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Tag: 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

  • Matty’s Picks: ‘Straight from The Beast of the Southeast!’ Vol. 22 – Kansas – Charlotte – October 15, 2011

    Matty’s Picks: ‘Straight from The Beast of the Southeast!’ Vol. 22 – Kansas – Charlotte – October 15, 2011

    This weekend marks my first trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a race weekend. I had the privilege of touring the track three years ago as a part of my trip to the Tar Heel State to watch my beloved Mountaineers take down the North Carolina Tar Heels in a thrilling 31-30 shootout in the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl. Since my tour of the track in December 2008, I have been itching to make it to a race weekend at the historic 1.5-mile quad oval, and it’s almost a dream come true for me this weekend.

    [media-credit name=”charlottemotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”254″][/media-credit]This Saturday’s Bank of America 500 will be run under the lights in front of 140,000+ fans at the first modern superspeedway to install and host night racing. Until 1998, when lights were installed at Daytona International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway was the largest track in the world to host night racing.

    It may be the history behind the track, or the battle for the Sprint Cup that has begun to heat up ever so slightly, or it may be the 4-day “vacation” I get by heading to Charlotte this weekend that has me so amped up for this weekend’s race. It might be the fact that this will be the first race this fall that I will watch with undivided attention, but I really think I might be most excited to see the monstrosity that is the HD video board that stretches 200 feet down the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After following all the tweets this spring about the video board, I am overly excited to see how massive this thing is.

    It was announced in September of last year that CMS would partner with Panasonic to install the World’s largest HD video board at the track. The 9 million LED’s that make up the video board measures 200 feet by 80 feet, probably the best place in the World for a Call of Duty: Black Ops match.

    I had mixed results following this spring’s trip to The Beast of the Southeast, but I did manage pick the winner of May’s Sprint Cup All-Star Race, as well as the runner-up in the Coke 600. I look forward to seeing the cars in action this week, and hope that my keen eye will help me make some power picks this week for my first trip to Charlotte.

    Kansas Recap

    I won’t spend too much time this week recapping my finishes in Kansas, due to my eagerness to get to some racetracks that do not encourage three-hour naps on Sunday afternoon. The Bank of America 500 this Saturday marks the start of my amplified interest-level in The Chase schedule.

    My Winner Pick for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 was the driver of NASCAR’s “Blue Deuce”. Brad Keselowski had won the June race at Kansas Speedway, he won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday at Kansas, and he was a shoe-in for the race win on Sunday.

    He started the race 15th, and made his way into the top-10 early. Fast forwarding through the 200 laps of napping, Keselowski hit the point at lap 207. He also was shown on top of the leaderboard at lap 241, but was passed for the lead by eventual race-winner, Jimmie Johnson on lap 245. Bad Brad brought his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger home in third and spoke on pit road after the race: “Everybody was a little close; we were just closer, but the Miller Lite Dodge was good. Proud of the effort. Kind of an up-and-down day. We got up to be a second- or third-place car mid part of the race, then kind of fell off a little bit, but came back. Third-place day, that’s good, that’s what you’ve got to do. Really, we want to win races like Jimmie (Johnson), but we’re making the best we can out of it. If he stumbles, we’ll be there.”

    Despite being second-fastest in Sprint Cup Final Practice at Kansas Speedway, David Ragan brought me no help as a Dark Horse pick last week.

    Ragan started 13th on Sunday, but quickly fell through the field ending up a lap down to the leaders for the majority of the 267 lap race. The long green-flag runs that occurred at Kansas last week, allowed little time for adjustments throughout the race. Track-position was as good as gold last week, and Ragan couldn’t find any to improve his finish.

    “We just weren’t lucky today. We missed getting the lucky dog a couple of times and the chips just didn’t fall our way. When you’re back there 10th to 20th you need a couple lucky breaks and we just didn’t get them. We could have gotten a top 10 out of it, but it just wasn’t our day.”

    When it was all said and done, Ragan finished 20th and lent me no help in improving my average finish for my Dark Horse picks.

    Charlotte Picks

    Despite a busy day of media availabilities, Nationwide Series qualifying, two Sprint Cup practice sessions, and even a car wash, I’ve found a bit of time to make a couple picks this Friday Afternoon. My winner pick in the other points race this year at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards did not fare too well in his attempt to sweep the SpeedWeeks races this May.

    After winning the Sprint Cup All-Star race here in May, Carl decided to give his Ford Fusion little bodywork on the infield grass. Let’s just say the car was fast enough the way it was and it really had an affect on the 16th place finish he picked up in the Coke 600.

    As for my Dark Horse for the Coke 600, David Ragan scored me my highest finish for any of my 21 Dark Horse picks this season – not too shabby.

    Dark Horse Pick

    I will start with my Dark Horse this week because there should be no other guy in anyone’s discussions of which non-Chase driver could win the Bank of America 500 tomorrow night. Kasey Kahne is fourth among all active drivers with a driver rating of 94.5, behind Jimmie Johnson (112.8), Kyle Busch (106.5), and Joey Logano (96.5) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Kahne became the first driver to be “Voted-Into” the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race in May of 2008, and come home a winner. He then went on to win the Coke 600 the following week, successfully sweeping the May races here at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008.

    Kahne was the fastest car on the track after his 31 practice laps yesterday, and is shown second on the speed charts in this first of two practice sessions as I look out the window of the Media Center here on the infield. He has three wins here at The Beast of the Southeast, but hasn’t won here since his 2088 Coke 600 Victory.

    Kahne felt good about his car following his qualifying lap last night during Bojangle’s Pole Night: “We were really good in practice today in qualifying and in race trim. We didn’t go quite as fast tonight as we would have liked to. I think in the race it should be really good. We just need to keep up with the track and keep up with keeping the track position and things throughout the race. We’ll have a good shot.”

    Kasey Kahne is eager to leave Red Bull Racing on a high note, and a win in the Bank of America 500 Saturday Night would do just that. Be ready for some fireworks centered around the No. 4 car tomorrow night.

    Winner Pick

    One of the keys to victory here at Charlotte Motor Speedway is keeping up with the ever changing track conditions as the sun settles behind the grandstands and the lights come on. The track temperature can really plummet when the sun goes down, and crew chiefs and drivers must be ready to go for when night falls.

    One crew chief that will always put his driver in the best possible equipment to cross the Finish Line (the pink colored one this week here at Charlotte) first is Chad Knaus. Across his nine seasons as Crew Chief for the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, Knaus has scooped up 52 victories with Ole’ Five-Time, six of them coming right here at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    He is the best amongst all drivers in the Driver’s Rating category at 112.8, and averages a finish of 10.8 here at Charlotte. He hasn’t won here since the fall race of the 2009 season, but he is coming of a big win last week at Kansas.

    I think the comment before the race two weeks ago at Dover International Speedway really put a fire in the belly’s of the No. 48 team, and that is not the guy you want to piss off. With an average finish of 3.7 in the last 5 races of the Sprint Cup Series’ schedule, Johnson is about to come alive.

    Johnson sits 10th on the speed charts here after the first practice session of the day and spoke earlier this week about his feelings about Charlotte: “I think we’re going to be a threat (at Charlotte Motor Speedway). When I look back to Chicago, Kentucky, and Kansas obviously, our 1.5-mile stuff has been coming along pretty good over the last two or three months. So I feel good about it. Charlotte, with that asphalt that’s down, it is its own environment and it’s really tough to get your car right from the start of the race to the end of the race. So I feel like directionally we’re going the right way; but until I get on the track this week and understand where the grip level is and what our issues are, it’s hard to build too much confidence.”

    That’s all for this week, be sure to follow me on Twitter all night tonight and tomorrow for up to the minute action @ML_B_Lo and OnPitRoad.com for the long story.

    Until Next Week….You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!!!!

  • Tony Stewart Wins Geico 400 Vaults to Second in Points

    Tony Stewart Wins Geico 400 Vaults to Second in Points

    For a guy who did not think heading into the this race weekend that he had a chance at winning the championship Tony Stewart found himself leaving the Windy City only 7 points behind the new leader, Kevin Harvick. Stewart had enough gas while many of the stronger cars of the day and fellow chase participants were running out on the white flag lap.  Harvick was behind by almost a second and Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed Stewart with Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five.  Eight of the top ten finishers were chase participants with Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin finishing seventh and ninth respectively.

    Defending champion Jimmie Johnson and Kenseth, both who led part of the race today ran out of fuel.

    Stewart said, “It is huge; I had a migraine all day yesterday so I am kinda glad we didn’t race. Man, this Office Depot/ Mobil One Chevy was awesome! All of our partners … we have had a rough year so this is a good way to start off the Chase.”

    Stewart, who was winless up to today is headed to New Hampshire where he and his teammate had their best showing of the season earlier when they finished 1-2 with Newman taking the checkered flag.  Stewart said, “The way we ran there in the spring, I am real excited about going to New Hampshire.  So I am just excited and proud of everyone on our Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy team and they did an awesome job all weekend and Darien and these guys made some awesome calls and great pit stops by the crew.  We just had a good day today.”

    Stewart’s crew chief Darian Grubb said, “Boy does champagne feel good right now. It’s pretty sweet. It’s the way to start the Chase off, especially with the year we’ve had. We’ve had some really good cars, really fast cars and some bad luck and circumstances that kept us from winning races. To get our first win leading into the Chase feels really good.”

    The new points leader and second place finisher Kevin Harvick said,”We worked real hard all weekend trying to be smart.  The car was a bit of a struggle in the middle part of the race but in that last run we were one of the best cars on the track.  My guys had great pit stops and worked really hard trying to get better so I really have to thank those guys for what they got us today and we had a good car and we were just real smart all weekend and did a good job and I am real happy with the team.”

    Jeff Gordon ran out of fuel and dug himself a hole dropping from third to eleventh in points. Gordon said, “We were just off. We didn’t qualify good. That got us behind right there. It was just one of those days. You know. We had a right front tear apart. We actually got the car halfway decent there at the end. Then it came down to saving fuel and we obviously didn’t save enough fuel.”

    Gordon noted that they need to have some improvements saying, “We have to qualify better; we can’t have days like we had today. That’s for sure.”

    Official Race Results
    Geico 400, Chicagoland Speedway
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 26 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 47
    2 30 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 42
    3 19 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 41
    4 5 99 Carl Edwards Ford 41
    5 6 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 40
    6 3 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 40
    7 21 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 37
    8 4 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 37
    9 25 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 35
    10 12 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 35
    11 15 6 David Ragan Ford 33
    12 24 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 32
    13 8 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 31
    14 16 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 30
    15 22 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 29
    16 10 20 Joey Logano Toyota 28
    17 13 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 27
    18 20 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 27
    19 17 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 25
    20 2 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 24
    21 1 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 24
    22 9 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 23
    23 28 21 Trevor Bayne Ford 0
    24 23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 20
    25 42 32 Mike Bliss Ford 0
    26 7 16 Greg Biffle Ford 18
    27 18 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 17
    28 40 71 Andy Lally * Ford 16
    29 41 13 Casey Mears Toyota 15
    30 31 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 0
    31 27 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 13
    32 29 0 David Reutimann Toyota 12
    33 39 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 11
    34 32 38 J.J. Yeley Ford 11
    35 35 46 Scott Speed Ford 0
    36 38 34 David Gilliland Ford 8
    37 11 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 7
    38 14 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 6
    39 37 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 5
    40 36 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    41 34 30 David Stremme Chevrolet 3
    42 43 37 Josh Wise Ford 0
    43 33 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 1
  • Marcos Ambrose Claims First Sprint Cup Series Win at Postponed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen

    Marcos Ambrose Claims First Sprint Cup Series Win at Postponed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen

    The rain held off and 85,000 race fans were treated to an exciting race today at Watkins Glen International. At the start, it looked as if NASCAR was trying to fit a square die in a round hole, but the showers held and all of the scheduled 90 laps (92 actually) were completed today at The Glen. All this action coming today after yesterday’s weather forced a Monday race for the second time in three years.

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]The Tasmanian native surged to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup series victory in dramatic fashion, surviving a wild Green-White-Checkered finish that will go down as one of the most epic two laps in The Glen’s storied history. For a second race in a row (the other coming in Saturday’s Zippo 200) the driver who led the most laps at The Glen would not come home with the race win.

    Crew Chief Todd Parrott proved his strategy for today’s race would be relatively conservative in comparison to other teams when he called Marcos Ambrose in for his first of three pit stops on the day coming at lap 17. Others like the No. 18 team of Kyle Busch, the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon, and the No. 2 of Brad Keselowski tried to stretch their fuel mileage in exchange for improved track position.

    There were really two ‘groups’ of cars today, those going conservatively and those trying to squeeze every drop of fuel from their cars in an effort to come to pit road just twice rather than three times.

    The caution flag waived just 5 times today at Watkins Glen International, four of which were created by rather violent crashes across various points on the 2.45 mile road course.

    The first caution caused by contact came past the half-way point in the race involving the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger on lap 50 when Kurt Busch’s car blew a left front tire sending him into the outside tire barrier in turn number 5.

    Kurt Busch explained the incident after climbing from his wrecked car “I had a big problem getting into the braking zones today, the rear brakes locking up. I had to crank eight rounds of front brake in our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge just to survive. All that does is generate brake heat and I blew out the left-front tire. It was just a bummer of a day and not anything that we expected. It must have been something with the brake package.” This marked Kurt Busch’s first DNF dating back to Michigan in August of 2010.

    Kyle Busch was shown as the race leader following the caution lasting for three laps, but would lose the point to limping Brad Keselowski just 5 laps after the restart.

    The second bad accident came on lap 67 when Denny Hamlin went for a ride off of the 90 degree turn number 1 at Watkins Glen International. The replay showed Hamlin’s car with the front brakes completely locked up with the rear wheels still going forward, and eventually plowing the wall in the first turn causing the wall to buckle upwards of 15 inches. The Toyota driver would later explain that something felt like it had broke in the front end causing him to drive straight through the hard right hander.

    Eventual race winner, Marcos Ambrose along with Juan Montoya had pitted just one lap prior to the caution moving them into 4th and 5th respectively behind leader Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Martin Truex Jr. when the green flag came back out on lap 69.

    Marcos Ambrose wasted no time after the third restart in his effort to drive to the front, zipping past Truex on lap 72 for third, and past Keselowski for second on lap 76. Ambrose whittled away at Kyle Busch’s 2.5-second lead throughout the next few laps, forcing Busch to burn more fuel to stay at the point.

    Crew Chief for the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Dave Rogers, was asked on lap 83 if the No. 18 had enough fuel to make the 30 laps he needed to take the checkered and responded “Oh, that’s going to be close, I’m more worried about the No. 9 (Ambrose) right now.”

    Dave Rogers’ prayers for a caution were answered when the second tire issue of the day caused the No. 27 of Paul Menard to smash the wall exiting the top of the esses. Menard’s car leaked fluid all the way around, almost to the entrance of turn number 10, forcing an imminent Green-White-Checkered finish.

    Under caution, the leader Kyle Busch putted around the track, shutting down his engine several times in an effort to conserve fuel for the two lap dash that would make up the finish of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen. Ambrose had 4 laps more fuel than Busch, so the No. 18 knew Ambrose would be charging hard on the final restart to overtake him.

    The stage was set for the final restart with Kyle Busch in the lead, Ambrose starting to his left in second, Brad Keselowski starting inside row 2, Martin Truex Jr. in fourth, and Juan Montoya in fifth.

    The race would go green for the final time on lap 91, with Kyle Busch hammering down towards the hard right hand turn number 1. Marcos Ambrose faltered on the restart, spinning his tires just before the start/finish line, giving room for Brad Keselowski and Truex to become a threat in the race. Busch drove his Toyota Camry too hard into turn 1, going sideways at the exit, giving way for Keselowski to sneak by on the inside.

    Kyle Busch had this to say about his slip up in turn 1 “Just knew exactly what not to do and did it anyway. Just got in there and didn’t think I got in there too fast, but the car just didn’t slow down the way I needed it to and then it didn’t turn the way I needed it to. Saw sprinkles on the windshield, but everybody else made it fine through there. I just screwed up.”

    Keselowski maintained the lead all the way up the esses, down the backstretch, and through the bus stop chicane. Ambrose would make his move on the Blue Deuce in the carousel turn, sneaking past Keselowski on his right. Once Ambrose got to the point halfway through lap 91, there was no turning back. He was absolutely flawless for the next lap through the 11 turns that make up the short course at WGI.

    The final caution would come on lap 92, ending the race and putting Marcos Ambrose in Victory Lane for the first time as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. Heavy contact between the No. 6 of David Ragan and No. 00 of David Reutimann caused the caution to fly just as the field made their way through the first part of the esses in turn number 2. The crash was the most vicious one of the day, leaving Reutimann on his roof and Ragan with safety concerns about the track at Watkins Glen.

    “That was a hard hit. I looked down at my feet and my pedals and my leg rests were all pushed over. It’s a shame that a race track we go to in 2011 doesn’t have a better wall design all the way around the race track, so hopefully they’ll look at that. I’ve been to some dirt tracks that have better walls than that. It was a hard hit, but our cars are safe.”
    Said David Ragan, following his trip to the Infield Care Center.

    Race winner Marcos Ambrose has no concerns with the safety at Watkins Glen “The track itself is a first-class facility. It’s a great race track. I think they’ve done an awesome job in some of the safety features they’ve already implemented around this place. I don’t drive around this place looking at any one spot saying, ‘Ooooh, that looks nasty to me.’ I think they’ve done great with what they’ve got. If you don’t have a guard rail off of turn two, you end up going down a bank, so that’s not good either. I think the track itself is fine, I think we just have to keep working on safety…But I think the track is a classic road racing circuit. You don’t want to make it too sterile. You’ve got to have bumps and lumps and change of camber and roughness and all that kind of stuff that makes it what it is.”

    Ambrose’s win today marks the 5th different First-Time Winner in the Sprint Cup Series this year, and it’s the first win for Ford at Watkins Glen since Geoff Bodine’s win at The Glen in 1996.

    Marcos elaborated on his win in Victory Lane just before 1PM today “I’ve sacrificed so much to get here and to finally win and be here in Victory Lane in the Cup Series is a dream come true. I flew the kids home yesterday. It was the little one’s first day at school. I was desperate to be there for her and this kind of makes up for it. I’ve just got to thank the Richard Petty Motorsports team, Stanley, DeWalt, everybody involved. Mrs. Petty is not doing so well at home. We wish her the best. This win is for her and the whole Petty family. Richard and everyone else who gave me the chance, thank you very much. Winning in the Cup Series for Stanley is just an incredible feeling and I’m very, very proud.”

    The rest of the top 5:

    battered Brad Kesolowski – 2nd

    3rd-Kyle Busch

    4th-Martin Truex Jr.

    5th-Joey Logano

    Kyle Busch leaves Watkins Glen tied for the points lead after a 12th place finish from Carl Edwards. Jimmie Johnson dropped one spot to 3rd following his 10th place finish at The Glen.

     

  • Matty’s Picks: Straight From The Glen Vol. 13 – Watkins Glen – August 14, 2011

    Matty’s Picks: Straight From The Glen Vol. 13 – Watkins Glen – August 14, 2011

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]

    Its time to make some right turns for the second and final time of the 2011 Sprint Cup Season. As many of you know, Watkins Glen International is my home-track, so this edition of Matty’s Picks will be coming to you straight from The Glen!

    I look forward to the race weekend at Watkins Glen for 362 days each year. 2011 will mark my 16th consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at WGI. I get the pleasure of seeing it all each year at The Glen, partly due to the fact that my family arrives at the crack of dawn on Wednesday in an effort to set up the monstrosity that we call home for five days every August in the Gate 7 camping area.

    21-ish friends, family members, and a few random strangers will call our Gate 7 campsite home this year – including SpeedwayMedia.com Editor, Ed Coombs. I don’t know if it’s the 11 high-speed left and right turns that make up the short course at Watkins Glen International, or if it’s the 2AM nude foot races, the annual Porta-Potty roast, or the extreme downhill cooler races that bring 200,000+ race fans back to The Glen each year.

    I must say that I am very excited for this weekend’s on-track racing action, but I really look forward to the unique camping atmosphere that Watkins Glen International has to offer year in and year out.

    For those of you not familiar with WGI, it has been considered by many in the racing world to be ‘The Mecca of American Road Racing’. 11 turns (7 rights – 4 lefts) make up the 2.45-mile short course that both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series choose to utilize at The Glen. In sticking with traditional road course layouts, the racing at Watkins Glen International is run in a clockwise pattern (like Infineon), opposite the flow of the traditional counter-clockwise flow of oval races.

    One element that is unique only to The Glen is the direction the drivers enter their pit stalls. Because pit road lies outside the track at Infineon, Watkins Glen is the only stop on the circuit where drivers enter their pit stalls from the crew’s left. Preparations for pit stops at WGI start months in advance due to the fact that the entire pit stop is essentially in reverse. This weekend’s stops will not be the fastest stops for crews this season, but efficiency on Pit Road often plays a major factor in the outcome of the race each year at WGI.

    Pocono Recap

    Well, I don’t have too much on how my two picks from last week ran at Pocono because quite honestly I fell asleep after the first 10 laps or so. When the rain cleared and the dust settled last Sunday, I improved on my 19th place Winner Pick finish dating back to the first race at Pocono this year.

    With the news of both Sprint Cup races at PIR being shortened to 400 miles, 40 percent of my wish for the Tricky Triangle has come true. NASCAR has eliminated 200 of the 1000 miles of racing at Pocono starting in 2012, 40% of the 500 miles I would like to see removed from the schedule. I think one race for the Sprint Cup Series at Pocono is enough to keep most race fans satisfied for a year.

    My Dark Horse pick last week at Pocono was Greg Biffle because of his less than impressive average finish of 16.4. From what I saw last week, Biffle never really had the car to beat but lingered around the Top 10 for the majority of the 200 laps last weekend. I was asleep for his penalty for changing lanes before the Start/Finish Line. Biffle would remain on the lead lap but would restart in the 35th position.

    Biffle made up ground on the field throughout an 80 lap caution-free stretch following the penalty. Biffle would restart the race in 14th following the rain delay, and would make the call of the day to stay out on the final caution flag on lap 179. The call would put Biffle in 7th for the final 16 lap run, only being passed by his teammate Carl Edwards on much fresher tires in the closing laps. The Biff would eventually bring the 3M/811 Ford Fusion home in 8th, netting me a Top 10 Dark Horse pick.

    By now, everyone knows where my Winner Pick finished last week at Pocono. His 3rd place finish has been overshadowed by the racing incident that occurred in the final laps of the Good Sam RV Insurance 500, and the altercation that ensued.

    Kurt Busch led the race 4 times last Sunday for a total of 38 laps en route to his 3rd place finish. His (and my) Top 5 was in jeopardy on the final lap last week following his contact with Jimmie Johnson at the exit of the tunnel turn on lap 199. The two came together twice on the final lap, ALMOST ruining a good day for both teams.

    Following the race, Johnson didn’t even let Kurt Busch out of his car before giving him an ear full about the incident. Busch had this to say about the contact: “ Hey, he came off the turn and did a jab to my left; I did a jab back to the right. Why can’t we race each other like this and put on show for the fans and not have a problem with it? I don’t know” Needless to say, I don’t think the two will be exchanging Christmas Cards this December, but when the dust settled, I got a Top 5 for a Winner Pick.

    Watkins Glen Picks

    Winner Pick

    In the words of Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose was “Screaming Fast” in final practice today at The Glen. Shattering the 70-second mark around the 2.45-mile short course, Ambrose laid down a lap that was over a full second quicker than the previous track record held by Jeff Gordon. His lap time of 69.666 seconds or 126.604MPH was good enough to claim the top of the leader board in Final Practice today.

    I don’t know how anyone could bet against this guy at Watkins Glen International. In his 3 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Ambrose has netted two 3rd-place finishes, and a runner-up finish. It is almost destiny for him to bring home the checkered flag, Sunday afternoon (or Monday or Tuesday). He has won the past 3 NASCAR Nationwide Series races here at The Glen, and if it weren’t for the fact that he’s not running the race tomorrow, I would bet the farm on him to sweep the weekend here at WGI.

    Ambrose has the car to beat this weekend…he’s going to win.

    Dark Horse Pick

    Martin Truex Jr. has also flexed his muscles today here at Watkins Glen. He drove his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota to a Top-5 spot in Happy Hour with a lap time of 70.203 seconds, also better than the previous qualifying track record. Both times Truex has started in the Top 20 at WGI, he has come home with a Top-10 finish. If Truex hits his marks tomorrow in qualifying, he has a car good enough to start inside the Top-10.

    His record at Watkins Glen is nothing to shake a stick at. He averages a finish of 16.4 at The Glen, and does have a Top-5 here as well. I think Tuex has been knocking on the door all season, and he’s proved Michael Waltrip Racing has given him a car to run towards the front on Sunday.

    That wraps it up for today from The Glen. Stay tuned tomorrow for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200 recaps.

    Until tomorrow…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Miles The Monster Continues to Survive Amongst Today’s Bigger Giants

    Miles The Monster Continues to Survive Amongst Today’s Bigger Giants

    During a time when the economy has taken its toll on the entertainment world, NASCAR as a sport was not immune and all the average fan had to do was look around at all the empty seats.

    [media-credit name=”doverspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”263″][/media-credit]No longer are the tracks selling out like they used to, and the owners were left to begin experimenting with different promotions to try and draw the fans away from their television sets, and back into the stands.

    Gary Camp, who is the director of public relations for Dover International Speedway, was able to answer a few questions about how the economy has affected “The Monster Mile.”

    “The economy has affected ticket sales, but that is the case across the entire sport to some extent,” Camp said. “We are optimistic about 2011, and we are doing our best to improve the fan experience for everyone.

    “We haven’t raised ticket prices in over five years, and we have been working hard to add value for our fans. From free, live concerts, to the Monster Monument, to our new, expanded FanZone…there is plenty to see and do, even beyond the racing, when you make the trip to the track.”

    With Dover looked at as one of only three independent tracks left in the series, Camp was asked what type of impact it had over the bigger corporations such as the International Speedway Corporation which is owned by the France family, or Bruton Smiths Speedway Motorsports Incorporated.

    “Because we aren’t part of the ISC or SMI families, we are often deemed an ‘independent’ track. We also own and operate Nashville Superspeedway, near Nashville, and Gateway International Raceway, near St. Louis, but Dover is the only track of these three that hosts a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race,” said Camp.

    Camp also talked about the other entertainment options that are part of the Dover experience.

    “The unique nature of the facility in Dover sets us apart from other venues, we share the property with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, and all the amenities they bring to the table.

    “Fans love the opportunity to play the slots, eat at the multiple restaurants, and coming in 2010, they will play live table games. The ability to do this all on the same site as a race track is very unique.”

    The planning and preparation that goes into making sure everything is in place for a typical race weekend can be very stressful, along with the stress factor of knowing that everything needs to be close to perfect.

    A race weekend isn’t just put together in the few weeks leading up to the race, instead it takes months of careful planning.

    “It’s interesting how many people are surprised to learn that many of our jobs here at the Speedway are full-time positions,” Camp said. “Many think we just open the gates on raceday, close them when it’s over, and do it again the next year.

    “It’s a year-long, continual process getting ready for our two big NASCAR event weekends. Budgeting, advertising, creative development, promotions, and more all play in to our ultimate goal—selling tickets and getting fans to come to Dover to see a race,“ said Camp, while talking about the weeks leading up the big race.

    Camp has been part of the Dover family for seven years now, and he started out working for an advertising and public relations agency that used to service the track, and casino, as a client.

    Camp also mentioned that his most memorable moment throughout the years since he has been at the track was the Dover race following 9/11.

    It was the first major sporting event after the attacks, so everyone was in a heightened state of security, and patriotism. MBNA handed out U.S. flags to everyone in attendance, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place as the national anthem and flyover happened that day.

    Camp still remembers how vividly the “U.S.A.” chants were that rang through the grandstands, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. after having won the event, celebrated with a huge American flag flying out of his window during his victory lap.

    There is plenty to see and do at this unique one-of-a-kind entertainment venue, and the staff at Dover are doing all they can by working with the local hotel operators to get them to help the fans with more reasonable rates, and reduced minimum night stay requirements.

    The cost of lodging is typically the largest expense when attending a destination sporting event, so anything that the staff at Dover can do to make it easier on fans will be helpful.

    If Miles, the 46-foot-tall monster, doesn’t grab your attention, then maybe 43 of NASCAR’s biggest names racing on this one-mile concrete gladiator ring will.

    Either way you don’t know what you are missing, unless you experience it first hand and in person.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Carl Edwards: Edwards took two tires on the final pit stop with 33 laps remaining and held off Tony Stewart, who took four, to win at Las Vegas. Edwards led 69 laps and won for the first time this year, and third in the last five races. The win vaulted him nine places to third in the Sprint Cup point standings, only seven out of first.

    “What does the comically oversized wrench, awarded the victor in Las Vegas, signify?” Edwards asked. “Duh, ‘winning!’ What’s my favorite luxury hotel in Las Vegas? Duh, ‘Wynn!’ Man, since late last year, all we’ve done is put wins in the record books. I wouldn’t go so far as to say ‘I win so radically in my underwear before my first cup of coffee, it’s scary,’ because only Charlie Sheen can do that. Me? I don’t drink coffee, and I don’t wear underwear, but I win anyway. Take that, Sheen!”

    2. Tony Stewart: Stewart led a race-high 163 laps, clearly boasting the day’s best car, but saw the win slip away on the final pit stop. Stewart opted for four tires for the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet with 33 laps remaining, while Carl Edwards took two, which gave him the lead, and eventual win.

    “No one can say we didn’t give it our best shot,” Stewart said. “We left it all out on the track, including the win. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. In the three races so far this year, I could have won each. But I have to be patient. The wins will come, probably when the weather heats up and I go on my usual mid-season tear. Edwards can have the back flips now; I’ll do ‘summersaults’ later.

    “As you know, I’ll be switching cars with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton at Watkins Glen this summer. He’s the best at what he does and I’m the best at what I do. And together it’s like, it’s on. It’s epic.”      

     3. Kurt Busch: Busch finished ninth at Las Vegas, surviving a spin-inducing run-in with Juan Montoya, earning his second top-10 finish of the year and leading one valuable lap in the Kobalt Tools 400. Busch is tied for first with Tony Stewart in the Sprint Cup point standings.

    “The last time Stewart and I were in the same place,” Busch said, “I got punched. I shudder to think what he would have done with fire-breathing fists. Luckily, only Charlie Sheen has those. I learned a hard lesson that day. There’s only one thing worse than picking a fight with a warlock, and that’s picking a fight with Tony Stewart.

    “Now, the subject of Stewart’s assault seems like a decent reason to give a shout out to the upcoming release of the movie Sucker Punch. And all this talk of Charlie Sheen begs for the making of the sequel to Platoon, called Buffoon.”

    4. Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya finished third in the Kobalt Tools 400, racing in the top 10 for most of the day. Montoya led eight laps on Sunday, and jumped five places in the point standings to fourth, seven points out of first.

    “The No. 42 Clorox Chevrolet was fast on Sunday,” Montoya said. “I like to call her ‘Bleached Lightning.’ It’s ironic that NASCAR would allow a bleach product such a prominent advertising role. Why? Because the last thing this sport needs in more ‘whitening.’

    “I may not be the most popular driver here in America, but I’m a total frickin’ rock star in Colombia, which might as well be Mars as far as the typical NASCAR fan is concerned.”

    5. Ryan Newman: Newman posted his second-straight top-5 finish of the year with a fifth at Las Vegas, joining Stewart-Haas teammate Tony Stewart, who finished second in the top 5. Newman is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, ten points out of first.

    “Obviously, Tony should have won the race,” Newman said. “Had he not been penalized for leaving his pit stall with the air hose still attached, we’d be celebrating a Stewart victory. And speaking of ‘air ho’s,’ Charlie Sheen’s been on television an awful lot lately talking about his live-in ‘goddesses.’ Hey Charlie, that’s not Adonis DNA and tiger blood coursing through your veins. It’s penicillin.”

    6. Kyle Busch: Busch, a Las Vegas native, saw his day at his home track end abruptly when the engine of the No. 18 blew on lap 107, just 20 laps after a blown tire had sent him into the wall. Busch, in the Snickers Penaut Butter Squared Toyota, finished 38th.

    “There was absolutely no indication the engine would go,” Busch said. “It was a lot like Charlie Sheen: it just ‘quit’ with no reasonable explanation. Then it caught on fire. That sucks. What do you call an engine that’s afire and has gone kaput? ‘Hot Shot.’ Hopefully, I won’t have to experience that again. Incidentally, that’s what moviegoers said after the first installment of Hot Shots.

    “As you may know, my New Year’s Eve wedding to Samantha Sarcinella was televised on the Style Channel last Saturday. It’s a monogamy story. It’s like an organic union of the hearts. Apparently, people watched it despite all that.”

    7. Paul Menard: Menard climbed to sixth in the Sprint Cup point standings after a solid 12th-place finish at Las Vegas. He’s leading the way for Richard Childress Racing so far, as teammates Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Burton sit 18th, 20th, and 31st in the standings.

    “I’m the new guy at RCR,” Menard said, “and although I wasn’t blessed with top-billing, Adonis DNA, or tiger blood, I nevertheless have talent that significantly contributes to the team. You could say I’m ‘carrying’ RCR right now. I’m the consummate teammate. I carry jock straps, and I carry the torch.” 

     8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon’s No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet blew a tire and slammed the wall, sending him to the garage and leaving him with a disappointing 36th-place finish. The result halted the momentum Gordon established with last week’s breakthrough win at Phoenix, and sent him tumbling down the point standings.

    “What are Robby Gordon and Kevin Conway guilty of in Las Vegas?” Gordon said. “Duh! Sinning! Gordon should proceed with caution, though. In light of Conway’s Extenze sponsorship, charges aren’t the only thing Gordon could have pressed against him.

    “As for my tire, it exploded like the body of someone who tried the drug ‘Charlie Sheen,’ which, not surprisingly, only comes in ‘pill’ form.”

    9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 7th at Las Vegas, posting his first top-10 result of the year, to lead the way for on an otherwise disappointing day for Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR teammates Joey Logano and Kyle Busch finished 23rd and 36th, respectively, with Busch suffering a blown engine just 107 laps into the race.

    “It was a good result after two unsatisfactory finishes to start the season,” Hamlin said. “The No. 11 Fed Ex team is still finding its groove, and I’m still battling through some lingering pain from last year’s knee surgery. Painkillers have helped. I’m on a drug called ‘Charlie Sheen’ that alleviates the pain in my knee. Unfortunately, it has one glaring side effect: it causes severe pain in the ass.

    “Despite my teammates’ troubles at Vegas, the JGR squad is totally capable of competing for the Sprint Cup title. Obviously, Kyle and I are perennial favorites, while Logano is probably just 2-3 years away from sharing that distinction. So, you could say that JGR has ’Two And A Half Men’ capable of winning the Sprint Cup championship.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson battled handling issues and struggled in the Kobalt Tools 400, finishing 16th. Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team never unlocked the right adjustments, and last year’s Las Vegas winner posted a disappointing finish after last week’s third at Phoenix.

    “What’s a bigger story than all of Charlie Sheen’s boasts of ‘winning?’” Johnson said. “Me not winning. That truly is gnarly. But I’m not fretting. Like Sheen, I’m making things interesting. And, like Sheen, I’ve got one gear. I’m not sure what his only gear is, but mine is ‘first,’ because that’s where I always finish.”

  • What?! Tony Stewart Has a Girlfriend…Say It Ain’t So!

    What?! Tony Stewart Has a Girlfriend…Say It Ain’t So!

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]It’s just days away from the 53rd running of the Daytona 500. Finally, after three long months NASCAR fans have something with a little substance to talk about; but forget all the hype of who is sitting on the pole, all of those crazy conspiracy theories and speeds reaching upward of 206 MPH during last weekend’s Budweiser Shootout and focus on something that really matters…Tony Stewart’s love life.

    Last week female fans across the land collectively lost their minds when former crew chief, Larry MacReynolds commented on the Stewart’s relationship status during the driver’s Shootout qualifying lap, naming Sprint Car driver Jessica Zemken as his girlfriend.

    Like a dog whistle blowing in the wind, Stewart’s lady fans instantly stopped what they were doing, cocked their heads to the side to ensure proper processing of what they were hearing and then promptly freaked the hell out!

    I know this because suddenly my Facebook, Twitter and cell phone blew up with messages and texts in an outrage over the news.  It was like animal instinct Armageddon. You would have thought that the nation was under attack again based solely on the intensity of how fast my social networks were working; instead it was just poor Jessica who was taking the brunt of the terrorist attacks.

    Naturally, in an attempt to write something factual and well researched, I Googled my subjects. In my quest to search of the real truth behind the vicious rumor, I stumbled upon a website dedicated to the brutal dissection of Stewart’s private life.  Sweet Jesus, it was like striking gold! How did I go so long as a NASCAR fan without realizing that sites like this actually exist? Does every driver have one?

    It was like hot buttered bliss drizzled atop a train wreck.  It was cat calling at it’s finest from a bunch of house fraus that would never in a million years be able to snag themselves their own Tony Stewart, but by-god they can dream can’t they and once they realize that the glass slipper will never fit their own foot, they do what they do best, talk some smack until it makes them feel better about their own lives.

    Ladies, are you really that surprised? This can’t possibly be the first time that you have heard her name romantically linked to Stewart. In 2009, she was photographed multiple times on pit road and in Victory Circle at Watkins Glen, a spot traditionally held for the driver’s wives or girlfriends.

    That same year I ran into her while covering a race on the east coast. I was heading into an infield bathroom that is primarily used by media, track employees, drivers and their crews, along with their families and friends while Ms. Zemken was heading out. When I say ran into her, I mean I literally ran into her. I was the victim of an accidental “motor boating,” not sure what that term means? Google it, I promise it will not disappoint! While I can say that I do admire a good pair of chest cushions when I see one, my face had no business being in between them! Talk about your awkward situations, but let’s just say for the record that Tony is a very lucky man!

    Look, who am I to judge anyone? I’m okay with a little harmless trash talking now and again, because somewhere, someone is talking smack about me, we are all fair game when it comes to scrutinizing and I admit that I enjoyed reading some of the posts on this bitchy blog, it was a good laugh, but before you go judging a pretty blond by her cover, open the book and flip through a couple pages and you’ll find that this one has a good storyline as well.

    Zemken may look like a living Barbie, but she grew up with racing in her blood. Her father Ray was a DIRT modified racer who spawned Jessica’s passion for driving.  She began racing on the go-kart track at the age of eight and with over 100 victories in that genre, set her sights on modified sprint cars just prior to her high school graduation.

    Realizing at an early age that nothing comes easy and if you want it done right, then do it yourself. At the age of 17 she assembled her own race team and won the 2004 Utica-Rome Speedway Track Championship (located in Central N.Y.).

    The following year she was competitively kicking ass and taking names. In 2010 she completed her first year as a driver with Tony Stewart Racing as a “true outlaw,” competing in 410 and 360 sprint car races, including stints in the World of Outlaws and All Star Circuit of Champions. The girl has a couple other assets under her fire suit, not just the obvious ones.

    Alright, alright…I know that you don’t always want the meat because you’re too distracted by the potatoes and sadly this is one of those cases where others will overlook true attributes for the analyzing of the cosmetic appeal.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if your driver is happy, can’t you just be happy for him? Maybe you should take a step back and give your own lives a little attention and stop playing the “Bitter, party of one” card.

    The truth of the matter is that no one would ever be good enough for “your man” unless it were you. Am I right? We cut down others in order to make ourselves feel better, it is a glorious little savior at times, but some have turned it into a destruction filled art form. It has become a habit or hobby if you will to talk hurtful gibberish, add to that the veil of anonymity that the Internet provides and it becomes a cesspool for like-minded behavior.

    Who has that kind of time? Not this girl and if I did, I would certainly be spending it on more valuable and rewarding activities, like writing about you! If I had a sassy little emoticon, I’d insert it right here. Probably that cute little winking smiley face that says “just kidding y’all,” or am I?

    We are NASCAR fans ladies and to read that if you will “no longer buy” No. 14 swag or are setting your sights on another, more romantically available driver just because you hate who your driver has chosen as a mate is downright embarrassing to the rest of us!

    Just know that I’ll still be wearing my Smoke gear proudly and will delight in the satisfaction of knowing that his soft cottony touch be all over me and not you. Scandalous isn’t it? See you on the message boards! (Insert big toothy smiley grin emoticon here.)

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. Crashes At Daytona: Goes From Pole to Hole In Daytona 500

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Crashes At Daytona: Goes From Pole to Hole In Daytona 500

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]After waiting several hours for the weather to clear, Sprint Cup practice for the Gatorade Duels finally started. It took only a few moments before the new “love bug” drafting claimed its first victims.

    Coming off turn four, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was linked nose to tail with Jimmie Johnson. Just as Earnhardt Jr. started to move left, Martin Truex Jr. came hard into his right rear bumper and sent both cars spinning into the infield wall, just at the entrance to pit road.

    NASCAR started the day by issuing teams smaller sized restrictor plates, 57/64 diameters, along with mandated smaller radiator grill openings.
    These changes were implemented in an effort to slow the 200+ mph race speeds and reduce the two by two drafting to a minimum.
    Unexpected rain showers had dampened the speedway and delayed early morning practice for several hours.

    Once the track was cleared for practice, it didn’t take long for teams to start testing their new restrictor plates and resume their two-by-two drafting around the 2.5 mile super speedway.

    After just a few green flag laps, it was once again Earnhardt Jr. posting the fastest times with speeds in excess of 195 mph.

    Once he was tagged in the rear bumper, the car of Earnhardt Jr. went tail first into the inside retaining wall, bounced off and then collected the car of Martin Truex Jr. with the front bumper of the No. 88 Amp Energy Chevrolet.

    With his primary car all but destroyed, Jr’s Hendrick Motorsports crew immediately pulled out a back up car.

    Qualifying for the front row of Sunday’s Daytona 500 has already been completed, and, with Dale Jr. winning the pole position, this unfortunate series of events will have huge impacts on tomorrows first Gatorade Duel and Sunday’s Daytona 500.

    Earnhardt Jr. will be relegated to the rear of the field in both events.

    His efforts in the Gatorade Duel will have no impact on this situation. According to NASCAR rules, Earnhardt Jr. cannot improve his starting position unless some other unfortunate driver crashes, changes an engine or has to go to a back up car.


    No one has ever come from the last starting position to win the Daytona 500.