blessed to have met so many of the drivers, including some of her favorites, it is the fans that really keep her going.

    “I just love the fans,” Miss Coors Light said.  “Their passion is like no other sport.”

    Unfortunately, sometimes the fans may just get a little too passionate.  One of the most common occupational hazards for her are marriage proposals, in addition to the occasional product being spilled on her at events.

    “I get marriage proposals like you wouldn’t believe,” Rupert said.  “I’ve also been asked if I was the pot hole girl, from the GEICO commercial.”

    Miss Coors Light is also not the only Miss in the garage area, including several Miss Sprint Cups, who also serve as ambassadors for the sport.

    “We all get along so well,” Rupert said.  “We hang out outside of the track and since we are the girls in fire suits, we have to relate to each other.”

    While she and the girls get along famously, enjoying their time at the track and with the fans, Rupert is also a self-proclaimed homebody.  In fact, she describes the perfect evening as being at home with her poodle Daisy curled up on the couch.

    Rupert’s other major hobby, which many may find surprising, is fishing, which she loves to do in the Lake Norman area.

    Whether at home or at the track, Miss Coors Light is most appreciative of her current assignment.  In fact, she states there is nothing else in the world she could imagine herself doing.

    “I’m definitely living my dream this year,” Rupert said.

  • AJ Allmendinger Reflects on the Duels, Daytona 500, and Earnhardt’s Legacy

    AJ Allmendinger Reflects on the Duels, Daytona 500, and Earnhardt’s Legacy

    A J Allmendinger, still battling flu-like symptoms which he has experienced most of the weekend, took a moment outside his motor home to reflect on his Gatorade Duel race, the upcoming Daytona 500, and the tenth anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt.

    [media-credit name=”Al Bello/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]”The day of the duel race was better than I thought,” Allmendinger said.  “When I woke up, I didn’t think I was racing because I was so sick.”

    Allmendinger credits the “kind ladies of the medical center” with getting him back in shape enough to race.  “They gave me some fluids and gave me some IVs,” Allmendinger said.  “That got me through the day.”

    Getting through the day and not crashing his car was Allmendinger’s major focus during his duel race.

    “Overall, I thought it was OK,” Allmendinger said.  “First things first, we didn’t wreck the car. You don’t want to wreck your primary in the duels when really all it means is starting position.”

    “I felt like we had a chance to win the race,” Allmendinger continued.  “Me and Jimmie (Johnson) got hooked up and anytime you get hooked up with a five-time champ, you hopefully make friends.  I thought we worked really well together.”

    “There is a couple of things that we need to work on a little bit,” Allmendinger said. “Overall I thought it was good and we put ourselves in position to at least have a chance to win it.  Seventh isn’t terrible.”

    “I feel like the Fords are working really hard on keeping the engines cool,” Allmendinger continued.  “Watching the second duel, we learned a few things we need to do.  But overall it was good.”

    Allmendinger’s duel finish places him 13th in the running of Sunday’s Great American Race, the Daytona 500.  The Richard Petty Motorsports ace also acknowledges that with the two car tandem racing,  this years’ Daytona 500 will definitely be different from any others.

    “I wouldn’t say it’s any better or worse.  It is just different,” Allmendinger said.  “In one way, it saves you from having to run three or four wide the whole race, which as a driver is a lot better.”

    “Now it’s just strategy,” Allmendinger said. “You’ve got to find a friend and if you can find someone you can work with, you can consistently work with, I feel like maybe it’s easier to work with that one guy all race.”

    Allmendinger admitted that going into Sunday’s race, he did not know who he might be working with, contrary to several other drivers who already have their plans in place.

    “I think there may be some people who have already plotted out who they are going to work with,” Allmendinger said.  “But sometimes plans don’t work out.”

    Allmendinger said that this definitely was the case in his Gatorade duel race, as he had planned to work with Mark Martin but instead got hooked up with Jimmie Johnson.  Martin, however, starts right behind Allmendinger in the Daytona 500, so he is hoping that some partnership will develop.

    “Since Mark starts behind me in the 500, maybe there is some way we can hook up like we planned,” Allmendinger said.  “The quicker you find somebody that you work with and work well with, the better off you’ll be.”

    Allmendinger admitted that not only has he been working on this new two-by-two style of racing in practice, but he has also been focusing on how to make the swap from lead car to pusher, or vice versa.

    “Yes, that is something that I worked with in testing and all the practices,” Allmendinger said of the swap.  “I felt like that was something that me and Jimmie (Johnson) were really quick at.”

    “But at the same point, you saw certain guys that didn’t have to change over,” Allmendinger said.  “That comes back to the cooling and having to figure out what we had to do to make our stuff cool even better.”

    In addition to the partner racing and the swap, Allmendinger stated that it will be essential for all of the racers on the track for the Daytona 500 to respect the closing rates, as well as respecting each other.

    “If they understand the closing rates and how big they are,  they give you room and understand this is the way we got to race, than it is OK and we run three-wide pushing each other,” Allmendinger said.  “It’s that one guy that tries to make the block and everything goes wrong.”

    Along with every driver in the Daytona 500, Allmendinger will indeed be looking for his best dance partner.  He also hopes that he will get to work with his new teammate, Marcos Ambrose, in the No. 9 for Richard Petty Motorsports.

    “Marcos (Ambrose) brings something new to the race team,” Allmendinger said.  “He’s really cool and he is fun to work with.  He definitely brings a different style.”

    Unfortunately, Allmendinger’s Aussie teammate starts toward the back of the pack in the Daytona 500.  Ambrose will take the green flag in the 35th position.

    Allmendinger also thinks that the key to the Daytona 500 will be making good decisions, in addition to finding the right partners with whom to dance.

    “We just have to go out there and make good decisions,” Allmendinger said.  “Last year, we were really fast and I got spun and we had a bad finish because of it. “We just have to be smart.”

    “Of course, we want to go out there and win the race,” Allmendinger continued. “But if we come out in the top 15, it’s a good weekend.”

    As is everyone at the track this week, Allmendinger also reflected on the tenth anniversary of the death of NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt.

    “I never got to meet Dale but I grew up watching NASCAR and I remember that day,” Allmendinger said.  “I was at home watching the race with my parents.”

    “When it happened, I knew it was a big deal,” Allmendinger continued.  “But at that point I was only racing go karts, so I really didn’t know the significance.”

    “There have been a lot of good things that came about because of it,” Allmendinger acknowledged, noting the enhanced safety features in racing.  “But there is a huge void in the sport that honestly will probably never be filled.”

    “I just wish I had the opportunity to meet him.  I think the coolest thing is the fact that he was always known as the Intimidator and that was his persona on the track.  But to hear all the stories about the things he did off the race track that were never in the press and that he did out of the kindness of his heart, just shows how cool the guy was.”  ”

    “There’s not any more words you can say about what the sport is missing,” Allmendinger continued. “There are certain things that have been made better but they sure are overshadowed by how much he is missed being in the sport.”

    “Hopefully, just like with any death, you celebrate the good things about the life and the good things that have come out of it,” Allmendinger said. “I just feel bad for Junior that he has to answer all the questions and live up to that.  Hopefully, we will put on a good race and have good things to remember.”

  • J.R. Fitzpatrick To Run For Baker Curb Racing in Nationwide Series at Daytona

    J.R. Fitzpatrick To Run For Baker Curb Racing in Nationwide Series at Daytona

    J.R. Fitzpatrick announced that he’d begin his 2011 season with the Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona, which is the opening race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

    [media-credit name=” JRFitzpatrick” align=”alignright” width=”141″][/media-credit]The 22-year-old, Cambridge, Ontario native will race the No. 27 Shick Hydro/Energizer Ford Mustang for Baker Curb Racing. This marks a continued partnership with Fitzpatrick and Shick Hydro as they sponsored him during the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season and the three Nationwide Series races he ran last year for JR Motorsports. Though this marks the first time that Fitzpatrick has come together with Energizer Canada Inc.

    “I can’t think of a better race to start the new season with,” Fitzpatrick commented in a press release.  “Daytona boasts an atmosphere like no other and to be in a race with the opportunity to compete against guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr and Tony Stewart is fantastic.  I’ve raced at Daytona before, a couple of years ago in the Truck Series, and ran well leading the most laps in that event before taking fourth.”

    “I’m sure that experience and knowledge will help combined with my time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last season.  This is definitely where I want to be competing on a regular basis so I’m looking to make a strong start to the year on Saturday.  I’m obviously grateful to Schick Canada and Energizer Canada for their support this week and I look forward to flying the maple leaf flag for Canadian fans!”

    Fitzpatrick finished fourth a couple years ago when he ran the truck series opener at Daytona for Kevin Harvick Incorporated, and last year finished in the top 10 at both Montreal and Road Atlanta in the Nationwide Series.

    “We’re really looking forward to teaming up with J.R.,” commented Baker Curb Racing’s Team President, Matt Crews.  “I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time with him this off season and get to know him.  His attitude and dedication to his sport is certainly very impressive and his potential is limitless!”

    This past year, Fitzpatrick took on running the entire NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule, with his goals set on winning the championship. He was in the thick of the battle all year long, though after a bad finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and a broken clutch at Riverside Speedway, he ended up second, 40 points behind champion D.J. Kennington.

    “It’s good,” Fitzpatrick told me. “I took all of last year off as I was racing stuff in the States. But after taking a year off, the series has definitely grown quite a bit. It does need more cars but competitive wise, it is doing very well. To finish second in the championship after taking a year off, I am pretty pleased about that.”

    Fitzpatrick got started in the series when it was named CASCAR and became the youngest champion at the age of 18 in 2006.

    The following year, NASCAR took over rights to the series and it has been debated as to whether that was a positive move or not for the series. Fitzpatrick said he’s seen the influence, though thinks it’ll still take time.

    “It’s helped in a way,” he said. “But I think it’s going to take some time to get some more people in the series because it does cost a lot to run that deal. The series is slowly going and it’s going to take a few years for it to grow to its full potential.”

    On top of running the Canadian Tire Series and the Nationwide Series when time allows, Fitzpatrick hits the local tracks and races at the grass roots level where it started.

    “I support it 100 percent anyway I can,” he said of grass roots racing. “At the end of the day, that’s where we all started and guys that don’t feel like coming back, I don’t get it. I wish I had a late model as that’s where I started but super stocks are a lot of fun.”

    For this year, he put a Super Stock race car together with some friends.

    “Its fun,” he said of running the car. “It’s definitely a different kind of car for me. Me and my friend built this car and it’s been working fairly well. We’re starting ninth out of 45 cars so we’re pretty happy about that.”

    Fitzpatrick had a successful year with that as he got his first feature  Super Stock win at Flamboro Speedway during FrostFest.

    Fitzpatrick got started in racing at the age of six running a Jr. Late Model.

    “I got started through Jr. Late Models when I was six years old at Sauble Beach,” he said. “Then I moved on to Delaware (Speedway) and when I was 13 years old, I got a late model and then from there, I just stayed in heavy stock cars.”

    Fitzpatrick then moved up to the CASCAR Super Series, where he finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings in 2004 at the age of 16.

    At the age of 17, he scored his first win and got three top-fives and five top-10 finishes.

    Then in 2006, he became the youngest Canadian Tire Series National Champion with a win, five podium finishes and two pole awards at the age of 18.

    Over the next three years in the Canadian Tire Series, Fitzpatrick would earn a total of four wins, 10 top-fives, 14 top-10s and five pole awards.

    Fitzpatrick made his first in the NASCAR Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) at the Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, where he finished 33rd due to an ill-handling car.

    Fitzpatrick’s last race at Daytona was when he made his first start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2009 where he finished fourth, driving the No. 7 Mammoet Chevrolet Silverado at Daytona International Speedway for TRG Motorsports.

    Fitzpatrick will be on-track on Wednesday and Thursday of this week with four NASCAR Nationwide Series practice sessions scheduled before Friday hosts qualifying at 4:10pm EST.  The ‘DRIVE4COPD 300’ starts on Saturday 19th February at 1:15pm EST.  Race fans in Canada can watch the ‘DRIVE4COPD 300’ live on TSN2 with broadcast coverage starting at Noon EST on Saturday.

  • Spotters: The Hidden Heroes of NASCAR Restrictor Plate Racing

    Spotters: The Hidden Heroes of NASCAR Restrictor Plate Racing

    At the restrictor plate tracks, the spotters are the hidden heroes play a crucial role of helping their drivers navigate through the pack. Spotters were heard barking on the radio throughout the entire race, helping their drivers find that perfect mate and keep them out of trouble. It was Regan Smith’s spotter who was blamed for the big wreck.

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]So what exactly do the spotters do up on their perch?

    “My primary job is communicating to the driver what is going on around the racetrack; things he needs to be aware of both for safety as well as for competitive advantage,” Jon Bell, who spotted for Dakoda Armstrong last year in the ARCA Series, said. “On the track, the spotter tries to be constantly aware of anything that can affect our car. This can be anything from a crash around the corner to debris falling off another car to blinding sunshine in one corner. Since we do have the best seat in the house, we watch for situations developing with other cars—be it a “personality conflict” ala Brad and Carl that my driver needs to watch out for, or possibly a change in the racing “line” around the track that the driver and/or crew chief might want to adjust for.

    “During caution laps we make sure the driver is aware of track safety workers and equipment that might pose a hazard. Remember, the cleanup and safety personnel don’t have a roll cage to protect them! Another important duty of the spotter is monitoring race control radio. Yep—we have to listen to two radios at the same time. We are the most direct means of communication from race control to both the driver and the crew chief and vice-versa. That’s how they control the “lucky dog” as well as line up prior to restarts.

    “My work during pitting depends on what the crew chief wants. Bill Kimmel let me count the car into the pit stall as well as clear the driver out and away down pit road. Paul Andrews on the other hand wants only a quick pit road speed reminder, and “10 away!” warning. He counts down the car into the stall and clears it back out into traffic at which point I take over.

    “Equally effective, but a very different style. So it’s not just a different driver that a spotter must adjust for.”

    Rocky Ryan, spotter for David Ragan, explain that sometimes during pit stops, explanations are key on the radio.

    “Some drivers even like to know where the two cars in front of them, coming on pit road are pitting,” Ryan said. “For example, the 24 and 48 are in front of us when the caution comes out. I will tell our driver where those two are pitting on pit road. That way, if say the 24’s pit stall is two stalls before us, and the 48’s pit stall is 10 stalls after us, then I will tell the driver that. This way, when the 24 turns left to go into his stall, then you aren’t surprised. Remember, it’s very difficult to see through these cars, so when someone turns left on pit road, is he trying to avoid something, or is he just going into his stall? Well, if he KNOWS that the 24 will be turning left before him, then he doesn’t worry. If the 48 turns before him, then he knows something has happened in front of us, and he better turn too.

    “And if we have time, it’s always good for a spotter to look up and down pit road, during the stop, to get an idea of what the other teams are doing during their stops, i.e. two or four tires, just fuel, big adjustments, etc.”

    For Bell, the hardest part of his job is actually the pre-race preparation.

    “What time do I have to be up top? Did I get spare batteries? Radio? Snacks, drinks, coat, sunscreen?” Bell listed off. “Earlier this year at Salem, IN, I forgot to take my hat during practice and got roasted; except for the wonderful white stripe across the top of my head from the radio. That looked great the next week at work!”

    Part of that preparation better include going to the bathroom.

    “You better go before the race starts, because you are up there for 4 hours plus,” Ryan said. “You don’t go to the bathroom during a race. People can be killed because you’ve gone to the bathroom.”

    Though Bell adds that travel isn’t the easiest thing, either.

    “Travel is tough as well,” he said. “ARCA is very much a blue collar series. The majority of us don’t work in racing as a primary job. Living in Georgia adds a little to the commute since I’m not able to travel with the team, based in Mooresville NC.”

    For Rocky Ryan, he says there are many difficult parts to the job.

    “There isn’t one part that is more difficult than others,” Ryan said. “Understanding exactly what your role is can be difficult. You want to win every race, yet your primary functions is to be a safety factor. Do you do whatever it takes to win, or do you use your best judgment, and remember that your driver, and his family depend on YOU to bring him home safely?

    “It’s difficult to stand on the roof for sometimes as long as 5 hours without a break, it’s difficult to see almost two miles across the track at a superspeedway. It’s difficult to carry enough equipment with you, to ensure that you have enough replacements, should something happen.

    “It’s difficult to watch your car become involved in an accident, then to have to radio him to make sure he’s ok, then begin to describe the damage to the crew so that they can be ready to work on it when in gets back to the garage. But, the hardest part of the job should ALLWAYS be, that your drivers safety depends on YOU. Very bad things can, and have happened on the race track. The spotter is responsible for doing everything he/she can to protect their driver. Understanding that you can’t make a mistake, or people can be killed. That’s the hardest part of the job.”

    For the spotters, they seem to always receive the criticism when a wreck happens in getting blamed for it or for not giving their driver the correct information to help them win.

    “My attitude regarding that is pretty much the same as with anything I hear TV racing commentators say,” Bell said. “Until you have done what I do, who are you to critique my decisions and actions/reactions? If you are overly sensitive to other’s opinions of your calls, you won’t last long. Every person, whether fan, commentator, or competitor is entitled to their opinion, but unless you are my driver or crew chief—you’ll just get shrug from me.”

    For Mike Calinoff, who spotters for Matt Kenseth, he says he values the criticism by who it comes from.

    “It really depends who’s saying it,” Calinoff said. “If it’s coming from a driver then I think it’s usually valid. If it comes from a crew member who can only see the frontstrech or the media, I give the criticism less value.”

    With a spotter, they also have to learn to spot on a different variety of different types of tracks, from road courses to short tracks to the restrictor plate tracks. In the course of spotting on a variety of tracks, it can cause a variety of likes and dislikes.

    “Best track as far as the easiest for me is Martinsville, because it’s just a simple oval,” Chris Lambert, spotter for Brian Vickers, said. “The speeds are really low and it’s just a small, simple track.”

    Rocky Ryan says the list varies depending on the spotter and what they like.

    “Each spotter has their favorites and the ones that they prefer to miss,” Ryan said. “Personally, Bristol, Atlanta, Martinsville and Infineon are my favorites. And Phoenix, Indianapolis, Talladega and Watkins Glen are my least favorites. Sightlines, facilities and overall accommodations are a plus at the favorite tracks.

    “As far as the least, Phoenix is the worst oval track to spot from, because they don’t put the spotters on the front stretch, we are located in turn one. We can see the entrance to pit road, we can’t see the bottom of turns three and four, and the cars are coming straight at you, so it is very difficult to clear them on the front stretch. Indy is tough, because it’s the only track we go to, that places the spotters inside the track and not outside of the track. So we are constantly turning to follow the race. Talladega is Talladega, you work so hard, harder than anywhere else, and can ruin a good day by someone else’s mistake. Watkins Glen is very tough because as a road course, we can not see all of the track. It’s takes 3 spotters per team to cover Watkins Glen, and if you put that many people on a radio, it is very difficult to relay information.”

    If you’re looking to be a spotter, Bell says that you need to have empathy.

    “I’d say empathy is a good start,” he said. “You really need to try to understand and feel what your driver is experiencing in that car. The spotter is the calming voice when circumstances aren’t great. You also may have to be a calming influence when things are going really great!”

    Bell also says to get out there and get involved.

    “Go to your local racetrack, get your behind down in the pits after the races, and meet the people down there,” he said. “I guarantee before long you will meet someone who would love to have your help—whatever help you can provide. Find what you’re good at and what you love and pursue it.

    “Getting to the top of our sport is no easier, quicker, or less demanding than in football, baseball, or golf. Just as NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are some of the best racing drivers in the world, their mechanics, pit crews, fabricators, and spotters are that good in their respective positions. I never pass up an opportunity to spot a race. Besides ARCA, this year I have worked for a team in the Pro Cup series, I have worked for Kimmel’s son and nephew, and when schedules permit I still love to follow my nephew to the track and spot for him. Every bit of practice I can get! Whenever the opportunity presents, I will unashamedly scan the Cup guys to learn their styles, timing, phrasings, anything I can try to adapt to improve my game. My goal is to rise as far in the sport as opportunity and ability allow me. God has given me a fantastic opportunity!”

    Lambert says you also have to be a good multi-tasker.

    “To be a good spotter you have to be able to multitask,” Lambert said. “You have to be 100% focused for about 3 1/2 — four hours a race and help your driver in every way that you can, give him any advantage that you can. During any given race I may wear many different hats. I’m a punching bag when he wants to vent, a cheerleader when he needs to be pumped up, a psychologist when he needs to be calmed down. We all go through several different emotions throughout a race and we have to be that calming voice no matter what is going on, we have to stay positive and keep everyone else’s heads up and digging.”

  • Joe Denette Parlays A Dollar and A Dream Into His Own Race Team

    Joe Denette Parlays A Dollar and A Dream Into His Own Race Team

    Every NASCAR fan dreams of winning the lottery and starting his or her own race team.  NASCAR fan Joe Denette did just that, parlaying his dollar and his dream into his own race team after winning the Mega Millions Lottery.

    [media-credit name=”Joe Denette Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”210″][/media-credit]The Fredericksburg, Virginia native had been a bit down on his luck prior to picking the winning ticket.  In fact, Denette was unemployed.

    “I was a construction worker up until January of 2009 and then I got laid off,” Denette said.  “In May of 2009, I hit the lottery and I’m still laid off.”

    “I just played the lottery like I usually do and woke up one morning in May and found that I had won,” Denette said.  “Needless to say I went from there to the race track.”

    At the race track, in fact at Richmond International Raceway, Denette met Hermie Sadler, NASCAR driver and SPEED TV personality.  Denette and Sadler clicked during a ride around the track in celebration of his lottery win and the partnership was formed.

    “During the check presentation for the lottery, he (Sadler) drove me around the track and that’s how I got with him,” Denette said.  “We became friends then and we’re still real good friends.”

    “One thing led to another and we started talking about starting our team,” Denette said.  “And that’s what we did.”

    Denette decided to focus on the truck series because of his affinity for the race vehicles.

    “I love trucks to start with,” Denette said.  “I drive a truck myself so I’m a little partial to trucks.  I’ve always loved racing and this will be the best start.”

    After claiming his winnings of over $70 million, Denette decided to first work with his new NASCAR mentor Sadler to field a truck at the Bristol race in 2009, with Sadler behind the wheel.  Denette continued to support Sadler in various runs throughout 2010 before deciding to launch his own team for 2011.

    This year, Denette will launch his new Camping World Truck team, Joe Denette Motorsports.  The new owner plans to participate in the season opening truck race at Daytona and will run the entire 2011 schedule.

    “To start with, we plan on winning races and winning the championship,” Denette said confidently.  “Jason White will be driving our No. 23 truck and GunBroker.com is our primary sponsor.”

    “We are running all 24 races and we will make them and contend for a championship.”

    Denette is most confident in his new team, as well as his driver, citing White’s experience, as well as his pole run at Daytona last year.  “I think he can do it again this year,” Denette said.

    White will be paired with crew chief Chad Kendrick, fresh off his stint with Germain Racing, where he worked with drivers such as Max Papis, Stacey Compton, Narain Karthikeyan, and Timothy Peters.  The 31 year old driver, competing in his  fourth year in the series, echoed the confidence of his new owner as well.

    “I feel like I am finally somewhere that I can grow, be competitive and race for wins,” White said.  “With this team and my sponsor behind me, I feel like we will be not only win races but contend for the championship.”

    Denette is sparing no expense in his racing endeavor.  Under the tutelage of Sadler, he has purchased top notch equipment, as well as forming an alliance with Kevin Harvick Inc.

    “We’re renting a place to house all of our trucks from KHI,” Denette said.  “Kevin Harvick is also doing all of our chassis and bodies and we basically have an alliance so we get our research and development from him.”

    Although Denette is trying to be as involved as he can in all aspects of his new truck team, he is primarily focusing on the business side of the operations.

    “But as many chances as I can get to go to the shop, I take,” Denette said.  “And as many times as I can get to the track, I will go.”

    Denette clarified, however, that he might not be able to make the trip himself for the first race of the season at Daytona.

    “My wife’s expecting a baby, due the following week and we’re not sure if he’s going to wait until then,” Denette said with a chuckle.  This will their first child and he realizes that, although he is now a NASCAR team owner, he has little control of when his son decides to enter the world.

    “When he’s ready, he’s ready,” Denette said.

    Although Denette is experiencing many new transitions in his life, from husband to father and from unemployed to NASCAR truck team owner, he still primarily defines himself as a race fan.

    “I’ve been a NASCAR fan my entire life,” Denette said.  “Now rather than sitting in the stands just watching the race, I’m a part of it.  I’ll be in the pits and a part of all the action.”

    “A lot of times, I do want to pinch myself,” Denette continued.  “And I think, I hope I don’t wake up from this dream.”

  • D.J. Kennington Shows Talent at Irwindale in NASCAR All-Star Showdown

    D.J. Kennington Shows Talent at Irwindale in NASCAR All-Star Showdown

    The past few years, auto racing talent has been blossoming out of Canada with a variety of drivers. Steve Arpin and J.R. Fitzpatrick are two to name a few, though another one is D.J. Kennington.

    [media-credit name=”Sal Sigala Jr.” align=”alignleft” width=”200″][/media-credit]Kennington, the 2010 Canadian Tire Series Champion, got his start as a teenager racing at Delaware Speedway. From there, he moved up to the CASCAR Series in 2001, which changed to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2007. Since then, Kennington has been racing at the highest form of motorsports in Canada.

    From 2001 to 2009, he acquired 11 wins, 60 top fives, 82 top 10s and a best year end points ranking of second in 2002 and 2007.

    In 2010, he planned to breakthrough and win his first championship. He fought all year alongside J.R. Fitzpatrick, fighting hard at each and every race. Throughout the season, he got five wins – Delaware, St. Eustache, Saskatoon, Barrie, Antigonish – and finished in the top 10 in 85% of the races.

    In the final race at Kawartha, the St. Thomas, Ontario native finished third taking the championship, 87 points over Fitzpatrick.

    “NASCAR has been really good to us,” Kennington said. “Really happy to get that off my back. Amazing year – five wins is awesome; hopefully this year we can top it. The 2010 season is behind us; time for 2011. Hopefully have as much success.”

    One of the things that Kennington took from the season to carry forward is confidence.

    “Confidence is a lot in this racing business and my team has a lot of confidence,” he said. “I think confidence goes a long way in making for another championship.”

    With the championship, Kennington was invited to Irwindale Speedway to run the Toyota All-Star Showdown, along with 39 other top drivers from the K&N Pro East Series, K&N Pro West Series and NASCAR Mexico Series.

    In the first practice, he was 15th, while he was 21st in the second practice.

    “Excited and good in practice,” he said after the first practice. “Never seen this track before and never sat in this car. We are top 14 and I think the 17 car will be good. The track is tough to get used to.”

    In qualifying, he qualified 15th, two-tenths off of the pole, set to go.D.J. Kennington at Irwindale Speedway

    Once the race started, he held his own as he ran consistent laps, steadily moving up to the top 10, avoiding trouble. When it came down to the final sprint to the finish, he had put himself into position to go after the win after some of the other leaders had fallen victim to problems. He took a late charge at leader Jason Bowles in the final nine lap sprint, though fell short and finished second. Still, Kennington was excited about his performance and the show he had put on considering expectations coming in.

    “Absolutely, really really proud of everybody on this race team,” Kennington told SpeedTV viewers afterwards. “All my guys are here – it’s so amazing. I watched this race last year on my couch, its great to be here.”

    The second place finish marks a good start to the 2011 season, which promises to be promising. Kennington looks to go out and defend his championship, well forming a partnership with Jason White.

    “I’m excited to work with White,” he said. “He has been a friend for a long time and I think we can help each other. Having teammates really helps.”

    Jason White, a native of Sun Peaks, British Columbia, comes onboard after a year of struggle from the mechanical standpoint while being a single-car team owner. The partnership brings forth horsepower and technical support from DJK Racing engine builder Doug Kennington and DJK Racing.

    “After last season we took a look at our program and realized we needed to make some changes to take the next step up,” White explained in a press release. “I talked to a lot of people and different teams and knew that aligning Jason White Racing with DJK Racing was the right move. DJ and Doug Kennington will provide us with plenty of horsepower, the cars will be race ready, and you couldn’t find a more professional group to work with.”

    White has also formed a partnership with Kawartha Speedway Group, acquiring the likes of Derek Lynch, Kawartha Speedway track owner and former Canadian Tire Series competitor, as his crew chief.

    “I could not be more keyed up about this season,” White said. “Having somebody as bright as Derek managing the operation and working as Crew chief on race day is fantastic. He brings a lot of knowledge to the job and I know he’ll make me a better driver.”

    “I’m looking forward to working with Jason,” Lynch said. “Our involvement will take the strain of logistics off his plate, provide him with great race cars and allow him to focus on driving. It’s also a privilege to be associated with a great company like A&W.”

    To find out more about DJK Racing, check out their website at , follow them on twitter or find them on facebook.  

    Special Thanks to Sal Sigala Jr. for the pictures and quotes

  • Alli Owens To Make NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Debut, Thanks to Fans

    Alli Owens To Make NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Debut, Thanks to Fans

    Everything was set for Alli Owens going into the 2011 season. She had plans set in stone to run eight Nationwide races and four ARCA races.

    [media-credit name=”alliowens.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]However, everything fell apart on November 28th, as her current sponsors told her that they wouldn’t be backing her come the new season. It left Owens stuck looking for sponsors, which comes as a tough task late in the game. 

    “You take that time from November to February, and that’s normally when people know what they’re doing for 2011,” Owens told me. “You know, any money that was out there had already been claimed. Sponsorships had been set and budgets were determined, and I was really behind the ball.”

    The Daytona Beach native admits that she had her doubts about if she was going to continue racing, but credits her fans for getting things back on track. 

    “I went through a really hard time,” she said. “I was very emotionally challenged and pick up my whole search of getting back in a car. I really kind of lost in my life at that point, like I don’t know what to do or where to go. Am I going to be in a racecar or do I need to just suck it up and get a normal job and live a normal life and be thankful for the time I had in a racecar?

    “But it was my fans and friends and my family telling me to get up off my butt and make it happen,” she continued. “You know, I’d come too far as a blue-collar, middle-class person and got too far to live, really, an American dream that much of us get told as children that we can live. But you know as you get older, you realize those dreams are full and in between of really coming true. It was really the fans that said, ‘You know what? Do something about it and we really want to help you.’”

    Owens took charge of the campaign and started up a PayPal account on her website for fans to make donations. Within five minutes, she already had $300 donated from her fans.

    “You know, it’s small donations like $25, $20, $50 and stuff like that and we’ve been able to move forward from that,” Owens said. “Now we’re in the thousands of dollars and getting closer to be able to go racing strictly on fans and friends’ support. That is…it is just amazing. There is no words for it.”

    She left the doors wide open on this, completely keeping her fans updated via Twitter and Facebook on the progress.

    “In my press release today, I put a dollar figure in the press release, and everybody in NASCAR will tell you that you don’t put the money out there in public and you don’t put a dollar figure out there,” she said. “But at this point in my career, I have nothing to hide. If people want to know how much I need, I want to tell them and I want to tell them exactly how much I have, who is giving it to me and where it is going.”

    The dollar figure that Owens set to reach was $35,000 and as of January 25th of 2011, Owens has reached the minimum amount necessary and is now set to make her debut come Daytona in February driving for Ray Hackett Racing.

    “It’s amazing that in such a short period of time everything has come together like it has,” Owens said in her press release. “I went to Twitter and Facebook and put the word out there that we needed help. Almost immediately we had people jumping on board. It’s been humbling, and I’m so truly grateful for the businesses and fans who have helped me.

    “I’m really honored to race for the city of Daytona Beach, the local IBEW and NECA chapters, Mullinax Ford and my family in the area,” Owens said. “Growing up, the Daytona International Speedway meant everything to me. It still does, and I’m ready to make a successful NASCAR debut there. It’s going to be a special day.”

    For the past three years, Owens has been racing in the ARCA Racing Series.

    “If I could do it all over again, I probably would have done more research,” she told me of that experience. “I was really excited to get into the ARCA Series and I really didn’t do much research. Wish I would’ve utilized my knowledge of the marketing and strategic side of the sport and got to where I was able to grow and in three years, instead of bouncing to different teams each side.

    “But looking back on that experience I got from the driver’s seat, I wouldn’t change it for the world,” she continued. “I mean, it’s not every day that you get to say one of your states is outside pole of Daytona Speedway. That right there was a huge marker. 

    “Then going through my knee surgery when I injured it on a motorcycle in 2008 and then getting back in a racecar four weeks later was a big step in respect that I couldn’t change or ask for anything different.

    “I wish 2010 I would have done things a little differently and went somewhere I was able to run more races and have a little bit more of direction,” Owens continued. “I can’t change what I did then, but overall it was an awesome experience and something I wouldn’t change.”

    Owens adds that both on track and off the track she learned a lot of lessons that she will carry forward with her.

    “On the track, I think I learned a lot about the tracks,” she said. “I really focused on really understanding the tracks and how you need to drive and the pattern and the ware of the racecars and tire management and setup and things like that. I really honed in my skills on being able to communicate with my crew chief and spotter and really understanding what the racecar needs and how to improve it on the long road. You know, pit stops—different techniques like that.

    “I really wanted to sharpen my skills as a driver and my ability as a driver with knowledge, not so much with going out there and trying to win every race, but understanding the whole concept of that race weekend and analyzing everything I learned.

    “Off the track, I learned a lot about trust,” she continued. “You got to look out for yourself. You know, motorsports is full of broken promises. I think that moving forward has made me have a strong guard on who I work with in what I do, who I interact with, who I share things with, who I help out and who I stay away from.”

    She first started her journey of competitive racing on two wheels when she was eight years old, training to go to the Olympics on behalf of the United States. Though when she was 12 years old, she traded all that in for a quarter midget and started racing on the dirt tracks. From there, she moved over to asphalt at the age of 15, working her way up the ladder until she moved to the ARCA Series in 2008.

    Now Owens is looking to make the next big jump to the NASCAR ranks and make her first NASCAR start at her home track.

    “Now, to be able to go there and run and know how I got there and how much effort was put in, it’s truly probably worth more to me than winning the Daytona 500,” she said. “I mean, any corporate America company can put their name on the side of the car and stick a driver in there and go run the race. The driver will say the track is this, the track is that.

    “But knowing where I come from as a person and knowing that my personal bills are 

    sometimes late and I sometimes don’t have any money to pay for them or got to make sure my bank account isn’t over-drafting ‘cause I had to pay my power bill and really just getting by with,” she continued. “I get to go race Daytona because of people of myself, that is going to be an experience of a lifetime and I am going to take each and every moment of that time on the track at Daytona as a treasured memory as it may not happen, and I realize that now.

    “I realize that I did lose my racing career for a split second before my fans told me to get up off my butt and that no, they’re not going to let that happen. To be able to go to Daytona, it’s going to be something that everybody cherishes ‘cause I know I will.”

    Making her move through the ranks has been a challenge, as she has had to face the female stereotype that sex sells.

    “You know, the way I was brought up, I was brought up on the dirt tracks where you’re one of the guys and it’s built on respect on the track, not media value off the track,” Owens said. “And I know it’s going to come back to Danica (Patrick) ‘cause it always does, but I don’t knock her as a person, she’s a really great person, but the stereotypes that NASCAR and all the media outlets have created around her is all based on sex appeal.

    “I don’t know about you, but when it comes to an organization symbolizing empowerment of woman to be half-naked and driven on sex appeal instead of on success and determination, it puts me off a little bit.

    “The thing that really bothers me is when I look at all these local girls from the age of 16 all the way into their 20s and look at their media kit, all of them have glamour photo shoots,” she continued. “I meant, this one girl has a picture of her in a fire suit without a bra on and it’s like, ‘When did that become what the sport is?’ I don’t see the guys in their boxers in whatever magazine.

    “It kind of surprises me that NASCAR and the sport went that direction, but it works for Danica—it works for her. That’s what she is, but it’s unfortunate that there are other women out there that want to drive that don’t want to do that, and they don’t want to market people who are not willing to do the sex appeal thing. I am going to stand true to that.”

    She got faced with the image in 2009 when sponsors approached her.

    “I am going to say 2009 was my biggest year media wise,” she said. “I had a lot of potential sponsors that were wanting to do some big deals with me but wanted to do ‘bikini ready’ and deals like that and I’m like, ‘No way. I’m a racecar driver; I’m not a model. If I wanted to be a movie star, I would have gone to Hollywood. I wouldn’t be in North Carolina trying to make a racing career’.

    “I mean, that’s my opinion—I think now corporate America and people in the general public are looking at females in motorsports as sex symbols, and I don’t think that’s the right avenue.”

    Owens reflects back to her reasons for getting in the sport.

    “The reason I got into racing was because of people like the Dale Earnhardts, the Cale Yarboroughs, people like that,” she said. “People who loaded up on flatbeds, trucks to go racing are the people that I idolize. I would say anywhere in the era of the ’80s, it’s just the era not a single person, but that is what really fuels my fire to go racing.”

    Through her racing career, she has learned lessons from her own experience, but also from other drivers.

    “When it comes to like learning from a certain driver and things like that, you know, it’s a combination of everybody,” she said. “You know, Jimmie Johnson and that whole team is kind of like a role model. Then you got Kyle Busch—can’t knock the kid, even though I am not a huge fan of his—he can really drive a racecar. As a driver, you look for those things. You look for how drivers fold under pressure if they have a problem in the pits, you look if they prevail and you look at how they handle situations.

    “A.J. Allmendinger is one of my really great friends, and I think he is a great model, as far as like going through a life situation and getting yourself out of a hole and getting yourself back in the game he’s done,” she continued. “I could sit here and tell you a whole story of people I look up to, but I think it’s a combination of people.”

    Through what she has learned, she advises that you be 100 percent committed before entering the sport.

    “My advice is that make sure you love the sport 100 percent,” she said. “There’s one day of doubt, just turn away and do something else. You’ve got be 110 percent committed to this day in, day out, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or it goes away. You got to be on your game; you got to be living ahead of the year it already is. I mean, it’s 2011 now—if you’re not thinking of 2012, you’ve failed and it is so quick for drivers to come and go, that they need to stay true to themselves, their brain and what they’re working for.

    “Every single day, there are not enough hours in the day for a driver to succeed, and I think a lot of people don’t do that,” Owens continued. “They think it should be handed to them or it never should go away or things like that. Reality has hit me in the face, and if I wasn’t 100 percent dedicated to this, I probably would’ve walked away in November and done something different. I mean, it’s not a fun sport. The funnest time in this sport is being on the race track for those couple of hours. Other than that, it’s a road of emotional, physical abuse.”

    Owens has reached the minimum amount to do this, however is still looking for more donations to make the effort easier and run more races in the future.

    If you want to help Alli Owens with her dream, go her website ) and click the PayPal button on the right-hand side to make a donation.

    To learn more about her, check out her website, her Facebook page or follow her on  Twitter.

  • Trevor Bayne – The Best of Both Worlds

    Trevor Bayne – The Best of Both Worlds

    Trevor Bayne has a knack for turning adversity into opportunity.

    Lack of sponsorship led to an abrupt release from Diamond Waltrip Racing in September of 2010. But just as quickly, Bayne found a new home with Roush Fenway Racing and his future has never looked brighter.

    On Friday, January 20th, Wood Brothers Racing announced that Trevor Bayne will drive the legendary No. 21 car during the 2011 season for a limited number of races in the Sprint Cup series.  He’s currently scheduled to run the first five Cup races of the season and then selected races during the remainder of the season. The goal is at least 17 starts with the possibility of more.

    [media-credit id=9 align=”alignleft” width=”100″][/media-credit]
    C)NASCAR
    I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Bayne a few times over the last couple of years and there are certain things I’ve come to expect. He’s always well-spoken and passionate; the perfect interview subject.

    But this time was a little different.

    This was Trevor Bayne in overdrive and the joy in his voice was unmistakable.

    “I couldn’t be more excited about this,” he told me. “I’ve had to keep it bottled up for the last month or so while we’ve been working on it. I’ve been really pumped up and now I finally get to let it all out.

    “I ran my first Cup race with them and now I’m going to get to continue with them this year. I think its awesome news.”

    “They’re one of the longest standing NASCAR teams and then here I am, their youngest driver ever, so you get a little bit of both worlds.”

    We talked about his first full season in the Nationwide Series and the experiences he’ll take with him as he begins the next stage in his career.

    “I learned you have to be consistent. It doesn’t matter if you win every race or finish fifth or tenth. You have to be around at the end of every race. There’s no way you’re going to win a championship if you put your car in situations it shouldn’t be in.”

    Another thing that sets Bayne apart from other young drivers is his ability to learn from not only the good, but the bad experiences, as well.

    His unanticipated release from Diamond Waltrip Racing taught him a valuable lesson.

    “Every time it seems like things are falling apart, another door opens and that’s the way it happened for me. I’m really fortunate to have these kinds of opportunities. It would be easy to point fingers or be upset about things and sometimes I feel like that. But for the most part, I try to look for that next opportunity and keep moving forward.”

    Bayne is thrilled to be part of the Roush Fenway Racing team and his new alliance with Wood Brothers Racing is the icing on the cake.

    His enthusiasm is infectious as he talks about his latest opportunity with the legendary team.

    “You can go into their shop and almost see a piece of every bit of NASCAR since it started. It’s really cool to see that within one team. They’ve been around for everything and you can’t buy that kind of experience.”

    While Bayne has been testing the No. 21 car, he’s spent his down time soaking up the atmosphere and listening to tales of the “good old days.”

    “Since we’ve been down here in Daytona they’ve been telling me stories about what people used to do, just all kinds of crazy things that no one would even think about doing now or they’d be in NASCAR jail,” he joked. “It’s been really cool to hear the history.”

    Bayne isn’t worried that he might be over-extending himself by running in both the Nationwide and Cup series. Instead he looks at it as opportunity for growth.

    “I’m 19 years old, I’ve got all the energy in the world and I need to use it and get as much experience as I can. Obviously this is a much higher tension, more pressure situation than I’ve had in the past but I think it’s going to help me grow a lot faster, being in the seat that much.”

    I asked Bayne about his plans for the future but for right now he’s happy living his dream and savoring each moment.

    “I’m going to take things one step at a time. No matter how far you plan ahead, no matter how long a contract you have, no matter what anyone says, everything can change in the matter of a month or a week.  I’ve learned to make the most of what I have while I have it. I think if we do that other opportunities will come and we’ll take those when they get here.”

    Trevor Bayne is bursting with energy and loving every minute of his life. Add talent and determination to the equation and you have a recipe for success.

    As we ended the interview, something Bayne said, struck a chord.

    “When you look around the shop you can just tell there are a lot more stories to be written.”

    I can’t help but picture future generations of drivers listening to stories of Trevor Bayne and how he wrote a new chapter in the legacy of Wood Brothers Racing.

  • Travis Pastrana Practice’s at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in Preparation for the All-Star Showdown

    Travis Pastrana Practice’s at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in Preparation for the All-Star Showdown

    When the announcement was made that 11-time X Games gold medalist and four-time Rally Car national champion Travis Pastrana would be coming to NASCAR in 2011, the news came as a breath of fresh air during a time when attendance was down and the biggest decline was found between the ages of 18-34. NASCAR had already lured Metal Mulisha star Brian Deegan, who competed in the NASCAR Whelan series driving a Bob Newberry NTS Motorsports prepared super late model.

    [media-credit name=”Sal Sigala Jr.” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]Deegan competed in three races on Toyota Speedway at Irwindale’s half mile in 2010 with a best finish of 10th. Team owner Bob Newberry said that, “NASCAR will be energized by both new fans and new sponsors that Deegan and Metal Mulisha (Deegan Motocross team, clothing and product line) will attract.”

    Attract, is the direction that NASCAR is taking by bringing both Deegan and Pastrana, along with AMA Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael into the sport in hopes of attracting the younger extreme motorsports fans.

    Carmichael competed in the 2009 Toyota All-Star Showdown, which is dubbed the “Daytona 500 of short track racing,” finishing 34th after starting 28th on the grid because of an accident on lap 142. Pastrana took a different approach then what Deegan and Carmichael did, by teaming up with NASCAR’s Michael Waltrip to form Pastrana-Waltrip racing.

    Pastrana, talked about the opportunity to team up with Waltrip during his recent practice session, in preparation for his first official NASCAR start in next weekend’s All-Star Showdown. “I’ve looked up to Michael a lot. His whole business philosophy is like mine,” said Pastrana who took his first practice laps in a Waltrip Racing prepared K&N Pro Series Toyota Camry.

    Pastrana also added that, “We are in it for the long haul I realize its gonna be a long and tough road. We need to figure out what we need to work on and where we are as the season progresses.”

    Pastrana finished with, “The 2011 season get my feet wet see where we need to go and make the best of it. The team is looking at long term goals. We have the right people in place for us to get the first race in to see where we sit and make a game plan.” Waltrip was not at the track for the practice session, but will be at the race serving as the Grand Marshal for the eighth running of this prestigious event.

    The anticipation of getting the chance to race in the NASCAR series is in its final stages for the sports newest up and coming star, with Pastrana ready to take on the challenge of racing against some of the series best short track racers. Last season’s K&N Pro West Series champion Eric Holmes said that, “Irwindale is a tough track to learn on, but Travis has some good people behind him that are teaching him.”

    Pastrana was able to keep the car off the wall, and going in straight line during his first few laps on a somewhat cold night, which will probably be the same weather conditions the area will see for the feature event.

    “It felt okay a lot flatter course then the other tracks I’ve tested at. I just want to get out there and start driving. The team put me with the best crew everything is in place for me to do well.” said Pastrana after coming in to make some adjustments on the car.

    Pastrana also added that, “This is gonna take a lot of time. I look forward to it I can’t tell you what it’s like because I never done it. Bottom line we have high expectations but we need results first.”

    The all wheel drive Rally Car that Pastrana drove last year, may help his transition into the NASCAR series when he said, “The more sideways you get the more gas you give it, and with this car the more sideways you get you give it less throttle. The looser it gets the better I feel I should do better because in rally the cars loose.”

    Pastrana’s first start will not come easy since he will first have to qualify his No.99 Toyota Camry, against more experienced drivers who are still looking to keep their rides for the 2011 season.

    “Qualify and then don’t crash. Get as much time as possible in the car to see where our foundation our base place is gonna be, “said Pastrana when talking about next weekend’s outlook.

    Pastrana is scheduled to possibly compete in seven Nationwide races, along with some K&N Pro Series East and West races with the showdown being the first, and a target date sometime in August for the NNS.

    “After the showdown get back and regroup and think about what we need to do are gonna do. We will do the NNS series midway through the season and get as many K&N East and West series race in. August is a possible target date for the NNS,” said Pastrana when talking about his long range goals.

    The All-Star showdown is non-points event which is the premier event of the season, since both the K&N Pro Series East and West drivers are invited to participate. “Year in and year out, the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown has provided some of the best racing action of the season,” said Bob DeFazio, Toyota Speedway at Irwindale track operator.

    DeFazio finished with, “Last year’s sell-out crowd at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale witnessed a race they will be talking about for years, and we are honored to once again host the pinnacle of short-track racing in NASCAR.

    “Toyota Speedway’s graduated banking and multiple racing grooves are a perfect place to showcase this tremendous pool of talent in NASCAR. This event is a perfect way to give race fans a final send-off to the 2010 racing season and whet their appetite for more exciting racing in 2011.”