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Tag: Ford

Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

The first shoe dropped Sunday morning. It was almost certain when Jack Roush revealed that Trevor Bayne would be driving the No. 6 Ford in 2015. Roush has only had three cars in recent seasons because of the lack of sponsorship, and it was almost unbelievable that he would field four in 2015. Of course, there was always a possibility that it would be Greg Biffle or Ricky Stenhouse Jr. that was leaving, but all along we knew.

The announcement came first via email, Facebook and Twitter from Roush Fenway Racing. It simply announced the driver lineup for 2015. It was minus Carl Edwards. Fastenal, Edwards’ lead sponsor would go to Stenhouse. Later on Jack Roush and other RFR principals commented. Edwards would not be part of the team in 2015. The usual “we’re going to race just like always with Carl and get a championship” line was spoken as well as the “he’ll always be a part of the RFR family.” Bull. This was payback.

The last time Edwards’ contract came up, he played it just like he did this year. No comments and no news, just the usual “proud to drive a Ford for Jack Roush.” The ball was in Edwards’ court, and it probably didn’t sit well with Roush. Ford had bent over backward to keep Edwards then. There was talk of stock options and commercial deals in addition to his contract with the race team. Edwards was Ford. There was almost a championship in 2011 and struggles since, but no driver ever mentioned Ford so much in post-race interviews, win or lose. After all of that, Edwards told Roush in May that he had a contract with another team. Which team? He didn’t even tell Roush which team he was going to. Despite all the talk that he is part of the family and that they are still running for a championship, there is bad blood there.

Then there is the Toyota thing. Everyone knows Roush despises Toyota. Remember the battle of words between Roush and Lee White when he was at Toyota. He just saw Matt Kenseth go over to the Japanese brand and now probably Edwards. It was the second or third most prestigious race on the circuit. What better time to announce his 2015 team minus Edwards. Here, take that, Carl. Oh, in public, there will be nothing but good will expressed, but this act on the day of the Brickyard 400 speaks volumes. If the mission was to embarrass Edwards, mission accomplished.

Now we wait for the other shoe to drop. It won’t be much of surprise if the rumors are correct. Everyone agrees that his new ride will be with Joe Gibbs Racing in a fourth car with unknown sponsorship. Many felt that the key was Edwards taking sponsorship to Gibbs or wherever he went, but the Fastenal announcement seems to have quieted that theory. As is Edwards’ custom, he’s not talking, and probably won’t until October in Charlotte.

Would better performance have kept Edwards at Roush? Not likely. Neither would loyalty. Even though Roush put him in his first major truck, Nationwide car, and Sprint Cup ride, Edwards wanted to see what it was like to drive someplace else. I’m waiting for Edwards to utter that old tired line, “it’s business.”

Indeed it is, and the rest of the season will be tough for Edwards. Very few lame duck drivers do well once they announce, or someone else announces they are leaving. Kevin Harvick was an exception last year, but that’s unusual. Edwards was a long shot for the championship anyway. The announcement Sunday morning made those odds longer.

July 28, 2014
Junie Donlavey – Car Owner for the Common Man

While the rest of the NASCAR world is celebrating the sport’s most popular driver’s fourth win in 10 years, another stock car icon has passed away. It’s true that today’s youth doesn’t understand the history of the sport, but that’s not unusual. Many don’t understand the history and geography of our nation either.

Junie Donlavey fielded cars for a lot of years, last in 2002. The list of those who drove his cars reads like a Who’s Who of motorsports. The list starts with legend Sonny Hutchins and continues on through Daytona 500 champ Lee Roy Yarbrough, Bill Dennis, former Sprint Cup champ Bobby Isaac, Harry Gant, Indy 500 champ Johnny Rutherford, NASCAR Hall of Fame member Buck Baker, Kenny Schrader, Buddy Baker, and even Hermie Sadler of TV fame. That’s quite a resume.

Donlavey competed in NASCAR’s premier series for 45 years and was always underfunded. He worked with an all volunteer crew until 1986 when he was 62 years old. He finally realized that he was unable to continue at age 78, in 2002. He tried again to make the Daytona 500 field two years later but was unsuccessful. His comment was honest, and stated like only Donlavey could do. Never having a big ego, Junie was just glad to be a part of the show.

“You have to have $8 million to compete here and we are far from that. We go home knowing we held our head high,” he said.”

Donlavey only had a car to win one race in what is now known as the Sprint Cup Series. It was a race at Dover International Speedway in 1981. Jody Ridley was the driver and the celebration after the win was legendary for Ridley in the No. 90 Ford. Not to be forgotten are the many victories in what would become the Nationwide Series. Bill Dennis was part of that, but lack of money always kept Donlavey in the series in the “also ran” category. His cars had many top-five and top-10 finishes, but only once did he reach victory lane in NASCAR’s top series. Yes, he had limited sponsorship from Richmond’s Truxmore Industries trash truck business and later on, when Schrader was driving, with Schwan’s Red Baron Pizza. After that he had a car with the sponsorship of a West Virginia candidate for governor and other minor sponsorships.

Never was there a greater gentleman. Back in 2001 while walking through the pits at North Carolina Speedway, I stopped with my colleague Ed Turner and snapped a picture of Donlavey while he was talking with a group of fans. He stopped and thanked me. I was shocked. Later on, I had the chance to talk with him and found that this gentle soul was a true hero of the sport. I will miss him.

Only the Wood Brothers and Jack Roush can hold up to Donlavey’s record of being loyal to a manufacturer. Junie fielded Fords his entire career. That’s exemplary considering the lack of loyalty we see these days. For Junie, it was always being there and fighting for the win rather than gaining an advantage and dominating the field.

He gave many drivers the ride which would propel rookies to recognition and former reigning stars to regain their status, and he did it with the aplomb of a Virginia gentleman. I’ll always miss seeing that No. 90 on the track. If there was ever a hero for the common man, it was Junie Donlavey.

June 10, 2014
Smooth Sailing For Chevrolet While TRD & Ford Stumble

The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is 13 races old and we now have a fairly clear picture as to which manufacturer has an edge on the competition. There is a great disparity between all three makes which isn’t surprising considering that this is a brand new car. Joe Gibbs Racing is by far the best team winning five races this year and dominating many more. TRD powered cars have won eight poles as well and were under the hood for all those JGR victories. They are fast but maybe a little too fast. They are pushing the limits of their engines which are failing more than any other manufacturer. They had at least three other races this year in the bag until engine issues killed their chances. There is an intense feeling of trepidation throughout the Toyota camp even if they don’t show it because they can’t afford to be giving valuable championship points away like this and they know it.

Part of the reason why Joe Gibbs switched to TRD in 2012 is because their own engines were having reliability problems and they hoped to bolster their program with the addition of TRD power. Well, they are right back to where they were except this time; they are relying on someone else to fix the issues. TRD is plenty capable of fixing this problem though and I believe they will but the clock is ticking and they don’t have very much time. A quick fix that will be implemented immediately is to scale back the horsepower on their cars in an effort to improve reliability. Its common sense really; be easier on the engine components and they are more likely to last the entire event. They won’t be dominating every single race now but a top 10 and a few wins is a lot better than a few wins and a couple 40th’s.

We don’t even know if this will eradicate the issue which has mostly been valve train related; considered the most fragile part of the engine to most. We saw Matt Kenseth not even make it 200 miles before he lost the engine at Dover and TRD’s thinking is that less strain on the parts will help them endure the entire race distance. Cup motors are built to last around 800 miles so for these engines to not even make it a quarter of the way to that amount is a little concerning. If they can get past these issues, then not much will be able to stop their powerful fleet of cars in 2013.

Ford hasn’t had very many engine problems this year, what they are lacking is raw speed. They would like to adjust the front aerodynamics of their cars but I doubt NASCAR will let that happen mid-season. I said it back in Daytona that I felt the 3D “grills” would be a disadvantage to the Ford team but they aren’t pin-pointing that as the main issue so don’t quote me on that. They have just two wins this year compared to Toyota’s five and Chevy’s six. Carl Edwards won Ford their first race in the Gen-6 back in Phoenix while the underdogs at Front-Row Motorsports put their Ford Fusion’s 1-2 at Talladega. The Ford’s seem to run so-so at the 1.5 mile and 2 mile tracks which they have historically dominated in the past.

Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins

They are fast at shorter, less aerodynamic dependent venues which is very uncharacteristic for that group. In the manufacturer standings, they trail Toyota by 20pts and Chevy by 28 which is a fairly large margin. Penske Racing and even Germain Racing have shown consistent speed in the cars although they’ve also had a few dismal results. Richard Petty Motorsports and Roush-Fenway are the ones that are really having a tough time. Carl may be 2nd in points but that team as a whole hasn’t taken charge at all this year and really haven’t shown much strength. They’ve just been there for the most part. RPM’s Aric Almirola was really good earlier in the year but now he is beginning to fall off as well. This certainly isn’t Ford’s season and as they struggle to find their footing, Toyota and Chevrolet continue to gap them more and more every weekend.

Now I would talk about Chevy’s issues if they really had any. They came out of the gate winning the Daytona 500 in a Hendrick Motorsports 1-2 and all their teams have been solid this year. Toyota seems to have a little more speed than them but like I said earlier, their reliability is awful. Hendrick Motorsports and ECR have built very durable engines that have only failed twice during the season thus far. Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing have all been very strong. Drivers such as Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray and even Juan-Pablo Montoya who are usually around 15th-20th in points aren’t ruling out the possibility of a chase berth just yet. Stewart-Haas has struggled but that is of their own doing as they are finding it tough to adapt to the Gen-6. They either have ill-handling racecars or find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. That being said, Tony Stewart just won at Dover so it’s not all doom and gloom for that organization.

Chevrolet takes racing more seriously than most seeing that they put so much time and effort into their program. They were the last to unveil their Gen-6 car and were very secretive when testing last year. Chevy exemplifies what is reachable when you pour your heart and soul into something. The record holding 36-time NASCAR Sprint Cup manufacturer champions are looking to win their 11th straight in 2013 and it’s not just NASCAR where they rise above their competition. They are kicking Honda’s tail for the most part in Indycar, Corvette Racing is the most successful team in the history of Le Mans and Chevrolet Cruze has a stranglehold on World Touring Car. I’ll tell you what; I’d love to see General Motors try their hand at Formula 1 so we can see if they have what it takes against the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

The reason why Chevy always seems to be the ones to beat in any form of racing is because of the passion and time they put into all their programs around the world. Toyota is catching up in NASCAR though and I think they are going to have one heck of a battle in 2013. Toyota has never won a driver or manufacturer title in Cup and it would give much more credence to their title hopes should they resolve their engine woes. You can be assured that if they don’t win it all, the car standing in their way when it’s all said and done will most likely feature a gold bow tie on the grill.

June 6, 2013
Sprint Media Day Day Three – Penske Racing

Photo Credit: Brad Keppel/SpeedwayMedia.com

The last stop on Day Three of the Sprint Media Tour found the media heading to Mooresville, North Carolina, to visit Penske racing. Fresh off a Sprint Cup Championship with Brad Keselowski winning the prize, things were still being improved and changed in the organization.

It was announced that Pennzoil had extended its sponsorship on the No. 22 car and other Penske vehicles for the “long term.” No duration was mentioned, but Roger Penske’s body language seemed to indicate that it was longer than the normal two or three years.

The driver lineup was introduced to all in attendance, which included Jamie Allison, Ford’s racing czar and Edsel Ford. Penske drivers for 2013 include 2012 Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Sam Hornish, Jr., and Ryan Blaney. Keselowski will pilot the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford while Joey Logano will drive the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford in Sprint Cup. In addition, Logano and Blaney will run the full season in the Nationwide Series in Ford Mustangs. Penske also announced a new sponsor, Hertz. Hertz will be a co-primary sponsor on the #22 in fall Charlotte Cup race, and possibly others. Greg Erwin will be Sam Hornish’s crew chief in the Nationwide Series.

Penske executive Walt Czarnecki says the transition to Ford has been seamless. “It’s like we never left,” he said. Team owner Roger Penske said the goal was a manufacturer’s championship for Ford and the organization was endorsing the “One Ford” concept. “We’re excited about working with Doug Yates and his marvelous engines and Jack Roush for his knowledge of what makes a Ford go,” Penske said

Penske said that he had talked to Ryan Newman about running a third car in 2013 before he reached agreement with Stewart-Haas Racing, but sponsorship money was not there for the third car. “Right now, Sam (Hornish) is in line for the third car when it happens.”

The enthusiasm for Ford’s newest team was shown as Allison, Ford, and other executives were in attendance and in good spirits at the dinner. All the new cars were on site, including the bright yellow Hertz car to be on the track in October.

January 25, 2013
Jamie Little Ready to Host Fourth NASCAR After the Lap Event

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]She is a new mom and an intrepid ESPN pit reporter but in just a few weeks Jamie Little will be host as she returns to one of her favorite events, NASCAR After the Lap, in her hometown Las Vegas during Champion’s Week.

For the fourth year and since its inception, Little will be trying her best to herd the NASCAR champion and the other top 12 cats during the special event, which serves as a prequel to the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet.

“I have been the host since it was created,” Little said. “NASCAR was trying something new when they brought the championship to Las Vegas and they asked me to host it.”

“And we hit on something and people just really liked it and the drivers really enjoyed themselves,” Little continued. “It was a hit and I can’t believe it’s already the fourth time.”

Little said that although the venue is new, this year at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, she is preparing for what always is a spontaneous, fly by the seat of your pants evening. And she does her best to loosen up the tongues of the driver with her questions, from the quiet drivers to those that need no encouragement.

“We try to set it up to elicit some comedy from the drivers but with some of them, it doesn’t take much to get them going,” Little said. “There is going to be some, shall we say, flash back photos from their high school days.”

“So, that will be fun.”

“The fun of the show is that it’s unscripted,” Little said. “And all I can say that with Clint Bowyer back in the Chase that will be a big hit because he just takes over and pokes fun at every other driver.”

“So, we’ll have some fun with Clint,” Little continued. “He is a loose cannon and has ADD as well.”

“I will use him to try to pull out things from Dale Junior, Matt Kenseth and the guys that are a little more quiet.”

Little acknowledged that she often does not have to look far for roasting inspirations, especially given her relationship with many of the drivers in the Chase. For example, she already has a bit of fodder to use on the current point’s leader in the Chase hunt.

“Obviously I’m covering the whole Chase so there are things during the final ten races that I’ll jot down and bring up so we can laugh about it,” Little said. “For instance, last week I ran back to interview Brad Keselowski right when he crawled out of his car.”

“So, he gets out of his race car and his phone falls out of his pocket,” Little continued. “And I’m like, ‘Did you just have your phone with you in the car? And he picked it up and said, ‘Of course I did,’

“And I looked at the screen and it was on Twitter.”

“So obviously he’s not tweeting from the car but he’s reading Twitter under all the caution laps that we had last week,” Little said. “So, things like that, we can bring up and have fun with.”

Little has had too many favorite moments in the NASCAR After the Lap event to count, but her highlight was a moment that happened just last year.

“One thing that really stands out was Jeff Gordon break dancing,” Little said. “That was a highlight.”

“It was peer pressure from the other drivers to get him to do it,” Little continued. “He did not want to do it but he came out and broke it down.”

While every moment of the event is interesting, Little said that what makes the event so special is that it is completely candid.

“These guys sit up there with a beer bottle in hand and it’s like having a fire side chat with the drivers,” Little said. “You might hear some swear words or some salty language but it’s just a casual, fun, ‘have at it’ time with the guys.”

“We’ve been through 36 races and all the fans have seen them interviewed, but this is so different,” Little continued. “They are up close and personal with the guys, watching them all interact.”

“These fans are so connected with their drivers and to see the drivers interact with each other is so much fun.”

Although the drivers are usually so scheduled, with multiple appearances at track, Little said that they absolutely enjoy the NASCAR After the Lap event because it is so relaxed, quick and fun.

“I think they really do get into it,” Little said. “The guys get to drive their race cars down the Vegas strip and they always have funny stories after that.”

“Then they come to us and there is a green room where they are all together,” Little continued. “There is beer flowing and they are already busting on each other at that point.”

“This event is just fun for them to kick back, make fun of each other and laugh at each other and themselves,” Little said. “They don’t have to be on guard and be so careful about mentioning all their sponsors.”

Little also enjoys being able to let her own hair down a bit during NASCAR After the Lap, giving herself a chance to leave the seriousness of the racing season behind.

“It’s fun for me to show another side of my personality, especially being loose and funny,” Little said. “I’m out of the fire suit and just get to be me.”

“I show our relationship and this is a good time for them to poke fun at me as well,” Little continued. “It’s just all in good fun.”

“That’s special for me as well.”

Little said another special aspect about NASCAR After the Lap is that it takes place right in her home town, giving her a bit of a chance to mix her family with friends and NASCAR racing. This year, however, she has plans right after the event involving one of NASCAR’s most recognizable names.

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“Since I’m here in my hometown, it is special,” Little said. “It’s fun to mix family and friends.”

“My brother-in-law is marrying Danica Patrick’s sister on December 1^st so I have to get on the plane right after the event and go to a wedding this year.”

An aspect of NASCAR After the Lap that has really taken off is the interaction on social media.

“We saw that last year how Facebook and Twitter were so involved in the event,” Little said. “And this year there will be an element where the funniest tweets of the year by the drivers will be showcased.”

“So, we will really be incorporating social media for sure.”

The event will also be streamed live on NASCAR.com and will be broadcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Finally, Little acknowledged that the event was special for two other reasons, one that it benefits charity and the other that she gets to give away some really cool prizes.

“The first year we did this, it was free to see what kind of feedback and turnout we would get,” Little said. “When it became such a great event, we started charging $20, with all the proceeds benefitting the NASCAR Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds for children’s charities all over the nation.”

“There is also a sweepstakes where one fan gets the chance to win a 2013 Ford F150 and an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas to the event,” Little continued. “Every year, it’s so much fun to meet that fan, bring them up on stage, they get to meet a driver and get their pictures taken.”

“Then, to see someone win a truck is awesome,” Little continued. “It’s always fun giving stuff away.”

“Everyone’s a fan of that.”

NASCAR After the Lap will be held on Thursday, November 29^th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at PH LIVE located in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. For more information about NASCAR After the Lap Sponsored by Ford and Coca-Cola or to purchase tickets, visit www.NASCARafterthelap.com.

October 29, 2012
Who wins the Chase? Lots of history and recent performance are telling

[media-credit name=”Noel Lanier” align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]It may seem silly, but there are those who have already decided that the Chase has two favorites, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson. There is something to be said for that, but the thought needs more investigation. It’s also useful to look at history and recent statistics. Those two categories tend to color things a bit.

First, history tells us a lot. Chevrolet drivers, especially Hendrick Motorsports drivers and those teams he supplies cars for, seem to have the upper hand. The fact is that for the last 20 years, Chevrolet drivers have won 16 championships, with 11 of them coming from Hendrick Motorsports. That’s quite a record. Only Ford drivers Alan Kulwicki, Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth, and Kurt Busch have dented that streak. And most of them are ancient history with the last Ford championship coming way back in 2004 when Busch did the trick. In this two decade period, Toyota and Dodge haven’t accomplished a championship.

Part of the reason for this is the tremendous advantage Chevrolet has in top teams competing week after week. On any given Sunday (or Saturday night), Chevrolet fields 11 top teams running Hendrick and Richard Childress motors or chassis. Ford usually fields only five similar teams, which is one of the reasons Penske Racing was added to the mix. That’s a huge advantage. With Hendrick or his satellite operation winning the last six championships, you have to consider them the favorites—and there are four of them.

Another thing to consider is recent performance. Surprisingly, the strongest performers over the last six races are Keselowski, Kyle Busch (who isn’t in the Chase), Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, and Kasey Kahne. If momentum has in factor in this championship, you have to consider that. Notable is that Hendrick drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Johnson, and Jeff Gordon rank down the list. It makes things more confusing.

It would be a tremendous surprise to me if the champion is not one of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers. History is with them. Brad Keselowski. Bowyer, and Biffle have had their consistency problems and Johnson looks like he is ready to dominate. Kahne is surprisingly at the top of the field every race and the rest of the field is, to be honest, chasing (no pun intended).

It’s a little early to tell, but history and recent performance gives us a little insight to how this thing will play out. If I was a betting man, and I’m not, I would put my money on a Chevrolet driver and one from the Hendrick camp. We’ll visit this all during the Chase, but as for now, that’s the way I see it.

September 18, 2012
Hendrick Bending the Rules? Keselowski Thinks So

[media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]Is Hendrick Motorsports bending the rules? Brad Keselowski thinks so. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility. Of course you remember all those times Crew Chief Chad Knaus was suspended and fined? Certainly, like when you were in school, once guilty and always suspected was the rule. That may be part of it but Jimmie Johnson coming from the back of the pack to leading the race until his engine expired has lots of folks wondering.

Keselowski commented during the race on how Hendrick cars used what he called “tricks” with their cars. Jack Roush and winner Greg Biffle mentioned at Michigan how they “fell behind” on some things, especially on Carl Edwards’ cars and had to get up to speed on certain things. It has opened up a new can of worms, but is it sour grapes or is it a legitimate gripe? Maybe the Hendrick Motorsports cars have people who just are smarter than other team’s engineers and technicians. No, do not shoot the messenger.

“There’s parts and pieces that move on the car after inspection that make the (Hendrick) cars more competitive,” Keselowski said. “Some guys have it and some don’t. There’s a question as to the interpretation of the rule.”

One thing is certain, Keselowski is outspoken and doesn’t pull any punches. He has been watching the HMS cars all season long, and his inability to compete with them over the last few races has him frustrated. Remember this is the same man I wrote about last week after a battle with Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen. He doesn’t mind getting beat, but he wants to be on an even playing field. He pointed a finger at his own organization, Penske Racing for racing fairly without pushing the envelope between getting by with something and getting caught.

“As a group at Penske racing, we have not felt comfortable enough to risk that name and reputation that roger has over those parts and pieces. Others have, which is their prerogative,” Keselowski said. “Living in the gray area …We’re going to have to make a re-evaluation of that internally to decide if that’s the right way to go.”

I found it interesting that after the race, NASCAR took six or seven cars back to their R&D center to inspect them. “Sometimes, it’s easier to take the whole car than just the engine,” Robin Pemberton said in an interview with Sirius-XM radio. What cars they took was a mystery at the time of this column.

August 20, 2012
The Once and Always King

[media-credit id=66 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]I remember when the King was, well, the King. Back in those days the King won everywhere and bagged seven championships. They weren’t consecutive because there wasn’t a lot of multi-car teams and none named Hendrick Motorsports. He was simply the best no matter where the circuit went. He won at half-miles, dirt tracks and super speedways. It was just the way it was. He drove Plymouth’s, Dodges, and even several GM brands, but he was always winning until he decided to hang it up. Since then it has been tough for Petty Enterprises. The group that created all those wins is gone and today it’s Richard Petty Motorsports with a financing group behind him, but the King clearly in charge. Nothing has changed but the domination.

I remember how much the competition hated him. Ford hated him and his organization so much that they made him part of their team in 1969. He did well (10 wins), but he came back to Plymouth in 1970. Much like Jeff Gordon in the 1990’s and Jimmie Johnson today, he was loathed by most everyone except the loyal fans. And yet, he became the most beloved of all drivers. The once and future King.

On Sunday, just like a year ago, Richard Petty returned to victory lane. This time it was as a car owner and Marcos Ambrose was the driver. The road racing specialist fell behind and came back and battled Brad Keselowski for an unsuspected win. But the lineage was clear, Richard Petty is a winner. He doesn’t have the money of a Hendrick or a Penske or even a Roush, but he knows what it takes to win and instills in in his drivers. It worked. No one can deny that Ambrose was up on the wheel during that last lap. Seeing the King in Victory Lane was magical to many of us.

Petty spoke of his manufacturer relationship. Apparently RPM had been in negotiations with Dodge and Ford prior to Dodge’s announcement that they would be leaving the sport. Petty and Ambrose wanted to stay with Ford and his partner was more concerned with the money Dodge was offering. The decision was made with Dodge’s pullout. It appears that Petty will join the Roush-Fenway group, Penske, and Front Row Motorsports for another year with Ford. Never doubt the King. He knows the way to win. It may have taken him years to be on top of the the competition, but his comfort zone is undeniable.

Yes it was only a road race and it was the road course king winning. But good things seem to be happening and maybe it was a stroke of luck that RPM will be with Ford for 2013.

Stability is so very important.

August 13, 2012
Why Did Matt Kenseth Leave?

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]As my father used to say, “I’d have liked to have been a little birdie”. We will probably never know what was discussed in that verbal intercourse between Jack Roush and his points-leading driver, Matt Kenseth. But whatever it was saw one of the best drivers in the sport head for Joe Gibbs Racing (or so they say).

It’s an interesting phenomenon. Last year it was Roush driver Carl Edwards that the Gibbs organization coveted. Carl didn’t take the bait and stayed. This year it was Matt Kenseth and Matt moved on. I guess it’s flattering to the Roush organization that other teams are coming after their drivers, but losing a driver the caliber of Matt Kenseth is quite a blow. I have no inside information, but I think three factors led to Kenseth’s defection.

First was the sponsorship situation. It is unbelievable to me that a former champion who is always in the front of the field has no sponsorship while lesser teams with lesser drivers get enough money to run the entire season. Matt is low-key and less exciting for sponsors maybe, but it seems to be a problem with Roush-Fenway more often than not. Rising star Trevor Bayne had to discontinue his Nationwide Series quest because sponsorship could not be found. If the truth were known, Roush has financed Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.’s Nationwide effort often. The fourth team, the famous No. 6, is without sponsorship. The future seemed to be iffy for Kenseth. If Gibbs is the place he lands, Home Depot is really a solid sponsor and Gibbs seems to find sponsors easily.

Secondly, Kenseth might have been looking for new scenery. As successful as he has been with RFR, the same old grind gets old. Staying with the same team for a decade makes one look at the grass on the other side. It may be greener. How often does a driver get the opportunity to go to a team with solid sponsorship that is competitive as the one you are leaving? Opportunity knocks but once, an old philosopher once said. Maybe Matt saw this as his last chance.

Finally, maybe it was the money. If the rumors swirling around last year are any indication, Gibbs offered a very lucrative package to Edwards to lure him away from Roush. Ford and RFR offered more and Edwards stayed. Maybe with the sponsorship problems (lack of resources) made it impossible to make a decent counter offer to Kenseth. Despite all the talk about it not being the money, it always plays a part in every equation. If that money also offers security, it would be hard to turn down.

In comments today from Stenhouse, it appears this has been a done deal for awhile. “I got the call actually before Road America, but they wouldn’t let me tell anybody,” Stenhouse said. “I got the call last Thursday.” Stenhouse initially thought it was for the fourth car in the stable, but learned earlier this week it was for the car Kenseth is vacating.

So, Silly Season starts in earnest. With the first domino falling, surely others will follow. If the No. 20 is Kenseth’s destination, will Gibbs field a fourth car for Logano? That has been mentioned. Will Richard Childress shake up his organization? Will Penske stay with A.J. Allmendinger or will he look at another driver for his flagship No. 22 Ford next year? Will Richard Petty Motors stay with Ford or head back to Dodge? Will Dodge field any cars next year? Lots of questions, but with Silly Season happening earlier and earlier these days, most of those answers might come quicker than you think.

June 29, 2012
The teenage dream: The Kyle Fowler story

[media-credit name=”http://www.kylefowler.net” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]Growing up just miles away from the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kyle Fowler developed a love for car racing. Fowler, now a 19 year old from Symrna, has grown to become a major prospect in the eyes of one small car operation.

Randy Hill Racing, a team formed late last season, signed Tim Andrews to a full-time deal to drive the No. 08 Ford Mustang throughout the 2012 Nationwide Series campaign. But, due to sponsorship woes, the team decided to go with a different approach.

Casey Roderick, along with Fowler, have each ran a minimal portion of the ten races completed this season.

Fowler’s resume isn’t the most impressive. However, the 19 year old has driven for three well-known figures throughout the world of motorsports including Eddie Sharp, Ken Schrader, and Billy Venturini, all of which came in the ARCA series.

“My experience in the ARCA series was definitely very beneficial when I had to come over here to the Nationwide Series with the help of Randy Hill Racing. I was able to race on similar tracks like the ones I’m racing on here and it was great to have some experienced people behind me such as Mr. Schrader and the Venturini’s in ARCA,” said Fowler.

Randy Hill has known Fowler for a few months now. Before the two met, Hill was an ordinary fan who wanted to own a team. Hill was able to accomplish this feat over time. When he had an open seat for the Las Vegas, Bristol, and Texas races, he set his sights on giving Fowler a shot at stardom.

“Well honestly it was a last minute deal when I got the call before Vegas. I think it was Monday , the week before as Mr. Hill called that morning and I didn’t know, nor have a clue what he would say,” said Fowler. “A lot of times last minute deals don’t usually work out, but we’re very fortunate to get valuable seat time and get our first start under our belt.”

At times, Fowler wasn’t sure if he was able to get back in the car again at any point throughout the remaining portion of the schedule. Fowler kept in mind that a return to ARCA would be something he would consider, yet it wasn’t his first option.

In his three races behind the wheel this season, the Georgia native has qualified no worse than 21st, including his Texas Motor Speedway debut where he broke a crank on a practice qualifying run. The team bounced back though with an impressive 21st place finish after starting from the back of the pack.

“It’s great to be able to do that. We’re a low budget team so we don’t have a lot of cars. If we tear one up, it’s hard to fix it and come back to the track so if we can keep the car out there and work between race to race, then we’ll definitely start gaining on it and I think that’s kind of what happened with us,” Fowler said. “We were able to make big gains throughout the race and with ten minutes to go left in practice, we blew a motor so that kind of put us behind the eight-ball there. We changed the motor, got it ready for qualifying and got a pretty decent lap out of it.”

In his three Nationwide Series appearances, Fowler has experience a mechanical issue in each of the races. Even though that is just ol’ lady luck,

Fowler has shown that he has the talent to take his equipment to the front of the pack.

Fowler didn’t climb up to the Nationwide Series by himself. His family had a lot to do with his early success.

Mike and Lisa Fowler, Kyle’s parents, have supported him since he began pursuing a racing career.

“Well, ever since I started racing they’ve been my team. We’ve always been a low budget deal ourselves. Me and my dad have always worked on the cars at the track. Them seeing me race at this level is great. To have them there for support and everything , it’s hard to put into words the chance that I’m getting to do. I would have never thought when I first strapped behind a racecar that I would be able to race against some of these great guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and some of those guys,” Fowler said.

Fowler’s father goes to each race with him. When the motor expired during practice for the O’Reily Auto Parts 300 in April, he was one of the lone pit crew members putting the backup engine in the car in time for qualifying, even though the team was locked in on owner points.

The elder Fowler is a perfect fit to help in at Randy Hill Racing. Though the team partnered with Go-Green Racing during the off-season, the team is still underfunded with a limited amount of resources.

“Well, whenever I’m racing the car, my father is at the shop. We have our Car Chief and about two-three other guys working on the cars and with the partnership with Go-Green Racing, they have a few guys as well and we all kind of work together on that. But, we’re not the Penske, the Roush, and the Gibbs guys with hundreds of people back at the shop, so it’s great to be able to do what we’re able to accomplish with a limited budget, limited man power, and limited horse power,” said Fowler who shows a great knowledge for what his competition bears.

Along the way, Fowler has seen hundreds of driver’s race. But, while racing legends cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he and his father met David and Ken Ragan.

“I wasn’t really as close to him until I started asking him about some of the tracks when we were both racing. It’s great to ask him what the cars will do on the long run or what to expect when racing with different track conditions. It’s great to have that as far as that. “

Ragan, whom of which drives for an underfunded team himself, has helped Fowler’s learning curve in a modest way. Besides Ragan, Fowler credits his knowledge of knowing how to get around new tracks to his IRacing simulator which has proven to help the 19 year old make his way around some of the toughest tracks the series has to offer.

Fowler’s future remains a mystery. He, nor Randy Hill, nor anyone in the garage area is sure what he will be doing throughout the remainder of the season.

“At this point but I’m taking it week by week and waiting to see what might come up,” said Fowler.

Indubitably, something came up as Fowler returns behind the wheel with RHR at the Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend in the History 300.

May 22, 2012