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Tag: Camping World Truck Series

  • Jeb Burton: Famous Last Name But Just A Regular Guy

    Jeb Burton: Famous Last Name But Just A Regular Guy

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Jeb Burton Racing Facebook Page” align=”alignright” width=”245″][/media-credit]As the son of Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton and nephew of NASCAR Cup driver Jeff Burton, the teenager Jeb Burton most certainly bears that famous last name. But in spite of that, the young up and coming racer says he is “just a regular guy.”

    “I have a full-time job at a transmission shop,” Burton said. “It’s 30 hours a week but it’s still a pretty good job.”

    “I work like most everybody does, getting up and going to it every Monday morning and being stressed just like they are.”

    Burton also says he is pretty much of a ‘regular guy’ when it comes to his hobbies and what he likes to do when he is away from the hustle and bustle of the transmission shop.

    “I like to hunt and fish and go to the lake,” Burton said. “That’s what I do when I’m not working.”

    This weekend, however, the young man will be trading in his ‘regular guy’ status to follow in the footsteps of his famous racing family names.

    In fact, Jeb Burton will be making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut, piloting the No. 27 State Water Heaters Chevrolet for Hillman Racing, in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 31st.

    “I’m really excited,” Burton said. “I just want to go out there and keep my nose clean at Martinsville and hopefully come out with a top ten finish.”

    “I don’t want to tear anything up so I don’t cost us any money,” Burton continued. “And I want to finish top-10 or top-12 every race and not tear things up.”

    “Anything can happen when you don’t tear stuff up and run well.”

    In this instance, Burton’s famous last name definitely helped in putting his Truck racing deal together. After much investigation, Jeb and his father settled on a deal to race for Mike Hillman with veteran crew chief Trip Bruce and State Water Heaters on the hood of the race truck.

    “My dad went down to Charlotte to look at ARCA teams and some K&N East teams and realized that it didn’t cost much more to run trucks,” Burton said. “So, we went after our sponsor State Water Heaters. They’ve been helping Dad for the last couple of years and they seem really interested.”

    “We got with Mike Hillman and he was parting with Bob Germain and had a bunch of good equipment and thought it would be good for us to come with him,” Burton continued. “I started working with him, worked with him for a few days, and we’re all communicating well.”

    Burton is also communicating well with Trip Bruce, probably one of the most important member of the team as the youngster’s new crew chief. Burton is also looking forward to Bruce’s sharing his veteran knowledge of the sport, having crew chiefed for other drivers such as Johnny Benson and Kasey Kahne.

    “Me and Trip get along good,” Burton said. “We’ve only been to the race track twice together so we probably need to get a little better with that.”

    “It just takes time for him to find out what I want in the car and the adjustments he needs to make to make me go fast,” Burton continued. “I think me and Trip will work well together.”

    In spite of his ‘regular guy’ status, has the young driver learned any lessons from the other famous race car drivers with the same last name? Or does having that famous name sometimes become more of a hindrance than a help?

    “Dad gives me his input and help,” Burton said. “But me and Dad don’t see eye to eye on some things sometimes. So, he kind of stays out of it.”

    “I watch the races every Sunday and I see not only what my uncle does but what other people are doing, making mistakes and what they’re doing that is good,” Burton continued. “I just try to soak all that in.”

    “I’m sure Jeff and my Dad will talk to me a lot this week,” Burton continued. “I know they’re both probably excited about it for me.”

    Burton acknowledged that he has another mentor, to whom he often turns on and off the track. And this mentor will be in his ear for his Martinsville Truck debut.

    “I’ve got a good buddy who is my crew chief in my late model car and me and him get along great,” Burton said. “There is good chemistry there.”

    “He’s probably going to spot for me because he’s my spotter in my late model car,” Burton continued. “He keeps me calm on the radio.”

    “He believes in me and I believe in him,” Burton said. “When you have somebody that’s spotting for you and you don’t know him well, they make think you’re just not driving well. He knows I’m driving the wheels off it.”

    “That’s another reason I like him so much,” Burton continued. “He knows I can get it done and he believes in me.”

    “That’s a big part of this sport.”

    Burton also acknowledged that his late model racing experience will serve him well as he prepares for his Truck Series debut.

    “Definitely late models have prepared me best for Trucks,” Burton said. “I tried ARCA and ran one race and on the first lap I got wrecked going down the back straightaway. That wasn’t a very good race.”

    “The late models have definitely trained me,” Burton continued. “It’s a tough division to run in and win races. There’s a lot of good drivers.”

    Burton will most certainly be experiencing plenty of good drivers as he kicks off his Truck season with his new team at a track that is right in his back yard. In spite of that, however, the young driver is not claiming any home field advantage.

    “I think every race is a home race because it’s on national television,” Burton said. “I’m not going to think about that kind of pressure.”

    “I just need to work on getting the truck handling right and then the rest will fall into place.”

    While Burton has his focus completely on this weekend’s racing, he is also hoping that he can parlay a good run into racing more than just the next few that he has been promised. Currently, Burton is scheduled to compete in five races after Martinsville, including Rockingham, Kansas, Charlotte, Dover and Texas.

    “We’ve just got the next five right now and then we have to find some more opportunities with sponsors,” Burton said. “I think State Water Heaters, once they see us run well, they’ll probably continue sponsoring us.”

    And as with all young racers today, whether with famous racing last names or just ‘regular guys’, Burton took the opportunity to pitch all of his social media ties, as well as thank his fans.

    “You all can follow me on my Facebook racing page,” Burton said. “Or you can follow me on Twitter @JebBurtonRacing.”

    “If it weren’t for the fans following me, I wouldn’t get to do what I love to do,” Burton said.

  • Andy Hillenburg: The Man behind Bringing NASCAR Back to Rockingham Speedway

    Andy Hillenburg: The Man behind Bringing NASCAR Back to Rockingham Speedway

    Photo Credit: Stephanie McLaughlin

    Wednesday afternoon I headed out to Rockingham Speedway to meet with track President, Andy Hillenburg. I wanted to find out a little more about the man who made it his mission to bring NASCAR racing back to Rockingham Speedway.

    I arrived for my appointment a little early and sat in my car for a few minutes before going inside. As I sat waiting, I noticed someone out front trimming the hedges while another man stood nearby checking periodically to make sure everything looked just right. I suddenly realized that the other man was Andy Hillenburg. This was my first clue about the type of man I was about to interview.

    He calls himself a ‘blue collar man’ and he is willing to do whatever it takes to make one of his dreams come true. If something needs to be painted, you’ll likely find him with a paint brush in hand. He’s quick to point out that the track doesn’t have a huge budget so he often has to get creative in order to get things accomplished.

    One of his latest endeavors is a car he calls the “Rockmobile.” It’s a 1975 Dodge Coronet with a paint scheme designed to resemble a police car. On one side it reads, “To Serve and Promote,” and the phone number for ticket sales is prominently displayed. It’s a rolling advertisement that Hillenburg often drives around town.

    Another thing that stood out as we talked is his passion for racing. It’s a passion he has carried with him his entire life.

    Hillenburg was born and raised in Indianapolis, Ind. He worked in the family construction business but every spare moment was spent going to races.

    “I’ve wanted to race for as long as I can remember,” he told me. “I never really wanted to do anything else.”

    He built his first race car when he was 16 years old and began racing sprint cars. Over the next 10 years, he raced in open wheel cars whenever he had a chance. He competed in the USAC (United States Auto Club) series, the World of Outlaws series and anything else that was available. It didn’t really matter to him, as long as he was racing.

    His goal was to one day race in the Indy 500.

    He came close a couple of times. The first time he was actually entered to run but the team abruptly folded just prior to the race. The following year he thought he had a deal put together but a couple of weeks before the race, he realized it wasn’t going to happen.

    He was becoming increasingly frustrated when a good friend suggested that he move to North Carolina and try his hand at stock car racing.

    “I hadn’t really given it much thought,” he said.   “In Indianapolis, there’s so much racing. It’s everywhere you go. You just drive two miles down the road and there’s another race shop. I didn’t think any place could match that. I was perfectly content to stay in Indianapolis.”

    But then his friend took him to a Busch (now Nationwide Series) race in Hickory, N.C. in the spring of 1990.

    Hillenburg was so impressed that he made a drastic decision. With only a duffle bag full of clothes, his helmet, and a hundred dollars he borrowed from another friend, he got in his truck and drove to Charlotte, N.C.  Hillenburg spent the first four nights sleeping in that truck across from Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Then he ran into Kenny Schrader. He’d raced against Schrader so they knew each other slightly, but they weren’t what you’d call good friends. They stood around talking for a while and Schrader asked Hillenburg what he was doing in town.

    “I moved here,” Hillenburg told him.

    Schrader said, “That’s great. Do you have a deal?” “No,” Hillenburg replied.

    Schrader then asked, “Where are you living?” “Right there in my truck,” Hillenburg responded.

    At this point, Schrader began laughing. But he ended up taking Hillenburg out to his shop and gave him a place to stay for about 6 months.

    During the day, Hillenburg visited all the race shops, looking for any kind of job just to get his foot in the door. In the evenings, he helped out at the shop by mowing the grass, taking out the trash, washing cars and anything else that needed doing.

    He finally got a job at Fast Track High Performance Driving School. It wasn’t long before he was running the entire shop. The owner of the shop even fielded a couple of cars for Hillenburg to run two Cup races.  It wasn’t much but it was enough to keep the dream alive.

    About this time Hillenburg had the opportunity to buy the school.  It was a decision that would require him to put his driving career on hold for 3 years. He found that he loved the driving school business and worked hard to make it a success.

    But he hadn’t given up on his racing career.

    He finally had a chance to run a full season in 1995 in the ARCA series. He made the most of it by winning the championship.

    As he reflected on his life, he paused and said, “I’m a person that has a lot of dreams and I’ve been fortunate to accomplish several of them.”

    Then he leaned in, as if to tell me a secret.  “But not all of them; because I have lots.”

    In the 1990s, most of Hillenburg’s time on the track was spent as a test driver. He test drove for over 20 Cup teams, Ford Motor Company and Dodge Engineering. He was also an IROC test driver for about 10 years.

    He never really had the opportunity to race full time but he has no regrets and feels like he accomplished what he set out to do.

    One of the highlights of his racing career came at Daytona Speedway in 1998. He had to qualify on time to enter the race and he remembers it as “the best race I ever drove in my life.”

    Then, in 2000, at 37 years of age, he went to Indianapolis and competed in the Indy 500, accomplishing yet another lifelong dream.

    Hillenburg has also tried his hand as a team owner, most recently in the Camping World Truck series and the ARCA series.

    Did I mention that he has a lot of dreams?

    In his spare time, he also works as a stuntman and acts in commercials and movies.

    In the back of his mind, he knew that there was one piece missing to complete his business circle; owning a racetrack.

    It would give his driving school a home base and would come in handy for the stunt work and acting gigs that he likes to do as well.

    He had looked at a few tracks but nothing seemed like a good fit until Rockingham Speedway came up for auction in 2007.

    One of his goals from the very beginning was to bring NASCAR racing back to the track but he’s a little surprised at how quickly it happened.

    He’s also extremely proud of what he’s been able to accomplish and excited for the future. But he doesn’t take all the credit. It’s been a team effort from everyone at the track and the support of the community has been invaluable.

    But there’s no doubt in my mind that without Andy Hillenburg, it would not have happened.

    It is his blue collar work ethic, his willingness to take risks and his vision that have made it all possible.

    Rockingham Speedway seats approximately 30,000 and ticket sales are progressing well. But Hillenburg says they aren’t going to stop until one of two things happens.

    “We’re either sold out or we give the command to start your engines.”

    My last question for him was this. Why should fans come to Rockingham?

    “I feel like we’re unique. I want to be the facility that’s an old comfortable pair of shoes; a nice evening on the porch. We’re that race track.  All those old memories that you can relive as well as build new ones, that’s what I’m after.”

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to “The Rock” on April 15th.  For more information and to purchase tickets please visit online at rockinghamspeedway.com.

  • Dakoda Armstrong Has Sights Fixed on Truck Rookie of the Year Honors

    Dakoda Armstrong Has Sights Fixed on Truck Rookie of the Year Honors

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: dakodaarmstrong.com” align=”alignright” width=”100″][/media-credit]The youngest and newest member of ThorSport Racing, Dakoda Armstrong, has his eye on just one prize. The up and comer plans to take his No. 98 EverFi/Drive for Savings Toyota Tundra ride straight to the Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors.

    While some may argue that being ROTY does not really mean all that much, Armstrong definitely takes exception to that notion. For him, it is not only a special honor, but one that lasts a lifetime and cannot be taken away.

    “You only get one shot at it in any series you go in,” Armstrong said. “I try to go for it in any series that I run in.”

    “The names of people that have received that award and the competition that you go against, it’s a really big honor.”

    “This year, the Rookie of the Year title will be one of our goals,” Armstrong said. “Hopefully we can go out there and run well for it.”

    Armstrong is no stranger to Rookie of the Year honors. In fact, he secured that honor in the ARCA Racing Series and definitely felt that has helped move him along in his career.

    “Getting the Rookie of the Year honor has definitely helped propel me forward,” Armstrong said. “It’s the title you have and it is always brought up.”

    “So, it’s definitely a good thing,” Armstrong continued. “And it’s another banner we’d get to put up in the ThorSport shop.”

    While Armstrong acknowledges that there are plenty of drivers that he will be competing with for the ROTY honors, he feels that his biggest competition will be one of the Dillon boys.

    “For Rookie of the Year, my biggest competition is definitely Ty Dillon,” Armstrong said. “I competed against him in the ARCA Series.”

    “He’s got really good equipment and he’s a really good driver,” Armstrong continued. “We will definitely have some good racing and some good competition with him.”

    In addition to the ROTY honors, Armstrong has a few other goals in mind for this 2012 season at ThorSport Racing.

    “The main thing is just consistency,” Armstrong said. “I want to go out and reel off top-tens left and right and start getting top-fives.”

    “If we can get wins, I’m definitely going to try for it,” Armstrong continued. “We just want to get more consistent from where we were qualifying last year and even finishing.”

    “That’s what we want to work on, just getting better each and every week.”

    Armstrong is also most grateful to be on a team like ThorSport Racing, particularly with teammates like Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton.

    “Having those teammates, Crafton and Sauter, is one of the reasons that I went with ThorSport Racing,” Armstrong said. “Starting up this No. 98 team, it’s not like we’re starting up all three teams from scratch. I just keep trying to build off of them.”

    Armstrong advised that, although his mantra will be consistency, he like the rest of his team will be experiencing some change when it comes to their Truck manufacturer, this year switching to Toyota.

    “It’s a change for me as far as in the stock car world,” Armstrong said. “I’ve been with Toyota in the open wheel world where my dad owns a team.”

    “But this will be new for me and for ThorSport,” Armstrong continued. “We’re glad to have them and they’ve been a big help so far.”

    “Hopefully, we can go out and keep getting better with their equipment.”

    While looking forward to an exciting racing season, particularly with the ROTY honors in sight, Armstrong admits that he leads a ‘pretty boring’ life off the track. But he does have one fairly interesting hobby.

    “I’m actually a pretty boring person,” Armstrong said. “But bowling is one of my biggest hobbies right now.”

    “I got out of high school where I used to play basketball and a lot of other sports,” Armstrong continued. “But bowling is something you can go do so that’s been pretty fun.”

    “I think I bowl good enough to be in a league but I haven’t got there yet,” Armstrong said. “I just have fun with it.”

    On reflection, however, Armstrong advised that his new hobby did have some critical factors in common with his racing passion.

    “It’s a really hard sport as far as making sure that you do the same thing over and over again,” Armstrong said. “I guess it’s like hitting the same line over and over each lap.”

    “So, that way it is connected to racing so I feel a whole lot better about going to play it now.”

    While enjoying his off-track hobby, Armstrong remains committed to pursuing his racing passion. The young driver also has progression on his mind when it comes to his career.

    “I definitely do want to be racing on Sundays in the Cup Series eventually,” Armstrong said. “Whether that happens or not, I don’t know.”

    “The main thing is that I have a great opportunity right now in the Truck Series with ThorSport,” Armstrong continued. “So, I just have to make the best of it and go out and try the best I can each and every week.”

    Most of all, Armstrong just cannot wait to get his 2012 season started so that he can begin his quest for the Truck Series Rookie of the Year prize. He will start work early this week as he heads off to Daytona International Speedway.

    “I actually take off Monday and we have a rookie meeting on Tuesday,” Armstrong said. “We have a call on Wednesday and practice on Thursday.”

    “It’s pretty nerve-wracking,” Armstrong continued. “I’ve been there in the ARCA Series so I know pretty much where everything is.”

    “I know the facility but we will actually be racing the same weekend as the Daytona 500 so the atmosphere will be crazy.”

    “But if I could sum up in one word my feelings going into Daytona, it would be excited, especially because this is something new,” Armstrong said. “I am going to be a rookie and the trucks are still really new to me.”

    “So, I’m just looking forward to getting the opportunity to go out and show what the 98 team can do.”

     

  • Austin Dillon Wins The Truck Championship; Johnny Sauter wins the Race

    Austin Dillon Wins The Truck Championship; Johnny Sauter wins the Race

    Coming into the night, all Austin Dillon had to do was finish 16th or better to clinch the 2011 championship. With 40 laps to go at Homestead-Miami Speedway, it was looking like that championship would be in jeopardy.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”241″][/media-credit]On the restart with 34 laps to go, Dillon didn’t have a good one and fell back to 15th in eight laps. His teammate Coulter had also reported seeing issues with Dillon’s right tire. Ron Hornaday also told Dillon’s team that some oil had come up on his window when Dillon passed him.

    “When you get back there in that situation, your head tells you to be smart but at the same time you’re telling yourself to go because you’re close,” Dillon said. “I went as hard as I could.”

    Dillon quickly put all of that behind him and moved up to the 10th position, running laps as quick as leaders, before the race was called for rain with 15 laps to go.

    At the age of 21 years, 6 months and 22 days, Dillon becomes the youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion in series history.

    “This is a dream true,” the grandson of Richard Childress said. “The great thing is that I am a very fortunate person to have this opportunity. It was scary after that last restart. We got back up there. I thought we had a truck to win.”

    This marks the first time the No. 3 has won a championship since Dale Earnhardt’s death in 2001.

    “The first time I got to pick a number, that was the only number I knew,” he said. “I told my grandpa let’s run it; let’s have some fun with it. I am very proud to run it.”

    It also marks the first Truck Series championship for Richard Childress since winning the inaugural truck series title in 1995 with Mike Skinner.

    “I’m so happy for my grandfather,” Dillon said. “It’s really helped him. He’s back in it; he’s got the heart of a 10 year old and is back in it.”

    It marks Childress’ first driver’s championship since Clint Bowyer’s Nationwide Series title in 2008.

    “This has got to be right up there at the top,” Childress said. “It’s so special when your whole family is involved. I remember the very first championship with Dale Earnhardt. I had the same feeling tonight watching Austin, my grandson.”

    The difference at the end of the night between Dillon and Johnny Sauter was six points.

    “The thing that he did was kept his truck in one piece – for a younger guy with the pressure of leading the points, I’d say that’s one thing that sticks out to me that a lot of guys probably can’t do at this stage in their careers,” Sauter commented on Dillon.

    Sauter put all the pressure he could on Dillon, leading the most laps in the Ford 200, before going on to win the race.

    “I’m so happy to be up here next to my best friend Joe,” Sauter said. “My guys are everything to me. They were on fire tonight. They are the reason for my year.”

    Before the race was called, Denny Hamlin had made a move on Sauter to the outside, though Sauter squeezed Hamlin up. Sauter then came over the radio apologizing to Hamlin, saying it wasn’t intentional.

    The win was the fourth of Sauter’s career and ThorSport’s seven victory of the season.

    “I’ve always wanted to have two NASCAR wins in the same year so that was a huge accomplishment.”

    Kevin Harvick would finish third in his final race as a truck owner, after locking up the owner’s championship two weeks earlier at Texas with the No. 2 truck.

    “It’s been quite a run as a team,” Harvick said. “To just get the first win and be able to compete as we have, it shows the type of people behind us. To go from starting the team in 2001 to the championships with Hornaday, it’s been quite a run. If you have to go out, winning the championship would be the way to do it.”

    Harvick had his own controversy during the race as he was in the middle of a dispute with James Buescher. On a restart, Harvick had a run on Buescher and tried to go under him, in which Buescher came down and blocked Harvick. Then coming on pit road, Buescher spun Harvick out after Harvick tried to pass him while on the access road.

    “I was thinking in my head, ‘Don’t be Kyle Busch, don’t be Kyle Busch’,” Harvick said afterwards.
    Nelson Piquet Jr. would finish fourth to finish his 10th in points in his rookie season in the truck series.

    With a fifth place finish, Coulter locked up the rookie of the year title to cap off a good year for RCR.

    “It’s just fantastic to win a championship and watch how hard these guys put in it,” Childress said. “To see this 3 back in victory lane with Bass Pro Shops, Ty’s success and Joey winning rookie of the year – it’s been an awesome year for RCR.”

    The success of Richard Childress Racing in 2011 will definitely be talked about this off-sesaon, but don’t think the success won’t be there next year. Ty Dillon will take over Austin Dillon’s seat in the No. 3 truck and finished sixth to earn his second top-10 finish in his third Truck Series start.

    “The great part about Austin and Ty is they are good kids,” Harvick said. “They’ve got their head on their shoulders right. I don’t think that will be the last Dillon that you see going through the championship circle in this truck series.

    “They’ve got a good future. They’re like sponges. They listen to you and they’ve got a lot of history and their heritage.”

    Unofficial Race Results
    Ford 200, Homestead-Miami Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/truckseries/race.php?race=25
    ==============================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    ==============================================
    1 5 13 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 48
    2 17 18 Denny Hamlin Toyota 0
    3 8 2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 0
    4 3 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. * Chevrolet 40
    5 10 22 Joey Coulter * Chevrolet 39
    6 2 121 Ty Dillon Chevrolet 38
    7 7 124 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 0
    8 21 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 36
    9 12 23 Jason White Chevrolet 35
    10 4 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 34
    11 23 81 David Starr Toyota 33
    12 1 31 James Buescher Chevrolet 33
    13 22 33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 32
    14 13 29 Parker Kligerman * Dodge 30
    15 16 15 Dusty Davis * Toyota 29
    16 15 5 Todd Bodine Toyota 28
    17 14 4 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 27
    18 9 6 Justin Lofton Chevrolet 26
    19 11 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet 26
    20 19 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 25
    21 24 9 Max Papis Toyota 23
    22 6 60 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 22
    23 28 32 Blake Feese Chevrolet 21
    24 30 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 20
    25 20 98 Dakoda Armstrong Chevrolet 20
    26 27 151 German Quiroga Toyota 18
    27 36 20 Ross Chastain Toyota 17
    28 25 109 Bryan Silas Ford 0
    29 34 57 Norm Benning Chevrolet 15
    30 35 168 Clay Greenfield Dodge 14
    31 26 66 Max Gresham Chevrolet 13
    32 18 7 Miguel Paludo * Toyota 12
    33 32 174 Mike Harmon Chevrolet 0
    34 29 138 Dennis Setzer Chevrolet 0
    35 31 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Ford 0
    36 33 7 Johnny Chapman Toyota 0
  • Rockingham Speedway Hosts Toyota Test Session

    Rockingham Speedway Hosts Toyota Test Session

    [media-credit name=”Rockingham Speedway” align=”alignright” width=”265″][/media-credit]Monday morning I was at home doing the usual housework when all of a sudden it hit me. Why am I in the house on such a beautiful day when I could be at ‘The Rock’? So I ditched the chores, hopped in my car and drove out to Rockingham Speedway.

    I arrived around 2:30 pm and decided to check in at the office. One of the best parts of the day was the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Andy Hillenburg. His vision and perseverance combined to bring NASCAR back to this historic track.

    After parking my car I walked to the grandstands, took my seat and joined the others who were there to watch the testing session. As I sat and watched, I couldn’t help but smile. ‘The Rock’ is an integral part of NASCAR history and a sense of awe immediately enveloped me.

    While I was thinking about all that had come before, a father and son walked past me and caught my eye. I listened as the father patiently explained to his son what was happening.  The young boy gazed into his father’s eyes, determined not to miss a single word.

    That’s when it dawned on me. Maybe I had been looking at this all wrong. Maybe it’s not the past that’s important but the new memories that this young boy and others like him will make when NASCAR returns to ‘The Rock’.

    That reunion will take place when Rockingham Speedway hosts the Camping World Truck Series on April 15, 2012. Tickets are available for pre-order now at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.
    Drivers who participated in the test session:

    NASCAR Sprint Cup – Denny Hamlin
    NASCAR Nationwide – Steve Wallace, Michael Annett, Darrell Wallace Jr.
    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Kyle Busch, Brian Ickler, Timothy Peters, David Starr

  • NASCAR Beginnings: The Legend of Rockingham Speedway

    NASCAR Beginnings: The Legend of Rockingham Speedway

    I have to admit that sometimes I get a little jealous. I didn’t grow up as a fan of NASCAR. My childhood heroes were rock stars, not racecar drivers. And even though I attended races with my father as a young girl, it was more about spending time with my Dad than about the racing. Though the seed was planted at an early age, it didn’t flourish until many years later.

    So as I write about the beginnings of NASCAR, I find myself wishing I could have been there to experience those historic moments in person. As any NASCAR fan will tell you, you haven’t experienced racing until you’ve seen it live and uncensored, up close and personal.

    It has been said that you can’t go back but every once in a while, an opportunity comes along to do just that. On September 7th, it was announced that NASCAR will reunite with Rockingham Speedway as the Camping World Truck Series returns to the historic track in April 2012.

    As varied as the drivers are, each race track also has its own unique personality, none more so than Rockingham Speedway.

    I could site facts and figures about the track but what I really wanted to know is what the fans think. So I began asking people to share their thoughts and memories of “The Rock.”

    I heard things like, “There’s not a bad seat in the house,” or “It’s a driver’s track,” and “There’s no other track like it on the circuit.”

    Perhaps the biggest endorsement came from a friend who said, “It’s the first track I went to and I will never forget it. It’s what got me hooked on NASCAR.”

    But the most memorable story was bittersweet. It reminded me that the history of NASCAR is filled not only with triumphs but loss, as well. His story goes back to February of 2001.

    “Of course those were sad days following Dale’s death, especially the next day when the reality of what had happened began to truly sink in. There was no intention of attending the next weekend’s race at “The Rock,” no tickets had been ordered ahead of time, no plans were made.

    “Tuesday afternoon I received a call from a friend to inform me that he had ordered tickets and knowing what a fan I was of Dale’s he asked if I wanted to go. It took no thought at all to blurt out a resounding, “Hell Yes!”

    “We met at his house early on Saturday morning, tossed our bags into his motor home, and lit out for the 12-hour drive to the sandhills of North Carolina. We arrived at Rockingham late Saturday afternoon and after a quick scouting mission we set up camp in the pine woods just across the highway behind the frontstretch grandstands.

    “Fully expecting many tears and a somber mood we were somewhat surprised to find that the fans in that campground were enjoying themselves, albeit on a much lesser scale than would most likely have been the case had the events of the previous week not occurred, but making the best of it none the less.

    “There were No. 3 banners and homemade signs at almost every camp bidding fond farewells to Dale.

    “By that time the evening’s campfires were being lit, their smell joining with the aroma of the pines in the misty air making for a somewhat surreal scene.  There was music in the distance and I’ll never forget hearing the song ‘Free Bird’ wafting through the woods adding to that surreal feeling.

    “I went into a storage compartment and broke out a fifth of the good stuff. I needed a drink. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought it might be. Several long draws on the bottle, as well as a few beers, took the edge off, and so with bottle in tow, we were off to do some exploring.

    “We stopped at many camps along the way where stories of Dale’s exploits were told and retold again. It was another thing that struck me, the friendliness, the brotherhood, the camaraderie. We were all racing fans and we were here to celebrate Dale.

    “I will admit that there were times when I felt more like an observer rather than a participant, but another toast, another pull on that bottle brought me back to the reality of what was going on.

    “Sunday dawned cold and bleak with a heavy mist in the air. A couple of fellows drove along the dirt path in front of our camp in a golf cart hawking newspapers from the week before telling of Dale’s passing. Damn.

    “After coffee, we decided to head across the highway to the track, although the outlook for a race that day wasn’t very promising at all. I put on my black Dale Earnhardt T-shirt, black jeans and black No. 3 cap and we joined the quiet procession. Very few spoke and some wept as we all just slowly walked to the gates.

    “I signed the Goodwrench hauler parked near the entrance, as almost everyone did, wishing Dale God’s speed. Some placed a hand on the side of the hauler as if it was a religious shrine, and I suppose on this day, in a way, it was.

    “As one would expect, there was to be a pre-race ceremony in honor of the fallen Earnhardt.

    “It was somewhat fitting that the skies were dark and heavy with rain that day as some preacher said some words of comfort that I don’t think anyone really heard. There were a lot of blank stares on expressionless faces.

    “After a bit, Darrell and Stevie Waltrip took to the mic and in a trembling voice Darrell read a passage from the Bible. He then asked everyone in the stands to join hands and express fellowship to the people on either side of them, which we all did as he again read a Bible passage.

    “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, myself included.

    “As D.W. said his final goodbyes to Dale and left the stage, the skies ironically opened up with a brief but heavy rain as if the heavens themselves had to offer their own tears.

    “As the ceremony ended there was an unearthly quiet except for the sounds of jet dryers. After a couple of hours of track drying the cars were pushed to pit road, including a plain white No. 29 Goodwrench Chevy with a small black No.3 next to the 29.

    “The command was given to start the engines and it was as if the shroud had been lifted from Rockingham as those cars rolled onto the speedway. A few laps under the yellow and green flag and then the race was on at full song.

    “It was on lap one or two that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was involved in an accident entering turn three that was almost identical to the one the week before that claimed his father.

    “There was an audible gasp from the crowd as the images of the Sunday before flashed into our minds. As we know, Junior wasn’t injured, but the similarities to Dale’s fatal wreck were unmistakable.

    “Then, again ironically, the skies opened up a second time, only this time heavily and persistently. The race was postponed, almost mercifully, until Monday.

    “It was only later that I learned Rusty Wallace, after the race was called, looked up at the skies and said, (paraphrasing) ‘That’s Dale up there saying, if I can’t race, ain’t nobody gonna race’.

    “As the fans filed out I sat in that rain and waited. I had one last gesture to attend to.

    “I pulled my Sharpie out and wrote ‘God’s speed Dale’ inside the red brim of my No. 3 cap and tossed it over the fence onto the frontstretch asphalt. I had said my goodbye to The Intimidator in the best way I knew how.

    “In a final bit of irony, it turned out Monday was sunny and the race was run. Steve Park in the No. 1 Pennzoil Chevy owned by the late Dale Earnhardt paid their own tribute by winning the race.

    “All in all, it was an experience I’ll never forget … and one I hope I’ll never have to experience again.”

    Special thanks to a dear friend, Mick, from Infield Parking, for sharing his experience.

  • Matt Crafton Enters ARCA Racing Series’ Menards 200

    Next weekend for Matt Crafton just got a little busier as he will attempt to qualify and race in the ARCA Racing Series’ Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway in Ohio. The race will be held on Sunday May 15th, less than 24 hours after Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway.

    This isn’t the first time that Crafton has attempted doing this as he has done it the past two years. Two years ago, he flew from Charlotte to Toledo to qualify a car for Paul Menard to race. Last year, he flew in again from Charlotte, qualifying the car seventh and finishing fifth.

    Crafton, who currently sits third in Truck points, will be driving the No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management/Menards Ford Fusion for the ARCA race, which will be prepared by Kimmel Racing. The opportunity to do this came forth as a result of the overall Menards Racing program in ARCA and the business relationship that they have with Crafton in the Camping World Truck Series.

    “I’m looking forward to getting back to Toledo – it’s a great racetrack with great fans,” Crafton said in the press release. “The track is awesome and I really like racing it. Pit strategy is huge at this track, since the tires fall off early and the rookies will be looking to their crew chiefs to really learn. We’ve learned a lot about tires this year in the Truck Series on repaved surfaces and different tires, so I’m interested in seeing what these Hoosier tires do next week.”

    For Crafton, he is going into this race with one thing on his mind – winning.

    “It’s great to race in the ARCA Racing Series, because this is just plain fun,” he said. “I’m going to race to win, I’d be ridiculous not to say that and there is some great competition in ARCA. Trucks this year is pretty cut-throat – every team and every driver has to be on their game 150% of the time to get a win and even get in the top ten. I’m proud of the momentum we’ve had so far, and it’s a great time for Ohio-based racing. Toledo Speedway shines a spotlight on Midwest racing at its finest, and I think it’s going to spotlight some really great talent there.”

    The Tulare, California native is no stranger to Ohio as he is regularly in Sandusky, Ohio to check on his truck team.

    “I come check in on my guys and my No. 88 fleet of trucks, meet with Bud (Haefele), crew chief, and get setups done with the team,” he said in the press release. “My owners, Duke and Rhonda Thorson, believe in Ohio for racing and know it’s a place where we can focus on the sport without a lot of chatter or noise from other teams.  It’s good chi overall, keeps the guys motivated.”

  • Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong Prove Racing is a Family Affair

    Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong Prove Racing is a Family Affair

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]Up and coming NASCAR racers like Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong may have loads of talent but they also have one other thing in common, the love and support of their family. And each one of them has proven that racing is truly a family affair.

    Thanks to the coaching of his NASCAR champion father Awesome Bill Elliott and the unfailing support of mom Cindy, Chase Elliott is already proving that racing for him is filled with family. The young racer also recently signed with one of NASCAR’s most famous team families, Hendrick Motorsports.

    Elliott raced this past weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway in one of NASCAR’s developmental series under the banner of HMS. With that start, Chase officially became the youngest driver ever to start a K&N Pro Series East race at the tender age of 15 years.

    Elliott followed in his most popular father’s footsteps from the moment he pulled into the historic race track in South Carolina. Fans lined up well into Turn Four to get the youngster’s autograph and the line remained until the session finally had to be ended so the race could start.

    Elliott, in his No. 9 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, qualified for the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 in the 26th position. His qualifying lap, at a speed of 85.531 miles per hour, was a definite improvement over his practice time but he still started the race deep within the field.

    Elliott had to not only pick his way through the field gradually but also had to overcome a spin on lap 97 to soldier forward. With 23 laps to go, the young driver, with his father in his ear as spotter, manhandled his way to eighth, eventually finishing the race in the fourth spot.

    Ever the competitor, just like his father, Chase Elliott had this to say after his debut.

    “The weekend wasn’t quite what we wanted it to be,” Elliott said. “But it ended up being a pretty good night for the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.”

    “Having the support of your family and friends for any first time event in your life is always special,” Elliott continued. “I have been fortunate to have the support of a lot of family and friends that have been with me each step of the way.”   

    Just as family has been critical to Chase Elliott’s rise in the sport, so has the family of Johanna Long been instrumental in her move up as a rookie in the Camping World Truck Series this year. She too is following in the steps of her racing father, Donald, who raced in the NASCAR All-Pro Division back in the day.

    Long, at age 18, admits that she is struggling a bit to get that handle on her No. 20 Panhandle Grading and Paving Toyota Tundra truck. In the first three Truck races, she has finished 32nd, 20th and 31st respectively.

    “It’s going,” Long said of her Truck run to date. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck but every time we go to the race track we’ve been learning a lot.”

    “I’m learning and learning and learning.”

    Long was very excited to race this past weekend at Martinsville in the Kroger 250 this past weekend. She was able to harness her excitement to get her best finish to date, bringing her truck to the finish line in one piece and in the 18th position.

    But she still goes back to crediting her family for putting her in the position to pursue her racing dreams.

    “My mom and my dad and my grandparents and my uncle, they all own my team,” Long said. “They are a big part of my career.”

    “They have given me a great opportunity and I can’t thank them enough,” Long continued. “My mom and dad come to every single race and they would not miss it for the world. It’s really neat for them to come and experience this with me.”

    At age 19, Dakoda Armstrong may be the eldest of this group of up and coming racers, but he too got to where he is today thanks to the nurturing of his family, in his case from down on the farm. Thanks to his family’s support, Armstrong recently signed with ThorSport Racing to run a third team to current powerhouse Truck racers Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton.

    Armstrong will run the No. 98 Chevy Silverado for a select number of races this year. Armstrong will also continue his ARCA racing, where last year he won the Rookie of the Year honors.

    Armstrong credits his family with jump starting his racing career. He grew up on a farm in the Midwest, born in New Castle, Indiana.

    “When I was younger, we had cattle and we actually had to sell them so we could go racing,” Armstrong said.

    The investment paid off and this racer’s family farming avocation has even led him to several sponsorship deals, specifically with ethanol coming into the sport and the greening of NASCAR.

    “It’s kind of funny how it worked out,” Armstrong said. “My dad’s farming career and my racing career are starting to mesh right now.”

    “It’s been really neat and it’s a great experience for my family,” Armstrong said of his racing. “They really love it.”

    Regardless of their ages or current racing series, there is no doubt that all three of these up and coming NASCAR future stars have succeeded in moving forward in their young careers thanks to the love, support and nurturing of their families.

    And there is also no doubt that the parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles of Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong could not be more proud.

  • The Kyle Busch Show: Kyle Busch Wins The Lucas Oil 150

    The Kyle Busch Show: Kyle Busch Wins The Lucas Oil 150

    The past three years at Phoenix International Raceway, Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) has won with Kyle Busch second. Going into this year, Busch said no more as he brought a brand new truck, set to take down KHI.

    “Big thanks to the guys in the chassis shop,” crew chief Eric Phillips said afterwards. “They put their heads together on building a brand new truck – its not like anything in the shop.”

    On lap 43, Busch came down pit road second to KHI driver Clint Bowyer, though with a quick stop from his pit crew, Busch gained the lead and never looked back as he led the final 50 laps on his way to victory. The win gave Busch his 25th Camping World Truck Series victory and 50th top five in 87 starts.

    “It’s pretty amazing and its been that way for a long time,” Busch said in victory lane. “I’ve had a lot of awesome people stand behind me all the way. Man, I was scared there near the end thinking Clint was going to walk the dog there but Eric’s made some awesome changes on these trucks.”

    The Kyle Busch-KHI one-two finish show kept going as it was Bowyer who finished second.

    “I knew once he beat us out of the pits,” Bowyer said. “You know, in clean air, once you drive off and leave them you’re a tenth better than the field. Its like when we won in the Fall. I knew in practice that he’d be the one to beat.”

    In the last 50 laps, Bowyer had multiple chances to get Busch on the restart, but he could never get that run.

    “One time I’d spin the tires; the next time I’d hit the REV limiter,” Bowyer said. “These things hit the REV limiter quicker than the Cup cars do.”

    His teammate Ron Hornaday finished third while Johnny Sauter and Austin Dillon rounded out the top five. Rookie Cole Whitt finished sixth for his first truck series top 10, followed by Matt Crafton, Justin Johnson, Joey Coulter and Jason White.

    The first 43 laps went green, though the final 100 laps saw eight cautions as multiple trucks found themselves in trouble.

    With his seventh place finish, Matt Crafton takes over the points lead by one point over Clay Rogers. Clay Rogers, who was the points leader coming into the weekend, finished 16th.

    Unofficial Race results

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 3 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 0 0 150 Running
    2 1 2 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 0 0 150 Running
    3 4 33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 41 0 150 Running
    4 8 13 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 40 0 150 Running
    5 2 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 39 0 150 Running
    6 9 60 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 38 0 150 Running
    7 6 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet 37 0 150 Running
    8 14 51 Justin Johnson* Toyota 36 0 150 Running
    9 10 22 Joey Coulter * Chevrolet 35 0 150 Running
    10 17 23 Jason White Chevrolet 34 0 150 Running
    11 21 32 Brad Sweet Chevrolet 33 0 150 Running
    12 11 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 32 0 150 Running
    13 22 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. * Chevrolet 31 0 150 Running
    14 7 30 Todd Bodine Toyota 30 0 150 Running
    15 18 9 Max Papis Toyota 29 0 150 Running
    16 13 92 Clay Rogers Chevrolet 28 0 150 Running
    17 12 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 27 0 149 Running
    18 27 66 Justin Marks Chevrolet 26 0 148 Running
    19 29 1 Jeffrey Earnhardt * Chevrolet 25 0 148 Running
    20 25 20 Johanna Long * Toyota 24 0 148 Running
    21 23 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 23 0 148 Running
    22 30 93 Shane Sieg Chevrolet 22 0 148 Running
    23 31 46 Craig Goess * Toyota 21 0 148 Running
    24 36 45 Mike Skinner Toyota 20 0 148 Running
    25 28 7 Miguel Paludo * Toyota 19 0 147 Running
    26 19 15 Dusty Davis* Toyota 18 0 145 Running
    27 35 57 Norm Benning Chevrolet 17 0 145 Running
    28 16 244 Greg Pursley Chevrolet 16 0 144 Running
    29 5 119 David Mayhew Chevrolet 15 0 143 F. Pump
    30 24 77 Justin Lofton Toyota 14 0 139 Running
    31 26 4 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 13 0 132 Accident
    32 20 29 Parker Kligerman * Dodge 12 0 132 Accident
    33 34 10 Chase Mattioli * Ford 11 0 128 Running
    34 15 81 David Starr Toyota 10 0 112 Accident
    35 32 7 B.J. McLeod Chevrolet 9 0 104 Accident
    36 33 5 Travis Kvapil Toyota 8 0 99 Accident