Tag: Elliott Sadler

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Passionate About Racing, Points Battling and Singing

[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”234″][/media-credit]Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has many passions, from sporting his Nationwide championship belt buckle from last year to racing hard in his No. 6 Cargill Beef Ford against the likes of Elliott Sadler and Austin Dillon for the points lead in this year’s Nationwide season.

But who knew that he had another secret passion?

“I really like to sing,” Stenhouse said. “I sing a lot, but I’m not really good at it.”

“I like country music,” Stenhouse continued. “I know a lot of lyrics but I can’t get them to come out the right way.”

“I karaoke to myself in the cars, but not on the stage or in front of anybody.”

Unfortunately, the young Roush Fenway Racing superstar did not have much to sing about after last weekend’s race in Charlotte. He finished the History 300 in the 26^th position after suffering mechanical problems.

“You’ll have those bad races,” Stenhouse said philosophically. “We started out the season with a bad race at Daytona and then we had nine good races after that, with the worst finish being sixth.”

“We kind of had a stumble last week,” Stenhouse continued. “Charlotte, I feel like normally I would be disappointed and look at the bad things that happened.”

“But I feel like we got to look at the positives, in that we were really fast and we were able to learn some stuff when we got back out,” Stenhouse said. “Our guys changed a transmission and drive shaft in twenty green flag laps.”

“So, all in all, there were a lot of things that were really good about our day and one little bad thing in that we didn’t get the result that we felt we could have.”

Stenhouse also credits his ability to put things behind him as a major saving grace in the midst of his racing passion. Although he admitted that he does give himself just a little bit of time to brood after a bad session.

“You put it behind you and go on,” Stenhouse said. “You have to take one race at a time, especially because it is a long season.”

“The way I generally look at things is that I reflect on it for a day and then move on,” Stenhouse continued. “So, Sunday, I thought about it and Monday I was thinking about Dover.”

Stenhouse Jr. is also pretty passionate about points racing, especially since it is with his nemesis Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet. He currently has a 13 point advantage over Sadler in the point standings.

“We always want to outrun him,” Stenhouse said of Sadler. “We want to be the highest finishing Nationwide guy each week.”

“We want to win every week and beat all the Cup guys,” Stenhouse continued. “We’ve done it this year at the companion races and that always feels a little better.”

“We’re focused on beating everybody, not just the 2 though,” Stenhouse said. “Like I said, when we race, we’re both going to be right there.”

Stenhouse Jr. also acknowledged that he might not just be racing the No. 2 car exclusively for the championship. One other challenger may well be Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 American Ethanol/New Holland Chevrolet, racing for his grandfather on the Richard Childress team.

“He’s definitely there every week, running really strong and really consistent, like we knew he would,” Stenhouse said of Dillon. “He’s really good and has a lot of seat time and has run a lot of these race tracks.”

“He’s in really good equipment and has someone to learn from like Elliott,” Stenhouse continued. “I think he’s going to be there all year.”

“Right now, everybody’s talking about Elliott and me but Austin is not that far out,” Stenhouse said. “One bad race for us or for Elliot and I and he is right there in it.”

“It will be a tough battle all year.”

Stenhouse Jr. will next unleash his racing and points battling passion on the Monster Mile, a track where he has not quite had the finishes that he would have liked.

“Dover’s been good to us but we haven’t been the best,” Stenhouse said. “We’ve been really fast in practice but kind of missed it in the race.”

“We’ve had some good luck and finished in the top-five,” Stenhouse continued. “This race last year, we were probably an eighth place car and finished fourth after the wreck coming to the front straightaway.”

“There’s things we need to do to get better,” Stenhouse said. “It’s a fun race track and I really enjoy it.”

“There’s a lot of things you can do like move your car around or change your line on the race track to improve your car,” Stenhouse continued. “We’ve led laps here, just not at the right time.”

Stenhouse Jr. is not, however, as passionate about racing on the concrete. But he also realizes that everything that challenges him at the Monster Mile affect the other drivers as well.

“We’ve struggled a little bit on the concrete,” Stenhouse said. “We’ve been decent at Bristol and at Dover, but just haven’t been really, really great.”

“The concrete creates some challenges as far as the seams and the expansion joints so it gets a little rough,” Stenhouse continued. “But I like tracks that are a little rough that makes it fun and really challenging.”

“The way I look at it is that it’s the same race track for everybody so it really doesn’t matter,” Stenhouse said. “If it’s a problem for one, it’s a problem for everybody.”

Stenhouse’s final passion was fulfilled prior to his ever setting foot on the track at Dover. He got to participate in the local golf tournament raising money for autism awareness.

“I don’t have any family members or anything like that with autism but I was able to play in the Drive for Autism golf tournament and had a lot of fun doing it,” Stenhouse said. “It was my first time there and to meet all the kids and to try to find a cure, it was really cool to be a part of it.”

“It was a great atmosphere and I won’t miss it ever again.”

June 1, 2012
Michael Annett Is Flying High Yet Under the Radar

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Phil Cavali” align=”alignright” width=”172″][/media-credit]At Texas Motor Speedway, Michael Annett scored his second top-10 and fifth top-15 finish in just six races with his new team, Richard Petty Motorsports. And with that good run, he officially moved up two spots to fifth in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Yet, as high as the young driver of the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang is flying early in the season, he still is very much under the radar in a series dominated by the likes of veteran Elliott Sadler, reigning champ Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., up and comer Austin Dillon, and Danica Patrick.

“To me, that’s how I’ve lived my whole life,” Annett said. “Even when I played hockey growing up, I never did anything outlandish.”

“I was just the guy that got the job done,” Annett continued. “That’s pretty much my M.O. and how it’s been for me in my racing career.”

Although flying under the radar so far this season, the new Richard Petty Motorsports driver has had some impressive initial success, especially with his recent run at Texas. Annett finished ninth, rebounding from running into a lapped car and taking advantage of the lights going out at the speedway.

“We probably could have won the race if I hadn’t run into a lapped car,” Annett said. “But I loved it when the lights went out because we were overheating and getting ready to pit.”

“So, I liked that the lights brought out the caution,” Annett continued. “The whole night was about overcoming adversity, so to come out ninth and to see the guys faces with a top ten finish, it was cool.”

Annett also contributes his early success at Richard Petty Motorsports with the team’s affiliation with Roush Fenway Racing, particularly in light of their driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning last year’s Nationwide championship.

“I think the success started with what Roush Fenway built last year with the championship and the relationship we have with them,” Annett said. “That partnership is huge.”

“At Texas, we unloaded and we were close but we were still missing a little bit,” Annett continued. “To be able to go and talk to the No. 6 team and use some things they found, it’s just a huge advantage to us.”

In spite of early success at Richard Petty Motorsports, the reality for Annett was that he had to make a difficult transition rather abruptly when his former team, Rusty Wallace Racing, shut down at the end of last year due to lack of sponsorship.

“It was definitely tough, very unfortunate and a testament to the economic times,” Annett said of the demise of his former team. “They couldn’t find a sponsor for Steven (Wallace) with 5-Hour Energy leaving.”

“Rusty said he didn’t want to do it out of his pocket,” Annett continued. “So, the month before Daytona, they announced they were shutting down and we had to go find a place to race.”

Fortunately for Annett his long-time sponsor, Pilot Flying J, stuck with him and gave him the opportunity to seek out another team. He was especially pleased when Richard Petty Motorsports ended up being one of the teams interested in him.

“I’m definitely blessed to have Pilot as a partner that I’ve had since I’ve started racing,” Annett said. “That enabled me to go to other teams and when I went to Richard Petty Motorsports, it just felt right.”

“It felt like a family, listening to Richard (Petty),” Annett continued. “He and I saw eye to eye on everything and it felt right.”

Annett said it hit him how fortunate he was to be with Richard Petty Motorsports when he and the team went out for their first race together at Daytona in the Drive4COPD 300.

“It’s funny,” Annett said. “It didn’t hit home to me until Daytona when Richard (Petty) was standing on one side and Dale Inman on the other side, both giving me pointers before I got into the car.”

“And all I could think was ‘this is crazy,’ Annett said. “I’ve ridden on the plane with Richard and talked to him and the best way to put it is that I’m blessed. It’s pretty cool.”

The other ‘cool’ discovery for this low-key driver was his new crew chief at Richard Petty Motorsports, Philippe Lopez.

“I had no idea about Philippe Lopez before this season started,” Annett said. “His name got brought up and I didn’t know a thing about him.”

“When I asked around, there is always somebody who doesn’t like somebody, but not one person had anything bad to say about Philippe,” Annett continued. “That’s pretty cool.”

“From Daytona to now, there hasn’t been one mechanical problem and his confidence on the radio is huge,” Annett said. “It’s been a really good relationship.”

After his strong run at Texas with his new crew chief and team, Annett will have another off-weekend before heading to Richmond International Raceway next weekend for the NASCAR Nationwide Series 250.

“Richmond is one of those tracks that I’ve struggled at,” Annett said. “But each time, we go back, I get better.”

“I think I finished 11^th or 12^th last time so if I crack the top-10, I know that we’ll have had a good race,” Annett continued. “At Richmond, if you get the right car, you can come out of there with a top-5 or a win.”

Yet even with his impressive start to the season and in spite of having total upheaval in his team, the young driver is not one often mentioned in the Nationwide Series discourse.

“I don’t mind it, but I worry more about the guys on the team because I want them to get the credit they deserve,” Annett said. “I was hoping that at Daytona when Dale Jarrett started talking about me that would be the start of things.”

“But I’ve fallen back into my old ways of just getting my job done, under the radar,” Annett continued. “But where we finish and the results will show themselves.”

“And if they want to talk about us, they will,” Annett said. “My guys still know I’m driving my butt off for them and they’re doing the same back to me.”

April 19, 2012
Elliot Sadler Wins 30th Annual FORD EcoBoost 300

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]60% Chance of rain?…No way. On an absolutely beautiful March day here in Bristol, Tennessee, Elliot Sadler has claimed his second victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in Thunder Valley.

It looked like a Joe Gibbs Racing day early but a late-race call by Crew Chief Lucas Lambert that was the call of the day to score the win for the OneMain Financial team. After taking the pole earlier this morning in NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying, Joey Logano flexed his muscles early in the 300-lap stanza, leading the first 66 laps. His No. 18 Game Stop/Turtle Beach Toyota was lightning fast early, but it was Owner/Driver Kyle Busch that was able to climb through the front-runners to knock off his Sprint Cup teammate for the point position.

Another 40 laps went by before Logano again set the pace for the Ford EcoBoost 300 when he again found the front for the second time of the day. It was all Logano for 119 laps today…the challengers, Roush Fenway’s Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. that would mix things up late in the race. Bayne found the front on lap 160 and participated in one of the best battles of the day with teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The battle for the lead lasted around 20 laps between the two teammates with Stenhouse coming up victorious for the point position on lap 224.

It was a late-race caution that left Crew Chiefs with the biggest decisions of the day. It was Luke Lambert that made the right call to stay out with less than 30 laps to go in the Ford EcoBoost300. The majority of the leaders chose to come to Pit Road for fresh tires for the 27 lap dash to the checkered flag. His driver, Elliott Sadler was able to hold off the likes of Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski following the race’s final restart on lap 273 of 300 to earn his second victory here at the high-banks in Thunder Valley.

Sadler recalled his win here in 2001 by taking the same strategy today; ” He (Lambert) reminded me that I won a race here in 2001 by doing the same thing,” said Sadler. The driver of the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevy was joined in victory lane by his parents whom had never been in attendance for one of his NASCAR victories. “Luke made a great call to stay out,” elaborated Sadler.

Lambert was in attendance here at Bristol for Sadler’s previous win at the .533 mile short track, although he was just a Senior in High School. “I was here, and i watched it, but i was definitely a spectator,” commented Lambert. ” I do study all the history of our driver and what track we’re going to and everything else — but I was here for that one. And I was pretty young.”

The win marks Sadler’s second of the season, and fourth straight top-10 finish this season.

Despite having a strong car all day, Kasey Kahne took the runner-up spot to Sadler. Veteran driver and former Bristol race-winner Brad Keselowski took the third spot. Pole-sitter and lap leader Joey Logano ended up fourth with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier, Trevor Bayne, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Truex rounding out the top 10.

Danica Patrick brought her No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevy home two laps down to the leaders in 19th despite starting 27th here in Thunder Valley.

March 17, 2012
RCR Brings Force to Reckon With in Nationwide Series

[media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The headlines were going crazy last season when Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) announced that it was closing its doors at the conclusion of 2011. The result of that closure saw KHI’s Nationwide Series program be put under Richard Childress Racing.

The merger was met with some questions, however, they have been quickly answered this far into the season. After the second race of the season, Elliott Sadler leads the point standings, 10 points over rookie teammate Austin Dillon. Sadler won the last race at Phoenix International Speedway while Dillon and Kevin Harvick finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The win marked a special win for Sadler as he hadn’t been to victory lane in one of NASCAR’s top three divisions since 2010 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The win also marked a bit of revenge for last year as despite finishing second in points, the season was considered disappointing due to no victories.

One of the first moves that was made when Sadler made the shift from KHI to RCR was a change in his crew chief. Richard Childress partnered Sadler with Luke Lambert, who was the crew chief for Clint Bowyer last year in the Sprint Cup Series. Childress felt the partnership was perfect based on what he saw Sadler needed in a crew chief and how Lambert could benefit from a couple seasons spent in Nationwide.

Sadler now hopes to carry the momentum from the win into Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Momentum is huge in this sport,” he said. “Our team is so strong and so focused that I know the win last week at Phoenix will just add to our drive. We have one goal, and that is to win the championship, and I think this week we will continue to go along with our game plan. It was such a great feeling to be in Victory Lane, and I am so proud of our team and excited to home a win for OneMain Financial and Richard Childress Richard Childress.”

The win marked some reassurance for Sadler as he was at first concerned when Harvick told him of the switch.

“When Kevin first came to me and said, ‘Look, I’m going to sell my team to Richard. We’re going to run the team out of his shop’. I said, ‘Where is that going to leave me?’,” Sadler explained. “He said, ‘Elliott, the last time I ran for RCR, we won 13 races. You’re going to be okay.’

“When you’re affiliated with the Cup teams and the simulation programs that they have and when you’re on the same campus, you feed off of it. We race against the Cup affiliated teams all the time – Roush and Gibbs – so it just puts us on an even playing field.”

In the past couple of years, the Nationwide Series has been dominated by Roush Racing, Penske Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing – all three teams having a cup affiliation.

“I think Kevin and Delana did a great job with the Nationwide,” Childress commented after Phoenix. “But running against what Jack, Gibbs, Penske have, they weren’t quite there and that was the difference. I think Kevin once he saw that, wanted to come back. I think the difference is having a cup affiliation. I had the Cup crew chiefs scanning the three radios telling me what was going on. Now that we’re back in Nationwide, I think it helps back to the Cup due to the cars being so similar except for the motor.”

The success now puts pressure on the team to keep it going, as stated by Brendan Gaughan, who will run his first Nationwide race of the season.

“I’m really excited to race for such a great organization,” he said in the team preview. “The only downside, if there is one, is that now it’s my turn to keep the hot streak going that RCR has started off the season with.”

As the season continues, there’s no question there will be a continued battle between Joe Gibbs Racing, Jack Roush, Roger Penske and Richard Childress for the championships. It’ll all be about who can put the best package together, and right now, Childress looks to have the upper hand. It’s also known that this isn’t his first rodeo as he has won five championships in the Nationwide Series.

March 8, 2012
Nationwide Series Bahas’ Supermarkets 200 Lap by Lap

[media-credit name=”www.phoenixraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Lap 1 – Pole Sitter Denny Hamlin leads early

Lap 6 – Trevor Bayne passes Denny Hamlin for the lead in turn one

Lap 7 – Brad Keselowski passes Sam Hornish Jr. while Bayne continues to lead Hamlin

Lap 9 – Hamlin takes the lead back in turn three from Bayne as Keselowski chases them

Lap 11 – Hamlin leads Bayne, Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and Austin Dillon

Lap 18 – Kahne passes Keselowski for second while Hamlin leads

Lap 20 – Hamlin leads Kahne, Keselowski, Bayne, Harvick, Dillon and Hornish Jr.

Lap 23 – Harvick passes Bayne for fourth as Hamlin leads Kahne

Lap 26 – Morgan Shephard heads to the garage

Lap 35 – Hamlin leads Kahne, Keselowski, Harvick, Bayne, Hornish Jr., Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Sadler and Dillon

Lap 40 – Top five are the same though Stenhouse has passed Hornish for sixth

Lap 42 Caution for debris………pit stops for fuel and tires, Hamlin wins the race off pit road. Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Dillon got two tires while the rest of the field took four

Restart Lap 48

Lap 50 Dillon slid up big time coming out of turn four, kept it off the wall, falls deep in the field

Lap 53 Harvick takes the lead from Hamlin, over Kyle Busch, Logano, Stenhouse, Sadler, Keselowski, Bayne, Justin Allgaier and Kahne

Lap 56 Busch gets into the wall slightly off of turn two while battling Logano for position. Logano and Sadler pass him for position.

Lap 59 Keselowski passes Busch for eighth as Harvick continues to lead

Lap 60 Harvick leads Hamlin, Logano, Stenhouse Jr. and Bayne.

Lap 72 Harvick leads Hamlin, Stenhouse, Keselowski, Logano, Kahne, Bayne, Sadler, Busch and Allgaier.

Lap 82 Harvick leads Hamlin, Stenhouse, Keselowski, Logano, Kahne, Bayne, Sadler, Busch and Dillon

Lap 88 Kahne passes Logano in turn one for fifth

Lap 97 Dillon passes Busch for ninth

HALFWAY Lap 100 Harvick leads Hamlin, Stenhouse, Keselowski, Kahne, Logano, Bayne, Sadler, Dillon, Busch

Caution 104 Kenny Wallace hits the turn three wall after blowing a right front tire…..Everybody pits for fuel and tires: Denny Hamlin leads Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Trevor Bayne, Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Kyle Busch off pit road

Restart Lap 111 as Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin run side-by-side for the lead. Harvick gets the lead off of turn four to take the lead

Lap 112 Contact between Bayne and Keselowksi while battling for fourth

Lap 113 Stenhouse makes slight contact with Sadler and Allgaier as they run three-wide

Lap 115 Michael Annett gets into the turn three wall after getting loose off the turn

Lap 117 Harvick leads Hamlin, Logano, Keselowski, Bayne and Kahne

Lap 125 Harvick leads Hamlin, Keselowski, Kahne, Sadler, Logano, Bayne, Allgaier and Dillon while Stenhouse battles with Hornish Jr. for 10^th. Stenhouse gets the position off of turn three.

Lap 137 Harvick leads Hamlin, Keselowski, Kahne, Sadler, Logano, Dillon, Bayne, Stenhouse and Allgaier

Lap 148 Harvick leads Hamlin, Kahne, Keselowski, Sadler, Dillon, Logano, Stenhouse, Bayne and Allgaier

50 laps to go Stenhouse passes Logano for seventh

Caution 38 to go for debris in turn four…….Everybody will come down pit road as they can make it on gas from here, some take two, some take four……..Hamlin leads Keselowski, Stenhouse, Sadler, Dillon, Hornish, Harvick and Bayne off pit road

Restart with 33 to go as Keselowski gets the lead on the restart while Mike Wallace is off the pace.

32 to go Sadler and Hamlin battle for second behind Keselowski

31 to go Kahne gets into the wall hard, making contact with Bayne, sending Harvick for a ride down through the inside paved area but he saves it

30 to go Kahne is off the pace

26 laps to go Sadler takes the lead from Keselowski off of turn three

25 laps to go Harvick passes Dillon for fifth so now Sadler leads Keselowski, Hamlin, Stenhouse, Harvick, Dillon, Hornish, Bayne, Logano and Annett

15 laps to go Sadler leads Keselowski, Stenhouse, Harvick, Dillon, Hornish, Bayne, Logano, Hamlin and Annett

Elliott Sadler leads the final 15 laps and wins

March 4, 2012
Sadler to drive for five with MWR

[media-credit name=”Michael Waltrip Racing” align=”alignright” width=”180″][/media-credit]Elliott Sadler and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) have agreed to a deal where the Emporia, VA. native will drive five races in the No. 55 Toyota Camry.

As a 12 year veteran in the Sprint Cup Series, Sadler will be competing for the Nationwide Series title once again this season. He signed a two-year deal with Kevin Harvick Incorporated in November of 2010, after struggling to find a competitive ride in NASCAR’s elite series.

KHI merged with Harvick’s Cup Series team, Richard Childress Racing as Sadler was unable to win the a lone race in the 2011 season. Childress gave Sadler the opportunity to run the Daytona 500 in the No. 33 Impala. Sponsorship came from General Mills in a collaboration with Kroger, but Sadler was unable to race for the win as a fuel pressure issue deflated any chance for Sadler to be competitive.

Waltrip has always known that Sadler has it in him to run competitively in the Sprint Cup Series, but Sadler has never been given the right opportunity. With Sadler’s signing, Waltrip signs a driver such as himself.

Though sponsorship has yet to be named, the races Sadler will drive have been announced. The 36 year old will step behind the wheel at both Bristol and Martinsville races with the first New Hampshire race in mid-July.

Rodney Childers will be Sadler’s Crew Chief. Sadler previously worked with Childers at what was Gillett/Evernham Motorsports in 2008. But, Childers left RPM for MWR. Ironically, the two will now work together once again, even though it is on a part-time basis.

“We’ll pair him with Crew Chief Rodney Childers who builds really fast cars. We believe Elliott will do a great job,” said team owner, Michael Waltrip, who will race four more times in the No. 55 this year.

Waltrip and the MWR have an exceeding amount of confidence in Sadler who finished second in the battle for the Nationwide Series championship in 2011.

The signing could mean Sadler will return to the Cup Series for a full-time schedule in 2013. Sadler may drive for RCR, MWR, or even another team. However, for 2012, Sadler’s goal is to win the Nationwide Series championship.

Though the season has yet to get into the midst of the points battle, Sadler will likely battle Ricky Stenhouse Jr. once again for the trophy which can lock up Sadler’s return to the elite series of stock car racing.

March 3, 2012
NASCAR Nationwide Series May Be The One to Watch in 2012

Sandwiched between the top-tier NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the rough and tumble Camping World Truck Series is the middle child, the Nationwide Series. But for the upcoming 2012 season, this may indeed be the preferred series to watch for the NASCAR fandom.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”218″][/media-credit]One of the biggest new stories in the Nationwide Series is of course that of Danica Patrick running her first full-time gig in NASCAR since her abdication from the world of open wheel racing. For her first Nationwide run, the marketing diva will be continuing her association with JR Motorsports with Tony Eury, Jr. as her crew chief.

“I’m going into this season with a little bit more of a ‘I’m going to do it’ attitude,” Patrick said. “I’ve got a lot to learn and I know that.”

“I’m going to make lots of mistakes I’m sure,” Patrick continued. “But I’m mentally wrapping my head around not just learning but being successful and running well and getting to Victory Lane and thinking about that so my thoughts translate to the real world and really happen.”

Patrick also fully intends to run for the Nationwide championship and even her crew chief believes that is possible. Eury’s goal is to get his driver into the top ten in points after the first ten races of the season, positioning her to make a run at the title.

“She’s gone to a lot of these tracks,” Eury Jr. said. “Before she wasn’t running for points.”

“This year, she’s here for the reason to win the championship,” Eury Jr. continued. “So, she’s not going to be that person that kind of lays over.”

In addition to seeing the new aggression of Patrick on the Nationwide as she attacks her first ever full-time stint, two other super aggressive drivers, in fact brothers, are planning to share a Nationwide gig in 2012.

Big brother Kurt Busch will be sharing a 2012 Nationwide seat with little brother and team owner Kyle for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Monster Energy, leaving prior driver Ricky Carmichael high and dry, will sponsor the Busch brothers in their No. 54 Monster Energy Camry. Kyle will drive the season opener at Daytona and the following four races and then split the ride with his brother Kurt.

While not competing with Patrick for the Nationwide championship, since both Busch brothers are also racing in the Cup Series, the duo fully intends to complete for the 2012 Nationwide Owner’s Championship.

“We’ve had a lot of talks about how this whole deal is going to work out, what we’re both looking to get out of this and what a great opportunity this is to race in the Nationwide Series,” Kyle Busch said. “Kurt’s never done a full Nationwide deal; he’s always had the itch but never really cared about it.”

While Danica Patrick and the Busch brothers have something to prove in the Nationwide Series, a driver whose Nationwide debut has been delayed also has to prove he can get back behind the wheel of a race car.

Travis Pastrana, who was scheduled to come to the Nationwide world last year but could not due to a serious injury sustained during the X Games competition, plans to run seven Nationwide races, starting with Richmond.

“I feel really good,” Pastrana said during the NASCAR Preview 2012. “The therapy the last two weeks has made huge improvements.”

“We’ll start out with seven Nationwide races and that’s kind of a let’s see how we do, let’s see what we need more work on,” Pastrana continued. “If we’re running OK or if I can get sponsorship to keep running wherever we’re running, we’re going to keep trying to get seat time.”

“I basically have to prove I can get in a car.”

As opposed to Pastrana with something to prove, one driver who has already proven that he can drive a race car will be back to defend his Nationwide title. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. will indeed return to the Series, driving full-time again for Roush Fenway Racing.

“They’re working on sponsorship for it right now, so everything is good,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “It sounds like we’re going to be able to go and defend our title again.”

Stenhouse Jr. won the Nationwide title by just 45 points over Kevin Harvick Inc. driver Elliott Sadler. And for this upcoming year, Stenhouse Jr. is certainly hoping that the championship competition will not be quite as close.

“I think we will do little things at the beginning of the year different,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “So, hopefully the points chase isn’t so close all year. That drives you nuts.”

Speaking of Elliott Sadler, or ‘Ricky Bobby’ as he is affectionately known, he will indeed be back to challenge the other Ricky, Stenhouse that is, for the Nationwide Series championship. Since Sadler’s former team is no longer, ‘Ricky Bobby’ will be driving the No. 2 OneMain Financial for Richard Childress Racing.

“It is such a great opportunity to compete for such an accomplished organization like Richard Childress Racing,” Sadler said. “To have an organization like OneMain Financial support me on and off the track again this year really makes me eager to get back to the track to compete for the Nationwide Series championship.”

“We came up short last year, but I know we have all the parts in place to win this year with this RCR team.”

Speaking of Richard Childress Racing, that team will be putting a member of the family, grandson Austin Dillon, on the Nationwide Series track this year. Dillon, last year’s 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, will be driving the very storied No. 3 Chevy as his Nationwide ride, competing for another honor, the Nationwide Rookie of the Year.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of moving with Danny Stockman (crew chief) and the guys to the NASCAR Nationwide Series with the No. 3,” Dillon said. “Our goal next year is to win races and compete for Rookie of the Year honors.”

Finally, there are two veterans worth mentioning as very good reasons to watch the 2012 Nationwide Series.

First is Morgan Shepherd, who at the sweet age of 70 years, will be driving in his 45^th season in the Nationwide Series. Shepherd, competing with plenty of faith, hopes to better his best ever 21^st place in the Nationwide point standings in 2011.

The other veteran who is always worth watching in the Nationwide Series is Kenny Wallace, affectionately known as the ‘Herminator’. Wallace will be back with RAB Racing, behind the wheel of the No. 09 American Ethanol Toyota Camry.

“Corn farmers are excited to continue our relationship with RAB Racing and Kenny Wallace in 2012,” Garry Niemeyer, National Corn Growers Association President, said. “Kenny is a fan favorite and one of the most visible drivers in the sport.”

So, from the veterans, like Morgan Shepherd and Kenny Wallace, to the newbies, like Danica Patrick and Travis Pastrana, the Nationwide Series does indeed seem to be the one to watch in 2012.

Fans can catch all the action of the Nationwide Series, beginning with the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 25^th, 2012.

January 22, 2012
Joe Denette Hits Lottery Again with New Driver Ron Hornaday and New Home at KHI Shop

Last year, Joe Denette started a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team with his winnings from the Mega Millions Virginia Lottery drawing.

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: lotterypost.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]But this year, Denette feels like he has hit the lottery all over again by securing veteran and championship Truck Series driver Ron Hornaday, as well as the shop formerly operated by the winners of the 2011 Owner’s Championship, Kevin and DeLana Harvick.

“I think this is one of the best scenarios I could ask for,” Denette said. “I got one of the best drivers out there in my opinion. I lucked out on this one.”

Denette said the deal with Hornaday came about over a simple dinner together.

“Hermie Sadler, my business manager in racing, came to me with a proposal because Hermie and Kevin (Harvick) are pretty good friends,” Denette said. “They started talking back and forth and he started talking to Ron.”

“We sat down for dinner one night and by the time we were done with dinner, we had a deal struck.”

While Denette knew of Hornaday’s championship resume, including 51 victories, 27 poles, and 146 top-five finishes, he was most impressed with the veteran driver’s heart and passion for the sport. He also was taken with his new driver’s desire to keep winning.

“His passion and his desire to keep winning impressed me most,” Denette said. “His goal is to win a fifth championship. When he left the table, he asked me what I expected from hi and I said just to give it your all and compete.”

“I told him, I want you to win your fifth championship with Joe Denette Motorsports.”

Hornaday, a 14-year veteran of the Truck Series, shared Denette’s excitement for his new ride, especially with the closure of his former team, KHI Motorsports.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to work with JDM next season,” Hornaday said. “This is a young team and they have put a lot of the right people in place to win races and compete for a championship in 2012.”

“I’m honored to continue my relationship with Chevrolet and I’m looking forward to a successful 2012 season.”

Another important part of Hornaday’s team that will be come to Joe Denette Motorsports is crew chief Jeff Hensley. And, according to Denette, one of the best holdovers from the KHI days is that the team will actually be running out of the former race team’s shop.

“We hired Jeff a week or two before we hired Ron,” Denette said. “We’re actually going to be running out of Kevin’s old shop.”

“I feel like I’m taking over where Kevin left off.”

While Denette confirmed that he will definitely be running one truck full-time, as he did last season in his rookie year, he also revealed that he may be running a second truck, perhaps even on a full-time basis.

“Right now we are running the No. 9 truck with Ron driving and several races throughout the season, we planned on running a second truck,” Denette said. “But from what my understanding is Hermie (Sadler) is already striking some deals where I feel like we’re going to have two trucks on the track this whole season.”

“I’m not 100% sure but I know for a fact that Elliott Sadler will be driving a few races this year and I also believe that Kevin (Harvick) wants to run a few Truck races for me this year.”

“In essence, he’ll be driving his old stuff, so I figure it’s a win/win situation.”

As with many NASCAR teams currently, Denette continues to be in the hunt for sponsors at all levels for his race trucks.

“We’re still working on sponsors,” Denette said. “Right now, I’m still open for sponsorship.”

“If someone wants to come up with some money and wants their company or logo on the side of my truck or on the hood of the truck, I’d gladly take it,” Denette continued. “I’ll put anybody on the truck that wants out there.”

In addition to sponsorship dollars, however, what Denette is dreaming about most is getting that first ever race win next year with his new team and driver.

“The first win, there will be nothing like it,” Denette said. “That’s what I came into the sport to do.”

“I want to win,” Denette continued. “I want to win a driver’s championship. I want to win an owner’s championship. I want a NASCAR trophy of my own.”

This week, Denette is going to finish up the 2011 season by heading to Las Vegas for NASCAR Championship week, taking the opportunity to check out that NASCAR trophy that he is so hoping to win next year.

And, yes, Denette will not only be heading to the championship banquet but also hoping that he will get lucky at some of the black jack tables in the casinos as well.

“I actually purchased a table at the banquet and have a group of six people coming with me,” Denette said. “We will have Hermie Sadler and his wife and some people who won a contest through the Virginia Lottery.”

“It’s pretty cool. When you meet the drivers in person, it’s cool,” Denette continued. “You can sit down and talk to them. I played black jack last year with Kenny Wallace and Kurt Busch.”

The biggest lesson that Denette has learned in his rookie year is that racing is indeed all about the people in the sport, especially having the right people in the right places to win. And, through it all, Denette’s passion for the sport, especially the Truck Series, has remained strong, if not increasing even further.

“I love the sport even more now,” Denette said. “I have more access to come up to the drivers and talk to the drivers and shoot the breeze. I run across these guys all the time and I’m still amazed at what they do.”

“Just go to a Truck race,” Denette said. “It’s unreal. Any day, any time, anybody can be a winner there.”

“I’ve got a passion for trucks,” Denette continued. “To see them racing, it’s pretty cool.”

“The Truck Series is the grass roots of NASCAR,” Denette said. “It’s how the sport started.”

“And the best part is that anybody can come to the track and win.”

November 30, 2011

Carl Edwards Conquers Concrete Monster for Nationwide Win

Carl Edwards could now be dubbed ‘King of the Concrete’ after a conquering win at the Monster Mile in the 26^th Annual OneMain Financial 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]The driver of the No. 60 Fastenal Ford even did his trademark victory back flip, although not quite sticking the landing due to the high banking at Dover International Speedway.

“My back flip was terrible,” Edwards said. “I was nervous doing it on the banking. I’m not going to do it tomorrow if I win because there is too much banking.”

Edwards also made his traditional foray into the crowds to celebrate his victory. On the way, he signed one fan’s Subway car and received plenty of congratulations.

“There was one guy up there that had all my gear on and he was just pumped,” Edwards said. “It’s just neat up there and all the drivers should try it.”

This was Edwards’ seventh win of the season. But more important, this was Edwards’ ninth win on the concrete, scoring him a perfect driver rating.

“That was a great race,” Edwards said. “It all starts at the shop because these Ford Mustangs are spectacular.”

“That was a very fast car,” Edwards continued. “Pit stops were great. Strategy was great. And we hung on for the win.”

Mike Beam, Edwards’ crew chief, echoed his driver’s sentiments.

“We really worked hard on the car,” Beam said. “Carl’s feedback was perfect. It worked out well.”

Team owner Jack Roush praised the chemistry of the team, as well as all of the members of the group that works on the car.

“It’s been a great team,” Roush said on the one year anniversary of the team coming together. “We put our Nationwide shop in the same location as the Cup shop. So, the help that Ford was giving would help all of the teams.”

“Thankfully, Carl didn’t crack his noggin on his back flip.”

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 22 Ruby Tuesday Dodge, finished second.

“I almost felt like we were first in class until the restarts,” Keselowski said. “We did a great job with our Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger.”

“Carl was just way faster than anyone else,” Keselowski continued. “We weren’t as good as Carl was.”

“I thought we were going to steal one with strategy but it wasn’t meant to be,” Keselowski said. “We just didn’t have enough for him today.”

Clint Bowyer, behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Heating Cooling and Water Heating Chevrolet, scored the third spot in the finishing order.

“I was pretty sure we weren’t first in class,” Bowyer said with a chuckle. “The caution came out and took two tires and then we had to take four and lost a lot of track position.”

“We just got beat up on pretty bad,” Bowyer continued. “Carl was fast and he was the class of the field.”

Ryan Truex, driving the No. 20 Heinz 57 Sauce Toyota, was the race’s top finishing rookie, bringing his race car home in eighth position. Not to be confused with his brother, Cup driver Martin Truex, Jr., Ryan still showed the same affinity for his local, home track.

“I don’t appreciate being called Martin,” Truex said in the media center when he was incorrectly introduced. “But we had a great day.”

“The caution got us off sequence,” Truex continued. “We deserved to be top five.”

“It’s great when you can have good cars and run like that but it’s disappointing when you don’t get the finish you thought you should.”

Probably the luckiest driver on the track for this Nationwide race was Reed Sorenson, driver of the No. Dollar General Chevrolet, who finished seventh.

Sorenson benefitted from a NASCAR error where he should have gone to the rear of the field due to pitting too early, however, NASCAR failed to get the information to him in a timely manner.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Sorenson said. “I knew a lot of cars had to do the wave around. I don’t think it would have affected where we finished.”

“I don’t know what the problem was but all in all it was a top-10 day for the Dollar General car.”

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., driving the No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford, scored a top five finish. But more important, he came out of the Monster Mile with the points lead, 22 points over Elliott Sadler.

“I wish I would have been a little bit better,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “We just never had the car the way we needed it.”

“We stayed tight the whole day,” Stenhouse continued. “We didn’t make any mistakes and that’s what we need to do each and every week.”

“A top five is definitely a good result for us.”

Stenhouse Jr. now sees himself and his team as in control of the championship competition.

“I think we’re in control for sure but we have to control what we do,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I’ve got to keep it out of the fence and keep the fenders on it.”

“We’ve got a real good shot at this thing,” Stenhouse said. “We have a race team that’s pretty determined to win this thing.”

No doubt, Elliott Sadler, who had started from the pole position in his No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, was the most disappointed driver coming out of the Monster Mile. Sadler finished fourteenth, trailing Stenhouse Jr. in the point standings.

“We were a little bit too loose with the cloud cover,” Sadler said. “My car would get too free. As soon as we pitted, the caution came out and it put us in a bigger hole.”

Sadler, however, is still hopeful about his championship hopes.

“We got five races left and anything can happen,” Sadler said. “I got to do a better job in practice for how I like it in practice to be able to get into Victory Lane.”

“We just have to find that next level and we will have to win a race or two to get back into this.”

——–

Unofficial Race Results
OneMain Financial 200, Dover International Speedway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=29
=========================================
Pos.		No.	Driver	Make	Points
=========================================
1	2	60	Carl Edwards	Ford	0
2	8	22	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	0
3	4	33	Clint Bowyer	Chevrolet	0
4	7	38	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	0
5	6	6	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford	39
6	9	16	Trevor Bayne	Ford	38
7	19	32	Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet	37
8	5	20	Ryan Truex *	Toyota	36
9	13	19	Mike Bliss	Chevrolet	35
10	14	31	Justin Allgaier	Chevrolet	34
11	11	11	Brian Scott	Toyota	33
12	18	62	Michael Annett	Toyota	32
13	3	18	Joey Logano	Toyota	0
14	1	2	Elliott Sadler	Chevrolet	31
15	16	88	Aric Almirola	Chevrolet	29
16	10	9	Kenny Wallace	Toyota	28
17	15	7	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	0
18	23	51	Jeremy Clements	Chevrolet	26
19	17	30	Jason Leffler	Chevrolet	25
20	12	66	Steve Wallace	Toyota	24
21	22	81	Blake Koch *	Dodge	23
22	42	15	Timmy Hill *	Ford	22
23	31	39	Fain Skinner	Ford	21
24	27	14	Eric McClure	Chevrolet	20
25	39	89	Morgan Shepherd	Chevrolet	19
26	41	28	Derrike Cope	Dodge	18
27	37	52	Kevin Lepage	Chevrolet	17
28	36	70	Casey Roderick	Chevrolet	16
29	21	1	Mike Wallace	Chevrolet	16
30	24	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	14
31	25	23	Scott Riggs	Chevrolet	13
32	33	171	Matthew Carter	Ford	12
33	40	40	Josh Wise	Chevrolet	11
34	34	175	Carl Long	Ford	10
35	35	141	Johnny Chapman	Chevrolet	9
36	38	49	Mark Green	Chevrolet	8
37	26	104	Kelly Bires	Ford	7
38	20	147	Charles Lewandoski *	Chevrolet	6
39	43	146	Chase Miller	Chevrolet	5
40	30	142	Tim Andrews	Chevrolet	0
41	28	182	Scott Wimmer	Dodge	3
42	32	150	T.J. Bell	Chevrolet	0
43	29	44	Jeff Green	Chevrolet	1

October 1, 2011

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Timmy Hill Both Pursue Nationwide Dreams

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., driver of the No. 6 Blackwell Angus/Cargill Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing, and Timmy Hill, behind the wheel of No. 15 Poynt.com Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, have more than just driving for the same manufacturer in common.

[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”237″][/media-credit]Both young, up and coming drivers are pursuing their NASCAR dreams, one for a Nationwide championship and the other for the youngest ever Nationwide Rookie of the Year title.

Stenhouse Jr., who won the Nationwide ROTY honors last year, is 23 years old while Hill is just 18 years of age, with his highest achievement being the Allison Legacy Series Championship.

For Stenhouse, the achievement of the NASCAR Nationwide championship would be a dream come true.

“It would mean a lot,” Stenhouse said. “It would definitely be my biggest accomplishment ever in my racing career.”

“After the way last year went, struggling so bad the first part of the year and turning it around at the end of the year, it really makes you appreciate where we are right now as a race team,” Stenhouse continued.

“We came into the year thinking that we were gonna be able to run for it and now that we’ve got six races left and have a shot at it, it’s exactly where we need to be.”

Similarly for Hill, the Nationwide Rookie of the Year title would be just as good as the championship would be to Stenhouse, Jr. And if he won those coveted rookie honors, Hill would make history as the youngest ROTY at the tender age of 18 years.

“It would be awesome for me to be the youngest one to do it,” Hill said. “We just hoped at this time in the year to have a shot at the Rookie of the Year and everything has worked out.”

“We’re leading now by just two points.”

For both drivers, achieving their respective dreams will be tough, especially with the level of competition. Stenhouse, Jr. is battling veteran Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, for the Nationwide title, while Hill is battling Blake Koch, driver of the No. 81 DayStar.com Dodge, for the ROTY honors.

“I think you have to be on your game,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “You have to go out and try to win because Elliott Sadler is not gonna finish outside of the top 10.”

“So, you’ve got to do something better to beat him in this championship.”

“It’s close,” Hill echoed. “Blake has been right there and we’ve been right beside each other almost every race.”

“It’s a real tight battle, but hopefully we can hang on to it,” Hill continued. “We hope to finish that deal out.”

Both dream chasing drivers share a very similar background, having started in go-kart racing, as well as continuing through the ARCA ReMax Racing Series. Hill, in particular, has racing in his blood from watching his father, Jerry Hill, race in the Truck Series for many years.

“My dad ran Truck Series and the Busch Series back then, Nationwide Series now,” Hill said. “He ran a full season of Trucks in 2003 and that was his last season.”

“I kept bugging him when I was a kid that I wanted to race,” Hill continued. “Finally he said OK and he put me in a go kart and let me try it out.”

“The first race, I loved it and I was instantly hooked.”

One interesting thing that the two drivers on their dream quests share, however, is actually a person. Both have ties to Cup Chase contender Carl Edwards.

For Stenhouse, Jr. his tie to Carl is that of teammates both seeking a championship. As Stenhouse chases the Nationwide championship, he is also cognizant of getting Edwards, in the No. 60 Fastenal Ford, the owner championship for Jack Roush.

“Jamie Allison from Ford came in this week and we’ve got a lot of things going,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “We’re obviously going for the driver’s championship.”

“We’ve got to get Carl the owner’s championship and then we’ve got to get Ford the manufacturer’s championship,” Stenhouse continued. “Ford is putting a lot of effort into it and we’ve got a lot of things to accomplish this year and I think we can do it as a race team.”

For Hill, Carl Edwards is not teammate but hero.

“A guy I like to pattern myself after is Carl Edwards,” Hill said. “He handles himself real well and I like the way he treats his fans.”

“Almost everything he does I like to pattern myself after.”

The two young up and comers also share one unfortunate aspect to their careers. They both are uncertain of what their future holds.

“Right now, my biggest focus is this Nationwide championship,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I think I’ve always said after running a couple of years in Nationwide I would like to run maybe a partial schedule or something just to kind of get my feet wet.”

“But I don’t want to jump into things too quick.”

“I may go to college next year,” Hill said, who just graduated high school. “I just want to focus on racing. I just want to keep my focus right now on the Rookie of the Year battle.”

So, for now, both Stenhouse, Jr. and Hill realize that the road to achieving their dreams runs straight through the Monster Mile at Dover this weekend. Not unexpectedly, both drivers are confident that they will conquer the concrete track.

“For us, every time I’ve come to Dover, we’ve had a better finish,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “We finished fourth the last race here and had a really fast Mustang.”

“I think, obviously, we’ll have a good race here.”

“This is my second time here since the spring race,” Hill said. “So, we’ve got the experience and we’ve got the feel.”

“The banking and the way it drops off makes it a monster,” Hill continued. “It’s a wild ride.”

September 30, 2011