Category: XFINITY Series

In a typical Bristol beating and banging race, Kyle Busch grabbed his second win of the weekend in the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.  The race had an exciting 8 cautions for 48 laps with a spectacular incident with Kasey Kahne.

Elliot Sadler started on the pole but quickly relinquished the lead to Joey Logano on the very first lap. Logano fought off teammate Kyle Busch for the first 30 laps before giving way to the 18 car. Series points leader Brad Keselowski battled with the lead cars, finally getting past Busch for the lead on lap 58, following pits stops on the first caution of the race. But he would only hold the lead for 4 laps before Busch edged past him on lap 62.

On lap 82, Justin Allgaier got together with Trevor Bayne, Allgaier went high and apparently was unaware that Kasey Kahne was on the outside. The #12 of Allgaier forced the #38 of Kahne against the wall, which led to Kahne’s car climbing the wall riding about a quarter way around the track with the right side wheels atop the wall.  Kahne merged from the car unhurt as the TV reporters likened the ride to a Joey Chitwood type stunt. Referring to the famous auto thrill shows of the 1960’s and 70’s.   The damage ended the night for Kahne, but Allgaier and Bayne would both continue.

The third caution of the night flew on lap 118 as Ryan Newman crashed in turn one, ending the night for the #1 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet. During the caution, Brad Keselowski stayed out to take the lead, but Carl Edwards on 2 tires quickly took the lead, only to lose it 9 laps later to Sadler.  Clint Bowyer would take his turn leading 7 laps before Brad Keselowski would take over once again on lap 162.

The next 50 laps would lead to fierce competition between Keselowski and Busch until lap 219 as Busch would edge past Keselowski for the lead.  After Busch cleared the #22 car, Keselowski rammed Busch getting him loose and pulling back in the lead. But as Keselowski attempted to clear Busch, Kyle repaid the Brad with the same tap.  This one sent Keselowski spinning and ended his chances for a win.

Following Busch across the finish line was Jason Leffler, with Elliott Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Carl Edwards in fifth.  Finishing sixth was Trevor Bayne, followed by Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson, Parker Kligerman and Joey Logano rounding out the top 10.  Points leader Keselowski finished 14th, narrowing his lead over Edwards to 313 points.  The #22 car is now 73 points behind the #18 in owners points.

After the race Keselowski sparred no time badmouthing Busch for turning him and it appears that Busch now joins Carl Edwards on that list of  drivers to beware of Brad. Brad claimed that Busch was taking advantage of Brad’s being on probation. When asked to respond to Keselowski’s comments Busch simply stated that drivers are merely racing Brad as he races everyone else.  Elliott Sadler was not so kind, indicating that Keselowski was about to have problems with many more drivers if he didn’t change his attitude and driving style.

We will all have to watch the Irwin Tools Night Race to see if any retaliation should come there.

Unofficial Results

(Bristol, TN) Kelley Earnhardt took advantage of the new media center at Bristol Motor Speedway to officially announce the signing of Aric Almirola as the full time driver of the JRM #88 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The announcement was not a surprise as the story became public earlier in the week, but this was an opportunity to address the media as a whole. Almirola who has spent time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driving part time with DEI, but later found himself without a ride. This season Almirola connected with Billy Ballew Racing, to replace Kyle Busch in the #51 truck in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Currently sitting comfortably in second place in the standings behind points leader Todd Bodine, Almirola emphasized that his primary focus remains on the #51 truck for 2010.

Speaking about this new contract, Almirola was very positive about moving up to the Nationwide Series and more importantly moving up with a team that has a proven track record and the equipment and personnel to be a legitimate championship contender. Almirola talked about his return to the NCWTS this year and the positive effect it has had on his attitude, and acting as a fresh ‘restart’ on his racing career. He attributes his success with Billy Ballew this year as a catalyst to open the door for more opportunities, with the #88 NNS being the best and easiest choice for him.

Kelley Earnhardt addressed the sponsor situation for 2011 by stating that they had some contracts in place and other’s that were very close to signing. She was clearly optimistic that JRM would have both the #88 and the #7 cars fully sponsored for 2011. On the #7 car, Earnhardt stated that Danica Patrick’s time so far in the car has not been very good, however, they are still committed to bring her back for 2011. No race schedule for Patrick is available yet, as they must wait for the IndyCar schedule to be released to work around. She anticipates that Patrick will be in the car for more races in 2011 than in 2010, and that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be in the car for 4-6 races in 2011.

Regarding the third driver in the #7 car for 2011, Earnhardt spoke positively about the success that Josh Wise has been having in the car, “ He has run seven races for us so far and has not put a single scratch on the car, while keeping it in the top 20 in points.” With that statement made, Kelley still fell short of committing to Wise being the third of record for the #7 car in 2011.

NASCAR’s Nationwide Series will be playing a major role this Friday in the Festival Of Speed at the Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s expected to be full evening of racing is rubbing when the 43 Nationwide Series teams takes the green flag for the Food City 250. This race is also fully packed with some high profile NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who will without doubt make this race even more interesting.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN

The presence of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers in teams participating in Nationwide Series events was a major focal point of a town hall style meeting held in Concord-North Carolina this past Monday. NASCAR President Mike Helton and Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash met with team owners, drivers and crew chiefs to explore new ideas for the series that could direct it towards an even brighter future.

Among the ideas discussed was the possibility for the Nationwide Series having its own version of a Chase For The Championship with a format that would exclude the full time Cup drivers. It’s likely that the Nationwide Chase format will feature fewer drivers and races than the Cup championship format. There was also some discussion at the meeting regarding a possible limitation, if not even elimination, of points for Cup drivers who are in the top 35 of the rankings. It was regarded as move that would further aid the possibility of a full time Nationwide Series team winning the title.

It was pointed out that the full time Cup drivers has won the Nationwide Series championship over the past four consecutive years. With Brad Keselowski holding a 347 point lead over Carl Edwards in the current standings, it’s certain that championship streak will be extended to five years. From that came an idea that suggested the Cup drivers could still compete in the series but not for the championship. There seemed to be a general feeling that the prospect of a full time Nationwide Series team winning the championship would appease sponsors already associated with the series and perhaps even entice potential new sponsors.

However, it appears that any possible future changes in the series championship points will not impact the awarding of owner’s points. The competition for that title would remain wide open to owners of Cup teams. Over a period of recent years the owner’s championship has become a much coveted title with the competition for it even tighter than the driver’s championship.

Going into Friday’s Food City 250, Joe Gibbs Racing leads the owner’s standings based on the performance of their #18 Toyota team and primary driver Kyle Busch. But they only hold a four point lead over Brad Keselowski and his Penske Racing Dodge team.

It’s very clear that NASCAR wants more national attention to be paid on their full time Nationwide Series teams. They should be applauded for hosting these town hall meetings. It’s always a good idea to gather together to consider good ideas. More importantly, it keeps the lines of communication open between NASCAR officials and the team owners.

***********

Future considerations aside, Friday’s Food City 250 is loaded with some high caliber Sprint Cup talent: 14 of them to be exact. Among those Cup luminaries is Ryan Newman who will be doing another guest stint in the #1 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet for owner James Finch.

Clint Bowyer will be also be doing a guest stint in the Nationwide Series on behalf of his team owner Richard Childress. Zaxby’s Restaurants will be the primary sponsor on the hood of his #21 Chevrolet.

Joe Gibbs Racing will be in full force for Friday night’s race and will be bringing their pair of Cup and Nationwide aces with them. Kyle Busch will be piloting the #18 Z Line Toyota while team mate Joey Logano will be in the #20 Game Stop Toyota.

Sprint Cup points leader Kevin Harvick clinched his place in the Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship following last Sunday’s win at Michigan. Apparently he wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to take a racing vacation. Kevin Harvick Inc had two trucks entered in Wednesday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol. Instead of driving one of them, as he often has in the past, he opted to place fellow Sprint Cup driver Elliot Sadler in the ride. They also has their #33 Rheem Heating and Air Conditioning Chevrolet entered in Friday’s Nationwide Series race. They also opted to place Sadler in that ride as well.

That has added some fuel to rumors regarding Sadler’s NASCAR future. He’s already said he doesn’t expect to return to his Sprint Cup ride with Richard Petty Motorsports and has been talking with other owners. He later said he would seriously consider a highly competitive ride in the Camping World Truck Series or Nationwide Series for next year preferring that to a non effective Cup team. It’s been one more item that’s made NASCAR observers say “HMMMMM.”

Kasey Kahne will also be in the Nationwide Series race driving the #38 Great Clips Toyota for Braun Racing. Yes, that is the same ride that full time series regular Jason Leffler usually drives. Leffler will move over to Braun Racing’s #10 Toyota with the Fraternal Order of the Eagles on the hood.

Here’s some good news for the Junior Nation. NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is also entered in the Food City 250. Earnhardt will be driving the #88 Real Tree Outfitters Chevrolet owned by his company J R Motorsports.

**********

THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Food City 250 is 250 laps/133.25 miles around the Bristol Motor Speedway’s .533 mile oval.

The race has 52 entries. 21 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the top 30 in owner’s points. These teams will have to earn a berth in the race line up based on their qualifying speed.

The defending race winner is David Ragan from Roush Fenway Racing.

Chevrolet leads the Nationwide Series stats with 29 wins at Bristol.

The Food City 250 will be broadcast live by the ESPN Network beginning at 7 pm eastern time.

NASCAR recently announced they plan to make major changes to the Nationwide Series, citing costs as well as giving the Nationwide Series its own identity again.  Here are 11 different ideas that would fulfill the above criteria without being a complete 180:

1. Shorten the races.  There’s absolutely no reason the spring race at Bristol needs to be 300 laps, nor do 195 laps need to be run at Atlanta.  Races should run for no more than 250 laps or miles.  If purses are going to be reduced, so should the races.
2. Eliminate multiple practice sessions for the series and limit, if not eliminate practice time for the Cup drivers.
3. Reduce the amount of trips to the West.  Two trips to Phoenix are unnecessary, as was two trips to Auto Club Speedway.  Why not keep the races in the south and east; where the roots of the series are?  There are several fine facilities that could host events and reduce teams’ travel expenses.  Road Atlanta comes to immediate mind, as do several of the short tracks the series formerly raced at.
4. Instead of locking in the top 30 in owners standings, lock in the top 30 drivers attempting the whole schedule. Rookies notwithstanding, Sprint Cup drivers would not be eligible for an exemption and no more than eight Sprint Cup drivers can participate in any individual race.
5. Change the structure of the purse.  Teams should not be able to announce to the media they are going to start and park and send legitimate teams home.  A handful of teams exist that never attempt to run a full race.  Meanwhile, other drivers get sent home without even bread crumbs.  In last year’s fall Bristol race, MSRP motorsports completed a total of five laps, citing an ignition issue on one car and brake issue on the other.  They collected $40,669 for their “efforts” or $8,133.80 per lap.  Meanwhile, Benny Gordon raced until the checkers and only collected $21,565.  That’s $1,210 more than last place earned; not even enough for a set of tires.  The rule should be if you withdraw from the race and can’t prove a legitimate car problem, you get a minimal amount of the purse. 
6. Break the series off into two different point systems.  Cup drivers would not be eligible for the Nationwide championship, but instead, compete against each other.  First place wins an award and a cash bonus.
7. Boost the image of all Nationwide drivers in commercials and promotions, not just the young ones.  By now, everyone knows that Trevor Bayne stops writing if you rattle off too many facts about him.  Diversity includes the older drivers in the series, but nary a mention is made of them. 
8. If a Cup driver intentionally pulls a reckless move in the race, as Carl Edwards did at Gateway, park them for the year.  It was reported that ML Motorsports lost one of their best race cars in the accident, as well as having to pay Earnhardt/Childress back for the damaged engine.  While I have few qualms about Cup drivers racing in the series, they shouldn’t be able to put smaller teams at a major disadvantage just because they’re racing “for fun”.  I have yet to hear Edwards apologize for his actions that led to that accident.
9. Force Cup-affiliated Nationwide teams to use their own crew members.  No more allowing a full-time Cup driver to use their Sprint Cup crew.  There’s currently a huge disparity in pit stop times between the top tier teams and the underfunded teams.

The Nationwide series is a fun and exciting series to watch, but it needs change to differentiate it from the Cup.  Giving other drivers a chance to shine in the spotlight carries many positives and will lead to better racing in the Cup series in the future.

Danica Patrick completed her sixth NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday in the Carfax 250 at Michigan international Speedway. Not surprising, she qualified at the rear of the field, starting 33rd. Her finish was another result that fans have come to expect, 27th place, 4 laps down.

Patrick came to NASCAR amidst lots of fanfare and media attention. Even at Michigan, her sixth race where she was still running barely ahead of the start and park cars in the garage, the TV commentators were all over themselves talking about her.  The outrageous excuses for her poor performance has gone way beyond stupid.

It seems that no money was spared this season to assure that Patrick would be locked into the races, first by buying the 2009 11 team to have a guaranteed top 30 points for the first 5 races.  Patrick quickly showed why that was a necessary expense to get her in the field. In 6 races, she’s had a best qualifying effort of 25th and an average qualifying result of 31.8. 

After the first 3 races, it appeared that JR Motorsports realized that they could not count  on Danica actually making the rest of her scheduled races without the guaranteed start of a top 30 team.  After, months of talk about the #7 team not running the full schedule and rolling out just for Patrick, there was a rush to line up drivers to keep it in the points.  Since Patrick’s race at LasVegas, the team has started with 5 different drivers, in an all out effort to lock the car into the field each week. Each one of those five drivers accumulated far better results than Patrick.

In six races Danica has an average qualifying effort of 31.8, while Steve Arpin, a dirt track driver with very limited paved racing experience averaged 16.8 in qualifying, and rookie Josh Wise averaged 19th in his efforts. The finishing order is even more disturbing as Patrick has an averaged finish of 30.5.  This would not be a real concern for a real rookie, but Danica mania was selling her as a champion coming into NASCAR from the open wheel ranks.  It seems that if she is considered a star of the IndyCar Series, that program is in serious trouble. 

Landon Cassill was the first casualty of the keep Danica locked in program.  After three races in which he had a qualifying effort of 22.6 and an average finish of 24.3, he was tossed aside as not the power needed to benefit Patrick.  Next came Steve Arpin, the Canadian open wheel racer that began his rookie season in the ARCA series this year.  After 5 races with an average start of 16.8 and an average finish of 24.8, he was quietly sent back to ARCA to be replaced by Josh Wise.

The latest story from JR Motorsports is that Josh Wise will remain in the car and will share the #7 car in 2011 with Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.  In five races so far in 2010 in the #7 car, Wise has an average start of 19th and an average finish of  12.8.  It is a shame that he won’t have a serious chance to make a run at the Championship for 2011.

Looking at the history of NASCAR and the level of competition, it is hard to believe that any team would keep a driver in the car who has an average start of 31.8, and average finish of 30.5 and in 6 races has finished on average 30.5 laps behind the leader.  A driver whose best finish was 2 laps behind the leader!

Is anyone besides me, tired of the constant interviews with Danica where she continues to display just how out of touch  she is with NASCAR?  Six months after her first start, she still has no idea how to tell her crew chief what the car needs for her to drive it.  Is anyone else getting tired of the ‘it’s a learning program’, when there are capable and genuinely promising drivers sidelined looking for a ride.

Baker Curb Racing announced on Tuesday that Chase Austin will drive the No. 43 Dodge this Saturday in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Austin has run a NASCAR race this year, though, as he drove the No. 46 Walgreens truck for Danny Gill in the Camping World Truck Series at Michgan in June. In that race, Austin finished 35th.

“I look forward to it,” Austin said of the opportunity in the team preview. “I was able learn a great deal during the truck series practices but unfortunately we lost an engine very early in the race. I still feel like I need more seat time, so it will be nice to get back on the track Thursday to log some more laps and learn as much as possible before the race on Saturday.”

This will also be the second race for NASCAR’s new Nationwide car, which is suppose to be safer. The car debuted in historic fashion at Daytona International Speedway in July where Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race, driving a No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet painted like his father’s.

“The new cars in the Nationwide Series look really cool,” Austin said. “I expect them to handle different but most of that is due to the aero changes in the body. However, I’ve only had five races in the previous body style, so the learning curve should be pretty comfortable for me since I don’t have a large amount of races in the older style. I know the other drivers will really feel the difference when on the track. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to get back on the track period and getting the chance to race the new body is a plus.”

Austin will have sponsor backing from Detroit-based company Forgotten Harvest, in which he toured the plant back in June.

“It was mind blowing the commitment the folks at Forgotten Harvest have in giving those in poverty an opportunity to put a healthy meal on their table,” Austin said of the experience. “Visiting their headquarters was an awesome experience. I had a chance to see how much effort goes into it and I can tell you it was very impressive. You could see their passion and the fact that they’re able to rescue over 19 million pounds of food in a year is incredible.”

Austin will also have Walgreen’s Million Meal Challenge for the Kids, which is a challenge set out by Walgreens to have volunteers package over one million meals for children and families in poor communities.

“It’s an honor,” Austin said of the association with them. “Through companies like Walgreens and programs like the Million Meal Challenge for the Kids, Forgotten Harvest has been able to feed so many kids in the Detroit Metro area this summer. I encourage everyone to go visit their local Walgreens and donate today, so they can continue to make sure that every kid in need has a meal this summer.”

RACE INFORMATION:

What – CARFAX 250; NASCAR Nationwide Series Race

When — Saturday, August 14, 2010; 2:00 p.m. EST

Where – Michigan International Speedway

Broadcast – Qualifying: Speed Channel (Saturday, August 14th, 10:10 a.m. EST)

Race – ESPN & MRN Radio Network; 125 laps, 250 miles

The 2.45-mile road course was not empty for long today here at Watkins Glen International. Starting this morning with Nationwide Series Qualifying, the track was hot for the duration of the day, finishing with a fantastic Zippo 200.

The Nationwide Series race here at Watkins Glen was dominated by Marcos Ambrose since the #47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Toyota was rolled off the hauler. The #47 car sealed the top starting spot in this morning’s Coors Light Qualifying with a time of 122.410 mph. At a place where starting spot is crucial and almost directly related to finishing position.

Marcos ensured he would not have to pass many cars in his quest to become only the second driver in Nationwide Series History to win three-consecutive series races at Watkins Glen International. The only other driver to accomplish this feat was Terry Labonte, winning here at The Glen from 1994 to 1996.

When it came time for the green flag to drop, Ambrose wasted no time stating that his machine was the car to beat. Ambrose lead the first 18 laps after Crew Chief Frank Kerr decided to play the fuel strategy game and stay out about five laps longer than the rest of the field.

The first major incident occurred on lap 25 when the 38 car of Jason Leffler got of shape coming out of turn one following a caution for debris. One of the drivers involved was the 12 car of Justin Allgaier, who said following the accident “I saw the 38 get out of shape coming out of (Turn) 1. I knew that he was going to probably be more than I wanted to see. Unfortunately, he came back across the race track. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to go. Its s so tight right there going into (Turn) 2 that you’re just at the mercy of everybody else making sure that nobody gets bottled up and blocks the race track. That’s what happened and we ended up paying the price for it.”

Following a 25-minute red flag to clean up the mess at the entrance of turn 2, racing resumed with the 20 car of Joey Logano shown in P1. It did not take long for Kyle Busch to get his turn at leading the race with a pass on Logano on lap 27. He would ride out a lead for 14 laps before eventual race-winner Marcos Ambrose finessed his way to the lead on lap 40.

The pass came on the backstretch’s Bus Stop chicane in tremendous fashion. Ambrose spoke of setting up Busch for the lead; “He’s hard to pas and whenever you’re going to do it you’ve got to do it in style. I couldn’t pass him (Kyle Busch) on straight-line speed. He just had too much top end on us so I just waited for some lapped traffic to try and get around him and just out-foxed him there coming across the top of the hill.”

Kyle Busch had one more opportunity on a lap 66 restart to try and get past Ambrose, but the Aussie proved to be just down right too quick. Ambrose rode his lead right to victory lane, a place he is extremely familiar with here at The Glen.

Ambrose speaking about his win in the Zippo 200 following the race, “It’s just a huge win for us. Frank Kerr (crew chief) has been so good to my career and I have to thank him so much for every opportunity he gets me to victory lane. What a great day for our guys. I’m saying goodbye to JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the year and it’s just nice to get some wins for them…We’ve got another job to do tomorrow so not too many beers tonight.”

The top three starters remained unchanged when the checkered flag waived on the Zippo 200 as it was Ambrose in first, Joey Logano second, and Kevin Harvick in third. Points leader Brad Keselowski finished in fourth, lengthening his lead in the standings. The 18-car of Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five.

On the Sprint Cup side, Carl Edwards won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen (25th running) with a lap of 70.882 seconds, 124.432 mph. This is his first pole here at Watkins Glen with his best start of third came in 2008. Points leader Kevin Harvick will start 20th and defending race champion will start 6th.

More to come tomorrow from The Glen!

Road course ace, Ron Fellows will make second start of the season this weekend at Watkins Glen International Raceway for JR Motorsports. He will be driving the No. 88 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200.

Fellows, finished second earlier this season at Road America for the No. 88 Chevrolet team. In 2008, they teamed up to win at Montreal. Fellows is no rookie when it comes to racing at the Glen. In nine starts Fellows owns three wins (1998, 2000 and 2001), five top five and six top-10 finishes with 189 laps led – the most among current drivers at the Glen. He earned two poles at the facility and has an average finish of 12.2. Fellows holds the additional distinction of being the oldest winner of the 82-lap race at 41 years, nine months and 10 days of age following his 2001 victory. In last year’s event with JRM, Fellows raced to a fifth-place finish, completing 48 total green-flag passes according to NASCAR Statistical Services.

Fellows, had this to say about tthe upcoming race, “I’m excited to get back to racing with the GT Vodka Chevrolet and all the guys on this No. 88 crew. We not only raced well at Road America last month, but we had a lot of fun in the process. It’s a pleasure to be working with Tony Eury Sr. again. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s one of those guys that have spent a lifetime in the racing world, and he always has a great setup under the car”.

Fellows had this to say about Crew Chief Tony Eury Sr, “It’s a pleasure to be working with Tony Eury Sr. again. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s one of those guys that have spent a lifetime in the racing world, and he always has a great setup under the car.”

Fellows, also said, “This GT Vodka team certainly was up for the challenge at Road America, now we just need to do the same at the Glen this weekend. JR Motorsports preparation is top-notch and that puts you at ease when you climb behind the wheel of their equipment. We ran well in this race last year, even after we had some pit trouble. We managed to drive from the back to finish fifth, so I want to top that this time around.”

In addition to his Nationwide effort, Fellows will also be attempting to qualify for the Sprint Cup race with Tommy Baldwin Racing. The team is 38th in owner points and therefore must qualify for the race on speed.