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  • NORTHEASTERN SUPPLY COMPANY RETURNS FOR 18TH NASCAR SEASON

    NORTHEASTERN SUPPLY COMPANY RETURNS FOR 18TH NASCAR SEASON; STAYS WITH JASON LEFFLER/TURNER MOTORSPORTS FOR 2011 TITLE RUN

    BALTIMORE, MD – One of NASCAR’s longest standing sponsors, the Northeastern Supply Company, will return to Nationwide Series support for the 18th consecutive year in 2011 when it returns to Turner Motorsports, driver Jason Leffler and the #38 Great Clips Chevrolet.  

    The highly successful regional distributor of plumbing, heating, HVAC, water systems and hardware products will again provide associate sponsorship to a NASCAR team that began way back in 1994 in the Busch Grand National Series.  

    2011 will mark the company’s fourth straight season with Turner Motorsports, previously Braun Racing, and in support of Leffler and his Great Clips race team. In each of the first three seasons, Leffler has finished well up in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point’s standing and has been a fixture in the lead pack of cars in many races.  

    “Our customers and employees have grown quite fond of Jason (Leffler) and the crew members and officials for what is now Turner Motorsports, and we are excited about what the 2011 season may offer. We know that Jason is one heck of a competitor and is about ready to break through with multiple victories and to seriously challenge for a Series championship. We wanted to be there with him and the Great Clips team when that all happens,” said Steve Cook, Northeastern Supply Company president and CEO.  

    Having supported professional contractors, builders and architects with a wide range of products and services for decades, the Northeastern Supply Company has used its NASCAR involvement to aid its solid growth. The company boasted just six branches in two states when its NASCAR programming first started and today has 32 sales outlets in five Middle Atlantic States ( Maryland , Delaware , Virginia , West Virginia and Pennsylvania ).  

    “Our racing program has always focused on our customers and it has proven to be quite successful for us,” Cook explained. “We have always operated with the understanding that once the support of our NASCAR sponsorship has within our customer base and our vendors began to wane that we would get out and spend our marketing dollars elsewhere.

    “The hard fact, however, is that interest with our racing activity continues to grow and is stronger than ever, and we have to thank our numerous vendors and the many fine race teams and drivers that we have sponsored over the years for understanding our objectives and for working with us to help us achieve them. We are really looking forward to working with Steve Turner and his organization in 2011 and in helping Jason (Leffler) achieve his goals of winning races and challenging for a championship,” Cook added.  

    The Northeastern Supply Company logo has adorned Busch Grand National and Nationwide Series race cars driven over the years by such Series’ notables as Jason Keller, Mike and Kenny Wallace, Brian Scott, Kyle Busch, Phil Parsons, Hank Parker, Jr., Kevin Lepage, Sterling Marlin and Tim Fedewa.

  • Kyle Busch Becomes Poster Boy For ‘Have At It Boys’ With Display of Emotion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race with Denny Hamlin

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

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

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

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

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

    Nationwide Series Food City 250 Bristol Race with Brad Keselowski

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

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

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

    Busch won the race while Keselowski ended up 14th.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Complete Texas Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Busch released the following statement following the announcement…

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

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

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

     

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

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

  • JIMMY ELLEDGE TO LEAD ALLGAIER’S NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES EFFORTS FOR TURNER MOTORSPORTS IN 2011

    MOORESVILLE, NC (January 5, 2011) – Turner Motorsports is pleased to announce that veteran crew chief, Jimmy Elledge, has joined the team to lead the efforts of the No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet to be piloted by series standout, Justin Allgaier.

    Bringing with him a wealth of experience, Elledge has been a part of several championship-winning organizations and has worked with an impressive mix of veteran and rookie drivers over the years including Turner Motorsports driver, Reed Sorenson, as well as Juan Pablo Montoya, Casey Mears, AJ Allmendinger, Bobby Hamilton and Dale Jarrett. He has one Sprint Cup Series win to his credit, leading Hamilton to his final victory at Talladega in 2001.

    About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its inaugural full season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas-native, Steve Turner, the racing organization is expanding in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C., and will house three entries in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher and Brad Sweet. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, who will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, Kevin Harvick Inc. for body and aero support, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners includes Dollar General, Great Clips, Monster Energy, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Rexall, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF Freight, Bigspot.com, Northeastern Supply, Deft Paint, SEM and Safety-Kleen. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.teamturnermotorsports.com .

  • STEVE WALLACE TO COMPETE IN TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN

    –Top-Ten Nationwide Series Pilot Returning to Short Track Roots in Premiere Event–

    MOORESVILLE, NC (January 3, 2011)–Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) announced today that Steve Wallace–the top-ten ranked driver of RWR’s No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series–will compete in January’s Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

    Wallace will pilot RWR’s No. 66 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Camry in the live-televised, Los Angeles-area event. The most prestigious race on NASCAR’s developmental series calendar, the Toyota All-Star Showdown will likely include the season champions from all seven of NASCAR’s regional ladder series.

    Joining Wallace in RWR-prepared equipment at Irwindale is Gaunt Brothers Racing and driver Jason Bowles. The 2009 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champion already enjoys ties to RWR, working with the racing group at Oakley, RWR’s longest running sponsor. Additionally, his car owner, Marty Gaunt, is a co-owner of Triad Racing Technologies, RWR’s Nationwide Series engine supplier. Triad will be the engine provider for both cars at the Irwindale event.

    Said Steve Wallace, “I’m really excited about running the South Point Hotel & Casino Camry in the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway. It’s a race that we always watch during the off-season and is one that I’ve always thought would be a lot of fun to drive.

    “With the old-style Nationwide Series cars being eligible to run in the race, we already had the extra cars put together this year to do it. The two cars that we’re taking to Irwindale are two of my best Nationwide Series short track cars from last year. We had to change a few things around to meet the K&N Pro Series rules, but the cars themselves are pretty close, other than different engines and tires.

    “While we’re going to have fun out at Irwindale, we’re 100-percent going out there to win the race. The field will be a tough one for sure, though. Guys like Jason Bowles race in that series and have a lot of experience on those tracks–with those cars and those engines–so they’ll definitely be hard to beat. We also sold most of our old Nationwide cars to K&N teams that will likely run at Irwindale, so we’ll even be racing against our own equipment out there.

    “All in all though, I feel pretty good that we have as much of a shot as anyone else to bring home the trophy from Irwindale. It’d be pretty cool to put the South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Camry in victory lane after Toyota’s race at their own track.”

    # # #

    About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

    North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace-one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively. RWR entries have been among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

  • Who, What & Why to Watch NASCAR 2011

    Who, What & Why to Watch NASCAR 2011

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

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

    Camping World Truck Series:

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

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

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

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

    Nationwide Series:

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

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

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

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

    This leaves us with two big questions.

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

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

    Travis Pastrana:

    Travis Pastrana will make his NASCAR debut in 2011.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Trevor Bayne:

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

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

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

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

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

    Sprint Cup Series:

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

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

    Mark Martin:

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Jeff Gordon:

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

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

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

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

    Gordon looks at the change as another chance to succeed.

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

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

    Dale Earnhardt Jr:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Jimmie Johnson:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Denny Hamlin:

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

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

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

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

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

    NASCAR:

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

    Attendance and TV Ratings:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Thanks to Ford Racing for Trevor Bayne quotes.

  • ‘Have At It Boys’ Becomes a NASCAR Key Phrase in 2010 with Edwards and Keselowski

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • New Year Resolutions for Some of NASCAR’s Top Stars

    New Year Resolutions for Some of NASCAR’s Top Stars

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

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

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

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

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

    Here are a few that might not be bad ideas …

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

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

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

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

    Jimmie Johnson: To make a final decision

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

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

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

    Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Find a new vocabulary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Juan Pablo Montoya: Become the team leader

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Mark Martin: Not to pull a Brett Favre

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

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

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

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

    Kasey Kahne: Don’t walk out on his team

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

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

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

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

    Steve Wallace: Don’t be Steve Wallace

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Justin Allgaier: Embrace his “Little Gator” nickname

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

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

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

    Austin Dillon: Remain Austin Dillon

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

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

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

  • Joe Gibbs Racing 2011 Nationwide Series Lineup Raises Questions

    Joe Gibbs Racing 2011 Nationwide Series Lineup Raises Questions

    Joe Gibbs Racing made the announcement last month that they’d have three teams next year in the Nationwide Series.

    The first team will include Brian Scott running the No. 11 car full-time with crew chief Kevin Kidd.

    The second will include Adam Stevens, previously an engineer on the Cup side, as crew chief on the No. 20 with Joey Logano running the majority of the races. Denny Hamlin is also expected to run some of the races.

    The last team will include Jason Ratcliff with Kyle Busch driving the majority of the races as they try to defend their Owner’s Championship title.

    This all looks good on the surface, though it begs questions. Joe Gibbs Racing has drivers in development, including Brad Coleman and Matt DiBenedetto, so why not give them the chance behind the wheel full-time? Both have proved that they are talented and are worthy of being champions if given the equipment.

    Why let drivers like Busch, Logano and Hamlin compete in a series and win just to look good? All the fans know they are just winning due to competing against smaller teams and less talented drivers?

    By allowing DiBenedetto and Coleman full-time shots, you are allowing the talent pool to expand, which is why the Nationwide Series was built. It was built to give drivers a shot and get them ready for the Sprint Cup Series. Numerous drivers have come through that ladder and it has worked successfully. Why delete that system now and have drivers behind the wheel who have succeeded the ladder?

    It’s simple—Gibbs wants the publicity and knows the sponsors will pay the big bucks if he goes down this road.

    This is something you see with numerous of teams as you saw Penske Racing (Brad Keselowski) and Roush Racing (Carl Edwards) do it last year, just for a start. Though at least they stepped it up and put drivers full-time behind the wheel to give them a chance (Justin Allgaier and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), but they still add to the problem.

    Till somebody, like NASCAR, stands up and puts an end to this, you are going to see the problem grow and the series lose fans. NASCAR has spoken about getting back to their roots and it’s about time they start doing it by starting with the Nationwide Series.

  • DOUG RANDOLPH NAMED CREW CHIEF FOR STEVE WALLACE AND NO. 66 TEAM

    –Veteran Crew Chief to Lead 2011 Championship Charge for 5-Hour Energy Team–

    MOORESVILLE, NC (December 28, 2010)–Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) announced today that NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series veteran, Doug Randolph, has been named crew chief for driver Steve Wallace and RWR’s No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota, in their charge for the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship.

    Randolph joins RWR following stints as crew chief at such organizations as Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and Petty Enterprises. In his most recent Nationwide Series crew chief role, Randolph led Childress’s No. 29 team and driver Clint Bowyer to wins at Daytona and Dover in 2009.

    Said Randolph, “I’m really looking forward to working with Steve Wallace and the 5-Hour Energy team. Steve’s definitely been one of the most improved drivers over the last couple of years and has really developed into one of the best Nationwide Series guys out there. This team has a lot of potential too; I’m looking forward to continuing to build this program and hopefully being one of the contenders for the Nationwide Series Championship in 2011.”

    Noted RWR General Manager Larry Carter, “We’re very excited to add Doug Randolph to our organization. I’ve known Doug for a while and he’s a really talented guy. He brings a lot of valuable experience to our team, including a lot of experience with the Car of Tomorrow. We’re all looking forward to working with him.”

    # # #

    About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

    North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace-one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively. RWR entries have been among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

  • Todd Gordon Named Crew Chief for Penske Racing No. 22 NNS Team

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 27, 2010) – Penske Racing has announced that experienced crew chief Todd Gordon has been named as the crew chief for the defending NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) championship-winning No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge team for 2011.

    Gordon, who most recently served as race engineer for Diamond-Waltrip Racing in the Nationwide Series, will take over the team that earned Penske Racing’s first NASCAR championship last season with driver Brad Keselowski claiming six wins, five poles and a series single-season record 26 top-five finishes. Gordon will be paired with Keselowski as the No. 22 team will once again pursue the Nationwide Series title in 2011.

    “The chance to join Penske Racing and lead the championship-winning team with Brad next season is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Gordon. “The No. 22 Dodge team had a special year in 2010 and I’m looking forward to coming on board and hopefully building on that level of success as we move forward.”

    Gordon, who graduated from Clemson University with a mechanical engineering degree, has served as a crew chief several times throughout his 12-year career in racing. Prior to working with Diamond-Waltrip Racing, he was crew chief at Baker Curb Racing in the Nationwide Series and he also helped build the CJM Racing Nationwide Series program from the ground up, serving as both team manager and crew chief. This will also mark Gordon’s second stint as crew chief of the No. 22 NNS car as he actually led the “double deuce” team when it was part of PPC Racing in 2006.

    “We are excited to welcome Todd to Penske Racing,” said Michael Nelson, Vice President of Operations for Penske Racing. “With his strong engineering background and experience as a crew chief in the Nationwide Series, he will be a great addition to the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge team.”

    Paul Wolfe, who helped lead the No. 22 team to the NNS championship this season, was named recently as crew chief of Penske Racing’s No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2011, which created the opportunity for Gordon.

    Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 332 major race wins, 396 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit http://www.penskeracing.com/ www.penskeracing.com.