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  • Chris Buescher Pays Tribute To Dad

    Chris Buescher Pays Tribute To Dad

    It may be an off-weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but for Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 34 Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports, it is a special one as he pays tribute to his dad for Father’s Day.

    “My dad is the reason I am racing,” Buescher said. “He was a hot rod guy growing up, so that’s what I remember is cars in the garage getting taken apart and me helping him.”

    “At the end of the day, I’m sure I was slowing him down.  But I learned a lot from him and to this day, I still love to work on the stuff in my free time. It is something that me and my dad still enjoy doing.”

    “That was the big start for me getting into cars and then racing.”

    While Buescher’s love of cars came straight from his father, Chris was the one who ultimately wanted to make those cars go fast.

    “Dad had a ‘67 Cobra kit car that he started right about the time I was born,” Buescher said “He finished that car when I was 18 years old. He was pretty hesitant to let me drive that one because knows I’m hard on stuff.”

    “One day I decided to take that car out.  There in Prosper, Texas where we used to live, you could hear for miles around.  The car was extremely loud but I thought I was far enough away from the house where I could lay it down and try to get some speed up.”

    “I pulled back in the driveway after my run and he was at the top of the hill with his arms crossed.  He was looking at me and he said, ‘So, how fast did you go?’  I told him I didn’t go that fast and he said, ‘Don’t lie to me. I heard you.’ I got busted right there.”

    While the love of hot rods still ties father and son together, even to this day, there is also a bit of competitiveness that has emerged between the two.

    “Dad’s building a ‘56 Ford Pickup right now,” Buescher said. “I’m building a ‘55 Pickup at the same time so he’s trying to motivate me to get on mine a little bit quicker.  He’s keeping me going and pushes me along. But I still might get mine done first.”

    Buescher is also grateful to his father for doing a very difficult thing. His mom and dad both agreed to let him go and move to North Carolina when he was just 16 years old to pursue his racing career.

    “I know it was hard on both my mom and dad when I moved away,” Buescher said. “But it was a decision we had to think about for a long time and figure out how to make it work out best.”

    Buescher actually moved in with David Ragan’s parents and brother Adam in North Carolina. And there he found another father figure in Ken Ragan.

    “The Ragans pretty much picked up right where my parents left off,” Buescher said. “They gave me a place to stay and food to eat. I just had to take care of the yard, making sure the grass was mowed.”

    “I’d go over to David’s shop and work in the evenings to try to do whatever odds and ends they had there that needed done.”

    “The relationship that Ken has with David and Adam was so special. Ken loves racing and seeing David be a part of it, supporting him in any way he can. It was cool to see it because it was very similar to how my dad supported me growing up as well.”

    Nowadays, after moving up from the Xfinity Series, where he won several races as well as the championship, Buescher tries to keep up with his dad as much as he can even with his hectic Sprint Cup schedule.

    “Dad usually calls me about twice a day,” Buescher said. “I don’t always answer twice a day, which I feel bad about.  But we definitely talk after the races and figure out what happened throughout the weekend.”

    Those talks are especially important to Buescher as he tries to deal with the ups and downs of being with a smaller team, albeit a Roush Fenway Racing-related team, that has struggled to compete at the front of the pack.

    “It’s been a learning curve, which was expected to an extent,” Buescher said of his season to date. “Coming off of last year where we won a handful of races and the championship, I stepped into the Cup side and thought it would be an adjustment and that we’d be running top-ten before you know it.”

    “It’s just been hard. There is nothing easy about it. So, we’ve been trying to be patient through the year and make sure we learn as much as possible every race. We also want to learn so that when we come back again, we’ll be ready this year.”

    “Those are the things that I talk over with my dad. He keeps me going, even when I have trouble being patient.”

    So what does Buescher admire most about his dad?

    “He just has a lot of respect for everybody,” Buescher said. “It’s something that I learned growing up, to work hard and respect everybody that you are around.”

    “It’s tough to go out there in a competitive environment like we are and try and not lose your cool a lot. But growing up around Dad, I’ve figured out that better things will come back around. It’s just a matter of being patient sometimes and letting it happen.”

    While Buescher may not be able to celebrate Father’s Day in person with his dad, especially given his own racing schedule and his parents’ homebuilding business, he will most certainly be in touch, enjoying some Dad time across the miles.

    “It’s hard to get together on Father’s Day, even on Mother’s Day,” Buescher said. “Our race schedule is just very difficult.”

    “But I certainly will be thinking of him, especially on Father’s Day. And I am so thankful for all that he has done for me and for my racing career.”

    “I would not be where I am today without him.”

  • NASCAR BTS: Landon Cassill’s Big Ride

    NASCAR BTS: Landon Cassill’s Big Ride

    Finishing top-20 in a grueling race at the Monster Mile on Sunday apparently was not enough for Landon Cassill. The driver of the No. 38 MDS Transport Ford for Front Row Motorsports, along with fellow competitors Jimmie Johnson and Josh Wise, took to another track on Monday, participating in a 102.7-mile bike race.

    This week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes focuses on both of Cassill’s big rides, the first at Dover and the second featuring 10,357 feet of climbing to the summit of Mt. Mitchell State Park in North Carolina.

    “On Sunday at Dover, we kind of battled with our car all day and had to scratch and claw to keep ourselves in the mix,” Cassill said. “We adjusted on the car almost every pit stop.  It wasn’t our best performance of the year but we were fortunate to miss the big wreck and kept going after that. I guess at the end of the day we got the points and the finish and that’s all that matters.”

    “Then on Monday, we got up at 4:00 am and flew from Dover to Spartanburg, South Carolina with Jimmie Johnson on his plane,” Cassill continued. “That got us to the starting point of the bike race at the Spartanburg Auditorium in downtown Spartanburg and continued along the Blue Ridge Parkway. And then the race was up the summit of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina.”

    “Jimmie actually was the lead guy for us in terms of logistics and putting things together.”

    Cassill was one of about 800 plus cyclists participating in the 41st Assault on Mt. Mitchell, along with several other NASCAR colleagues competing to the top.

    “There were a couple of other NASCAR industry guys, one from the 11 car and one of the engineers from Stewart-Haas Racing, in the competition, Cassill said. “But as far as drivers it was Jimmie, Josh and myself.”

    “Josh beat us. He’s a pretty strong cyclist.  Jimmie got second and I was the third of the drivers. So, I’ve got some work to do and I need to get back into bicycling shape to hang with them again.”

    In fact, Josh Wise finished 55th with a time of 6 hours, 19 minutes and 22 seconds. Jimmie Johnson was not far behind in 57th place with a time of 6 hours, 19 minutes and 34 seconds. And Cassill finished 117th, with a time of 6 hours, 52 minutes and 42 seconds.

    “It took almost seven hours to complete,” Cassill said. “You have to carry your fluids, your food, your gels and everything you need to stay fueled up with you on the bike. I think I ingested maybe 2,000 calories during the entire ride.”

    “And I probably had 150 ounces of fluid, so there were a few potty breaks and a couple stops to refuel. But I probably stopped no longer than 90 seconds at one time. It was a quick stop, refuel, get back on the bike and get back to biking.”

    So, why on earth does Cassill feel compelled to put his body to such demanding tests by racing on Sunday and extreme biking on Monday?

    “Well for one, it makes me a better driver,” Cassill said simply. “You know, it’s a good hobby but it’s valuable to my driving career.”
    “At the end of the day, what we do in NASCAR is an endurance sport. So any type of endurance training I can do to complement that is important.”

    “There is also a lot of training and a lot of work to keep the focus for that long,” Cassill said. “There are a lot of people that took twelve hours to complete the bike ride so that is pretty mentally taxing if you ask me.”

    “That is also what makes what we do so special in a race car as well.”

    In spite of the incredible stress that he put on himself with his two big rides in just two days, Cassill advised that he was doing well afterwards in spite of it all.

    “I don’t feel that bad,” Cassill said. “I think I’ve recovered well.”

    “I haven’t been training heavily the last two months and I signed up for this ride just four weeks ago. I hadn’t really trained for it, so I feel like from a fitness standpoint, mostly from my base fitness that I built up for the past few years, I’m really kind of happy that I got it done.”

    Not only are these challenges good for his racing, but Cassill also feels that he is living out one of his sponsor’s values, that of Snap Fitness.

    “Snap Fitness loves supporting what I do,” Cassill said. “They believe in me and our sport and our fans. Anything I do along these lines, I feel like Snap is all over it. It’s pretty cool to have their support.”

    Cassill did indeed reach the mountaintop in his big ride after the Dover race. Yet in spite of that, he has set a new goal and fitness challenge for himself.

    “I’m going to do a half iron man in Dublin, Ireland,” Cassill said. “So, that will be a swim, bike and a run, so I’ll add that to the cycle training.”

    “This is just a good kick in the pants for me to kick start my new season of training and to set new goals.”

     

  • Brett Moffitt Sweet on Ice Cream and Good Pocono Run

    Brett Moffitt Sweet on Ice Cream and Good Pocono Run

    This is a sweet weekend for Brett Moffitt and his No. 34 All American Food Front Row Motorsports team. They are not only promoting National Root Beer Float day but also hoping for a sweet finish at Pocono Raceway in the Windows 10 400.

    Moffitt is most excited about promoting National Root Beer Float Day for A&W restaurants on August 6th. Anyone can ask for a root beer float at any A&W store between 2:00 p.m. and closing and get it for free.  The only catch is that participants will be asked to make a donation to the Wounded Warrior Foundation to pay it forward.

    “It’s really cool and it is a really fun thing to have on the car,” Moffitt said. “It’s amazing that this huge company A&W is doing that.

    “They don’t need to do that, but it shows what’s in their hearts. It will help everyone have a little enjoyment in their day and also help Wounded Warriors benefit from it too.”

    Moffitt advised that the saying ‘We all scream for ice cream’ definitely applies to him and is why he is so excited about the root beer float promotion on his race car.

    “I like anything sweet,” Moffitt said. “The inner kid in me loves candy, ice cream and especially root beer floats. Any chance I get to snack out, I’m good with it. It’s a free excuse for me.”

    “I’m going to head for the nearest A&W in my area on August 6,” Moffitt said. “This is the second year we’ve done this so we should be good.”

    Moffitt is also excited that the Root Beer Float promotion will also benefit a charity that he feels strongly about.

    “I haven’t been directly involved in the Wounded Warrior Project, but I would sure like to,” Moffitt said. “I think it’s a great cause and something that a lot of people overlook.

    “Without the warriors who paid such a price, we wouldn’t be standing here doing our jobs today. So, that means a lot to me.”

    With sweets on his car and a car that was good off the truck, Moffitt is also looking forward to a good run at Pocono Raceway in the Cup race on Sunday.

    “We actually unloaded and we were pretty happy with our race car,” Moffitt said. “So, that’s a good sign.

    “The biggest thing is that they got rid of the bumps in Turn Two. So, we’re carrying quite a bit more speed through there than we were a month or so ago. Trying to adjust to that is the newest thing that I’m worried about. Other than that, it’s going good and I’m happy with the car.

    “You can shift in all three corners but I haven’t decided which ones are really better yet. I’ve done it both ways and run the same lap times both ways. So, I don’t really know which one I’m going to stick with.

    “I’m sure in traffic in the race, you’ll shift more and run faster laps. I still think it will be big to take care of your transmission and brakes throughout the race to save it all for the end.”

    Another sweet development for Moffitt is his Rookie of the Year battle with Jeb Burton. In fact, the two young drivers are actually tied at present at 151 points.

    “Yes, we are tied but he’s been in every race and I haven’t,” Moffitt said. “It’s an odd battle and I’m not sure how everything is going to work out. They take your 17 best races I believe it is. So, I don’t know.

    “We’re just going out here every weekend and doing the best we can. At the end of the year if I get it, that’s great. And if not, then it kind of sucks.

    “It’s hard to really focus on that week in and week out and with all the stipulations that go along with it. So, for me, it’s go out, perform, and if you beat him on the track every time, it will be hard to lose it.”

    Moffitt admitted that his journey to racing the No. 34 A&W All American Food Ford has taken many twists and turns. But the young racer admitted that it has been sweet and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

    “It’s been a weird journey and not your traditional way up. I ran the K&N East Series for five years and had a lot of success there. I started testing for Michael Waltrip Racing in their Cup cars at the end of 2011 until NASCAR did away with the testing. I’m still under contract with Michael Waltrip Racing but I didn’t get the chance to run XFINITY or Trucks much.

    “It’s a weird way to get here but am thankful to the opportunity to be here.

    “I also got the opportunity to fill in for Brian Vickers this year in the No. 55 car and that was a great opportunity as well. And for the remainder of this year, I’ve found a great home here at Front Row. It’s been a really good year so far and I hope we can continue it on.

    “Ever since the first few races I’ve come over here, we’ve really been working well together. It’s a great group of guys. We’re all kind of smart butts to each other but it is great chemistry for the team. And everyone knows we’re just joking. It’s a fun atmosphere but when it comes time to get stuff done, we do it. I think that makes for a great team.”

    In addition to National Root Beer Float Day, Moffitt will also soon celebrate a sweet thing of his own. He has a birthday next week and will turn 23 years old.

    “I’m not racing Watkins Glen next weekend so I’m actually going to go home to Iowa and visit my parents, family and friends for my birthday,” Moffitt said. “I haven’t been there since Christmas so it will be good to see all of them.”

    “But until then, just go get those root beer floats on August 6,” Moffitt said. “It’s a cool and easy thing to do.”

     

  • Does Chris Buescher Have a Future at Front Row Motorsports?

    Does Chris Buescher Have a Future at Front Row Motorsports?

    Although he’s primarily a XFINITY driver for Roush-Fenway Racing, Chris Buescher has shown some promise in the five Sprint Cup starts he’s made in 2015. He finished 20th in his debut at Fontana, but in his next four races in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford he had three top-25 finishes with a low point of 30th at Texas. Keeping that in mind, could Chris Buescher be the driver that FRM needs?

    The No. 34 FRM entry hasn’t been a competitive team save for restrictor plate races with David Ragan. Aside from a surprise win at Talladega in 2013, Ragan has fared worse at FRM than he ever did at Roush Fenway Racing. So considering Ragan’s departure from the No. 34 in 2015, the car has become somewhat of a development ride for younger drivers (with the exception of Joe Nemechek at Atlanta early this season), with Buescher normally sharing the seat with Brett Moffitt.

    So although Buescher is gunning for the XFIITY championship piloting the No. 60 for RFR, his Sprint Cup career may in fact benefit with a full-time spot with FRM in 2016 if they’re able to secure sponsorship for the No. 34. He’s matured a lot since the beginning of his rookie season in Xfinity competition in 2014. Despite failing to qualify at Daytona, he proceeded to score a win at Mid-Ohio and finished seventh in the final points.

    Photo Credit: Sarah Glenn/Getty Images
    Photo Credit: Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

    He’s not a flashy driver and he isn’t excessive. He’s shown he can take care of his equipment, but he may need to work on his qualifying results. Still, he’s been pretty impressive in his first five Sprint Cup starts. FRM would do well to keep a hold of him because for a team looking to improve, he could be that driver that would fit with them.

    He’s not going to stay in the XFINITY Series forever, and although RFR could do like Hendrick Motorsports and add a fourth Sprint Cup team, they’ve been steadily declining performance wise since the departure of Matt Kenseth following the 2012 season. If RFR put him behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car we’d see something along the lines of what has befallen Trevor Bayne.

    Bayne had a decent XFINITY tenure that was similar to Buescher’s, but has struggled mightily in the Sprint Cup Series since taking over the No. 6 full-time. A lot of that can be attributed to the RFR equipment, and if Buescher is taking any notes he needs to really think if he wants to take the next step with RFR.

    Of course, FRM will need to adjust accordingly if they want to truly pursue a future with Buescher. He’s at the forefront of the new swarm of NASCAR stars and if anyone can turn around a team’s fortunes, it’s him. If they go through with it and solidify a deal, look for him to be one of the most productive rookies in recent memory.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Martinsville Goody’s 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Martinsville Goody’s 500

    Hosting the first Eliminator race in the Chase, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 66th annual Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

    Surprising: While some tributes were expected, especially with the remembrance of the Hendrick Motorsports plane crash at Martinsville ten years ago, other tributes also abounded, from the race winner’s tribute to his crew chief to the tribute of Front Row Motorsports to Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott.

    “He turned my career around,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, paying tribute to his crew chief Steve Letarte after winning his first ever race at Martinsville. “He put a great team together. What he’s accomplished is impressive as hell. I’m overwhelmed with what he’s been able to do.”

    “He put me in Victory Lane,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet continued about his crew chief. “Like I say, the team he’s assembled, incredible group. That’s all Steve. He seems to have evolved into one of the best crew chiefs in the garage.”

    The other major tribute at Sunday’s Martinsville race was to Wendell Scott, the first African American to win in NASCAR competition. Darrell Wallace Jr. carried the tribute paint scheme to Victory Lane in the Truck Series race and David Ragan piloted his Scott tribute No. 34 Front Row Motorsports car to a tenth place finish in the Cup race.

    “Last Sunday was a good day for us,” Ragan said. “To get a top-10 finish was a real shot in the arm for this team and for Front Row Motorsports, and to do it in the Wendell Scott tribute car made it even more special.”

    Not Surprising: It’s not often that the race runner up is embarrassed, but four-time champion driving for five Jeff Gordon was just that, taking his lumps for his mistake speeding on pit road.

    “I’m embarrassed to say this,” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said. “Completely my fault.”

    “We do two settings, one in first gear, one in second gear. A late sequence for each one. I ran second gear under my light sequence for first gear,” Gordon continued. “I was supposed to run one green light in second gear and one red light in first gear. I ran one red light in second gear. That’s way too fast.”

    “I knew right then I was speeding.”

    Surprising: After no Talladega ‘big one’ the previous race, it was surprising to see a huge, hard wreck at one of the sport’s shortest tracks. The Martinsville ‘big one’ included Kasey Kahne and Casey Mears taking big hits, as well as Danica Patrick, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex and Brian Vickers involved in the melee.

    “I just didn’t really see him (No. 2, Brad Keselowski) slowing down,” Kahne said. “I think my spotter was spotting me and I think he saw it last second. As soon as he said it I hit the brakes, but it was way too late.”

    “It was a pretty good hit.”

    “I was behind the No. 43 (Aric Almirola) and I guess the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) was just backing up on the outside, I don’t know what happened,” Casey Mears said. “I saw the No. 43 go a little bit low and I was just using up all the track and right when I hit the No. 2 my spotter said the No. 2 is backing up. I just plowed him.”

    “I ran into him hard.”

    Not Surprising: Smoke did rise again at Martinsville, albeit with a bit of a gamble staying out on old tires to finish 4th place in his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet.

    “I don’t even think it was a gutsy call,” Tony Stewart said. “To me it was a no-brainer and if we were in that spot 100 times, that is the choice I want to make. I want to give ourselves a chance to fight for it like that.”

    “This car was pretty good all weekend,” Smoke continued. “I just can’t thank Johnny Morris (Bass Pro Shops) and Rusty Rush and everybody at Mobil 1 and Eric (Bagdikian) from Code 3 Associates and his staff; and most of all, our fans.”

    “They have been plowing a tough road for the last 18 months and this top 5 is for the fans more than anybody.”

    Surprising: Austin Dillon again outscored Kyle Larson in the Rookie of the Race battle, for the second week in a row. RCR driver Dillon finished 12th after starting 19th and Larson, in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished 30th after a crash on Lap 487.

    “I’m really proud of everyone at RCR today,” Dillon said. “I was hoping to pass the No. 34 at the very end there to gain one more position and finish 11th, but a 12th-place finish – hey we’ll take it.”

    “It was a true team effort.”

    “I was terrible all day,” Larson, the other rookie contender said of his Martinsville adventure. “I’m just not very good at this track.”

    “I kept running into the back of people when cars five or six in front of me would check up, then it would get to me and I’d hit them,” Larson continued. “It was a really bad race for me.”

    Not Surprising: Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne proved that three times was a charm in bringing out the yellow flag together. The two drivers mixed it up royally and potentially could have caused four or more cautions had they not been warned by NASCAR to cool it down.

    “He definitely wrecked us on purpose the first time, I mean look at the video,” Vickers said of his incidents with Kahne. “He just hooked us in the bumper and just wrecked us, I don’t know why.”

    “I was actually passing him off of (Turn) 2 and he didn’t give me room and I was going to hit the wall so I lifted a little,” Kahne said in response. “And then he kind of went high into (Turn) 3, and that’s where I was entering so he blocked. So I went low to pass him and then he chopped low across and spun himself out.”

    “He was using up the whole race track so I was going high, then he went high,” Kahne continued. “Then I decided to go low, and he went low and spun himself out on my front end. I was confused as to why he would want to do that. Then later on he crashed me. I don’t know what his deal was he was using up the whole track. You get one lane you don’t get all of them.”

    Surprising: In addition to the wrecking and tempers flaring, there were also actual flames on the track, from Timmy Hill, who went ablaze early, to Kurt Busch, who had a conflagration in his car on Lap 424.

    “I think we ruptured an oil line,” Busch said. “Whether it was the fitting or the line itself, I don’t know.”

    “But we had a really good run. We were in the mix. We were running up front with the Haas Automation Chevy and we were in that spot where we won that race this spring,” the driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet continued. “I was hoping to get off the broom, but instead we’ve got our broom cleaning up our kitty litter.”

    Not Surprising: The winless wonders continued their quiet and calculated consistency at Martinsville, with Ryan Newman finishing third and Matt Kenseth taking the checkered flag in the sixth position.

    “The strategy of two tires there at the end worked out good for us,” Newman said. “Right number of laps with the guys that stayed out, kept the guys behind us that had four tires.”

    “Just a great team effort for the Quicken Loans Chevrolet, everybody at RCR,” Newman continued. “It was fun to have at least our highest running position be the last lap of the race.”

    “We didn’t run the way we wanted to run,” Kenseth said. “We still finished respectably with all the stuff that happened. Like I said, we didn’t run great today, but they made some good calls and did the right things at the end and finished strong.”

    Surprising: AJ Allmendinger continued to surprise with his “little engine that could’ team finishing ninth in his No. 47 Clorox Products Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing.

    “Good day, honestly maybe one of the best days we have had all year just in the sense of not great early on, fighting hard,” ‘Dinger said. “The guys had good pit stops and then a couple of adjustments there.”

    “In a way ninth is a little bit disappointing,” Allmendinger continued. “But overall just really proud of the team that was probably one of the best efforts we have had all year.”

    Not Surprising: Revenge is mine said one Kevin Harvick after the race of his struggles with competitor Matt Kenseth, with whom he tussled on track.

    “The good thing about this format is you have two more weeks and two race tracks that we can win on,” Harvick said after being involved in an early accident and finishing 33rd. “Everybody was so worried about us starting in the back and we wrecked at the front. Unfortunate.”

    And of his Kenseth issues, Harvick had a rather cryptic remark about his competitor to end the race weekend.

    “Yeah, he won’t win this championship. If we don’t, he won’t.”

  • David Ragan and Family Turn Road Rally Scavengers for Good Cause

    David Ragan and Family Turn Road Rally Scavengers for Good Cause

    While David and Jacquelyn Ragan are busy with the racing season, as well as preparing for the birth of their first child, they are both doing something a bit unique, turning into road rally scavengers for a good cause.

    The couple are serving as honorary co-chairs for a unique event, the Race for Research, a three-day road rally and scavenger hunt, that will raise money for the LuMind Foundation and for Down syndrome cognition research.

    This is the first-ever event of its type and will be held from June 16th to June 18th in Charlotte, starting at the Richard Petty Museum and ending at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A total of 25 two-person teams will drive their own cars, negotiating various stops and finding certain pictures and items in the scavenger hunt along the way.

    “A lot of these charitable organizations and foundations, they have golf tournaments and different dinners and galas, but I thought when we were asked to be part of their fundraising campaign that we should do something a little different and tie it into the NASCAR community,” Ragan said. “So, the Race for Research concept was dreamed of. It’s a great concept bringing in some of the great NASCAR venues and tying it in with the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

    “It’s not really a race against time but it’s more a race to get certain pictures and do a little scavenger hunt along the way,” Ragan continued. “They’ll have a little map and a ‘to do’ list and they’ll have to snap a picture with someone or get a piece of memorabilia item from a stop.”

    “That will make it fun.”

    For Ragan, this issue is personal as his brother Adam was born with an extra chromosome: Trisomy 21 or Down’s syndrome.

    “I’ve got a brother that is a couple years older than I am that has Down’s syndrome,” Ragan said. “A lot of people in the NASCAR community know who Adam is and they see him around. He’s a very friendly guy.”

    “He has a great life and lives with a disability so it’s great that the Down’s Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, who just recently changed their name to LuMind Foundation, is trying to raise awareness and raise money for cognitive research to understand more about Down’s syndrome and to understand more about living with and growing older with Down’s syndrome, as well as the complications you may have,” Ragan continued. “It’s a great group of folks. They really spend a lot of time and effort on making kids’ and adults’ lives with Down’s syndrome have a better quality of life.”

    “Adam’s a great example of doing well,” Ragan continued. “And obviously my NASCAR connection, having a lot of fans and a lot of friends and others in the industry that may have a child with Down’s syndrome works.”

    “So, it feels good.”

    Ragan also feels good and is very excited about the variety of stops along the way in the Race for Research. And whether the participants are NASCAR fans or not, he also sees the event as a way for all to get up close and personal with the sport that he so dearly loves.

    “They are going to have a lot of great stops along the way,” Ragan said. “They start off at the Richard Petty Museum at Level Cross. Then they are going to the Childress Winery, Bowman Gray Stadium, Martinsville Speedway, Woods Brothers Racing, Bristol Motor Speedway, Hickory Motor Speedway, Front Row Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Museum, Earnhardt Tribute Plaza, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, the NASCAR R&D Center, Hendrick Motorsports and then end it at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

    “I think they’ll be able to take a little bit from every stop,” Ragan continued. “They’ll have a lot of fun and get to meet some great personalities. They’ll get to shake Richard Petty’s hand and meet a couple of the NASCAR Hall of Famers.”

    “I think that if there are any NASCAR fans that are part of the road rally, that they will get a kick out of it. But if they’re not a NASCAR fan, they’re going to get a pretty good behind the scenes look at our sport and we may convert a few fans over.”

    Ragan acknowledged that the event has a limited number of participants, especially since it is the first year. And he is grateful that they have almost reached their goal of teams participating in this unique fundraising event.

    “We’re about to that point of being at our limit of participants,” Ragan said. “We’re going to have 20 to 25 teams. This being the first year, we wanted to keep a controlled number just so we can make sure everyone has a good time and it runs as planned.”

    Ragan has formed his own team, Team Ragan, for the event and has been busy raising money himself. In fairness to all of the competitors, however, he has decided to race with his own vehicle and not take the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Taco Bell Ford on the hunt.

    “Our team, Team Ragan, we’ve set a goal to raise $10,000,” Ragan said. “We’re about there and it’s been good so far. We’ll have some stickers and decals on our car to showcase all the sponsors and donors.”

    “I’m using my own car,” Ragan continued. “It would be a little unfair to use my race car. I’ll probably just drive our Ford F150.”

    Ragan, his wife and team will be joined by the rest of the road rally scavengers at the wrap up event at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the final stop of the Race for Research event. This will also be the opportunity for the Ragans to remind all about the reason for the Race.

    “At the NASCAR Hall of Fame, we’re going to have a little lunch and we’ll award the winner and recognize the people that did well,” Ragan said. “This being the first time, they wanted someone that was involved in the NASCAR community to take the helm and really try to be proactive in spreading the word out about the event and kids, guys and gals with Down’s syndrome.”

    “I think it’s worked out well. And obviously having an older brother that has Down’s syndrome gets a lot of attention. It’s a neat feeling to be a part of something that can be fun like this.”

    And while Ragan looks for victory at the track every weekend, for him taking the checkered flag in this event has even greater meaning.

    “It’s good to give back to folks that are working hard to make the quality of life of kids and adults with Down’s syndrome better,” Ragan said. “Our parents worked hard to get Adam good schooling and gave him a lot of good opportunities to learn about some of the skills that we take for granted sometimes.”

    “But there are some families out there that don’t have that luxury,” Ragan continued. “Maybe they are single parents or they are busy working or their financially not stable enough to do that.”

    “So, if we can give back and if the LuMind Foundation can work hard to come up with some medication or different drugs to help the effects of Down’s syndrome for kids as they get older to make their quality of life better, that would be a big victory.”

    For more information on the Race for Research or to donate to a team, visit www.dsrtfRaceforResearch.org.

  • Sprint Media Tour – Day Three Continued – Front Row Motorsports and Wood Brothers Racing

    Sprint Media Tour – Day Three Continued – Front Row Motorsports and Wood Brothers Racing

    Day Three of the Sprint Media Tour concluded with visits by Front Row Motorsports, the Wood Brothers racing team and Team Penske. Team Penske will be addressed with a separate article. It was all a part of Ford Day at the four-day program. Front Row introduced their returning drivers – David Ragan, winner of their first race at Talladega, and David Gilliland, but there was a new face on the stage.

    Eric McClure will pilot a Ford Mustang in the Nationwide Series for FRM during the 2014 season. He also will start the 2014 Daytona 500 in the No. 35 Ford Fusion.

    “I’ve only recently been cleared to compete so a lot of dominoes are starting to fall into place,” McClure said. “The plan is the Daytona 500 for sure, Speedweeks too, and hopefully we will qualify.” McClure admitted that the Daytona 500 is on his bucket list and his ride will be sponsored by Hefty.

    Front Row Motorsports drivers agreed that the new qualifying procedure could benefit small teams.

    “I think that we’ve got to continue to evolve our sport based on the fans that we have in the world as it changes,” said Ragan, who drives the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. “The fundamental parts are always going to be there. You’re going to have 43 cars you’ve got to go and race, and the best guy is going to win. But I’m excited about the upcoming season, the possible changes. I think that it definitely fits into our favor as a smaller team trying to grow in this world. It’s a big benefit if we can be in the Chase, for our sponsors, for our team, for everyone. I think it’s a good thing to help everybody grow.”

    Gilliland went a step farther.

    “I think they said with David (Ragan) winning at Talladega last year, if the points were the exact same this year, he possibly would have made (the Chase),” Gilliland said. “That’d be a huge shot for Front Row Motorsports, so that’s kind of what we’re focusing on, all the while keeping focus on getting our whole team elevated to run better each and every week.”

    Appearing with the Front Row gang was the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team. The Woods’ will once again feature Trevor Bayne in its Ford Fusions for 2014. Only 12 races are scheduled this year, but Ford Racing boss Jamie Allison mentioned that the Woods only needed two wins to reach 100 all-time NASCAR wins and looked at Bayne for approval. “That would be a tall order if we’re only running 12 races.”

    Bayne has had his ups and downs on and off the track with Wood Brothers Racing, but through it all, including a Daytona 500 win and being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he’s kept an even keel.

    “It is a diagnosis, but to me it has not changed my way of life or any daily activities or anything like that so for me that’s all it has to be right now is a diagnosis,” Bayne said of learning to live with MS. “It changes one thing about your mindset… you appreciate every day and you make the best of it.”

    Team co-owner Eddie Wood says that with sponsorship, the team could run 15-16 races a year.

    “We’d love to do it (more races), but the money just isn’t there,” Wood said. We bought four new cars this year—four intermediate cars and our Daytona car, and that’s about all we can do. We have all the good stuff that Roush has. Donnie Wingo, (crew chief) has all the stuff they’ve learned right on his computer every day. We’re ready to roll, but the sponsors just haven’t stepped up.”

  • David Ragan Discusses Driving For Front Row Motorsports

    David Ragan Discusses Driving For Front Row Motorsports

    At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, I got the chance to talk to Talladega race winner, David Ragan.  In the interview, we talked about the progression of Front Row Motorsports, his sponsors, his future and even a little about fans that claimed to be related to him but weren’t! Here’s the complete interview; enjoy!

    First off, I want to talk to you real quick about that incredible win at Talladega. Was that one bigger than your first one with Roush just because of the circumstances surrounding it?

    Every win in the Sprint Cup Series is big but the win for Front Row probably meant more than the other. Every win is very special in any of the top three series of NASCAR. To get the first win for the organization is big and to overcome all the challenges we faced (to get there). A 1-2 finish makes it even more special; that was definitely a team effort and it was a big day for myself as well as our car owner Bob Jenkins and the whole team.

    You’ve had the rare opportunity to both race and win for a top level organization as well as one of the smaller teams; one most would call underfunded so what’s the major differences from a driver’s standpoint?

    The biggest thing from the larger, more established teams vs. a smaller, growing team is just resources. The larger teams have been in the sport for 25+ years and got a lot more money, a lot more sponsors and a lot more employees so that’s something we fight on a daily basis. We fight to create more revenue and get more partners for Front Row and it’s a slow process but we’ve been very successful  in making it happen.

    Do you have aspirations to return to a top level team or are you happy here trying to help Front Row grow and build?

    Well my aspirations are to win more races and compete for championships and I’m only 27 years old. I feel like I got a long time left in this sport and if that’s going to be growing Front Row Motorsports and getting them to a be able to be competitive consistently and win multiple races; that would be great. But if a opportunity comes up with a larger team that puts me back immediately into a more competitive program, then that’s something I have to look at too but I am very happy at Front Row and helping them grow and get better…that would be a great story to tell.

    Do you feel more pressure racing for a team like Front Row because being competitive means everything to them; it’s about survival but with a bigger team, you are just expected to do well?

    There’s pressure in every situation whether you’re trying to make the race and you’re going to finish 43rd or if you’re trying to win a race and go for the championship. There’s a lot of pressure in every situation; it just comes from different directions.

    This team is definitely making progress…I don’t know if you knew this but Front Row Motorsports was listed as No.800 on Inc. Magazine’s 5,000 fastest growing companies last year. What are you guys doing that other small teams that seem to be stuck in a rut aren’t?

    Well I think that we got a good attitude and we work hard and we got Bob Jenkins who is an entrepreneur, a smart business man. We all got a good attitude when we come to work each day and we’ve leveraged ourselves to some really good partners with CSX, Love’s Travel Stops, Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts, and Farm Rich. You got three or four companies there that that are solid companies. The more we can develop those relationships, the better off we’ll be.

    That kind of leads me to my next question…where do all these sponsors come from? It seems like every week, you or Gilliland have a new or different sponsor on the car. Where are you getting all these sponsors?

    I don’t know; that’s a good question there. They come from all around. We got ourselves a marketing team that works hard and we can provide a good package for a company that has been burnt out by spending too much money with larger teams or companies that are fairly new to the sport and want to grow and get involved. I think we got a unique situation and that makes us fortunate enough to have some of the partners that we do have and the ones we’re able to get.

    Front Row has been noticeably faster in 2013. You’ve been awesome in qualifying recently and both you and David Gilliland seem to be running in the top 20 a lot more often; where’s the speed coming from?

    It’s a combination of the things we’ve talked about. Just working harder, trying to build better racecars and getting more confidence with our team and having a better notebook with this Gen-6 car and beeing able to test a few more times this year so it hasn’t been one particular thing. It’s been an awry of five or six small things that’s helped us get to this next point and that’s where we need to focus to get even better. Just need to keep working on a lot of small things; I don’t think we’re going to have one grand-slam that jumps us to the top 10 but a lot of little, small items will eventually get us there.

    How soon before you think Front Row is capable of winning races at places other than plate tracks?

    In the right situation, we could have a shot to do it this year in the final ten races. Hopefully, there’s not a lot of rule changes for 2014 and we can build some better racecars and we can learn from our 2013 experiences. It’s coming and hopefully, sooner rather than later.

    When you’re not at the track racing and when you’re not with your family; what is it you like to do?

    Well, you just about explained every day of my life. I do the NASCAR racing about 40 weeks a year and I go do some short track racing with my Late Models a couple weekends a year…the other five or six weekends a year, I’m with my family and spending some time at our Ford dealership down in Perry, Georgia. It keeps us busy.

    Nick & DavidWhat’s the strangest fan encounter you’ve ever had?

    Well, we have a lot of crazy fan encounters. I’ve met guys that have their name, David Ragan spelled the same way and people who claim they’re your cousin but they’re really not and people that want you to sign “unique” stuff. There’s a lot of crazy/passionate NASCAR fans out there and it’s hard to just pick one because they’res a lot of them.

  • NASCAR and the Ripple Effect

    NASCAR and the Ripple Effect

    This past week has been unprecedented and historic for the sport of NASCAR, with the sanctioning body announcing the two major penalties, the first for Michael Waltrip Racing on Monday and then Friday announcing probation for Penske and Front Row Motorsports, as well as the historic placement of a thirteenth driver into the Chase, Jeff Gordon.

    In spite of these machinations, twists and turns this past week, there has been one constant throughout, the ripple effect.

    So, what is the ripple effect?

    Webster’s dictionary defines it as “a spreading, pervasive and usually unintentional effect or influence” and dictionary.com defines it as “a series of consequences caused by a single action or event.”

    Mike Helton, NASCAR President, used the term ripple effect first by describing how the sanctioning body made the difficult decision on the Monday after the Richmond race to penalize Michael Waltrip Racing with a $300,000 fine, suspend MWR executive Ty Norris indefinitely, and replace MWR driver Martin Truex Jr. in the Chase with Ryan Newman.

    “The way we go about these is we look at the incident and only the incident because we know from experience that if you try to look at the ripple effect of an incident, you can’t cover all those bases,” Helton said during the MWR penalty announcement.

    “Our focus is around the incident and what we were going to do to react around it, not the ripple effect of the incident or the ripple effect of our reaction,” Helton continued. “So, we simply look at the incident and react to the incident, and whatever our reaction may create, that has a ripple effect to it as well.”

    One of the first ripple effects was the outrage expressed by driver Jeff Gordon, who was outside the Chase looking in by just one point behind due to the apparent shenanigans that took place both on the track and on pit road.

    “Someone explain the ‘ripple effect’ to me,” Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, tweeted after the race.

    And just after the tweet, Jeff Gordon fans latched on and quickly echoed the sentiments that their driver had been a victim of the ripple effect, starting a social media movement of their own in reaction to their driver being denied an opportunity to run for the championship.

    Gordon’s teammate Jimmie Johnson also joined in the discussion about the ripple effect, calling for NASCAR to adopt rules similar to the NFL, where play is halted and a review is made of any questionable play or call on the field.

    “In my opinion, if there is a question they don’t know, they need to stop the race immediately,” Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, said. “Figure it out and made the best judgment they can because trying to go back on Monday or Tuesday to fix the situation is just too much and then I learn something about a ripple effect.”

    While ripples ran rampant through the garage and the media center alike, the biggest ripple effect came from the fans who continued to be incensed about the actions on the track that they felt compromised the integrity of the sport.

    The ripple effect continued throughout the week as the sanctioning body continued to investigate the events at Richmond, turning their attention to the team communication with Front Row Motorsports driver David Gilliland and the discussion to give a spot to Joey Logano late in the Richmond race.

    This apparently assisted Logano, who finished 22nd in front of Gilliland, to move ahead of Gordon in the point standings, squeaking into Chase contention.

    On both Wednesday and Thursday, NASCAR announced that they would not have any comment, however, Joey Logano addressed the media during his pre-Chase interview in Chicago.

    “I am going to be 100 percent honest, I knew nothing about it,” Logano said. “That is stuff that happens week in and week out with spotters.”

    “What I look at and say is that if we didn’t pass the 38 car, we were still in 10th in points and still got our bonus point so it has no change in the outcome of where we are right now.”

    But the ripple effects did not stop and again NASCAR made a major announcement on Friday, September 13th that a 13th driver would be added to the Chase for the Championship.

    In addition to NASCAR making the unprecedented decision Friday to add the four-time champion to the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup field, they also put the Penske Racing team of Joey Logano and Front Row Motorsports with David Gilliland on probation.

    And the ripple effect continued.

    “There were just too  many things that went on Saturday night that gave a clear disadvantage and what we deemed an unfair disadvantage to the 24 (Gordon),” Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO said. “I have the authority to do that.”

    “It is an unprecedented and extraordinary thing but it is also an unprecedented and extraordinary set of circumstances that unfolded in multiple ways on Saturday night,” France continued. “And we believe this is the right outcome to protect the integrity of the sport, which is our number one goal in NASCAR.”

    “It’s been a rough week,” Gordon said after learning that he was back into championship contention. “I’m very appreciative to be in and I know it’s under the most unbelievable circumstances I’ve ever been in as part of my racing career.”

    “I wish all of this hadn’t happened,” Gordon continued. “Now here we are as a 13th car and in and we just try to take that opportunity and make the most of it.”

    While Gordon expressed his thoughts on how rough his week was, the ripple effect that extended to Martin Truex, Jr. was, however, the most devastating.

    Truex, through no fault of his own, was ousted from the Chase due to the MWR penalties, said that all he did was ‘drive his heart out’ throughout the entire race at Richmond, only to be taken out of the chance to run for a championship.

    “I’m not even sure what to say at this point to be honest with you,” Truex said. “I’m kind of at a loss for words.”

    “They kick me out to make spot for somebody and then they don’t do the same for the other guys,” Truex continued. “It’s just unfair, and nothing I can do about it.”

    Truex was not the only driver to experience the ripple effect of confusion stemming from the events of the week since Richmond. Hendrick Motorsports teammate and the sport’s most popular driver also weighed in with his thoughts on the events.

    “I don’t know what is fair anymore,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “You could have done it a million different ways and I don’t know that one is better than the other.”

    “The whole thing is a mess.”

    The most significant ripple effect has yet to be determined, however, as NASCAR announced that it will have a mandatory meeting with all of the drivers, crew chiefs and owners to further discuss these issues.

    “We’re going to protect, no matter what it takes — the integrity of the sport will never be in question,” France said. “We’re going to make sure that we have the right rules going forward that are clear so that the integrity of the competitive landscape of the events are not altered in a way or manipulated.”

    “And that will be what we will address.”

    But will this be the end of the ripple effect that has been created throughout the sport of NASCAR as a result of these unfolding events?

    Just as in the original penalties announced earlier in the week, there may be ripple effects that even the sanctioning body cannot even begin to predict or may not even have imagined.

    And the biggest and most significant ripple effect that remains to be seen is the reaction by the sport’s fan base, who ultimately determine if their passion or thoughts about the integrity of the sport have been affected or diminished.

    And the ripple effect goes on and on and on.

  • Matty’s Picks 2013 – Race 27 GEICO 400 – Chicagoland Speedway – September 15, 2013

    Matty’s Picks 2013 – Race 27 GEICO 400 – Chicagoland Speedway – September 15, 2013

    The eventful NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season has finally come to a close, and we head onto the opening week of the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup this week at Chicagoland Speedway. It has been a fantastic regular season, filled with parody, the broadest spectrum of winners we’ve ever seen in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and of course drama.

    I’ll start this week with my thoughts on the biggest news of the week surrounding the Michael Waltrip Racing cars of Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., and Brian Vickers, the Stewart-Haas Racing car of Ryan Newman, and now the Penske Racing car of Joey Logano, the Front Row Motorsports car of David Gilliland, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Jeff Gordon. Now we’ve gotten all the names out of the way, I’ll attempt to recap what happened with each team to set the now 13-driver field for this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    It was Ryan Newman in the lead late last Saturday Night at Richmond when Bowyer’s spotter, Brett Griffin, came over the radio and said “(No.) 39 is going to win the race…well that kinda sucks. Nine more (laps) right here.” Then there was an arm itching comment by Crew Chief Brian Pattie, Bowyer spun out with no cars around him sending out the Caution Flag. Bowyer spin, Check.

    When it came time for the restart, Brian Vickers was called to Pit Road, and amongst the confusion associated with pitting when the field was going green, a comment came over the radio “we need that one point.” and a “I owe you a kiss” comment. When the cars went back to green, Vickers made laps at a speed that any quarter-midget driver would have beaten, raising some more red flags. Vickers pit/lap times, Check.

    The result was Joey Logano gaining enough points on Jeff Gordon to knock him from the 10th spot in points, which opened a Wild Card spot for Martin Truex Jr. The result on Monday was a 50-point fine for each of the three Michael Waltrip Racing guys (pre-Chase reset), enough to knock Martin Truex Jr. out of his Wild Card spot, and inserting Ryan Newman (who should have won the race anyway) into the Chase picture. Oh and don’t forget about the $300,000 fine for Michael Waltrip Racing on top of $3-3.5 million in foregone Chase earnings for the No.56 team.

    Fast forward to Friday Afternoon…

    Towards the end of the race on Saturday Night, there was a “Big Dog and his cronies” atop the spotter stand in what seems like a reference towards Roger Penske who often watches the races from the Spotter’s Deck, so nothing new. The out of the ordinary part of this deal is the chatter over the No.38 (David Gilliland) team radio between Crew Chief Frank Kerr and Gilliland’s spotter requesting Gilliland to give up a spot to Chase hopeful, Joey Logano. Kerr asked who the request came from, the spotter referenced “The Big Dog”, pass happens, Logano gets in the chase, Gilliland’s Spotter says “Hopefully we’ll get something out of that” after the race. Gilliland/Logano pass, Check.

    The result here was a review by NASCAR of radio chatter between the No.38 team Driver, Spotter, and Crew Chief and a determination was made that the No.38 and No.22 teams had tried to manipulate the outcome of the race at Richmond and furthermore, the 2013 Chase field. “Based on all of our findings this week, we determined both Front Row Motorsports and Penske Racing organizations would be placed on probation for the remainder of the NASCAR this season.” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Additionally, based on the totality of our findings, to be totally fair and equitable we decided that adding a 13th car to this year’s Chase is the appropriate action.” France went on to add, “Beginning with our decision Monday, which resulted in an unprecedented team penalty, and continuing with further examination of actions involving two other race teams, it is clear to us that attempts to manipulate the results impacted the Chase field.”

    So, nobody else is out, but Jeff Gordon is now into the first 13-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup field, set to begin on Sunday with the first of the 10 races which make up the NASCAR playoffs.

    Now that we’ve gotten the stories straight (or as straight as they can be at this point), my stance on this week’s events is still up in the air…

    Though I appreciate the team aspect this sport has to offer, I do not agree with manipulating the outcome of a race to help out a teammate. A sport that was bread in the South on integrity and downright grit has now been tainted with numerous attempts that would have some of the sports’ founders in outrage and calling for a permanent ban from the sport. If this were baseball for instance, the sport’s fans would call for the player attempting to manipulate the outcome of a game to be banned from the sport forever (Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, the list goes on).

    The Michael Waltrip Racing penalty is the most severe to ever be passed down by NASCAR, but to me, the team’s greatest chance at a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion was only given a wrist slap. Clint Bowyer is still racing for a Championship even with his (inconclusive) involvement in the events at Richmond, and the guy with no known involvement (who deserves to race for a Championship) in the scheme is left out to dry. Martin Truex Jr. deserves a spot in this year’s Chase because he had earned his right to race for a Championship over the 25 races leading up to the circus in Richmond (winning one of them). Truex in, Bowyer out in my eyes -OR- a 14-team Chase field (why stop at 13?)

    Now, as far as how NASCAR handled the penalties and my thoughts on how this week panned out are a different story. It is unfortunate to even have to address things like this during a time when our sport competes with the Nation’s largest viewership week in and week out, but I am guessing Sunday’s race could draw more viewers than any of the previous 9 first Chase races. The question will be if viewers will be tuning in to watch a sport, or to watch a WWF-style half sport, half drama show. Credibility is huge when talking sport vs. show and with this week’s circus, I’m afraid NASCAR may have gained some followers curious about the “Drama Show” aspect this week has been. The deal was sealed on that statement on Friday with the “re-do” on the Chase field for the third time in five days.

    To me, it was an all or nothing decision for NASCAR this week, and to hand pick and choose who gets to race for a Championship and who does not has a WWF jingle to it, much like the promoters who decide who gets the title belt and who does not. For so long, NASCAR’s stance was to let the boys settle it out on the track, and to step in and hand pick the Chase field has set a precedent for the future, but still has not addressed any of the “grey area” each and every team likes to play in.

    Oh, by the way, my picks for this weekend at Chicago are Kevin Harvick since he’s the only guy in the field this weekend with multiple wins at Chicagoland, and Martin Truex Jr. because he’s out for vengeance and you have to go back to last season for his last finish outside the top-10 on any of the Intermediate tracks.

    So, until we put all this chaos behind us and head to the second race of the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup…You Stay Classy WWF NATION!