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Tag: Charlotte

  • The Final Word – Charlotte was a Happy Place, Though it Made Junior Sad, and Some Mad at Brad

    The Final Word – Charlotte was a Happy Place, Though it Made Junior Sad, and Some Mad at Brad

    Charlotte in the night and what a web it wove. Essentially, you could sum up the action by first pointing out that Kevin Harvick once again had a dominant car. The difference this time is that he won the darn thing, the Closer closed, and the Happy boy is now locked into the Chase right through to the Arizona 500.

    Secondly, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had bad vibrations, bad enough to snap his shifter. It was not as bad as Kansas, but finishing 20th a race after coming home 39th is not what the lad was looking for. For either he or Jimmie Johnson to make the Chase, Kasey Kahne cannot. Harvick and Joey Logano are locked into the next round after Talladega, while the other five contenders are close to it, barring very bad things. Of course, Talladega is where very bad things are known to happen.

    Very bad. Some think that describes Brad Keselowski and the boys seemed to be lining up to kick the crap out of him. A come to Jesus meeting seemed to be in order, where one’s feelings were not the only things destined to be hurt. In hearing Brad tell it, all I heard was that everyone else started the problems by attempting to pay him back for things he had already done.

    With around 60 laps to go, Brad went either looking for an off ramp or he deliberately swung way wide on a restart to deliberately block Matt Kenseth and force him into scraping the wall. He then did a little tap-tapping on Denny Hamlin in his bid to move forward, causing an anxious moment or two late in the race.

    Somewhere in there, or so Keselowski says, Hamlin tried to retaliate, so as the race ended Brad tried to perform a P.I.T. maneuver on Hamlin’s auto. Then, he claimed Kenseth had torn off his right front, which seemed perfectly fine when it hit Matt’s parked car post-race on pit road. At the time, Kenseth had already taken off his restraining devices, making it truly a stupid move. Unfortunately for Bradley Aaron, he also caught Tony Stewart, even though he claimed it must have been Kenseth who hit him. As Brad backed up, Stewart put his own in reverse and made damn sure Keselowski’s front end was indeed torn up, causing the boy to get out of Dodge but quick.

    By the time he parked, Hamlin was hunting him down. There was pushing and yelling, but the two never seemed to get together. Brad was directed to his hauler, but hauled himself out to walk off into the night between the trailers. That is where Kenseth caught up to him, and they did get together. Another big crowd gathered, more pushing and yelling ensued, as the post-race action got more exciting than anything we had just seen out on the track.

    In the end, Brad gave his side of the story, NASCAR was going to ponder what took place, and no doubt nothing of consequence will come out of it. Do you remember how I recently mentioned that after initially not being much of a fan I was starting to warm toward Keselowski? Not today. The boy seems on the verge of becoming what Kurt Busch had once been, a malady that seems curable only by a treatment made popular by a certain Dr. James (Jimmy) Spencer.

    What we learned is that the next time Keselowski causes one of those racing deals, that block will result in him being sent into the wall. The next time he says what happened, I will want to see what really did happen, as ole Brad seems to ignore a few facts in his summation of events. I do not like his chances of advancing to the next round of the Chase, as I think he just lost a few friends from his Facebook list.

    Talladega is next, and sometimes things just happen at Talladega.

    The eight who rate…
    1 – Joey Logano – 1 WIN – 3088 POINTS – Locked in
    3 – Kevin Harvick – 1 – 3081 – Locked in
    2 – Kyle Busch – 0 – 3082 – 26 Points to the good
    4 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 3077 – 21 Points to the good
    5 – Carl Edwards – 0 – 3076 – 20 Points to the good
    6 – Jeff Gordon – 0 – 3074 – 18 Points to the good
    7 – Denny Hamlin – 0 – 3073 – 17 Points to the good
    8 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 3057 – 1 Point to the good

    Four who need to do more…
    9 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 3056 POINTS – 1 Point out
    10 – Brad Keselowski – 0 – 3038 – 19 Points out
    11 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 0 – 3031 – 26 Points out
    12 – Jimmie Johnson – 0 – 3031 – 26 Points out

  • Hot 20 – Just like NASCAR, Life Presents us with Wins, Losses, and Challenges to be Overcome

    Hot 20 – Just like NASCAR, Life Presents us with Wins, Losses, and Challenges to be Overcome

    Life is full of milestones, some good and some not. Some win championships, some more than one, while others struggle to overcome adversity. Their ability to do so, to win the fight, are just as inspirational, if not more so.

    Life has a way of letting you know what is important. News that Steve Byrnes is stepping away from the microphone to do battle once again with cancer is one such example. I expect to see him overcome this setback, to see him return to the studio and garage. There are too many songs in his song sheet that yet need to be sung, and I expect Byrnes to do so. I wish him well, and wellness, and a speedy return to us.

    Friday sees me in Eckville, Alberta to say goodbye and celebrate the life of Tim Tubbs. I do not believe Tim was a NASCAR fan. I mean, he cheered for the Calgary Flames, which means he was barely even a hockey fan. What he brought to the party was a love of life, family, and friends. Tim was short in stature, but a giant in personality and character. It was a joy to have been in his company.

    As his friends say goodbye, friends of another celebrate on Friday the 40th birthday of Dale Earnhardt Jr. It feels like we have seen him grow up, though he was already 25 when he entered his first full season in Cup back in 2000. We watched him become the most popular driver in the sport, to overcome tragedy, to shine, to endure a decade of struggle, only to return to the forefront this season. His title hopes might not shine bright today, but after this Saturday night in Charlotte or an upcoming Sunday in Talladega they just might again.

    Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski have the edge in wins, but as we up the victor’s bonus from 3 to 25 points, over the full season Jeff Gordon remains the man. Among our top dozen there is one outsider. Kyle Larson might have missed the Chase, but the rookie’s performance the past four events would have made him a real contender had he not. As for Denny Hamlin, even missing a couple of races earlier this year have not dashed his hopes. If wildcard teams can do well in the playoffs of other leagues, why not in NASCAR?

    BOLD = Active Chasers

    Hot 20

    1 – Jeff Gordon – 4 WINS – 1141 POINTS
    2 – Joey Logano – 5 – 1114
    3 – Brad Keselowski – 5 – 1077
    4 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 – 1050
    5 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 984
    6 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 982
    7 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 945
    8 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 925
    9 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 912
    10 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 901
    11 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 859
    12 – Kasey Kahne – 1 – 856
    13 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 854
    14 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 843
    15 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 825
    16 – Paul Menard – 0 – 816
    17 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 815
    18 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 796
    19 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 764
    20 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 745

  • The Final Word – Kansas May Have Been a Hendrick Waterloo

    The Final Word – Kansas May Have Been a Hendrick Waterloo

    Well, boys, you are not in Kansas anymore. Thank God, at least for the gents from Hendrick. If not for a blown tire by Brad Keselowski to allow a Penske driver in on some of the fun, the bottom four would consist entirely of drivers working for Rick Hendrick. However, unlike Napoleon at Waterloo, Hendrick’s boys will have a shot at redemption.

    Jimmie Johnson started near the back of the pack after a qualifying miscue, and he would end there. After Greg Biffle sent Johnson for a long slide into the infield wall, the Lowe’s Chevrolet was looking pretty low for a 40th place result.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. was looking mighty fine setting the pace. Then his right front failed, causing the car to take a very unhealthy bounce off the fence to leave him 39th.

    While teammate Joey Logano had the strongest car at the end of the day to take the win, Keselowski appeared to be a contender. At least, for a while he did. Running fifth, his failed rubber introduced him to the fence to leave him 36th.

    That trio had horrid days that only a win at Charlotte or Talladega might be able to fix, unless those races bring big problems for some of their rivals. For Kasey Kahne, an earlier tire issue got him behind, causing him to try to do too much. That resulted in a little wall time, a 22nd place finish, and left him eight points in the weeds behind Jeff Gordon. Gordon stayed in the top dozen coming home 14th after some penalty time for a tire that rolled away in the pits. Still, if not for Keselowski’s misfortune, the entire Hendrick organization would be at the bottom. That was the big story at Kansas, but not quite the entire story.

    At the end, it became obvious no one was going to catch Logano. That win, his fifth of the season, means he will remain a Chase contender for the next five events. There were others who we thought had something, such as Earnhardt and Keselowski. Kevin Harvick once again was a major factor, at least until he thought he had a tire going down and came to the pits. It was not. His handling issues cost him a shot at the win, and left him sixth.

    That left Kyle Larson, who missed the Chase, but he has been one of the best since Richmond. At least he gave Logano somebody to look at in the rear view. With finishes of third, second, sixth, and now second at Kansas, the 22-year old has become part of the conversation, if only as a preview as to what we might expect in 2015.

    If someone new among the Chasers falters at Charlotte, Kahne could get back in it. As far as Keselowski, Earnhardt, and Johnson are concerned, their performances over the next couple of weeks can not be anything short of awesome. Maybe even winning awesome. That, or they must hope a few other drivers have a day in North Carolina just like the one they had out on the plains.

    Great to rate amongst the eight…

    1 – Joey Logano – 1 Win – 3048 Points
    2 – Kyle Busch – 0 – 3042
    3 – Carl Edwards – 0 – 3039
    4 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 3039
    5 – Denny Hamlin – 0 – 3037
    6 – Kevin Harvick – 0 – 3033
    7 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 3031
    8 – Jeff Gordon – 0 – 3031

    Four at the door…

    9 – Kasey Kahne – 0 Wins – 3023 Points
    10 – Brad Keselowski – 0 – 3009
    11 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 0 – 3006
    12 – Jimmie Johnson – 0 – 3004

  • The Final Word – A Racing Junky’s Sunday, from Monaco to Indianapolis to Charlotte

    The Final Word – A Racing Junky’s Sunday, from Monaco to Indianapolis to Charlotte

    It is the greatest day on the motorsports calender. We begin in southern Europe, head over to the Midwest United States, then back to stock car’s heartland in the southeast. Using my vast wealth, I guess I could have dropped by to visit Prince Albert before firing up my Star Trek transporter to take in the action in the New World, but I could not help but notice that I have a fair sized television screen, a nice comfy couch, with a refrigerator and a washroom just feet away. I did not even have to wear pants…though I did. Welcome to how I spent my Sunday.

    The first stop on the world tour was Monaco, where they have been racing on the two-mile layout in Monte Carlo since 1929. My first impression was that they must be out of their damn minds. No room, lots of turns and elevation changes. The next thing that strikes you is the opulence to remind us of all those things some have that most of us do not. Anyone else notice the yachts? Then there were the sponsors, and as I watched I wondered what products I might be able to afford or want. I did notice Johnnie Walker.

    Visually it was stunning, but as for racing, it was more like stunt driving. It was all Mercedes as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton led from the very start, with Rosberg taking his second straight Monaco victory as Hamilton held off a late charging Daniel Ricciardo with Red Bull. It was not my kind of racing, but it sure was one hell of a ride. If NASCAR could only put forth that kind of stimulating visual spectacular each and every week, they would never again have to worry about television ratings.

    An even older tradition continued as the Indianapolis 500 continued a competition that began in 1911. Twenty-seven-year-old Marco Andretti, still winless after eight attempts on this track, was considered the favorite going in, ahead of three-time winner Helio Castroneves. Former NASCAR full-timer Juan Pablo Montoya was also given a shot, at 8-to-1, but most fender fans were wondering how 30-to-1 driver Kurt Busch would do as he attempted the double, running both Indianapolis and Charlotte. Two hundred thousand were in the stands to watch 83-year old Jim Nabors who returned to sing “Back Home Again in Indiana” for the final time, and somewhere a bottle of milk was being chilled for the winner of the world’s biggest single day sports event. That turned out to be Florida’s Ryan Hunter-Reay, who passed Castroneves for the victory, with Andretti settling for third. Montoya brought it home in fifth, while Busch finished sixth.

    Oh, but Busch was not finished, not on this day. He was off to Charlotte, North Carolina and the Coca Cola 600 as the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup champ had not even completed half of his on-track work just yet. Well, according to his engine, he actually was. It only lasted 400 miles before going up in smoke, same as that of teammate Danica Patrick. The trio who dominated much of the event finished on top, with Jimmie Johnson claiming his first of the season and 67th of his Cup career, ahead of Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. It was an interesting race, an enjoyable race, but no surprises loomed at the end of the night. So concluded a memorable Memorial Day for televised racing.

    As they reset for next Sunday’s action in Dover, Joey Logano and Harvick continue to lead the way atop the Cup standings with a couple of wins apiece. 12 races in and still more than 30 drivers have a shot at the Chase, and all it would take is a visit to Victory Lane this upcoming weekend.

    SWEET SIXTEEN
    1 Joey Logano – 2 WINS – 378 Pts
    2 Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS – 345
    3 Jeff Gordon – 1 WIN – 432
    4 Kyle Busch -1 WIN – 408
    5 Carl Edwards – 1 WIN –  408
    6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN – 394
    7 Jimmie Johnson – 1 WIN – 388
    8 Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN – 361
    9 Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN – 340
    10 Kurt Busch – 1 WIN – 215
    11 Matt Kenseth – 421 POINTS
    12 Brian Vickers – 365
    13 Ryan Newman – 361
    14 Greg Biffle – 351
    15 Kyle Larson – 344
    16 Austin Dillon – 334

    CONTENTERS & PRETENDERS
    17 Paul Menard – 328
    18 Kasey Kahne – 324
    19 A.J. Allmendinger – 314
    20 Aric Almirola – 312
    21 Clint Bowyer – 309
    22 Marcos Ambrose – 303
    23 Tony Stewart – 299
    24 Jamie McMurray – 286
    25 Casey Mears – 282
    26 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 258
    27 Martin Truex, Jr. – 251
    28 Danica Patrick – 218
    29 Justin Allgaier – 205
    30 Michael Annett – 179

    PARTICIPANTS
    31 Cole Whitt – 164
    32 David Gilliland – 160
    33 Alex Bowman – 152
    34 David Ragan – 150
    35 Reed Sorenson – 145
    36 Josh Wise – 133

     

  • Regan Smith Yearning For More at JR Motorsports

    Regan Smith Yearning For More at JR Motorsports

    Regan Smith, following a seventh place finish in the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, expressed disappointment with his JR Motorsports organization despite being the NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader entering the summer months.

    Smith, who won earlier this season in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway, was irritated with his team’s failure to adjust the car’s tight-in condition, which loomed over him all race.

    “Our race today (at Charlotte) was relatively uneventful,” Smith explained during the post-race press conference. “We were tight-in all day long, I don’t think I’ve had a car (that was) tight-in in about five or six years. So, as good as it felt off my tongue to say tight into the corner, I got kind of aggravated with having to say tight-in.”

    Failure to adjust the tight-in problem wasn’t the only circumstance that aggravated Smith; he also was annoyed with the team’s continuous inability to make the car faster.

    “Every time we tried to work on it, it just kept getting the back out of the racetrack on exit and it would slow us down,” Smith added. “So, whatever it was, we’ll have to go back to the shop and look at it and decide what we can do different coming back here in the fall when the speeds are up a little bit more to fix that.”

    Smith, though, did give credit to his team on a solid run; however, he longed to have a better car on short runs as he lost the majority of his positions on fresh tires.

    “But, nonetheless, a solid day, if we could’ve started runs 20 laps in on tires and run from that point on I felt like we were  as good as anybody out there,” Smith further commented.  “We just gave up too much in the first 20-laps and that was pretty much the story of our day.”

    Chase Elliott, victor at Darlington Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway, felt his team (JR Motorsports) made little gains during the weekend, leading Smith to further remarks about his team’s performance.

    “Not really,” Smith said after being asked whether he thought his team gained upon their Charlotte program. “I thought we unloaded pretty good, I just felt like we fought the same stuff all weekend long, (especially) with corner entry.”

    “We struggled with all three cars,” he continued. “It just seemed like we were a bit off with all three cars and that’s rare, our cars have been unbelievable this season (though).”

    Smith ended his media center appearance with positive mentions, explaining the team needed to think about the good rather than the bad from this weekend.

    “I think we need to take the positive from this weekend, which is we know we have to work a little bit harder, we have to change some things up,” Smith said. “We are expanding our database, and I guarantee we won’t come back to (Charlotte) and have the same problem twice.”

  • A Question For NASCAR Nation – Why Do You Watch?

    A Question For NASCAR Nation – Why Do You Watch?

    At the conclusion of the Bank of America 500, fans were raving about the finish and seemed generally satisfied. The first 300 laps though featured very little passing with rare, evanescent battles but the enthralling fight for the win still made it a good race in the eyes of many. Talladega on the other hand was a non-stop thrill ride and had everyone on the edge of their seat until the anti-climatic finish that left fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. That begs the question; does the finish make or break a race? Should we be basing the quality of a four hour event simply on how it ends? What makes a NASCAR race a good race and what do fans really want to see?

    I judge a NASCAR race based on four factors. Said factors are the racing, the finish, the wrecks and the unexpected variables that are sometimes described as the “wow” moments. A perfect NASCAR race in my mind has incredible racing from green flag to checkered flag, a photo finish with a winner being someone we don’t get to see much. I don’t want to see any track clearing pile ups but a good dose of spins and small crashes to keep the race from getting dull and strung out. A fantastic race with a disappointing finish like Talladega’s is better than an awful race with a good finish like Charlotte’s in my book although some will argue otherwise.

    I see a contingent of fans out there that only care about the finish and the three hours of racing prior to the white flag means very little in their minds which is very shortsighted and not fair to the race. We live in a society full of people with short attention spans who need constant stimulation of their senses to keep them engrossed in an event and NASCAR is not the kind of event to satisfy those needs. The NFL has a stop-and-go feel to it with an intense few seconds of action followed by a pause and then they do it again…perfect for the people that I just described. Baseball has suffered a decline in ratings just as NASCAR has due to the fact that they aren’t able to hold the attention of these people.

    An idea to keep less people from tuning out would be to shorten the races or do what the V8 Supercar series does for many of its events…they have two or three sprint races over the course of one weekend and the races are always wild. Their popularity has exploded over the last few years because of all the action. Many now call it the 3rd most popular motorsport on the planet next to NASCAR and Formula 1. I would love to see a few (not all) races on the calendar cut down into short, sprint races to add excitement to them and draw in a bigger audience. It works for V8 Supercars and it works for local short tracks so why wouldn’t it work for NASCAR? The sense of urgency would raise the level of intensity and aggression to riveting levels that would entertain both the die-hards and the new age fans.

    There is another contingent of fans out there that I’d like to address for a moment and they kind of tick me off. I’m talking about the ones that love to see large, vicious crashes and watch for that specific reason. When you tell these pervasive people off, they will say you’re a liar and you love to watch wrecks too. My answer to that…there is a big difference between being captivated by a terrifying accident and wishing or cheering for it. It’s no secret that we have a primal instinct that craves violence and brutality; that is why so many people enjoy horror movies, gory video games and also why some of our ancestors went to the Colosseum to watch gladiators fight to the death. When some of us went to YouTube after the Cup race, it was most likely to see Austin Dillon’s airborne crash out of awe, amazement and curiosity; nothing wrong with that but if you only watch racing because you enjoy seeing drivers brush shoulders with death in horrifying accidents, then I say good riddance when you walk away.

    There is so much emphasis put on violence in our culture today and people are becoming numb or desensitized to the reality of it. I don’t think these people that wish for wrecks want drivers to get hurt but they seem ignorant and blind to the fact that it can and will happen. I see a handful of tweets from people every time there is a big crash stating how awesome that wreck was before they even think about the welfare of the driver(s) involved. Then they are disappointed when we go to Talladega and don’t wad up at least half the field.

    With the fast-paced tempo of the world today, the attention span of the average human has gotten shorter and shorter which hinders the growth of sports such as baseball and NASCAR. Like I stated before, a way NASCAR can counter this is by replacing some of the 500 mile marathons throughout the season with short, intense sprint races that last no more than an hour or so. We can either adapt and capitalize on the ever-changing needs of today’s society or be doomed by it…our choice.

    Lastly, next time you tune into a race, I’d like you to ask yourself this question…

    Why do you watch?

    I watch for good, hard racing with hopes of a thrilling finish to cap it off but a monotonous ending doesn’t undermine the greatness of the race itself for me.

    I hope that’s how you feel too.

     

  • The Coke 600: Why Did So Many Stay Away?

    The Coke 600: Why Did So Many Stay Away?

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The weather was perfect, if not hot, and the pre-race show was amazing. No one does the patriotic opening act like Charlotte Motor Speedway, so why was the attendance so bad? That’s a good question that comes in the form of multiple choice. Take any of these and you may win, but picking just one will not answer the question.

    The Economy – This has long been the excuse for people not attending the races this season, but gasoline was down to $3.29-3.49 all along the way, with the highest prices being in West Virginia. With the economy improving somewhat, it might be ticket prices which have tripped in 20 years.

    The Saturation of Information – No longer do fans have to come to the track to see what is going on. Even though many newspapers don’t send writers to many of the races anymore, we have the internet, Twitter, Facebook, a bevy of television shows, and Sirius XM Radio that keeps everyone up to date. Long gone are the days waiting for SouthernMotorRacing or Grand National Scene to come in the mail. Most fans simply get more information than they can handle. With most of the tracks being built during the boom era of the sport, a lot of seating was the norm. Today, there are just too many seats. Although the official press release said that 140,000, the printed capacity of the track, large blocks of empty seats could be seen in the third and fourth turns, as well as the backstretch. There were lots of fans there, but nowhere near 140,000.

    The Racing – Here’s where it gets sticky. Many close to the sport continue to insist that the racing is “better than it ever has been before.” They reference the 1960’s and 1970’s races where only ten cars were on the lead laps and so on, but the truth is, most races have not had the excitement factor we saw a few years ago. Why? Some of it has to do with the pressure drivers feel to make The Chase. It’s hard to be aggressive and rub fenders when one mistake puts you out of the race and not in The Chase. Sunday night, we saw a long train of competitors driving around in line. Most of the small number of cautions were mostly for debris. Many fans left early or spent time in the concourses during the race just to get a break.

    The Lack of a Driver like the Late Dale Earnhardt – Earnhardt was unique, but not so far off from the other drivers of his era who were hell-bent on winning a race. In today’s environment, if you make The Chase, you still have a chance to win the title. Witness Tony Stewart last year. Yes, he won half the Chase races, but he overcame a bunch of very consistent teams who sat back and watched the magic Smoke brought to the final ten races. In other words, keep you nose clean for 26 races, make The Chase, and do your work there.

    Of course, I didn’t mention Dale Earnhardt, Jr., which is in error. Junior is by far the most popular driver in NASCAR and yet he has a large losing streak that can be counted instead of races. More than a few of his father’s fans picked the son as their favorite driver. Let it be said that Junior is nothing like Senior on the track. Many believe that a win by the No. 88 would cure the sport, but I feel that any revival will come from one or more remedies from above.

    There are many who think there is nothing wrong these days, but dwindling ticket sales and TV ratings say otherwise. The early ratings tell us that the Indianapolis 500 drew more viewers than the Coke 600. I find that hard to believe. Has America lost their love of stock car racing?

    So take your pick and let’s see what the results are.

  • Quotes from NASCAR preview 2012

    Quotes from NASCAR preview 2012

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Saturday marks the second day of NASCAR Acceleration Weekend in Charlotte North Carolina.

    Thousands of dedicated race fans traveled to the Charlotte convention center for NASCAR Preview 2012. They waited in long lines starting as early as Friday morning. Lines that were full of energy and excitement to enter the convention center doors and meet their favorite drivers. The well organized event also came complete with displays of show cars, games and race simulators. You even got to meet the new Miss Sprint Cup, Kristen Beat, who hails from El Cajon, CA (Jimmie Johnson’s hometown). She joins Kim Coon and Jaclyn Roney in representing the Sprint brand in Victory Lane and around the tracks where NASCAR competes.

    Drivers from all three major series showed up to the annual event to talk racing, meet with fans and sign autographs starting early on Saturday morning.

    Lots of pictures were taken, hands shaken and words spoken. Here are a few snippets from some of the drivers:

    MARK MARTIN:

    On how long he will be racing: “As long as I want to.”

    DALE EARNHARDT JR:

    “I just kind of sat around the house… I’ve been playing Battlefield 3 mainly. That’s about all I’ve been doin’.

    “I hope we don’t have to do that stuff this year (the tandem racing). It’s hard having to be in a relationship the whole race. That’s basically what it’s like. I look out for number one all the time. It gets me in trouble. On and off the track.”

    JIMMIE JOHNSON:

    “We’ll go out there and do what we can to beat Tony. What he did at the end of the year, and the show that he an Carl put on, I know people are still talking about it and I can’t get it out of my mind…”

    KYLE BUSCH:

    “We’re gonna get along really well (him and brother, Kurt). ‘Cause I’m his boss. And I did tell him he can call me ‘dude’ but only a few times. So, I think it’ll be alright.”

    MATT KENSETH:

    “Why (did I get rid of the beard)? Cause I look silly. Well, I still look silly but, I looked sillier.”

    BRAD KESELOWSKI:

    “I think we’re going to get a strong dose of both (tandem and pack racing). I’m really excited about what we’re going to see when we go down to Daytona this year. I think it’s going to be one of the best Daytona 500’s ever.”

    DANICA PATRICK:

    “I started racing when I was 10 years old, it was all boys and it’s still pretty much all boys. So no, I was never made to feel different or out of place by my parents. They just always empowered me to be as good as I could possibly be and to keep working hard. And not to be the best girl but to be the best driver.”

    CLINT BOWYER:

    “Actually, I almost messed up . I was doing an interview over there and I almost said, I was like, ‘The 5 Hour Chev—. I mean, Toyota.’ It’s going to be different. There’s a lot of new.”

    MARK MARTIN:

    “If it doesn’t have wheels on it, I’m not a fan.”

    JEFF BURTON:

    “Matt (Kenseth) was makin’ fun of me this winter cause like, two weeks into the deal, I’m like, ‘Man, I’m ready- I need to go do something now.’ My wife wanted me out of the house… And I’m ready to go back racin’.”

  • Drive to End Hunger Continues in Charlotte

    Drive to End Hunger Continues in Charlotte

    Speedway Media was present at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte Friday when Jeff Gordon presented the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina with a check for $10,000.  The Food Bank of Metrolina received their $10,000 gift this past spring. This allowed the two food banks to help people in 32 North Carolina counties this year.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel ” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Gordon’s sponsorship by the ARRP’s Drive to End Hunger has been a huge success this season with over $12 million being raised and 3.4 million meals being paid for. The sponsorship has allowed NASCAR fans to help with something that many people were not aware of and that’s the fact that many elder Americans live in poverty and go hungry every day.

    Gordon, who has his own, long established children’s foundation liked the program from its onset. He compared the sponsorship to his long established one with DuPont saying, “With DuPont I had to learn the company, learn the product. I had to learn the people and understand what they do. It took years to go through that process. I love them as a company, what they do.”   “With this,” he said. “it didn’t take five minutes. This is a no brainer, this is easy to get behind for me, for me to understand and say lets go to work. Let’s make this happen.” He mentioned other charities that sponsor race cars as well. “It’s a great cause. Plus, the thing I love is the level they want to reach out there. You see many do one race. Or an organization represented on several cars, but it’s a short time basis. For them to do it for the number of races, and basically be a primary sponsor is amazing.”

    The one thing that Gordon acknowledged was that he doesn’t have as much time as he would like for his own foundation but with this program its different because it’s a sponsor. “It’s a direct message to the fans on Sunday, on television,” he said. “When we win a race it’s a lot more than winning a race. We’re aware that there’s a cause. It’s already been for me something that never stops being involved.”   “When it comes to the foundation work,” he said. “I’m so limited on my time. I’m going back (to Africa, a trip he took alone earlier this year) with Ingrid and Ella, Leo is too young to do that but, I have made time over the years, but I never have as much time as I would like. With this year I’m still able to do things for the children’s Foundation, but every week I’m able to represent the Drive to End Hunger.”   It was obvious that Gordon has many fans that are older. Before taking time out with the media Gordon spoke with a gentleman who offered him words of encouragement. Gordon was very appreciative of the comments and expressed so.

    More information about AARP’s Drive to End Hunger can be found at www.drivetoendhunger.org If you’re going to any of this season’s remaining races there will be displays to allow you to support the program. Pitch in, help out if you can. It is a real problem that we all can easily help with.